Comments on: It’s All Just Numbers

By: Mrs Money

Mrs Money — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:09:44 +0000

cavewoman- How awesome! I think that is an awesome attitude to have. Attitude is everything! Freedom is amazing, and there’s nothing like being out of debt!

By: Mrs Money

Mrs Money — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:08:18 +0000

Jeff- I love your comment! I’m glad I am not the only one that things about crazy things like this. Yum, Chipotle!

By: cavewoman

cavewoman — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:11:43 +0000

For me, I don’t think it’s about numbers.
It’s about freedom.

Freedom to not be in debt. Freedom to get the “thing” that I need when I need it. Freedom to cover the inevitable expenses of life if you should lose your job like I did, once upon a time.

Everytime I write that check to Sallie Mae for my student loans, I send it with a little “thank you” card. Mainly because I am grateful for my education, for what it has allowed me to do, for the interesting places that it has allowed me to go and work. I live my dream because I received that education. And I am overwhelmed with gratitude for what that loan money let me do.
So, I write a little “thank you”, and know that when I’m done paying off that debt, that means there will be “that much” more money in the governments coffers to allow some other young soul the opportunity to find their dream.

I don’t have much money. But that little bit gives me freedom. And for that…I’m thankful.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:55:19 +0000

This is interesting and something I think about often—how we’re constantly having to shift our brains from the abstract to the concrete when dealing with money and what it can buy. Even actual cash, while it is a concrete object, is basically just worthless paper representing an abstraction. Two identical pieces of paper can have hugely different values depending on what number is written on them. We’ve really just taken abstraction a step further with cards and electronic payments, to the point where yeah, it all does seem unreal sometimes. The more adept people are at dealing with abstraction, probably the better they will be with money. I’m not great at math, and really sometimes wonder what money even is. Where does one dollar stop and the next one begin? And what the hell does the Federal Reserve do? One mental trick I have is to divide the the balance of my accounts by 5.95, and this tells me how many Chipotle burritos I could buy. Then I feel rich. Sorry to ramble, I’m really not high, just found your post interesting…