The Cost of Living
These disposable Schick®️ razors are built for a single use. I use each one for roughly a month and I have a drawer full of them. Now you may be thinking that I’m a frugal, thrifty packrat. And while you wouldn’t be completely off the mark, in this case it’s a totally inaccurate assessment.
When I do the math, each of these cheap, throw-away objects carries a price tag of roughly $200 USD in my world. And no, you did not read that wrong. Two. Hundred. U.S. Dollars. Apiece.
Everything in life has a price. And everything also has a cost. What I’ve learned is that these two concepts are actually quite different. And how the math balances out between them is a surprisingly accurate reflection of happiness. At least it is for me.
So what am I babbling on about? I’ll start with some definition.
PRICE
This is nothing more or less than the exchange rate. The currency you have to fork over in order to have any given thing. There’s no emotional baggage or assessment involved. Sheer numbers come into play. That’s it.
Sometimes a price can seem really low. And that looks like a win on the surface. But I cannot truly know that until I factor in the cost. Likewise, a price can appear staggeringly high, beyond my reach, outside of my budget. However, the cost has to be figured before I can decide.
Prices are innocuous. They shouldn’t drive decisions. Which brings me to...
COST
Cost is messy. It’s complex. Cost is what you give up to get something. Not monetarily. Not necessarily literally. Cost is also what you give up when you choose not to obtain something you dearly desire.
Cost comes with history and longing and baggage and psychological charge. Cost can fuck you up. It can keep you from pursuing your dreams and desires. Or it can kill your future in a moment of impulse. It can cause jealousy and resentment and regret.
Or it can create memories and nostalgia and experiences. It’s what you feel when you lament about the priceless things you’ve collected along the way. The things you wouldn’t trade for anything.
In my estimation, the cost should always outweigh the price. It deserves the most consideration. Doing things that cost too much leads to distress. Not doing things your soul burns to do because of the price is equally as damaging.
And this brings me full circle to my razors...
For nearly 20 years, my husband has traveled to Japan a few times a year. He’s done this regardless of the price, regardless of our financial situation. Sometimes we can easily afford it. Sometimes we are living on a prayer.
The cost to me feels high. He’s not spent a Thanksgiving with me since 2002. I’ve sacrificed material things. And I’ve built up baggage and resentment.
But here’s the thing...
For him, the cost of not going would be the sacrifice of one of the single largest burning passions that has been with him since his childhood.
When I spin it that way, of course he should go. And there’s no price tag I can attach to it. For him, this is the epitome of priceless.
And the razors?
The hotel provides him with one per day. He reuses just one for the entire trip and saves about a dozen and brings them home to me.
I am a woman who has a husband so committed to his passion that he’s pursued it singularly for most of his life, regardless of the price.
I am a woman who has a zillion reasons to avoid paying the price for the things she wants and deserves.
I am a woman who pays too high a cost for that...
And I am a woman who shaves with $200 razors.
This is fantastic! The story in and of itself is priceless, but the photos make it work. Best thing I've read all day (that includes my own post, lol).
Awwww shucks! That’s some seriously high praise. Thank you. 😊
You've built up baggage and resentment along with quite a supply of razors...the opposites and contrasts that @countrygirl points out although contributing to the artistic effect of your post, are evidence of your underlying feeling of being conflicted. It seems you've given up quite a lot on your end to indulge your husband's passion. But what about you? Does #MeToo extend to a more equitable arrangement in a relationship? I think so. Good work!
Thank you, John. And yes, there’s a lot of conflict there. But if I’m brutally honest, it stems from my childhood and my crazy mother and the theater of childhood PTSD that I’ve unwittingly put on endless loop for my entire life.
I’m working on that. Furiously. Painfully. And as I do, these epiphanies and realizations knock me down, steal my lunch money, and lock me in a closet. I’ve learned that writing my way out is often the only way to clarity.
I’ve given up more than I’m willing to openly admit. But that has largely been a self inflicted wound. And while I need to audaciously claim my deserved place under the sun as @nikv pointed out, my inability to do that thus far isn’t an adequate reason to expect my husband or anyone else to engage in suffering and sacrifice with me.
There’s way more to it, of course. And there needs to be more balanced and responsibility on both ends. We both come from unspeakably abusive families and need to move beyond that and grow the fuck up. But I digress...
PTSD takes time and effort to work through - I agree, writing and creativity can help. You're gifted, just unrecognized so far in terms of rewards, but that will come in time. Since your husband has a similar background you can both offer support to each other, but I think you're very mature in your outlook and insight - You're going to do well on here :)
I do hope you’re right. 🤞🏻Sometimes I feel like the Sisyphus of The Steem world.
Yes, I felt like that too - but slow and steady wins the race. So many who were on here and way ahead of me have dropped out or given up - they had really high expectations, but make a knife too sharp, and it quickly goes dull. Just last month, my posts without boosts were averaging around $2.00. One thing I learned is treat success and failure on here the same and keep on being true to your art. If you are talented, and you are, people will eventually come to notice you
Very encouraging. And I prefer to think of myself as a machete. A warm and cuddly machete. 🤪
I just realized you botted me! Thank you! 😊
That's a tricky one: I've spent my life around artists. Some financially successful, some not. I put myself mostly in the latter group but then again, I have always found a way to finance my lifestyle, but that's mostly focused on needs, not wants.
The difference that I observe is entitlement. Until you feel that you, too have a place in the sun, it doesn't happen. I've spent years battling with that although battling with partners over that isn't my cup of tea and I've always flown solo, financially. Seen too many women crush their own dreams or have them crushed for them in relationships. The alternative is harder and it does require a healthy dose of selfishness to pull off. But I gave up pleasing others in my 20s and I'm not sorry about that
Hmmm...entitlement has always been framed as a dirty word in my world. But that’s probably largely due in part to being raised by an uber entitled mother...and in part by the societal message that women sacrifice. Even being raised by a woman who was financially solvent and aoeared to be socially liberated didn’t counteract that second one.
Entitlement is a very loaded word but I have come to realise one thing: the meek do not inherit the earth. I believe that one can be entitled and still leave arrogance out of it
The sacrificial messages come from every angle
You may just be my hero.
So the razor isn't a souvenir....it's a reminder that he isn't there on special occasions. And.....you are frugal, yet you shave with $200 razors. You are such a contradiction! lol
Money, or the love of it, or hate of it for that matter, can really cause dissention. I have a love/hate thing with it.
You are very introspective as well as extrospective (like that word? I looked it up - it's rare, just like you). Your writing in this post is like a tightly woven combination of opposites and contrasts. Love it. Makes me think and then my brain hurts.
The differences that you fleshed out between price and cost were priceless.
Love the message in the photos too. (black and white contrast, just in case you didn't know what I was saying....as if)
That’s the thing, Deb...we shouldn’t have emotions towards money at all. It’s just a tool. It’s kind of like wanting to marry a hammer. Or putting a hit out on a power drill.
lol....I married a hammer!! lol Just kidding. You have the best sayings.
😂😂😂
An interesting and deep way of viewing things. I think most folks miss the cost vs. price issues.
Indeed they do. I know I spent years missing it. And years blaming everyone but myself for the things I sacrificed as a result.
Thank you for reading. Nice to meet you!
Nice to connect with you too
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This was great. One of the better written posts I've seen on here. And only made better by the fact that I just bought new razor blades today. I use the old man style razor. Old stainless steel kind you twist open. I've thought I was being clever to make that choice regarding cost and waste, didn't expect to get this lesson to go with it today, too. Thank you for writing. I enjoyed it. What you've said is true.
Thank you & nice to meet you! I’m glad our razors crossed paths. 😄
I’d totally use the type you have if not for this stockpile of disposables that are going to end up in the trash anyhow.
yeah you are a proud woman then :P :P
Not too proud to point out to you that it’s considered steemit rude to comment without upvoting.
you will not upvote my comment then :P :P
You actually deserve a downvote. Feel lucky that I'd rather use my voting power to upvote people who behave better on Steemit than you do
Thank you for your sweet compliment my proud lady