For my initial blog post, I wanted to kick off by setting the theme for the blog. I’m hoping to take some everyday occurrences or current events and use them as a springboard to analyze how they apply to our mental health and overall well-being. Thus, I intend for them to be an updated and running continuation of my book, Stop Sabotaging Your Future.
For our first topic, I wanted to discuss something that happened at work, that really had me somewhat in disbelief. No, it wasn’t a miraculous resuscitation where we brought the dead back to life. Nor was it a shift full of nothing but straightforward and appreciative patients. Instead, it was hearing our unit secretary (who is great, by the way), tell the nurses how the other day at work, she realized she forgot her lip balm.
Apparently, she cannot last a day without balm on her lips. Given that she was unable to leave the hospital and go get some, she had Uber Eats deliver the ChapStick to the hospital. The nurses laughed at how ridiculous that was. But the secretary had no misgivings about the lengths to which she would go to make sure her lips stayed moist.
I mention this anecdote, because it struck me in two ways, both of which relate to my book. The first was how problematic this whimsical purchase was on a financial front. But then I got to thinking more deeply about how this tale reflects how decadent our culture has become. Allow me to expound on both fronts.
The Economics of Convenience
Financially, as I discuss in my book, this purchase was rather costly. I just checked using my own Uber app to see how much more it would cost to have ChapStick delivered, rather than pick it up yourself, or wait until you got home to use the lip balm you already have. It turns out that you can buy a three-pack of ChapStick for $4.79. In order to have it delivered, you have to add $3.49 for a delivery fee, and then another $3.32 in taxes and yet more fees (in case the delivery fee wasn’t enough of a fee for you). That brings the total to $11.60, already over twice what you would have paid in the store. Finally, you have to add a tip for the driver (unless you are a total cheapskate, which if you are using Uber to buy ChapStick, I imagine you’re not). The tip will be at least $2 or $3, if not more if you’re generous. In the end, your ChapStick which would have cost you $5 in the store, now sets you back $15!
You are paying three times as much simply because you can’t go a day without lip balm.
Now, unless you have some medical condition that requires that you not go a day without lip balm, then I think we can all see what a luxury purchase this is. Moreover, the person in question works as a secretary at the hospital, and while I don’t know exactly what she makes, I would estimate it’s probably close to $15-$20 an hour. So, paying $10 extra for ChapStick would equate to about a half hour of work for her. Put in terms of labor, the convenient ChapStick certainly seems costly.
Financial Sabotage
This post is not to sound preachy or imply that I am better than anyone. I’m also not saying I would never waste my money. (I mean, I HAVE been to Vegas…). It just highlights one of the ways we can financially sabotage our futures.
Again, I don’t know much about the employee in question. Perhaps she is financially secure and doesn’t need to work. Perhaps she truly CAN’T go a day without lip balm. But assuming those aren’t the case, it seems frivolous from a financial perspective to throw away $10 because you forgot your ChapStick for a day.
In the book we talk about other examples of the ways little expenses eat away at our financial futures: the morning Starbucks, ordering or going out for lunch, or simply relying on vending machines for drinks rather than bringing your own from home. I’m not advocating that you be a miser and never do any of these things. However, if you are doing these things and struggling financially, it would be wise to reflect on how you can make some cuts or changes to save for your future.
Decadence in the Modern Age
With the financial lecture over, let’s move on to a deeper interpretation of this seemingly trivial event. This story really highlighted for me just how decadent our society has become. I’m not saying that to vilify my coworker, but rather it exemplifies where we have come in this modern age.
I admit, I too have had chapped lips from time to time and recognize how uncomfortable it can be. But, for the first time in history, we have found ways to rid ourselves of ever being uncomfortable.
Before Uber could deliver just about anything for you, if you forgot something at home, you would simply have to find a way to do without it. That could mean borrowing the item from a friend, finding a workaround, or simply dealing with the discomfort the missing item would cause you until you got home to retrieve it. We merely had to tough it out.
Today, on the other hand, we are so used to having everything we need, that we would rather pay a half hour of our salary to avoid being even mildly uncomfortable for the day. In the past, we would have been fortified by the thought that going a day without our ChapStick, our cell phone, or even our morning Starbucks would instill in us character.
Nowadays, who needs character when you have Uber Eats and are willing to pay any price? We used to know how to get by without having everything at our fingertips. Now our world seems unlivable under the pressure of the slightest discomfort.
I am not arguing that we should all strive to be uncomfortable but am simply saying that it’s okay to go without something for a few hours, a day, or even more.
The Spirituality of Convenience
This ties into another topic of my book, which is spirituality. Many religions and belief systems emphasize the importance of fasting. Abstaining from food is the most common form of fasting. In truth, you could fast from anything that gives you joy or comfort: your phone, alcohol, sex, or even your ChapStick.
The wisdom in fasting is that it makes us grateful for what we do have. It also strengthens our will against life’s inevitable challenges. Moreover, it allows us to reflect and open our hearts to those who never have access to the comforts we take for granted.
Fasting is exercise for your soul.
Ask Yourself this…
In summary, I am sorry to pick on my coworker, but it was too good a topic to pass up. We are so fortunate to have so many luxuries available to us, that we sometimes forget to put things in perspective. If you are struggling financially, $10 here and there can really add up to affect your bottom line. Even if you are not struggling financially, be mindful about alleviating every discomfort.
Ask yourself if you truly need to have something right now. If not, fortify yourself with your temporary fast. If you are feeling generous, donate the money you would have spent to someone truly in need. Or, at the very least save it for retirement.
I Want to Hear from You
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Thank you, and I look forward to posting again soon.