“Given the state of the current economy…

“Given the state of the current economy, what steps have you taken this semester in order to conserve money? What sort of pressures does this apply to your day-to-day routine?”

Thankfully the current economic crisis has not affected my ability to have a job nor has it affected the hours of which I am allowed to work or my work pay. I realize how lucky I am because my fellow classmate’s on-campus jobs have had to cut back on hours or their hourly pay has been reduced. I am still afraid of the economic crisis creeping into my budget in the future and therefore I have been conserving my expenses in various ways. Freshman year I was very casual about how I spent my flexi because I adore all of San Francisco’s districts, especially their specialty in food. But this semester and next semester I will continue being uptight with my flexi because my parents are forced to fork over that money since I live on campus therefore I need to make that money go along way. That means being realistic on how much food I am going to eat and being less generous to my upper classmen friends. One way I have been able to conserve my precious flexi dollars is by only drinking water and using a refillable water canteen. In comparison to my friends who are constantly buying soft drinks or other drinks that cost money I have more flexi left than they do.

The adjustments I have made this year regarding my flexi have not added any pressures to my daily routine instead they have made me cost conscious and strategic about what I eat and how I spend my money. I believe these new tools will come to benefit me later on in life when I am responsible for a family budget and have to spend within that budget and buy household necessities. I also believe a lot of good will come from this economic crisis because it will make consumers, Americans just like me, realize what the true necessities in life are and be thankful for what they have. Hearing stories of others who have been devastatingly affected by the current economy has given me a thankful mentality towards life, my capabilities, and to my tangible and intangible possessions. I sympathize for those who have additional pressures due to America’s economic status but I am a strong believer that all things happen for a reason and so maybe this crisis is mentally preparing us for something possible more tragic. For those who are not affected whether it is mentally or financially I hope they count their blessing and use them to reach out towards those in need.

-Elle Lindsey Robinson