Strange Planet

Back in the olden days we had a course in school that was mandatory when we were 11. We learned how to bake and cook and sew! It was called home economics.

So fast forward to 2025 and I see the folks who complain about money take cruises and fly overseas and  go on Disney vacations, get manicures, have hair appointments, drive multiple SUV's, take weight loss drugs, and buy designer dogs that never get walked.

The suburban folks fear the urban environments. They fear their neighbors. The fear people who don't look like them. But guess what? The city is SAFE. There's vitality in the city. The city is chock full of sidewalks, what I call linear parks, free stuff that people put out on the curb, a Salvation Army thrift store and yard sale bargains, YMCA's and gyms. The suburban middle class aspires to create their own compound. The yard is a park, they have a pool and a hot tub, the home has an indoor gym and a recreation area.

But what kills me is these folks treat their kitchens like the convenience store at a gas station, with individually packaged coffee, cases of Gatorade, frozen candy bars, prepackaged frozen french fries, specialty vodka cocktails in a can.

Shopping at Whole foods and Trader Joe's is like shopping at Balducci's in NYC. It's tourism, not groceries. Do you really need matcha flavored cashews? Do you really need to hemorrhage cash? 

Where is the culture of creation? The joy of making your own bread, pasta, tomato sauce, salad dressing, waffles, soup! Frugal urbanites know the miracle of having a library card, a pressure cooker, a thrift store. Why not have a picnic in the park? Or just invite your neighbors to your back yard. Yes they have had different lives, but go ahead, make the first move.