Money’s on the brain, but is it in my pocket?

“Money, money, money must be funny in a rich man’s world.” Abba was right, it really must be funny to have enough money that you can laugh at it, while the rest of us laugh at the fact that window shopping has become a new hobby or that our parents won’t be willing to shell out for that new video game we want.

My own parents say that I have to earn my own money. What does that mean, “earn” my money? “Earning money” is not really in my vocabulary, words more like “give me” or “spare ten bucks” are. Alright, I’m being a little ridiculous now, but when the parents can’t be the only resort to get money, you have to find a job and get money the hard way, by working.

Now that your job is taking up most of your time, school is your only resort to be free of the boundaries of money. But is it? Nope, school involves spending some cash as well. I know that the current economy is not so hunky-dory, but when families are becoming a little bit tighter on how much they spend, it’s not so grand either.

Spending money for school supplies is a given, but paying for the calculators for math when they used to let you borrow them out, is frustrating. Calculators are needed to finish homework assignments, so it becomes stressful when students do not have access to one. I understand that some people are dishonest and don’t always give back the calculators but what about those who are honest? Now some students have to go out and buy their own, when they may not have the money.

Going to school, I know, is not going to be free of asking the folks for some cash or maybe even you shelling out some yourselves. But if the stresses of paying more money for our education clashes with our whole high school experience, it can put damper on our spirits. I wish that the world was perfect, where money isn’t an obstacle for us. Unfortunately perfection, at least in this way, is not possible. So until it is, I’ll be earning my cash and hopefully passing math on the way.