Joanna Myers. Female. Age seventeen. Available to work between the hours of nine AM and nine PM.
Again and again, I wrote this information, wondering each time if I might get lucky.
Yet on August 27, the day before twelfth grade, I still saw no sign of a summer job opportunity.
So much for that.
Although I filled out applications galore and contacted several store managers, I remained unemployed the entire summer.
Yet should this surprise me?
The current status of the economy should have cued me in. A few red flags were Wall Street's slippery slope and the perpetual loss of American jobs. If adults are losing jobs, why would businesses hire inexperienced teenagers?
So I entered the new school year with a shortage of money and a desire to go shopping. But with cause there must always be effect. I had to start watching my spending.
No more Fourbucks. (Oops, I mean Starbucks). But weekly four dollar coffees are no way to save.
Saving is something I had to learn, especially If I wanted to set money aside for my upcoming college education. I started a bank account so the money I did have could be removed from the temptations of my wallet. The more difficult it is to access the green, the less likely I am to grab some and frivolously spend it.
I also began taking on more chores around the house, earning money from my parents. From this I feel a great sense of accomplishment. But at the same time, vacuuming the floors does not earn thousands of dollars. I must be more careful with where my money goes. Before I buy anything, particularly clothes, I must ask myself: "do I really need this?" If the answer is no, I simply put it back on the rack, and congratulate myself on being a savvy spender.
I now resist the four dollar coffee, go to the matinee showing of the movie, pack my lunch, and walk away from the clothes I don't need. But I don't mind doing this. If in the long run I have extra money for college, that is what matters. And it's really ok not working. I can focus on my last year of high school without the distractions and stress of a job, and I know that the position can be filled by a mom supporting her family, which is much more important than a teenager wearing new shoes.
Leave a comment