Despite the ongoing belief among certain men that they invented budgeting (spoiler: they did not), women are proving once again that we are the undisputed champions of frugality.
Honestly, if there were Olympic medals for stretching a dollar, women would sweep the podium and still have enough left over for chocolate.
From skipping $60 gel manicures to becoming certified YouTube cosmetologists, women have turned at-home beauty into a full-blown resistance movement.
As inflation drags on like the third season of a show that should have ended after one, women are reassessing their spending habits. The must-haves of yesterday like lattes and boutique candle collections are quickly becoming only if it is on sale or I have a coupon itemss
Subscriptions. Canceled. Uber rides. Replaced by sneakers with orthopedic insoles. Retail therapy? Temporarily replaced by cleaning out the closet and finding three perfectly good sweaters that were just lost in the mix.
When women cut back, economists panic.
Women are the economy. We are the engine, the brakes and the GPS.
When we start tightening our wallets, Wall Street gets nervous.
Sure, you can chip away at our rights, complicate voting and hand us the emotional problems of the entire planet, but we still won’t flinch. We’re too busy planning dinners, answering emails, carpooling, assisting with homework, cleaning, running side hustles and making Halloween costumes out of old throw pillows. All while mentally tracking the price of eggs at three different stores.
We make a dollar stretch like it’s in Pilates. We can turn one Costco chicken into five meals, a soup and probably stock for next Tuesday’s dinner.
We give up luxuries, make do, do without and still manage to make everything look effortless because if we don’t, who will?
Women are the backbone of this country. The spine, the nervous system and most likely the person holding the entire household together with bobby pins aand Dollar Tree scotch tape.
So yeah, we’ve got this.
Discover more from If The Devil Had Menopause
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I love the way you write. Not only is it forthright and insightful – it’s also witty, clever and laugh-out-loud funny. Examples abound… your use of imagery sheds light while eliciting chuckles, as in this snappy simile: ‘we make a dollar stretch like it’s in Pilates’’ – whereafter you go on to prove women’s inherent thriftiness with a ‘slam-dunk’ triad of examples! As if that’s not enough (!) another ingenious triad – “ We give up/make do /do without” – spells out the admirable capacity for improvisation and instant, seamless adaptation displayed by women (who, ironically, don’t do this for the praise … but merely to streamline the smooth-running of their ‘domain’!)
What a fabulous commentary to wake up to…thank you💜
Hope all is well in your world! I am experiencing the 3 F phase of life…fire as in our home in Pacific Palisades, California being affected by the huge fires, David falling down the subway stairs and fracturing his back, having surgery and now recuperating and the “F” state of this country! What a year and it is only April.
Take care and it is always lovely to hear from you!!
Yikes!! Those three Fs sound pretty dire!! So sorry to hear about the challenging circumstances which you find yourself facing – especially David’s fall!! I hope he recovers swiftly and that his pain is managed well. Mind you, the whole of our world seems to be in a somewhat sad state! Like you, I’m astounded to find we’re only in the 4th month of what feels to have been an interminable time. On a personal note, I’m grappling with quite severe depression and high levels of anxiety – pretty crippling. Hopefully I’ll emerge, blinking into the light soon! Much love, as ever
T 🌹🥰