Living paycheck to paycheck

American society makes this very easy. Here, you get paid every other week, or even once a week in some places. Or if you’re lucky, you get cash in hand as soon as your job is done.

It’s easy to throw it all away – there’s more money soon anyway. I’ll deal with my bills tomorrow. I’ll make more money next week.

In Sweden, you get paid once a month. Financial responsibility, i.e. budgeting, is taught early in schools and implanted in your brain in the cradle by your parents.

You plan to pay your bills, you plan for your groceries and you plan your trip because gas is so ridiculously expensive. Preferably, you take your bike to work or you walk. You don’t create extra waste, and you don’t create more work for others.

Each paycheck is dedicated to certain bills. Then you cook your own food and bring it to work (as mentioned in earlier posts) and you don’t waste your money on useless things.

There are, of course, exceptions. I think they exist in any culture. But for the most part, Europeans are fostered to be responsible.

Here, everything is geared toward bad impulse control. I want it now and I’m going to get it.

Perhaps that’s why I fit in so well.