You can take your money now

I once heard that if you live in NYC you are very lucky. That doesn’t mean that the living here is any easy, but it gives you sweet hopes. NY charges very high prices that sometimes you just can’t afford it. Things that are already expensive anywhere in the world become priceless here. And if you come here pursuing a dream, you gotta be prepared. Save and plan way ahead…

Occasionally, because we’re rushing all the time, we can get out of cash, praying to don’t need it. Although “life takes Visa”, you still depend on business that don’t take Visa. The laundry place or the grocery store on the corner of the 3rd,for example. That weekend, I went out of cash.

I had tones of laundry to do, but not enough coins. Sometimes I just pilled too many dirty loads in my room. I had a check to be cashed, but it was weekend. I guessed that only Commerce Bank would have services on weekends, not my bank. Either way, I thought I would have to wait for Monday to have the money deposited. In the end, checks are just a piece of paper, just a promise; and promises is what NY doesn’t lack. Real results… that is a whole different world. The wait is actually a very risky deal that can end up as a too expensive.

That weekend, I went to the movies with no friend, just Junior Mints. I had bought them and the ticket with my credit card. I have credit cards of my family’s account, which are always my security. I know that whenever, for whatever need, I will always have credit on them. However, a credit card is just a piece of plastic. What if the magnetic strip doesn’t work? What if the system is busy?

With U$3.60 on my wallet I couldn’t stop at wonder, how much life really costs in NYC?
· being lucky to be in a nice neighborhood for a decent money = U$1000
· don’t cook and don’t have to do dishes later = U$400
· have friends that will share the best time of your life = (still calculating. So far, priceless)

To make friends –real friends as I have back home – costs a high price here. It takes time to really know someone and make you known. Because maybe what is really expensive here is trust. We do have a lot of “friends” to hang out with, that interesting enough are so intense so quickly. But will they be by your side when you need help with a paper, a bad break up or a co-signer? That is completely different. Those you have really, really few.

By the end of the weekend, I went to the bank to do the deposit and get the money deposit first thing on Monday morning. How surprise I was when I saw that the money went through instantly.

When I read “You can take your money now” I asked myself what is really mine here? I had my answer on the way home, and I felt so good, now with U$ 43.60 on my wallet.