Pets. They don’t understand capitalism. They just want to be your friend.
Depends on the pet.
Our single brain celled orange asshole may disagree.
Donald Trump is your pet?
(ba dum tss)
Find ways to enjoy life that don’t involve spending money. Libraries, little free libraries, enjoying nature, writing, minimalism, meditation, stoicism. Be vigilant and resist spending money, see it as giving the finger to the corporate overlords. Make an effort to get off the hedonic treadmill.
We’re in the bad place, the only way to not go insane or cry constantly in heartache is extensive use of compartmentalization. That is, you have to selectively and temporarily ignore certain things at times so that you can continue to function. Then later, make time to consider those things you had to set aside.
Prioritize. What’s important to you? Put that first.
Personally, I would LOVE to travel. I don’t have that option because my wife works a gig where she can’t get time off.
So the idea of taking a week and going to Hawaii or Vegas, or New Orleans? Not going to happen.
So I take the money I would spend on stuff like that and invest it locally in making our lives better.
Bought a house in 2021, got out from under $1,800/mo. rent. Traded it for a $2,000/mo. mortgage, but you know what? I looked up our old place… $2,300/mo. now. House across the street is a rental, $2,600/mo.
As time goes on, our mortgage is going to get cheaper and cheaper.
Owning a house means more projects. Some of the plumbing needed to be re-done, the electrical panel needed an upgrade from 100A to 200A, the roof was 20 years old with a 20 year lifespan, swapped for a 50 year roof that will outlive me, the house has a 3rd patio which couldn’t be used because there was no cover, so we added a retractible awning, solar panels, just got a hot tub.
And, yeah, consumer capitalism, but these are infrastructure investments that improve our lives and add value.
Watch out this is Lemmy, people want to just blindly complain about capitalism, and seeing someone succeeding will make them angry.
They can get angry all they want, my spine health deserves a hot tub and the hourly rental shop was $70 before it shut down for covid. :(
At $70 a pop, this tub will have paid for itself after 194 sessions. 2 times a week for 2 years?
Yeah seems reasonable to me, although I consider the environmental impact more than financial.
Well this is true, fortunately we have solar panels so the electrical costs will be minimal.
The big potential environmental damage is going to come from draining and re-filling the tub every 3 months, and to be honest, I don’t know the impact of dumping 380 gallons of hot tub water.
Basically zero impact from draining into a sanitary sewer or spreading on a lawn.
https://www.portland.gov/bes/preventing-pollution/prevent-pollution/pools-and-hot-tubs
That’s great! Living the good life while being considerate
$2,000/month mortgage? Houses in the hood in the LA area here are going for $800k+
Portland is getting expensive too, we got super lucky on a 3 bedroom, 1 bath for $390 in 2021. 3.25% 30 year fixed.
Combination of picturing what could be better and staring into the distance and slowly developing into a “hand of death clutching at your heart” panic attack
That and D&D
Just gotta wait for the weekend, just gotta make it through the week, just gotta make it to the weekend…
Most people self medicate.
Aggressive mediocrity, malicious compliance.
Be successful and be responsible for my own happiness
Go to a non capitalistic country and see that you are lucky
I would, but any country on a planet where the major powers are capitalistic is also affected by capitalism.
Also capitalism has made travel unaffordable (in that after paying rent there are zero dollars left over for anything else).
One day at a time.
Hmm. Hobbies? Something that isn’t part of the daily grind? Maybe take part in the capitalism for a while, save some money to move somewhere else? I heard there isn’t much at least in the USA in between ultra capitalism and a cabin in the woods. But there might be somewhere else… Maybe a nice hacienda in Andalusia?
Graduating the 7th grade?
Don’t subscribe to the hive speak. Get quality essentials and buy based on your own thoughts, expectations and experience, not what people say. Influencers are a plague.
I think it depends on your philosophy a lot. For me, I’m an absurdist so for me, remembering the futility of it all helps a lot. Grounding myself in that nothingness forces me to make and develop my own purpose, not derive it from product or capital. What drives me is tied not to the money I make nor my ability to make it, rather it comes from myself and the change I want to see in the world. I looked to the stars when I was young longing to explore them, but due to our species’s greed I know I never will. So I want to leave behind a world where future generations have the stability, resources, environment, and mental & physical health to look at the stars and actually visit them. It is difficult living under a system that is designed to grind you up for profit, but in holding true to yourself and what you value you can hold strong. It isn’t about how many times you fall down, but how many times you get up.
ETA: I also highly recommend philosophy and introspection if you don’t already practice or read about those subjects. In understanding yourself you will discover better ways to understand others, and vice versa. Humans are social creatures so hold onto those you love and trust and be open to new people. Do not fear loss or pain because then you will never live nor learn, but do not go recklessly into the night. Share the love, be empathetic and kind, and help people understand the truth and think for themselves. Doing those will hold you close to the ground and give you the roots you need to stand tall against the oppression.
