Liabilities and Assets

Some people have to change their lifestyles when they become unemployed. They have to do things like give up their cable or their expensive gym membership.  I didn't have that problem.  I haven't had cable since I told Comcast to go fuck themselves in August of 2009.  I don't belong to an expensive gym, either.  I'm a member of the McCormick Tribune YMCA in the southwestern part of my neighborhood.

One of the reasons that I joined this gym was its sliding scale for income.  The base is $45 for an income of $50,000.  I was paying $42.  If you want to do the math, go ahead.  Though I'm not sure of the fee schedule.  What I do know is that it's January and my contract for last year is up.  I don't know what my new income (that being $0) makes the Y per month, but I'm sure it will be less.

Still, I'm not above searching for a new gym during the free trial period that is January.

In the mail, for example, I got a flyer for the X-Sport to the northeast of me with a free week to try it out.  It looks nice, and it's 24 hours (and my sister is already a member).  It's $50 according to the newest issue of Time Out Chicago (which lists the prices of gyms all over the city).

And today, I tried out the workout room in Eckhart Park as part of the last day of the Free Fitness Week for the Chicago Park District.  The room is tiny.  Half of the machines were ones I would never use.  But they do have a pool (it smelled nice) and an interesting pricing structure.  Basically you pay by season.  To use the facility through April 1, for example (no pool included) is $85.00.  To purchase a pool pass for the same is $40.00.  So it's about the same.  But they do have free, albeit short, open swim sessions.

How did I know about this freebie?  Twitter.  I've already found it indispensable.  A huge asset, if you will.

There's a great scene in The Princess Bride where Wesley is going over the liabilities and assets they have in storming the castle.  Well, here are the assets and liabilities I have in storming unemployment.

Assets:

• Twitter accounts

1. @BrokeHipster: drink specials and other freebies
2. @ExploreChicago: free days at museums and other cultural institutions
3. @SpecialsAgent: daily drink and food specials (added: 1/10)

• Websites

1. Mint.com: a way to track all of my expenses so I can avoid fees and the like.  I wish I had started using this while I was still employed.
2. freemuseumstoday.com: a listing of all the free museums on a given day in Chicago.

• Nearby coffee shops: I'm not getting rid of my internet, but I've been told they are good ways to kill time.  I live by three or four (one with very high speed internet for streaming).

• Nearby bargain movie theater: I live two blocks from a second run theater where all movies are $4.  I also live by a theater where matinee showings are $8.

Liabilities:

• No car.  While this could be considered savings by not having to pay for gas or potential parking tickets, it does mean that I have to pay almost $5 each time I want to travel somewhere by train or bus.  Chicago does offer a monthly pass that my former employer paid for.  I am eligible for that (and I'm still running on the last few days of that through the end of January).

• Medication.  I am on two medications to improve quality of life.  I could skip them if I wanted to be upset and stuffed up all the time, but I'd prefer not to be.  Given these are required, I do have to purchase COBRA insurance.

I'm sure I'll discover a lot more as I go along, but that's what I've thought of so far.

Today did mark a momentus day.  I managed to spend not a single penny for the first time since I was laid off.  I was tempted to go to the coffee shop across from the Eckhart Park Fieldhouse but I didn't.  I consider this a small victory.