TRUMP’S tariffs are causing economic chaos, but stupid financial decisions closer to home might be the real reason you’re broke. Here are some you keep imposing on yourself.
Shit weekend spending decisions
Trump hasn’t imposed retaliatory tariffs on the three rounds you bought on Friday night, and his economic policies didn’t target the Uber you had to get home after missing the last train. Those were your financial choices, and while they haven’t made the front of the newspapers or crashed Asian markets, they were arguably just as ruinous on a personal level. Or will be when you keep doing them every weekend, which you do.
Multiple streaming subscriptions
Streaming platforms aren’t cheap, even if you’re paying for the crap subscriptions with all the adverts. Factor in that you’re paying for half a dozen of the bastard things a month and it’s no surprise that your bank account is in freefall. It wouldn’t be so bad if you were actually using them, but you bounced on Severance after two episodes and forgot to cancel your direct debit to Apple TV+.
Impulse Amazon purchases
The trouble with buying vintage issues of Warlord or a stuffed waffle maker from Amazon is that it still counts as spending money. You might think it doesn’t because all you’re doing is clicking around on your phone at half two in the morning, but check your bank statements and you’ll find corresponding sums whizzing out. Next time you’re tempted to add to basket, see if you can fill the void with cheaper drugs.
Annoyingly expensive social obligations
You’d almost be in the black if you didn’t have to fork out for pricey train tickets to visit your parents and dig deep for birthday presents, date nights and day trips with your friends. The implosion of global stock markets might impact these costs in abstract ways, but the real blame falls at the feet of peer pressure and your inability to disappoint the group chat.
All of the other societal factors from the last 20 years
It’s easy to direct all of your vitriol towards Trump, but that’s ignoring the bigger picture. The economy has been on its arse for the last 20 years, and wages have stagnated while prices continue to skyrocket. Factor in Brexit, the pandemic and war, and you should count yourself lucky if you have a tenner to your name. So you’re probably feeling better now. Probably time to treat yourself to a flying orb on a whim. They look great fun if they work.
