Today, as I was stuck on the red line subway train on my way to the car dealer to pick up my car, smashed between people at 5:45, getting stepped on and bumped into, people yelling at each other to get out of the way - touching the gross pole that God knows how many people have touched - I suddenly had a deep appreciation for why I live in the city, not north of the city - and why I drive to work instead taking some other mode of transportation (which costs $280 a month to park at my office). I'm really not cut out for commuting. I can't stand being stuck on public transport with unhappy commuters. For $2.00 each way I can walk two blocks, ride a bus and get dropped off at my office 20 minutes later. For only $10 dollars more a day, I can leave my parking garage at home, get on lower Wacker drive, go under the city and arrive in my work parking garage 10 minutes later. The bonus - I never have to set foot outside - which was key in the winter.
While most people tell me that I should live farther away from work so as to create some distance between me and my job - I fantasize about living as close as is possible - like across the street (except that my firm is moving in 5 years so it isn't a good long term plan). Cause the thing is - when your whole life revolves around the billable hour and you count all of your time in 6 minute increments - all with the goal of adding up to 126,000 minutes by year end, commute time can only mean one thing - a loss of free time. By living down town and driving to work - or living across the street if it were possible - I am saving my free time. Imagine if I were commuting 45 minutes each way to work (and it can take this long depending on where in the city you live)? I would be losing an hour and a half of my valuable and almost non-existent free time.
I just may have to break down and pay for monthly parking at work - that would lower the rate. The thing is - I keep telling myself that I'm maintaining a balance between driving to work and walking to work (or yes, taking the bus, once in a great while), that I am still spending less money by not paying for monthly parking. The way I see it, if I really look at the numbers, I spend $70 a week if I drive every day. If I only drive sometimes, I spend $56 by the time I take buses to work, trains to meetings, and cabs home, plus one cab home from work on average a week. For a mere $14.00 more, I eliminate all hassle. Again, in the winter - I don't even have to set foot outside. Plus, I think if I just break down and pay monthly parking, and have it deducted pre-tax through Wage Works, it might even be cheaper than $56 a week. I am probably wasting money actually by refusing to break down and admit that I am so lazy that I am no longer an average commuter because I pay for monthly parking. Does anyone think I've over analyzed this? On Monday, I'm going to have my secretary figure out how to work this parking thing out so it's pre-tax etc. Now that I have realized it might be a money saving step - I think I'm willing to take it.
On a related note - I was considering whether it might be a good idea to try PeaPod, the grocery delivery service. I can see why people do this who don't have cars - if I didn't have a car, I would definitely do this. You just go online and place your order and if it's $100 or more, they deliver it for only $7.00, bring it all up in the house etc. It is annoying to go to the grocery store - mainly because it is such a pain to get all the groceries up into my condo. I don't have a guy to do it for me. A lot of people simply go to the store every day on their way home. I hate the grocery store, so I go once every two weeks. It might be nice not to go at all. Although I am pretty picky about my bananas, they have to be just the right amount of green. I'm not sure how it would work to have PeaPod picking my produce. Just a thought.
Also, today, a cleaning service slipped a card under my door. I used to love to clean - I guess I still do - but it used to be good stress relief and these days I don't feel like I have any stress to alleviate, so I haven't been cleaning as much. I used to clean my entire condo every weekend - the wood floors, everything. I've been on Lexapro for a month and I've cleaned, uh, once. In fact, there are dishes in the sink, an empty cereal box on the island, socks on the floor...what is happening to me? I thought well, maybe it would be nice not to have to do the wood floors - I hate doing the floors. I mean, if you can afford to pay someone else to pick out and deliver your food, clean your house, pick up your dry cleaning, run your errands...while you walk back and forth across the street to your office...(I wonder what other activities I could eliminate?)....I am starting to see why my sponsor has a personal assistant. And to think that only two months ago the thought of paying someone else to do my toe nails seemed silly! Now I just think of it as enjoying myself.
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