I feel like pretty much everyone has that neighbor who can’t manage their own finances, even when they’re offered fantastic advice on better practices! I know I’ve had plenty of friends like that, especially young men who are obsessed with shopping online and trying out the latest beauty crazes seem to fall victim to this trap. That perfectly describes my neighbor Sara, who despite being quite booksmart, has no idea how to put his intelligence to practical use… She’s buying junk off the internet all the time and regularly has the newest accessories, however can’t afford to pay his energy bill each month. I know this for a fact because I’ve had to lend his the cash for his electricity on several possibilities already. Every time I go over to his apartment he has a bunch of modern swag he wants to show off, however the air temperature is well over 85 degrees. I’ve asked his why he keeps it so warm, trying to hint at his awful cash management, however she’ll loftily state that he doesn’t have the cash to run his air conditioning system right now, separate from getting the point; Occasionally he will operate a box fan for a little while, pushing warm air all around the room rather than cooling it down at all. It’s irritated to hang out at his apartment, and I regularly leave early to get back to my own A/C at home. I don’t know how he survives like that, surrounded by warm and muggy air, along with piles of modern clothing and brand modern apartment decor.
