ExposedNYC

1. Buying shampoo and conditioner in travel-size containers, which is all you can afford while living paycheck to paycheck, and rationing the contents carefully.

2. That extra ten pounds gained after cancelling your gym membership to save money. Subsisting on a strict diet of Top Ramen and Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese hasn’t helped either.

3. Wasting away because you refuse to succumb to the aforementioned diet and chose to abstain from eating all together.

4. Responding to “What do you do for a living?” with more hyphens than a P. Diddy business card, especially is one of those career choices involves drama, dancing, music, writing, or any number of mildly creative pursuits.

5. A mailbox stuffed full of credit card offers claiming “Pre-approval”, who each subsequently issue denials on any application attempt.

6. That secretly relieved smile upon denial because your wallet is already starting to rip at the seems due to the five credit cards from various lending institutions, membership discount cards for bargain shopping and bursting change pocket.

7. Being excited at the Bush tax rebate plan, not because you actually believe that it will stimulate the economy, but because you can pay back your parents for that loan they gave you last summer.

8. Avoiding phone calls from unfamiliar numbers more for the fear of collections officers than of former relationships or lapses in judgment of distribution.

9. Silently cursing yourself every time for fear that the call was actually the opportunity of a lifetime that you’ve been waiting for, but that they were just too impatient to leave a voice mail.

10. Justifying the purchase of Fabreeze after dividing the number laundry loads it will save you by total fluid ounces.

11. That clicking of heels in need of resoling on the pavement, or the glimpse of sock poking through the hole of well-worn shoes in desperate need of replacement.

12. The aforementioned sock being white with black dress shoes or black with white athletic shoes because you forgot that socks and unmentionables wouldn’t be covered by the Fabreeze laundry strategy.

13. Sharing not just an apartment, but a bedroom with another person who holds down a full-time job.

14. Knowledge of every free Wi-Fi location within walking distance, the minimum purchase at each establishment, and how long you can stay before the staff starts giving you the evil eye.

15. Taking the subway anywhere after 2:00am because you have more free time to spare than disposable income.

16. Still being out of the house after 2:00am because somehow you can always justify that you deserve to treat yourself to a drink (or five) to deal with the stress living a financially insecure lifestyle.

17. Still insisting that living in New York is greater than anywhere else in the world and worth every second of the sacrifices for some sort of fabulous future payoff.

What did I miss? Leave me your suggestions below.

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