fromSilicon Canals
2 hours agoPsychology
Many upper-middle-classers don't even realize they've climbed into this tier. Randy Shilling, a 58-year-old chemical plant worker in Texas, saved more than $3 million for retirement. 'I view myself as an average Joe,' he told The Wall Street Journal. 'But when I want something, I go get it.'
The agate type that used to fill newspapers' TRANSACTIONS boxes and for all I know still do can change everything - about your team, about the players within, about the course of your expectations and satisfaction as fan. While the Hot Stove barely simmers, Kyle Tucker rumors notwithstanding, I'd like to take this opportunity revisit a few picas worth of Mets transactions through time.
Looking back, it's easy to spot the moments where things could have gone differently. At the time, each financial decision felt justified, and sometimes even smart! Whether it was driven by optimism, pressure, or a belief that I could "figure it out later," I made choices that seemed reasonable in the moment but were costly over time. What surprised me most wasn't just the money lost, but how similar the underlying mistakes were.
My goal was to only pay bills. I didn't want to buy anything extra, but I knew things always come up, like my son needing something for school. I told myself ahead of time that I could "break the freeze" for absolute necessities only. Over the 30 days, copays for doctor's appointments and prescription costs were the only unexpected purchases I made.
Ever catch yourself standing in a store, holding something you genuinely want, only to put it back because that familiar knot forms in your stomach? You know the one-that creeping guilt that whispers you don't really need it, that you should save the money instead, that spending on yourself somehow makes you selfish or irresponsible. I used to think everyone felt this way about money.