A Blob Editorial: Treat or Trick??

Another government budget, another few bucks tossed our way. I suppose we should be grateful....the way your dog would be after he pulled you out of your burning house and you gave him a milkbone. I can hear the pols in the back rooms of parliament; "Most people don't really care about Afghanistan or global warming...just throw them a few bucks and quicker than you can say majority government we'll have a lock on this place!!"

This semi-annual exercise in fiscal cynicism is little more than a carnie scam where we cheer the good news at getting a percentage point here and another half there only to have it clawed back during the year with a new (and environmentally friendly) green tax and the "one-time-only" emergency infrastructure/healthcare/Bombardier bailout surtax.

If, despite this scenario, we do manage to come out ahead this extra money usually goes to pay back debts or do some long delayed home repairs which leaves us more or less right back where we started.

My hat goes off to those disciplined and lucky enough to be able to put some money aside. the vast majority of North Americans, no matter what the tax bracket, have become addicted to spending more than they have.

I'm no economist but I'd like to propose what I call The Blob Theory of Napkin-based Fiscal Responsibility. Allow me to explain:

It occurred to me one day as I sat alone finishing up lunch at a local restaurant that my table was quite a mess. Each table had it's own napkin dispenser and mine was now half depleted with the rest scattered on and around my empty plate. Another nearby restaurant that I frequented would only give you one somewhat larger napkin and getting another was often more trouble than it was worth, especially at the lunchtime rush.

In the "dispenser" type eatery I felt no qualms about using one after another...after all I did have an almost limitless supply. With the one napkin I was much more frugal; using it less often, unfolding it in search of clean areas, and even reusing certain spots that weren't too befouled with gravy. The meal tasted every bit as good and my hands and face were just as clean even with the paltry resources. "This must be how smart people approach money!" I thought. "Even when they have a surplus they act as though there's a shortage."

Thanks to the lowly napkin I figured out how to successfully manage my finances and one day when I have some cash I intend to put this theory to the test!!