Are we supposed to be spending money, to pump up the economy? But we're not supposed to spend money we don't have, right? So if I borrow to buy my the new chair I want (or the new camera, or an aquarium), I'm not doing any good. I'm especially not doing myself any good. So I guess I'll hang on to my money, and my old rickety lounge chair and my dinky 35mm camera, and try to pay off my credit cards. That'll be my contribution to the new economy.

I don't think I'm going to be able to make these ragged Reeboks last much longer, though. I can feel the wear on them every morning when I walk the mile or so to the post office and back. I'm not eager to start on any longer hikes until I've invested in some new shoes. Underwear, too ... I'm not one of those guys who likes to wear holey underwear. The time is coming.

After forcing myself to stop buying books, CDs and DVDs for the entire year, and dropping most of my magazine subscriptions, I should be flush with cash. These last few weeks when I've almost totally given up junk food have made trips to Safeway much quicker: hearts of romaine, two kinds of dressing (Oriental and garlic ranch, for variety), sweet French bread, gala apples, black plums ... these are the kinds of items that I've been buying, and not much else, at least not often.

So why am I still poor? Why am I still in debt? I don't think I'm an especially good manager of my own money, even though I find ways to keep the Company in business even when the cash flow dries up. I do a lot of borrowing there, too, but I think that's the nature of the construction business. You're always paying bills for someone else's project, before they pay you. That doesn't work so well when it comes to my own checkbook, because the only way I can borrow is if I'm willing to pay ridiculously steep rates.

In the past, I've been all too willing to pay banks to let me use their money. It really should be the other way around, though, shouldn't it? And that's why I'm giving up my dream of a leather recliner, and a really fancy camera that would do justice to the wonders of nature that surround me. I still might go for a modest fish tank some time soon, though.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit I pay more than most people do for the privilege of watching every television channel ever conceived. And then I pay a little extra so I can record four channels at once (or I could if I wanted to; I've never actually done it) and watch a fifth (that's too much even for me, except possibly Wednesday nights at nine). But that's more important than a chair or a camera anyway.