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17 signs you’re up the creek without a paddle
No matter who you are, you’ve probably been up the financial creek at some stage.
Some people go for a dip to see what it’s like, but others get caught in the current and are there for the long haul.
If you’re not sure, here are a few tell-tale signs you may recognise. And if any are still at play today, it’s probably time to start looking for a paddle…
When you choose to drive in a sauna rather than turn on the air con, and slip it into neutral every time you hit a slight downhill.
When you start justifying your casual shoplifting from the supermarket because they’re big greedy corporates and can afford it.
When you start shopping at Vinnies for real, not just for dress-up parties.
When you start buying Christmas presents at Vinnies.
When you have more messages from the electricity company chasing a bill than your mates. This includes text, voice, email messages, and good old-fashioned letters.
When you start combing the deals on the back of your supermarket docket.
When you start collecting the dregs from all the abandoned drinks at a bar to fill your glass. Also referred to as a “game” called Random Drink (by people already up the creek).
When people regularly ask if you’re doing the 40 Hour Famine.
When you start sneaking a hip flask into bars, festivals or ridiculously over-priced footy stadiums. Actually, on second thought, that’s just good sense.
When the wine you take to a BYO joint is cheaper than the corkage.
When you’ve marked off council-clean up / hard-rubbish / chuck-out weekend on your calendar and your entire apartment is furnished with road-side gems.
When your dates deteriorate from dinner and a movie to a bag of goon in the park.
When house parties come back into fashion.
When you’re really hanging out for a particular great-grandma to cark it.
When you start asking the parents if they particularly want that chair/lamp/car/family heirloom, because you’d be happy to throw it on eBay for them.
When you’d rather spend 18 hours photocopying every page of a textbook than pay for it.
And the biggest doozy of all… when you move back in with the folks.
This article originally appeared on The Hip Pocket
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