Economics - Interdisciplinary Response

“Growing up happens when you start having things you look back on and wish you could change" - Clary Fray

In economics we are being taught to make smart decisions when it comes to the purchases that will matter most in our lives so that we don't have to wish we could change or do something over. Some of  the choices we will make include buying a house, car and signing up for a credit card. Before taking the economics course I lived under the illusion that I would do everything correctly, even if I didn't exactly know what correct was. After taking the course, I realized that sometimes even if one creates a 99% fool proof plan, bad things happen - like how missing a couple of deadlines for a credit card bill can bring a credit score down tremendously.

While it sucks that I will be consumed into this reality of making big purchases, building up credit and what not, I guess I will just have to make do. Besides, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” Philip K. Dick

One of the most important things that I've learned from taking Economics was brought to my attention after doing a "real-life simulation project". For this project, I was given children , an income and a credit score - all randomly. As the unlucky person I am, I ended up having a mediocre credit score, low salary and a child. After I had my pre-determined destiny, I had to find a place to live, a job, transportation and a budget for food. What I found was that I am very frugal. I found an apartment for very cheap, a decent job that was near my house, so that the cost of transportation wouldn't be that much of a burden. Often times, being cheap is looked down upon , but in this case, it helped me make sure that my family and I were living semi-comfortably. It also gave me $800 "free-money" after paying for everything for a month on a $2000/mo salary. Furthermore, the real-life simulation economics project also made me feel more confident in my ability to make important decisions in the future. After all , I can't live my life like Peter Pan and be a child forever... that's not how the world works. 

I am thankful for the project in Economics because it has given me the opportunity to grow my knowledge of finance and the world of economics. On a side note, when looking for quotes about growing up, I found this quote. I laughed , maybe you will too.

“Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit!”