Paying The Bills
There is one trait that is a necessity for living the good life on Long Island. Without this attribute, life would turn into an uncomfortable struggle on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. I am referring to the payment of bills: so many bills and so little time to pay them.
The average homeowner, condo-owner or renter does not happily look forward to the first of the month. Paying the mortgage is paramount! All other bills will have to bide their time until this payment comes out of the checkbook. Unavoidable!
Utilities are next. We have hot summers and cold winters on this wonderful island paradise. LIPA must be taken care of, or our services will be wanting. Electricity, gas or oil are indispensable to life.
How about that phone bill? Do you wish to be a hermit on Long Island? Of course not, you require a connection to the rest of the world…to your parents, to your children, to friends, to the supermarket, stores, to your church or synagogue – to the World. Picking up a working phone is a true pleasure. Of course, cell phones are also in this category.
Insurance of one’s properties. We gather wonderful tchotchkes, furniture, paintings, carpets so that we can insure them. I have been paying my insurance carrier monthly for over 50 years. We are very kind to each other.
Landscaping our property. Do you want to have the most unsightly property on the block? Of course not! Your plantings give you much pleasure, but they do demand money and time.
Restaurants take up much of our credit card budget. We have such a variety of food places. With new restaurants opening every week, it would be a shame not to partake. Newspapers delivered daily or weekly are also a must. How could I forget movies, Cablevision or the Internet? Is life possible without entertainment? Think again.
Bills, Bills, Bills represent life and love. Pay them graciously so you can forget last week’s bills and look at this week’s bills cautiously.
