The Financial Disadvantages of Being Single

This pandemic has had many people thinking about preparing for the possibility that you would get infected, be hospitalized, or worse, pass away. I know of people who have prepared journals for the necessary info in case anything happens to them and those who have double-checked on their insurance or have suddenly signed up because of the times.

One thing that I realized when I looked into these things myself is that I am at a financial disadvantage as a single person. I may make a significant contribution for my retirement/pension fund and while it may be a sizeable fund, only my mother can benefit from it if I pass away. If my mother passes before I do, no one gets the money I had invested in myself when I am gone. 

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

As a single person, I already know that I am taxed higher than those who are married and have children, it doesn't matter if I am spending and helping to support my family. It's like I am being punished for not being married or having children and for helping my family out. Married people can have beneficiaries other than their parents and they can use their children as deductibles for tax and I, as a single person, have no option to choose another beneficiary other than the one parent that I have left. I don't think that's fair. I am taxed like I have nothing else to spend money on because I am single and therefore have no life and responsibilities.

I think widows/widowers with no kids have a similar dilemma in terms of pension. You also cannot choose another beneficiary for your pension when you go if you have no husband or child (or parent). That means all the funds that you were meant to have will remain with the pension fund. It's our money, but we do not seem to have the option to decide what happens to it.

An article talking about this situation in the US also talked about how singles are seemingly punished for being single with taxes and lack of other benefits that married people have. I can't help but agree. Social security/pension benefits are not so beneficial when that is the way it is set up. 

It makes me wonder if the people who made the laws about this are married. They do not know that expenses for a single person can be just as high or even higher than a married one, who can share the burden and income with his/her spouse.

Now that I think about it, single people are also at a disadvantage at work. Singles are often expected to do more work than their married co-workers since they do not have a spouse and kids to go home to. Married people are also forgiven for certain lapses at times because they have certain responsibilities at home. Again, like singles have nothing better to do. As if anything not related to having their own family is not as important or relevant. 

Is it not enough that single people are often told at a certain age that they have to be married and have kids otherwise their lives would be such a waste? That we have not matured enough to settle down? Do we really have to be punished for something that may be beyond our control? Or even if we did have a choice, why must we be punished for our choices?

Unfortunately, this is the situation for single people. Considering how overpopulated our country is, you'd think that there would be benefits for people who stayed single and without children. 

I wonder, are there any countries that treat singles fairly?

The Down Side

Recently I have been feeling down. Is it a bit of depression? I'm not sure. Maybe. I have been shutting myself in my room whenever I am home more and more these days because I have been feeling low. I don't want to bring anyone else down. 

I have been feeling dissatisfaction in the workplace. There are so many things that have made me sad about the place that I have been working for almost all of my adult life. I am no longer happy, but at the same time, I cannot bring myself to let go. Especially not now that there are other people out there who are having a difficult time during this pandemic to get and keep jobs. It feels unfair to give up when so many others are struggling. No matter how much my frustrations make me cry sometimes, I know I cannot just let go. I have people who depend on me too, so that is a choice that is not easy to make.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Another thing that I have been struggling with has been in terms of creativity. I have been trying to write more but it has been a struggle to do so. The one book I have been trying to write only has 3000 words so far and my blog posts have been sparse. The low feeling has made it difficult for me to express myself without constantly second-guessing myself. I am trying to force it out of me, as writing has always been my outlet to de-stress/de-compress but it is still hard. I'm taking it one day at a time.  I thought maybe if I can let it all out here I can let it all go and (hopefully) feel better.

Current Wants

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that this pandemic has caused many to go on an online shopping binge. I do not know why that is but with all the anxiety that this period in our lives has been I could not help but keep clicking the "add to cart" button on several online shopping sites. I do not necessarily end up buying everything though. I try to weed out my cart to make sure that my purchases are needs and not wants. Sadly, that means that most of the things that I really, badly want end up waiting in my cart for the day when I can afford to buy them.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

I Am a Difficult Woman

Taylor Swift has a song called Mad Woman that talks about how women are defined by society. It reminds me of this quote going around on Facebook (supposedly) from Dr. Jane Goodall about how it does not take much to be considered a difficult woman. This is something that I can relate to because on more than one occasion I have been considered to be difficult as well. Just by speaking up and having an opinion that is different from that of a man, you can be considered one. You can be a “mad woman” too. 

Climate Change: Is it Too Late?

It is all over the news: temperatures keep getting hotter and hotter. Every year has become the “hottest year on record.” The UN says that we are getting closer to the threshold where we can no longer avoid the effects of climate change. To me, climate change equates to extreme heat and humidity, and all the health concerns that it brings. 

My worry is not so much for myself but for the next generation. For the kids: for my nephews and nieces, the ones who will live with this the most. We do not have that much time left. This is something that a vaccine or staying at home cannot fix.