This picture has absolutely nothing to do with anything I am about to talk about. It was taken during a sailing trip I did not attend. This past Saturday I woke up to the most unusual weather... a clear sunny day. Excited about the prospect of actually getting some Vitamin D from nature, I eagerly threw on clothes, scarffed down breakfast (it was noon) and headed out the door. But alas in the 15 minutes it took me to prepare myself, the sun had been obstructed by the usual giant grey cloud that perennially covers Gothenburg (insert sad face emoticon). Since I was already out the door, it seemed a shame to turn around and go back to bed (an option I too frequently choose). So like my viking forefathers before me, I headed into the brisk with a burning desire to conquer.
Yes that's right, I headed to the shopping section of town. Look at my purchasing power parity now! As it was a Saturday, I wasn't immediately struck by the vast amount of people swarming about. And as I was in a good mood, I thought nothing of the awesome jams that were being blasted through loud speakers from many of the shops. It wasn't until I spotted the 300 pound blond mammoth of a male holding a small bright red cross body bag, that I realized something was amiss. You see it was at that very moment when it struck me, "OMG I am out shopping on payday Saturday!!"
You see one of the most fascinating aspects of Sweden is the spending habits of its beautiful well coiffed and clothed population. You see unlike in many parts of the world, Swedes are only paid once a month, and oh once they have been paid the party that unfurls! Unlike us Americans who put away money every month to eventually pay for our Liposuction or Kobe Beef addictions (depending which way you swing), Swedes don't have to save money for many of life's most vital necessities (as mentioned above) and instead choose to spend approx 75% of their paycheck within 48 hours of funding reaching their Swedbank/SEB/Nordea/Handelsbanken accounts. Of this pay check, approximately 48% goes to clothing/personal grooming, 50% to Alcohol, and the additional 2% to food and shelter (Disclaimer** all facts stated above have been created by the author).
The spending habits of Swedes was first brought to my attention during my Uppsala days. The week before payday you could get into any club of your choosing at any time of night and only other exchange students would be inside. The weekend of Payday... just stay home, or expect a lovely Lars to buy you multiple rounds of gin & tonics before booting on your vagabond boots (ok that story was false as well). Which can only happen if you get to the club by 3 pm to beat the long queue and ensure entry before 1 am.
I like when people have money. It makes me happy. It also makes me feel less guilty for using 100$ bills as toilet paper. I don't like when too many people have money at the same time. It makes lines for dressing rooms too long. That being said, I always like it when I have money. The End.
