Tight Budgets
by Mike Aragona
First published online on 2005 September 22.
SFFH: Article
One thing that happens when youre on a really tight budget is
you become extremely creative. You have toits a matter of survival.
Until things get better, you have to make every penny count and
stretch your money to levels you never thought possible. You learn
to make due without realizing it. In the mood for a salad and
youre out of croutons? No problemuse some stale pieces of bread.
All out of clean underwear? No reason why you cant go commando
if its warm enough. No clean socks? Make a fashion statement
and dont wear any. Its all in looking at what you can do versus
what you cant.
Granted, there are some days when yelling at the world is the
only thing left to do since, try as you might, you have no choice
but to go to bed on an empty stomach. There are other times, however,
when the gods smile down on you and offer you the life of an animal
to satisfy your meat cravings. When its roasting over an open
fire, it doesnt matter what it wasroad kill always tastes like
chicken.
Mike Aragona, former Line Editor of Scarlet Rose Productions, is
currently running
Comicopia The Comics Fanzine (celebrating 15 years of
publication in 2005) and has been a panelist on numerous media conventions
speaking on Writing, Self-publishing, and Apas. A big fan and supporter
of Canadian talent, he was on the nominating panel for the Canadian Comic
Book Creator AwardsThe Shustersand continues to plot ways of
bringing his creator-owned work (The Mysterious Minute-Men) to the world
at large. Mike and his beautiful wife Chantale welcomed their first child
in July 2005. He hopes the baby, Kyle Ethan, will also become a comic fan
like his son James and daughter Melyssa. Casey the Wonder Puppy could not
be reached for comment.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
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