Nick Chmura
On the first day of the month, $1,000 is deposited into your bank account, no questions asked, just for being a citizen — so what do you spend it on?
One day, THIS COULD BE THE REALITY. One day you could be living in a country that dispenses a Universal Basic Income –– a no-questions-asked monthly payment to every citizen, just for being a citizen. This $1000 deposit happens once a month, every month, with no requirements of submitting income statements, progress updates or anything like that.
It could be tempting to blow the $1000 on designer clothes, spend it on expensive liquors, or roll the dice on the lottery. These days we are constantly being marketed products and services and told “buy this” and “buy that.” Be wise with your UBI disbursement and spend it on the following:
Food and Shelter
These must-haves, food and shelter, are the foundations of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Did you know that 17.5 million American households are food insecure, and more than 500,000 Americans face homelessness every night? So first, with your $1000, tackle food and shelter security. Budget for your food and housing so these essential items are taken care of this month, and every month. Having a comfortable space to live in along with a full fridge will better prepare you for all aspects of your life.
Health Care
Keeping up with your health is essential to living a fulfilling life. A big part of this is having health insurance, but having a gym membership and being regular with medical checkups can be just as important. Startlingly high numbers of Americans don’t have health insurance and the health care figures are similarly shocking in other countries. Don’t be silly, set aside part of your UBI for your health.
Education
Having food, shelter and health care will keep you above water and while challenging, it could be possible on $1000 a month in some cities. The definition of UBI is that everyone have access to “living-money” every month, but the goal is bigger, people should be constantly working in other ways to better their life. This might look like having a job, but this should always include education. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and he was right. Take the dual breakfast sandwich maker out of your cart and put that money towards books, trainings and other educational pursuits.
Admittedly, it’s not clear how close we are to a Universal Basic Income, though some countries are closer than others. What is clear is we aren’t very good at spending our money, so think about it, if $1000 showed up on your door tomorrow how could you spend it productively? Would it be food & shelter, health care, education or something else. Think about it.
