I recently had to meet family in the city. Now it’s a long story but we weren’t all able to go together, which meant that I had to make my own way there, at night. Based on previous experiences I don’t feel overly safe walking around the CBD on my own in the dark, let alone in a multistory car park. I once found myself in an extremely unpleasant situation- I parked on my own in a car park where half the lights were out and the lift wasn’t working. Unfortunately this forced me into taking a really dicey set of stairs which made me unbelievably nervous and stressed.
As a result, on this particular occasion I decided to park in a newer, better lit carpark that was only a few hundred meters from where I had to be. The catch? This was a more expensive car park than many others in the city. The benefit? I felt safe being there alone.
I think it’s sad that we live in a world where I can’t be on my own after dark in some areas and to be perfectly honest, it’s even worse that it costs more to feel safe in that situation. However, this is something I cannot change but what I can alter is my mindset. I believe in situations such as this it’s worth the few extra dollars in exchange for peace of mind. In my opinion, peace of mind is worth a great deal especially when you take into account what stressful situations can do to you and how unnecessary stress can take it’s toll on your body and overall health.
Do I still find this situation frustrating? Of course. But would I make the same decision again to park closer? Yes I would. Is this the most frugal decision I could have made? No. But there are other factors at play here and sometimes, the cheapest option isn’t always the best option.
I’m sure this situation can be applied to any number of varying circumstances. For instance, I’d rather pay slightly more for petrol for my car than go on the cheapest day of the week when due to my situation, I’d be forced into going alone and after dark.
How do you feel about the cost of safety? Would you pay extra to feel safer?
This is Minimalism 