Part-time consumer

I can't really consider myself to be a full-fledged consumer at this point in my life, mostly because I don't have a job presently. Despite that minor detail, I still manage to spend money on various things when I get the chance, namely gas, food, cigarettes, books, and entertainment-related activities. Being a smoker has definitely had a horribly negative effect on my spending habits, especially with the increase in prices as of the new year. This will probably sound really bad, but since I just turned 21 this past December, I have recently been spending a good deal of money on alcohol and alcohol-related things. Going out to bars can be expensive, especially if the trip involves cab fare to and from the bar. I think that my willingness to spend money at the bars shows the part of my personality that is fun-loving. I like to have a good time and socialize with friends, and being legal (finally) has meant that a lot of that socializing has moved to the bar scene. As sad as it is, one of my priorities during college (aside from doing well in my classes, of course) is to have as much fun as possible before I have to face the real world. What can I say? I love to have a good time.

In the future, I would like to see myself spending money on things like home decor and travel. As a college student, there are certain things that I am less concerned with because where I live is constantly transitioning. When purchasing decorative items for my room, I gravitate towards the less expensive because I know that later on in my life I will be able to replace these things with items I like and not worry about the price. For example, the comforter I currently own is from Ikea, my sheets are jersey from Linens and Things, and my desk lamp is from Target. If it were up to me, I'd be shopping at Pottery Barn or somewhere similar. Well, okay, so maybe I would still frequent Ikea, but I would buy tons more than I can afford to now. I really enjoy visiting places I have never been before, as well as visiting friends that live across the country, but it's something I cannot afford to do presently. After college, I see myself spending a good deal of money on plane tickets to various places where I know people - Oregon, Wisconsin, New Orleans, and places I have always wanted to go like Australia (can't get enough of that accent!), New Zealand (I need to go Zorbing), Amsterdam (do I really need to explain this one?), Alaska (I have to see the Northern Lights before I die), Spain, etc. Until then, looking at pictures of far-off places will have to suffice.