it's only money...but still...

As a collective, my parents treated myself and my brother equally. However, since my brother now has a family, this "equality" has changed....in the cash flow department.

Now, I realize for the remainder of this blog I likely will come across as a self-centered little bitch. And that's ok - everyone should be allowed to do it once in a while.

I guess it somewhat started prior to the birth of my adorable nephews. My brother went to vet school and loans only covered so much. Thus, my parents covered the balance of the tuition/room/board - which I'll estimate at $50,000. I'd like to point out that when I took graduate classes, the only person paying for it was me. Sure, I realize my brother has college loans to pay; but he also makes a six-figure salary. It's not about payback, really. However, I figured part of said "payback" were the trips to Europe (Baltic States, Greece and Spain) with my mom over the past few years. For ease of calculation, let's say the trips are $5000 each ($15,000) total. So now there's a $25,000 tip in the scales.

With the addition of the nephews, those scales are tipping further. I don't even want to know what my mom spends on birthday and Christmas gifts. Now, children should NEVER be screwed out of gifts on these occassions (which is why I buy Christmas gift for the kids and the kids buy my gift). Yet I'm willing to bet that the collective costs of the gifts are worth at least one round-trip plane ticket from MKE to any area DC airport, possibly two trips. At Christmas , if you combine the actual cost of the ticket and dog-sitting for Caye, that cost is about $350. Who pays for my ticket and dogsitter? Me.

And yes, there's more. My mom does babysit for the nephews (and sometimes the dog) from time to time. In October, she dogsat for 10 days. The running rate for a pro to do it $200 minimum (and that was the cost of my plane ticket for this trip, I might add). So if you add up the pro bono babysitting, I'm sure that cost probably equals the cost of another plane ticket, maybe two.

Don't get me wrong, I realize that having kids is expensive. I also know the reality: my brother alone makes at least twice as much as I do.

I really don't ask for much. Maybe a MacBook and/or flat screen TV (retail for what I want: $1500). That, or payment for my varicose vein procedure next year (at a nice $3000 - the amount that insurance won't cover). Even if you throw that on the tipping scale, it's still at about $20,000.

If you're looking at the "equality" angle, I shouldn't have to pay for any of my trips home. Period.