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this column was absurd.
The problem with being poor, or relatively poor (like being a grad student in the humanities) is we don't have investment capital. If we need to buy a laptop and we have just enough money to pay rent and eat, then yeah, a few hundred dollars or more will matter a lot with what you can buy. That is the major reality of poverty, is that it often forces you to engage in economic behavior designed to cost more in the long run, but is cheaper in the short run. Being wealthy (or relatively wealthy), allows people to have choices. This is what we call privilege, and when comparing prices and calling something "cheaper" should be taken into account on a socially progressive website, dammit.
Still adore your blog, but this was silly.