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I have a complex relationship with money. I work in a field where many of my peers come from affluent families, or have independent wealth; this wealth enables them to engage in a profession (artist, educator) that pays little. And in the past six or seven years Brooklyn Heights, always home to a certain number of wealthy folk, has become extremely expensive and thus the population is disproportionately wealthy. So I am surrounded by signs of affluence. Yet I myself am not; had I not had the foresight to buy my apartment when I did, there is no way I could afford to live here; there is no way I could afford to live in NYC unless I lived in the far outer boroughs. I have some savings, but I worry a lot about extra expenses, like the cost of car repair, veterinary bills for my pets...I have little cushion if something goes wrong. I know that many people are far worse off than I. But I also know that while money does not buy happiness (this is obvious) it does insulate one from some of the little worries that can eat away at a person. I would not have to decide "do I get the car fixed or do I get Tuna's teeth cleaned?" "Can I afford to go to the dentist this month, or do I wait until winter?"