More Things Should Cost $10

... or thereabouts

Tuesday, August 8th - I wandered around town thumbing over my usual dilemma: should I eat lunch or save twenty dollars. Because, you see, lunch is almost always going to run you twenty dollars. It’s reprehensible.

More things should be $10. A simple sandwich, a simple pleasure, should never cost more than $10. Once upon a time, ambling about with a crisp ten-dollar bill in your pocket would buy you a lunch, an armful of afternoon snacks to share with friends, two rounds at the bar, etc. Somewhere along the way we lost our understanding that $10 is the best amount of currency a person can have. See below if you have forgotten what dignity looks like:

Look at Hamilton, all dignified and ready to be used to satiate my wants and needs. It almost makes ya forget about that godawful musical.

You might be thinking, “Well, Katie, not everything can cost $10.” Or, perhaps you’re thinking, “Yes! Oh yes, Katie! Everything should cost $10.” I like the latter type of people better, so consider your sins if you said the former.

But, alas, there is a point to be made here. Not everything can - or should - cost ten dollars. Herein lies my thesis: All Medium Things Should Cost $10.

All medium things should cost $10. A good sandwich should cost $10. A basketball should cost $10. A movie ticket should cost $10. Tickets to almost anything should be $10, or it should not exist (looking at you, Disney).

So, what to do with everything that is not medium? Where do nice dinners or vending machine snacks fall?

Simple. Small things should be $1. Big things should be $20.

Now, I am not here to arbitrate all things, but all things are either small, medium, or big; thus, everything should cost one, ten, or twenty dollars. Here is a short list of things that would be properly priced under such a system (please do assume I mean standard quantities of the items):

• $1 - water bottles, sodas, rub-on tattoos, washcloths, candles, all produce, tissues, hammers, lipstick, gasoline, lollipops, mops, bandaids, birthday cards, pills

• $10 - alcohol, books, running shoes, saws, plants, meats, concerts, traffic tickets, clothes, headphones, toys, games, hair dye, lamps, and of course, sandwiches

• $20 - software, televisions, anything with the word “jumbo” in it, microwaves, backpacks, champagne, duvets, fancy cheeses, electronics, video games

(You may think I’m leaving out important items that would not work in this world, but I’m not, so don’t worry about it.)

I’m sure I’ll never see this dream of a small, medium, and big world realized, no matter how much damn sense it makes. But, the next time you see a buddy, give them $10. It’s the right thing to do for them and for us all. Give me $10.

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