Yesterday i wrote on Twitter that am going to give up drinking.
The reason is mainly money, for most of the last 6-12 months i have spent more than i earn. I sat down other day to see here i spend my money and on what and to see if i could cut anything.
Going to the pub most nights and filling the booze fridge came out top of the list of stuff that can be cut, While is not what i spend most of my money on ( others are necessary, roof over head and car etc), So the choice was either to cut down smoking and drinking in equal bits or one or other, I decided that i would give up drinking (alcohol) completely ( so i could still enjoy a fag) until my finances are in order, My debt is not out of control but i would rather sort it out now before i have to make more difficult choices.
I did consider cutting the take-away budget but seeing as my cooking skills are akin to Nick Knights commentary skills, i just couldn't take the risk.
I hope to have paid of my debts by Christmas.
Update: I have just remembered i have a bottle of Blue WKD in the fridge, so that will be last drink.
Update 2: I wonder if this aggressive tax avoidance, What say you Mr Osborne?
I am one of the luckiest people in the world.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Because when I was seven years old, I suddenly got hayfever. Does not make sense yet? Listen further.
I started to smoke when I was at school. Peer pressure. I left the bank and started to work with Gallahers, tobacco product manufacturers. I had more cigarettes than I could smoke. But then, I realised that my respiratory system was not up to scratch in the summer. Smoking made it worse.
So I gave up. I used to give out cigarettes and people would say Aren't you going to have one yourself? I would reply No, it's bad for your health. I went back to banking not long after!
I did start again and then tried cannabis. OK but not really the wild experience I had been led to believe. I even grew my own for a while.
So I gave up again and have not smoked for over 25 years. More money, less coughing, better life expectancy (Hey, I enjoy my life!)
I am not going to advise you to give up smoking because only you can decide that.
But think about it... Seriously.
I also gave up smoking because it was making me feel ill. It seemed more of an addiction than a pleasure anyway.
DeleteBut I have not given up drinking. I have the kind of head that I have to get off occasionally (I think SC might feel the same way about his). And there is a pleasure in the companionship of getting pleasantly sloshed with friends that simply doesn't happen with smoking, a solitary vice.
On the other hand, if you are unfortunate enough to be a banker, giving up banking is a really good idea.
I walked away from banking during 1999/2000 when I saw the stupid things so-called bankers were doing. I had learned my craft in the sixties, when there were still people about who remembered the gold standard or the gold exchange standard.
DeleteSo I developed an old head on young shoulders. It stood me in good stead as major banks would book my services until Brown's reforms rendered my information useless.
I promised them it would all go wrong and then was mildly upset to see that things carried on growing, having slung my hook. I even entertained self-doubt over my previous views as I saw a re-enactment of a Tom and Gerry type scene where they both rush off the top of a cliff and keep going, not realising that the ground has disappeared beneath their feet.
It took banking seven years to realise that the ground had disappeared beneath its feet and my forecasts came true. Halfway though this I saw the cracks beginning and made moves to get away which I did in May 2007, four months before the world as we knew it came to an end.
My information is still useless as the clock cannot be turned back.
Yes. I do have a tipple but rarely get drunk nowadays as I do not like hangovers. Merry, yes. Aristotle's Mean still applies.