MONEY BAGS

While shopping with the Wine Merchant the other day, I came across a dress which was vital to my existence. A dress so beautiful and so unique that it could only be worn once. Convincing the Wine Merchant that this dress needed me more than I needed it, he bought it. This was followed by lunch and when the bill came, I pretended I had lost the power of sight and speech and fell off my chair. But when we went to Woolies and I asked him to pay for my monthly shopping, he was not charmed.

Wine Merchant: Baglett, where is your money?
Me: You've got it.
WM: No I don't.
Me: Well someone's got it.
WM: You've spent it haven't you?
Me: Hard to say.
WM: Do you budget at all?
Me: Do I what?
WM: I'll take that as a no.

What followed was horrendous. The Wine Merchant made me sit down and write down exactly what I had spent in the last month and on what. It was humiliating and quite shocking really.

WM: This wouldn't be so bad if you had done this years ago. Budgeting actually helps you Baglett.
Me: *Silence*
WM: Say something.
Me: Can I afford to talk?
WM: Don't be ridiculous. Let me see the list. BAGLETT! You spent R3000 on clothes!
Me: Not all in one day.
WM: And what exactly did you do at the spa that cost R2000?!
Me: Actually, I had a voucher for the spa so that doesn't count.
WM: How much was the voucher for Baglett?
Me: R250.00 BUT I got discounts because I bought products. Yaaaaa, probably shouldn't have told you that.

For the next two hours I was tortured with budget advice, excel spreadsheets and threats of switching to a cheaper hairdresser. When we had finished and I had cut down all my expenses, it made sense. Not that I would ever tell the Wine Merchant that. I took his advice to heart yesterday when I stopped to buy groceries and consciously bought refills rather than the new product. To reward myself I then went and bought a pair of shoes. Baby steps people, baby steps.

In other news:
Apologies for the sporadic posting this week people. My craptop is still having open hard drive surgery and so I'm whoring myself around Jo'burg using whatever poor sods computer I can get my hands on. Bear with me!