Annie Rhiannon

Thursday, May 10, 2007

130 kilos of wax

The bad thing about quitting your full-time job at an ad agency is losing your full-time ad agency salary. The good thing about having a credit card is that you can keep spending that same salary even though it doesn't exist anymore. Oops, I seem to have over-spent. Mostly on day-to-day essentials though, like taxis, wine, and 130 kilos of wax.*

Why don't I understand the value of money? Am I a spoilt brat? I can't be, my parents were povs when I was little, I'm sure. I mean, I've read my brother's journals and he wrote things like:

March 4th, 1986
Today is Annie's birthday and she is six so as a special treat mum bought some jam and we had it on our bread for our dinner.

But that's okay, because these days I can spend €40 on a face-cream and eat it on my bread any time I like. That is, up until Bjarni sat me down in front of a "spreadsheet" (a tad severe, I thought) and made me type in my income next to all my outgoings. And by "all my outgoings" he means everything, even a kiwi fruit that cost me 25c. Then we watched as the scary spreadsheet thing calculated it all and told me how much money I don't have. Huzzah!

Pfft, spreadsheets. Who really uses spreadsheets? People like Bjarni, I suppose. Which is why he owns his own apartment and I am in trubb with my Mastercard.

*I didn't realise candles were so expensive!

19 comments:

  1. when you said 130 kilos of wax I imagined a big blob of wax. Which is pointless. And so I was going to lecture you on buying stupid things. But candles are pretty. SO that's ok

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  2. Just wait until I come up with an estimate of how much electricity and gas costs and make you start recording how much tea you make and how often you bathe... muahahaha!

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  3. Sid Trotter10.5.07

    I like Bjiarni's thinking. I once sat my wife down in front of a spreadsheet (I actually selotaped it to the telly and she didn't realise for several hours). No, truthfully, when I sat her down in front of the spreadsheet the spreadsheet got angry and just looked at her with one of those, 'what's your problem love?' kind of looks and stormed out the room.

    Well anyway, We listed what we both spent and both earned. It turns out I spent more than her which was a major surprise as I'm a miser and have never even met the woman before. Apparently most of my money goes on goat feed - even though I haven't had one for a good while. Must be the volcanic jumpers

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  4. It is vaguely heartening to know that I am not the only one who cannot seem to comprehend budgetting (I'm not even sure I've spelled it correctly).

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  5. I'm changing jobs soon and I've already decided that if I'm stuck for money in that "in between pay cheques" phase, I'm going to ask my Dad instead of my boyfriend. I couldn't bear that "why don't you have savings....have you spent it on clothes????" look!! I'm an accountant and I can't handle money either, it just burns a hole in my very nice wallet!!!

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  6. You're in debt and Bjarni is not? Are you sure he's the Icelandic one?

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  7. I hear you, Annie. I hear you.

    On another note - I'm afraid I had to , erm, edit my blog today, which included removing all the comments I'd received in the past 2 days.

    Nothing personal!

    But you were right the first time. I need to fuck someone else. ;)

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  8. Huzzah for accountants being crap with money too.

    Bjarni may be Icelandic, Alda, but he is also a supergeek and half-American, which makes him an exception to most rules.

    Sorry to hear that, actually, Isabella. But it's cool, you're a rock chick, you'll be fucking someone else soon enough.

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  9. You are not alone.

    I understand the theory of a budget, but I'm afraid it never works out quite so well in practice. I tally up the bills and expected expenses each month, and our income seems slightly more than adequate. It's the little things that hamstring me every time and force me to rob Peter to pay Paul.

    My grandad spent a few months noting every single expense - be it a pack of gum or dinner out - and I think it would behoove me to do the same. Even if nothing changes, at least I'll know where the discretionary funds go.

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  10. Oh god I know the feeling.... I am in trouble with mastercard too after the one month between the last maternity leave check and a paying job.
    Here's hoping you'll get a job with few hours and lots of money!

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  11. Ah credit cards - remember

    Maximum Spend - it's a target, not a limit!

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  12. "Maximum Spend - it's a target, not a limit! "

    Lollerskates

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  13. I LOVE spreadsheets!! I have spreadsheets for everything. I'm still crap with money though, but at least I know exactly how crap.

    I have spreadsheets for my income/expenditure, timesheet, annual leave, weightloss, favourite songs, christmas presents, pay ... if anyone would like to suggest some other spreadsheets I could create, I'd be very happy :D

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  14. Hmmm...[nods sagely]...maybe it's a girl thing. I've got Microsoft Money but even that doesn't help. It just helps me keep track of the money I'm spending that I don't actually have...

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  15. I also use Spreadsheets all the time for working out where my finances go, but I've developed a method of tricking myself - taking out LOADS of cold, hard cash and getting drunk. I never have a clue where it goes then.

    I wish I wasn't so devious.

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  16. I'm with Donna and Bjarni. I love spreadsheets. Have them for everything. Boys. Christmas presents. Budgets. The lot. Doesn't mean I don't overspend. Just means I stress about it more. Maybe I need to rethink my devotion to excel.

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  17. Ah, so it's not 130 kg of wax for your legs! Phew! I was starting to wonder how hirsute you might be.

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  18. Mmmmm. Spreadsheets. It's so great to know exactly why you're in the red. :)

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  19. In debt to your eyeballs because of buying useless stuff? You're well on your way to being an American.

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