I think steve is right - that this is getting easier. "I’ve come in well under budget and it didn’t seem a particular sacrifice." I say that, with another admission of failure to come, but shifting your expectations does seem to work.
Living more simply, not expecting to go out so often, allowing others to be generous towards you - these things do not come easily, but they are valuable.
My slight misdemenor was on Friday, my day off, when I went for a walk in the afternoon, feeling a bit sorry for myself after having to work that morning, and wandered past snow & rock in covent garden. The 40% off sale sticker in the window was the thing that drew me in...
One of the shifts in perspective that this Lent thing has done is to spark my longing for the mountains - spring on the horizon might be something to do with it too, but gear at discount is a temptation too far. So i was led astray by climbing equipment. It went on my credit card, so I won't pay it till after easter... no excuse I know.
But apart from that some good things. Ang and I sitting down for a chat, watching tv together, doing the washing up. All seem like nice, normal things to do, when in most weeks they just don't happen very much.
2 comments:
Steve - as well as sharing things btn ourselves, get yourself down the local library. Brilliant. Free books, DVDs for a £1, CDs for 50p. And pretty good stuff too - found Herman Dune's CD (check them out!) there which I couldn't find in HMV or Virgin on Oxford Street. As the Manics would say "Libraries give us power".
I agree too that this minimum wage thing is all about perspective and what you're used to - it obviously is possible to live on this amount of money and loads of people live on a lot less. I did at uni. But then my firends did as well, so we would go to cheaper places and I bought cheaper things so I guess that made it easier.
The thing is though that going back to that life style permanently wouldn't be easy at all (without being able to put stuff like climbing equipment or holidays on the credit card!). And the sad thing is that I probably am happier when I can get more expensive clothes and equipment and being able to go to more gigs etc. I guess that's just how shallow I am.
Game over.
Lost my glasses last night thanks to a very nasty gust of wind and a very big bus. So it goes.
No way I can buy new glasses on the minimum wage. I have (nearly) managed to live on the level - but now I do have a major unforseen expenditure, there's no way I can do it. What would I do if I actually did have to live on it - nice people offering 70% interest rate cards knocking on my door?
Steve, maybe I can come round to drown my sorrows in your Morrisson's Bettabuy lager?
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