I ventured into 2009 a determined man. One with a plan to get rid of what little debt he had so that he could move on to bigger and better things. With loan payments finishing this year in December and my credit card not having a huge limit, it's easily within grip. Discipline comes into matters as well, where large amounts of cash are spent on food out with the home, comics by the pile, DVDs by the Oscar load. A tenner here, a few quid there...it all adds up.
I'm my own worst enemy to be fair. I buy these things, fully knowing that I should put the money onto my credit card, or use it to lower my over draught (The most evil of things ever to have "graced" the planet. Thanks for that, Mr. Bank Manager.)
Perhaps it was foolish to aim for January to be the start of better things. After all, it is the worst month of the year to try and cut back on things. To make things worse, my Ford Ka went in for it's MOT/Service this month, only to find out that the Front Passenger Side Suspension had gone...
Scary thing is, it didn't feel any different to drive. I suffered from a flat tire not 5 or so months ago, so the impact must have burst the tire and blown the suspension. I should have had it checked out, but as I say, it didn't feel any different, so I changed the wheel to the spare and off I went until a few days ago. All in all, it's set me back just under 250 (Inc MOT/Service charge), which isn't that bad at all...it could have been a hell of a lot worse. What's more is the fact that the garage picked the car up and dropped it back off, preventing me from having to take further time off.
Overall, it's money I'd rather keep, as I had to increase my over draught to pay for it, but it's needed I guess.
To put the cherry on the cake, my car's Tax is up at the end of the month, so that's another 66 for 6 months. It never ends.
So with the car, unnecessary spending and various outings/birthdays, January has been a shambles. Here's to February being a little quieter and less expensive, so I can finally get "Operation Obliterate" in to full swing.
Operation Obliterate:
- Clear Credit Card as soon as possible with regular increased payments and use of bonus at end of March.
- After Card is clear, use "card money" to pay off loan sooner than December by increasing payments. (Unless they charge a huge amount to do so)
- If the above does not work out, use said money to decrease over draught steadily. If above does work, pay smaller amounts towards over draught while paying off loan.
- Once these three things are clear, I will be debt free, with only my rent, mobile bill to pay for. The idea of this is awesome.
- Cease Operation Obliterate, Commence Operation Freedom.
So yeah, I must be ill, while trying to save money and failing miserably, I seem to have fallen into a trend of healthy eating. My consumption of shite (See snacks/candy/sweets/sugar) has reduced a lot in the past week or so...
I've taken to the taste of tea without milk for the first time in, well, ever. It just seems nicer. Fresher. Healthier in every sense of the word. I may even start drinking it without sugar, but I've only ever had one in my brew. I've starting drinking Green Tea more often too. I only tend to have it when I'm out at a Chinese restaurant or some such, but I'm drinking maybe two or three mugs of the stuff a day. This in turn has increased my water intake. Now my water intake has never been crap, but it's always been in need of a boost. So I'm going to drink as much fresh water as I can, trying to keep the massive glasses of milk I drink to a minimum and keeping various fizzy things (especially energy drinks) sparse too. On the healthy note, Sarah and I have decided to take more walks. I have always loved walking, even if it's to the local shop, so I have no idea why I stopped. When I was younger, I was always taken up to the Moors (I lived in Plymouth, near Devon) to collect rubber stamps. So, here's to walking.
I'm feeling the perks already. I feel a little more awake. My stomach isn't as upset as it usually is and overall I feel great. I'm hoping it only gets better. Improving my diet has been long overdue.
I'll be pushing my luck this year, so I doubt I'll be able to start, but I'm hoping that I can at least learn how to Snowboard this year too. Again, more exercise as covered above in a sense, but I've been longing for something I can do that involves physical involvement. I'm a big guy, no denying it, but it's not my weight that bothers me, it's just how bloody unfit I am. So, leaving kit and board expenses to the following year, I hope I can learn and at least rent the gear to kick some white...Gnarly.
I've started wearing my hair in a proper ponytail. I used to pull it back into a Hellboy sort of effort, but it got to the point that it's too long to do so...more just to keep it out of the way to be honest. It's a little weird feeling the 'tail down my shoulders and back.
I'm sitting here at work, trying to remember various little bits of what's happened as of late. I mean, 2009 hasn't really been boring at all. My girlfriend has gained a new little niece and her first car, both of which she is in total and utter love with. I start the year with one of the best films I've seen in ages (The Spirit) and a new way to view my interests and not caring of what others might think just to seem more "Metal" or "Brutal" (Of which I am the master of both, just for reference).
It's exciting, and yet totally mundane at the same time. I hate waiting. I want to move in with my girlfriend now, not when I can afford it. I want to do various things now, and not when I can afford it. I want a new iPod and Nintendo DS now, and not when I can afford it. Are you starting to see a pattern? Yeah, me too.
Money. All my so called "problems" stem from not having enough of the stuff. Luckily, all the things that actually matter are amazing at the moment. They can only get better. It doesn't bother me per se, just I think it's fucking ridiculous how I would worry less if I had more money...
Still, onwards and upwards.
There are so many things running about in my head that really don't add to this blog. This has turned out to be real Serious Business...much like the Internets themselves. I can't help but feel great these days. Sure, I could do with a bit more cash, but at least I can see the end of the tunnel, and even the top of the mountain, which is a lot luckier and a boundless amount more aspiration than most people have in these days of the "Credit Crunch". Who knows, maybe I am just lucky, or maybe this whole blog is just one big proverbial fart from my even rotting brain mass. The only way we'll find out is time, which as I mentioned...I can't be arsed with.
or is that just me?