Hiding from the guys at Barclaycard…

Saturday 6th December, 2008 - £7,092.96 in debt…

I’m back in sleepy Devon after my jaunt to the capital, just in time to reflect on the seventh month of my debt-clearing experience. I can’t say it’s gone as well as expected…

The positives

     1.   Well, I didn’t join Slice The Pie and waste my time reviewing music for 12p a go. I think that’s a good thing.

     2.   I didn’t get sucked into Barclaycard’s so-called ‘offer’ of a so-called ’free’ credit report, which would have cost me £69.99 a year if I’d fallen for the hype.

     3.   I got my Dad a cheap birthday present, and started watching out for good Christmas gift bargains (here and here).

     4.   I managed to wangle a £10 Edward Scissorhands theatre ticket with Lastminute, and ended up in row B of the Stalls! Marvellous.

     5.   Er…

The negatives

     1.   I’ve had a good month in practically every way, apart from monetarily-speaking. I’ve been shooting around the country like a crazy person, catching up with old friends and generally being a social butterfly. I’ve had lots of work to do as well, which has kept me from doing anything really stupid like getting into more debt, but I haven’t exactly paid off my Barclaycard in full, as per the plan. Dammit.

     2.   I decided I really need to find somewhere to live, which will mean paying a deposit and moving costs. I’ve started looking (the Rightmove website is a godsend), but the places I like don’t seem to be available until January.

     3.   Alistair Darling did a range of complicated things that will probably result in me losing money in the long run.

     4.   I spent £53.50 in one evening, watching McFly ‘rock out’ (ahem) in Bournemouth, and I thought that was bad until London. As far as I can work out, five days in our glorious capital cost me about £250. God, I hope that’s not right.

Road Trip!

Tuesday 25th November, 2008 - £7,408.16 in debt…

I’ve just noticed that most of my posts for this month have been quite cynical. From moaning about the low rate paid by Slice The Pie, to whingeing about British Gas giving away free lightbulbs (how dare they?), to ranting away like a communist about Captain Darling’s VAT cut (although I do stand by that one), I’ve been surprisingly angry this month. So I thought I’d concentrate on an unashamedly cheery subject today: McFly.

Yes, last weekend I threw caution to the wind and went to Bournemouth to see McFly in concert, even though I’m well into my mid-twenties. Ahem.

Just like the last two times I’ve seen them live, they were amazing, and they didn’t do their new emo song so I didn’t cry (it’s about suicide - how confusing).  All in all, a very successful evening, but how much did it cost me? And was it worth it?

Well, the ticket was £26, and the booking fee was £2.50, but that’s not all. Bournemouth is 126 miles away from me, according to Google Maps (or 140 if your companion swears she knows the way but then gets distracted and you take a wrong turning somewhere around Honiton like a pair of idiots). This means spending £15 each on petrol. Then there’s a tenner on food, and suddenly you’ve spent £53.50 on one unforgettable evening of childlike glee.

Luckily, I’m foolhardy enough to drive back home on the same evening, still reeling from the band’s astonishing pyrotechnic display. Otherwise I’d have had to shell out another £40 on a hotel room.

And was it worth it? Well yes, obviously. The day I turn down the chance to see McFly in concert will be the day I can no longer afford to eat and breathe.

Fancy a slice?

Tuesday 4th November, 2008 - £7,499.83 in debt…

If you’re anything like me, the idea of listening to a succession of miserable indie bands’ amateur dronings will make you violently sick. But what if you were getting paid anything up to 12p a listen? Yes, I thought that would perk you up.

Okay, so getting 12p (maximum) for every 60-second clip you review is hardly going to make you rich. But this is what Slice The Pie offers, and it’s easy work. The site is full of song clips by ‘up and coming’ artists who are itching for your considered opinions.

I have three main problems with Slice The Pie. First off, I’m not as heartless as Simon Cowell: I don’t like the thought of crushing some poor indie kid’s hopes and dreams by giving them a bad review. Even if they’re rubbish.

Secondly, Slice The Pie increases the rate you earn according to various factors including your “accuracy”. This is based on how similar your reviews are to other people’s reviews, which I think negates the whole point. If an artist wants an honest review, they should be prepared to hear something that doesn’t just follow the herd.

Thirdly, there’s the money. At the maximum rate, you could review 60 clips in an hour and earn £7.20, if it was possible to review one track while listening to the next. But the 12p rate is a distant dream when you start out on 3p a track.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to save money or pay off a debt, anything you can do to earn cash from home in the evenings is a welcome boost. I reckon Slice The Pie is probably not made with people like me in mind, but if you’d normally be listening to unfamiliar guitar-based dirges in your free time, you might as well get paid for it.