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.
