Money Fritters 'Enough Now' DFW Diary

Money_Fritter

Hi Folks,

Well yesterday was a very long emotional day. I attended my Grandad's funeral. It went well, and I helped carry the coffin. It was a good turn out and he was very well thought of and respected in the local community.

Days like yesterday, although very sad, do achieve one good thing and that is spending time with your family. I don't just mean the immediate family, I am referring to the wider family, relatives you don't see very often. Family members, who you always say 'we will have to catch up sometime', but never do.

Yesterday made me realise, just how important family is and I need to try and make more time to see them.

Money Fritter

Money_Fritter

Hi Folks,

Feeling a bit down today, mainly because of the sorry state this country is in. The riots, of what I can only describe as opportunist scumbags, once again show the sorry state of this country.
These riots are not about racism, or any other political or educational statements. This is about the young generation doing this because they can. Don’t get me wrong, the original riot, may have been related to the shooting of Mark Duggan, but the tidal wave that followed was simply copycat gangs, wanting their time in the limelight, their piece of the cake. They are stealing and taking what they think they are entitled to.
We live in a world with 5-minute celebs and highly paid footballers. The image this creates, is one in which you can earn millions of pounds for very little work, it doesn’t encourage hard work. It encourages laziness and having anything you want, whenever you want it. Footballers are always in the spotlight, not as good role models, but painting a picture of drink driving and fighting resulting in lenient to non-existent punishment. The young generation of today, want a piece of the highlife, no matter the price.

To be fair, the past few days have been coming for the last 10 years. Over the last 10 years, the police force has shrunk, the powers they can wield have been drastically diluted. They are not protectors or enforcers of the law anymore, they are nothing more than community helpers. Behind the once feared uniform, is a hollow inside, with no real power or substance. When I was a child, the police were respected and feared, this is simply not the case anymore.
Over the last ten years many laws have come into force to protect children. While many of these laws are good and help protect children from the evil in the world, some have ignored common sense. Twenty years ago, police and normal adults would chastise a youngster in the street, or local shop if they were doing something wrong. They would stand up for the law and what was right. However, this is not the case today. Why is this?
Well quite simply, it is fear of the consequences. In today’s world people are frighten, not of being hurt, but of being taken to court and sued by somebody who claims to be innocent. Criminals claiming damages for being hurt whilst breaking into somebody’s house is just one example, there are many more. As a result of this legal minefield, the people who have good values, and know right from wrong and have been brought up to respect people and the world we live in, do nothing. They just stand back and say or do nothing. To some extent the police do the same, they are fighting crime with their hands tied behind their backs.

I was raised by my mother on her own. She never had much money, but she worked hard at whatever job she could get to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. She loved me and taught me to respect other people and more importantly what was right and wrong. If I was naughty I got a smack on the leg or hand, it didn’t scar me for the rest of my life and turn me into a criminal. It taught me what I could and could not do. I went to school worked hard and then was lucky enough to go to university. I appreciate that with the advent of tuition fees; this is all the more harder for poor and low paid people. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, but this has always been the case. It is wrong and sometime life is not fair, but that is no reason to smash and set fire to shops and steal.
I don’t want to tarnish all the younger generation with the same brush, because I am confident there are good youngsters out there with good values, who do work hard. But the young generation today need to change their attitude and stop asking ‘What is society going to do for me?, what can I get for free?’ and start asking ‘What can I do for society?’. If the mind-set and mentality can be changed, then perhaps there is hope. This mind-set needs to be changed firstly, by the parents of these children, and secondly by the government. Some of the looters have already said ‘We are doing this because we can, the police can’t touch us’. Sometimes going back can be the way forward and I think we need to examine this idea closely. Look at how communities were run in the past, look at how schools were run in the past. When I was at primary school, if I was naughty I got a smack on the back of the leg. I respected my teachers; this is certainly not the case today. Teachers like the police are afraid to say or do anything, for fear of the consequences. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying bring back the belt, or the slipper, or cane, but let’s end this nonsense and get back to black and white, let’s get back to some common sense.
I am not saying I have the answers, these are just my thoughts.

Hovel_lady

Nodding my head & agreeing here.

savingwannabe

Frit I missed your post. I agree too about the riots.

So sorry about your grandfather. Well done in dealing with it. Sorry and hugs for not being there.

Bless you for your PM. You have been so kind. I cried. Thank you.

PS No pressure chuck but are you getting married yet? We are all dead excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Money_Fritter

Hi Folks,

I have not been on for awhile. I have not let things slip and have managed to avoid getting into more debt. However, I feel as though I have got into a rut and have lost my focus. I need to review my accounts and get back on track and focus on getting my debt shifted as soon as possible. So tonight I have been doing some plans for the future. I will post again soon with my goals and objectives.

Money Fritter

Money_Fritter

Hi Folks

The last couple of weeks, I have become extremely frustrated. Up until now I have not really been able to put my finger on it. But yesterday it came to me; I am not frustrated, I am disappointed. I am disappointed with how my life has turned out and I feel as though I can do better, and I have under achieved. I don’t mean academically, as I know I have worked very hard at university to obtain my Bsc, Msc and PhD. I am referring to life in general, finding happiness and contentment, feeling as though you have contributed to society. Obviously as I have grown older, I have matured, everybody does. In my youth money would burn a hole in my pocket, I would always buy cd’s, dvd’s and clothes, and as a result I had no savings. I still like buying the odd treat, but I find myself looking more towards things for the house and saving and investment. The problem is, I have no spare money for either, I need to get out of this mess I am in. The past few years, since discovering this amazing site, I have done some good things, but sometimes I feel as though I am getting nowhere and I am just treading water. I think the saying is ‘ I have ran out of oomph’.
Since I have met my gf, we have been together now for almost a year, I find that my disappointment has grown. I want to have a good life with her, I want to be able to take her out and treat her, and give her a good life, but I can’t. Also when friends, contact me to go out for a drink, I say no, as I just don’t have the money. The good thing, I suppose, is that the disappointment has come to a head; I need to take control and get out of this mess. I know that before I can do anything, I have got to get rid of this debt once and for all.

I was reading firewalker’s thread the other day, and she was talking about mind-maps and planning for the future. Now I use to do mind-maps when I was revising for exams at school and university, I have a few of Tony Buzan’s books, which are great. So I have decided to take a leaf out of Firewalker’s book and get organised and start setting goals for myself. I think that is part of my problem, I am walking along with my head down, and just getting by, rather than taking the initiative and setting goals, weekly, monthly and yearly. So over the next couple of days I am going to construct my ‘Better Life’ Mind-map and start setting goals.
I need to do this, I will do this.

Money Fritter

Money_Fritter

Right,

I have been having a think about long term goals and short term goals.

Long Term Goals
1) To be debt Free
2) Decorate the house
3) Sell the house and buy a house with my GF
4) Savings
5) Investment

Short Term Goals
1) Pay at least £500 per month off my debt
2) Make at least 30% of my trading bank per month
3) Put my £40 pay-rise each month towards an emergency fund. This will start after christmas.
4) Keep going with the NSD challenge each month
5) Keep going with the shopping challenge every month
6) Lose 1 stone in weight by christmas

Right I think that will do for now, if I think of any more, I will post them

Money Fritter

Money_Fritter

Hi Folks,

Had a nice catch-up with a couple of friends last night, I have not seen them for about 6 months, so that was good.

Well looking at the weather this morning, you would not have said there was a heatwave a couple of weeks ago. I guess it won't be long before the snow is on its way again.

I was up early this morning, as the Tennis was on, I did a bit of trading and made a whopping £2.40, but hey it all counts.

I am off to badminton tonight, I have my first league match of the season, we narrowly missed out on promotion last season, as we came second in the league. Lets hope we can go one better this season. The first match is an away game, so fingers crossed. I am actually playing badminton 3 timnes this week, so hopefully this will help with my goal of getting fit again.

I did not manage a NSD yesterday, but hopefully I can manage one today.

Money Fritter

savingwannabe

Hello petal. I just woke up. I had to take the day off as the room keeps spinning. I am ok if i am sitting down but sometimes that is difficult too.

Good to see you on here. Keep on with your money saving journey as it is really inspiring for us as well. You have nice friends on this thread which is great.

I hope you will have plans for a nice christmas with your OH this year. You have so many nice things to look forward to.

Money_Fritter

Hi folks,

Well the first badminton match of the season did not go well. We lost 5-4, I played rubbish, probably because I am a stone heavier than last season. I got mega frustrated and smashed a racket, which I have not done for three years. I really need to get fit, got to get back in shape. The second match is on Sunday, so hopefully I can redeem myself.

Nothing much else to report today, I did not manage a NSD as I bought a pack of crisps in work, Doritos to be exact, the new Jalapeno flavour. I am so addicted to them, need to be good tomorrow though.

Money Fritter