Learn to control money but do not allow it to control you

InaPickle

ladyfox wrote: »

I've just found your diary and am working my way through from the beginning. It's wonderful!! Unfortunately, I have spent the evening reading it instead of opening the dreaded post, which was my goal for the evening (haven't opened post for about a year, as I was ignoring the bills - or more accurately, the numbers at the bottom). Tbh I think I am now just going to throw away most of it and only deal with the last month's worth....I need to be free from it's shackles (and start using my cupboards again for more useful things)! Will have to wait until tomorrow now as I'm too tired and delivering a training session in the morning (yuk). I'll be reading more tomorrow.....thank you!

:wave: ladyfox!

Not my thread so sorry to butt in, but please don't throw your bills away if you've got a debt problem as you will need to see them to get an idea of where you are really up to, in ways you might not expect! :eek:

Open them up and get yourself a diary and an SOA up on here, and we will do what we can to help you. Promise!

HTH

Firewalker

ladyfox wrote: »

Tbh I think I am now just going to throw away most of it and only deal with the last month's worth....I need to be free from it's shackles (and start using my cupboards

Ladyfox, thanks for reading and for your message and welcome. Pickle is absolutely right though: whatever you do don't throw away your post. The only way to be free of it is not by throwing it away but by checking carefully what is in, dividing it into groups (can deal with immediately, can deal with later, no can't do) and figuring out ways to approach the first two groups.

Knowing, even if the known is not very good, is incredible power. Getting out of trouble needs you to be in control. Go for it...

Firewalker

Firewalker

Hi guys,
you can see that I am working but not very well. So, thought that the little story below, taken from Paolo Coelho's blog is a good one - this is the spirit arounf here, anyway. Enjoy!
Firewalker
******************************************************
A rose longed for the company of the bees, but none would come to her.
Even so, the flower was still capable of dreaming. When she felt all alone, she would imagi­ne a garden filled with bees that came to kiss her. And so she managed to resist until the next day, when she opened her petals again.
“Aren’t you tired?” another rose asked her.
“No. I have to go on fighting.”
“Why?”
“Because if I don’t open up, I wither.”

ladyfox

Hi Pickle, thank you for the advice, and taking the time out to provide it. I haven't thrown anything away yet. I have started to face up to my debt just recently and now know how much I owe - opening my post is just one more step I know I need to take if only so I can feel free from it and gain a small step closer towards taking control of my situation. I am trying to get my SOA up but still learning the rules/sop of the forum so it's not very good at the moment! I have just worked out what I hope is a realistic budget (I guess that's subjective!) and I would love any help you can offer so that I can stick to it, as I know there will be times when I will want to give into temptation.

Firewalker, your diary is a HUGE inspiration, you gave me a real boost last night when I was feeling so low about not dealing with the post, if only by encouraging me to do better. You have given me what I guess I would call a 'money moral code' to aspire to and I love philosophical debates you have! Thank you

savingwannabe

Well done ladyfox.

Firewalker

Panic over! I cannot say that the paper for the conference is finished but it is a good way towards finished. I think that I’ll do that tomorrow on the flight – and a short flight it is to Paris; about 50-55 minutes. I am not worried about finding my way – worrying or not I am an experienced traveler and I know that I’ll get lost at least couple of times. My map reading is abysmal and I mostly end up asking some nice person (and gender does not matter). Well, one advantage of getting older is that one learns to recognize their limitations and work around them.

My presentation is ready though and I do like it. It is in the form of a novel and starts with a prologue, has story lines, the story and epilogue. I think I’ll be OK – but the main thing is that I’ll see what people are doing as well – another advantage of the years passing; one loses their arrogance and moves from the centre of the universe to be its part.

Good bargain today I think; went to Boots to get some antiperspirant and there was a deal 2 for £4 on Dove ones. Got it…so now have stuff for at least half the year.

Tomorrow I’ll be in Paris! Keep well, keep on track and I’ll write when I can.

Firewalker

MrsMoo2U

Good luck for the presentation, it sounds like an interesting way to present. I might have to ask for some tips as I am always looking for new engaging ways for my presentations.

Re Dove, if you have a B&M near you they often have them in there for less than £1 each - just for future reference. I dont have anything like that near me so have to pay full price but I do miss having B&M for some great toiletry bargains

Firewalker

Cheri, what is B&M? Has been bugging me since last night.

OK, off to the Airport now. Can do with some positive vibes, people, between 2.45 and 3.15 this afternoon when I am facing the audience. First presentation at the first session.

Firewalker

MrsMoo2U

HA! sorry FW. B&M is a store similar to Poundland but much better and not everything is a pound. Kind of like a bargain store that sells top brands at cut down prices. They are all over the North West some small and some very large.

Postivity flowing to you from me.

Firewalker

It is working; the positivity this is. Yesterday, the presentation went down very well; in fact unexpectedly well. As a result have been invited to discuss a project on the topic that is currently running in Paris (run by a well know French sociologist). Also unexpectedly this conference is one of the very few that has been pleasant but also useful – two papers fit very well with the theoretical work I have been doing. It is also evident that my peers are starting to see me as a theory person and as a methodologist. Well done me (I realise that this might sound a bit arrogant but have promised myself to be equally honest about things that went well and things that did not go so well. This one went really well.).

Another two great experiences – remember that I have also promised myself to open up to the world and live my live. Dinner last night was in the restaurant of the Musee d’Orsay. It is a pity that I was a bit late and did not have enough time to have a look around. But the restaurant itself was a piece of art; so was the food.

And the second one is that I ran in Paris this afternoon/evening. Not such a novel experience, I have done this before. Still great though.

Now off to dinner with colleagues again. But please do not be alarmed – this is all paid by the organizers of the conference who invited me here; one of the French universities.

Oh, and yesterday I forgot my coat at Manchester Airport. Thank God I remembered before I got on the plane; imaging what would have happened if I remembered somewhere over the Channel? Tragedy – would have had to buy a coat in Paris which does not sound like such a bad idea. Except that I can just see OH’s face and hear him say: ‘You did not have to forget your coat if you wanted a new one.’ Humiliating this was.

Keep well, everybody. I’ll be back home tomorrow.

Firewalker