My twin brother Stephen and best friend John visited Sheffield this weekend and took me for a much needed night out!!! I don't plan on boring you with the details, but looking back at the pictures I did think to myself what a moronic, yet enjoyable activity a night out is...
Before...
During...
After...
...and the morning after (savage)...
All of these things are bad for my health!
What was worse for Steve's health though, was his car getting broken into in the middle of the night. If you see anyone running round Sheffield with a wake board let me know!
It always gets to me when bad things happen in Lahore. When you are in Karachi it feels edgy and aggressive and you almost expect it to boil over sometimes. Islamabad and Rawalpindi host the government and military so it is always full of controversy. But Lahore is different...it is all about good food, good atmosphere and good people. At least that’s how I want to remember it...
Here’s to Lahore in your time of strife! I hope to visit again soon.
So after four gruelling weeks the £40 student challenge has come to an end and the results are in.
...
Drum roll please...
...
The total for the final week is...
£30.74
Meaning that for the challenge I am a whopping £1.05 under budget (to think what I could have spent that on)
At the end of every challenge it is important to reflect and identify what you have learnt.
1) Every time I congratulate myself for spending less than £40 a week, I carry some guilt in the back of my mind. Lots of people go days without food, whereas I complain about going days without a chocolate bar and a beer. It does go to show what a privileged bunch we are on this side of the world.
2) My twin brother once said to me, after starting his first high paying job, “People say that money can’t buy you happiness...that’s bullshit. I’m going snowboarding twice this year which makes me very happy.” To be honest I think he had a point. I spend a lot of time asking myself what it is that I really want to do, regardless of income. But at the end of the day a lot of happiness can be gained from spending time with friends, going on holiday and having a swift half!
3) Public challenges like this work. It was on my mind all the time and I dreaded the thought of coming to my blog and having to admit that temptation had got the better of me and I had over spent! It makes me wonder how else I can challenge myself? The 5 fruit and veg challenge maybe? The good Karma challenge? The 30 minute exercise challenge? The possibilities are endless.
With that I close my brown book and pledge not complain about money on this blog anymore! Night.
As a child I was crazy about Manchester United. I used to live for them. I think it all started when as an 8 year old child I found a poster of Ryan Giggs in the wet play magazines. I still had Manchester United wallpaper when I brought my first proper girlfriend round at the age of 17. By that time I had grown out of the wallpaper, but can you imagine? It couldn’t have exactly got her going!
Anyway I will always remember the FA cup final in 1994 when Man U hammered Chelsea 4-0. For the last goal Paul Ince rounded the keeper and in front of an open goal slid it across to Brian Mcclair to tap into the net. It was at the stage when they knew they had done it so were sort of taking the piss. They couldn’t believe how easy it had become!
Well I am in that stage of the £40 challenge now. This week has been a breeze. £20 on shopping and a couple of pounds on newspapers has left me with a tenner in my pocket with barely 24 hours left. With that in mind I have started to get a bit cavalier in my actions.
When my alarm went off this morning, I looked at it, gave myself a wry smile and thought to myself ‘sod making sandwiches. TODAY I’m having a Boots lunch!’
Then this evening I was craving a chocolaty treat to go with my cup of tea and crossword. Again, ‘sod it, I’m going to the vending machine.’ I wouldn’t usually pay 60p for a twix, but TODAY I can smell victory.
P.S I suggest you watch that video....Man U were exquisite!
Do you ever have those days when the world seems to be against you? Today has been one of those days. Just as I seem to take one step forward in the £40 pound challenge I am knocked 2 steps backward with great force. Maybe the world is punishing me by ensuring I don’t succeed because I have made such a big deal about something that isn't that hard.
I will indulge myself and demonstrate exactly what I mean…
Example 1 I went shopping today and as I walked round the supermarket I noticed something very peculiar. Literally everything I had bought full price last week was now on special offer. It was almost as if the manager had used my old receipt as the basis for this week's lost leader campaign. Sandwich meat; buy one get one free, oven chips; half price, cheese; half price, pasta sauce; buy one, get one free. I dread to think how much I would have saved if the same offers were in place last week.
I'm not letting the bastards get me this week though. I bought everything that was on offer. The only things I bought that weren't on offer were apples, milk and bread. I've got 8 cans of beans in the cupboard - 2 four packs for £3. You can't beat that.
Example 2 As I walked out of the supermarket the handle on one of my bags snapped sending glass jars crashing to the ground. My shopping (and jeans) was covered in a mix of mayonnaise and mascarpone pasta sauce. It was a disheartening moment. Two old ladies came and gave me one of the carriers they keep in reserve especially for situations like that.
When I carry my shopping home I expect a sturdy handle. I thought this was the basis of a sound argument and I marched back into the supermarket to express my concern at the frailties of their carrier bags.
But the lady I met with a stern stare was so nice. She gave me tissue to clean myself up and fetched replacements free of charge. If I make it under budget this week it will be her I have to thank. Such human kindness makes life worthwhile.
Example 3 I was disappointed with myself yesterday because I didn't have my own lunch and resorted to a Boots specialty meal deal.
However just now I went make 2 delicious sandwiches for tomorrow. But disaster struck once more when I realised I didn't have cling film or foil or anything for that matter to wrap my sandwiches in. What do I do? What is the point of having bread, turkey and cheese if you have nothing to wrap the finished product in? If I just put them in my ice-cream tub will they go stale? I despair!
It gives me great pleasure to be writing this with a hangover. With a little help from my friends I managed to get a bit drunk last night.
It was Tolu’s birthday and I had been saving my last fiver for 3 days so I could buy myself two well deserved pints! However whilst planning the night with Nick we decided the money could go further if we bought some cans beforehand. My fiver got me 5 drinks in the end.
Then I met my housemates who treated me to a couple more drinks. It was just what I needed and much appreciated!
But this is all beside the point.
The good news is that I have change for my £40 this week. In my wallet is 25p which I will re-invest into next week’s budget to get myself a real treat - Maybe a fudge bar!
The key to my success this week has been not buying any food or drink out. I have had packed lunch, complete with orange squash every day and have snacked on apples and oranges instead of chocolate buttons and cake. This has been the first week in quite some months that I have not had a boots lunch.
I still need to refine my spending on my shopping though. My arithmetic failed me while walking round Somerfield this week and I ended up spending £27 on Monday when I thought I had £20 of shopping in my hand. Careful scrutiny of the receipt showed it was me who had made the mistake and not the cashier. Still, I think this is the best I have done in terms of balanced lifestyle and balanced spending.
I am now £8.21 over my budget with a week to go. Will I do it? I just can’t bare the suspense.
It was quite funny today, I phoned up a local cambridgeshire paper enquiring about work experience and spoke to one of the subs. He couldn't help me, but said he would pass on a message to the editor. The conversation went something like this...
"So what is your name?"
"Andrew Webster"
"Normal spelling for Webster"
"Yes, W E B S T E R"
"Great, and what is your phone number?"
"07786588677"
"Ok, let me read that back to you 077 865 88 677"
"Perfect"
"And you are from St. Neots"
"yes"
"N E O T S isn't it?"
"yes"
"thanks a lot, I have written that down and will pass it on to him."
That is a man who has clearly been drilled on the importance of checking all details no matter how obvious they appear, even when taking a message on a post-it note! I imagine I would now be the same.
I'm going to read up on Evans' just in case the Editor asks me about it when I eventually talk to him.
