Week 8 – Money & Alcohol

The letter box rattles.
The post drops on the floor.
7:30am.
It’s Friday.
The sun streams through my bedroom window.
I turn over and go back to sleep.

8am
My phone beeps.
FANCY COMING OUT TONIGHT? HAVE HAD A TOUGH WEEK
Sender: Charlotte

I put my phone back down on my bedside table.
I get up.
Have a shower.
Get dressed.
Make breakfast.
Pick up the post and leave the flat.

On the bus on the way to work I open my mail.
There is a letter from the council tax.
A statement from my bank.
A statement from my credit card company.
And the typical junk mail telling me the latest offers at Specsavers.

I open my bank statement.
Overdrawn and in overdraft.

I open my council tax.
Overdue bill.

I open my credit card statement.
When and where did I spend that much!

I have a good job and a pretty good wage but still I seem to have no money……..

8:55am
I get off the bus.
I stop and get a coffee from the local coffee shop.
I walk into the building where I work.

I stop and speak to Sharon from accounts.
She asks if I am going out for a drink after work.
She says most of her department are going and it would be great if I could come.
She says they are all meeting at Bar 53.

I tell her I’ll think about it and let her know.

9:15am
I am sitting at my desk.
I switch on my computer.
I check my voicemail.

9:30am
I take out my bank statements to look at them.
I am really concerned as to where my money is going.

I don’t have a car.
I don’t go on lots of holidays.
I don’t buy many luxuries – well apart from new clothes for work or for a wee night out.

Maybe it’s because I am single and live on my own that things are more expensive.
Someone should be spoiling me so I don’t have to spend so much.
I guess I do have student debts though that I am still paying back.

I look at the transactions on both my bank statement and my credit card.

4th April – Bar 53
£17.50
£21.05
£12.00

7th April – Bar 19
£35.70
£9.08
£15.35

13th April – Bar 22
£19.26
£17.06
£8.45

I look further down past my direct debits and food shopping.

16th April
Off Licence £17.36

23rd April
Off Licence £21.13

26th April
Off Licence £13.41

There are also withdrawals from ATMs for £20/30 after each of the bar transactions. This was probably money for a taxi, cigarettes or some food on the way home after the night out.

There are further transactions for other bars and restaurants.
There are also transactions for clothes shops for outfits that I have bought for nights out.
Most of these are on my credit card.

I didn’t think I went out that much.
Nearly a third of my income is spent on going out.
I need to enjoy myself though!

I remember being at Uni where my friend and I took out the maximum overdrafts we could on our student accounts.
Most of that went on the buy one get one free offers at the local bar.
The buy two glasses of wine get the rest of the bottle free and the numerous shots we would drink once we paid our student price into the nearby club.
We would also spend that money on new outfits for nights out.
When the overdraft ran out, we took out student loans.

Maybe things haven’t changed that much after all when I look at my bills.

Now when we go out the cheap offers on drink are still there but I seem to spend more money.
Maybe it’s because we go for the more expensive options?
Maybe it’s because I buy more people drinks when in a round?
Or maybe it’s because we go out early and stay out late?

10:30am
I work out my direct debits that are due to come out of my account.
I work out how much money I have to spend until I get paid.
£30.07 until next Wednesday!

11am
My phone beeps.
YOU COMING OUT TONIGHT? CAN MEET YOU AT BAR 53 AT 5.
Sender: Charlotte.

I go to my emails.
I select the contact Mum to send a message.

Hi Mum, Hope all is good. Can I ask a favour? Can I borrow some money as have stuff to pay and don’t get paid until Wednesday. Say £100? If you could pay into my account today that would be great.
Speak soon
XXX

SEND

I email Sharon in accounts.

Hi Sharon,
I will be there tonight for a wee drink. See you then.
SEND

I pick up my phone and reply to Charlotte.
SEE YOU AT BAR 53 AT 5. LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
SEND