Posted in c'est ma vie , grousings , travelogue , workaholic
Rumour has it, that I'm a rich miser.
A certain colleague has unwittingly revealed this rumour (or gossip rather) going around about me. Isn't it exciting to find out a certain aspect of yourself, which you never knew, from someone else in an 'accidentally' manner?
I am certainly interested to know where my 'riches' are. Because it's high time I spend it all and keep the multiplier effect going. And a miser? Oh yeah. I am such a bean counter that I get the high counting every penny I have in my packet, morning noon and night.
wtf.
But well, ain't I entitled to be a miser? If there's an application form to be one, my credentials would check every single effing box. I have no degree - my annual income doesn't allow me anywhere near a credit card form. I have a household of three - only one is working (well, guess who?). I have a roof over my head - guess who's paying for it? I have a dad who paid for my tuition fees - guess who's paying him back? I have bills to pay which are incurred even though I spend half my time away from Singapore - guess who's paying for them?? And everyone tells me death is inevitable and I better leave money behind for my family - guess who's paying for insurance???
I am 25. I should be enjoying the fruits of my labour. I should be one of those young brats who give $600 per month to their parents and say, "Nah. Give you and don't bother me for the rest of the month," and spend the remaining thousands on food, clothes, shoes, entertainment and other useless stuff. Instead I'm handing thousands to The Mother and keeping the remaining hundreds to myself. Am I not entitled to be just a little extra careful (perhaps calculative) in what I spend so that I have just enough savings to buy myself a nice dress or a pair of shoes once awhile? Don't I deserve anything for myself?
I cannot help it if clients like to treat me to lunch, or my crew invites me for home-cooked meals when we're away in overseas. Neither it's wrong for me to save on lunch money by chewing on sandwiches. As far as I know, I've never owed any money for meals. I order, I pay. I scrim, I save because sometimes I don't get overseas allowances in advance; I'm spending a puny sum of money from my own pocket and am expected to make large purchases and 'claim it back from company later'.
So what if I ask favours from friends who might get me a discount or two on stuff I want to get? If they don't like to do me such favours, they'd tell me. I don't own a gun to put it to their heads. But I would go all out to do it for them, if they ask. Because I know every cent counts. To me, at least. If I have my way, I want to be living in a family of four. ALL FOUR OF US WILL HAVE WORK AND A DECENT INCOME. I don't worry about bills (just my own to be concerned about), I go for short getaways or even a long trip once a while, I will dine in fancy rastaurants every week, I can throw money at everyone's face and make them make me their best friend, I will buy my boyfriend every nice damn thing I see on my overseas trips, I don't have to purposely avoid designer boutiques nor do I have to furrow a single brow about my younger brother's tertiary education fees because it won't have to be my farking problem!
So anyway, this rumour got to me in a most ridiculous fashion.
I am running out of cash here in China. Mainly because I paid for my accommodation and made purchases for the project with my allowances (which are rightfully MINE to keep). I have a few more nights of hotel stay to pay for and I asked a colleague if I could borrow from her when the need arises. That's when a couple other colleagues said I don't need to borrow because 'I am rich and knows better than anyone else how to save money''.
And they repeated that many times throughout the day. It gets on my effing nerves. Do I have to set up a theatrical play and act out my sad-sob life story for them to understand that I am nowhere near the effing term - rich. Because I don't dress shoddily and I eat frugality doesn't equal me to being a RICH MISER.I am not rich to pay for every damn blardy expenses here and 'claim it from company later'. I would IF I could. Because I am not a bean counter at heart. I am actually very generous and don't mind paying for the entire crew's salary, accommodation, meals, purchases and 'claim it back from the company later', IF the alleged money does exist in my bank account.
So,
*pat pat*
to start with, what is their eff-ing problem even if you are a miser?
I'll just use the term thrifty.
Well done with the honest rant, girl. :)