Sigh. Money – root of all evil. Well, not quite but it seems to be playing a larger than normal part in our lives at the moment.
First off the government and money. We put in our claim for the baby bonus (which, as an aside, I don’t agree with. If I want to have babies, I should be able to pay for them, but I’m not stupid enough to say no when it’s being given out. Not sure what that says about me and my principles.) but the government gave us even more back; substantially more.
A few years ago the government gave us some money, then six months later decided we had to give it back. Part of their surprise payment this time around was giving that same amount back to us again! You can probably understand we are now reluctant to touch any of it, even though it harks back to the 02/03 and 03/04 tax years and you’d think after all this time the figures would be final. We’re going to request a review and to get confirmation in writing that the money is actually ours.
We’ve also started the hunt for a house in earnest. Veronica and Steve pointed us in the direction of Mortgage Choice so this evening we had John come over for a chat. The issue for us is that we are now driving around in what was a good chunk of our deposit, thanks to having two babies instead of one, so we need to save, save, save to get our deposit up. For the first time though we think we may actually be able to get a house to make a home for us and the kids. That’s a great feeling to have.
All of this monitoring of income and expenditure (I have figures going back years, I should have been an accountant like mum said) made me look at where my money ends up. I have my fortnightly ‘allowance’ for day to day stuff but thinking about it there are only two things I really spend it on. April to the end of August it goes on the footy (couple of beers, a Footy Record, something from the Tiger Den) which comes to about $20 a game.
The only other thing I regularly spend money on is coffee. Each weekend it’s a couple of large latte’s in the morning, a couple in the afternoon, same if I have the day off. The thing is that lately I feel like I’ve been wasting my money. Save for the ever reliable pizza boys at Shop 3 in the South Melbourne Market (try their calzone for breakfast, heaven) I haven’t had a good take away coffee in months. I realised I have probably spent a couple of hundred bucks in this time for something that’s disappointing me time and time again.
What should I do? I can always tell at the first sip that it’s no good. Stale coffee, not strong enough, milk boiled instead of heated, no idea how to make a latte – I’ve had ’em all. Should I be able to take it back? Is is worth complaining about? Or should I take my bits of the root of all evil and plant them somewhere else?
What surprised me when working out my finances (last April) how little money went on some things (eg the newspaper subscription, which some might see as a luxury), and how much went on others (esp the mortgage).
As for the coffee, dunno what you should do, other than stop buying it!
Hmm, that’s a good question. Could you get a small espresso machine yourself and make them yourself? Would that save money, perhaps? I know I save a lot by buying the fresh beans, grinding them myself, and brewing my own coffee. But then again, I’m just happy to have plain, fresh coffee, not lattes. Do you really feel the need for lattes? I don’t know you (of course not! LOL) so don’t know your needs. I think what it comes down to, what are you willing to settle for? Crappy lattes that you’ve paid for, and likely won’t get refunded, or indeed buy a machine yourself, and make your own, or just stick with plain, fresh, brewed coffee?
Hi Toria,
in what now seems like a previous life I was a supervisor at a cafe and it was here I found the one thing in life that I can do better than any one else – and that’s make coffee. If I could earn enough money to support my (now rather larger) family just standing behind a machine turning out prefect coffee I’d be the happiest man in the world. I still get the chance to make coffee at The Famous Blue Raincoat every now and then.
Unfortunately this means that if I was to have a coffee machine at home it would have to be a good one. The problem with most home machines is they don’t have enough pressure and those that do are out of my price range (ooops, money again). One of these days when we have our own house and I can afford to have a proper machine plumbed in to the kitchen my problems will be solved.
Daniel, no coffee? Surely you jest my good man.
Ah, okay Tony I understand your troubles now, better 🙂 Yikes, so we’re back at square one then. Well, how about saving for a treat-yourself latte every once and while then? i.e. not cutting them out entirely, but not buying them all the time. Compromise is the key to a good marriage LOL, maybe it’s the key to a house fund too. 😉
Sometimes I have no qualms about taking it back, but I go to the same place every morning and order the same thing. I can tell instantly if there is something different about and they’ll make me a new one everytime. But yeah a lot of the time at other places I get the ‘burnt’ tasting coffee that needs a lot more sugar to be drinkable…if its a nice place then I’d say something but if its served to me by a teenager at gloria jeans..well serve myself right I suppose.
You know what is funny? This is the first post in a long time I’ve seen on here about coffee.
Certainly has been a long time in BETWEEN COFFEES.
Oh god. I am just TOO much.
Clearly, Tony…. you and family need to move over to Canada here where I can make you the best damn latte, cap, espresso or americano you have ever tasted. So good you close your eyes to fully enhale the aroma when you bring the cup up towards your face for that first sip.
By far, it’s the best solution!
Cheers!
Jen
I have a few suggestions (although I am not a coffee person, I live alongside a dedicated disciple).
1) Drive to Tooradin and get a coffee at any of the cafes, see what M has to put up with and head on back to the inner city where at least there is the occasionally good coffee.
2) Do some research – i.e. go on a coffee quest. And when you find the place that makes your HG (holy grail) coffee, stick with it…
3) Come and live with us for a while and begin drinking coffee in Tooradin because the flavour is vaguely reminiscent of better times and then go into town for the day where 9 out of 10 coffees will taste so much better than what you’re used to, that you’ll feel instantly happier.
4) Take Jen up on her offer. Move to Canada.