Chapter 13 Part 1 How scary can a few numbers be? -13

new motto Thrift and simplicity are my new mottos.I want to live a new, simple, ascetic life that costs nothing.It costs nothing.I mean, think about it, how much money are we wasting every day? It's no surprise that I'm in a little debt.Actually, it's not my fault.I just succumbed to the materialism prevalent in the West, and to resist the temptation of material things, I would have to have the strength of an elephant.At least, that's what the new book I just bought says so. You know, yesterday, I accompanied my mother to the Waterstone bookstore chain, the largest bookstore chain in the UK. ——Annotation When buying the paperback book she was going to read this week, I wandered over to the optional department and bought one of the most wonderful books I have ever read.To be honest, this book will change my life.I have it with me now, in my bag.The book is called "Manage Your Money" by David Barton, and it's a fantastic book.The book points out that we all spend money without knowing it, but most of us can easily cut our spending in half in a week.

One week! You just need to do things like make your own sandwich instead of going to a restaurant, and ride your bike to work instead of taking the subway to work.You can save money anywhere if you start thinking about it.As David Barton said in the book, because we are so busy spending money all day long, we forget that there are many joys in life that can be obtained for free, such as visiting parks, going to museums, and walking in the countryside. It's so simple and easy.The best part is that to implement this method, it starts with shopping! The book says you should write down everything you buy each day and graph it.It also emphasizes that you should be realistic and not suddenly cut back on your spending or change your spending patterns - which was lucky for me because it was Suzie's birthday on Thursday and I had to buy her a birthday present .

So on Monday morning, on my way to work, I stopped at Lucio's for an extra large cappuccino and a chocolate chip muffin, as I always do.I must admit, at the moment of payment, I was a bit sad because this would be my last cappuccino and my last chocolate muffin.My new frugal plan starts tomorrow - no more cappuccinos.David Barton said that if you have the habit of drinking coffee, you should brew the coffee at home, put it in a bottle and take it to the office; if you like snacks, you should buy some cheap pastries from the supermarket.He pointed out: "The coffee shop is taking a big rip off of you, and all they serve is a mixture of polystyrene and hot water." I think he's quite right, but I'll miss that morning Cup of Cappuccino.Still, I've promised myself that I'll abide by the code of that book -- and I will.

When I walked out of the coffee shop with my last cappuccino in hand, it occurred to me that I didn't have a bottle for coffee yet.But that's okay, I'll go get one.There are many beautiful sleek chrome flasks at the Habitat home store.Flasks are all the rage lately.I think the Alessi brand might be good.Wouldn’t it be cool to drink coffee from an Alessi flask? Much cooler than a takeaway cup of Cappuccino! So I feel extraordinarily happy as I walk down the street.When I got to the door of the Smith store, I couldn't help but went in and bought a few magazines to keep myself in a good mood - I also bought a cute little silver notebook and a pen to record the money I spent. Every penny.I'm going to stick to this one because David Barton says that keeping track of everything you buy helps control spending.So, as soon as I got to the office, I started taking notes.

Cappuccino coffee £15 Muffins £1 Notebook £399 Pen £12 £64 for the magazine This brings me to a total of...£1409! OMG! That's a lot, considering it's only 9:40am. But notebooks and pens don't count, do they? They're a must.I mean, how on earth do you think you can keep track of everything you buy without a notebook and a pen? So I deducted those two expenses so I've spent a total of...£890 today so far , which makes people feel much better. Besides, I have already arrived at the company.I probably won't spend a penny for the rest of the day. Oh God, but... Anyway, it's absolutely impossible not to spend a penny.First, someone from finance came by to collect money for another farewell gift.Then, I have to go out to lunch.I limited myself to sandwiches - I opted for eggs and cress which was the cheapest at Boots and I don't really like eggs and cress at all.

David Barton says that if you're really trying, especially in the first few stages, you should reward yourself - so I picked up a bottle of natural coconut body wash as my little treat.Then I noticed that the moisturizer I was using was having a double giveaway sale. I love giveaways.Isn't it a fantastic invention? As long as you buy enough, you can get really nice rewards, like a fancy day at a hotel.I did a smart thing last Christmas – I kept buying and buying until my final spending total was enough to get me a Christmas present for my grandmother.The reality is that I've racked up 1653 points - I need 1800 to buy her a heated roller set.So I bought myself a jumbo bottle of Samsara perfume, which added 150 points to my card - and then I got that heated roller set absolutely free! The only catch is, I'm not too fond of it Holy Salad - but I didn't realize it until I got home.Still, it's okay.

The smartest way to take advantage of promotional sales - there are always specials - is to spot the moment and use it;So, I grabbed three bottles of moisturizer and bought them.Double the prize sale! I mean, it’s literally saving money, isn’t it? Then, I had to buy a birthday present for Suzie.I've actually bought her a set of massage oils - but when I saw that pretty pink angora sweater in Benetton the other day, I knew she was going to love it.I could return that set of massage oils or give them away as a Christmas present. So I went to Benetton and bought that pink cardigan.I was about to pay...that's when I realized they still had the same gray cardigan: the prettiest, softest light gray angora I've ever seen, with little pearl buttons on it.

Oh God! You know, here's the thing, I've been looking for a gray cardigan for years.To be honest, I'm really looking for it.You can ask Suzy, ask my mother, ask anyone.And the other thing is, after all, I haven't really started the savings plan yet, have I? I'm just testing myself. David Barton said in the book, I should act as naturally as possible.So really, I should just go with my heart and buy it.It would be against my will not to buy.This will ruin the whole plan. That cardigan only costs £45.I can pay the money with VISA card. Look at it from another angle - what is £45 in such a massive thrift scheme? I mean, what is that?

So, I bought it; the most beautiful cardigan I've ever seen in the world.People would call me "the girl in the gray cardigan".I can wear it all the time.What an investment. After lunch, I'm going to the Image Archive to choose a cover for the next issue of the magazine.This is definitely my favorite errand - I don't understand why Philip keeps pushing such a good job to others.At least that means you can sit there all afternoon drinking coffee and looking at stacks and stacks of slides. Of course, this is because we don't have editorial funding to make our own magazine covers.God knows, no! When I first started in journalism, I thought I'd be able to go to photoshoots, meet models, and live a truly glamorous life.But we don't even have a photographer.All magazines of all kinds use image libraries, and the same images are often used over and over again.Last year, a picture of a roaring tiger graced the covers of at least three personal-finance magazines.Still, readers don't mind one bit, do they? They don't buy the magazine precisely to see Kate Moss.

And it just so happened that Ellie's editor-in-chief didn't like the chore of picking covers—they used image libraries, too.So the two of us try to find the same time to come out to work, and we can have a good chat about pictures.Even better, the Image Archive is just at the end of Notting Hill Gate, so you can reasonably spend a good amount of time going there and back.Usually I avoid the hassle and go back to the office, which is a great way to while away an afternoon. (That was a paid afternoon. Obviously, I think it's slightly different than a Saturday afternoon.) I arrived before Ellie and whispered to the girl at reception, "I'm Becky Bloomwood from Money Success." I wish I could say, "I'm Becky from Vogue." Ky Bloomwood." Or "I'm Becky Bloomwood from The Wall Street Journal." I sat down in a floppy black leather chair and browsed through a catalog of pictures of happy families.Until a stylishly dressed young man who works here came over and led me to the lighted table.

"I'm Paul," he said, "and I'm at your service today. Do you know what picture you're looking for?"