Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The Tightwad!

I can't remember the last time I bought anything for myself. I mean something really expensive that is. I've always been a person who is very stingy with my money and especially when it comes to spending for myself. Not that I have all that much money to spend in the first place. I don't know why but I'm always reluctant to part with my money, even for something I like.

There's been so many occasions when I'm out shopping with wifey and I'll see something that catches my eye and it falls in the range of something that I can afford. Wifey will always tell me to go ahead and buy it and I will almost buy it cos when it comes to the time to take it to the cashier to pay for it, I'll always put the item back and say:

'Urrmm, maybe I don't need it that badly ...'

It's so hard to actually get myself to buy something, even though I like whatever it is that I wanted to buy in the first place. And when I do buy something, it's like a big thing for me. I'll be talking about it and showing it off to wifey all night long until she gets absolutely fed up of hearing about it ... LOL!

When I was young, I absolutely had to have everything that I set my sights on. If I went out with my mom or my grandma and if I saw something that caught my fancy, then I'll insist that I want it and if I didn't get it, I'll scream my lungs out and sulk all day. Yes, I was a spoilt brat! And also maybe cos I didn't have to pay for it myself. If I wanted something grandma would buy it for me, or at the very least force my mom to get it for me. It's good being grandma's pet ... LOL!

I guess these days I'm a little more reluctant to part with cash for something I want cos it's my own money and with a family and kids, I'm not that comfortable wasting money on frivolous things. You just can't predict the future and you never know when that cash might just come in handy. I don't want to regret not having money for an emergency or anything cos I just decided to buy that $200 pencil that shoots laser beams or things like that. There's a lot of things I really want to get for myself but I just can't bring myself to get buy it. But that doesn't mean you can't buy it for me if you want to, you know ... LOL!

But then, maybe I should lighten up a little. It's not that I really can't afford to buy stuff for myself. I mean with the side income that I make from all my assignments, it's not like it's going to eat up into a huge portion of my savings or anything like that, right? I guess I could maybe once in a while actually treat myself to something. But then, now comes another problem, I don't really know what to buy. Maybe I'll just get something for the house.

Wifey and me have been contemplating on redecorating the place with a new theme and I'm thinking of going on the wild side a little. Something African. I've seen some pretty good stuff on this site called Afrikboutik - African Art & Gifts. They've got some pretty high quality authentic African (what else ... hehehe ...) products that can be used for your home such as sculptures, masks and even leather bags and jewelry that you can give away as gifts.

And I also found out this other perk that they have where you can take part in a monthly bloggers contest and win some pretty great prizes. Cool, eh? I'm thinking of taking part in it cos this month they're giving away an African Mask called the Old Lawyer (no idea what an old lawyer looks like though ... LOL), valued at $175.00. Then again, maybe we don't need to spend too much money. Maybe we should just save if for a rainy day.

'there you go being stingy again, Nick!'.

And besides, how in heaven's name am I going to convince wifey to go all African this season ... LOL!
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34 comments:

  1. You a tightwad? Naw, really? A tightwad? Come on? LOL!

    Actually it's a surprise to me. You seem like genuinely generous person based on all your postings :)

    But then I can relate to the fact about reluctant to spend and saving for a rainy day bit ...

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  2. Oh, how I wish had your problem!

    It's good to save up your money, but IF they really did have a pencil that shot laser beams, I'd have to have it!

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  3. I am very much the same Nick, maybe its a Pisces thing. Anyway, you have a birthday coming up so put on your thinking cap and remember all those things you put back can now be bought for you by other people with other people's money. Win/Win I say.

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  4. Andy - LOL! I am, I really am :)

    I'm just really reluctant to part with my hard earned cash.

    I'm always worried of what the future holds though I don't show it all that much.

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  5. Jillian - LOL! Yeah, I'd have probably bought that pencil too :D

    But you're a woman, and you're supposed to want to shop ... LOL!

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  6. Gypsy - Really? You mean all Pisceans are tightwads? Darn, that's so cool ... LOL!

    You hear that people? Now let me list all the things I could do with for my birthday. Don't blame me guys, it was Gypsy's idea! LOL!

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  7. Oh, come on, Nick. Go out shopping once a while. Pick a few clothes that you like, ignore the price tag and just go straight to the counter!

    LOL

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  8. Loosen up those purse strings Nick, otherwise how can you get more in there?

    BTW, I've been googlespanked; I'm a PR 0! :(

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  9. Cindy - It's not the price tag really, I don't know why I find it hard to buy new stuff, especially clothes. I mean, if it was a book or a gadget, I wouldn't hesitate, but clothing always has that effect on me ... LOL!

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  10. MP - You're right, I should loosen up. Now if I become a pauper, I'm gonna blame you for it ... LOL!

    Ah, that found you too, huh? Don't worry too much about it. I just had Spiff docked to zero a few days ago.

    The ops will still be there and I heard they have something called Social Spark in the pipelines that disregards PR altogether, so just hang in there for a bit :D

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  11. I hate buying stuff for myself too. I would rather spend the money on the kids than myself. Maybe it's a parent thing that makes us feel bad about spending money on ourselves.

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  12. I can be stingy with myself most of the time but sometimes I go out and spoil myself a little. But when it comes to the kids and buying stuff for loved ones, I tend to be more generous. I think many parents are like that...they stinge on themselves so that they can splurge on the kids.

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  13. Hai Nick..

    Good ha become grandma's pet. Just push a bit, can get already. But that was long time ago kan. So do i..now to buy things with own money, fikir seribu kali..heheh..not that bad lah. but still need to think is that important or not.

    I think you are not stingy just want to be a good hubby and father..kan..:)

    Once a while deserved yourself with something after tired 'cari duit'..

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  14. Nick, go and shop to ur heart's content! I'm also like you, always end up telling myself that I don't need it yet la, that I can still use the old one la..many excuses, so now...I say go and shop, it's abt time you spend some $$ on yourself! Have fun!

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  15. Hi Nick! I know what you mean. Hubby is like that and I am always pushing him to buy stuff for himself. Since we met I have managed to throw away a pair of unpresentable tennis shoes of his and I bought him new shoes :) and a watch, and a new cell phone :) Of course, I have done this little by little but there you go :) With a little saving and really focusing on the things one could really buy and according to the needs, we can do marvels :)

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  16. I've no problem spending money on myself! Ha! I do love buying gifts for friends and family. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

    You must be making quite a tidy sum from all that paid posting!

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  17. I'm a tightwad too! But this year I bought a notebook, because I need to. But I'm very reluctant to spend my money for myself and other people. :o)

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  18. i cannot spend money on myself either. i have no problem buying my son almost damn near anything he wants within reason....but i cannot seem to spend money on MYSELF...i wonder why that is?

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  19. If only you could ask again from your grandma and scream if she'd refuse.

    I would love to join that monthly bloggers contest but quite frankly, i have no idea where and when and how to use that African Mask. Quite expensive for a mask. Is it more than like the Mask of Zoro? lol!

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  20. Tammy - Yeah, maybe it's a parent thing, I tend to always be worried a little about the future and rainy days. One of the main reason I'm so reluctant to spend ...

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  21. BT - I haven't really spoilt myself in ages. The last so called expensive thing I bought for myself was my cell phone. With the price of everyday things going up by the minute, splurging is a frightening thing for me ... LOL!

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  22. Jiejah - Haven't seen you in a while. Oh, it was great being grandma's pet. Everything I wanted, I got without questions asked ... LOL!

    That's exactly what I do, I'd think about for at least a few million times before buying something ...

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  23. Marzie - LOL! Ok, I'll go and shop but if I end up broke I know who I'm going to blame :D

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  24. La Delirante - My wife has been trying to throw away some of my old stuff to get me to buy new ones but so far everything she tries to throw any away, I'll end up 'rescuing' in again ... LOL!

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  25. Lis - Urmmm, with a PR of zero for both blogs? Not anymore Lis!

    Talking about buy things for friends and family, that reminds me that I haven't bought my buddy's daughters birthday present for her yet, which is incidently tomorrow!

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  26. Cidao - A notebook? Wow, that's what I call spending ... LOL! At least I'm not alone in this not wanting to spend thingy :D

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  27. Meleah - When you figure that one out, please let me know cos there are tons of stuff I want to get for myself but can't actually do it! LOL!

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  28. Marlene - Yeah, how I wish :D Just click on the link and it'll take you to the page to join. I'm going to join it myself. Like you said, maybe it's the mask of Zorro! LOL!

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  29. Nick, go on, you deserve something nice for yourself once in a while ...especially after all the hard work you've done...saying that now that I hv my lil' E, I always give way to him first...buying stuff for myself become secondary ;p

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  30. ohh btw, i've included you in my blogroll ;)

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  31. Aunty J - I don't know, for me spending on myself sometimes feels sinful ... LOL! Making sure I have enough money for the family is more important than buying stuff for myself ... :D

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  32. Aunty J - No probs. Thanks for adding me to your blogroll ... Have a great weekend, ya.

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  33. Hahaha. I guess you can be in the same gang with my husband. He's my very own Hj. Bakhil. He himself quotes the lines from P.Ramlee movies (as Hj. Bakhil of course) whenever I ask him for something.

    But he has been pretty generous to me, what with my laptop and my "Valentine's gift" which I have yet to post about. *blush*

    However, when it comes to him.. exactly like you. That's why 90% of his clothes are the ones that I bought. And the other 10% was his clothes that he bought before we got married. Tsk tsk tsk.

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  34. Shemah - LOL! Hj. Bakhil, I like the sound of that! Great movie too ... hehehe ...

    Yeah, I am a tightwad, especially when it comes to spending on myself. Just like your hubby, I can't really remember buying my own clothes, wifey is the one who will actually buy them for me ... LOL!

    I'm just happy with the nice and seasoned old ones that I have :D

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