My Last Cent

Many of us have been or are in the position where we are starting full time employment for the first time, I like to call it, becoming a grown up. The problem is, becoming a grown up is hard and most of us are ill prepared for it. Suddenly, for the first time, bills need to be paid on time, the loans from a credit card are unlike the loans from your parents because Visa actually demand their money back and the reasoning between buying new shoes and having money for food isn't always sound. I often found myself near penniless but with some beautiful new thing in my life.
My career began in London where I had little to no support network and big dreams. After being settled for six months my brother came to visit and while he stayed with me, he bought the most glorious Lemon Curd from Harvey Nichols.

After he returned to Australia and reported to all about how well I was doing I began filling my emotional hole of homesickness with things, any thing. Often, left near penniless, I would go to Harvey Nichols, buy the Lemon Curd and then go to Tesco for cheap, white, fluff bread and would live off the two for my last remaining week before pay day.
Some years later, when I had become more adept at filling my pantry and my bank account, I would often look to see if I had enough food in the pantry, fridge and freezer and then happily go off and spend my last dollars on flowers. I had decided that the feeding of my aesthetic senses was far more important than the feeding of my stomach. I would (and will) buy anything in masses. I love roses, tulips, hydrangea and ranunculus. The are few colours or flowers I dislike (although I do hate sunflowers). Great clumps of cottage-y flowers are often strewn around my home in any room. I love the lift that flowers give a room and they make the rooms inhabitants happier too.

It is important to remember sometimes that true luxury is not derived from great expense, but from the very small things that are a struggle to afford but enhance our life nonetheless. How you spend your hard earned money is your decision, my only financial advice is to buy what makes you happy.

Please note: These images are the creative work of other, very talented people and I do not claim them as my own.
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