My Pledge

Most of this will be of absolutely no interest to anyone who reads my blog, but it's my promise to myself, and I feel like if it is out in public then it's official and I have to stick to it.

So, I love New York City. I LOVE New York City. I've been a few times now. I went for my birthday for 10 days in 2005. And I went twice while I was out in Maine for four months in 2009. And I want to go back. All the time. Constantly! My ultimate dream is to live there one day. And I've decided that for my 30th birthday next year I'm going back. I've never been there WITH anyone before, but hopefully that'll happen in a few years when Cayden can afford it (we're going to cross off "Christmas in New York" from my bucket list). But I'm going back next year. Decision made.

Can I afford it? No.

Is that going to stop me? No.

Since last year my financial common sense has improved incredibly. I'm paying off my debts, slowly, and I'm paying my bills when I'm supposed to. I still owe quite a lot of money, and one debt that specifically gets on my mind is the money that I owe Neil. I'm currently going through a severe spring-cleaning phase and seling lots that I own on eBay. And I'm also opening an Etsy store in a few months that should make a bit of money.

I don't think any of this is coming out in any sense of order. Bear with me.

In 2010 I did that New Thing: Challenges thing, for the year. The reward system was that for every challenge I passed I got to save a certain amount of money, and for each challenge that I failed, I had to donate the same amount of money. Because I'm me, I didn't save or donate anything, but I did keep records of all the amounts. This year, I'm doing Project 200, and for each piece that I complete I get to save £1.50. There have been a few things that I was saving for, but New York has just overtaken all of them in importance.

I have a tin, that I save all the money in. And to make sure that I actually save, a good friend looks after the tin for me. So far this year I saved a bit of money, but had to break into it to pay my broadband bill last month. So the saving has restarted. But... every penny earned from eBay will go into the tin. Every penny earned from Etsy will go into the tin.

I'm also going to crack down on what I spend my money on each payday. I tend to buy a lot of crap. I'm going to write "New York" on my wallet, to remind myself why I'm saving. And I'm going to consciously think about whether or not I'm buying something because I WANT it or because I NEED it. (Yes, I know this is just everyday common sense, but I don't have any of that). All my spare money will go towards this trip.

Throughout this year, I'm clearing quite a few of my debts, too. Which means that I'll have more money every fortnight. Except that I won't. I'm going to stick to the bare basics I'm on now, and put the extra money towards the trip.

But (and here's where the pledge is important)... I still owe Neil quite a bit of money. I owe Jen a little, and my sister, and Cayden too. None of them will ever ask me for the money, even though every single one could use it. Especially Neil. And the money I owe him is actually quite a big amount. So... even if I have my flight paid off, and the hotel all booked, and all my dollars in my wallet...

I will not go to New York next year unless I have paid back Cayden, Jen and Jennie. And at least half of what I owe Neil.

All I have to do now is go and rewrite the list of stuff I have to do next payday. I'm now not buying quite a few bits, and I need to factor in a bus ticket to the blood donation centre. I wish they paid for blood in this country. And I wish I could have a garage sale. So much easier than eBay, and less fees.

Anyway... All this I pledge, in the name of New York City!