When I watch the news (okay Loose Women), all they seem to talk about is the cost of living crisis at the moment. This in mind, I thought I’d write about the times when I’ve really appreciated the value of money and felt truly rich.
One of the first times I really understood the value of money was when I bought my beloved first car Kiki. Now, I’m not one to get excited about cars. When looking for a new one my two main concerns are the colour and how hot I can get the heater. However, I loved my Kiki, a black Kia Picanto, who in her 10 years of loyal service saw me through three break downs, a nasty crash with a taxi driver, a lost wing mirror and countless Southsea parking scrapes – all on just one oil change.
When I bought her outright, brand new, with money I’d saved all on my own, I couldn’t have felt prouder. Sure, she wasn’t a Porsche or some other expensive car (see, I literally have no knowledge of cars) but she was mine and the reason I had her was all down to my hard work.
The second time I felt rich randomly was when I was at one of my financially worst times. I was 24 and had just broken up with my first serious boyfriend. I’d been living with him for three years in *his* flat and because it was *his* flat I didn’t have a mortgage to pay and had very low outgoings. I knew breaking up with him would mean going financially independent and leaving *his* lovely seafront flat yet even though it was a bit scary, when I made the jump, I knew I’d made the right decision.
After breaking up, I moved into a studio flat where I then had rent, gas, electric, tv license… the list of household bills goes on and on and on. And while I might not have had as much spare money in my account, the happiness of independence was priceless.
Today as I write this blog, I couldn’t feel richer. This is of course helped by the fact that I have a roof over my head, a beyond hard working generous husband and after maternity I’m going back to a job that I love. But more importantly, I feel rich because I’ve finally got all the things that money can’t buy, a beautiful princess, a loving husband and my healthy happy family – and for this I’m eternally grateful.
alanaburnett 