Posts Tagged ‘Painting’

Here’s My Financial Plan For 2012

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December 30th, 2011

This is going to be my ‘rainy-day’ day year

Ever since that recession started back in 2008 causing the values of securities tied to U.S. real estate pricing to crash, damaging financial institutions globally and sinking my little portfolio into the mud, I have been living frugally, rather like Old Scrooge. First I stopped spending on things I didn’t need and than I stopped spending on things I did need. 4 years later I am still scrimping and saving like mad, not spending a penny if I can help it. I mean I even walk the mile to work and back every day to save the train fare! Yes, in winter too!

Good luck

But good luck was with me all the way. Firstly I never had a single emergency in all that time that would have forced me to break open my savings. Secondly and most importantly, my income remained stable so with all my holding back on cash, my savings flourished. Now, 4 years later, I have built up a nice pile of money and I have decided that 2012 will be “The Year of the Big Spender”.

My running hobby

I am going to spend on my hobbies. I am a jogger and a marathon runner. This year I will start by buying myself a new running outfit, maybe even two. They will include the latest expensive running shoes. After that shorts, vests, headbands, towels and all the other paraphernalia that I have done without for the past 5 years. I will also enter for the London, New York and Paris marathons, something I never did before because of the cost of getting to these cities. And while I am in them, I will stay an extra 2 or 3 weeks and enjoy the sights.

My painting hobby

I painted in Italy years ago, in the good old days. I am going back to paint there again. Maybe even twice, once in Venice and again in Tuscany. I may make a third trip to France and paint in the footsteps of Monet, my impressionist hero. I will start in Paris at the museums where his art hangs and then go down to Giverny where he lived and worked. I will also buy Monet prints.

My cooking hobby

I want to spice up my life in 2012 by attending a couple of cooking courses in Italy. I am busy researching the subject at the moment and deciding which ‘tastes’ I think I will enjoy the most. Italian food varies dramatically from the south to the north.

My opera hobby

I have been to many operas. I love the sights and the sounds of a well performed opera. I have also seen opera in most of the world great opera houses, La Scala,

Covent Garden, Paris, the Metropolitan in New York and many others. It’s time to see the Sydney Opera House. So that’s my destination for my first flight. My ticket is booked for the January 15. And on January 21st I will see Mozart’s Magic Flute!

Plan B

Maybe I should work for another couple of years to boost my savings? Nah, I’m spending it!

Tags: Money, Opera, Painting, spending, Traveling
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Here’s My Loan Application for the Merry Month of May

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May 1st, 2011

I will never stop taking loans for reasons like this
It’s May, my busy month at AdvanceLoans.net. Today I am repaying the loan I took in January to pay for all the end of the year expenses, presents, parties, etc. and today I am putting in my application for a loan to secure my place in the October painting group in Tuscany, Italy. All deposits have to be in by the end of this week. And I want to be sure…

Painting
I paint, mainly acrylics but occasionally watercolors. A few years ago I was surfing on the internet, idly wasting time, when I saw a note advertising a watercolor painting holiday in Italy. I lost all control and did what I advise readers never to do, send off money using your credit card number. The whole idea sounded so adventurous and romantic that I couldn’t wait to check it out or even discuss it with my wife. Off went the money, followed by common sense and sheer dread at what I had done.

3 Days later
The answer arrived 3 days later. A brochure with pictures of the organizers arrived by email and as far as I could see everything was honest and risk-free. I was greatly relieved. Came October and off we went to Venice, a first ever visit for us. We had a great time. The hotel was wonderful, the other participants were great and the daily painting sessions along the canals were outstanding. I was sold. This was my kind of holiday.

Tuscany
The following year we joined the same group and off we went, this time to stay in a working winery in Tuscany. It was a larger group and there were other groups – photography and cooking. My wife went off to learn all about Italian cooking each morning and I joined my group and painted among the vineyards. We drank bottles of Chianti at each meal and put on weight with all the great food. It was another best-ever holiday.

Expensive
These are expensive holidays and last year when the recession was roaring along we stayed quietly at home. But now that things are looking, my mind is plotting and working furiously on various schemes to get us there again in October. As I sent off the last installment to replay the Cash Advance Loan I took in December when my 3 kids all started clamoring for new bikes, it suddenly struck me that I can now apply for another loan which means I can send off the $1200 deposit for the Italian trip. It then leaves me 5 months to find the balance of the money.

Impatience
In the meantime we have to make it through the summer heat. I think back fondly to the Italian breakfasts every morning, the laughter and enjoyment of the crowd of people, the lectures and videos on Italian opera, the walks among the vines and the olive trees. It’s going to be a long wait. Now, let me get into the AdvanceLoans.net website and fill in the application form for the Cash Advance Loan.

Tags: AdvanceLoans.net, cash advance loan, Italian cooking, Italy, Painting
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