Phase 1.

Hi, my name is Diana, and I'm a chronic money-spender.

Like every other disease/condition, I'd guess setting one's finances straight has stages, too. (I'm sure there's a Wiki article on this that I haven't read. Links, please.) 

Shock. Disbelief. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. And finally, Acceptance.

Early this year, it finally hit me that I have a spending problem. I've been earning money for almost 4 years now, and I still manage to be broke mid-month. Yes, it took me all that time to realize I'm doing something very wrong here. 

To be honest, if it weren't for that sinking feeling I'd have two weeks after I'd received (and spent the WHOLE of) my pay, when I have to crawl back to my father and ask to borrow spending money from him, I really wouldn't've thought anything was wrong. I've always been so careless with money, partly because I've always been broke but never poor, I've always been short of cash but never without the basic necessities, and partly because maybe I'm just spoiled rotten. Come to think of it, when people offer to pay for me, I've always been okay with it, almost as if I expect people to pay for me. Not for big things, but the little things, like a meal here and there (even when I have money and someone insists on paying, I let them), or cab fare, gas, cigarettes, drinks, little knick-knacks I find cute when I'm out shopping with friends, a pair of shoes (cough). Funny enough, I've always been able to pay for these things myself when others offer to buy them for me. But I let them.

Because the world owes me.

I'm not sure exactly what it was that made me actually do something about this problem, but it could have a lot to do with Olaf, my first real purchase. Every big purchase I've ever made has always been paid for, if not in whole then at least in part, by my father, or my uncles, or my cousins. Wow, I almost sound like a poor, little, rich girl. Except.. ha ha. I'm not. (I'm So Money.)

Anyhoors. Because I'm supersonic, technotronic, so melodic, funky-fresh, I think I've gone through ALL seven stages in the past few weeks. 

THIS is my Phase 1: the belief that I can go through all of them at once, in random order, within a month.

I binged on the stages.

I have discovered that I spend most, if not all, of my money on eating out and buying gadgets and techie accessories (that I never learn to use). I also spend a lot on my family, buying them things, paying their bills for them, and taking them out for dinner. (Who knew?)

The past month, I spent about a hundred Riyals on cigarettes, which I honestly thought would be much more. My phone bills went up to about 80 Riyals, compared to my usual 40. I blame it on the internet. I also apparently spend almost a thousand on cab fare alone. A big chunk of my salary also goes to the coffee shop at work, where I buy my ridiculously crappy and overpriced cappuccino every morning.

Good stuff.

It's nice, airing out my dirty sexy money issues in public like this. 

Now, however, I'm not sure what to do with all this information. I might just go back to my drawing pad and make a comic about it. 

Viva la moolah!