Isn't it amazing just how much cool stuff there is in the shops when you've just got paid? On my first day with a healthy bank account in four weeks, I staggered around the shopping centre beside my office, swaying like a recovering alcoholic negotiating the pub on Christmas Eve. Ooh, Argos. And there's an overpriced sandwich shop - Gasp! In the end, I couldn't pass the sandwich shop, and ended up going for the most expensive sandwich on the menu. I justified it by reminding myself that I'd cooked lunch for myself, and hadn't spent much money since Sunday. But I'm certainly going to have that strict talk with myself. In the end, I spent about E3.50 on spices (pretty large packets in the Asian foodstore). E6 on the sandwich (gulp). And about E10 on face wash from the Body Shop (it's got tea tree oil in it, and I have bad skin). Really, that wasn't a bad day. I got my fill of Things without spending a shedload of money...
On a related point, found this article yesterday. It kinda makes sense. Our consumption of animal protein certainly isn't sustainable, and just yesterday, I found myself throwing out a heap of food. What I need to do is work my way through the vegetables that I buy instead of simply grabbing a few chicken fillets on my way home from work.

So, fair enough, the markets have responded (moderately) well to the Government's bank deposit guarantee announcement, but that doesn't change things for yours truly.
Let's take the shambles that are my finances. I've been living on my credit card since, ooh, about September 2. And I figured that the wages from one job (worth about e2,000) would cover the mortgage and minimal lifestyle expenses for October. But when I went to the ATM on Sunday (after taking e100 out late on Thursday) I found I had, gulp, less than e500 there. It wasn't even enough to cover the mortgage.
Utter disaster.
I've just been burying my head in the sand for too long. Concerts, meals out, fugging e500 handbags... I've been spending money, hand over fist, without any thought for the consequences. So, on Sunday, I sat down and made out a list of my meals for the week, and what I needed to buy. And I'm going to stop myself buying hair straighteners, plants for the balcony, and little pick-me-ups from Penneys.
The madness ends here