Most people get tighter belts around Christmas because they eat too much. Our belts tightened when Stu was made redundant two weeks before Christmas. Owchy.
We were obviously not going to be destitute straight away. We knew that if he found a job within three months we would be tickedy-boo. If he found another job within six months we would be a bit skint but survive. If it took a year we would be slightly fucked. Etc etc ad infinitum.
The problem is you don't know how long it is going to take. So Family Ward went immediately into emergency-measure-monetary-lockdown.
To be honest, it did us good. We were at best frivolous with money and at worst stupidly bloody extravagant. We really haven't questioned our spending habits for a while now. If we wanted something, we more than likely bought it. If I was at the bar I would buy a round or meal for whoever I was with, plus one for the barmaid as standard. I'd begun to drink champagne all night, every night I went out. I was having my nails done every two weeks, even if they didn't immediately look like they needed it. We had at least a take away a week and at least two meals out a month. Now, when I stick it in black and white I actually can't believe not that I spent all this but that it didn't enter my consciousness exactly how much I was/we were spending. We just did it, because we could.
Talking of black and white, those of you who know me will know that my life doesn't hold many grey areas. As readily as we had spent money, the day Stu lost his job we stopped spending any money on anything that wasn't completely necessary. My cooking became much more inventive as I experimented with preparing three meals a day, seven days a week, week-in, week-out. I needed more recipes!
My lovely parents were obviously gagging to write us a massive cheque and make everyone relax a little but all credit to them, they didn't. I would be lying if I said they would've seen their Grandchildren begging on the street but at the ripe old age of 35 I may have eventually stopped legging it to them to bail me out of whatever 'situation' I may have found myself in...
Stu gave his I Phone back as it was part of his old job package. Zak was a big fan of playing games on his I Phone and I didn't want him to keep crapping on about it so I had a little Mum-to-boy chat when we were alone. I explained to my gorgeous, gentle and kind-hearted eldest that Daddy might be a bit sad about the fact he doesn't have a job anymore and that we should all try to make him feel better and maybe not go on at him about how much 'we' used to love the games on his I Phone. Zak walked in and straight up to Stu and said "Don't worry Daddy, I'm really sad about you not having your I Phone too". I'm sure his heart was in the right place ;-)
Fortunately however, it was the week before Stu's birthday and I had already bought him an I Pad - hooray. Unfortunately, I had decided before all this happened that it would be hilarious to have it engraved with 'Stuart Ward has a very generous wife'. The gift that just keeps on giving, and sticks in the throat rather when one has been made redundant.
All's well that ends well. My clever husband has a new and much more interesting job with great prospects. We've gone back to our bottle of champagne on a Saturday night but I'm trying not to go out and drink it by the bucket-full. I've had my overly-hairy bits hot-waxed but haven't as yet booked in for a new set of nails. I definitely learnt some lessons and I hope that saving will be more important than pissing it up the wall in a fountain of fizz in the future, but I think a full and permanent change of character is probably improbable.
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