Monday, August 04, 2003

PromoGuy’s Monday Mission 3.31:

1. When you take a vacation, do you ever suffer from Internet withdrawal? Or maybe the nagging urge to blog or read blogs? Or are you glad to be away?

Yes. Yes. Yes/No.

2. Have you ever been “furloughed” (told to take time off work without pay) or laid off? How did that impact your family dynamics? Your finances? If not to you, have you seen it happen to anyone you know? How did they handle it?

I worked for a government contractor back when Daddy Bush was President. Remember his “no new taxes” reneging? There was a two week period when the government was shut down because Congress wouldn’t pass the budget. So I was at home, without pay, for two weeks.

Fortunately, I was young and single so it didn’t impact me too much financially. I think I was still living at my parents too. I can’t remember exactly.

3. If you fell on hard times, what is are some non-essential reoccurring luxury expenses (cable TV, TiVo subscription, cigarettes, high-speed net connection, newspaper, daily Starbucks coffee, etc.) you would give up to save money?

When I was unemployed last year, I cut back on a lot. But I managed to keep my cable and internet connected. I had some financial help during those months.

The biggest thing I cut back on was book buying. I’m a bibliophile, but I started to go to the library instead. I love to own the books I read, but I’m a lot choosier about what I buy after having been too poor to buy any books at all.

4. On the same thought, what is the one non-essential expense you would NOT give up?

Cable for sure. I can get internet access from other sources if I need it.

5. Would you ever ask your family (parents, in-laws, relatives) for financial assistance? What would be some of your concerns about asking for help? Have you ever asked for it before? Did it go well?

Yes. I have asked for and received help from family a lot, actually. My only barrier to asking at this point is pride and my feeling of being a burden. But I have a generous family for which I am thankful. And they know that if the circumstances were reversed I would be more than happy to help them.

6. Has a friend or relative ever borrowed money from you? Who were they and how much did they want? Did you ever get paid back, or did it matter? Did you feel compelled to keep an eye on them to see if they spent it wisely?

Yes. I won’t divulge who and what it was, there’s no need. I was happy to help - there was no need to pay me back. No, they wouldn’t have come to me if they didn’t need the money - I trusted them to use it how they needed it. Really, I looked at it as my gift to them - sure, they asked for it, but I was happy to help.

7. Imagine you won a tax-free gift of $7,000. The only stipulation on the gift is that it must not be invested or saved, and must be spent before 2004. How would you use the money?

I would tithe first, then pay off debt.

BONUS: Whatever happened to unity?

Who says it ever really existed?