Friday, July 11, 2008

Life without plastic (money)...it's really weird!

I made the mistake of using my credit card in Sri Lanka in May. Just a $3.50 payment to cover for the cash I didn't have at the Colombo airport duty free store. The next thing I know, I get a call from the card company telling me that Sri Lanka is a high-risk location and I would be better off if I had my card cancelled and get a new one at no cost. Sounded good.

Around the same time, I lost my ATM PIN and haven't been able to get around to applying for a new one. I have a new account - because I have a new job and the firm will send my salary only to that particular bank - but I haven't found an ATM near my office or my house. Sigh. The credit card delivery guy has twice arrived in the middle of the afternoon and returned because we weren't home. This is after specifically requesting for a Saturday delivery or an address where I could go and pick up the card. No go!

So in 2008, I'm now dependent on cold, hard cash to manage my day-to-day spending. :-( I've never paid a rupee in interest to the credit card company. I make my full payment each month. But now that I'm card-less, it's a weird feeling. Like withdrawal symptoms from an addiction or empty-purse syndrome, maybe.

Now I better sign off and call the credit card company and see when I can get my new card. Wish me luck.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Happy anniversary to us...10 years and counting

Today was as good a day as any to restart blogging -- our tenth wedding anniversary! I can't believe we are now in our second decade. Sure, there's been trouble, and I sometimes find it tough to be optimistic, but sometimes, being practical works just as well.

Confession time: DH got me a card and money to buy a gift (I got a silver bracelet)...but I didn't get him anything...I mean, it's not like I was being mean. But it's really tough to buy him anything. It's like he has everything and anything I bought him would not be needed. There is one thing he wants. The new Artemis Fowl book, but that releases in 10 days. So I've promised to get him that. I dropped the whole card routine a few years back. It just happened...may be I'll restart that one of these years.

In the meantime, I honestly do need to get more organized than I used to be. More about the book in which I wrote a chapter...coming soon... :)