A dawning realisation that I am indeed cheap :(

Sitting across from Anna at the kitchen table I swirled the contents of my cup. “Do you think we are getting old before our time?” I casually asked. “Is this about the weekend again?” Anna sighed, “I know I am possibly the only person we know that has ever been thrown out of a nightclub for falling asleep in the corner, but can we please stop going on about it!” “No it’s not that,” I replied attempting to conceal a big grin, “It’s the fact that here we are making a list of things to do before we reach the big three-oh and number one just happens to be ‘Dress up as old person in wheelchair and carer to sneak into Old Hollywood showing at cinema.’ And why do we want to do this? Because you get OAP rates and an intermission with tea and biscuits.” Anna just laughed, “That doesn’t necessarily mean we are turning senile, just that we are cheap! I’ll do anything for a freebie.” At this I had to agree as it comes from the girl who, much to my embarrassment, will only ever order water, that’s tap water in restaurants when we go out for a meal (and has never before in her life despite living the high life mostly on the tips she receives!). Once the waiter apologised but said they were only able to sell us bottled water at which point Anna turned round to point out, for the whole of the restaurant to hear, that it is actually illegal not to sell tap water. Who would know that for heaven’s sake?

At first I inwardly dismissed Anna's claims about my cheap nature. In fact I totally resented being tarred with the same brush as a tap-water-orderer! Then as I began to mentally weigh up recent events I realised begrudgingly that Anna was completely right, as per usual. This was the thought process that led to a dawning realisation that I am indeed cheap:

> to a lash up at a friends house prior to a big nite out I brought along a bottle of lamrini - yes that is lambini as in what you drink on the street corner when you are 15. I should feel embarassed but its only £1.59 from the co-op down the road and is now available in a variety of flavours! This week might just be a peach week.
> I view a new boyfriend as a means of relieving current financial difficulties i.e. free meals out, drinks bought on nights out, lift home minus taxi fair etc etc.
> When most people ladder their tights they curse and throw them in the bin whereas I am quite pleased to have aquired a new hair tie. Just think how many hair ties you can fashion form an old pair of cut up tights!
> cash points that charge (cheeky buggers!) are not used full stop. I tell myself that this is just a priniciple even if I have to walk half way across town - in a slightly worse for wear state - for the next nearest available one