Impulse Buy

I'm not one generally given to impulse purchases. But when I do impulse buy, I impulse buy BIG!!

So, for the last couple of months I've been making a major effort to utilise MMM's finances in the best possible way. Shifting savings into a higher interest account, earmarking some of my tutoring salary to pay off a little wodge of the mortgage, working out where savings can be had in day-to-day household bills etc. And my bank is going to be next on my hit list because, despite having been a loyal and no-trouble customer for well over six years, they have been taken over by another bank who have zilch customer service and appear to be paring away all remaining reasons for me to stay with them, especially the miniscule amount of interest they are prepared to pay on my current account. There are better offers out there. I know, because I've been doing my homework.

Anyway, this morning we were up and about, egg and toast for breakfast, then Andy went out to clean out the hens and set about a whole house hoover 'n' tidy up 'n' get-the-washing-in-the-machine campaign. And I was thinking, as I pushed the hoover around sucking up dust and cat fur and cat toys and biros, that my earning potential would improve if I had my own transport. We've been without a second car for 3 years now and whilst the extra walking has been good in some respects (exercise, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air etc) it has also been a pain, generally when I've been struggling home up a hill with bags of groceries and it's hissing down with rain and I'm getting severe puddle splash from passing traffic.

So Andy comes in around 10 a.m to find me staring out of the front window, hoover in hand.

'What are you thinking about?' he said.
'Cars,' I said. 'A red Citroen C1, to be exact.' Because I have seen these little cars around and about and I have been rather taken with them.
'Shall we go to the Citroen dealer up the road and have a look?' said Andy.
'Yes,' said I.

And two hours later I found myself the proud owner of a brand new shiny red Citroen C1!!

Well!! The last time this kind of impulse buy happened there was a car involved, too. It was 11 years ago and I went out to buy a wheelbarrow and came back with a Fiat Bravo. Some might say, 'What's the difference?', but I think they might be getting confused with that old joke involving Skodas.

I'm waiting for a phone call on Tuesday from the nice, totally unpushy sales chappie who dealt with us to tell me when I can collect the car but we're aiming for the end of this month.

And it was all very exciting and has cheered up a dull, wet, cold, miserable January day enormously.