The world is easy when you're just playing around with it

[lizblackdog]

Some of you may not realise just how hard and unnatural it is for me to behave anything like a responsible adult sometimes. You don't know (because I've always been careful not to tell you) that I'm a person whose instinctive reaction to an electricity bill or a demand for council tax is to throw the brown envelope away without opening it - because if I don't let myself see the red final demand, it's obviously not real, and if I steadfastly refuse to acknowledge its existence it'll go away. And of course that'll stop them cutting off my electricity or taking me to court for non-payment, oh yes. Stands to reason, doesn't it? *rolleyes*

Now that I've admitted that, perhaps you'll understand how profoundly happy I am that right here, right now, all these things have been dealt with in a responsible adult fashion. The water bill I was ignoring has been paid, the council tax gets waived because I'm a single adult on benefits, the back rent's now being taken care of by direct debit and the last thing that was upsetting me - the electricity bill I couldn't pay - got dealt with today. Instead of throwing away the red bill or hiding it, I phoned them, and I asked them to come and fit a key meter (for Americans: this is a box on the wall into which I stick a magnetic key that gets pre-loaded with money. Pay-as-you-go electricity.) It means I'll never be blindsided by an electricity bill again, and that is a Very Good Thing.

Also, the man who came to fit it owns a working Springer Spaniel, so we had a good conversation about gundoggery and falconry and other fun things while he worked.

Elbow: the prescription-strength anti-inflammatory pills (Diclofenac, if you're curious) have helped enormously. Typing better than I have for weeks. I will probably switch the IM on tomorrow and see if I can cope.

Just came back from a walk to One Stop and back in the pissing rain, and the flat reeks of wet dog, which I rather like. Spike's invented a new trick - on the way to One Stop we pass by a garden surrounded by chain-link fence, and he's picked this as a regular crapping spot. He presses his backside against the chain-link so that the crap falls through onto the other side where I cannot possibly reach it to pick it up. Once would have been a meaningless coincidence, but he's done the same thing the last five or six times we've passed by this fence, so he's clearly doing it just to embarrass me. I'm very glad there's a bramble bush the other side of the fence, that's all.

Comments

[bulletslc.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know what you mean about bills....I'm so constantly behind that when everything dumps on me at once my tendency is to become an ostrich and bury my head so as to not see. I'm working at becoming better at prioritizing and getting things paid sooner rather than late to minimize late fees.....I'd still rather hide from them, though.

[crusherdisciple.livejournal.com]

I've found that throwing the bills away when you get them at least gives you a few days of not having to worry about them.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

exactly! The trouble is that it's habit-forming...

[christinuviel.livejournal.com]

Hehehehe, well done re: bills! I did the same thing at uni (throw things in a big pile and ignore them) - it's amazingly hard just to make yourself do these little routine things sometimes. I commend you! *commends*

because if I don't let myself see the red final demand, it's obviously not real

[ulva.livejournal.com]

Darling, you're not alone. Been there half my life. Not in my single days but somehow quite often when I have had a man in my life because for some reason money seem to disappear into unknown holes.

What do you do in the end when there's simply no money and you stand there with the fucking bill knowing what the amount will be give and take? That's right, in the pile of other bills you can't pay. Not read. Not opened.

Bills aren't entertaining at all. But it's good to hear that you're not losing the flat and that you have managed to deal with these things.

*hugs*

Re: because if I don't let myself see the red final demand, it's obviously not real

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

I've been lucky - this is the first place I've ever lived where these things weren't included in the rent, so I haven't had a lot of experience in dealing with budgeting for bills. This is why I decided to have the key meter for the electricity - I feel so much safer if I have to pay up-front for it before I can even use it.

[montymark.livejournal.com]

It's so recognisable what you described concerning bills. I don't know what it is: perhaps a phobia for seeing frighteningly large amounts of money that need to be paid, preferrably yesterday?
I have the same thing, really. erhaps it is a good thing to see if the have an equivalent to a key meter here.

[bites-the-sun.livejournal.com]

Some friends of mine who lived in this dark, crumbling (as in, occasionally entire balconies would just drop off and plummet three storeys) Georgian house were on the key meter system when I was in college. They always used to use the last bit of electricity in the middle of the night, necessitating a long walk into town to recharge the damn thing so they could see their hands in front of their faces. I suggest getting lots of candles in to avoid this situation! It's a really good idea if you're on a tight budget though - especially with the increasing cost of fuel at the moment.

I'm not too bad with bills in general - my trick is to pay them as soon as I get them or I'm inclined to put them down, lose them or forget about them until it's too late. I've learned my lesson after being hit with late charges due to this one too many times. I pay things online now, too, which is so much more convenient than having to fiddle around with stamps and cheques and envelopes ..

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Ha, I've spent too many years squatting in houses without electricity to ever be without candles!

Also, the key meter's right next to the fridge (my flat was designed without a fridge-space in the kitchen, so the fridge lives in the utility room) so the little LCD display telling me just how much leccy's left is highly visible. I don't intend to get caught out - for one thing, feeding my dogs depends entirely on having a functioning freezer. My spoiled little princes only eat real meat.

I'm scared of letting myself have a means of paying for things online, because I'd just get onto Amazon or Ebay and lose control of myself...

[bites-the-sun.livejournal.com]

Well, then, you're sorted!

Amazon Marketplace is my new best friend. Between that and the local charity shops (we have about six within a 20-metre radius in my little town) I don't think I've bought a new book in a year (sorr, starving authors). And I'm building up a great collection of secondhand DVDs for about £2 a pop, too.

(Having said that, I just ordered a brand spanking new Serenity DVD because ... well, you know, how could I not?)

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Oh, good news on the elbow. It's amazing how the proper meds can help! Don't forget that the meds are masking the problem, so don't type too too much.

I know how you feel about financial shit. I was seriously in debt 3 years ago (actually, not bad compared to some people). I pulled myself out and now I'm determined not to go back there again.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's why I'm not switching the IM on today. I'm scared of damaging it more and not feeling myself doing it. But I am using it a bit more, and if that doesn't make me wake up with it hurting like hell then I think I can risk it. I've been going nuts not talking to people, and one of my bestest friends is moving someowhere with no Internet soon, so I really really really want to catch up with her while I still can.

What about Spike and his evil trick with the chain link! That dog has a real frat-boy sense of humour at times...

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Oh, you know it's gonna hurt in the morning. Maybe you could set a time limit for yourself (it never works for me, but maybe you have the self-discipline I lack :))?

That poop story cracked me up! I love it when Charlie shits on bizarre things. :)

[mcsassypants.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about the bills. I picked up a bad habit of not opening mail until I absolutely have to from an ex of mine. Seriously, the guy would let mail pile up for months at a time. It was ugly. The amount of time that it took to go through the piles was painful and nearly cause me to burst into tears.
So of course I resolved to open and sort my mail nightly. Except for tonight. And maybe tomorrow. the next day's not good either...

[james-the-evil1.livejournal.com]

this just brought back the oddest memory of a bunch of frat boys shitting thru a chain link fence (not something I witnessed personally or participated in, it was a hazing video I saw)
I've found with most of my bills I have to set up a direct withdrawl or it doesn't get done