Sales Desperados

My friend drove a group of us for lunch at Pizza Hut to celebrate his change of career. Apparently he had a better job offer and decided that it was time to move on. I still remember how he had always jokingly described his plans for a job hop and if he was unsuccessful he would set up a small stall to sell pizzas. As you can probably guess by now, he is a bona fide pizza lover and wonders how anyone can possibly dislike pasta. He even dreamt the slogan for his enterprise would be: "7 days without pizza makes one weak."

While we were ordering 2 medium sized pizzas, he received a call on his mobile phone. There was a frown on his face and after he had put down the phone, he began complaining about how banks were always calling him to take up some credit cards. He would then ask the caller how they had gotten his number and they would always deny telling him because of some company policy. It is such a ridiculous excuse not to respect people's privacy. It was clear he was incensed by such calls and would not take up whatever offers they had up their sleeves.

As if it weren't enough, he was a victim of door-to-door salesmen as well. It was amazing the type of people attracted to his doorstep included people selling household items to those offering home renovation. He recently thought of a way to save money on food for his Maltese dog. He would put a sign on his door saying: "Salesmen Welcome! Dog food is expensive."

My pizza loving friend claims that he is not exactly rich but admits that in Singapore the car is indeed a luxury item. The small island of Singapore is well covered with public transport; numerous bus services, MRT train network and reasonably affordable taxi services. The purchase of a car is already a hefty lump sum, what with the inclusion of COE (Certificate of Entitlement). Upkeeping the car can really milk you with petrol costs, taxes, parking, insurance and other payments to consider. Having a car means paying through your nose. He then revealed to us that the best way to get back on your feet is to miss a car payment.

Ultimately the onus is on you to manage your own finances. You'll have to decide whether you want to spend your hard earned money on things you do not really need.