Yes, I know, you're a special snowflake too. *sigh*

[Kogarashi]

Wow - I must be 'rich' too!

By that standard, even I'm rich, not counting Hubby's income. My art hobby barely pays for my video games and other little luxuries, not counting restocking art supplies, when budgeted right.

[Seshat]

Wow - I must be 'rich' too!

[Gizmo]

I know people like this: They are buying new toys and games but when their money into the bank is 1 day late all hell breaks loose: They have no petrol, they have no food, they are 90 days behind on the phone bill (so its about to get cut off), they are 90 days behind on the utilities and the rent is due...

and its the horrible fault of the Welfare people for being a day late in paying them.. when they didn't attend the appointment with welfare until a day later than usual.

I got told I was "rich" the other day for ensuring I had at least £100 in my bank account that I don't need for payments rather than spending it on concert tickets or other luxuries.

[Syriilord]

Ironclad would be correct in this matter.


...the more you know

[Ironclad Alibi]

Rapscallion: Do you mean no more than eight children per person attending?

I read it as the child cannot be younger than 8 to see a 12A movie with an adult. Children under 8 cannot see the movie at all.

[Emerald Knight]

Rapscallion: Do you mean no more than eight children per person attending? I'll have to double check that, I haven't heard anything about that, but the only situation that breaks something like that is a school booking, which are infrequent, usually an end of year treat since our chain does discounts for larger bookings. Parties do come in on weekends, but usually to the cheap morning screenings that most cinemas seem to offer.

[Rapscallion]

Film rating, no one under 12 can attend without an adult.

If memory serves, it's a film rating that allows adults to take children under the age of twelve in, but no lower than eight with the adult present.

About the only restriction on it that I'm aware of. Bit of an odd system, really. LOTR was 12A if memory serves. They classified it as 'fantasy violence' to get it through.

Rapscallion

[Sapphire Silk]

In the end I decided to offer this person a compromise, and refunded them half. That way I've at least been paid for my time dealing with them, even if they fall off the map and never come back with the promised payments. I do know how much it sucks to be living right on the edge of poverty, but when I was in that situation I wasn't spending hundreds and hundreds on luxuries! (Only a hundred every now and then. )

That was pretty generous of you IMHO. The whole point of a deposit is to protect the creator from having time, effort, and materials wasted. Non-refundable deposits are a common practice.

I can't see spending 2 grand on a furry costume . . . but then again, I once spent $700 on a sword (a real one, not a blunt decorative piece). I spent too much on it, while I still have it there are times I wish I hadn't spent so much on something that in truth does little more than collect dust.

We all set priorities in life. A lot of consumers would have put their money into the luxury and said the hell with the medical bills.

[Emerald Knight]

Film rating, no one under 12 can attend without an adult.

[Dave1982]

What's a 12A?

[Emerald Knight]

Where I work, emergencies that prompt people to pull out are infrequent, but accepted. I've seen calling in paramedics and having to transfer a ticket because someone's daughter has gone into labour but she's got 11-year-olds at a 12A.

However, this isn't something that you can just pull out of, you're spending an artist's time and if you pull out mid-project, materials.

When I was attending uni, I made budgeting and targets before buying myself a treat, to be honest, I didn't spend much on myself in one go.

[Kristev]

I go out to eat, and that's it. The rest of it, I've had to learn to give up.

[AccountingDrone]

Through my poorest years [ok, 2 years ... ] I always budgeted $5 a month for something stupid, back then it was usually a breakfast at one of the diners on Little Creek in Norfolk. They had an amazing corned beef hash and eggs. The ability to go out for breakfast once a month with friends was worth it.

Of course, picking a reasonably cheap hobby helped - AD&D at Campaign HQ was free ... I already had the books, or could borrow from one of the guys

[spark]

I've done the "needs only" thing (mostly during college) and I hate it. :P I really like my little luxuries! So I certainly don't blame anybody for wanting nice things, or even buying nice things! If I really hated the idea of luxury I'd hardly be making a living in it. Just for frick's sake, why can't people be reasonable?! I'd get jerked around by people who make promises they can't keep much less often! Though I suppose I'd end up with "orphan" deposits I never did do any work for and just kept for nothing less often too...

(That one also baffles me! I will always offer several downgrade options when somebody says they can no longer pay for the rest of it. But at least half the time they never reply at all. I usually send out a couple of reminders, that I have their money and would they like to get something for it? But if they never reply, eventually I just take them off the list, shrug, and keep it. I'm not going to complain, but it's pretty darn weird!)

[Marmalady]

I read an article a few months back, where a family did an experiment where for one month they only bought what they actually needed.

They whinged a bit afterwards about how 'boring' it had been - no eating out, no glossy magazines, no visits to the nail salon or pub - but had to admit they were astonished at how much more money they had left at the end of the month.