the problem with credit cards…
is other people, who don’t have credit cards, knowing you have one. Especially family, it’s actually worse when it’s family. Everyone needs something put on a credit card at some stage.
Whenever anyone in my family (extended, not parents/siblings – they’ve their own) needs something put on a credit card, or can only be paid for by credit card, they ask me. And I’m so nice and I never say no.Well, almost never, hence this blog entry.
Upto yesterday, I’ve always said yes, and this has screwed me – cash wise.
One uncle asks me and tells me the date he’ll pay me back on, and does so exactly on it – totally fine. He also buys me cigs in thanks.
One aunt comes to me WITH the cash (or gives me a blank cheque if we don’t know how much it’ll be ’til the end of the transaction) before it’s charged on my card. She always gives me a little extra for myself, or buys me cigs.
Another aunt pays the money (with a little extra for myself) straight into my bank account.
My mother just charges whatever she wants since she’s the 2nd name on my card. Apparantly I went to Eminem last year and also bought a George Foreman grill 
But she’s my mother so all good.
And so on and so forth,until we come to one particular uncle and his wife. They’ve been the bane of my existence for the last 3 years, and it’s not just their fault – I just cannot say no to them!
They’re under the impression that I’m (or my family) made of money, and we’re not. I’ve a LOT charged up on my credit card, bills, mortgage, car loan….etc and I’ve only 1 wage to cover all that.
3 years ago, they asked me to get 4 tickets to a concert in Dublin that was 6 months away, would give me the cash at the weekend, no problem. They did not pay me until the day BEFORE the concert, so not only was I out nearly 400 for 6 months, but also charged interest on it. And they paid me to the *exact* penny of the cost. EXACTLY.
Think I’d learn then? Nope….same thing happened again a few months later, and same thing happens all the time. Who’s worse, me or them? Me.
They constantly use me to buy stuff, and have no qualms about calling me up and just saying (not asking) what they need next. I know, here I am complaining about them when all I had to do was say no, you don’t need to tell me, my father has been drilling that into my head for eons.
Now they’re not bad people, don’t get me wrong, they’re awesome. It’s just when it comes to money, things turn sour.
I had asked this particular uncle to do some carpentary work in my house. He said he’d do it, but I was waiting over 5 months for him to come. And this to the person who you need to buy your concert tickets/school books/etc from? Not ideal.
So I got someone else, didn’t even tell him, just got it done. And probably a lot cheaper too!
When he found out, he wasn’t mad so much as guilty, and he knew I was in plans to redo my bathroom so he offered to oversee and plan that, this was heaven to me ’cause I was pretty stuck trying to get people etc..
We agreed a price of 5k, give or take a little since things never go according to plan, BUT I told him to me a little was a 2-3 hundred, tops.
He did a *fantastic* job on my bathroom, the work is perfect, but it’s not finished. This was last January. The bathroom went 1300 over in cost (1300!!!!), he never spoke to me about this. EVERY other person I deal with, or anyone else deals with, stops and tells you it’s going to cost more and ask you what you want to do. He didn’t. Completely took the liberty of paying out 1300 extra and then demands it from me, like I’m made of money.
I still owe him some of this, I’ve paid him most of it (family, he’s the type that’d never speak to me or my family again, so I had to pay some of it or there’d be WAR), but for crying out loud, HE OWES ME 80 for the last 5 months and he DEMANDS I pay up 1300 in one day. Or 800 if I don’t have all that. What cloud is he living on, seriously. I can’t get a simple 80 off him, even though I’ve given him cash off towards what “I owe” for the bathroom. “Next week.”….
He owed me 279.63 (I remember the amount) for tickets to some concert in May, Bruce Springsteen I think, and gave me a cheque 6 weeks after I bought the tickets, for the *exact* amount. And then dated it 2 weeks in advance, and then after 2 weeks asked me to give it another week.
Has never given me anything for myself. Never a little extra or even a pack of cigs to say thanks. Nothing. Yet, he goes on about how awful it is when he’s working and no one gives him a little extra for himself . (It’s common practice over here to give a little extra for the worker or like a “Buy yourself a couple of pints” type).
Last night, they called me and asked me to look up the seating arrangement on some Wrestling event coming up in April. Then told me what seats they wanted and how much they were, 64 each and 4 tickets. Never asked me if I’d do this just said “Charge 4 tickets for us and we’ll pay you Friday”. So I said no, not doing it. Have too much up on my credit card and I have to pay off some money before I can charge anymore to it, and I won’t have money ’til Friday, and not that much either.
They weren’t impressed. Ungrateful, doesn’t begin to describe them. She pretty much hung up on me, did say thanks/bye but that was all she said.
Sorry I don’t have a money tree growing out my back garden.
