‘The energy companies have raised their prices yet again, Fay!’ Mrs Woods, my senior citizen neighbour exclaimed, as she spotted me on my doorstep. She was clutching her latest paper bill. The postie had just delivered the mail.
‘Well, everyone’s in the same boat,’ I soothed. ‘I’m late for work, Mrs Woods. I’ll catch up with you later!’
On the way to work, I pondered. Should I give Mrs Woods a part of my windfall? I hugged a secret. I’d recently won £1,000 on a scratch card! I could have announced the news at work.
Everyone would be pleased for me of course, yet it would only be a matter of time when colleagues would begin to drop hints about sharing my winnings with them. If I ever won a significant amount on the lotto, I’d thought it would be good to treat family and friends, plus donate to a charity.
So, why did I hesitate to share my good fortune with the call centre crowd?
Well, the single office gals enjoyed splashing their spare salary on clothes, shoes, hair, nails, beauty treatments, make- up, perfume, handbags and going out socialising. They worked hard and it was up to them how they spent it, yet… it all seemed kind of shallow to me. Put it simply, they’d fritter any extra income away on themselves. Was this really a wise way to spend it? So, for the moment, I kept the news to myself.
The thing was, I didn’t particularly want or need anything for myself. I’ve a full- time job, a furnished flat and plenty of clothes and shoes. I earn enough to cover the basics such as rent, bills and food plus extra for little treats here and there (like scratch cards!) Unlike my workmates, I’m saver, not a spender. A donation to a local charity was a good option. But which charity? There were so many…but then Mrs Wood’s recent bill worry preyed on my mind.
I ended up confiding in Leah, my best friend.
‘Well Fay, you know the saying. Charity begins at home,’ she declared.
I frowned. Did it?
‘I know! Let’s book a holiday to Spain. If you cover the flights and self-catering accommodation, I’ll pay for the food, insurance and any extras.’
Hmm… it’d just be frittering it again, wouldn’t it? I mused.
‘I’ll think about it,’ I muttered.
‘I’ve won some money on a scratch card,’ I stated nervously at Sunday lunch to Mum, dad and my sister, Jen.
‘Ooh, what a nice surprise for you, love!’ Mum was pleased.
‘Lovely!’ Dad grinned.
‘How much have you won?’ Jen asked.
‘A grand. But I don’t know what to do with it,’ I said.
Jen grinned. ‘In that case, give it to me. I can spend it for you.’
I ignored her.
‘Mum, you’d enjoy a weekend city break, wouldn’t you? Dad, how about refreshing the garden with some new plants?’
Mum smiled. ‘That’s kind of you, love, but there’s no need to waste it on us.’
‘You mum’s right, we don’t need it, Fay.’ Dad’s tone was firm.
‘Leah wants me to book a sun-soaked holiday for two,’ I said.
‘You don’t sound very keen.’ Mum was concerned.
‘Well, if you don’t fancy it, I’ll go with Leah to Spain instead,’ Jen piped up.
I ignored her again.
‘Why not save it?’ Dad suggested.’ You never know when the washing machine or fridge will break down.’
He had a point, but my kitchen appliances were fairly new, and I had savings to cover that, anyway.
What on earth was I going to do?
In the end, I decided to split the money: £500 to a local homeless charity, £100 to Mrs Woods, £100 to Leah, £100 to mum and £100 to dad and £100 to Jen.
Although Leah and Jen had expected more, when I explained how I’d shared it, they didn’t object.
Although we might dream of windfalls, I mused, if we’re lucky and don’t need anything, deciding how to use the cash wisely can become a hassle. I was so relieved when I finally reached a decision!
