I added the word "minor" to the title of this blog post in order to soften the impact of the rest of it, but I don't think it's doing a very good job. Then again, the writer in me refuses to give up the term "turbulence" since it nicely captures what I want to say. The challenge is that people view turbulence in so many different ways ranging from just a bumpy part of your flight that makes you lose your place in your book or the major shaking and quaking that becomes a precursor to a plane crash.
Then again, perhaps turbulence becomes a good reminder as well. When it comes to one's finances, things can shift very quickly when you're not being careful with how you spend more money. This is especially true in this consumer-driven world that we live in as powered by the dangers of personal credit and other sources of debt.
By my calculations, I'm now starting to deal with the fallout of our Singapore trip. This was in no way unexpected - every purchase had been carefully considered and measured in terms of its impact on things further down the road. Thus it means that my credit card is riding a little low in the water as the Singapore charges have now materialized and I just have to deal with my obligations to my bank as does everyone else in this world.
But at the same time
Tobie and I have been considering getting new phones, which is partly a necessity but significantly an indulgence at the same time. My phone musings have shifted from the Samsung Galaxy S4 over to the HTC One and
there's that side of me that just wants to rush forward and get it. But at the same time I know that it's better to wait a bit and stick to my original plan of first finishing this period to evaluate my mobile phone usage and determine if a upgrade of plan is in order before I think about committing to getting a phone through Globe, my provider. While I have written about the lack of benefits of getting a phone through one's mobile phone service provide in the past, beyond cost there is the question of availability. And if I do push through with the HTC One, I first need to find some in stock - preferably from a retailer that will allow me to purchase the item via credit card installment.
Having a credit card always makes you think that you can afford pretty much anything now and then deal with the consequences later. But I've made sure in the long run to keep some stringent fiscal discipline ever since I first got my credit card in order to avoid sending myself into credit card induced poverty. And nobody wants that.
So for now, I have to stick to my guns. Pay off my Singapore debt. Study my mobile phone usage throughout this bill cycle. Defer any significant expenses until my next credit card cycle.
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