I got asked earlier what would i prefer, a big house, money and all things beautiful or the one i have now? Erm, the one i have now. I do not believe the perfect life exists, yes perhaps having more free cash can give you more opportunities but with that comes responsibility. If i cant pay my rent one month i know i can phone the housing and ask if i can make it up the following month, with a mortgage, the bank will wheek it away from you. I read a poem some 20 something years ago about perfection, if everyone had the same opinion, hair colour, finances, car etc then it really wouldn't be perfect. Think the poem was called A Perfect World (wonder if my old English Teacher is still around). Is it not a good thing that i struggle from time to time and that it shows my Daughter that you cant always get what you want? If you work your balls off then you appreciate what you have, or do you? I used to spend silly money every payday on cds and vinyls, now i scour the deals and probably take more care of those more and listen to them intensly. I can think of at least 20 albums i want just now and if i had the funds i would have them but would they be played the same way as my one every now and then? Don't get me wrong, we do alot together, i cut out the 2 for 1, we do trips through clubs that are cheaper than paying full price, i dont think CB wants for anything, infact she's probably better off than alot who are in our financial band, but thats because i work at making it work, i expect that at least once a month the electric meter will beep because its running so low on credit but we always manage to keep the light on. We dont need jewelry that costs thousands, just enough to pawn every now n then:)) We dont need a fancy car, i have a family railcard, what would i do with a huge fridge? fill it with goodies that would probably go out of date before we remember the back of the fridge. Slippers were invented because carpets cost money (we are'nt that bad, the house is covered in wooden flooring) Why spend on a hoover when a good hard brush can be took to the stairs (only bit that is carpeted). Maybe, just maybe i shouldn't allow a certain t.v programme to be on when CB is around, do these "My Super Sweet 16th" and "Real Housewifes Of..." give our young uns the wrong impression of what is real? I'm sure most parents would agree that, if we had to shovel shit off the street to make the pennys we would. Kinda lost what i was trying to say but in a nut shell, it dont do us any harm to say no and go without every now and then.