Geneva airport has been closed for a couple of days, so my flight was cancelled yesterday. Rather than take a replacement flight Friday, Dan and I thought we would save the money (and his holidays from work) and forget it. There was also a line of very sad-looking skiers and we thought they needed to get there more than we did! I hope my installation instructions will translate ok for the exhibition on Saturday.
http://www.roaming-art.it/eventi/upcoming/heteroto…
Would have been nice to go, but perhaps there will another chance some day. Having 5 unplanned days actually feels like magical time conjured from nowhere. I haven’t done much useful with it so far though.
I have been pretending to do my accounts today and as a result am feeling the rising panic in my guts. I have a little bit of income to come as an artists’ fee from YSP, but I have to live on that until July – not likely! I have some lecturing coming up, but only 3 days, although I think I can stretch that for about 6 weeks. I am thrift Queen.
I am also still chasing a load of invoices from as far back as August – nearly £2,000 worth! I have sent some polite emails (again), but my next blog post will be all about naming names if they don’t pay up!. Lots of them are from artist types so they really should know better and have a bit of empathy. Grrr. My van insurance is due on 22nd December so that will see me get progressively more frantic and assertive.
There is an article in this month’s a-n about ways to save money, which I shall be taking heed of!
My only problem with this article is the presumption that artists are able to apply for a 0% credit card.
As I said, I’m at home doing my accounts today. That would be my 09/10 accounts (oops!). One thing I wish, I wish I could change to a more ethical bank, i.e. The Cooperative, but I feel properly stuck with HSBC. I started with Midland when I was very wee, and then when I went to Uni, they were HSBC already and were offering a four year railcard and an amazing overdraft with student accounts. Going to Edinburgh and having a boyfriend still at home in Cheshire, this saved me hundreds of pounds and was a complete no-brainer. But now, as a self employed artist earning very little (between £7,000 – 12,000), I find myself stuck with this bank. If I could get a new account now (I’ve tried), I wouldn’t even be eligible for a solo-card, never mind switch, or an overdraft or credit card. Even in the credit happy times when I was at Wimbledon, I was turned down for a graduate loan 7 times as well as bank accounts and credit cards.
As it is, my loyalty to HSBC means that my overdraft limit from 1997 still continues to be £1500 and I live in this for half the year at least. I also feel like they might notice one day and take it away from me! Shhhh, don’t tell them!
I can see why people get really stuck on low incomes and crap cash flow, when they have no leeway. Pure misery. I try not to use my credit card, as I would quickly get in a mess (especially when they constantly hike my limit up, think I have about £7,000 at the moment – that’s about the same as I earn – ridiculous!) but I am glad it exists just in case. Ugh, anyway, enough money chat. Perhaps one day I will graduate to choosing which bank I use; I hope so.
