If I were a Rich Girl

I love to splash my cash. I'm definitely not a penny pincher but rather the type of woman who likes to live life to the full by spending the dough like there's no tomorrow. Whether its hitting the town and insisting on paying for my girlfriend's cocktails or heading out for dinner and ordering a dozen oysters even though I know I'll probably only eat six; nothing feels better than emptying my wallet and having a good time.

But I can also assure you that nothing feels worse when you're in the queue at the supermarket and have stocked up your trolley with lots of gourmet goodies only to be faced with that one word that can send a shiver down any girl's spine; declined. And it's no use asking the check out girl to swipe your card again; it's only going to cause further looks of amusement from the other shoppers that have already classified you as another Gen Y, carelessly spending beyond your means.

It's just too depressing having to sit home on a weekend while my friends go out and have the time of their life while I mope around and watch re-runs of Come Dine With Me because I've spent the majority of my pay cheque on, well... things I can't even recall! Magazines I never read, taxis when I could have walked, tipping the girl at McDonald's and slipping a homeless man a twenty. It all adds up and it all disappears way too quickly.

Times like these I look to the skies and send a silent little prayer of winning the lottery. Although I'm pretty sure you actually have to play in order to win. I have played the lotto before but I just find it too disappointing and quite frankly embarrassing when I go to collect. I am always convinced that I have won and that this time it's really going to be it. And when the cashier expresses her sympathies and tells me that I haven't won I literally feel my heart drop while acting oh so blaze and nonchalant as if I couldn't care less and didn't even need the money. I automatically pick up a chocolate bar to purchase in order to comfort myself and distract the lady from my disappointment/embarrassment.

So after another day of losing millions in the lottery I began to wonder if the answer to all my problems would indeed be in the form of an unlimited spendings account! At first I thought that this was definitely the solution, more money would equal less hassle, stress, pressure and more pampering, preening and tequila times. But it was only when I really delved into the issue that I realised that money ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Once upon a time a couple of years ago I used to live in London. I shared a bedroom and a well also a bed with my dear friend Mia where we were forced to survive on potatoes and complimentary chocolate chip muffins from the local beautician. Low on funds and without work we never had any money to go out yet we always managed to swing ourselves some free drinks and blag our way on to the guest list. Our bus ride home was always filled with amazingly funny characters that would have us laughing in stitches for days and we always came home with great stories we still think back on and smile.

Yet if you threw money into this equation I guarantee you we wouldn't have had as much fun or made as many friends as we did and we most definitely would have gotten a cab home completely missing out on watching the old homeless lady step onto the bus and count her impossible amount of hundred pound notes on the bus that were encased in a plastic sleeve while creepily staring at us and laughing! (I still wonder where on earth she got that money from!?)

So I have lack-of-money to thank for some seriously good times that otherwise would not have happened. Hardship really gets your creative juices flowing especially when it comes to bartering at festivals and sharing your picnic blanket with grateful festival goers who do not wish to sit in the mud and in turn reward your kindness with cups of hot tea and snacks back at their campervan. Being broke can definitely push you out of your comfort zone and make you grateful for all the little things.

When you don't have money it creates desire and hope. Not a day went by where I wouldn't be entertaining Mia with my elaborate fantasies where we would be rich, living in luxurious penthouses and relaxing in St Tropez on a beautiful yacht. We would save our money in order to recreate a fraction of my fantasies and be so happy to be finally exploring another country that we wouldn't dare whinge about anything.

I'm sure that if we were in fact lottery winners we would be sulking about room service and spending the night in VIP sections of clubs surveying everyone up and down instead of raving away in the middle of the dance floor soaked up in all the atmosphere as well as everybody else’s sweat.

So I really appreciate the fact I'm not living it large like Paris Hilton as it does add a certain sparkle of uncertainty and chaos to my life. But although I can really see the bright side to all of this; if I were to somehow stumble across a bag of unclaimed cash filled with big bucks I would be hesitant to hand it over to the police and be more inclined to think- show me the money!!!