The Diary
of
Anne Ku

5 December 2000 Tuesday

MONEY AND TRAVEL SECTIONS

Every Monday, I rummage through the Sunday newspapers in the office and pull out the travel and money sections. Reading about personal financial management is a chore and a bore. Reading about exotic destinations and travel tips is a delight. These two sections balance out well.

Little by little, I understand why the UK government introduced PEPS and ISAs. They are tax-free allowances to encourage the average wage-earner to save for the future. However, the plethora of available ISAs is all too confusing. There are too many investment vehicles, hence the IFA - independent financial advisor and various written guides to help sieve thru this mess. Unfortunately, most people panic - just before the end of the tax year. One theory is that - the period leading up to Christmas is a good time to invest. Don't wait until the spring - (April is the tax year end in the UK).

Unlike the money section which I read and discard, the travel section I would read and clip out pieces to retain. They are the "carrot" of my daily existence, unlike the money sections which are the "stick." Some of these travel surveys are just too good to throw away. For example, interviews with whitewater rafting experts on where to go in the world for the best trips. One day, I shall run the waters in Africa, Turkey, India, ....

"The explicit psychology of these transactions involves recognition (they are asking me this question); respect (they think I know something they don't); attribution (you can use it as long as you say where you got it from); credit (I will answer on the implicit understanding that you will give me an equivalent transaction in the future); and shared perception of value (we both know this knowledge has real potential value if exploited)."

Perhaps there is a good reason why I religiously read these two sections of the Sunday papers. If I succeed in managing my personal finances, then I would be able to pay for my dream holiday: travel around the world for a year in style, to Timbuktu, Casablanca, Zanzibar, and Xanadu. Oh yes, and visit the seven wonders of the world.

Yesterday

Tomorrow

Related links at analyticalQ:

Travel Sites

Foreign Exchange Conversion