I think I told youall last time that I wasn't going back to India because I couldn't afford a round trip ticket. Well I found, through a fellow bloger, a travel agent who does arrange one way tickets. Contacted him yesterday and he was going to work on an itinerary. I hated to tell my sister that I was still going to India but she called me so I did. You know, she seems to be on my side now since our heart to heart conversation. Not on my side instead of on her kid's side but just, on my side too! That's best. Anyway she doesn't think I should go when my money is so tight. You know I have the thousand on the visa card and could pay for the one way ticket from that with a couple hundred to spare. Then I could pay for the visa to travel to India from my account, about 240 or so. I have that but the problem would be in paying off the visa card.
My sister said that visa charges 17 percent interest and so it behooves one to pay it off quickly, like immediately if possible. So I would have to pay that off, about 40,000 rupees, plus buy a one way ticket back to the States and if I only stayed three months, that would be precious little time to come up with about 75 thousand rupees and, living expenses too. So I'm actually writing this blog this morning, at five am...for feed back. Please tell me why on earth one should use a credit card when you have to pay so much interest?
I think the only answer to that is, don't use the credit card except for small purchases which can be paid off immediately. So, the only solution is to save up the cash before making the trip, right? I need to save up at least two thousand so I can go on a round trip ticket and not have to worry about being stuck in India without money to get back. Isn't that what youall think?
I hate to go on and on about money but sometimes you have to give the devil his due....or should I say, 'her' due in deference to my feminist readers, both of them. When I first returned from the hospital this wellness clinic downstairs sent a fellow up here to give me an ultra sound thingie to check out my aneurysm. (google didn't like the word 'thingie. Well you can't call it a treatment can you?)Anyway, the wellness clinic sent this man up here but yesterday in the midst of all the 'Indian trip trauma' I got a bill for that. $67.00. I'm sure the procedure cost a lot more than that but medicare wouldn't pick up the whole thing. (OK google, I'll go with 'procedure rather than 'thingie' . ) Just as I was opening this bill I ran into the nurse from the wellness clinic and dumped it on her. “Why me?” she complained, “ I'm just the nurse!” It wasn't a nice thing to do but the bill was burning my hand! “I didn't ask for the procedure” I replied.
So medicare is falling apart now because of those rotten tea party people and I wonder how I can save up two thousand to get back to 'the holy land'. I could fire Christine but then I would be loosing my only friend. Yesterday I actually did walk across the street by myself to see a movie at the senior center, 'Soul Surfer', about a girl who was brave and determined to follow her dream even after a shark bit off her arm. Well Swami, I'm brave and determined to come back to India but who can beat off the tea party sharks? Am I making any sense?
Yes. You're making sense.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are making a lot of sense! In thinking about money and expenses, you are only being quite sensible. The credit card companies are irresponsible and greedy. They want people like you do put everything on the cards so they make more and more money from the monthly interest. Of course it is more responsible to save the money up first, but how can you, with all the unforeseen expenses that keep cropping up? You are in a fix, unless you have family members who can pitch in to help with the expense (or lend it to you). I thought in order to get a visa, you had to show a round trip ticket? As for the tea party sharks, others are trying their best to win that battle, and we are routing for them!
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