I’m currently sitting in bed, still in my PJs, waiting for the in-laws to leave on holiday so that I can jump downstairs and make breakfast and coffee without having to make smalltalk with my hair everywhere (seriously, having short hair is murder when you wake up) and yesterday’s eyeliner still on. I could, obviously, brush my hair and take the eyeliner off but I can’t be bothered. I’d rather stay a mess until I have to get ready for work. Hey, it’s Sunday I’m allowed!

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday. I don’t want to be 22. I think I stopped wanting to get older when I was about to turn 20 and could no longer be a teenager. Being 22 means that the next milestone in my life is 30 and that’s a scary, scary thought. And the fact that I’m 22 and still cannot drive (legally), don’t have any savings and am in debt to my mother for nearly £3000 is rubbish. I still don’t have a concept of money, it just burns a hole in my pocket. The best example being that my mum gave me £50 yesterday as part of my birthday so that I could at least go out this weekend and have money to do so. I spent £20 of it getting to and from work (taxi each way because I was feeling lazy - how stupid am I?), about £6 on lunch yesterday, £5 on cigarettes, £2 on lottery tickets, £8 on random rubbish in the shop - Lucozade for the boy because he was hungover, cakes, smoked sausages for our dinner, a kids Lucky Bag because it’s the tackiest thing that I’ve ever seen, chocolate bars. So that leaves me with £10. And I’ve nothing major to show for it. Grrrrr. I should have put the whole lot of it in my ISA that I opened up yesterday. It’s the only way that I’ll save money - direct debit straight out my account into a taxfree account that I can save up to £3600 a year in. I’m planning on sticking just £50 a month into it. But I also have a direct debit going to my mum each month for £450 to cover my phone, Council Tax, dig money and the money that I owe her. Still, it leaves me with just over £300 a month to spend as I like, or save…

I’m using an app on my iPod Touch called PocketMoney to help me understand where I’m wasting money, even though I know that all my money goes on cigarettes, taxis and lunch in the shop. I’ve cut down the amount that I smoke but it’s not making much of a difference. And every so often I take lunch with me, but I’ve usually bought the stuff that I’m taking with me so it doesn’t make much difference.

Wonder how long it will be until I’m posting that I’ve ran out of money?

I am such a bloody spoilt little brat. Yesterday at 3pm I ordered a new phone from mobiles.co.uk because the screen on my old phone is all smashed up and I’ve had it for over a year - longer than I usually keep phones for. There’s one little, little problem with ordering a phone for such websites - they’re contract phones and I have really bad history with contract phones (ending up with me owing 02 over £500 and Orange about £300 a few years ago and screwing my credit rating for a good while). But I decided that since I’m 22 on Monday it’s time to bite the bullet and act my age when it comes to money.

There was an other reason I was wanting a new phone - a free gift. In my case an Acer Aspire 5315 with 1GB DDR SDRAM and a 80GB drive. It’s widescreen and pretty.

I figured that this, plus a Nokia 5300 5300 XpressMusic with 600 cross-net minutes and unlimited free texts was more than good at £35 a month so I called up to find out the catch and couldn’t find one so I ordered it. It was delivered earlier this morning. And I love it! The laptop/notebook is awesome and exactly what I need since my Dell Inspiron’s been dead for months and I wanted a new phone.

Is it wrong to buy yourself birthday presents though? Have you ever bought yourself something for your birthday, just as a wee treat?

I know that a lot of bloggers who use PayPerPost get slated. I’ve seen it referred to as ‘just like adverts on TV that I flick past’. The person was explaining why they do not read blogs which have sponsored posts; which is fair enough - each to their own. I for one actually quite enjoy reading sponsored posts as they show how great (usually) the blog writer’s imagination is. It’s a skill being able to write a review of a product / service and incorporate it into your blog, personal experience, writing style and making it keyword heavy all at the one time. It’s a challenge sometimes, but that’s why you’re getting paid for it!

As avid readers of my blog (go on, you know you all love me) you’ll probably have worked out that I use PayPerPost from time to time. I made a pact with myself when I signed up for the site way back in July 2007 that I would only take opportunities that were actually relevant to me personally or my blog. I have no interest in garage storage
cupboards or homeowner insurance, so why on earth would I want to blog about them and bore you all senseless with my opinion on something I’ve never used or had an experience with? Unfortunately not all Posties¹ do this, and all you get is page after page of sponsored posts about online gambling, poker websites and weight loss miracles². To date I’ve been paid for just 12 posts, and made a grand total of 80GBP. Nothing life changing but that money has been put towards paying my credit card debt which is getting smaller and smaller by the month. Thus helping reinstating my credit rating, making me a happy girl again. Today I’m amused to see myself on the day’s top earner list. 3rd as well. And only from posting one post, sweet.

Anyway, I digress. And I’m starting to think that this post sounds like a sponsored post. I can assure you that it isn’t, I’m not getting a single penny for biggin’ up PPP, as I’ve already done that and been paid for it.

What I am worried about is that these random, not-so-frequent paid posts are discouraging readership. Don’t get me wrong, my life doesn’t revolve around how many comments I receive or my Alexa rating but I don’t like the thought of pouring so much time and effort into my site, as I have done since 1998, only to be shooting myself in the foot and loosing out on readers (and more to the point, new friends and blogs to read etc) just because I make a few bucks writing about things that people don’t want to read about.

So my question is to you, dear reader, is this. What do you honestly think of PayPerPost blogs. Not just mine, although do feel free to make your feelings known, but any blog that sides on the money making side. Do you have a tolerance level? Do you just skip the posts you don’t want to read or do you delete the blog from your RSS reader the moment a “This posts was sponsored by…” tagline pops up? Or do you not really care and read every post anyway?

I’m actually really interested in knowing what you think, good or bad. Everybody has their opinions so please share yours.

EDIT:This post has had over 200 views and only one comment, so I’ve added a poll for quick opinion posting. I like opinions, please pick one!

[poll=3]

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¹ Posties are the affectionate name for bloggers who use PayPerPost.
²Weight loss miracles do not exist. All you need is portion control and some exercise and commitment!

I’ve always been lured towards playing in online casinos, probably because I don’t fancy getting all dressed up to win some money. As I’ve mentioned before, I like gambling on horses from time-to-time and I’m a mean poker player, so I guess that online casinos were the obvious next step.

There’s always one problem however - what online casino website to pick from? There are literally thousands online - there are over 66 million results when you search Google! So how on earth are you supposed to know which ones are good, who takes what as payment and which ones are out to scam you? The answer is the Online Casino Bluebook which reviews online casino’s for you to help you choose the right one to sign up with.

The site is really simple and easy to use, showing results ranked by bonus size, payout percentage, customer service, game features, # of games, software graphics, and ease of use. If you’re just starting out with playing online I highly recommend checking out this site first to help clear the fog a little when deciding. It’s makes one decision a little less of a gamble!

So, my favourite sporting event ever is coming soon - the Grand National is at the start of April and I can’t wait for it, because every single year since I was 5 years old I’ve won money betting on it. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t personally walk into Ladbrokes and put a bet on when I was 5 - my grandad did it for me. I had the best way of picking out a winner and it still works for me now, even if it’s maybe not the best way to do it.

What did I do? I picked the jockey with the best jumper! Green with red stripes, black with orange dots…whatever jumper jumped out at me from the back of the paper I chose that horse and my grandad would go and place a bet on that horse for me. If I couldn’t find a jumper that I liked I just picked out the horse with the coolest name - who remembers “Earth Summit” and “Monty’s Pass”?

This year however, I think I might try a better way of choosing a winner.
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I don’t know if it will be picked to be published, but this is my entry for BehindEveryBlog.com, the website that focuses on the author of the blog!

1. Who was your very first crush?
   I believe that it was Henry Ramsey from Neighbours (AKA Craig McLachlan), although looking back at pictures now I have to wonder why! I liked him that much that I named my pet rabbit after him, even though she was a girl. She quickly became Henrietta though! Thankfully, my taste in men has changed a heck of a lot since I was 4 years old!
2. If you could undo one thing from the last 24 hours, what would it be and why?
   Probably going to bed before 8am this morning, as I’m now not tired even though I need to sleep for work in the morning. Unfortunately, it’s a theme that seems to occur every weekend these days…staying up all night and sleeping all day. It’s playing havoc with my body!
3. In the room you’re in right now, pick out your most treasured item (your computer, people and pets don’t count). What makes it so special?
   Since people don’t count, I guess that I can’t pick my boyfriend! My most treasured item in this room (said boyfriend’s bedroom) is either going to be my brand new digital camera - which I love with a passion and seem to be taking more and more pictures every day - or our Nintendo Wii, if only because I rock at driving games and it makes me want to pass my driving test even more than standing at a bus stop at 6am every day in the pouring rain!
4. You’re given $500 to spend for a good cause. Assuming you actually have to spend the money rather than donate it to charity, what would you buy, and what would you do with it?
   . I think I would find the lovely man who stands outside the shopping center in my town selling the Big Issue and take him on a shopping spree to buy warm, waterproof clothing and boots. And a pack of cigarettes and a nice warm cup of tea. He stands outside for around 10 hours a day, opening doors for people and trying to sell the magazine. He deserves to be warm and dry!
5. What’s a quick pick-me-up?
   A Starbucks Java Chip Frappe and a newspaper to read, lounging on the big floppy sofas at the front of the shop, watching people walking by.
6. What made you start a blog?
   I honestly cannot remember, it was that long ago. My first websites started as a base to share cartoon dolls and music lyrics (hey, I was 12 and it was 1998!). From there I progressed to writing into a LiveJournal account and then changing my websites from rubbish content sites to an actual blog. I think I just wanted to be cool!!

Hope that everyone had a great Christmas, I had a blast - even though I was working 10am-2pm! It was a great wee shift though.

I got excellent presents from everyone - I am so spoiled! My mum got me an iPod Touch 16gb, a stunning framed photograph of New York for my bedroom, chocolates, a selection of belts including the most awesome sparkly gold one, underwear and money. I also got a docking station for my iPod from my gran! The boyfriend got me a Samsung D75 camera, perfume, a 1gb memory card for the camera and some other stuff. Friend’s presents included perfume, necklace, earrings and Richard Hammond’s autobiography! So awesome.

So, what did Santa bring you?

Lack of access to a computer, never mind the internet, is taking it’s toll on my blogging. It’s not, however, taking it’s toll on my writing - I’ve discovered writing in a diary again after about 3 years of publishing my thoughts only online. When I first started blogging I kept up a hand written diary, a warts-and-all LiveJournal and a less personal blog. I must have had so much time on my hands then!

My laptop, which I thought I had finally fixed, is well and truly dead. There’s nothing. Nada. Won’t switch on, won’t charge up. I think I might just take my hard drive out of it and sell it on eBay for spares/repairs. It’s a shame, such a great laptop! I miss my little Inspiron.

Won’t be getting a new one for Christmas though - I’m getting a kick ass digital camera from the boyfriend though. I can’t wait, I love taking pictures but my camera got dropped a few weeks ago and now it’s really blurry and taking yukky pictures. I’m hoping to get a Flickr Pro account in the New Year too, and start taking at least one picture every day. I want to be able to look back in five or ten years and say ‘Oh, that night was awesome…Nintendo Wii’s are sooooo old skool’ or something! And laugh at dodgy haircuts!

Can’t believe that it’s Christmas so soon, thankfully I’ve finished my shopping though - I’ve spent nearly £600 on presents mind you! Well worth it, everyone will adore their presents since I put a hell of a lot of thought into them. That’s me penniless til the next pay day mind you - in January!! Hopefully I can convince one of my mates to have a house party so I don’t have to borrow money to go out. And then I get to watch the Hogmanay edition of Still Game.

If you aren’t aware of what a MMORPG is, what planet have you been on?! Although I don’t participate in any of them, aside from SecondLife, my brothers are huge, huge fans of WoW, MapleStory, Runescape and Guild Wars. It all pretty much started with AOL’s Neverwinter Nights, which boasted 115,000 players by the end of it’s life in 1997! From there hundreds of MMORPGs have taken over the internet - with the most popular one being WoW - it has over 9 million players worldwide!

One of the most common features of MMORPGs is in-game currency. They all have it, and it’s big business. The big problem most players have is where to buy in-game currency? When I was looking for a birthday gift for my brother I came across a website called GameGoods.co.uk where it is possible to buy wow gold from the website using payment methods such as PayPal and MoneyBookers. It’s a great website - just choose the game that you’d like to buy the currency for, the value of currency you’d like to purchase and the game server which you play on. Then just pay with PayPal and there you go - in-game currency, hassle free!

The thing that I liked about it most was that I don’t play WoW, so I couldn’t have bought my brother the currency unless I logged on with his account, and I seriously doubt he’d have let me do that. By simply asking him what server he played on and his character name I could give him a gift that was little unique and most appreciated!