Hauns Aff Ma PIE!

I was doing a bit of financial investigation today with my online banking system and worked out a distressing fact about my money. I won’t get into the actual figures but in 2008 almost a quarter of the money that I’ve spent has gone on paying off my credit cards and my infamous Cahoot flexible loan. In true office worker style I’ve rigged up a pie chart that gives a basic breakdown of my finances for the year.

The coding is fairly straightforward. Rent is the rent on my flat which is by far the biggest chunk Messages cover’s food etc. and bills covers the electricity, council tax, TV license, phone bills and broadband etc. Cash covers the times I’ve been to an ATM and withdrawn money. The debt heading covers the infernal credit cards and loan. Extras are basically anything that isn’t needed for day to day survival. It’s disheartening to see that even after a year of making a concerted effort to diminish the damn thing it’s still swallowing a sizable chunk of my income. Hopefully 2009 will be the year that shrinks this to a far more acceptable size.