"Cat - It's all yours!" (What do you spend your dooyoo earnings on?)

Member Name: yackers1

Product:	What do you spend your dooyoo earnings on?
Date:	05/03/09 (433 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Surplus cash to buy gifts

Disadvantages: Poor hourly rate but it's definitely worth it

I find consumer spending habits quite interesting and after reading many reviews on how Dooyoo members are spending, or in many cases intending to spend, their earnings I thought I would add my two pence worth.

There are so many uses for earnings and include trying to clear some debts to buying luxury items to putting it toward a first house purchase there are loads of ideas currently floating around. Many members mention the phrase 'selfish' but at the end of the day if you have put in the time and effort to write decent reviews, rate other reviews and participate in the Dooyoo community then I think you have every right to be a bit indulgent. I know that there is the option to donate to charity but I do plenty for charity (I participate in 10 sponsored cycling sportives every year, I buy numerous Big Issues, if I buy a small item with a £1 or £2 coin then the change always goes in to the charity box etc) so these earnings are mine.

Let's face it, you're never going to get rich from writing reviews (even if you start cross posting it all over the net) but 'every little helps' and it is nice to earn a bit extra in the current, and depressing, economic climate. Whilst cash is the primary motivation for writing reviews (although my hourly rate for this is very, very poor) I really do enjoy writing, and reading other reviews. My writing and typing skills have come on in leaps and bounds and I have learned so much from other Dooyoo members that the poor hourly rate is well worthwhile.

When I first started out on Dooyoo it was a challenge, with a friend, to see who could get to £20 (or 20,000 miles) first. The intention was to then blow the earnings on something from Amazon and then leave the site alone. However, I encountered a problem and before I had made the £20 I started to really enjoy the Dooyoo experience and by the time I had made my first £20 I was an addict.

Since my earnings were 'playing' money I thought that I would save them up and buy something that I would not normally buy. I had my heart set on a digital camcorder (quite high but I knew I would get there, even if it took a few months) so obtaining this was going to be my challenge.

I say unfortunately, but I guess it should be fortunately, my parents bought my other half and I a camcorder for an engagement present. What was I going to spend my earnings on now? Many items passed through my mind, an Xbox? A Wii? A new plasma TV? A laptop? I needed something substantial to make it really worthwhile.

On the 12 December I was made redundant. Whilst there is no nice time to be kicked out of your job, it seems to bite even more around the festive period. Christmas and the New Year is meant to be a 'fun' time of year, but for me this was the worst Christmas I have ever had and I shall never forgive my old boss for this. I basically went in to mild depression. It really bites being told you're not good enough for your job and my whole world came crashing in. There was nothing to get up for in the morning, I had no spare cash and since we rely on two incomes to pay the mortgage there was a real fear that we could lose our lovely home and our marriage would need to be cancelled.

Throughout my period of mild depression my rock was my other half. I admit it that I was a nightmare. I was angry, rude, arrogant and unhelpful amongst all other bad things but she stood by me no matter how I treated her. How, and why, she put up with it I'll never know, but I am so glad she did and over time she dragged me back up. It's amazing how a touch of a hand when you first wake, up or a cheeky smile over breakfast can make every thing seem great but that's what she did. Luckily I managed to get another job and everything is now back on track (fingers crossed). From then on I decided that all my earnings would be spent on my other half. "My" Dooyoo fund became "Cat's" Dooyoo fund as a thank you for being my better half. I really would be nothing without her.

My other half leads quite a frugal life and is not a material person. This is a refreshing change from a few of my other previous girlfriends who would demand all surplus cash spent on them and if you did not buy them the designer top they wanted then you'd be in the dog house.

My other half never asks for anything and she is always grateful for gifts regardless of how much they cost or what they are. Her first love is classical music and being a flautist she likes nothing more than having 'obscure' sheet music from various composers to play. These are best sourced from second hand music shops and can be picked up for a couple of pounds. She would go crazy if I bought her something expensive (since she would see it as a waste of money that could have been put back in to our house) so saving up is no use. Instead I buy her small things on a regular basis, like sheet music, CDs, DVDs, books etc. Unfortunately not all of the gifts I buy can be sourced from Amazon so I have to make sure that I reach the £50 to obtain a cheque and cash it in.

Some of my mates think the time I spend on Dooyoo is ridiculously excessive, especially since I see no benefit in it. I do not see it like this since although I put in the time and effort I am rewarded with seeing the smile on my other half's face when she is playing the classical piece I bought her, and this is well worth the poor hourly rate.

I should end this piece by thanking all of you for your reads and rates and informing me of other products, websites and gift ideas.

Summary: Because she's worth it