The Ghost of Expected Surprises

Here, Cratchet, what do you think you're doing?

Uh, er, leaving sir.

Leaving? It's 5 minutes to the hour. Shall I dock your pay accordingly.

Uh, er, no sir.

No sir? Well it's back to work for you then, and be quick about it. And I don't expect your mind to be off home before your body gets out the door either, what?

Uh, er, no sir.

Quite.

Will you be doing anything for Christmas, sir?

Christmas, Schmissmiss.

Uh, er, what sir?

Schmi, schmish. Smiss.

Are you okay, sir?

Schmee, smaa, ooh.

Mr. Scrooge, sir? Mr. Scrooge? Mr. Scroo?.

***********************************************************************

Oooohhh. Ooooooooooooooh!

What? Who? What? Oh!

EEEIIIIII am the Ghooooost of Expeeeected Surprises.

What? What? Again? Not again. Oh please, spirit, not again. Please no.

EEEIIIIII visited yoooooou laaaast year, Scroooooooooooooge.

Oh, yes, spirit, that you did. That you did. Ooooooooh, and here I forgot!

FOOOOORGOOOOOT!!!!!

Oh, please spirit. Not so loud. Not again. Not again.

Why am I heeere again, Scrooooooooge? Why again?

Uh, uh, because I forgot the very thing that comes around every year. I forgot, yet again, Spirit. Silly me. Oh, silly silly me. I'm a bad man, spirit. Please have mercy. Oh please.

What is the Deeeeefinition of Expeeeected, Scrooooooge?

Um, of course, yes, I know this, why it's something known in advance. Yes. Known in advance, spirit. Something you can see coming. It's clear. It's clear now, spirit. Foresight. Advanced knowledge.

And yet you are caught unprepaaaaaared again this year, Scroooooooge!!

I am, good spirit. I am wholly unprepared. I didn't see you coming either, I fear. Stupid, silly man that I am. Oh spirit. Please. What is to become of me?

Yoooooouuuuuuu knoooooow.

Oooooh. Not that spirit. Anything but that.

Yeeees. Scroooge. Revise yoooooour buuuuuudgettt.

My, my budget, spirit? But I have a budget.

Muuuuuussssst yooooou beeee reminded agaaaaain? Yooooou have a moooonthleeey budget, Scroooooge. Buuut you have nooooo alloooocation foor annual expeeeennnssses.

I forgot, spirit. I forgot.

Eveerrrry year yooooou have nooooo money fooooor Christmaaaaas. Noooo money foooooor birthdaaaaay gifts, noooooo money foooooor caaarriage insurance, noooo caaaash for property taaaaxes.

No spirit. Never a penny. Never a pound. Never a schekel I fear. I'm tapped out and credit cards haven't been invented yet!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Never meeeention credit caaards, Scrooooooooge!

Sorry, spirit.

The Ghoooost of Future Expeeeeected Surprises is beset with credit caaaaard nightmaaaaares! Yoooooou don't waaaant a visit from hiiim.

No spirit, no. Not him. I've learned my lesson spirit. I have. I know I have. I will budget for annual expenses from now on. No longer will Ebenezer Scroooge be surprised by the expected. Caught without cash for things he knew, and always knew, were coming...yet again.

Caaaaash fooooor Christmaaaaaaas gifts too, Scroooooooooooge?

Wa, uh, ee, well, uh?

About The Author

Rick Hoogendoorn has been in the financial services industry in Victoria, BC since 1991. Happy Holidays from Cheri Crause & Associates Inc.

---

Get Your Credit Score To Soar In The Twinkling of An Eye

Ever wonder how a creditor decides whether to grant you... Read More

Read and Understand Your Credit Card Statement

Have you ever looked at your credit card statement and... Read More

Credit Cards - The Top 3 Things You Need To Know

Today there are so many different credit cards available, student... Read More

Credit Report Secrets: Do You Know What They Reveal?

If you've ever applied for a credit card or loan,... Read More

Minimum Credit Card Payments to Rise

For years, major credit card companies have allowed cardholders to... Read More

Discover the Parts of a Credit Report and What They Mean

So you ordered a copy of your credit report to... Read More

Bad Checks, Bounced Checks, & NSF Checks

Negotiable instruments like checks and drafts have become an indispensable... Read More

Bankruptcy Myths Busted

The average American knows very little about bankruptcy. Most people... Read More

Credit Cards: How To Use Them

Credit cards can be a very quick way of getting... Read More

Why Credit Cards are a Bad Idea

Credit cards are just so convenient, aren't they? There's no... Read More

Credit Card Rates - Negotiating Rates with Your Credit Card Company

Ok, let's face it, everybody hates high credit card rates,... Read More

Credit and Its Cost

What is Credit? Credit is money granted by a lender... Read More

Tackling Bad Credit

The first time I heard the term credit history was... Read More

Credit Establishment 101

There will come a day when you need credit. You... Read More

Credit Card Incentives

Credit card companies want your business. After all, lending money... Read More

Bad Credit Credit Cards

Chances are you've gotten your share of offers like this... Read More

7 Compelling Reasons Why A Prepaid Debit Card May Be Just The Financial Tool You Need

Prepaid debit cards are great financial tools and may be... Read More

Credit Repair Scams

"Erase Bad Debt !""Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report"You've... Read More

Credit Card Disclosure Table ? Do You Understand It All?

In addition to the APR (annual percentage rate) and the... Read More

Rewards Cards - Are They Right For You?

Rewards cards have become the latest rage in the credit... Read More

Avoiding ID Theft and Credit Fraud

Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space... Read More

When You Are Eligible For A Free Credit Report

By Federal law, you are entitled to one free credit... Read More

Credit Repair Myths and Facts

There are no secrets to repairing your credit. Many shady... Read More

How To Avoid Becoming A Victim of Identity Theft

With identity theft statistics currently at an all time high,... Read More

How To Use Your Credit Cards Wisely

Are you one of the thousands pulling your hair out... Read More

Rebuild Your Credit the Right Way the First Time

If you are one of the millions of people out... Read More

10 Simple Steps to Manage Your Credit

By far the greatest invention the banks have ever come... Read More

It Takes Credit To Build Credit

Using a credit card wisely is an important step in... Read More

How Do I Establish A Good Line of Credit?

A line of credit, roughly defined, is the amount of... Read More

Is Plastic Making You Happier?

If you're like most people, you probably own at least... Read More

Credit Help for Real Estate Financing: Credit Scores

When you buy real estate, lenders run all of the... Read More

Fixing A Credit Report

Fixing a credit report starts with seeing what's on it.... Read More

Trade Credit: How to Determine if You Should Offer Net-30 Terms to Your Customers

What is trade credit?One of the major differences between consumer... Read More