I have been really trying since Christmas not to spend cash on unnecessary “stuff”, but I am struggling. Although I have a perfectly good kettle in my office I often go to the vending machine in the canteen, mainly for a bit of a leg stretch, and to have a mid morning nose poke into other peoples offices to say “hello”. I have managed without my tea fix but I had to spend some cash today and I really resented it, which coming from someone who normally loves shopping is highly unusual.

One of my team had a birthday today, and like many offices, tradition is that we get the birthday girl or boy a card and I usually make a cake (I guess it breaks up office tedium). However, due to the Christmas break we all forgot that this poor devil was another year older today – felt really rotten because they seemed resigned to everyone forgetting and I guess that it happens to them every year. So, at 8.26am I legged it to the nearest large supermarket and bought a couple of their top of the range cakes. Admittedly, they looked beautiful; if it wasn’t for the vast amount of wrapping and a commercial symmetry they could certainly pass for homemade. But they both tasted exactly the same – just kind of sweet and airy, but not in a good, meringue type way. Just in a load of old refined sugar way. If I ate them blindfolded I wouldn’t have been able to recognise any distinct flavours – and if you can’t tell the difference between chocolate and lemon there is something a bit odd. What a waste of money and calories…

And don’t get me started on the price of birthday cards.

Anyway got home full of that Wednesday feeling – cold, weary and hungry. Faced with a fridge full of nothing much, I abandoned all my foodie principles. Mixed some organic beef mince with a handful of dried herbs, some seasoning and made burgers. You don’t need to faff around with eggs and breadcrumbs if you use decent meat. A few minutes on a shimmering hot griddle pan, still pink in the middle, slapped them into a couple of burger buns. Topped with squeezy yellow mustard, tomato ketchup (the non homemade, non organic variety), a bit of salad and some long, sliced gherkins, we ate these, oozing mustard, off our knees in front of the telly.

You know what? I wouldn’t have changed it for all the “foodie” food in the world.

I have just read this back and feel like a total mean old Scrooge, ranting about money. The main thing was to cheer my colleague up; so that they had a happy birthday and we showed them how much we appreciate them. I think they might have preferred a large gin or an extra day under the duvet…