While going to office this morning Hubby Dear asked me if I needed any money and was most shocked when I said an emphatic NO.

Normally by the end of the first week of the month I have to make a trip to the bank to withdraw money for the rest of the month. I make so many trips to the Bank that it is almost like the obligatory daily visit to a Temple.

But this week thanks to the traders’ strike most shops in Mumbai have downed their shutters. Of course this is inconvenient to say the least but at least it has meant that I have achieved my dream of financial discipline – observing one day in the week as a NO EXPENSE DAY. And the traders are protesting the LBT or Local Body Tax which is an additional tax the Municipal corporation intends imposing on the traders. I have no idea exactly what this tax entails but considering our Municipal Corporation is one spineless organisation which bends to the will of the corrupt and ugly, I wholeheartedly agree with the traders who have dug in their heels and refuse to pay this tax.

However, there have been times over the past few days where I’ve had to dash out to make some urgent, last minute purchases and was happy to note that certain traders actually keep their shutters half down and give their loyal customers what they want provided they have phoned in advance. So in that small window of fifteen minutes or so when the shops are kept open ostensibly to be cleaned, a lucky customer can get what he wants.

Till today the chemists are still open so I was surprised when a lady came in to ask for “Lindt” chocolates of all things and when she was told that they didn’t stock them, she called up her home to ask if ” Toblerone” would do instead. That’s when I realised that there must be many shopoholics who are actually going through withdrawal symptoms with this strike but I actually couldn’t be happier. With Rs.500 notes vanishing faster than you can count them, the only way I can cope with inflation in my daily budget is by allocating one day in a week where I don’t spend any money – not even pay a bill. This is quite hard to do with every billing cycle being different so now that the shops are closed and I perforce have to close my wallet, I am thrilled that my expenses this month will be within my budget.

I am also happy that I can get out of many odd jobs to be done with the excuse that  ” the shops are shut!!”