'how did you afford that?!'

Everyone has questions that do their head in, that they get asked way too much, and they feel step over some sort of line. Anyone reading this who has a tattoo will know that feeling (no, I actually don't want to answer, for the 100th time, why I chose to get this particular tat, on this particular part of my body). It is annoying having to answer repeated questions, especially when it feels like you are being forced to justify yourself, or go in to territory you would rather not discuss.

Asking people about their financial situations in a social conversation is generally considered a massive no-no, no matter who you are or where you are from, yet, people still often feel the need to ask questions concerning how much money you have, how you can afford stuff, why you can't afford stuff, etc, etc. And usually, we don't want to answer. Especially when those answers concern deeper issues that aren't always to do with finances. Sometimes people can ask a question totally innocently, without knowing what they really are asking.

When I tell people that after uni I want to go travelling, and after that I want to do a masters, people often ask me how I will afford it. If I were in an interview for a masters course, I could understand this. But it is usually just in a social conversation. The answer to how I can afford it is touchy, it's something I don't like discussing, so it's a bit ironic I'm writing a blog post on it. But sometimes the things that are hardest to discuss are the things that, as a writer, need to be written about. I won't go in to details, but unfortunately, a few years ago I lost someone very close to me. I was left with all of the inheritance money. And that is how I can afford to do a masters (if I get on to one!), and how I will be able to put a deposit on a house years before many of my peers will be doing the same. People will similarly wonder why I have a nice, new, fiat 500, which I got before I even passed my test, when I was still 17. And the reason is the same. People who don't know me closely will presume that I am rich, or spoilt, or both, but in actual fact, this is quite far from the truth. When I'm not at uni, I live comfortably. But we are not rich. And while my mum and step-dad will treat me sometimes, it's not something I ever take for granted.

The truth is, despite this, I am still skint!! This inheritance money is something I can not touch, unless I go to great efforts to do so. It is there for important investments. Not for flitting on clothes in topshop. I am still like every other jobless student, living off the minimum student loan, consistently and considerably dipping into my overdraft, and trying to balance the temptations of going on nights out and buying new clothes with the need to err, eat, or pay the bills. I am still a poor student trying to save money, always looking out for what is cheapest or what deals are going. I just also happen to be in a situation where I can fund my own future, for the most part.

Some people might view this as luck. I don't. I don't think gaining money from losing someone close to you can ever be considered lucky. So why am I writing this? Some might view it as a form of attention seeking, but I see it as the opposite. I am fed up with people making presumptions, about any aspect of my life. I am fed up with people asking questions about things that are quite frankly, personal, and difficult to answer. Writing this is sort of like a release of those frustrations. I am writing this for me as much as I am for anyone else, whether that be someone who also feels the frustrations of being constantly asked personal questions, or someone who is guilty of doing the asking. And next time someone asks me how I afforded my fiat, I think I'll just point them to the direction of this blog post.