Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock

Another year, another 12 months of mindless self-indulgence. And by that I mean wasting money on myself, not the band, nor anything hedonistic.

With 2012 looming I can’t help but start to chalk up where the heck all that not-so-disposable income went. I’m a reasonably frugal person, and I live a relatively boring life, but I’ve still thrown too many coins at too many distractions. While I can’t claim to have a rich and rewarding selection of interests and hobbies I do have a few. I’m equally rubbish at them all, of course, but that’s a given.

This was the year that the dream was almost over in terms of playing football regularly after a spiral of apathy and natural wastage decimated my team. As strange as it may sound I enjoy playing far more than I probably should. Although I have the desire and determination to play, and to win, of a professional I combine it with the technical ability of someone a third of my age. It’d be nice to be twice as good but only half as bothered, as many of my teammates are, but it’s only one of a considerably long list of lots in life I just have to accept.

Thankfully come the tail-end of the year salvation was found in playing 5-a-side indoor. It’s an entirely different ball game, and a bit soulless in comparison, but at least I’m still playing. Unfortunately it comes at a far higher price than grass, which came in at very little.

MMXI perhaps marks the end of my numerous misadventures into photography, only a bazillion underwhelming photos in. I’ve no more (non-instant) film cameras and I expect to have no more Polaroid cameras soon enough. The day had to come eventually.

I’ve become very selective in my gaming spend having long since sold the majority of my collection, along with my continuing resistance to getting a 360 and PS3. I do not feel the hunger to keep up with the latest and greatest titles. The only new, full price games I’ve bought this year were Zelda games. I did, however, throw caution to the wind and get the 3DS at launch. Try as I might I can’t help that I have Nintendo and Sega wired into my brain. I might even have Alex Kidd in Miracle World built-in. This said I intend to avoid the Wii U… at launch anyway.

Everton? As a fan of any team you always hope better times are ahead but it’s clear we’re now firmly within a period of readjustment, to put it mildly. In a game ruled by money we hit the glass ceiling and have now arguably fallen off the ladder as key players have left without replacement, let alone improvements to other weaknesses in the team. The next few seasons are looking increasingly like a case of rebuilding with relatively meagre resources as the bulk of the squad is slowly broken up. Unfortunately the performances on the pitch in the meantime are unlikely to be easy on the eyes or the blood pressure. None of this matters though. Getting a season ticket will always be non-negotiable while I can afford it.

I do have to thank my lucky stars that I have the option to ponder what I frivolously spend on myself but austerity measures must ensue eventually. By continuing to reduce my stuff footprint I’ll be looking to have a neutral or negative spend on hobbies in 2012.

A more resolute man would squirrel away every non-essential penny but I honestly believe I already operate far beyond most people’s humdrum threshold. If all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy I’d shudder to think what it’d make me.