Monday 18 July 2016

Stop whingeing about brexit

Well a few weeks have passed since the Brexit vote and I hope some of those who voted for it have had time to count the costs, at least in the short term. I certainly have and one immediate impact on my little business is the exchange rate, which means the next order I take from our Spanish supplier, which will be in August, will be 14% more expensive than the last one. What do I do, raise my selling prices? I asked my husband. He said no, grin and bear it for a while. Well I won't be grinning.

Another impact is on our next holiday ... now we don't book holidays in advance, never have done, business has always dictated when we can take breaks, but it is obvious that our next week in the sun is going to be a lot more expensive than our last one. Flights, accommodation and currency are all higher. I threw some ideas at P on the weekend and he said it sounded expensive, find cheaper. I told him I could if he wanted to wait and take a November break in the UK. I won't tell you what his response was. The only good thing, unusually for me, is I bought too much cash currency in euros earlier this year and still have most of it tucked away in my dresser, I haven't told him that but it's probably as much as we would normally spend cash-wise during a week in the Med so that will cushion the cost and no doubt bring a smile to P's face when I reveal it. I'm saving it as a tactical tool to help swing him when we get to decision time.

Meanwhile I'm pretty grumpy about brexit. Our son's new house, which was negotiated pre brexit but won't complete till next month, has apparently dropped several percent, his mortgage deal is locked at what seemed a good rate but who knows what's ahead, the cost of everything imported into the country has obviously increased and has to reflect in sale prices soon as far as I'm concerned.

P had been stoic up to this weekend, listening to my moans and groans tolerantly and agreeing but also pointing out it might only be relatively short term and to give it a break. Easy for him to say but he's not the one charged with getting a holiday lined up early September with no brexit surcharge. Anyway yesterday morning I asked him about mobile roaming charges, car hire and a few other things including whether he'd accept a shared pool, to which he unfortunately said yes no problem, which set me back because I was only using it as another tactic but it backfired on me because actually I'm the one who doesn't like pool sharing because I'm embarrassed not being a good swimmer. Shit.

After a while P put his newspaper aside and told me he'd heard enough whingeing about the effects of brexit, no point getting stressed over it, find solutions and think positively he said. I looked over my glasses, "Oh excellent advice, P, thank you," I said sarcastically, "perhaps you'd care to lead the way." 

He did. He took me by the hand, upstairs to our little office and spanked me. He didn't take my jogging pants off (I hadn't been jogging, I'd been hula-hooping in the garden earlier), he just put me across his knees, pulled our bogey paddle from under the futon and spanked me for about ten minutes, consistently hard with just a few pauses to reaffirm his warning to stop whingeing and getting stressed over something we couldn't do anything about and to concentrate on things we could do something about. After each little pause he asked me if I understood, agreed etc and made me answer, in the affirmative needless to say, before resuming. I asked him to let me up please, I'd got the message, but he wouldn't because, he said, he knew me and he knew the message wouldn't last five minutes if he didn't deliver it properly. So I got quite a spanking and my jogging pants offered no protection at all, if anything they served only to help retain the heat in my backside after I was let up.

There's something about non sexual spankings that's so sexy it's ridiculous. I know I was red faced when I stood up, I could feel my cheeks burning. I hadn't been unclothed, I hadn't felt my husband's cock against my thigh, I hadn't felt myself dampening, I'd just been plainly spanked and hard too. I felt so embarrassed as my husband's eyes sought mine, looking to see if there was any challenge in them. There wasn't.

"Call it stress relief," he said. "Now go downstairs and let's have no more moaning." I turned to leave the office and he spoke again.

"If it's any help," he said, "I've got a load of euros I didn't use last time Stefan came over, I don't need them for anything so you could put them into the holiday calculations, I was going to tell you later, they're in my travel bag, help yourself. Oh and I'll have a mug of tea please, when you're making one."

Well the sneaky devil, hoarding euros, he's as bad as me. I smiled as I went downstairs. Needn't tell him about mine then, I'll reserve them for another time:)

Have a good week.

Ronnie
xx

19 comments:

Michael M said...

Fortunately you are not up the creek without a paddle.

an English Rose said...

Hi Ronnie, oh well at least you both have a secret stash and you did get a spanking out of it! I keep waiting for Nicola Sturgeon to put the mockers on it and we stay put.
love Jan, xx

Rosie Jones said...

I have two daughters, one in the middle of buying a house, the other selling. Both facing uncertainty. We can only hope that pain now will lead to gain in the future.
Rosie xx

Lindy Thomas said...

Hope it all settles down for you soon. Funny you both have a secret stash of euros. Now you can enjoy planning your holiday.
By the way hoola hooping sounds fun!
Hugs Lindy

Anonymous said...

Okay I am confused. I am not from the UK and thought that until art. 50 was pulled there would be no changes... So you are already feeling the impact?

DelFonte said...

Shush, don't tell him - does he read this blog?

We've hoarded a few euros and dollars too, which is a good thing since we're going to the USA next year for a holiday. I do get my royalties in dollars, but any gain will simply offset the rising costs of the exchange rate. I'm trying not to whinge too. There is nothing to change the decision, only how it's implemented. Keeping my fingers crossed we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

DF

Roz said...

Hi Ronnie, funny that you both have a secret stash of euros. Bide your time telling him, I'm sure you can engineer another spanking out of it lol. I agree with you about non-sexual spankings.

Hugs
Roz

Ella said...

First, I was not familiar with the spelling of what I would refer to as "whining." As soon as I started reading, though, it was clear. I was almost envious of the ten minute spanking. There has been none of that lately. I may protest at a serious spanking, but if it is too short, I do not have that reset that I need.

Sorry to hear about the negative economic consequences of brexit for you all. Have tried to read enough to understand what is happening.

Hugs Across the Pond,
Ella

Hermione said...

All's well that ends well! What a coincidence that you both have hoarded Euros. Our currency has also tanked and ordering anything from the US costs much more.

According to one newspaper article I read, it could be 2018 before Article 50 is invoked, and by then, who knows if anyone will even remember about Brexit. It might all just be swept under the carpet and forgotten.

Hugs,
Hermione

Katie said...

Hi Ronnie, :) Nice of P to give you some spanky business, and get your mind off the sad, but true changes that you have been experiencing/are worried about.

How fun that you both have secret vacation stashes! Now you can go on two! And get a spanking when he discovers yours! :) Many hugs,

<3 Katie

Our Bottoms Burn said...

I have no idea why the exchange rate would already be affected. I am 100% free trade. In school, I had one course on your Adam Smith and that set my views on trade.

10 minutes of paddling. Woowee!

As for pool sharing, private pools in the states are rare. Sometimes really high end places have them. Besides, you don’t have to swim, just look good. Grin.

Cyber Hugs

Aimless Rambling said...

I always stash a few bucks here and there too. It's funny but we worry about things which we can't control and yet it all turns out right at the end (your end too).

Anonymous said...

Delightful to read! Uncertainty always exists, so enjoy life in spite of it. Your supplier in Spain will want to keep you as a client, so will probably lower the cost somewhat. A true discipline spanking, that was needed, mostly solved the problem, and was enjoyed afterwards
Bottoms up
Red

ronnie said...

Michael - Yes:) Thanks.

Jan - I think NS will call a Scottish referendum next year. Trying to work around that date but doesn't seem to be working. Thanks.

Rosie Yes lets hope so. Thanks.

Lindy - I'm definitely not going to tell him about mine:) Hula hooping is a good one for toning body and for stomach. Thanks.

Anonymous - Yes definitely affecting us, the pound plunging was immediate but now confidence is waning and that's affecting investment decisions it becomes a vicious circle

DF - Yep we just have to manage it. Keeping my fingers crossed as well. I did buy some dollars earlier in the year and now wished I'd bough more. Thanks.

Roz - I'll be keeping mine until next year:) Thanks.

Ella - Glad if was only 10 minutes with the Bogey paddle. Hopefully a spanking is in your stars very soon:)

Hermione - I think there will be a vote in our Parliament to start Article 50 but who knows when that will be. Yes I've heard it could be 2018. Our new Prime Minister say Brexit is Brexit and we will come out. Thanks.

Kate - It's a worry for a lot of people. It's the not knowing. I'm saving my stash for another time and that will definitely get me spanked when he finds out:) Thanks

OBB - Pound dropped around 12% against the dollar the very first day the vote was known. That quick. I know that's crazy but that's what happened and still down.
A lot of villas in the Med are private and have their own pool not shared. I don't look that good in a swimsuit:) Thanks

SG - I do worry more than I should. If I ever get to the States I've got a few dollars ready:) Thanks.

Red - He is a small supplier so I don't think he will be able to do much of a discount but we'll see. A spanking always puts me right:) Thanks.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

stay at home mom said...

Hi Ronnie, the brexit is not too good for hubby's business either, but going on holiday in Britain is getting cheaper. :) Hopefully everybody will find a good way to get through this.
The ten minutes spanking sounds like a lot, but somehow it also sounds exciting, even though it was a non-sexual spanking. Wishing you a great week.

hugs

Nina

Baxter said...

You have Brexit. We have the prospect of a Trump presidency, but not with my vote. I have no idea which is worse.

ronnie said...

Nina - Sorry to hear about your husband's business. Yes for our American friends coming to the UK is cheaper. I'm glad it was only 10 minutes with the Bogey paddle. Thanks.

Baxter - I have been following your elections a little. I don't like Trump and I don't like Clinton. It would be a hard choice for me to make. Thanks.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

1ManView said...

Two things I found out about you I would not have guessed right. You are a bad swimmer.I always imagine you were a good swimmer with you and P swimming on vacations... The other is you own a hula hoop. Did they make a comeback there? L bought one for our granddaughter, when she tried it out herself she had me laughing in tears. It's not like riding a bike. How to use it doesn't come right back. It's no wonder why the young generation is in such bad shape. They watch games instead of playing them. There isn't much exercise in moving just your fingers. :)

peace and love
1ManView

ronnie said...

1MV - You learn something new every day:) Never been a strong swimmer. Not sure about a come back but it's good fun but hard work and saying I really do need to do more with the hoop that I have been doing. It gives a good workout. Yep our children could definitely do with more exercise. Thanks.

Love,
Ronnie
xx