2008 has been quite a year on the financial front hasn’t it?
The housing market has crashed, banks have been bailed out, a recession is on the way and the price of pretty much everything has gone up.
Yes, it is fair to say that for most of us, 2008 is a year we would rather forget!
But amid the gloom and doom, we did manage to find some humour to write about.
So make yourself a cuppa, help yourself to a biscuit, sit back, relax, and let us show you the funny side of 2008!
Most of us will be fortunate enough to still be in a job come next year and even though some of us may work in a dull office environment, there are still things that can bring a smile to our faces.
For example, there are the 6 most annoying co-workers (can you spot them?), the 10 most annoying office habits (how many do you have?) and 10 things not to say at work (because you really could get into trouble!)
A source of endless enjoyment and endless frustration in equal measure (depending on what you drive), cars have provided us some quality motoring mirth this year.
There were the 10 funniest parking tickets ever (in which both a horse and a Swedish snowmobile both fell foul of British traffic wardens), 6 ways to get out of a speeding ticket (politeness goes a long way with the police!) and the 10 cars you can live in after your home is repossessed (which is not meant to be taken seriously…).
- The wrong side of the law
With everyone feeling the financial pinch this year, some people, unsurprisingly, decided to take the law into their own hands.
This robber fails miserably (maybe because he used one of his own cheques as a stick up note), there was a messy end for a truck thief trapped in a toilet (it was a crap attempt anyway) and are this pair the worst robbers in the world?
Fortunately (or unfortunately) for some would be law breakers, they got their comeuppance.
This would be church robber felt the wrath of Cod (divine judgment is sweet), while this burglar definitely regretted breaking into a kickboxer’s house (and is very unlikely to do it again!).
By now, you are (like us) probably quite fed up with hearing the phrase “credit crunch” as it seems to be mentioned every time you switch on the news.
Despite this, the credit crunch has provided some light relief, such as the debt ridden council that banned tea and toast (we’re not kidding), the idiots guide to the credit crunch (which told us stuff we all knew already!), and possibly the end of 4x4s (which got quite a lot of you hot under the collar!).
And in a story that brought tears to our eyes, even celebrity celebrity polar bears aren’t safe from the credit crunch!
As Mark Twain once said "It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction”, and this year has been no different.
Did you know that in America, as well as drive-through fast food outlets, there are drive-through banks?
Unfortunately, this guy took the concept way too literally…(with video proof!)
In addition, there aren’t many of us who made the odd mistake during the year, but most of us probably got away with it without too many people noticing.
Spare a thought then for one particular police officer in Dallas. He managed to get it spectacularly wrong when he tasered a “masked intruder”.
As you know, here at the Money Hospital we try and take a relaxed approach to serious finance, even when it comes to passing on our pearls of wisdom.
We had our tongue firmly in our cheek when we gave you 10 tips that will make sure you stay broke (and thanks to all of you who added your own brilliant tips!)
There you go; proof that despite the state of the UK economy, there are still some things that can make us all smile!
And another reason to smile, is that it’s only a few days till Santa arrives!