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I am quite serious! now, I am not talking about Sotherby’s or Van Gogh’s but if you can afford to spare between, say, £50 and £1000 you can pick up a piece of work by an up and coming artist at this weekend’s Affordable Art Fair  and you never know - some time in the future it could be worth a lot of money.

A bit skeptical? well, consider the master himself, Van Gogh. He sat around the market squares of Arles in France just sketching and painting people he saw sitting in cafes or just standing by. No-one took any notice of him as he was a known eccentric yet he never sold a painting. He simply gave them away, and sometimes, people did not want them! imagine if those folk were alive today and knew the value of the paintings that strange little man tried to fob off to them…

Okay, whilst the artists at this Fair will not being toting their art for free all the same there are bound to be some famous names of the future there. And it is not a bad idea to pick up a nice work and sit on it for a few years, many have and found that their few dollars/pounds was the best investment they ever made.

This weekend the Fair is at London Battersea Park, so if you can get there and want something interesting to put in the house take some spare cash and take advantage of the 120 Galleries that will be exhibiting all kinds of painting, sculptures and photography. If you cannot get to this event still keep this in mind and check out any art exhibitions that are within reach of you.

You never know, it just might make a handy investment some day.

Pictured above: ‘The Yellow House’ - Van Gogh 1888, Arles. Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam.

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I remember some years back a friend putting together his own computer from bits and pieces he had lying around his workshop. He didn’t do too bad a job either…it certainly did work, and apart from the fact that it ran a lot slower than a brand new machine, it served his kids purposes for school assignments and games. I thought it was a rather enterprising thing to do !

However the DIY computer is now a comercial reality and you can actually save thousands by building your own barebones computer (as they are called). Now I grant that you need to know your way around a tool box and how to use a screwdriver but I reckon this is a brilliant idea, and if you know what you are doing they only take a few hours to put together.

If I have you intrigued have a look at Easy as My PC  and you can get a clear idea of what I am talking about. Personally I think it’s a great way to get a PC, and even better, if you have a teenager who is interested in computers and how they work, one of the basic kits would make a great gift.

This basic kit will only cost you $499 - great gift for a teen!

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This is one thing we should all keep in mind. We strive to get ahead in whatever career we have made for ourselves but then spend so much time getting there and maintaining a high pressure schedule that we ignore ourselves and our health.

I was speaking previously about the proliferation of drugs in the enertainment industry but it would make sense to acknowledge that in  fact anyone in a high pressure career environment can find themselves resorting to certain substances in order to keep themselves going at high speed. Many people who work night shifts are known to take medications that keep them awake all night and then take sleeping pills to help them sleep during the day when they cannot wind down. If you have found yourself in this situation then address it by seeking out an effective addiction treatment programme and take time out to completely recharge.

Go on a holiday, get plenty of sleep and embark on a regular exercise regime. Sometimes it may even help to change career.

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