Tallying Up the Vacation Damage

I'm working on my total travel expenses and August and September budgets for ya and the blog while I'm too sleepy to do anything that requires moving a part of my body that isn't my eyes and fingers, but (out of necessity) too awake in an attempt to ward off the jet lag monster. I did a great job keeping track of everything, so it really isn't that taxing. (haha, get it? taxing? and I'm talking about money stuff? Oh, to sleep...)

I had a credit card, my fave new one, Chase Sapphire Preferred, that I had to spend $3K on in order to get 50K airmile points, and I can now check that off my list. The balance on that card is now roughly $3500 and change.

I had $3400 USD to spend on my Wish List Items. I ended up buying as many Wish List Items as I could stand, but I still didn't hit them all.

What ended up happening was that I used that $3400 USD to pay for every travel expense, as well as Wish List Items. It worked really well. Plus, I knew that I had my normal income from August and September to play with if need be.

It looks like I spent a total of $3,764.80 US, with probably $50 that I either missed by paying in cash, or just missed due to negligence. So, $3,800 USD is a pretty accurate estimate of what I spent.

I have ~$3200 USD in my US Checking account to pay my $3,448.39 Chase bill, a bill-vs-checking deficit of ~$250 USD. There is some fudge-y-ness in these amounts because: a) I didn't charge every expense, and b) in some instances, I paid for everyone in my group and they paid me cash, so the cash doesn't show up in my checking account--it is physical money, in my wallet.

I have $824 NZD left over from August's budget. That will more than make up the difference to pay my Chase bill.

September is looking to be in even better shape: it is a three paycheck month, and I've only spent money on rent, electricity, internet, savings, and the grocery shopping I did today: a total spending of $1,536.09, with $3,438 leftover for Sept. September is almost over, too, so I'm sitting pretty there.

I love my life!

Travel Budget

I'm going to the US for a month starting this week. The financial aspect of my trip is looking pretty good. I've been planning a major shopping spree in the US for months and months, and have saved up for it.

Usually, I save up for airfare and then use my normal monthly income to cover travel expenses. This year, things are different. For one, I got an airmiles credit card and gained enough points to cover all but $1K NZD of my airfare home (usually airfare is about $3K NZD).  That saved me $2K right there! That $2K immediately went towards the major shopping spree expenses I intend to incur during my trip.

I have saved $3K USD to spend on this trip, not including airfare, which has already been paid for. About $2K of it was from my Wish List ($2.5K NZD) and another $700 USD was from my New Laptop Fund ($900 NZD).

All in all, my US checking account has about $3K USD that is available for use during my trip.

I also received $400 USD from the US government for a tax credit. That brings my spendable total to about $3.4K USD.

I also have my leftover monthly income to cover expenses as necessary. So far in August, I've spent about $2350. I should have another $700 NZD left to spend in August by the time I leave. I'll also have the excess from September if I need it. I don't anticipate using that overage--hopefully I can save it toward my Vanguard Fund Fund, but it's there if I need it.

The big plan for that $3.4K USD is being formulated for the next post.

Using Up Wishes

I am a picky buyer. I will search a dozen stores to find exactly what I want, and even if I find that thing, I won't buy it if it isn't on sale or extremely affordable. Not only that, but for large purchases, even if I find what I want on sale,  I sometimes just can't pull the trigger and I need to go home and think and research it some more.  I'm also what you call a 'late adopter'--while new cool electronic gadgets excite me, and the possession of such things makes me impressed, I am not jealous of those that have them. My life is great as it is, and I'm aware that once I upgrade, there will be little going backsies. For example, I didn't own a cell phone until I was 26, and even while they have gotten much more complicated and added a lot of capability that may improve my life (hello, GPS!), I won't get a smart phone until I can swallow the huge bills that go along with such items for life. However, even I wouldn't want to live without a cell phone and texting now.

I have a bunch of wish list items over there on my sidebar, and now, the money to buy all of these items.  Will I actually buy all of this stuff?  I doubt it, but you can be sure I'll have a heck of a lot of fun researching which items to buy!  If you have recommendations for any of these items (brands/model numbers, etc.), please let me know!  Just to review:

• nice interview suit (I'm thinking Ann Taylor Loft or Banana Republic)
• upgrade wardrobe (combo of Old Navy, The Limited, Ann Taylor Loft, BR, GAP, Rugged Warehouse, Marshalls and the like, Discount Shoe Stores, Dept. stores, Target, Express, etc. for: wrap dresses, blazers, fitted pants, 'dressier,' work casual stuff than the college chic I've been sporting for ten years too long)
• cribbage board
• Icebreaker Merino...something (Done! underwear and 2 shirts)
• robe (Done!)
• new field boots: Keen Targhee II Mid size 8 DONE!
• winter boots, fashion (Nine West?  They need to be extremely comfortable and stylish...will do a post of my taste!) 
• updated mp3 playerS (I want two, in fact: a cheap, light one I can run with and use every day to listen to the radio on my bus rides, and maybe one to hold all of my 60 GB of music plus 25 GB of movies to bring on planes, road trips, etc.)
• bigger hammer (amazon)
• waterproof camera--& better quality (I'd love one with manual control and a panoramic setting, and--if I'm honest--I'm PSYCHED about the new GPS features; also has to be rugged and waterproof for all of the crazy adventures I go on)
• netbook with SD card reader and remote, webcam and microphone (suggestions PLEASE!)
• 2 new hard drives (filled up my 2008 pair!) (maybe 1 TB each to last a long time?  I also need a decent backup utility on the HD's)
• ergonomic mouse for carpal tunnel (suggestions? It is a very confusing field)
• silver leaf necklace (Etsy!)

I'll do a fashion post sometime soon to show you the colors and things that I like, with lots of pictures!  I can't wait to have a style again...

This is what happens when I don't have a goal!!

As I said in my Demolishing Goals post, I do better (mentally and financially) when I have something that I'm striving for.  In all aspects of my life, having a goal and reaching it makes me feel powerful and in control.  Since I finished my 2011 goals, I've been aimless, and last week really was the first week that I've not had a specific home in mind for my savings.  The quicker I change that, the better!  It was really fun, but very spendy.  It's not like I'm spending more than I earn or anything like that, but there's nothing really making me think twice about my spending.  Especially since I had a leftover $500 from April with nothing to do, I'm just sort of not worrying about money at all.  For example, I spent $50 on a present for a friend, when I normally I wouldn't do that.  I also ordered my favorite American snack online--is $100 too much to spend on a craving??  I went out with friends on Friday night and spent oodles on dinner and drinks; I don't even want to add it up right now.

It isn't a problem at the moment, but I can see this attitude causing some problems if it goes on too long.

[ETA:  I spent more yesterday!!]

Financial Goals In the Year 2000...

and eleven.  :)  Gotta love Conan!  Oh man, I miss the days when Andy was the sidekick on the show.

My bosses will review me in February, and I am supposed to get a raise commensurate with inflation at that time, so I expect a slight bump in income next year (1.5%).  Not to mention another bonus (if I'm lucky!).  My bosses also expect to renew my contract for another two years in August 2011, so I should have another ~$42K coming my way in the next year (God willing).  I need to come up with a plan for that money, and some more goals!

In 2011, I will:

-Save ~$12,500 to various goals:

1)  $3K to a 2012 US Trip Fund.

2)  Increase long term savings to $415/mo from $340/mo, equaling ~$5K total ($255/mo to Roth; $80 to House DP; $80 to Europe trip) 

3)  $2,500 to my Wants list.  It's time to upgrade the wardrobe and some electronics.

4)  Fill my $5K Move back to US fund (currently stands at $3K).

-Spend less than I earn.

-Continue to put 2% of my salary towards Kiwisaver (with 2% salary match!).

-Diligently track every penny.

-Find a way to track vacation expenses better; figure out a way to report it (as part of monthly spending with a special category, maybe?).

-Buy some Bonus Bonds!

A Year In Review

It's a week into 2011 (WOW, where did the time go?!), and here's what my spending looks like for 2010:

Income (Salary, after tax):  $41,187.89.  I received a bonus this year, a slight raise, as well as a reduction in income taxes (but an increase in Goods and Services taxes).
Budgeted:  $27,444
Actually Spent:  $24,127 (not including travel)

$11,340 on rent
$3,668 on groceries
$706 on internet
$962 on electricity
$704 on eating out
$732 on charity
$514 on cell phone (replacement for an actual broken phone, skype subscription, vodafone, and v8)
$152 on medical
$5,350 on misc

I LOVE that I spent less than $25K, excluding travel.  I'm not sure why, but I love that figure.  It certainly isn't a low figure, but I think it is good for a reasonable lifestyle for one person.  My main financial goal will be to spend less than $25K in 2011.

Miscellaneous purchases:
Alcohol:  $313.96
Entertainment:  $578.46.  Music and movie downloads, rugby games, plays, books, lumosity
Fees: $140.76.  Stupid tax, mostly--$125 for losing a friend's car key; 10 for my bankcard/credit card annual fee; 2009 NZ taxes.
Fitness:  $236.  zumba classes, dance classes, work out pants
Gifts:  $309.56
Goods and Wants: $2,243.70.  Clothing, household items, electronics, necessary or just wanted, justified items...you name it, it goes here.  Probably the most 'misc.' category of them all!
Transportation:  $231.35.  Busfare, cab fare, ferry rides, parking.
Travel:  $3,176.29.  Includes everything from tolls to gas, rental car fees to camp or hostel fees.
Work:  $7.38.  This was for busfare to a talk I had to go to for work, and for some t-squares I needed.

What I spent on my two favorite expenses in the world:  Travel and Savings for Travel Funds:

Travel in 2010:  $11,177

Spent $2,215 on a trip around the top 2/3 of the South Island of NZ (Saved for in 2009)

Spent ~$1,600 NZD on a trip to Vanuatu (Saved for in 2009)

Spent another $304 on 3 days on the southern portion of the south island (Dunedin, Milford Sound, Te Anau)

Spent $502 on 4 days in Northland NZ; seeing Cape Reinga

Spent $6.5K NZD on a trip to the US--east coast, west coast & a two week trip around the southwest ($3.5K of this was saved last year)

Spent $360 on gas, car rental, bike rental, and accommodation for New Year's Eve trip to Raglan and New Plymouth (not counting eating out or food or alcohol costs); technically the cost of this was split between December 31, 2010 - Jan 4, 2011).

Savings in 2010:  $14K

$4,080 on long-term savings ($340/mo)

$3K on 2011 US Trip

$3K on my Move back to US fund

$4K to Australia trip

One Day To Go

There's only one day left in October, and my spending is pretty much set.  This month's goal was to save $3K, and I knocked that out pretty easily due to the three-paycheck month.  Spending was overbudget, yes, however this was mostly because I counted my charity project money towards spending.  Here's how it breaks down--I don't anticipate it changing much. 

[edit:  $2,425.05 in spending; decided not to count the $100 in cash I took out as spending.]

Income this month from paychecks equaled $4,785.87.  I had an overage of $850 from last month, which also counts toward my income, bringing it to $5,635.87.  If my roommate ever gets herself together and pays me what she owes me for the use of the garage, I could have up to another $80 in income for October.

Rent: $840.  As usual.  Right on target.

Groceries:  $428.71.  With the GST increase, stores had to re-label all of their items.  I think they also took the opportunity to increase their prices more than the 2.5% GST increase warranted.

Internet & Electricity:  $51.65 and $79.12.  I'm hoping both of these go down as summer approaches and we're either out of the house more or letting the natural sunlight filter in through the windows.

Eating Out:  $42.50.  Got Thai takeout twice and Sal's pizza another night. 

Charity:  $297.67.  Donated the bulk of that money towards Drop In The Bucket and the rest to Kiva.

Cell Phone:  $101.94.  Special case--my old cell phone, given to my by my XBF in 2008 when he bought an iPhone, wouldn't charge anymore due to corrosion.  I hated that phone anyway.  I bought a new one on ebay for $81.94.  It has lots of awesome features like FM radio and a camera, so I'm happy.  I also topped up my Vodafone account with $20.

Medical:  $6.  Went to the Dr and paid $6 for two prescriptions.  Love NZ!

Misc:  $677.46.    This is over budget, but I bought several items that have been on my Wish List with the overage from last month.  I also bought items to help me get healthy:  workout pants, several fitness classes, a concession card.  Here's the breakdown:

Transportation:  $3.30.  Various busfares.

Gifts:  $45.86.  Friend's birthday cards, a 2011 NZ scenic calendar, Dad's birthday card, $30 USD for 6 movie tickets for my dad for his birthday, bought through Groupon.  

Fitness:  $160.70.  Several Zumba classes, yoga, and other dance classes.  $22 for workout pants.  A 10 class concession card good for a year (still have 8 classes left on it).

Goods and Wants:   $429.61.  The biggie here is a $201.39 for REI hoodie and field pants that have been on my Wish List for a year or so.  I also took out $100 worth of cash.  I'm still unsure of how to count this in my budget, since I haven't actually spent it yet, but it will deplete the amount of money that I can transfer into my savings account [edit:  decided not to count it as 'spent'--because it's not!].  I spent the rest of the money on tennis balls, a light hoodie, a haircut, nail polish remover, fairy lights, a storage bin, a Chinese lantern for my room, and Natures Organics Care brand Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash (I love this brand!  It's from Australia and sooo cheap compared to all the other name-brand toiletries, plus it doesn't have many of the bad chemicals and the packaging is made from corn).

Savings:  $3,000.  This also includes the $340 I save each month to Long Term goals.  This figure is approximate, as I still have ~$3,110 left over from my income after expenses and I still don't know if my roommate will pay me.  In any case, I have almost enough surplus to knock out my $3K Family Emergency Fund (see sidebar).

Next on the goal list is to start filling up that $5K Move To America Fund.  This will pay for shipping items form NZ, start up costs such as security deposits, and go toward new furniture and a car, as well as anything else I'll need to start over my new life in America in a few years.  After that, I'm not sure what to save up for:  I'll have everything I'll need and want and can possibly plan for.  Perhaps I'll make a plan to travel the world while I'm between continents?  Get LASIK?  Get carpal tunnel release surgery?  save up for laser hair removal?  a maid?  Personal trainer/gym?  Cooking classes?  Flying lessons?  Save up to get a PhD?  Take more classes?   Give more to charity?  Update my wardrobe??   I regularly have $400-$600 leftover each month...I need to have goals for the money so I have some motivation to not spend it frivolously!

$20K to Spend...

I'm in an odd position at work:  I was basically given nearly $20K to spend on equipment that is to be used 'for the good of Auckland'  in a specific capacity that is tangentially related to my research, but this is well beyond my, and my boss's expertise.  She gave it to me to sort out, but I'm flailing.  Badly.

The experts that I've sought out are all giving ideas which are basically impossible--equipment with $40K EURO price tags!  And their suggestions are not exactly fitting to the needs of Auckland, either.

So I don't know what to do.  $20K is a LOT of money, and if it isn't spent in the next week, it will be lost.  Forever.  In the sea of the SuperCity.

I'm waiting on a few more experts to chime in their opinions, but it is looking like we won't find anything to fit the bill.  It hurts to have this money wasted!!  I could do SO much else with it in my research, but it is earmarked for this specific area.  Doh.

On the bright side?  I'm eating some pasta that I made that is DIVINE.  Anything with a cream sauce is my best friend.

Also pondering:  Will I ever get sick of feeling like I'm being looked down on because I only have a (four year!) Master's, not a PhD??

By My Calculations...

I just transferred $488 to my 2011 US Travel Fund...so I can do this all over again next year!!  I can't wait.

The fund is now 100% full.

I have spent approximately $1K on top of airfare so far, during the first month of my vacation.  I didn't have to pay for accommodation during this whole time (score 1 for family and friends!!), but I have had to pay for a lot of my food and gas and other incidentals.  And of course, I have been binge-shopping at Target, REI, and Walmart, as well as Marshall's, Rugged Wearhouse, and other lovely stores.

I figure I'll spend another $1K or so during the second month of my vacation.  I'll mostly be camping out, but will have to pay for ALL of my food and gas and camp fees from now on.  I'm going to try to keep it to a minimum...but if the opportunity to take a helicopter ride around and into the Grand Canyon presents itself, I'm calling that a once-in-a-lifetime thing and taking it.

So after the damage from this vacation is accounted for (at the latest, October, I'm hoping!), I will move on to the next goal.  Which is (drumroll please):  donating a full 10% of my gross monthly salary.  After that, I hope to save a little more in my Move Back to US fund.

After that is all done, I really need to focus on saving up for retirement and for any Family Emergencies.  Any saving in 2011 will need to go toward traveling and moving back to the US!  It is amazing how fast time is going by now!

Spending

Tomorrow I'm going shopping with my sister for US products and a revamp of my work and play wardrobe!  I'm very excited, esp. for Target!  I cashed in my credit card rewards points for a $75 gift card to Target, and it is burning a hole in my pocket!  :)  Also on the docket are REI, Old Navy, Rugged Warehouse ($2 shirts from places like Banana Republic!), Ross, Marshall's, Wal-mart, and Best Buy (or whatever it is called now) for some electronics that are cheaper here, even with the exchange rate.  It is funny, I don't even go into the mall now--I shop on the outskirts, in the strip malls that have cheaper gear.  JC Penney's, Macy's, and Sears' stuff don't really float my boat, anyway.

So far I've spent about $50 NZD during my US trip.  Not bad for over a week away on vacation!  My NZ total for the month of August stands at $986 (including rent of $840).  Happy with that, but we'll see what damage tomorrow brings!

In other news, I found the job that I had intended to get in a few years when I returned to the US.  It is advertised NOW, though, and these kinds of jobs don't come up very often, esp. in my field with the exact organization and the exact location I'd wanted.  I'm not sure whether to be excited or bummed, actually--I have a LOT more to learn and do and finish with my current job, but...I feel like I would be stupid not to apply for it while I a) have time to put together the perfect resume and cover letter; b) am HERE where they can interview me in person; and c) it is offered.  The thing is, it is in my field, in the exact location and salary bracket and the organization I've been dying to work for for 10 years, but the job description would be a definite step DOWN in responsibility and fun compared to my current one--and I'd be doing more web-design type stuff than actual science.  I don't know what to make of this--part of me doesn't want to apply just because of that.  However, it is the first position I've seen advertised in the field I'm into, after looking for 3 years off and on!  Oh, hem and haw...

Also, the guy renting my garage continues to do so...putting $20 NZD/week into my pocket!  I need/want to find a home for it, so it doesn't get frittered.  I also received ~$20 more in my paycheck because I cancelled my NZ health insurance.  There should be even more in the next check.

My $150 Weekly Budget

I calculated that I needed to spend less than $150 per week in July to make my $500 savings goal for the month.  This month is particularly tight because I have to pay rent 3 times instead of the normal 2.  BOO.

The first week went OK--not too bad.  I spent $146.37.

The second week has started, and I've already spent $10 on my lenses for my glasses.  With the overage from last week, I have $143.63 left to spent this week on groceries, medical, misc, cell phone, and eating out.  I can do that, right?

I think Electricity is going to go WAY OVER this month and blow my whole plan, though.  I budget $100/month, but we're already at $81 just for my share, buying the cheapest electricity through powershop.  My roommate has GOT to stop using the dryer every day and heating up the large living room and leaving all the lights on, even in rooms she hasn't been in for hours.

I like this weekly-budget game.  I've only ever budgeted monthly before, and checked in every once in a while to see how I was doing.  It would be constricting after a while, but I think I'm going to do it every so often as an extra challenge to myself.

April Spending and Goal Update

At the beginning of April, I went on a 5 day road trip up to Cape Reinga and had several very social weeks immediately thereafter.  Activity slacked off towards the end of the month, as I got ill (and still am) and as the people I hung out with started leaving NZ due to the onset of winter weather.

April was consequently a very spendy month.  However, it was also quite lucrative, being a 3 paycheck month and also the month in which I received a raise and was reimbursed for that raise's backpay since January.  Hurrah!

I also did some math while sick and bored sitting in bed these past few days, and I should receive an NZ tax refund for the past few years sometime in July.  I plan to save that money towards a few goals (post soon).

Snapshot:

Income:  $4,617.13
Spent:  $2,386.65
Difference (left to save):  $2,230.48


CATEGORIES
Rent:  $840  Quite normal.  Still want to rent out our garage.  I have a standing ad up for it, but get very few responses.  Of the ones we do get, they flake out after I write them to set up a time.

Groceries $461.19 Overbudget  I can't even tell you what happened here.  I just spend too much, despite my best efforts.  I only did two big shops (over $50), the rest were small amounts here and there.  Maybe I need to cut down on the small, during the week, shopping excursions and cut back on snack foods.

Internet  $59.91 Right on target.  Roommate's friend that is staying with us is going to put $15 towards this.

Electricity $74.42 Winter is coming, and along with it, large electric bills.  This next month will be very expensive due to the flood and the resulting excessive use of all of our fans/heaters/carpet shampooers, etc.  Plus we had a houseguest.  

Eating Out $141.50  Overbudget  This is overbudget due to the eating out I did with people during my Easter trip. $116.90 of this total comes from eating out with friends.  I hardly ever do this (usually this category is taken up with takeout, which I eat at home in front of the TV), and given my goals to be more social, I am OK with being over budget in this category just this once.

Charity $0  or $55  depending on how you look at it.  I blew this this month because I accidentally overpaid for our road trip guests' portion of the bill.  I consider this to be charity and a way to make their NZ experience a good one. ?? Does that count?  I'm sure karma will pay me back for this error.  I just didn't do the math myself, I took my friends' word for it about the plan.  Oops.  Lesson learned:  always do the math yourself.

Cell Phone  $40  A vodafone topup and a V8 card topup.  These will all be topped up again next month, plus my Skype.

Medical  $0  Southern Cross automatically takes out the monthly $90 premium from my paycheck, but any other medical expenses will come from my budget category.

Misc $769.63 Overbudget  I spent about $380 on travel alone this month:  $338.83 from my Easter trip (including camp fees, gas, and car rental), $48 from my Waiheke trip.  $65 on alcohol; $30 on entertainment (movies and a rugby game); $10 on my stupid annual visa credit card attached to my debit card fee; $50 on my Mothers and Father's Days gifts; $244.29 on goods and wants (a new jacket, two scarves, paint supplies, and US supplies); and $33.50 on transportation (taxis from bars and friends' houses, busfare). 

Savings
This month, $340 was saved to long term goals.  This brings my Roth IRA fund up to $1,600 NZD, Europe fund up to $560, and my House Downpayment fund up to $560.  I save roughly 15% of my net salary into long-term funds:  2% gross salary is my contribution to Kiwisaver (retirement scheme), 2% gross is employer's contribution, and 10% net salary to the above goals, after tax.  If the NZD ever gains on the USD, I want to transfer this money to USD for use when I go back.

As for short-term goals, I like to concentrate on one goal at a time.  This year's first priority was my Travel to Australia fund, with a goal of $4,000 NZD.  I hope that would be enough for a few weeks over in Oz.  With this month's extra savings of $1,890.48, the fund is 80% complete at $3,211.96.  I hope to complete this goal in June.

My other two goals this year are to save $1K towards traveling home in 2011 and to save $2K towards my mom and sister's trips to NZ in 2012.  Usually my trips home cost approximately $3K; I hope to save the remaining $2K early next year.  My end goal is to save up $7K towards my mom and sister's trip to NZ in 2012; I hope to complete that goal after saving $3K towards going home in 2011.

To sum up my goals:

2010 Goals:
Goal #1:  Save $4K to go to Oz.  On schedule, 80% complete with $3,212 saved.  Hope to finish in June 2010 ($395/mo)
Goal #2:  Save $1K towards 2011 trip home.  Plan to finish in August 2010.  ($500/mo)
Goal #3:  Save $2K towards mom and sister's NZ trip in 2012.  Plan to finish in December 2010. ($500/mo)

2011 Goals:
Goal #1:  Save a total of $3K towards 2011 trip home.  This will be 33% complete at $1K by 2011.  Will need to save $2K more.  Plan to finish in April 2011 ($500/mo).
Goal #2:  Save a total of $7K towards Mom and Sister's NZ trip.  This will be 29% complete with $2K by 2011.  Will need to save $5K more; this should cover their plane tickets over and a few fun adventures while over here.  Plan to finish in December 2011 ($625/mo).  This is contingent upon my contract being renewed in August 2011.

Other ideas for future goals could be:  saving up for security deposit and first/last month's rent on a US apartment, renter's insurance, a car in the US and accompanying insurance and maintenance fees, dog and pet insurance (plan to get one from the pound).

More Travel

I went to a place I'd never gone before (but this time stayed close to home!) again this weekend.  Life is exciting and fun (but very expensive!) when you do this...

I spent Saturday exploring Waiheke Island, a gorgeous piece of land about a half an hour ferry ride from Auckland.  Waiheke is famous for its vineyards, olive oil, and high real estate prices.  The skies were perfectly clear, and the temperatures were very warm by Auckland fall standards.  One of our party even wore shorts the whole day!   We took the Explorer Tour for $48 for the return ferry ride, 1 1/2 hour tour, and all day bus pass.  (The tour was really awful--I don't recommend it at all.)  We got off of the tour early, had lunch, and did some hiking to Mudbrick Vineyard, where we partook in a wine tasting for $5.  I hate wines (white and roses aren't as bad as reds, probably due to the tannins/sulfites), but it was fun to pretend with my group that we knew what we were doing.  We then hiked back to the ferry and caught a ride home as the sun set behind Auckland.

I had a headache from about an hour after drinking the wine to about 4 am in the morning, when I downed several extra strength Advil and a Tylenol PM to put me out of my misery.  I normally don't take anything for pain relief; at most, one advil if the headache persists, but this called for major treatment.

(Wine always has bad effects on me, so I'm not sure what I was thinking...but I was hoping that I'd wake up one day and love wine.  That is never going to happen!)

Anyway, the vineyards were turning fall colors and the scenery was just perfection on the rolling hills.  Our guide told us that the geography was similar to Catalina Island, if you've been there.  :)

April: An Expensive Month

Yup, well, I've spent nearly $450 on groceries and another $150 on eating out this month already, and it's not even over!

The good news?  I still have several hundos to save this month (not counting automatic long-term savings, that's already in the bank), even if it were a two paycheck month.  Since it isn't (it's a THREE paycheck month!), I will have lots more!  So even if it is a particularly spendy month, I will still make good headway on my goals.  Yay!

Today Is Saturday

And I was swipe-happy today.  My debit card got quite a work out!

However, I feel like I got a lot done.  I returned two books to the library, checked out another one, and tried to find two more that I really want to read ('Official Book Club Selection' by Kathy Griffin, and 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin [check out her website if you haven't already...I love it]); they were both checked out but 1 out of 3 ain't bad.

Then I tried to return this lotion with SPF 15 that I found--Palmer's Cocoa Butter.  It smells and feels AWFUL, but they wouldn't let me return it.  I just gave it to them so that they could let other people use it as a tester, and so no one else has to go through that crap of buying it just to see what it's like.  $12 down the tubes.  But really, I was never going to use it and it was taking up space and cluttering my room.  Eh.  Back to the drawing board for lotions with SPF, I guess--it was the only one I've ever found here in NZ, and after months of searching for one.

I then tried to go to both branches of Revive, a restaurant/take-out place that serves vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. foods.  I have several coupons for them that I've been saving up to use.  It's supposed to be amazing, healthy, and cheap, and I really want to see what the fuss is about and plan to go gluten-free in the near future.

Winter is coming, and that ache-y, tired, very sore throat feeling is coming back again.  Every time it is cold, I get this relapse of mono-like symptoms.  Basically, anything below 18 to 19 C will trigger a reaction.  I'm allergic to the cold?  I'm hoping that I can manage this with a better diet--gluten-free is my first trial.

Anyway, they were both closed, but at least I know where they are now!  I went to the cookie shop instead.  I've been craving a good chocolate chip cookie--with vanilla icing in between!  Back home we call these 'double doozies' and I used to be obsessed with them.  They didn't have any double doozies, but I figure I can always buy vanilla icing and put it on the cookies myself.

I then went to Kathmandu, the outdoors shop (kind of like an even more overpriced REI or A16) and tried on some awesome shorts marked down to $20 from $80.  They would have been perfect for the beach or lake this (U.S.) summer on my vacation...but they were too big at size 10 (NZ sizes).  They just don't make outdoor clothes in my size--I need an NZ size 6 but it apparently just doesn't exist.  I'm petite, but I'm not anorexic skinny--I have a good belly on me and my thighs are thick-ish from running and gymnastics as a kid (and genetics), so I'm not sure what the deal is there.  This problem exists in the US, too, so I can't blame NZ for this one.  Haha.  Apparently petite girls are just not supposed to like or go hiking or tramping at all.  Or go naked instead.

I found a replacement for both my zip up hoodie (broken zipper; 5 years old) and my fleece (6 years old; VERY worn from wearing it almost every day; still has my old company's logo on it) in one zip up hoodie fleece jacket (I got a blue colored one).  It was $50, marked down from $150, and is really cozy and warm.  It is actually a boys' jacket, but what the hey!  It fit me comfortably.  I should have gone a size smaller to get the one that looks sleek and fitted, but I prefer to cuddle up in my jackets (especially on airplanes) and pull the sleeves down over my hands a bit, so I opted for the bigger one.  It really has everything I was looking for in a replacement for each jacket individually, so I'm happy to replace 2 with 1.

I tried on some new hiking boots (50% off!!) at $125 a pair, but for some reason, the size issue came up again.  I'm an 8, 8.5 in shoes in the US, and they measured me and I'm still an 8, 8.5, but the 8's I tried on were WAY TOO BIG.  The 7's?  still WAY TOO BIG, even with two pairs of socks.  I just don't understand...I would absolutely have bought those hiking boots, too.  That was a great deal, and my old boots are coming apart at the seams and cause me to lose toenails on 15+ km hikes.  I also think I'm becoming accustomed to NZ prices, to think $125 for hiking boots is CHEAP.

Later on, I visited the Scarf Queen and bought two scarves for $35.  I'm not sure what came over me there, since I never wear scarves, but I guess I thought that I should start...they are really cute scarves, so I think I'll make an effort to start wearing them now.

Last but not least, I went to the Warehouse and picked up some goodies--$21.65.  Just snacks for work, like cashews and chips.  They introduced Doritos to NZ a few weeks ago, and they've taken over the shelves.  The only place I can find my fave brand of NZ corn chips is in the Warehouse now.  Ha!  It figures that the one brand that I really like in NZ is pushed out by a US brand that I don't want to eat anymore (Doritos have MSG...).

Ok, that was a detailed rendition of my day, but it was good.  I realized today that April is a 3 paycheck month, so I'm even more fine with the spending.  Right now, I'm cuddled up in my new jacket, eating my Ms Higgin's cookies for dessert, and wondering how to tie a scarf like the NZ'ers do.

The Day I Went Crazy

My mood is spastic of late, but today was the worst.  Example:  I woke up extremely happy today, enjoyed the sunshine and had a leisurely breakfast, went shopping, and then one little incident blew up into a huge deal and I almost wound up crying in a store.  I finished my errands and came home.  By that time I'd gone through my cycle of calming myself down and putting things into perspective, but the damage was done--my happy mood had evaporated and the stress just left me exhausted.  How could I let a stupid little thing ruin my whole day, turn into something that I beat up myself about??  I went from pretty motivated to improve my life and happy, to nearly convincing myself to never leave the house again, because I couldn't trust myself to do some due diligence.

I could blame the intense homesickness I've been experiencing, or the post-vacation blues, but I have a feeling that they are just more symptoms of a mood disorder.  So is all the shopping and spending I've been doing.  Today's damage:  $300.  

To counteract this craziness, I prepared a balanced, healthy meal with lots of veggies tonight, and I'm going running at 7 pm, as part of Earth Hour, when you switch all of your electric appliances off.

I'll post the incident at another time, because it has to do with $$.  :)  

Fun Spending

I expect to spend the $2500 of my US travel, and $3000 for traveling around NZ this summer. I'll be updating this list as I spend that money.



$2500 NZD travel to US in 2009 Fund; to be spent on other items--$1382 left:

• $145 for new glasses
• $68.50 for Sister's Christmas present
• $181.04 on presents for myself (they are all career-related items, though...)
• $173 NZD ($123 USD) for a 3-in-1 jacket; I now have a new down jacket AND a GoreTex rain jacket. I've wanted one for about 10 years now. Regular price, $450 NZD/$280 USD. I found this jacket 'on sale' in an outdoors shop in NZ for $300, marked down from $450 smackeroonies! The Small in the store fit me perfectly, so I put it on hold with Bivouac so I could check prices on line before I laid down $300 NZD. Altrec.com was having a sale on this exact jacket, but only in size small, and only in the color I wanted (crystal/blue jay)! Plus Free Shipping! I also think that that was the LAST jacket for that price, because when I went back to the website after ordering my jacket, it didn't offer that jacket for less than $180 USD, and only in size large and in a different color. I'm also getting 1% back on my cc, and 6% back from FatWallet on this purchase! Woo hoo, a $280 USD jacket for $114 USD. :) Again, I can use this for my work and play. I work outside a lot so this will be an awesome addition to my outdoor gear. And I'm planning to spend a lot of time outdoors this summer; I'll need that rain gear!
• new contacts, $179. Getting a contact lens fitting would cost muchos of $$, and plus my insurance here is awful in terms of dental + optometry costs--basically 0 coverage. So I ordered contacts from a Canadian company online.
• Keep NZ beautiful tshirt in blue. better be worth it...they stopped making them last week and I had to pay $56 for it. I've wanted one since I moved to NZ, though.
• $140 for Mom and Dad's Christmas present
• $85 for Mom's Christmas present
• 90 for sister's birthday present

$3000 NZ travel; $1772 $1998! (Added $226 to pot from December savings) left:

• $300 Dunedin trip at the end of Nov. Rental car already booked; $44 is my share. I'm also expecting to pay less than $60 total for accommodation, and the rest will be food and entry fees and souvenirs. Since I'm tacking this trip on the end of a conference, work paid for my flights (they were the same amount whether I left on Friday or Sunday). Actual cost: $188.80. Underage: $111. 20 (Added back into the pot)

• $240 flight to/from Dunedin next February when my friend comes to visit. This trip will have a different itinerary than the first trip to Dunedin. You can never get sick of seeing penguins (at least, I can't!). Rental car should be less than $130 for my portion, and we'll be sleeping at hostels.
  

• Trip to a Pacific Island!!! next Feb. Flights + 4 nights accomodation are $799 NZD. We'll also need food and $$ for souvenirs and activities (snorkeling, volcano tour, partying). I'll spend roughly $600 more for a great expedition. Hilariously, 1 'dollar' in their currency is worth 0.014 NZD. However, inflation must have hit pretty hard because I'm seeing prices like '$42,000 Dollars." Eeeks!
  

• traveling around NZ with my friend in February.  I am planning on traveling around NZ with her for roughly two weeks (14 days), tramping, camping, etc.  I think she's budgeted $2000 NZD for it; I should do the same.  I can't wait!
• Friend #1 travel accomodations:  $89.95 for the christchurch-auckland flight (not counted yet)

Half-Way Mark

The month is over half over, and I'm at $1,850.80 for spending (including my $1260 rent this month--3 fortnightly payments are scheduled in January!).

*I've contributed to charity this month, one of my 2010 goals.  Of course, this went to the Haiti Relief Fund through UNESCO NZ.

*I've spent $294.73 on groceries.  It pains me to say that I don't think I've been eating better, more organically, nor have I changed my shopping habits much.  This is just what happens when I am not super-careful with grocery spending.  I even ate the same thing for dinner all of last week, and plan to this week as well.  It was pasta with chicken and a lemon sauce last week, and rice with peppers, chicken, carrots, and beans this week.

*I've spent $23.90 on eating out, for a pizza.

*$222.17 was on misc--light bulb extender, flosser, lumosity membership ($100), movies and bus fare, renting a spanish language CD, an airbed and pump, a rechargable battery charger, and a few other things I can't remember now. 

*I also saved $340 to my House DP, Europe, and Roth Funds, bringing that total up to $2,190.80.

Despite my declaration that I was going to spend more this year, it is very hard to break the habit of being super-frugal and just going for it when I think something will improve my life or make me healthier.  Instead, I tend to go for broke a few times a year and act like a miser the rest of the year.  Extremes, if you will.  I don't think it's healthy.  I am also a travel fiend.  I'd love to just take a few cheapy trips throughout the year but since my family lives so far away, I always end up spending lots of money on airfare each year.  Which kind of opens up the floodgates.  Once you know you are spending $2500 once during the year, it becomes easier to do it twice or three times. 

I'm in the midst of making my February budget and travel itineraries for the time that my two friends are visiting.  Between my February income and my travel funds, I should be able to have a great time without any debt.

2009 Details

After reviewing my income and a general spending breakdown (needs vs wants) in 2009, I thought I'd better do a more thorough summary of my 2009 spending.  The devil's in the details...well, here are my devils:

NEEDS

Rent:  $10,800; 25.7% of my net.  In 2010, I'll spend $912.50 per month, or $10,950 because of the way the fortnightly payments are set up.

Groceries:  $3,981; 10.1% of my net salary.  In 2010, I'm upping my grocery budget to $400 per month, or $4,800.  Trying to minimize the cost is affecting my physical and mental health.  I'm tired of fighting a losing battle, and I want to eat more organic and local foods, which are more expensive.

Electricity:  $1,363; 3.5% of net.  This isn't the real cost as XBF paid for internet while I paid for electricity in the first half of 2009.  My roommate and I now split everything equally, so this should go down in 2010.  My budget is $100 per month, or $1,200.

Medical:  $651; 1.7% of net.  Most was in the form of my health insurance premium, $493, the rest was for glasses and a dental checkup.  This will go up in 2010 as my previous health insurance was through my XBF and I will have to get a new policy starting February 28, 2010.  The new policies that I've priced out come to roughly $100 per month or more.  Technically, I don't need health insurance as a permanent resident, but I'm wary of going back to the US without prior coverage.  God knows if this health care bill will actually go through or be any good for a few years.  I'm budgeting $150 per month for health care, or $1,800.  I know this is a big jump from 2009, but I think it's worth it to have quality health care.

Thus concludes my 'Needs' for 2009.  They total up to 40.9% of my net salary.

WANTS

Internet:  $333.29; 0.9% of net.  See Electricity above for why it is so low.  In 2010, I expect to spend approximately $60 per month, or $720 total.

Eating Out:  $833.40; 2.1% of net.  I'm happy with this number, I came in under budget every month.  I'm keeping my 2010 spending at $100/month  or $1,200 total, though.  I plan to do more socializing in 2010.

Charity:  $203; 0.5% of net.  Wow, I'm stingy.  In 2010, I want to spend $50 per month or give $600 to charity.

Cell phone:  $767; 2% of net.  I don't do a lot of talking but I'm  over budget a LOT in this category.  Like my grocery spending, I've done every trick I can think of and my social and emotional health is suffering for it.  I'm tired of that.  I plan to increase this spending in 2010 to $75 per month, or $900.  This spending can be broken down even further:

• Skype: $367
• V8 phone card: $150
• Vodafone: $250

Miscellaneous:  $6,302.31; 16.1% of net.  That is a huge chunk of my income on such a broad category, I know.  But I hate setting budgets for things like clothes or travel, only to come in WAY underbudget some months and WAY overbudget in others.  It works better for me to lump this all into one category and try to keep the spending reasonable throughout the categories. 

However, it was pretty hard to separate out my spending throughout the year using this method, so I've added some subcategories to my spreadsheet for 2010: 

1. travel (car rental, gas, lodging, etc.)  Not sure how to break this apart from travel fund money quite yet...)
2. alcohol
3. entertainment (movies, music, etc.)
4. transportation (bus fare, taxis, rental car and gas around town)
5. household (needs like toilet paper or light bulbs)
6. clothes and goods (wants like games or new headphones)
7. fees
8. gifts

Here is my Misc breakdown for 2009 in these subcategories:

• travel:  $1,092
• alcohol:  $319
• entertainment: $1203.87
• transportation:  $673.49
• household: $1,211.08
• clothes and goods:  $1,154.06
• fees:  $365.37
• gifts:  $283.44

 In 2010, I am increasing my budget to $500 per month, or $6,000 total.

Total 'Wants' in 2009 make up 21.5% of my income.  This amount doesn't include spending that was saved up for in a fund, such as my travel to US fund, or my NZ travel fund.  Not including the Kiwisaver, 37.6% of my salary was saved for long or short-term spending in various 'funds.'

2009 Spending

I just went over my income for 2009, so here's my spending summary:

• $16,045, or 40.9% of my net income, was spent on needs (rent, groceries, electricity, and medical expenses)
• $8,439, or 21.5% of my net income, was spent on wants (internet, cell phone, eating out, charity, and misc expenses)
• the remainder, $14,790, or 37.6%, was saved in various funds for my 2009 goals
• $118.38 was saved in my Kiwisaver account.

I'm doing well tracking my finances every day, keeping within my monthly budget, and accomplishing my short-term goals.   I'm not doing so hot at saving for longer-term goals and other permanent things.  I will address this issue and other improvements that I could make in 2010 in future posts.