Pics from my trip over the blog hiatus soon! but first up: a budget roundup.
Total cost of Friday afternoon to Sunday evening trip to the Otago Peninsula with 3 other people: $188.80
I budgeted $300 but since the others were students we were doing some pretty cheap sight-seeing. No $50 tours for us!
Budget:
Food: $80 Actual: $60.53
Accomodation: $75 Actual: $57
Admission/Souvenirs: $80 Actual: $10
Car: $37.50 Actual: $42.86
Gas: $30 Actual: $18.41
Total: $188.80
We saw the blue penguins (no pics; they're sensitive to the flash and we only saw them at dusk), albatrosses, sea lions, and gorgeous coast lines. It was FREEZING, though! Lots of antarctic winds and cold temperatures on top of it--luckily we had very little rain.
We went for some pretty amazing walks around the area, too. Since work paid for the flights, this was a pretty cheap way to see New Zealand! Very happy I went but I'm now totally exhausted from the conference last week and then the crazy traveling over the weekend.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Excitement is Not Contagious.
I signed up for the KiwiSaver last week, and finally heard back from HR about it yesterday--I had to send in proof that I was a resident. I did that and they are processing it now!
Last night, I told my roommate about my new exciting investment opportunity with a certain amount of glee and happiness, and got a 'meh' response, like she was waiting to hear the punchline. I think I then dug the nerd hole deeper by explaining the rad 2% match and free $$ kick-start from the government, because even that didn't elicit any sort of reaction.
Pretty funny! But man, it would be nice to have some PF nerds around to talk to sometimes. :)
Last night, I told my roommate about my new exciting investment opportunity with a certain amount of glee and happiness, and got a 'meh' response, like she was waiting to hear the punchline. I think I then dug the nerd hole deeper by explaining the rad 2% match and free $$ kick-start from the government, because even that didn't elicit any sort of reaction.
Pretty funny! But man, it would be nice to have some PF nerds around to talk to sometimes. :)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Conference Round Up
Just got back from my second conference in NZ. I went to this same conference last year in November, but this year was much better. A) I have more of a handle on the subject, having done some work in it this past year, and B) there were more young people at the conference compared to last year. Additionally, I had many friends as coworkers to hang out with last year, and so we didn't mingle with the older crowd as much, and just enjoyed ourselves by drinking together, out on the company. That was before I learned my Great Big Lesson to be careful about hanging out with co-workers. :)
This year, I didn't know any of my coworkers that went that well. I've distanced myself from the new people that come into my company, and these were the people that went. They are all very nice, but my aversion to get too close to coworkers forced me to mingle outside of familiar faces, and really, that is what conferences are all about.
As a consequence, I was offered a job in Germany, with 50 days of vacation a year! Wow, you Germans really know what's up. :) I made several contacts with companies in Australia, Japan, Chile, Kenya, Iceland, and other parts of NZ. Also, I think I have a potential friend date to go rock climbing with a guy from an Auckland-based company. I've also become involved in a sort of mentoring-type situation with a very awesome younger Māori woman that is trying to put together her master's project. All in all, the conference was a rousing success.
I had a lot of fun meeting new people. I thought I'd forgotten how to do that. And I'm very happy that I kept my distance from my coworkers. I was friendly, but kept the conversation very gossip-free. As much as I love gossip, I think it is horribly damaging to people's reputations in the workplace. I really don't care if someone is having an affair, just as long as they do a good job and don't keep me from doing my work. ;)
Instead of gossiping with co-workers, I come home and talk with my roommate about all of it--she'll never meet these people and can't do any damage. Speaking of rumors, I've heard a pretty awful one from one of my bosses...she says that the CEO of my company told her to really think hard about seeking a University position, as the HR people were going to restructure my company very soon. I knew the gravy train was going to end sooner or later! My company spends ridiculous amounts of money on very unnecessary items. I have a two year contract, so I think I'm safe, plus my other supervisor gets money from outside sources so that half of my job is incredibly secure for the next 5 years. At worst, I would have to take a pay cut and possibly go part time.
Do you Kiwis know how the contract situation works? Can I still get laid off while on one if I haven't done anything wrong?
Catch Up Weekly Spending
I forgot to do my weekly spending report the past few weeks, due to my packing and running around and the process of getting my October spending report up!
So, so belatedly that this could almost double for a monthly report, here's my spending thus far:
Groceries: $252.29, $20 of which was just on cheese. I really should do a post on that. :)
Eating out: $19.70 yummy thai and a sausage at The Great Ape Race
Cell phone: $55, for a skype top up and a V8 card topup
Misc: $223.02
Misc spending breakdown: $19 transportation (bus fare, taxis), $23 to see a play, $25 entry fee for the Ape Race (also could be considered a charity donation, but it was fun and I got to see the Auckland Zoo so it was also entertainment!), $15 for drinks with some people, $2.82 for tissues when I had a cold out in the field, $25.33 for TV to laptop cables, $47.88 for a webcam, and $64.99 for 3 pairs of shoes for my conference in the past week.
Total spending in Nov.: $1390.01
Total saved in Nov.: $509 ($200 to Roth, $70 to House downpayment, $70 to Europe fund, $169 to 2010 US travel)
Next week I'm going to another conference, so work should cover my meal costs. I'm traveling around afterward, but that $300 I budgeted for the weekend trip has already been deducted from my travel fund.
I still need to spend money on some groceries for the four days that I'm in town before the conference, and on some conference clothes and shoes for next week. I got the feeling that I didn't dress well enough for the conference this past week...even though a good portion of the conference goers dressed much more casually than I did.
My goal is to spend less than $200 for the rest of the month (not counting that travel budget), so I can save $1000 more to my 2010 travel fund.
So, so belatedly that this could almost double for a monthly report, here's my spending thus far:
Groceries: $252.29, $20 of which was just on cheese. I really should do a post on that. :)
Eating out: $19.70 yummy thai and a sausage at The Great Ape Race
Cell phone: $55, for a skype top up and a V8 card topup
Misc: $223.02
Misc spending breakdown: $19 transportation (bus fare, taxis), $23 to see a play, $25 entry fee for the Ape Race (also could be considered a charity donation, but it was fun and I got to see the Auckland Zoo so it was also entertainment!), $15 for drinks with some people, $2.82 for tissues when I had a cold out in the field, $25.33 for TV to laptop cables, $47.88 for a webcam, and $64.99 for 3 pairs of shoes for my conference in the past week.
Total spending in Nov.: $1390.01
Total saved in Nov.: $509 ($200 to Roth, $70 to House downpayment, $70 to Europe fund, $169 to 2010 US travel)
Next week I'm going to another conference, so work should cover my meal costs. I'm traveling around afterward, but that $300 I budgeted for the weekend trip has already been deducted from my travel fund.
I still need to spend money on some groceries for the four days that I'm in town before the conference, and on some conference clothes and shoes for next week. I got the feeling that I didn't dress well enough for the conference this past week...even though a good portion of the conference goers dressed much more casually than I did.
My goal is to spend less than $200 for the rest of the month (not counting that travel budget), so I can save $1000 more to my 2010 travel fund.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Capital One Showdown
Yup, I called Capital One Saturday. Not at 9 am on the dot (3 am my time), but later, once I woke up.
I was calm but oh so annoyed for the entire phone call. I complained and vented and got it all out of my system about how I could be trying to use this card to find a place to sleep or to get out of a jam. Then the agent said, "It takes a while for it to register that you're in a foreign country, they should stop flagging the account after a while." At which point, MY HEAD EXPLODED. I have been here for a YEAR AND A HALF. They have flagged my account no fewer than twelve times. How long does it take?? She answered, "Oh...well...sorry. I'll write a note in your account with your email address and phone number so that they can contact you if they have questions about a transaction, instead of freezing your card."
Sigh...another note on my account. I threatened to cut up my card if this happened again.
The thing is, I don't even get why they'd freeze my account NOW. They let the whopper, the $1600 transaction, through, and all the other smaller Christmas purchases that I have made in the past month. Why now?
I am annoyed that they are trying to protect me against myself here. Why can't they just rely on me to check my account and flag any transactions that are incorrect? I think the Kiwi self-reliance and personal responsibility factor is spoiling me a bit--now I want more freedom!
I was calm but oh so annoyed for the entire phone call. I complained and vented and got it all out of my system about how I could be trying to use this card to find a place to sleep or to get out of a jam. Then the agent said, "It takes a while for it to register that you're in a foreign country, they should stop flagging the account after a while." At which point, MY HEAD EXPLODED. I have been here for a YEAR AND A HALF. They have flagged my account no fewer than twelve times. How long does it take?? She answered, "Oh...well...sorry. I'll write a note in your account with your email address and phone number so that they can contact you if they have questions about a transaction, instead of freezing your card."
Sigh...another note on my account. I threatened to cut up my card if this happened again.
The thing is, I don't even get why they'd freeze my account NOW. They let the whopper, the $1600 transaction, through, and all the other smaller Christmas purchases that I have made in the past month. Why now?
I am annoyed that they are trying to protect me against myself here. Why can't they just rely on me to check my account and flag any transactions that are incorrect? I think the Kiwi self-reliance and personal responsibility factor is spoiling me a bit--now I want more freedom!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Flying Off the Handle
My American banks are pissing me off!!!!! First, HSBC double transfers my money, causing a $10 overdraft fee and a balance of less than $5 in my BoA checking account. My credit card payment (for the full balance) to Capital One was scheduled to go out from my BoA account a few days later, but of course, HSBC was dragging their feet getting my money back in the proper place, so I had to downgrade my payment to just the minimum--and I barely scraped that together. I think I had 3 cents in my bank account after that cleared.
Of course, not paying my cc in full will cause me to incur interest with Capital One. So I still have to follow that up and get HSBC to agree to pay me whatever that is. I paid the remainder 2 days after the bill was due, but man...it's such a stupid thing and not my fault and it's WASTING MY TIME. I mean, I waste time all the time, but I choose to do so. The companies who have my money should be bending over backwards to keep me happy; they shouldn't be the ones wasting my time.
I am SO UNHAPPY with them. They maintain that they sent me an email notifying me about this error; I maintain that I never received one. There is no chance it was sent to my spam filter; all my settings are set up properly. HSBC has the correct email address for me. Who's the liar?
So, today, when Capital One froze my credit card account for the fifteenth time, I SNAPPED. I also had a particularly trying day at work, and all this frustration just boiled over. I charged me and my friend's trip to Vanuatu next February to Capital One today. It was the last day to get the special fare deal (my friend waited to get back to me until today). $1529 for return flights and accommodation for 4 nights in Vanuatu for 2 people--that's a good deal! Anyway, I got home and checked Capital One to see if the charge had gone through, and to see if the interest I owed due to the HSBC debacle had shown up in my account--and they have frozen my card. AGAIN. After reminding them TWELVE times that I am in NZ indefinitely and that both American and NZ activity is completely normal. I waited on the phone once while I made the customer service agent type it into my account.
When I saw that my card had been frozen, possibly causing us to lose this deal, I was extremely angry. I don't get angry very often; mostly, I just take things as they come and try to deal, but today was different. It was time to fight.
I fired up Skype to call their number, navigated through all of their stupid telephone systems, and found out that they have NO customer service agents available to fix this problem. What? I am pretty sure that most companies have 24 hour service nowadays, yes? What if I was trying to find a place to sleep? What if I needed medical care? I've told them repeatedly that I'm in NZ and not to flag transactions here. There is just no excuse.
I ended up writing an angry, annoyed email instead of calling them. But it didn't help.
I'm just so fed up. So much so that I want to stay up until 3 am here and call exactly at 9 am on the dot.
Stop testing me, banks. My best friend is an excellent corporate lawyer. This is your warning. (Don't kid yourself if you think I won't break that out in my phone call at 9 am tomorrow!)
Of course, not paying my cc in full will cause me to incur interest with Capital One. So I still have to follow that up and get HSBC to agree to pay me whatever that is. I paid the remainder 2 days after the bill was due, but man...it's such a stupid thing and not my fault and it's WASTING MY TIME. I mean, I waste time all the time, but I choose to do so. The companies who have my money should be bending over backwards to keep me happy; they shouldn't be the ones wasting my time.
I am SO UNHAPPY with them. They maintain that they sent me an email notifying me about this error; I maintain that I never received one. There is no chance it was sent to my spam filter; all my settings are set up properly. HSBC has the correct email address for me. Who's the liar?
So, today, when Capital One froze my credit card account for the fifteenth time, I SNAPPED. I also had a particularly trying day at work, and all this frustration just boiled over. I charged me and my friend's trip to Vanuatu next February to Capital One today. It was the last day to get the special fare deal (my friend waited to get back to me until today). $1529 for return flights and accommodation for 4 nights in Vanuatu for 2 people--that's a good deal! Anyway, I got home and checked Capital One to see if the charge had gone through, and to see if the interest I owed due to the HSBC debacle had shown up in my account--and they have frozen my card. AGAIN. After reminding them TWELVE times that I am in NZ indefinitely and that both American and NZ activity is completely normal. I waited on the phone once while I made the customer service agent type it into my account.
When I saw that my card had been frozen, possibly causing us to lose this deal, I was extremely angry. I don't get angry very often; mostly, I just take things as they come and try to deal, but today was different. It was time to fight.
I fired up Skype to call their number, navigated through all of their stupid telephone systems, and found out that they have NO customer service agents available to fix this problem. What? I am pretty sure that most companies have 24 hour service nowadays, yes? What if I was trying to find a place to sleep? What if I needed medical care? I've told them repeatedly that I'm in NZ and not to flag transactions here. There is just no excuse.
I ended up writing an angry, annoyed email instead of calling them. But it didn't help.
I'm just so fed up. So much so that I want to stay up until 3 am here and call exactly at 9 am on the dot.
Stop testing me, banks. My best friend is an excellent corporate lawyer. This is your warning. (Don't kid yourself if you think I won't break that out in my phone call at 9 am tomorrow!)
Loving Payday.
Paid today; $609 more saved.
Why the odd amount? Well, after my mandatory monthly long-term goal saving of $340 was met, I wanted to push my US 2010 Travel savings fund over the halfway mark. $169 went to that goal from the first paycheck of the month, and to even it out to a beautiful $2650. 53% of the way there!
Why the odd amount? Well, after my mandatory monthly long-term goal saving of $340 was met, I wanted to push my US 2010 Travel savings fund over the halfway mark. $169 went to that goal from the first paycheck of the month, and to even it out to a beautiful $2650. 53% of the way there!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
KiwiSaver!
I filled out the paperwork and finally signed up for the KiwiSaver today!! I feel so great.
In the paperwork, they asked for my contribution level. I chose 2%, since that is the minimum you can choose, and you only need to contribute that much to get the $1000 government kick-start, and the 2% match by your employer. Hurrah!
I think I've decided to go with SuperLife as my provider. I need to choose my funds. In my Roth and Traditional IRA's with T. Rowe Price and Vanguard, respectively, I have pretty much an even split between high-risk international and domestic (US) index funds. No playing it safe here; my emergency funds act as my low-risk investments. I'm unsure as to how to diversify more...and I'm clue-less when it comes to figuring out the differences between small, mid, and large-cap funds. Help!
I also need to figure out if I want hedged or unhedged funds.
Any tips?
In the paperwork, they asked for my contribution level. I chose 2%, since that is the minimum you can choose, and you only need to contribute that much to get the $1000 government kick-start, and the 2% match by your employer. Hurrah!
I think I've decided to go with SuperLife as my provider. I need to choose my funds. In my Roth and Traditional IRA's with T. Rowe Price and Vanguard, respectively, I have pretty much an even split between high-risk international and domestic (US) index funds. No playing it safe here; my emergency funds act as my low-risk investments. I'm unsure as to how to diversify more...and I'm clue-less when it comes to figuring out the differences between small, mid, and large-cap funds. Help!
I also need to figure out if I want hedged or unhedged funds.
Any tips?
Sunday, November 08, 2009
October Smash-Up
My October spending is a marvel--probably the lowest I've spent yet this year in a month, and with it being a 3 paycheck month to boot, it is also probably the highest save-to-spend ratio month yet!
Everything is under budget; everything looks great. No complaints here!
Rent: $840. This doesn't change much from month to month. In January, I will have to pay rent 3 times instead of 2 because of the way the fortnightly payments stack up, but I won't worry about that until Jan.
Groceries: $264.09. All because I was out of town for work for most of the month--and they paid for my food. This is still WAY HIGH to me, but it's under budget, so...can't complain!
Internet: $53.87. Love having a roommate! Internet bill went from $110 a month to $54. My roommate's friends stayed for a week and they were downloading youtube vids like crazy! We went over our allotted 11 GB by quite a few gigabytes, and each GB after that limit is $2.
Electricity: $86. Again, we had my roommate's friends come and stay with us for a week, driving this up.
Eating Out: $62. Being out of town for work kept this spending under budget.
Charity: $0. This is the only area where I'm actually ashamed of myself if I go underbudget. Need to step this up!! NZ charity suggestions welcome.
Cell phone: $30. My vodafone account needed a topup. This should be good to go until the end of the year, unless I need to use the phone to talk to anyone (I just text people in NZ, and call the US using a US phone card at this point.)
Medical: $0. I need a contacts prescription, a routine checkup, a check-in about my thyroid and iron levels, and I need a dentist appt. soon. This will go up very soon.
Misc.: $164.21. $1 fee for using a non-kiwibank ATM; $15 for a parking spot advertisement on trademe; $1 on busfare; $10 on a movie (500 Days of Summer); $4.50 on a card for a friend; $30 on an umbrella; $23 on stamps; and $80 on everyday tools for housework.
SAVINGS:
This month I saved (drum roll please): $3,167.05 of my $4,667.22 October income. Crazy--I saved more than I usually make in a month!
November holds a mish-mash, and I can't predict how much spending will be. I will be out of town for work for 9 days, and out of town for fun for 2. I'm using some of my saved money to buy items on my wish list. I am also gearing up for Christmas spending. I am only going to give the 3 members of my immediate family gifts, and I'm paying to have a large box of US items shipped to me as a present to myself for Xmas. The gifts and shipping should be much, much less than a $3000 NZD plane ticket. I hope it's worth it to miss Xmas with my fam!
Reversal?
I may have jumped the gun on the 'my friend is a total flake' thing. She's now saying she is still looking into coming, but has to have some downtime to work on some things. Well, OK, but I'm making alternate plans in case that doesn't happen. Once bitten and all that...
So...$$ gets moved back to its original positions in my goals list. I'm OK with that--I'd rather have travel plans than goals fulfilled, any day!
So...$$ gets moved back to its original positions in my goals list. I'm OK with that--I'd rather have travel plans than goals fulfilled, any day!
Friday, November 06, 2009
My Money is Unemployed
Now that my friend isn't coming in Dec., and I'm not going home for Christmas, I have both the $2500 I saved for my trip home for Christmas and the $3000 that I saved up to travel while my friend was in town, just sitting around doing nothing. In effect, that $5500 NZD just got laid off.
I waste money that doesn't have a job, so it's important that I figure something out pretty quickly. Currently, some of my money is in fire and rescue--its job is to wait around for rainy days and emergencies, and then swoop in and save the day. Some of it is in the entertainment business--its job is to fuel my dreams, give me hope, and give me the motivation to get through tough times with promises of the future. Other bits of my money works hard day to day--it feeds me, clothes me, puts a roof over my head, and lets me do things like go to the movies and play on the internet.
For now, that $5500 is getting split up in the following way, as its temp job:
$550 Long Term Goals (10%)
$550 Fun (10%)--$300 will go to my Dunedin trip later this month
$2519 to 2010 US travel, making it 100% complete
$1881 to Oz Travel, making it 47% complete
I can't help it; I'm just so addicted to seeing those savings bars get filled!
I waste money that doesn't have a job, so it's important that I figure something out pretty quickly. Currently, some of my money is in fire and rescue--its job is to wait around for rainy days and emergencies, and then swoop in and save the day. Some of it is in the entertainment business--its job is to fuel my dreams, give me hope, and give me the motivation to get through tough times with promises of the future. Other bits of my money works hard day to day--it feeds me, clothes me, puts a roof over my head, and lets me do things like go to the movies and play on the internet.
For now, that $5500 is getting split up in the following way, as its temp job:
$550 Long Term Goals (10%)
$550 Fun (10%)--$300 will go to my Dunedin trip later this month
$2519 to 2010 US travel, making it 100% complete
$1881 to Oz Travel, making it 47% complete
I can't help it; I'm just so addicted to seeing those savings bars get filled!
HSBC's Final Act
See here for background information.
When I went to look up the number to call HSBC about their bank error, I noticed that I had received the following email in return (NO mention of notaries, proving the charge, none of the paperwork listed in Single Ma's description of her experience...):
Hmmmm...fine--I'm getting my money back, but I'm still angry. A) I caught this error, through Single Ma, B) they never notified me of the error. What if I hadn't caught it and followed up? How many other people has this happened to, that just think it's their fault? How can they preferentially treat some customers to 'good' service, and not others? Especially since it would be so easy to include us on that email.
Here is the email I sent back:
What do you think?
I think that something is fishy. Once that money is in my account, I am giving them a call and they will still get an earful. And I'm asking to be transferred to the manager straight up. And then I'm moving my money to ING.
When I went to look up the number to call HSBC about their bank error, I noticed that I had received the following email in return (NO mention of notaries, proving the charge, none of the paperwork listed in Single Ma's description of her experience...):
"Dear Sense,
Thank you for contacting HSBC Bank USA, N.A., the world's
local bank.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused. Your
request to reimburse the $10.00 fee on your Online Savings Account has been
processed. Please allow 2 business days for the credit to appear within
your available balance."
Hmmmm...fine--I'm getting my money back, but I'm still angry. A) I caught this error, through Single Ma, B) they never notified me of the error. What if I hadn't caught it and followed up? How many other people has this happened to, that just think it's their fault? How can they preferentially treat some customers to 'good' service, and not others? Especially since it would be so easy to include us on that email.
Here is the email I sent back:
Thank you for scheduling the reimbursement of $10 for the
overdraft fee I incurred on 10/30/09 for your error of processing a transfer
twice. I would also like to be reimbursed any interest that would have
accumulated during this time.
While I appreciate the swift resolution of the matter once it was brought
to HSBC's attention, why was I never initially notified of the error that took place on
October 30? I did not receive the email that went out about this error; I
happened to stumble across the news of the mass double transfer and that is
the only way I knew to follow up on this matter.
I should have been notified, along with all of your other customers that this happened to. If I was left off the notification email by accident, making this the second accident by HSBC in a week, that is, quite simply, too many accidents in too short of a time span. If I was purposely left off of this email, I find that to be an even more egregious error. Either way, I will be moving my money to another bank shortly, and will be calling HSBC
to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the way that this was handled.
I will definitely not be choosing HSBC nor its subsidiaries to handle my business in New Zealand, nor when I return to the US in the future.Again, I am overseas in New Zealand currently. I can be reached at +64
21 XXX XXX during normal New Zealand hours (9 am to 7 pm) if you wish to
talk about this matter."
What do you think?
I think that something is fishy. Once that money is in my account, I am giving them a call and they will still get an earful. And I'm asking to be transferred to the manager straight up. And then I'm moving my money to ING.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
I Really Hate Flakes
Well, it turns out that my friend that was supposed to come in December isn't coming anymore. She tells me this less than a month before she's supposed to come out! Grrr...this epic road trip around NZ and possibly Oz has been in the works since last June, and I've been planning and saving up for it like mad. I'm terribly disappointed.
I have $2.7K that I was going to use for this Epic Road Trip ($300 will be used for a weekend on the S. Island at the end of November). I'm not a fan of traveling by myself (plus, that's A LOT of driving to do all by my lonesome!), so I guess I'm not going to be going anywhere in December. I was so excited, I have been saving up all of my time off in lieu from doing all my fieldwork, for just this trip. Bummer.
I could scramble around and try to make other plans, but honestly...I don't feel like it, and everyone I know has to work or is going overseas or already has their (full) trips planned in December. I turned everyone down that invited me anywhere due to this initial plan. I'm now completely priced out of any trips home for Christmas (all of the cheap flights seem to be booked), so I'm missing Christmas with my family for nothing now! This all is making me sad. I know, I know, it could be much worse. :) It's new news, I'll cheer up in a bit.
(On the plus side, my friend coming in February has already booked his tickets. He unfortunately has to work for 5 of the 10 days he is here, but we'll try to make the most of the time off that he has. At least I know he won't flake, he's already invested $1K euros into it!)
Lots of time off and cash saved up, nothing to do with it. I'm really afraid that the time off will wither into the ether if I don't use it up soon, and the same with the cash. On the other hand, maybe I should just take this as a sign to save that $2.7K and 10 days off in lieu, in case something good comes along in January. Or maybe I should tell my supervisors that I plan to just tack on that time off to my NZ winter vacation next (Northern Hemisphere) summer, and do an epic round the world trip, visiting friends all over. You never know what could happen!
I have $2.7K that I was going to use for this Epic Road Trip ($300 will be used for a weekend on the S. Island at the end of November). I'm not a fan of traveling by myself (plus, that's A LOT of driving to do all by my lonesome!), so I guess I'm not going to be going anywhere in December. I was so excited, I have been saving up all of my time off in lieu from doing all my fieldwork, for just this trip. Bummer.
I could scramble around and try to make other plans, but honestly...I don't feel like it, and everyone I know has to work or is going overseas or already has their (full) trips planned in December. I turned everyone down that invited me anywhere due to this initial plan. I'm now completely priced out of any trips home for Christmas (all of the cheap flights seem to be booked), so I'm missing Christmas with my family for nothing now! This all is making me sad. I know, I know, it could be much worse. :) It's new news, I'll cheer up in a bit.
(On the plus side, my friend coming in February has already booked his tickets. He unfortunately has to work for 5 of the 10 days he is here, but we'll try to make the most of the time off that he has. At least I know he won't flake, he's already invested $1K euros into it!)
Lots of time off and cash saved up, nothing to do with it. I'm really afraid that the time off will wither into the ether if I don't use it up soon, and the same with the cash. On the other hand, maybe I should just take this as a sign to save that $2.7K and 10 days off in lieu, in case something good comes along in January. Or maybe I should tell my supervisors that I plan to just tack on that time off to my NZ winter vacation next (Northern Hemisphere) summer, and do an epic round the world trip, visiting friends all over. You never know what could happen!
Drama Is Spelled With an H-S-B-C
Usually, the drama in my life centers around everything but my financial life. Usually, my money is my safe place--ordered in neat little packages of goals and funds and expenses vs. saving. Not so this week.
I recently completed my $5K goal, albeit with some (still on-going) drama. HSBC transferred the money from my US checking account TWICE on October 30, causing my heart to give out when I spied a ZERO and a -$4.11 overdraft in ugly red letters in my checking and savings accounts, respectively, two nights ago.
Luckily! I hadn't gotten around to transferring the $25 from my savings account to my checking account this month (I get free checking if I do this transfer, but the savings account interest is so minuscule that I always transfer it back into checking). So, the $4.11 overage was safely pulled from my linked savings (something that my NZ bank is apparently incapable of doing). HOWEVER, they charged me $10 for the privilege.
I thought that I had accidentally hit the 'transfer' button twice after I saw this. I am usually terribly careful not to do that, but hey, I'm human. So when I saw Single Ma's post about the same thing happening to her on the same day that my money was transferred, the light bulb went off--it was bank error, and definitely NOT in my favor!!
But that email that she received, politely informing her of the error and how they were going to fix it? I never got one. I only have $5K at HSBC, and she has $46K. Apparently somewhere in there is the line between getting an email notification and immediate action, and not saying a word and letting your customers think they are big dumb arses for incorrectly executing a transfer. Grrr. This makes me angry.
I sent an email to them already, but will follow it up with them as soon as I get a second off from work. They are going to get an earful.
I recently completed my $5K goal, albeit with some (still on-going) drama. HSBC transferred the money from my US checking account TWICE on October 30, causing my heart to give out when I spied a ZERO and a -$4.11 overdraft in ugly red letters in my checking and savings accounts, respectively, two nights ago.
Luckily! I hadn't gotten around to transferring the $25 from my savings account to my checking account this month (I get free checking if I do this transfer, but the savings account interest is so minuscule that I always transfer it back into checking). So, the $4.11 overage was safely pulled from my linked savings (something that my NZ bank is apparently incapable of doing). HOWEVER, they charged me $10 for the privilege.
I thought that I had accidentally hit the 'transfer' button twice after I saw this. I am usually terribly careful not to do that, but hey, I'm human. So when I saw Single Ma's post about the same thing happening to her on the same day that my money was transferred, the light bulb went off--it was bank error, and definitely NOT in my favor!!
But that email that she received, politely informing her of the error and how they were going to fix it? I never got one. I only have $5K at HSBC, and she has $46K. Apparently somewhere in there is the line between getting an email notification and immediate action, and not saying a word and letting your customers think they are big dumb arses for incorrectly executing a transfer. Grrr. This makes me angry.
I sent an email to them already, but will follow it up with them as soon as I get a second off from work. They are going to get an earful.
Monday, November 02, 2009
I'm Back...and Swamped
Work is swamping me with lovely opportunities, but I still have my more annoying, day to day duties to do as well, so...I'm busy.
I've worked the past 25 days, with basically no breaks. My supposed 'days off' were spent catching up on work or preparing talks and organizing meetings. I just got back from a stint in the field, and have another big meeting this Friday.
On top of that, I have a few conferences coming up. One of my bosses just asked me to present something at a meeting in a week. I also have to put together and print out a poster for a conference the week after that. The last weekend in November, I'm traveling for fun on the S. Island--that will cost ~$300 and will come out of the $3000 I have saved for NZ travel over the 2009 summer. (If we ever have one...I heard today that this past October was the coldest it's been in NZ since 1945!! We also were sleeted on in the field this past week, and the higher elevations were getting snow!!!)
So, I'm sad to say, this blog is gonna get ignored a little more. My supply of scheduled posts is drying up. However--work will pay for my food for another 8 days in November! That phenomenon made October a really cheap and easy month. Monthly update coming this weekend.
My one financial goal for November is to decide and commit to a Kiwisaver scheme. I've gotten most of the legwork and research done already, I mainly just need to decide for sure on a provider and work out which funds diversify me the most.
I will also decide soon how to break up the $2500 that was allocated for US travel this Christmas. Another new development has changed some of my plans for that $: one of my best friends is coming to visit me in Feb. We're definitely planning on visiting some tropical islands: Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu...one or two of those. A return flight + 4/5 nights accomodation in one of those islands is going for about $900 NZD right now. I'd also need money for food and souvenirs and things. We are also planning on spending 3 days on the S. Island, and doing day trips around the N. Island (glow worm caves, Rotorua). All that will cost some money!
I've worked the past 25 days, with basically no breaks. My supposed 'days off' were spent catching up on work or preparing talks and organizing meetings. I just got back from a stint in the field, and have another big meeting this Friday.
On top of that, I have a few conferences coming up. One of my bosses just asked me to present something at a meeting in a week. I also have to put together and print out a poster for a conference the week after that. The last weekend in November, I'm traveling for fun on the S. Island--that will cost ~$300 and will come out of the $3000 I have saved for NZ travel over the 2009 summer. (If we ever have one...I heard today that this past October was the coldest it's been in NZ since 1945!! We also were sleeted on in the field this past week, and the higher elevations were getting snow!!!)
So, I'm sad to say, this blog is gonna get ignored a little more. My supply of scheduled posts is drying up. However--work will pay for my food for another 8 days in November! That phenomenon made October a really cheap and easy month. Monthly update coming this weekend.
My one financial goal for November is to decide and commit to a Kiwisaver scheme. I've gotten most of the legwork and research done already, I mainly just need to decide for sure on a provider and work out which funds diversify me the most.
I will also decide soon how to break up the $2500 that was allocated for US travel this Christmas. Another new development has changed some of my plans for that $: one of my best friends is coming to visit me in Feb. We're definitely planning on visiting some tropical islands: Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu...one or two of those. A return flight + 4/5 nights accomodation in one of those islands is going for about $900 NZD right now. I'd also need money for food and souvenirs and things. We are also planning on spending 3 days on the S. Island, and doing day trips around the N. Island (glow worm caves, Rotorua). All that will cost some money!
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Credit Check-Up
I took advantage of my free credit report recently, after over a year of not checking (BAD PF blogger!). Although, I had to go through some crazy back way to do it--for some reason the US credit companies totally block everyone from other countries. Dude! I'm not a terrorist. I. Just. Want. My. Credit. Report.
Anyway, two of the sites blocked me, and the third allowed me to get my report after using HotSpotShield.
All is well, everything is lookin good. No terrorist (ahem!) stole my identity and credit.
The good thing is that I'm still using my US cc sporadically to buy my plane tickets home, and I use it while I'm in the US to buy everything. And then I pay it all off before I can be charged interest. So--my credit is still being built and should be intact when I move back to the US. Happy, happy!
Anyway, two of the sites blocked me, and the third allowed me to get my report after using HotSpotShield.
All is well, everything is lookin good. No terrorist (ahem!) stole my identity and credit.
The good thing is that I'm still using my US cc sporadically to buy my plane tickets home, and I use it while I'm in the US to buy everything. And then I pay it all off before I can be charged interest. So--my credit is still being built and should be intact when I move back to the US. Happy, happy!
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