A Trip South

I just got back from a trip to the South Island for work.

I didn't get to enjoy much of the scenery because I was working 12+ hour days every workday, and several hours each day over the weekend.  The good thing is that the sight-seeing I was able to do was completely free--because I was working every day, not a dime was spent by myself on my trip, not for food, lodging, nor any other incidentals.

One day I took a trip to see the Moeraki Boulders, these weird, ancient, perfectly round stones that sit on a remote beach:

They reminded me of large nest eggs, to be cracked open on rainy days or for specific goals. In that case, I hope to accumulate many of my own Moeraki Boulders.

Another day I took a cruise around the Otago Peninsula, a gorgeous spit of land that houses many penguins during the summer months.

It was nice to get away for a bit, especially since the hostel I was staying in didn't have internet capabilities. I always love traveling for work from a financial standpoint--it saves on food, electricity, and internet. I should be able to save over $1K in May (on top of my standard, budgeted $415 long-term savings).  That makes about $3,500 NZD to put towards my newfound goals.

Next month, work takes me to Canberra and Sydney, I found out recently. I should have a few days in each city to explore, although those days will be on my own coin. Hurrah for traveling for work!

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...

Demolishing Goals: The Epilogue

The very process of examining something, looking at each part individually, and then stepping back and viewing the whole provides a much-needed perspective sometimes. That happened when I 'ran out' of goals this year and needed to come up with new short-term goals.

There will always be more short-term goals. I found out during this process that my real frustration is that I can't save more for retirement. I feel impotent about the situation. Not being able to invest in my Roth while I'm overseas is making me unhappy. I was doing what I thought was a stop-gap--saving in a Kiwisaver (which I think is less efficient than most US retirement vehicles) and saving a sum of money each month to simulate Roth contributions, but the Roth money is just sitting there in my savings account, never to see the light of an actual investment until I move back to the US.

Another idea I had while doing the series led to a 'DUH!' moment: I can't legally invest in a Roth or 401(k), but I can invest in a non-retirement vehicle, like a brokerage account in the US.  I've wanted to do this for a while, anyway! Sure, it doesn't offer the same tax benefits as a Roth, but that's OK--it's more than I'm doing now. And it offers more flexibility for my longer-term goals that aren't set in stone, like buying a house, having a wedding, and my Europe trip.

My other concern about my financial health is my lack of insurance. Contents, long-term disability, life, and long-term care for my parents are the main goals for this year, with long-term disability being the emphasis--I've seen what can happen first-hand. I'll buy enough life insurance to cover my family's mortgage with a little extra to help them out of debt, and that should help them a lot.

Both of these ideas require some major research. It isn't enough just to go around and invest and buy in the first thing I find. For example, I don't know if I can receive long-term disability payouts from an NZ company if I live in the US. Or, I don't know if I can buy US insurance if I live in NZ. Where should I buy insurance, NZ or the US, given that I will be in the US if anything goes down but will live in NZ until that happens? I also need to research if it is cost effective to transfer currency from NZD to USD and then invest that money in a non-retirement investment vehicle. I also need to set up a trust to handle my estate, I think. Such mental roadblocks!

Also, in the end, these aren't short-term goals! They are definitely goals that will increase my quality of life in the long run, investments in my future, somewhat literally. So in the end, I found long term goals while searching for short term ones.

That doesn't mean that I won't still save up for the short-term goals that I listed in the last DG post; I intend to make a Travel Slush Fund, a LASIK fund, and a fund for my mom and sister's trip this NZ summer. While I'm researching insurances and brokerage funds and their applicability to my situation, I'll be filling up those funds. I already have $2500 NZD that needs a home.

I'll continue the $415 per month savings to a Future Roth IRA, House Downpayment, and Europe trip until I can confirm that this money is better spent invested in a US brokerage.  Or maybe I'll keep saving this money here in NZ and use my monthly overage to buy insurance and to invest in my brokerage account, and spread my risk a little.  Not sure how that will pan out quite yet!

Yep, that should keep me busy for the next couple of years.  :)  I finally feel like I'm getting a handle on this finance thing!

The Credit Card Game

I'm upping my game in an area of my life that has been neglected recently. I dabbled in it for a brief time before I moved to NZ, LAND OF NO OFFERS.  I didn't realize how much stuff I could get from credit cards and how much I was looking a gift horse in the mouth until I moved here.

I just used 75,000 air miles to buy a ticket to the US after signing up for a credit card and charging $3K of normal monthly expenses and my already-planned trip to Australia on that card. I spent no more than usual. After that amazing feat, I checked out the other deals I could get. I just signed up for two more cards. Both net me a $50 statement credit and 25K airmiles after my first purchase. One is at United, one is for Continental.  Since they are merging in June, I just got myself 50K airpoints to use on next year's trip back home!  I already have 50K points at United, so I should be able to get another free round trip out of the deal, saving me another $2K.

That $100 is going towards something on my Wish List, too, so I'll be able to stretch that a bit further. It is free money.

No matter what people say about credit cards, I think they work for me.  You can do the same--(see here and here to get started)--just be careful to pay off the balance in full each month and make note of any deadlines/rules to get the reward or annual fees they may charge if you don't cancel the card. Just be warned, this may affect your credit score in the short-term, so it probably isn't wise to do this before buying a house or applying for any other type of loan!

A $3K flight for less than $1K

Hurrah!  My bosses recently OK'd me going home for a month this summer, so I made flight arrangements tonight.

Funny enough, I have been hoarding airline miles and points from travel for 3 years now, and I still have nowhere near enough points to redeem for a NZ-->US round trip.  Too bad.

Instead, I've been gaming the credit card system. Not too long ago, Citibank had a deal with American Airlines where they gave you 75,000 airline miles for signing up for their credit card and spending $3,000 in 3 months.  This happily coincided with my plans to go to Australia, where I knew I'd be spending a LOT of money. It isn't hard to spend $3K in 3 months when you are traveling...

Anyway, those points were placed in my account in April, and I had a total of 90K points. Fantastic! A round trip ticket from NZ to the US costs 75K points. I called up the ticket agent and let her know the dates I wanted. I could have gotten the entire trip for free, but that required me to fly to Sydney and have a 12 hour layover, and I wasn't having it. I hate traveling by plane and I need the trip to be as short as possible, so I opted to pay for my return flights from LA to my hometown. I did get the NZ to LAX return trip for free, though!

My total with taxes and everything was $700 USD, or about $1K NZD.  I have $3K NZD saved up for this trip, so I was happy with that.

So, yay! All I have to do is remember to cancel the card before April next year (no problem...doing it next week).

That extra $2K in that '2011 Travel to US' fund now needs a home, along with my $500 left over from April...see my Demolishing Goals series!  I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be spending that money on something tres boring but necessary, like insurance.  Ah, I guess I should be a good little pf blogger and set a good example!

Demolishing Goals, Part VII: Future Plans

In the last post, I talked about weak spots in my budget, such as insurance. Now, I'll go over what my future plans are, in an attempt to get some ideas for future goals and funds!

For reference, most months I make ~$3,268 (2 paychecks), so I work off of that figure for my budget. My total budgeted expenses total $2,735, or 84% of my take home. Included in that budgeted expense total is the $415 a month (13% of my take home pay) that I save towards my long-term savings goals. I have ~$28K saved to my EF and short-term funds to be spent in the next 5 years. I save roughly 15% of my take home pay to long-term savings, like retirement, in which I have $11K at 32 years old.  I am not eligible to contribute to US retirement funds, and NZ retirement funds are not cost-effective. I need more insurance, probably, but am confused about what to get. I'm interested in what I should do with the extra $530+, or 16%+ of my take home every month, as I've met my 2011 goals already.  I'm taking suggestions!   

In the near future, I hope to (in no particular order): 

1. travel and see more of NZ.  Most of that travel will be taken care of my my normal monthly income, so I guess I don't need to save up for that, as such. Work is sending me to lots of places already, such as Dunedin later this month and Canberra next month.
2. I also want to go home for a while--I've already saved up for that trip.
3. My mom and sis are coming to visit me. I've already saved up for that, but it could cost more.  Possible fix:  save $2K more for their trip.
4. Recently a chance to travel to Fiji popped up. I had to decline due to the cost.  I want to have a travel slush fund so that doesn't ever happen again. Possible fix:  save $2K toward a Travel Slush Fund.
5. Upgrade lifestyle to include healthier options, whether that be a gym membership, more dance classes, more trips to the organic store, etc.!  No idea of the cost. Extra $150 - $200 per month?
6. Start dressing more professionally and age-appropriately.  An upgraded wardrobe will cost maybe $2K to a capsule wardrobe, preferably?
7. My glasses and contacts are getting to be more and more of a nuisance to my ever-increasing physically active lifestyle. I want to get LASIK corrective surgery.  $5980 NZD in NZ; $3500 USD in USA?
8. If I have the budget for it, I want to get a car. This will surely eat up any sort of extra room I have in my budget, so I'm holding off on it for as long as possible.  $5000 NZD initial outlay, maybe $200 NZD a month for gas and insurance, maintenance and repairs??
9. I should get life, longterm disability, long term care, and some sort of renter's insurance!  No idea of the cost.
10. My mom and dad don't have any sort of long-term care insurance and their life insurance is a disaster.  I'd like to fund both insurances.  No idea of the costs.

In the far future (five years out or more), I want to:

1. move back to the US to be with my family, rent a townhouse with a fenced in backyard near DC, get a dog and buy a car. Work at my desired organization and fully fund my Roth IRA, max out my 401(K)!  Partly funded by my '$5K NZD move back to the US fund' and my '$5K NZD Future Roth IRA' Fund.
2. buy a house?  10+ years away  Partly funded by my 'House Downpayment' Fund.
3. get married?
4. Do a grand, 3 month? Europe trip!  Partly funded by my 'Europe Fund.' This may happen when I leave NZ for good in a few years.
5. Save more for retirement.
6. camp and travel as much as possible!  Meet as many neat people as possible!

I'd be very happy with my current lifestyle for quite a while...so future plans just include the addition of a dog, maybe a husband, and that's pretty much it!

So, it looks like my short-term plans are the ones that need more work.  If I could, I would direct all extra money to my retirement funds, but it just isn't cost-effective or legal to do so!  What would my smartest move with $500 NZD a month be in 2011 and 2012?

Demolishing Goals, Part VI: Incidentals and Opinions

In the last post, I talked about my retirement accounts, which I KNOW is a weak spot, but am not sure what to do about it.  Now, I'll go over other areas where I think I'm lacking security or want to upgrade my lifestyle. This is the post where I really want feedback!

For reference, most months I make ~$3,268 (2 paychecks), so I work off of that figure for my budget. My total budgeted expenses total $2,735, or 84% of my take home. Included in that budgeted expense total is the $415 a month (13% of my take home pay) that I save towards my long-term savings goals. I have ~$28K saved to my EF and short-term funds to be spent in the next 5 years. I save roughly 15% of my take home pay to long-term savings, like retirement, in which I have $11K USD at 32 years old.  I am not eligible to contribute to US retirement funds, and NZ retirement funds are not cost-effective. I'm interested in what I should do with the extra $530+, or 16%+ of my take home every month, as I've met my 2011 goals already & contributing to retirement is not an option.  I'm taking suggestions!   

Incidentals:

You may have noticed that my budget didn't include insurance. That's because I don't have any!  I am a resident of New Zealand, and we're entitled to healthcare. Woo hoo! It is fabulous. I do budget about $65 a month for dental visits, optometry visits, and to pay the $17 appointment fee. I go to the doctor about twice a year, plus the dentist and the eye doc. Prescriptions are usually $5 or less. I don't take any pills currently, but I do get treated for eczema and buy contact lenses and new glasses every once in a while.  My fingers are crossed for universal healthcare before I get back to the States...

Other insurances:  I have absolutely none.  Notably missing are the bigguns:  

1. renter's insurance
2. short term disability insurance
3. long term disability insurance
4. ?? long term care insurance?
5. life insurance

To be honest, I know that these are important, but every time I look into, say, renter's insurance, it doesn't seem worth it to buy it.  I could replace my stuff for the annual cost of renter's insurance!  It helps that I don't own much--my landlord provided everything in our apartment, down to the cleaning supplies--and half of my belongings are still in the US.  Really all I would need to buy is a replacement laptop and a few changes of clothes, and I'd be set. I already have a fund for the replacement laptop, too.

Long-term disability insurance...do they even have that here in NZ? Could I buy a policy in the US?  If I did, would it cover me in NZ? If I bought a policy in NZ, would it cover me in the US?  Because I'd most likely move back home if something awful happened.  I am a bit confused about what is legal/necessary.  I don't have any dependents, either, so life insurance probably isn't necessary, although I'd like to leave my mom with a bit of money if something happened to me.

I need help here!  What do you have, and where do you have coverage?

Are there any other holes you see?  The next post will detail my future plans and goals, and where I eventually want to end up.  Maybe that will illuminate my financial picture enough to reveal more holes.

Demolishing Goals, Part V: Retirement Savings

In the last post, I talked about my savings.  Now for the sore subject:  retirement. 

For reference, most months I make ~$3,268 (2 paychecks), so I work off of that figure for my budget. My total budgeted expenses total $2,735, or 84% of my take home. Included in that budgeted expense total is the $415 a month (13% of my take home pay) that I save towards my long-term savings goals. I have ~$28K saved to my EF and short-term funds already. I'm interested in what I should do with the extra $530+, or 16%+ of my take home every month, as I've met my 2011 goals already.  I'm taking suggestions!   

To complete my financial picture, I have to go over my retirement funds.  Brace yourself:

US Funds: $11,473 USD

Roth IRA: $4,831

Traditional IRA: $6,642

NZ Funds: $4,884 NZD

Kiwisaver:  $4,884 NZD

I KNOW that this is where I have a huge hole in my budget. For a 32 year old, I am far far behind in this regard. Legally, I am not allowed to save anything to my US retirement funds. I do save 2% of my gross income to my Kiwisaver, my NZ retirement funds--this money is taxed upfront. That 2% is matched by my employer.  I don't think it is worth it to save any more % in the Kiwisaver, due to the fees that they take out and the funds they offer.  Plus, I think I will be taxed on this money AGAIN when I take it out and use it in the US when I retire or when I go back to the US.

As a stopgap, in the last post, I talked about how I'm saving $255 NZD in my 'Future Roth' fund every month as part of my long-term savings goals. With every raise I'll increase that until I can get into a habit of saving $416 per month, or the amount I would be saving each month to my Roth in the US to max that out. I'm not sure what else to do there.

With the 2% gross that I save in the Kiwisaver, I also can add the 13% take-home that I save as long-term savings every month.  Roughly, I save about 15% of my take home to long term goals, 16%+ to short-term savings goals, and less than 71% of my take-home to my budgeted expenses.  Most months, I spend MUCH LESS than that 71% and the remainder goes to my short-term goals.  I don't have any short term goals right now, so that is the whole reason why we are here!

Demolishing Goals, Part IV: My Current Savings

In the last post, I talked about my budget and income, and now I'll go over what makes me feel secure:  my savings and various goal funds.

For reference, most months I make ~$3,268 (2 paychecks), so I work off of that figure for my budget. My total budgeted expenses (including $415 a month to long-term savings goals) totals $2,735, or 84% of my take home.  I'm interested in what I should do with the extra $530+, or 16%+ every month, as I've met my 2011 goals already.  I'm taking suggestions!

Here's a picture of my savings:

Short-term:

Emergency Fund:  $10,000 NZD

2011 US Travel Fund:  $3,000 NZD (to be used towards my trip home to the US this year)

2012 US Travel Fund:  $3,000 NZD (to be used towards my trip home to the US next year)

New Laptop Fund:  $900 NZD (current one is 4 years old and in need of some work)

Family NZ Trip Fund:  ~$4,000 NZD (to be used toward my family's trip to see me at the end of this year--held in a US bank account)

Move Back to the US Fund:  $5000 NZD (to be used when I move back to the US, whenever it happens!)

Wish List Fund:  $2,500 NZD (to be spent on items I have thought about and really want, or items that are wearing out or I think are of in need of an upgrade)

Short Term Fund Total:  ~$28,400 NZD

These funds are held in a high yield savings account which earns about 3.5 to 5.6% interest, depending on if they are in a term deposit or just in regular savings.

Long-term:

Future Roth: $4,220 NZD

Europe Fund: $1,440 NZD

House Downpayment Fund: $1,440 NZD

Long-term Fund Total:  $7,100 NZD

I save 13%, or $415, a month to my long-term goals. I am not allowed to contribute to any US retirement accounts, but that is where I will be retiring, most likely. The Future Roth fund will go to my Roth IRA whenever I am eligible to contribute again.  The other two goals are not immediate goals, but things that I think I want to happen in the distant future (a trip to Europe!  buying a house!).

All of my savings can obviously be used for other goals if they come up.  That entire amount can be used as an Emergency Fund if necessary, for example.

Next up: retirement. Ugh.

Demolishing Goals, Part III: My Financial Picture

In the last three posts in the series, I talked about how I've met my 2011 goals, reviewed my 2011 goals, and detailed the possible goals I was considering before making my official list. (Blogger ate this and the next few posts already so I'm gonna be lazy and not redo them entirely again...sorry!)

Now, I'll go over my entire financial picture, where I think my life is headed, and try to identify holes in my budget and lifestyle that may benefit from some extra savings. Basically, I need to figure out where to put the rest of my savings for 2011. I'm inviting all sorts of scrutiny, so please look at this with a very critical eye, and really let me have it.

First off, I should talk about my income and budget, I suppose.

I make an average of ~$3500 NZD a month--that is including 3 paycheck months.  Most months, I make ~$3,268 (2 paychecks), so I work off of that figure for my budget.

Budget for a 2 paycheck month:
Rent:  $840--26% take home (two fortnightly payments; two months of the year I have 3 payments of $420, or $1260, but that is covered by the leftover bits of my monthly income so I don't worry about it too much)
Groceries:  $450--14% take home (yikes!)
Internet:  $70--2% (variable; this is the max I usually pay)
Electricity:  $115--4% (variable; this is high to account for winter bills)
Eating Out:  $100--3% (I hardly ever spend this much, but I upped it this year in an effort to encourage myself to be more social)
Charity:  $50--2%
Cell phone:  $80--2% (average due to my skype subscription renewal; most months it is much, much lower)
Medical:  $65--2% (most months it is much lower)
Misc:  $550--17% (includes busfare, taxis, household goods, some travel, anything I want)
Savings:  $415--13% (long term savings)

Total Budgeted Expenses:  $2,735 (84% take home)
Most of the time, I don't spend that much, and the remainder gets lumped in with my Short Term goal savings.
Total Left to Save to a Short-Term Goal:  ~$530+, 16%+

I am NOT interested in ways I can reduce my budget, so thank you, but I've got that as down pat as I can make it while keeping a lifestyle that I like.  If anything, I'll be increasing my budget to account for any holes I identify.

Annual Review madness

Eeek!  Time for my much-dreaded annual review synopsis. Why are reviews always so awkward?  Even though I check in with my bosses all the time, sitting down with them for a formal assessment always makes me a little bit uncomfortable.

The way it works in my company is that I fill out a (very repetitive) form asking me about the previous year, if I have accomplished my goals, what I am happy about, what I am unhappy about, if there is anything missing, where I want my career to go, what my company needs to do to make that happen, etc. Basically, it's really ME reviewing my company.  Then my bosses read it and we all sit down and discuss what I wrote.

So this happened last Friday, and it was OK. I don't know, does anyone else have a problem with getting words out correctly?  I can practice and practice what I want to say in my head, but when it comes time to say it, the words disappear and I'm on my own.  I come off like I haven't even thought anything through!  It happens even when I'm not nervous, so it's weird.  I actually blame the thyroid issues I have for my cloudy mind, but that's another post. I had all of these things I wanted to say in a certain way, and ended up feeling really stupid because I couldn't think of the words or it comes out wrong.

Anyway, I went through my review, and my bosses were super nice as always.  I did get in trouble for not going to staff meetings. I still hate them, but now I HAVE to go.  My bosses mentioned giving me a raise. They had no idea that I had already been given two in the past two years!  It is their business to know, because I am figured into their budgets!  Crazy. Anyway, I told them what my salary was now, and we'll see if they still give me a raise. ??

My bosses also looked at my future goals and brain-stormed ideas about how to help me get what I want.  One suggested going to Australia to learn a new technique!  Score!  And she had about 4 different ideas for 'mini-projects' that I could do, each of which would be SO COOL to get to do. I have to pick one, but I want to do them all.  There isn't a budget to do all of them, or time, but I'm tempted to tell my boss that I'll take on all of them on my own time. My other boss chimed in with a few more cool ideas that fit into my future career goals. They both also offered to help me revise my resume/CV "as long as [I] don't go applying for other jobs with it."  Haha. Very little chance of that happening!! I have always been up front with them about my future plans to move back to the States, and they'd be the first people I'd tell if there was a job that I was interested in.

I told them to give me more work, more deadlines, and to really push me to see how much I can do. I want the next year to be about living up to my potential in this field. I know I'm capable of doing more and doing better work, and it kills me that I take what I think is the easy way out so much.  It also kills me that taking the easy way out is so, well, easy here in NZ. If I knew I had someone expecting more of me, I'd do more, better.  I hate that that is the way that I work, the way I stay motivated and accountable, but that is the way I am.  My bosses kind of think I'm crazy for this, too much of a perfectionist, and that my work is 'nearly perfect', but I'm not satisfied. I know my potential, and I'm not there yet--I can go much, much harder. This is my dream! I need to take advantage of every opportunity I can, or else I know I will regret squandering that time later. Plus, when I go back to the US, the standards will be a LOT higher and stricter--I need to keep up to that standard so that acclimating back to the US way isn't so difficult.  It is incredibly competitive there, so the better I do here, the easier it will be when I return.

So, all in all, more work goodness. I'll soon find out if they'll give me the 9 weeks off I want to take this year (took 2 already for Australia in February, want 4 more in August-September, and another 3 at Christmas!).  I am ridiculously spoiled here...

The Case of the Disappearing Posts

Blogger has done something very weird--a few nights ago I spent 2 hours revising about 4 draft posts I had and turning them into scheduled posts. I published the first one, and it went up.  A day later, all of those scheduled posts are in their pre-revised form and back to the original drafts!  AND--the first post that I published is gone!

Also, when I logged in last time, gmail told me that some suspicious activity had occurred on my account & it locked me out for a minute.  Could this be related?

What's going on, Blogger?  Has anyone else had troubles?

ETA:  http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/05/blogger-is-back.html

GENIUS

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112715/shutting-kids-out-family-fortune-wsj?mod=family-kids_parents

That guy knows what's up.

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!!]

Demolishing Goals, Part II: Some ideas

In my last post in this series, I went over how I've made my goals for 2011 already.

Last November, I put forth a few more possible goals for 2011. For my official 2011 list, I pared these down and made them SMART where I could.  Abbreviatedly, the additional ideas for possible goals I looked at for 2011 last November are:

Goal 1:  Save $3K for 2012 US Trip. (As mentioned earlier, DONE)
Goal 2:  Spend $4K Australia Fund on ...a trip to Australia!! (Done)
Goal 3:  Keep my $5K Family Trip to NZ intact.  (Done until spent on trip)
Goal 4:  Keep saving $340 or more toward my Long Term Goals each month.  (Increased to $415/mo)
Goal 5:  Continue contributing 2% of my income to the Kiwisaver to get the employer match. (Done)
Goal 6:  Look into Prosper.com and BonusBonds. (Bonus Bonds DONE)
Goal 7:  Spend at least $50 per month on charity. (Check thus far)
Goal 8:  Travel to England to see my friend? 
Goal 9:  mandatory medical, fitness and health-food spend? 
Goal 10:  mandatory mental health spend?
Goal 11:  mandatory beauty-product and appearance spend/fund?
Or perhaps a 'get everything on my wish list' fund? (will be done April 2011)

Obviously Goals 8-11 didn't come into fruition in my revised, official version, as they are incredibly nebulous and vague.  The England trip should become part of my long-term Europe fund goal, and the rest of it is just a sort of a lifestyle upgrade.  I suppose I would have to increase my budget to incorporate those things into my life in order to make those happen.


Next, I'll review my whole financial picture and give my opinion of where I think the holes are.  I'll look at more possible ideas, invite some commentary from everyone, and then I'll cobble together a reasonable plan for the rest of my savings in 2011.  Can't wait!

Oodles of Work (and other) Goodness

My cup runneth over. Really, work stuff is just spilling goodness everywhere. It is perfection, beyond my wildest dreams good.

A few more ways to add to the pile:

• I was asked to join a local committee organizing a conference in my field (mentioned this before).
• I went to Wellington to work and learn a new technique, where I got closer to a colleague who 
• offered me an opportunity here in Auckland last week, during which 
• I met another person who
• offered me two more opportunities--one for traveling and one involving travel AND learning a new technique.
• this past week work paid for me to learn how to 4 wheel drive...including going on a practical exam-like experience where we played around and wheelied in the mud and up and down slopes.  It was AWESOME.
• My very first manuscript was accepted for publication in a scientific journal.  Excitement!
• Two more papers are in the works.
• Another paper is in a very early draft form.
• I am designing a museum display that should be unveiled in the next 6 months.
• My bosses have received my performance review and are thinking of more ways to get me what I want.
• I have plans to give two more talks at scientific conferences.

All of this stuff is excellent for the resume, and excellent for my happiness.  

Other good stuff:

• I'm planning a ski trip with friends for my birthday this year. I've never skied before!
• I am going home in August for 4 weeks, pending my bosses final OK.  I'll get to see my family and friends again!  And enjoy all the benefits of being an American again (there aren't really many if you live out of the country...)!  Doing all of that fills up my soul like drinking water after being parched in a desert.  As much as I hate to admit it, I'm an American girl through and through, & I don't see myself happy and settled in any other country.
• My mom and sister will come to visit me this December. Yay!
• A new roommate is moving in, she seems extremely nice.
• My landlord isn't going to sell my apartment for at least another year.  I can buy stuff!  :)
• My budget is working.  I've fulfilled all of my 2011 goals.  I should have more than enough for all of the travel and fun stuff I want to do this year, including visiting Bali for a wedding!  Eat Pray Love, here I come.

Restaurant Review

For no good reason, I thought I'd post a restaurant review of Cafe Hanoi, an upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Auckland's CBD.  My date took me there tonight, and it was delicious!

The good:  The staff was professional and also funny.  The shaking beef was done perfectly, and the Hanoi pork was to die for.  The decor is a (good) weird mixture of classy and rustic.

The bad: It took a while to get our drinks and food--the whole meal took about 2.5 hours, which I find a little excessive, but we were having a good time and the food ended up being very yummy, so I didn't mind.  If I had gone to the restaurant hungry, as I usually do, though--it would have definitely been a problem.  They also had sold out of two of the dishes we wanted, when we ordered at 6:30 pm!  The poached chicken with papaya and the coconut braised pumpkin dishes weren't horrible, but they were somewhat bland compared to the other two dishes.

Total cost of the meal with drinks was $124.  B+


Other restaurants in Auckland that I really like:

• Gina's italian on Symonds St.
• Grasshopper thai on Albert St.
• Little Mexico Cantina on Wellesley St.

What are your favorites in Auckland?

Engaged

As a follow-up to my 'Pregnant' post, now the big thing is getting engaged! No fewer than ten of my real life friends (and scores and scores of my online friends) have gotten engaged very recently!  Two more are extremely close to getting proposed to, too. I wonder how this happens...when it seems like everyone around you is doing the same thing or or all taking a very big step?  It can't be that my friends and I are just getting to that age, because we're all different ages, come from all sorts of backgrounds, and we all are very different people. It can't be the weather, because I have friends in both hemispheres where this is happening. The only common factor that I can see is me (haha)!  So it must just be that if you are my friend right now, you are more likely to get engaged and/or pregnant...right?! Come on over and rub my belly for good luck.  :)  CONGRATS!!! to everyone!

It is such a wonderful time in everyone's lives!  And I am lucky and benefiting because get to hear and enjoy being happy for all of these friends (also I can't wait to see the wedding budgets, people!).  I also get to go to all of these fantastic events in exotic places or places that I wouldn't normally have an excuse to go to--one event is in Bali this year and another is in Colorado (a state I've been dying to visit)!

It is always, always good to hear of a wonderful happening in someone else's life--the more happiness that is out there, the better. Whether online or in real life, I'm so happy for every single one of you!

Demolishing Goals, Part I

Firstly, May the fourth be with you! (it is May 4 in the US).  :)  I thought that was so cute when I saw it on my Facebook today--May 4 is Star Wars day!


I filled the remainder of my Wish List fund to $2.5K in April, with the three paycheck month and other goodies that came my way.  I just reviewed my 2011 financial goal list, and...that's it.  I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, and I'll virtually knock on wood here, but it seems as though four months was long enough to meet nearly every financial goal I set for myself in 2011.  All that is left is to continue to contribute to my long-term goals, which I still intend to do every month at $415/mo.

So, I've somehow completely underestimated my ability to save money. Not only have I fulfilled my goals for 2011, but I have leftover money ($510.18, to be exact) from April that now has no home or purpose. That makes feel icky inside, like I will suddenly take this wad of money and blow it on useless items instead of saving it for something really worthy. Acknowledging the fact that this is an open invitation for Murphy to come a-knocking at my door, (come what may) I think I need to reassess my situation!

Hmmm. Obviously I haven't made this hard enough on myself?  Let me review my initial 2011 financial goals:

In 2011, I will save ~$12,500 to various goals:

1)  $3K to a 2012 US Trip Fund. (DONE! in March)

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) (I increased my long term savings amounts at the beginning of the year)

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

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

I will also:

-Spend less than I earn. (Check thus far)

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

-Diligently track every penny. (Check thus far)

-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?). (Check thus far)

-Buy some Bonus Bonds! (Check)

Tomorrow, I'll go over past ideas for goals I have had, and add some new thoughts to the mix.  After that, I'll do a sort of 'State of the Moolah' address post, and then I'll invite some feedback from YOU as to what I should do next with my money, given my situation.  I have many ideas, but I need some help!  I may have to do a poll (yay!  I love polls!).

Ethics and Work Related Dilemma

I need some advice on protocol...here's the sitch:

--I'm friends with a bunch of people from my old company (Firm #1, we'll call it), several of whom still work there and have advanced to high management levels (ie, can hire/fire people)

--A friend that I used to work with at Firm #1 but who has since moved to another company (Firm #2), told me that an old coworker (who I wasn't close with) applied to work at his firm.  The old coworker was spouting all sorts of unbelievable nonsense about his duties and responsibilities.  My friend at this company (#2) knows the guy applying from Firm #1 and also has the ear of the hiring board, so he is the common element between the two firms.

Is it OK to:

1) ask my friends that still work at the company (Firm #1) if the things the old coworker said are true (ie, be a spy for my friend), and if not,
2) tell my friend at Firm #2 that they aren't true, or
3) tell my friends in high management levels at firm #1 that this guy is looking to bail??

It makes me feel squishy, so I haven't yet, and so I probably won't end up doing it, but I was just curious if there were any rules for this sort of thing or if this could make me look bad or hurt me if I ended up doing it.  This guy looking to bail is not a friend, we just worked together for a while.

What would you do??

Recent Trip Pictorial

My last picture-post described Australia, I think.  I've taken several trips since then: to Waiheke, Wellington, and Whangerei.  Time for another fun pictorial!

Waiheke Island, Auckland:

Onetangi Beach...deserted but still (just) warm enough for a swim!

Gorgeous sunset behind Rangitoto Volcano from Cable Bay Vineyards.

Auckland City skyline from Waiheke ferry

Wellington:

Taking the train from Palmerston North to Wellington

A big a$s spider (weta??), Pinnacles

The Pinnacles, LoTR filming location. 

Awesome.

The beach just outside of the Pinnacles. WAY too cold to swim.

Wellington's cute waterfront, near Te Papa Museum.

Home of artsy people!

And neat buildings, like 'The Beehive'--NZ Parliament building.

Wellington has a sweet cable car that takes you from street level alllll the way up to the Botanical Gardens. 

...where the Carter Observatory lives, which has cute bathroom signs.  :)

Carter Observatory.

Neat trees in the Botanical Gardens.

More neat-o art on the Welly waterfront.

Yes, that giant Haast's Eagle used to prey on that humongous moa bird. Both are extinct now due to hunting and habitat destruction by the Maori. Te Papa Museum.

Awesome light up floor with a map of NZ. Te Papa Museum.

Cuba Street!  Very cool shops and restaurants.

Maori symbol greenstone (jade) art in Te Papa Museum.

Welly from Mt Victoria.

A Maori statue stands guard over Wellington from Mt Victoria. Story of it here.

 Whangerei, Northland, NZ

Awesome little cafe near Kaiwaka.

Kai Iwi Lakes. ALMOST too cold to swim.  But how could you not, with water this inviting?

Beautiful, clear Kai Iwi Lakes. Shout out to eemusings for first introducing me to them via her Travel Bucket List.

What a gorgeous day to kayak for the first time.

One more.  :)

Gorgeous white sand, Kai Iwi Lakes.

Fall is here! Whangerei.

Clapham's Clock Museum, Whangerei.

Excuse me, what time is it?

April Roundup

Yup, April was a good month overall for me.

The good: I hit Wellington for the first time and saw everything there was to see (nearly), I learned a great new skill for my career while I was down there, I met a bunch of cool random people, and I started a pub quiz night to take the place of my weekly tennis sessions. I kayaked for the first time! Another opportunity came out of the Wellington trip, and I've been busy at work doing that recently.

The bad: roommate is moving out and I have to find a new one, which is utterly exhausting. For my family, April was NOT such a great month, but there's nothing I can do about that.

Rent: $840 (garage rent knocks it down to about $768, technically)
Groceries: $347.23 (under by $103)  I spent a week in Wellington for work, and that covered my food.
Internet: $81.28 (over by $12)  Three people using the internet, but our squatter left before paying a third of the bill!
Electric: $64.72 (under by $50) not winter yet...I budget for winter electric bills.
Eating Out: $108.45 (over by $8) A very social month!
Charity: $50 (on target) Still need to give this away somewhere...
Cell phone: $40 (under by $40) makes up for last month...($92)
Medical: $0 (under by $65) no check ups or colds, thankyouverymuch!
Misc: $784.42 (over by $234) Went on a road trip and spent a bit on US snacks, as well as new field boots and my roommate's bed so that the next roommate wouldn't have to sleep on the crusty mattress my ex-ex roommate left behind (and in case I needed to move and needed a bed to sleep on!!)
Long-term Savings: $415 (on target)
Total: $2,731.10 (under by $4!!!)

Income: $5,227.79

Difference to save to short term: $2,496.69.  $2.5K Wish List Fund = KILLED.

A $5K Income Month

April Income: $5,227.79

Wow!  That is so so so HIGH for me!  Through a combo of 3 paychecks, a raise, backpay for that raise to Jan 1, garage rental income, & selling stuff on the internet, that is my final total for April.  How awesome!!

I also spent a lot in April, too, though: $2,731.10.

However, that means I'll still be able to save almost $2,500--most will go into my Wish List fund, but there will be some left over for sure.

With that goal fund completed, I will have fulfilled my 2011 financial goals.  FOR THE YEAR. What is next?  I have saved for everything that I can think of to want.  Where should May through December's short-term savings go?  The rest of the year is kind of a blank slate, savings-goal-wise.  I do best at keeping expenses down when I have a goal to shoot for, so really, it behooves me to find another thing or experience to want and save up for.  But what should that be??

To try to figure that out, I want to do a series of posts reviewing my current financial and life state, go over what I think I want out of my life, and then get some advice from anyone that wants to give it.

New 2011 Financial Goals

With my Demolishing Goals series complete, I can make SMART goals now to finalize my findings and give myself new focus. 

Goal 1: Establish new taxable investment account at Vanguard in lieu of contributing to retirement.  I imagine that this money will be held for 10+ years & used mainly for retirement, but may help supplement a house down payment, a wedding, Europe trip, or other long-term plan that may crop up in the next decade.  It looks like initial buy-ins for funds are ~$3K, so I'll have to save up a bit to get in the game by the end of the year. September 2011: $4K saved! Research reveals that Vanguard's FTSE All World ex US Index Fund is a great tax efficient fund to invest in.

Goal 2: Establish a sharebuilder.com account.  Take advantage of their free $50 for signing up, and  maybe play the stock game to see how it works a little bit. I can see myself using $25 per month in this just for fun and learning. June 2011: account opened, deposited $50 USD to get a free $50 bonus. Will start researching stocks. 

Goal 3:  Send an email to an insurance brokers both here and in the US to find out my options. Talk to Mom and Dad to see how much $$ they'd need in my absence in order to obtain a stable, healthy financial life. Buy an insurance policy (with total permanent disability and death benefit) in that amount, at a reputable insurance firm.  Emails: done. NZ disability coverage while in US possible, as is life. Next step: level or stepped, how much coverage for each, how long, etc. Try to find level premium term life insurance ($350K) in NZ (does it exist?).

Goal 4:  Buy an affordable disability insurance policy that covers my specific job and replaces most of my income from a reputable insurance firm.

Goal 5: Talk to Mom and Dad about long-term care insurance. Shop around and compare prices.

Goal 6: Buy an affordable contents insurance package here in NZ. Something minimal that will help me sleep at night. BNZ PremierCare contents ins. is rated highly, as are their premiums. $250 deductible. Research done. Need to get quote. 

Goal 7: Finalize my Will and Trust and other important documents. Transfer all documents to my Living Revocable Trust (will need major research for this!). Update these documents and store with my mom.  Ask my friend to be the executrix. halfway done in Sept. Need to xfer savings and checking accounts to Trust; send scanned docs to Mom and Dad.

Goal 8: Save $2K in my Travel Slush fund.  For those last-minute, awesome opportunities that seem to pop up everywhere these days! DONE.

Goal 9: Save $2K in my Mom and Sister's NZ Trip fund.  For anything else we haven't thought of. DONE.

Goal 10: Play the credit card game, amass enough air points to travel home for free next year. September 2011: with Chase Sapphire card, 50K points amassed. Should be enough points for my trip home next year.

I decided against a LASIK Fund. I'm just not sure I'm ready to do that yet, given all the problems that some people have.