2013 Financial Review

2013 Spending:

	2013 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount	Balance
Rent	$10,920.00	$10,920.00	$0.00
Groceries	$4,412.39	$4,800.00	$387.61
Internet	$795.99	$720.00	-$75.99
Electricity	$896.57	$900.00	$3.43
Eating Out	$1,133.30	$1,800.00	$666.70
Charity	$497.80	$300.00	-$197.80
Cell phone	$372.38	$600.00	$227.62
Medical	$689.73	$1,500.00	$810.27
Misc	$4,901.71	$7,200.00	$2,298.29
Savings	$6,600.00	$7,200.00	$600.00
Total	$31,219.87	$35,940.00	$4,720.13

Income: $37,906.31 (salary cut to 80% in April; includes garage rent)

Rent: Luckily this is staying the same, though I'll have to start paying water now. 

Groceries: Underbudget, just because of my trips. I was gone almost all of August, all of September, and most of December. 

Internet: This was overbudget but that is now under control, as long as we don't go over 80 GB each month. This will be $42.50 for me each month.

Electricity: Right on target. 

Charity: Overbudget. But that is OK.

Cell phone: underbudget. Not sure why, maybe my Skype annual renewal didn't count.

Medical: Underbudget. 2014 will be more expensive.

Misc: Underbudget by quite a bit. This will have to change in 2014. I can't afford the luxuries I used to.

Savings: Under. I need to pump this up after December's overage is calculated.

$6,686 or so was saved throughout 2013 to various funds:

$2135 Leaving NZ Travel Fund

$794 to Sanity Fund

$3000 to 2014 US Trip Fund

2014 is going to be even harder, financially. I'm anticipating my 80% salary until April, and then another cut down to PhD salary mid-year. Not sure what happens between April and July...here is a potential budget if I a) do a PhD staring in July and b) my salary is not cut between April and July.

Budget stays the same as late 2013 until July (income approximately $2800/mo):

Category	Budgeted Amount
Rent	$840.00
Groceries	$400.00
Internet	$42.50
Electricity	$75.00
Eating Out	$125.00
Charity	$25.00
Cell phone	$50.00
Medical	$100.00
Misc	$275.00
Savings	$600.00
Total	$2,532.50

Budget post-July goes way, way down (income approximately $2155/mo):

Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount
Rent	$0.00	$912.50
Groceries	$0.00	$375.00
Internet	$0.00	$42.50
Electricity	$0.00	$85.00
Eating Out	$0.00	$100.00
Charity	$0.00	$25.00
Cell phone	$0.00	$45.00
Medical	$0.00	$90.00
Misc	$0.00	$240.00
Savings	$0.00	$240.00
Total	$0.00	$2,155.00

That might just have to do for now. I won't be able to afford to do much travelling, so I'm hoping I can stick close to home and explore even more spots in NZ, if I even have time to do so, that is!

This Globetrotter Is Settling Down

In 2013, my tentative plan was to move back to the US. I have networked like crazy, put in a million CVs and applications and begged anyone who'd listen to help me (and they did, plus a few more, quite unexpectedly!). I've saved up for a US move a few times over. I've made detailed plans about where I am going to live, where I am going to adopt a dog, which tennis lessons I'm going to take, and how I am going to make friends and meet guys when I move back. I just need to DO IT.

Yet...

Nothing has happened. Absolutely no firm leads. I am no closer to this dream than when I started, though I think maybe I have scared a few work contacts in the city I want to move to with my unbridled enthusiasm (read: desperation). 

While I am dead serious about moving back, I also refuse to move to a new city without a job offer in my hands that will allow me to continue on my beloved career path. I cannot give up the momentum and awesomeness of fulfilling my life's purpose, as I am doing in NZ. My job isn't just my job...it is why I exist. THAT is why I can't leave it. Not even for my family. It has taken a very long time for me to explain that to myself.

So. After all that, I might be deciding to give up the ghost and live in NZ forever. Really. I'm just. so. tired. of beating my head against a wall that doesn't ever seem to budge. Though I'm really happy at home, I also wonder how US reality would stack up given my expectations.

Suddenly I wonder what I've been missing in NZ. Realizing that I never really gave it a chance, a fair go.

I'm ready to settle down. I'm ready to make a huge commitment to a place. I've been so ready for so, so long, but hesitant to assign that place to New Zealand. But I think I have to try. I think it is just time. I can't be a transient anymore, in a temporary mindset, in a holding pattern til something better comes along. It is time to put down the roots and see what grows from it.

I want a dog. I want a house. I want a garden and a car and to feel at home. I don't want to dream of better opportunities or wish I were somewhere else. I want to want to be where I am. 

I want to live where I am.

So I'm done. Life is too short to keep struggling like this, to keep living in the future in the hopes that something will come through in my desired geographical location. I'm done trying and preparing for something that just doesn't seem to be in the cards. A dear friend's death and some serious thought even before that brought me to this inevitable conclusion.

Therefore, I am flipping the script in 2014.

2014 will be about making NZ my permanent home. It will be about change and commitment and sacrifice. It will be about making connections and long-term plans. It will be about living where I am. 

Surprisingly, I am happy about this. I am glad that I can stop putting off my life. It is sad to think that I will be giving up the idea of living in the US, getting to see my family often, getting paid what I am worth, and all the security and material items that accompany a lower cost of living. But on the whole, I'm happy, at peace. This is just what I have to do. I miss the US things a little less each year, and cope with doing without my favourite US things a little bit better each time I leave. Those things will continue to get better. 

NZ is my home now. And I need to make my financial and personal goals reflect that.

A Little Relief for December

While guy stuff is getting infinitely more complicated (but still no clear answers), my finances are getting a little bit easier and simpler. 

Our garage is rented, bringing in a cool $25/week for both me and my flatmate! That $100/mo just about covers most of my utilities (but not quite).

My flatmate has also arranged to get her friend to take my room for a few weeks while I'm away at my full rent ($210/week). She and I are splitting the income 50/50, I guess? 

Anyway, it's a win-win for December! I will feel less guilty having fun and spending oodles of money across the United States (I leave tomorrow!).

A November to top all Novembers

This past month has been crazy. Just like October, which was interesting and then ended in a horrible tragedy. Luckily, November has been crazy in a mostly good way. A lot happened! I bonded with my new flatmate, we were taken up in an airplane by a new friend for free (score!), she won several vouchers and had a few modeling offers at the Newmarket Festival (they were scouting for new faces for some magazine), and I was asked out several times in one week, which was an absolute first for me, ever.

I am not sure this is why I've had such good luck recently, but after changing my attitude slightly towards NZ, good things are happening. I was offered an opportunity to make a little bit more money on the side. I'm only at 80%, so that will really help. Also, I think we'll start having income from our garage soon, which will be a total relief. Our electricity bill has sky rocketed because my new flatmate doesn't have a job and is home all day--it really makes a difference! I'm still sort of scared to send her the bills because I think she will threaten to move out. :(

Also, I think that my flatmate is letting her friend stay in the apartment for the month I'm gone to the States for Xmas. That friend has offered to pay half of my rent while she's there.

That's really good, because I went way way over budget in November. So much so, that I decided to push the overage to December in hopes of catching up while I'm gone and not spending so much money (crossed fingers). $579.22 from November was applied to December. This will probably go on until January, which is a 3 PAYcheck month--if I don't go crazy and act super insanely social, I should be able to make up for the ground I lost in November.

I should be able to make it til the end of the month of December on budget, what with the garage rent, apartment rent, work paying for a week of food (in San Francisco, no less! I am SO EXCITED, work will basically pay for me to hang out with my best friends!), and my parents paying for most of my food afterward! :) My big expense will be gas for the car in the US, any social activities I do with people in the US, and a rental car/NYE event/food in Southern California for 4 days at the end of the month.

I definitely cannot make November spending a regular thing. I think it was the three rent checks that did me in. I was under budget in almost every other area. It's enough to make a big difference in my discretionary spending at 80% salary... Combined with a really social month, and bam! You get a very overbudget me.

	Nov 2013 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount
Rent	$1,260.00	$1,260.00
Groceries	$452.77	$400.00
Internet	$50.24	$60.00
Electricity	$71.86	$75.00
Eating Out	$112.20	$125.00
Charity	$50.00	$25.00
Cell phone	$20.00	$50.00
Medical	$0.00	$100.00
Misc	$699.69	$275.00
Savings	$600.00	$600.00
Total	$3,316.76	$2,970.00

Income: $2756.54

Rent: WAY over. 

Groceries: Over by a bit...not too bad considering the Thanksgiving food that I bought

Internet: under

Electric: under

Eating out: under

Charity: over--but that is OK.

Cell phone: under

Medical: WAY under!

Misc: WAY over!

MISC
alcohol	$   136.50
entertainment	$    40.10
exercise	$    45.00
fees	$      5.50
gifts	$         $17
goods and wants	$   193.55
transportation	$   130.40
travel	$         -

Whoa, alcohol. I bought a bottle of vodka, and had several drinks with new friends

entertainment: I went to see Gravity as well as Hunger Games

For exercise, I bought new workout clothes, and bought an entry to a 10K I'm running in (new goal!)

Fees: I bought cookies for a work do

Gifts: I bought a friend cupcake mix and candles (made cupcakes, of course)

Goods and wants: Wowsers. My Halloween costume was expensive (but I got lots of compliments!), AAA batteries, business cards (work won't buy me any because I'm only 80%/not permanent staff), two rechargeable batteries, two picture frames (going to fill with pics from my flatmate's and my adventures and give to her for Xmas), Reese's halloween pumpkins (YUM), I sent my old flatmate her mail in Sydney, I spent a ton in the American store for Thanksgiving, and I bought day cream with SPF.

Transportation was big this month--I had a lot of funeral/memorial type stuff to go to that required transportation. There was no way I was missing any of it. I also took a cab from a friend's party, grabbed the cityhop car for a work do (bonus points for showing up, I HOPE), and got the cityhop car to go to Thanksgiving at a friend's house far away.

For December, I'm already behind the curve, but I'm hoping to catch up to it once I leave NZ. I shouldn't have to do any more grocery shopping--I'll eat from my cupboard from now til when my plane leaves. I have about $600 NZD to last me the rest of the month once my utilities are taken into account. Crossed fingers.

Bad November will continue into December...

And so it goes. This is why I save up so much in lean times.

Since returning from the US in early October, I've been socializing like crazy. Part of it is that I have been spending more time (and consequently, money) getting to know a guy I've been after for a really long time (who finally (!), FINALLY asked me to spend one-on-one time with him [and no, I'm not calling it a date because I'm honestly not sure what that was]. That only took 7 months...:) ).

My spending for October was likewise over my income, and not by a little bit. And it is definitely that way for November, as well. The problem is that it is a 3 rent check month, which means not only am I spending more on non-essentials, but my essential costs have gone up as well. Grrr.

Luckily I have saved up a 'Slush Fund' for just this kind of thing. It's at about $1,400 now.

I am hoping that December will offer some reprieve, as work will pay for a week of food, plus I'll be home for all of the rest of the month. However, I have major shopping plans for the US (as usual). Plus I have big travel plans for New Year's Eve, which includes a big night out. I'm not sure I'm paying for it or not--my friend has invited me to stay with her family and go along with what they are doing, which involves a limo and major party at a hotel or something with unlimited drinks. I KNOW that those are extremely costly. My friend seems to think that her parents are paying for everything, but I've never met them and don't want to come across as a cheapskate. Honestly, too, her parents scare me because they are all about image and think all women should be married and have babies by like the age of 23. I'm sure they think I'm a terrible influence on their daughter (who is 27) as I am single and childless at 35, so I need to pony up and take every precaution so that they don't ban their daughter, who is my best friend here, from ever seeing me again.

On the other hand, I'll be back in Southern California and visiting some of my favourite people, as my best friend in NZ is actually from the place that I moved here from! :) I can't wait!!

The bad part of it is that if I were still at 100% salary, I'd be fine. It's just that at 80%, I can't afford to have this much fun. I have to believe that lean times are coming again soon, so I should stockpile on the fun while it lasts...while also keeping an eye on my bottom line.

On Regret and Attitude

This past week has been a bit insane. First off, with a few more memorials for my friend (he was quite popular. :)) I signed a memory book to be sent to his parents, and that brought up way more emotion than I ever expected. It was a nice way to say a final good-bye, though...all the entries were written like individual letters to our deceased friend. I hope his family is comforted by just how much he was loved here in NZ (they live overseas and visited for the funeral).

His death has sparked a new resolve that was already growing inside of me.

By November 10th, I'd spent over $100 in alcohol alone. It has been a crazy social time since getting back from my US trip. So much so, that I don't want to leave to go home in early December. Things are just getting good.

Perhaps it is because I am slowly changing my attitude towards New Zealand. While of course I love every second of being in the US when I visit, during my last trip I started to wonder if the reality of living there again could ever live up to my expectations. Would I actually find the perfect job in my preferred city and make oodles of money and have a fabulous townhouse with an awesome dog, great roommates, and plenty of dating options? A fantastic social life with plenty of like-minded friends nearly instantly? Visit my family tons and have a great time even though I'd probably be dragged into some drama? Could the path to the perfect life really be as easy as moving home once I find a job?

Also, gone would be the mystique of being an ex-pat. I wouldn't be special anymore. Gone are long vacations, empty beaches, uncomplicated politics.

And just like that I realized that I've been holding on to this vision for so long, that I've forgotten to live when I'm in New Zealand. Sure, I travel. Sure, I have a ton of fun. And sure, things are OK here. But I have always held NZ at arm's length, enjoying it but afraid to get too close. It would feel like I'm betraying my perfect US vision, I suppose.

That is not a good way to live--waiting until the next vacation to tide over my fill of life. Life isn't a dress rehearsal. It is happening NOW. I'm getting older. I have to start embracing the now, as corny as that sounds. Somehow I started thinking about a permanent NZ scenario...what if I did a PhD? My work life is definitely here--all my contacts and I am pretty sure if I tried that the Uni would find a place for me. What if I just stopped fighting so hard what has come to feel inevitable?

And I have been--fighting it. Since my first day here, I've thought of NZ as a temporary stop. Every time I run into a problem, I think about how much more awesome it is in the States for me. While that may be true, it really isn't fair. I'm only hurting myself and denying NZ my participation in their society. I'm missing out on so much joy by comparing and contrasting. THIS (NZ) is what I've been given. THIS is what I need to adjust my expectations for. THIS is my life now.

Life is so short. I need to make sure I don't regret any of it.

Grief.

Recently I woke to find a text from a friend saying to let her know if I needed anything and that she was sorry about the sad news. I FREAKED OUT, thinking that maybe my sister posted something about my dad on facebook and I had lost him.

That isn't true, but the reality wasn't good, etither. After I called my family and was reassured that they were OK, I called her back. One of my very good friends had died tragically, horribly, agonizingly, in a terrible accident. So young, so amazing, and he's just...suddenly...gone. We had just spoken two days before. I should have made more time for him. I should have put off work and talked to him longer. I wish I could have done something or said something that would have prevented his death. If only.

I've never had to deal with anything like this before. A kid in my middle school died, but I barely knew him. That was horrible enough. This is...unbearable. I was OK for about two hours after the news--shock, I guess--and then the newspapers picked up the story and released his name. Something about seeing it in print made me lose it.

I'm OK one minute, a total wreck the next. I can't believe the world doesn't have him in it.

The entire community that we're in is shell-shocked, at a loss, heartbroken, sad. He touched so many lives. It is kind of amazing to see the response from so many people. He was special to everyone who met him. Droves and droves, hundreds of people have posted on facebook, twitter, and shown up to memorials, donated.

He gave everything he had. I never once, not in the 3 years I knew him, saw him get annoyed or angry or lose his patience or lose the smile off of his face. Whenever I needed anything, big or small, he dropped whatever he was doing and gave me every ounce of himself and anything he had to help me. He was the most generous, kind, caring person--and also at the same time one of the most HILARIOUS and social and friendly--that I have ever known.

During our first meeting, after a mutual friend introduced us, I casually mentioned that I really ought to learn how to drive manual transmission. He immediately offered to teach me. Surprisingly to me, I immediately accepted. He was the only person I have ever trusted to teach me--I didn't even let XBF try to teach me when he offered. To try something new and scary in front of someone is hard for me, because I know that they will see me fail, act neurotic, and get frustrated as I try to get things perfect. But with him, I trusted him instantly and instinctively upon meeting him. Somehow, I knew that he would not lose his patience, think of me differently if I didn't get it right away, or judge me for failing. I knew that he would reassure me when I got scared to try. I was correct. Without even knowing me, and during the first time we ever spent one-on-one time together, he generously spent over 3 hours teaching me manual transmission and hill starts and backing up on a hill, and encouraged me when he could tell I was losing confidence. The only reason that I tried driving with other people in the car during that trip was because he was there, and I knew he'd make sure I was OK. During that lesson with people in the car, he was my biggest cheerleader, and pushed me past the point that I had thought I could go. Of course, that last practice session ended when I nearly ran off the road, but he never acted scared, said anything mocking, or laughed at me--even afterward, just said I'd done a great job and that he was proud of me for trying even when he knew I was scared. I haven't practiced since and still can't drive manual, but the fact that I even tried is a testament to how awesome he was, and his supportive influence and nature.

This coming week will involve many memorials and a funeral, but the sadness will linger for a long time. Rest in peace, my friend. You take with you the best of us.

October

Whew. October was a hell of a month. I am sort of glad to see the backside of it, and move on to happier, stabler times (one can hope).

Landlord decided to pull a fast one on us and start charging for water. She let us know this AFTER my new roommate had moved in. Roommate wouldn't have moved in if she had known about the extra expense.

	Oct 2013 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount
Rent	$840.00	$840.00
Groceries	$526.20	$400.00
Internet	$67.05	$60.00
Electricity	$65.50	$75.00
Eating Out	$104.90	$125.00
Charity	$50.00	$25.00
Cell phone	$20.00	$50.00
Medical	$0.00	$100.00
Misc	$555.46	$275.00
Savings	$600.00	$600.00
Total	$2,829.11	$2,550.00

Income: 2838.04
Leftover: $8.93

Groceries are over. Big surprise...

Internet is over. I'm not exactly sure why...I've reduced it down to $85/mo so it should be much lower soon. Still have 80 GB though! :)

Electricity is going down due to it being summer.

Eating out is OK. I had dinner and lunches and stuff with some cool new people and old friends too.

I spent $50 on a donation for a friend running a marathon. Great cause.

$20 topup for my cell phone.

No medical for the first time in a while!

Misc: oops. WAY WAY over. 

MISC
alcohol	$   101.00
entertainment	$    22.99
exercise	$    76.00
fees	$   140.70
gifts	$         -
goods and wants	$    79.97
transportation	$    69.80
travel	$         -

Alcohol is insane due to those new friends I made. Also because I was mourning a friend's death and that involved a ton of social events in which we all drank in our friend's honour.

Entertainment: campground fee and a discounted movie ticket to use later.

Excercise: a grabone voucher to use later

Fees: Ouch. There were a ton of bank fees for setting up autopayments and the like, plus I had to add money to my print account at work, but the real shocker is the fact that I paid for an expensive garage door opener when I could have just stopped at getting the batteries replaced in the old one...stupid tax. D'oh.

No gifts. 

Goods and wants: maid service, a few necklaces, a new bathroom basket to hold my countertop stuff, a copy of Windows 2013 Office Suite, costume for halloween, nailpolish remover, and probably something else...

Transportation: gas money for Labour Day weekend festivities and 3 trips in the cityhop car and an airbus ticket and a bus ride to Mt Eden.

Shooting Myself In the Foot...

I've done two stupid things recently, in trying to be responsible and a good person. They both ended costing me money. Kind of like getting that stranger a job at my company, who later fired me and kept the stranger (who is now a friend). Silly me. 

First, I had to get a new roommate and asked my landlord what to put in the ad. One key data point was rent--was it staying the same? I needed to know for the ad--didn't want to misrepresent the room!

This must have reminded her that she hadn't increased the rent in the 5 years that I've lived here. After picking out a roommate, and that person moving in, my landlord still hadn't sent the lease over (as a matter of fact, it STILL hasn't arrived!) so we asked for it again. Landlord responded by saying that we were now responsible for paying for our water bill at ~$300/year each. Not horrible--I can afford it.

But my poor new roommate was already at her max budget for the room, and has said that she is considering moving out. It isn't like she signed a lease, after all. It is such a shame because I HATE looking for new roommates, and she is the best I've had here in NZ. The BEST--so kind, clean, nice, open, responsible, friendly...the perfect roommate.

I screwed myself over.

Second, I hadn't received a bill for my disability and life insurances, despite previous calls to them saying that it was due in July. I called them and asked and they said all was good til July 2014. Really? I said. I haven't paid this year at all--no bill. I had to beg them to double check. I didn't want my insurances running out if something happened, after all. They had to call me back after checking their system. Apparently there is a bug with annual payments (most people pay fortnightly or quarterly) in their system that I caught. If I hadn't have asked, they would have never known that I didn't pay this year. So now I owe nearly $300 to continue the insurances til March 2014.

Oh well. At least I can sleep well at night.

On a personal note.

This past weekend I went out of town for Labour Day. It was fantastic! A friend borrowed a car and we went camping for one night out in the wild west of Auckland.

The first day was full of a visitor's center visit, a waterfall hike, road trip around the area, and lots of beach exploration. It was SO NICE to leave Auckland! I'm always so happy to do so. Particularly when the first day of wearing shorts since very early this year was possible.

Picture perfect weather

The view west

Karekare Falls

Karekare Beach

Karekare Falls

Karekare Beach

We spent the evening eating canned food cooked in pots over a camp stove. I really miss real fires when camping! We spent the night at a very crowded and noisy campsite (holiday weekend, after all--even though the pics above show no one on the beach!). The next morning I found out that one of the 37 other campers was someone that I knew! I think I'm finally settling into NZ and becoming a local, though my accent doesn't convey it. 

Day 2 involved about 15 km of hiking on gorgeous trails. They were part of the Hillary Trail, and really fun and beautiful. The first went up to the highest point in the Waitakeres and then down through a bog, huge sand dunes, and through a tunnel before spitting us out on the beach at low tide to complete the walk. 

on the way up

overlooking Karekare Beach

Beaches and mountains. They are everything.

I love tree fern patterns!

a clear stream

Wetlands

Stunning

the tunnel

Hello Sir Hillary!

Back to the beach

That hike took about 4 hours. While I was tired afterward, we decided to drive to another area and check out a place I'd never been. We checked out the beach and had a milkshake and kumara fries to refuel. We randomly decided to do another hike we had noticed while driving there. This one was about 3 hours and involved hiking through a stream alongside a verdant pasture on one side and huge sand dunes on the other. Back on land, we traversed around a lake to a waterfall on its furthest-most end before looping back around the other side of the lake and returning through the stream again. It was really fun to hike in water.

start of the hike

the trail

my hiking shoes

juxtaposition

the route less taken

the falls

route back

a very NZ welcome back to Auckland

Expenses:
$30 gas
$14.50 kumara fries and shake
$3.50 bought my friend a coffee
$6 campsite fee
$13.98 water and drinks
Total: $67.98

I love my camping gear! It has paid me back in spades in saving on lodging since buying it in 2007.

Money Issue Solved, I guess!

So I looked at all my bank accounts, fixed the issue that seemed to prevent my $600 monthly deposit from going through since June, and somehow have come out on top, thanks to being able to use my 'Slush Fund' to make up the difference. Highlights:

• I've finished my $2K fund dedicated to buying more Vanguard funds in a taxable account, bringing it up to $5K NZD. 
• I'm 11% of the way to a house down payment of $50K NZD. (Huzzah?)
• I'm a happy 43% of the way to a grand European vacation! I have a few ideas about this. Either I go for one long trip and see everything in a packed trip, or I take my friend in London up on his offer to let me use his guest bedroom for a year, get a random job, and do short trips out to various places, like he does all the time. If the former, I'm hoping to do this by the time I'm 40, or when my mom gets the cash to travel with me. It would be nice to go with her, but we have very different ideas about what travelling is about. She'd rather go the safe route and spend endless days in museums. I'd rather chance it and adventurously climb mountains. Ideally I'd go with a partner, however, obviously, the guy thing is not going so well so I can't count on that. Late 60's Mom as travel partner it is!
• My credit card bills from my trip home seem to be in-hand. 50K more airpoints for me, without paying any interest or fees!

So things are good. With a week left in the month, I can spend $400 more before I'm in trouble. I've spent a lot in the past few weeks--nearly $80 in alcohol alone due to spending time with a lovely group. It is always tricky to navigate frugality with new friendships, and booze seems to be the bond of choice for most folks. 

I am also trying to make opportunities to get to know a very decent guy, but with little luck (that costs money, too!). It is fascinating because I was interested immediately upon seeing him for the first time--one of those, "WHO is THAT?!" reactions--and then later, by pure chance, was thrown into a situation with him and was lucky enough to make his acquaintance. From there, I've done everything I can to get to know him, and in the past two weeks, I've actually gotten to chat about some pretty deep stuff with him and am even more impressed than I thought possible. Normally my immediate interest would be a red flag, and I'd expect, at best, to be interested fleetingly as his appeal waned as I got to know his personality. Instead, he is even better than I could have ever predicted (so far). It is kind of like winning an even bigger bonus on a lottery. I am getting no indication that he thinks the same of me, however. The problem with me being so precise, logical, careful, and thoughtful about decisions is that when I finally figure out what I want, I go after it with everything I have. Nothing stops me. That trait has made me really successful in all areas of my life except romantic relationships. You can't full force/cold-turkey/gusto a relationship, even though I am 100% clear about what I want. And that is where I'm having trouble here, too.

So: $400 to last 8 days. The good news is that we found someone to rent our garage for the last week. That helps a little bit. The bad news is that I'm planning on going away for the long weekend (Labour Day) here if it is nice. That will eat up a lot of cash: gas, food, lodging, transport. So far it is looking like this:

Gas: $?? Guessing $100

Transport: $35

Lodging: $70

Food: $100

The activities we're doing are free: mostly hiking in the beautiful NZ landscape. 

Could just be a bust if the weather is bad, though! I guess I'll just play it by ear. In any case, I should be able to make it through the month intact, barring any emergencies (but that is what the EF is for!).

Living a double blogging life

So, this site is all about remaining anonymous, pretty much unread by the masses. It has turned into a financial and personal journal of sorts, since money affects every part of my personal life.

On the other hand, I've started another blog, which IS meant for the masses. I WANT lots of people to read it. I WANT them to know my face and name and listen to me.

This is the "easy" blog. I don't edit the content really, I stream-of-consciousness-it. Posts are done in a matter of 10 minutes. For the other one, posts take up to several weeks of all my free time to fact-check and pull together so that they are perfect. It isn't because I care less about this blog, it's because the info on the other blog is going to be taken as advice, and is much more serious in the subject matter (though I have to present it light-heartedly). I know, right?--what could be more dry and boring than finance to people other than ourselves? Well, I've found it, and I'm blogging about it now, as an 'expert.' I'm not getting paid to do it, but I'm hoping I become a little more known for it and eventually that will start happening. A random twitter follower found me via that other blog and said it was her new favorite. How cool! And I've already been asked to contribute to another highly trafficked/well-known site based on my other blog (and no, it's not Biology-Online, though I followed that story closely and fully agree with DNLee's stance on valuing yourself and your time). That post was well received, and I have an invite to contribute more as my time allows. So that's something for the resume.

In any case, I'm living this odd double life as a blogger. Secretive here, out in the open in the other. Crazy.

(...I still have to figure out what I'm doing about the money that didn't get deposited into my savings account since June! Hope to figure that out before going to bed tonight.)

The Difference

Oh, the difference that time makes.

I get a new roommate tomorrow. She seems cool, but as with any change, I know it will be an adjustment. New ways to deal with cleaning, new traditions, a new group of people coming over (her friends), a bit of a new schedule and way of interacting/sharing the bathroom.

Change is good. Right?

Also I had dinner with a fine fellow (and his friend, sigh) last week. We'll see how this goes.

Either way, I'm going to be spending way more than usual in October to maintain the illusion that I actually know how to have fun. Unfortunately, everything takes money. Saying you can't eat out AND go out for drinks more than once a week is a social killer here. It just isn't acceptable in the early stages of getting to know someone to be super frugal. At least with the roommate we can hang inside and chat over our home-made dinners, but for the dude, I am not willing to let any more chances slip by.

Oops, Mistake

Oops. My online savings bank has not been honouring my transfers for whatever reason..SINCE JUNE. They go out, but then get 'dishonoured' and boomerang right back into my checking account. So all that "saving" I thought I was doing? Nope. The weird thing is, I didn't notice that my bank account was all that high...weird. AND I didn't notice that my savings bank balances were too low. Doubly weird.

So I guess there are some flaws in my budgeting and spreadsheet mania. I really don't know how it happened. But there it is.

September 2013 Budget Report

Whaaaaat the heck happened to me in September?! I spent so much it made my head hurt. It really did. Tallying up all my receipts was a nightmare the one time I let 3-4 days go by without doing it.

I spent a grand total of (wait for it) $3,879.12 USD.

HOLY. (BLEEP!)

I didn't even go anywhere (by plane). Mostly, I shopped, for things that I didn't buy in NZ all year.

I spent $186.39 on eating out.
I spent $10.50 on cell phone minutes, text, and data for my smartphone.
I spent $856.95 on medical issues and appointments (including a back up pair of my $1,000 contacts (for $300) and my dental, medical, and eye insurance).
Finally, I spent about $2,800 on ...stuff.

Misc purchases:
$18.14 on a bottle of alcohol I didn't even drink a sip of (it went to my college cousin)
$8.53 on entertainment (redbox movies and a museum entry fee)
$26.14 on gifts (stuff for my sis and mom)
$191.63 on transportation (gas for car, mainly)
$10 on travel (flight from San Fran to the East Coast, flight from East Coast to San Fran in December)
$2,574.26 on clothes, shoes, food, a new laptop, other items I can't buy in NZ

Yep, I went crazy. The good news is that I saved up for all of it, and had already transferred the money over before I left for the US. That money is sitting in my bank account ready to be pulled out to pay off my credit card. Lucky for me, that credit card also gave me 50K points, allowing me to take another free return flight home and back next year (I have about 90K airmiles now).

That was my additional spending for September. I was also paying rent and stuff, so my NZ budget looks like this:

	Sept 2013 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount
Rent	$840.00	$840.00
Groceries	$0.00	$400.00
Internet	$73.22	$60.00
Electricity	$77.65	$75.00
Eating Out	$0.00	$125.00
Charity	$0.00	$25.00
Cell phone	$20.00	$50.00
Medical	$0.00	$100.00
Misc	$0.00	$275.00
Savings	$600.00	$600.00
Total	$1,610.87	$2,550.00

I earned $2816.54 in September, so I can save $1,205.68 to my various funds, plus the normal $600 I always save each month. Each of my short-term funds gets $602.84. Everything is still going swimmingly, even though I went completely insane for six whole weeks this year. Not bad at all.

A Wee Update

So, I've been slacking here. Just general lack of motivation during my US vacation, and then extreme fatigue returning as I adjust to the cooler weather here in NZ. It is astounding the affect that warm vs cold weather has on my energy levels. It is getting un-ignorable.

The Bad news:  once I got back I found out that my roommate is moving out. She got a new job in Sydney. I have to find yet another one. That will be 4 in 5 years (excluding the XBF).

Good news: I found a new roommate in basically one day. I returned to NZ last Thursday, saw 5 people on Saturday. Of the 5, 4 people wanted to move in. The even better news was that my top choice agreed to move in less than 24 hours after we met. She and I hung out for a whole hour when she saw the place. Good vibes. It almost makes up for the dude who keeps texting me asking me to change my mind and let him have the place. NOT the way to get your way, man. That kind of pushy, annoying behaviour is commonly displayed when dating. No wonder I avoid it like the plague!

Work is good. Pretty slow, considering how long I was gone. I worked the whole time I was home, so I don't have that much to catch up on. It is really good that it is slow because my mind is elsewhere. I'm constantly procrastinating and my old focus is gone. Mainly because my dad was extremely tired the entire time I was home. He didn't even accompany me to the airport as I was leaving--he's always made it before. He was also in a lot of pain. It hurts to say so, but I don't think he has much longer. I want to go back home so badly to be with him... I will be going back for Christmas, but honestly, I'm not sure he is still going to be there. I don't know what to do.

I think it may take a few weeks before my laser work focus is back. I feel it slowly creeping in, but I'm not sure I want to go back to my old ways. At home, there were tons of people to talk to, hugs everywhere, and just a lot of love. Now that I'm back in NZ, I realize how lonely it is here for me. That is why my job is so important to my life in NZ--it is the only place I feel needed, wanted, and happy. No matter where I live, that has to change. Work can't be the only place I feel that I belong. I just have to find the energy to do my work and something else, which is hard when I am so tired all the time. Maybe the summer and warmer weather that is coming to NZ will help change that.

Finances for Sept are next.

Fund update

Completed Funds:

$10K Emergency Fund

$5K NZD Move Back to US (Now $4202 USD)

$5K USD Roth IRA Fund

Bonus Bonds: $100 NZD

2012 Insurances Fund $2K NZD ($164 Life; $433.18 US Travel Ins; Disability $215.38; $726.28 left) 

2014 US Trip Fund $3K NZD

Slush Fund ($5K, now: $4370.05)

$3K NZD Non-retirement VG Fund

$3K NZD Move to US Supplemental

Funds in progress:
Short term:
$3K Down Under Tour (pre-moving back to the US): $1363.48
Sanity Fund (no upper limit): $794.42

Long-term:
$13000 NZD Europe Trip: $5180
$50,000 NZD House Down Payment Fund: $5180
$2K 2013 Supplemental Retirement: $1000

$1.2K NZD Asia Trip Fund (SPENT)
2013 US Trip Fund $3K NZD (SPENT)

That insurances fund should go down soon--for whatever reason, they haven't charged me for another year of disability or life insurance yet. I cancelled my renter's insurance--just too expensive for what basically covers my laptop and that's it.

So that brings me to my Net Worth:
US Net worth:
Savings: $9,206
Retirement: $12,769
Taxable Retirement: $3,430
Total: $25,406 USD

NZ Net Worth:
Savings: $36,567.67
KiwiSaver Retirement: $14,382.38
Bonus Bonds: $100
(Plus some in checking)
Total: $51,446

In NZD: ~$70K

In USD: ~$55K