So. Right. What is going on over here? I don't blog for over a week, and then I say that my contract has arrived and everything is fine, I'm dealing with it.
Yup. Things are MORE than fine. The issue is that all that goodness definitely affects this blog.
You see, I've been cheating on Sense for a while now. I've dived into some tricky waters and decided to go non-anonymous on a new, more professional twitter and a blog (and soon, a facebook page). My hope is that doing this will show future employers that I can handle social media. I obviously can't show them this blog and now-defunct twitter account. In any case, the twitter and blog are for my career but it isn't associated with work and so has to be done on my own time. This means the writing time I usually spend on this blog is now dedicated to another.
Will I ever link the two blogs? Nope. I can't. This one is anon for a reason.
So what does that mean for Sense? Well, rest assured, I am NOT going away. I still want to blog anonymously about money and life sometimes, and am in need of financial guidance and check ins even more than before, now that my salary has been slashed. I just may not blog as much as I used to.
The cool thing is that all of these years doing this--nearly 7--as Sense To Dollars has been amazing training that can be applied to my career, and may help me get a job back in the US. I never expected that when I started this, that it would turn into something that I could potentially use to fulfill my career dreams. All of those hours poring over text and refining my writing style (such as it is) and getting experience with HTML and familiar with blog platforms--it can all be applied to get me closer to where I want to be. That is pretty crazy.
Of course, I've started the new blog on WordPress. Not to trash Blogger--it has been good to me--but I've been secretly jealous of everyone transferring and starting on WP. I may have some questions soon...
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Contract's here!!
Sorry for the unintended hiatus. More will be explained in a future post.
In the meantime, pretty good news! Firstly, my contract has arrived, and in time to start work immediately after my current one ends. Secondly, even though I'm getting a salary cut of 20%, my boss gave me a $1K raise on top of my current salary. That means that they will cut 20% of the NEW salary (which is confusingly not exactly 80% of $56K; it's rounded up to $45K).
In other words, I'll make more than I thought I would. I used the NZ salary calculator to figure out how much I'd make each month. While my net after taxes is $37,340 this year, I'll make $35,540 this year due to my 4% Kiwisaver contributions. I'll now take home $1,366.92 per fortnight vs the $1,649.82 I make now. I'll have $565.80 less each month.
How to deal with that loss? If I don't make any cuts to my budget or lifestyle, I'll have to sacrifice my $600/mo automagic savings. I think the answer is a mixture of both: savings AND lifestyle changes (little ones).
One thing is that my Kiwisaver contributions increased to 4%, which means my employer also pays 4%. That increase makes it a tiny bit less drastic to save a little less.
Also, my tax bracket has changed, which means that the taxes paid out on my monthly interest deposits by Rabobank and in my Kiwisaver will be less. Instead of paying out 28% on all interest or dividends, I'll be paying 17.5%. Huzzah!
Some lifestyle changes:
Rent, internet, electricity, cell phone, and medical will NOT change, although I will continue to shop around for better deals on the electricity and internet. What will change are groceries ($25), eating out ($25), charity ($35; don't feel good about that one), misc, and savings ($250). Those cuts add up to the deficit in my monthly income, for most months.
Unfortunately, I'm starting off on a very bad foot, as May is a three rent-check month. That means May income is way down while spending is way up. I need to cut out another $420 from the Post-Cut budget in order to break even. No way but to start off raring to go, I suppose!
More on those cuts and strategies later.
In the meantime, pretty good news! Firstly, my contract has arrived, and in time to start work immediately after my current one ends. Secondly, even though I'm getting a salary cut of 20%, my boss gave me a $1K raise on top of my current salary. That means that they will cut 20% of the NEW salary (which is confusingly not exactly 80% of $56K; it's rounded up to $45K).
In other words, I'll make more than I thought I would. I used the NZ salary calculator to figure out how much I'd make each month. While my net after taxes is $37,340 this year, I'll make $35,540 this year due to my 4% Kiwisaver contributions. I'll now take home $1,366.92 per fortnight vs the $1,649.82 I make now. I'll have $565.80 less each month.
How to deal with that loss? If I don't make any cuts to my budget or lifestyle, I'll have to sacrifice my $600/mo automagic savings. I think the answer is a mixture of both: savings AND lifestyle changes (little ones).
One thing is that my Kiwisaver contributions increased to 4%, which means my employer also pays 4%. That increase makes it a tiny bit less drastic to save a little less.
Also, my tax bracket has changed, which means that the taxes paid out on my monthly interest deposits by Rabobank and in my Kiwisaver will be less. Instead of paying out 28% on all interest or dividends, I'll be paying 17.5%. Huzzah!
Some lifestyle changes:
| Category | Pre-Cut | Post Cut |
| Rent | $840.00 | $840.00 |
| Groceries | $450.00 | $425.00 |
| Internet | $60.00 | $60.00 |
| Electricity | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| Eating Out | $150.00 | $125.00 |
| Charity | $75.00 | $40.00 |
| Cell phone | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Medical | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Misc | $600.00 | $369.20 |
| Savings | $600.00 | $350.00 |
| Total | $3,050.00 | $2,484.20 |
Rent, internet, electricity, cell phone, and medical will NOT change, although I will continue to shop around for better deals on the electricity and internet. What will change are groceries ($25), eating out ($25), charity ($35; don't feel good about that one), misc, and savings ($250). Those cuts add up to the deficit in my monthly income, for most months.
Unfortunately, I'm starting off on a very bad foot, as May is a three rent-check month. That means May income is way down while spending is way up. I need to cut out another $420 from the Post-Cut budget in order to break even. No way but to start off raring to go, I suppose!
More on those cuts and strategies later.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Everything is changing
All at once, it feels like every part of my life is changing, or about to. I'm growing in every way possible. Some in good ways, some not so much. There are definitely growing pains associated with all that amazingness.
Work is still totally up in the air. Boss says I'll get 80% and 3 months of vacation time, though. It still feels like I'm going backwards instead of forwards...I'm supposed to be getting raises, not salary cuts!
At the same time my salary is being cut and vacation time increased, my work load is tripling. Not only do I have to do everything I did before, but research projects are piling up, as well as the extras.
The issue is that I wouldn't ever turn down any of the work as long as I had the time to do it, paid or not. The 'extra' stuff I'm doing now is so good for my career that I can hardly believe it. It's exactly the direction I've always wanted to go but not really had the confidence or know-how to do or suggest before. Right at this moment, I have TONS to learn and many opportunities to fail, but I feel like I am good enough to try, finally. People in my field would volunteer for free and pay to get to do some of them. The fact that I am the one that gets to do it...pinching myself time! I delete most of my facebook messages I post lately because I constantly feel like I'm bragging. I just cannot believe my luck. (I'm deeply sorry I cannot share what I do. I feel like I'm bursting to talk about it lately.) OF COURSE it is happening NOW, when my contract is nearly over and I'm thinking of moving home. OF COURSE. That is how life goes, doesn't it?
Some of the extra stuff involves being in the spotlight and giving public talks to 100+ people. I did one last week, and...oh dear. You could definitely tell that it was the first time I'd given a 1 hour talk in over ten years (the last time I did this it was for my Master's defense). I think I would have done better except that they handed me a check right before I went on. Um...in my head, I was doing it for free. So while I of course gave it my all, etc., in my head all along I was doing THEM a favor! And then they gave me a tiny bit of money for it. The money transaction changed that dynamic (at least to me) quite a bit. I'm sure we've all thought this theory to death: how money, even the little bit as it was in this case, obligates you and raises expectations.
In any case, that's one down of many in the previous weeks, and many more to go. I've been faced with my #1 fear on a weekly or sometimes daily basis for about a month straight now. I'm getting a little burnt out. While Mrs Roosevelt was indeed totally correct--you should do something that scares you every day--I don't think it should start to take a toll on your well-being. The anxiety levels and adrenaline that I've been running on lately is just not healthy, esp. when coupled with contract limbo and this crazy new notion that I want to pursue a guy (which is yet another thing that scares me as it has been quite a while since I liked anyone). I've not been sleeping through the nights despite making a concerted effort to limit electronics, go to bed early, etc., and definitely not eating as much as I should. The good news there is that I've been eating healthier stuff and have cut out most of the junk food I used to eat because I was bored. Anxiety for me = stomach nerves and stomach nerves = no room or desire for food. I've also been literally running from my problems. Thinking about what I'm nervous about makes me run really fast to try to block the nerves (with pain?). It doesn't really work--doesn't stop the thoughts--but it does make the time go much quicker. I've also gotten my TV watching down to one episode a day, whereas before I'd be so bored after work I'd watch til I was too tired and then I'd go to sleep. So, good changes, some of them.
I want to take a break, but I'm a little afraid to stop this train, of not taking advantage of this spate of fortune while it lasts. It's just going so fast and I need a breather! There are several more opportunities on the horizon, and they HAVE to be done, however, there are a few more extracurricular opportunities that aren't firmed up yet, and I think I'm going to postpone them and have a rule that I only do a maximum of one of those scary things every two weeks. I will still do little scary things every day, but those big ones? (And they are BIG things, guys. Big, awesome, lovely, scary things that I have never done before.) I do have a limit for the number of those good opportunities that I can take advantage of.
Work is still totally up in the air. Boss says I'll get 80% and 3 months of vacation time, though. It still feels like I'm going backwards instead of forwards...I'm supposed to be getting raises, not salary cuts!
At the same time my salary is being cut and vacation time increased, my work load is tripling. Not only do I have to do everything I did before, but research projects are piling up, as well as the extras.
The issue is that I wouldn't ever turn down any of the work as long as I had the time to do it, paid or not. The 'extra' stuff I'm doing now is so good for my career that I can hardly believe it. It's exactly the direction I've always wanted to go but not really had the confidence or know-how to do or suggest before. Right at this moment, I have TONS to learn and many opportunities to fail, but I feel like I am good enough to try, finally. People in my field would volunteer for free and pay to get to do some of them. The fact that I am the one that gets to do it...pinching myself time! I delete most of my facebook messages I post lately because I constantly feel like I'm bragging. I just cannot believe my luck. (I'm deeply sorry I cannot share what I do. I feel like I'm bursting to talk about it lately.) OF COURSE it is happening NOW, when my contract is nearly over and I'm thinking of moving home. OF COURSE. That is how life goes, doesn't it?
Some of the extra stuff involves being in the spotlight and giving public talks to 100+ people. I did one last week, and...oh dear. You could definitely tell that it was the first time I'd given a 1 hour talk in over ten years (the last time I did this it was for my Master's defense). I think I would have done better except that they handed me a check right before I went on. Um...in my head, I was doing it for free. So while I of course gave it my all, etc., in my head all along I was doing THEM a favor! And then they gave me a tiny bit of money for it. The money transaction changed that dynamic (at least to me) quite a bit. I'm sure we've all thought this theory to death: how money, even the little bit as it was in this case, obligates you and raises expectations.
In any case, that's one down of many in the previous weeks, and many more to go. I've been faced with my #1 fear on a weekly or sometimes daily basis for about a month straight now. I'm getting a little burnt out. While Mrs Roosevelt was indeed totally correct--you should do something that scares you every day--I don't think it should start to take a toll on your well-being. The anxiety levels and adrenaline that I've been running on lately is just not healthy, esp. when coupled with contract limbo and this crazy new notion that I want to pursue a guy (which is yet another thing that scares me as it has been quite a while since I liked anyone). I've not been sleeping through the nights despite making a concerted effort to limit electronics, go to bed early, etc., and definitely not eating as much as I should. The good news there is that I've been eating healthier stuff and have cut out most of the junk food I used to eat because I was bored. Anxiety for me = stomach nerves and stomach nerves = no room or desire for food. I've also been literally running from my problems. Thinking about what I'm nervous about makes me run really fast to try to block the nerves (with pain?). It doesn't really work--doesn't stop the thoughts--but it does make the time go much quicker. I've also gotten my TV watching down to one episode a day, whereas before I'd be so bored after work I'd watch til I was too tired and then I'd go to sleep. So, good changes, some of them.
I want to take a break, but I'm a little afraid to stop this train, of not taking advantage of this spate of fortune while it lasts. It's just going so fast and I need a breather! There are several more opportunities on the horizon, and they HAVE to be done, however, there are a few more extracurricular opportunities that aren't firmed up yet, and I think I'm going to postpone them and have a rule that I only do a maximum of one of those scary things every two weeks. I will still do little scary things every day, but those big ones? (And they are BIG things, guys. Big, awesome, lovely, scary things that I have never done before.) I do have a limit for the number of those good opportunities that I can take advantage of.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
I wish I could talk about what is going on
Some things are happening right now that I can't really blog about. They are just too sensitive at this moment. So I'll talk about other stuff:
Re: contract stuff, things are still in limbo. My boss thinks they can work out 80% of my salary, but nothing is confirmed yet and no one knows what my schedule is going to look like over the next year. I know better than to count my chickens before I have my contract in my hot little hands.
Oh, and the reason that my contract wasn't fully renewed has now been proven to be completely not my fault. The samples were found, and not in anyplace I could have placed them. From my previous post:
"20% of my job is going away. That part comprises working for a professor...Some samples went missing, and he is blaming me for it even though he is notoriously forgetful."
HA!
In the meantime, I work as hard, or harder, than usual, because I know my time here is limited, no matter what. I don't want to continue working for 80% of what I am worth for years on end. I have lots of stuff to do before I leave, so I am trying to cram it all in now. Lots of great, fantastic experiences are happening at this very second! I actually have the opportunity to be the spearhead of a project that will transform how my entire department handles a certain task, based on all of my own ideas. Imagine that, me the leader.
I have a lot of big ideas. Where I fail is following through and having the guts to tell people to make things happen. I hope I can pull this off. The great thing is, I came to my supervisor with this big idea a month ago and recent events have proven to her that I am totally right. And that it is very, very necessary to complete this project. Even if she didn't believe me before, she now does and has thrown her full weight behind it.
I'll be here through August, I believe. After that...no guarantees. I have the lead on a job near my home state that would be tenuously connected to what I do here now--that would open up in the US summer. I'm going to a conference in July, and I just found out that the people that supervise that position are going to be there. Time to put on my networking/schmoozing hat! It should be relatively easy to chat to them and raise my profile at the conference, as I am giving two talks at it and know almost everyone else there. I'm hoping that I'd be a lock for job, given the low status of the position and how overqualified I am for the gig. I'd be making very little but at least I'd be connected to an organization and project and subject that I completely believe in. AND I'd get to be near my family and start my life in the US. Who knows where I'd end up from there? It is a start.
I am contemplating creating a whole new blog and twitter account about something completely new to me, a new hobby, if you will. I just need to find my 'voice'.
My salary decreased by over $40/mo because of the new tax year and 2% increase in Kiwisaver contributions. BOOOOO! Happily, I was unexpectedly paid for a talk I gave last week that more than covers the shortfall. Spending in April can continue to be a little out of control, in anticipation for the lean months ahead.
Re: contract stuff, things are still in limbo. My boss thinks they can work out 80% of my salary, but nothing is confirmed yet and no one knows what my schedule is going to look like over the next year. I know better than to count my chickens before I have my contract in my hot little hands.
Oh, and the reason that my contract wasn't fully renewed has now been proven to be completely not my fault. The samples were found, and not in anyplace I could have placed them. From my previous post:
"20% of my job is going away. That part comprises working for a professor...Some samples went missing, and he is blaming me for it even though he is notoriously forgetful."
HA!
In the meantime, I work as hard, or harder, than usual, because I know my time here is limited, no matter what. I don't want to continue working for 80% of what I am worth for years on end. I have lots of stuff to do before I leave, so I am trying to cram it all in now. Lots of great, fantastic experiences are happening at this very second! I actually have the opportunity to be the spearhead of a project that will transform how my entire department handles a certain task, based on all of my own ideas. Imagine that, me the leader.
I have a lot of big ideas. Where I fail is following through and having the guts to tell people to make things happen. I hope I can pull this off. The great thing is, I came to my supervisor with this big idea a month ago and recent events have proven to her that I am totally right. And that it is very, very necessary to complete this project. Even if she didn't believe me before, she now does and has thrown her full weight behind it.
I'll be here through August, I believe. After that...no guarantees. I have the lead on a job near my home state that would be tenuously connected to what I do here now--that would open up in the US summer. I'm going to a conference in July, and I just found out that the people that supervise that position are going to be there. Time to put on my networking/schmoozing hat! It should be relatively easy to chat to them and raise my profile at the conference, as I am giving two talks at it and know almost everyone else there. I'm hoping that I'd be a lock for job, given the low status of the position and how overqualified I am for the gig. I'd be making very little but at least I'd be connected to an organization and project and subject that I completely believe in. AND I'd get to be near my family and start my life in the US. Who knows where I'd end up from there? It is a start.
I am contemplating creating a whole new blog and twitter account about something completely new to me, a new hobby, if you will. I just need to find my 'voice'.
My salary decreased by over $40/mo because of the new tax year and 2% increase in Kiwisaver contributions. BOOOOO! Happily, I was unexpectedly paid for a talk I gave last week that more than covers the shortfall. Spending in April can continue to be a little out of control, in anticipation for the lean months ahead.
Thursday, April 04, 2013
The countdown continues...
Talked to the Boss today. Asked for 85% of salary and to go home for the remainder of the time. She thought 80% was the best she could do. There are lots of things to work out (how does leave work? Do I get my full salary for 80% of the year and nothing the rest, or what?), but she's going to see what she can do.
Luckily we're not in the US, so things like benefits and health insurance are not affected.
If this works, I'll now get 3 months off a year and get to do ONLY projects in the subject that I love. The cool thing is, this is kind of what I've wanted all along--more time off and flexibility AND to finish my project. The only downside is less money, [:(] so I'll keep searching for a job in the US that is in my preferred area. But maybe I'll see that this is the answer I've wanted all along.
Luckily we're not in the US, so things like benefits and health insurance are not affected.
If this works, I'll now get 3 months off a year and get to do ONLY projects in the subject that I love. The cool thing is, this is kind of what I've wanted all along--more time off and flexibility AND to finish my project. The only downside is less money, [:(] so I'll keep searching for a job in the US that is in my preferred area. But maybe I'll see that this is the answer I've wanted all along.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Asia Trip
I have about $900 leftover from my salary in April. I'll be saving that to my 5.5 day Asia* trip.
Tentative budget:
Food: $175 ($35 a day)
Transport: $300 ($60/day)
Entries: $80 ($16/day)
Hotels: $150 ($50 per night--3 person share--x 3 nights; staying at a friends' for other two nights)
Souvenirs: $100 ($20/day)
Misc: $100 ($20/day)
Total: $905
Hopefully that is enough!
*Destination to be announced later...but it is going to be expensive so you can probably guess. :)
Tentative budget:
Food: $175 ($35 a day)
Transport: $300 ($60/day)
Entries: $80 ($16/day)
Hotels: $150 ($50 per night--3 person share--x 3 nights; staying at a friends' for other two nights)
Souvenirs: $100 ($20/day)
Misc: $100 ($20/day)
Total: $905
Hopefully that is enough!
*Destination to be announced later...but it is going to be expensive so you can probably guess. :)
Monday, April 01, 2013
Possible Salary & Budget, Post-Contract End
Two scenarios, two budgets:
The 65% solution:
Income: $2,230-ish from salary and $15 per week from renting out garage to roommate
The 80% solution (what I'm hoping for):
Income: $2,725-ish
The budget will be the same, but will allow much more flexibility, as I'll expect to have ~$500 leftover at the end of the month to put towards...something. Probably my long-term funds and a small short term fund for incidentals like 3 paycheck months, etc.
I'll have to be more careful about groceries, although I have definitely tried that before with very little success. One major difference there is that I won't take the cityhop car to the grocery store every month anymore, and will take the free bus instead. (Ugh) I want to cut back on junk food anyway, so this will help with that.
Not much I can do about rent, internet, and electricity unless I move. I've looked around--for what I'm paying here, I can't move anywhere cheaper without dramatically increasing my bus/transport costs which will offset any savings, and dramatically decreasing my happiness. Plus it doesn't make sense if I'm leaving in a few months anyway (July move-out). Not worth the hassle. The problem will be that some months, I'll have to make three rent payments. That will be rough but I have to just suck it up and save up for it beforehand.
Eating Out can certainly be cut down a bit. It just means one less takeaway a week. Again, healthier to eat at home (though I HATE cooking).
Charity is getting cut back to the minimum. If I can afford it that month, I will continue to give to causes that come up randomly, but won't give as much or as often.
Cell phone can't be cut back any further. I'm on a Skype plan that allows me to talk as long as I want to people in Canada and the US on their mobiles and house phones. Also have the cheapest plan offered at Telecom (at $19) that gives me as many texts, way more data than I need, and an hour of talk time. It usually suffices.
Medical: I continue to have shoulder issues, and really need to continue going to physio at $18 a pop. Plus I want to look into my hypothyroid and get all sorts of dental, skin, and other checkups.
Misc: As I said in my last post, I need to cut back on alcohol and transportation (cityhop and taxis). I usually take taxis because I am running late and miss the bus. I have to be better about time management. I take cityhop because I'm lazy and want the freedom and thrill of driving around wherever I want, when I want. When you don't have a car, that feeling is really missed! Maybe I'll cut back to one day a month with cityhop, and really make it count. Other than that, I spend Misc on travel mostly, and that will be cut out completely, other than my Asia trip which work has already booked flights for--no way to get out of that one.
Savings will be cut back to $125 to each of House downpayment and Europe trip funds.
The great thing about all of this? I've been living off of about 75% or less of my salary each month anyway, not even counting the $600 I save each month to long-term goals. Makes this not as much of a panic situation, more like just a huge disappointment in not saving as much each month.
The 65% solution:
Income: $2,230-ish from salary and $15 per week from renting out garage to roommate
|
The 80% solution (what I'm hoping for):
Income: $2,725-ish
The budget will be the same, but will allow much more flexibility, as I'll expect to have ~$500 leftover at the end of the month to put towards...something. Probably my long-term funds and a small short term fund for incidentals like 3 paycheck months, etc.
I'll have to be more careful about groceries, although I have definitely tried that before with very little success. One major difference there is that I won't take the cityhop car to the grocery store every month anymore, and will take the free bus instead. (Ugh) I want to cut back on junk food anyway, so this will help with that.
Not much I can do about rent, internet, and electricity unless I move. I've looked around--for what I'm paying here, I can't move anywhere cheaper without dramatically increasing my bus/transport costs which will offset any savings, and dramatically decreasing my happiness. Plus it doesn't make sense if I'm leaving in a few months anyway (July move-out). Not worth the hassle. The problem will be that some months, I'll have to make three rent payments. That will be rough but I have to just suck it up and save up for it beforehand.
Eating Out can certainly be cut down a bit. It just means one less takeaway a week. Again, healthier to eat at home (though I HATE cooking).
Charity is getting cut back to the minimum. If I can afford it that month, I will continue to give to causes that come up randomly, but won't give as much or as often.
Cell phone can't be cut back any further. I'm on a Skype plan that allows me to talk as long as I want to people in Canada and the US on their mobiles and house phones. Also have the cheapest plan offered at Telecom (at $19) that gives me as many texts, way more data than I need, and an hour of talk time. It usually suffices.
Medical: I continue to have shoulder issues, and really need to continue going to physio at $18 a pop. Plus I want to look into my hypothyroid and get all sorts of dental, skin, and other checkups.
Misc: As I said in my last post, I need to cut back on alcohol and transportation (cityhop and taxis). I usually take taxis because I am running late and miss the bus. I have to be better about time management. I take cityhop because I'm lazy and want the freedom and thrill of driving around wherever I want, when I want. When you don't have a car, that feeling is really missed! Maybe I'll cut back to one day a month with cityhop, and really make it count. Other than that, I spend Misc on travel mostly, and that will be cut out completely, other than my Asia trip which work has already booked flights for--no way to get out of that one.
Savings will be cut back to $125 to each of House downpayment and Europe trip funds.
The great thing about all of this? I've been living off of about 75% or less of my salary each month anyway, not even counting the $600 I save each month to long-term goals. Makes this not as much of a panic situation, more like just a huge disappointment in not saving as much each month.
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