In October, I came up with a new strategy for my money now that my situation has drastically changed.
To review, I was first going to move most of my liquid US cash to NZ cash to take advantage of our higher interest rates here. Also, that $$ is earmarked for moving back to the US and a Roth fund...but that is about 5 years away. My situation has changed, therefore my goals have changed. Gotta be fluid, y'all!
I've scheduled my money to move to a US bank account where I can easily transfer it to my NZ bank account. From there, it'll be moved to my NZ savings account and earning a lot more interest. So I'll be ~$8,900 USD poorer and about ~$11.2K NZD richer.
My sidebar goals will now reflect that change in goals. No longer will I have a move back to US fund or Roth fund as a US move is far, far away. I'm filling my Europe trip fund to $13K first--only about $5K more to go in that. The rest will find a home somewhere--I'm still thinking about that, and where to allocate the other 'move to US' funds I have.
So I'll have $13K NZD to use to travel to Europe one day. $13K NZD is about $10K USD. I'll have to work within that budget to see a few places in Europe one day. There is a slight possibility that I will be going to Prague and Germany in 2015 for work, but I don't count that as the proper Europe trip. I will probably have to wait until I finish the PhD to properly tour Europe like I want to. (Of course, I'll have to save up some $$ for the Prague/Germany trip separately so that I can visit with a few folks over there.) I will need to price out some things for the BIG trip like I want it. This post is giving me some ideas. I will have to do a separate post wherein I ask for advice after some proper research later on!! :)
Secondly, I will increase my Kiwisaver allocations to 8%. They make this ridiculously hard for some reason. So much paperwork! So much proof of identity! I have filled out the paperwork but need to get something notarized...so this may take a while before I have the time or inclination to follow through with this plan. Good intentions, though.
Third, I'll review all my retirement fund allocations and move things around. I don't think my strategy I'm using right now is very smart.
Honestly, other than the down payment on a house and decent retirement savings, I will have saved for everything I want right now, long-term. I'll see what the next few months brings, but I want to save some to each goal every month if possible. What those numbers are will depend on how much fun I'm having, and how careful I am.
It will be a balance, because short term, I want to travel on a whim when opportunities arise. I want to go camping and rent a car and go hiking whenever I want. I want freedom. I want security. I want to take care of myself through my exercise classes. I want to expand my horizons with drawing and painting and other kinds of classes. I want to be comfortable and be able to buy cute things for my house. Basically, I do not want to lower my standard of living even though I am making less money during the PhD.
Medium term, I'll eventually move back to the US. And I WILL get a dog. When that nears, I'll start saving up for that again. For now, I want to focus on being in NZ--dogless, houseless, but full of travel and fun.
What the above tells me is that I need to focus more on my retirement savings, and DREAM BIGGER. Europe, check, house down payment--working on it, retirement--needs attention but I am also working on that. What are my other goals? What do I want my life to look like? Do I need to make my Europe fund bigger? Aim for travel to more places? Save up for a class or skill I want to learn? Get massages or my nails done every week or make more dr appointments or learn a foreign language or get a life coach? Buy more clothes? Eat more meals out? Take more local trips? All of this?! (Yes)
Every time I review my finances, I find something else I need to tweak, but I also see how far I've come from that 28 year old who was in debt and decided to do something about it. At that time, I thought about all of the things I wanted to accomplish and they felt so impossible and far off! And now here I am, making her dreams come true. Awesome stuff.
Monday, December 08, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Credit Score
I signed up for a credit card that allows me to check my credit score for free:
Hurrah! Mine is 783.
As you can see, I have a rating of Excellent.
Just where I like to be. :)
Hurrah! Mine is 783.
As you can see, I have a rating of Excellent.
Just where I like to be. :)
Tuesday, November 04, 2014
October!
This year so far has been pretty crazy. Between starting a new PhD, being evicted and moving to a (much!) more expensive house, each of my close family members declining in health, and an ever busier schedule at work, my life has been pretty chaotic and out of control. Things seem to be settling down a little bit now, though. Knock on wood, I feel that I've started to--barely--get back into a groove.
I've reviewed and thought a lot about money stuff lately and think I have the lay of the land, which makes me feel better. Next I need to make a solid plan. I have new flatmates that reduce my rent down to a cool $220 per week. That isn't too far off what I paid at my last place. I'll take it. My garage is rented, which is nice and helps with the budget, too.
After several weeks of just a burnt-out pace and driving myself crazy, I talked to my boss about getting more help at work. That help will start in January. Whew. I've also accepted that I can't do everything, and started to let go of control a little bit, as well as cutting myself some slack and letting myself breathe a little more. This is just how fast I work, I can't fit more in or do more. I can study and try new techniques to be more efficient, but until I figure that out, I can't conjure up more time to do things to the standard I have to do things for my bosses (and for me) to be happy.
There's nothing I can do about my family members. I miss them, and wish I could be home and present to enjoy them every day, but I can't. I just have to be there when they call, and keep in touch as much as possible.
On to the budget!!
There was an extra Friday in the month, which meant an extra paycheck (as well as extra rent paid). The AECT dividend was paid out--love that! And, I rented out my garage for some extra cash.
Savings of $727.09 went toward finishing off my $3K 2016 US Trip Fund (complete a year early!!), and towards my slush fund as I have several fun summer-y trips planned in the next few months!
I probably should put that toward my Europe Fund but...I'm not going to do that. :)
My NZ citizenship app was quite expensive: nearly $500 NZD. I didn't count that here--I pulled it from my US savings. But soon, I will be a real KIWI!
I've reviewed and thought a lot about money stuff lately and think I have the lay of the land, which makes me feel better. Next I need to make a solid plan. I have new flatmates that reduce my rent down to a cool $220 per week. That isn't too far off what I paid at my last place. I'll take it. My garage is rented, which is nice and helps with the budget, too.
After several weeks of just a burnt-out pace and driving myself crazy, I talked to my boss about getting more help at work. That help will start in January. Whew. I've also accepted that I can't do everything, and started to let go of control a little bit, as well as cutting myself some slack and letting myself breathe a little more. This is just how fast I work, I can't fit more in or do more. I can study and try new techniques to be more efficient, but until I figure that out, I can't conjure up more time to do things to the standard I have to do things for my bosses (and for me) to be happy.
There's nothing I can do about my family members. I miss them, and wish I could be home and present to enjoy them every day, but I can't. I just have to be there when they call, and keep in touch as much as possible.
On to the budget!!
| Oct 2014 Budget | |||
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount | Balance |
| Rent | $1,100.00 | $1,000.00 | -$100.00 |
| Groceries | $423.72 | $425.00 | $1.28 |
| Internet | $91.00 | $85.00 | -$6.00 |
| Electricity | $137.17 | $250.00 | $112.83 |
| Eating Out | $119.15 | $150.00 | $30.85 |
| Charity | $0.00 | $25.00 | $25.00 |
| Cell phone | $20.00 | $26.00 | $6.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $65.00 | $65.00 |
| Misc | $441.29 | $400.00 | -$41.29 |
| Savings | $600.00 | $600.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $2,932.33 | $3,026.00 | $93.67 |
| Remainder | $727.09 | $1,991.62 |
Income: $3,659.42
There was an extra Friday in the month, which meant an extra paycheck (as well as extra rent paid). The AECT dividend was paid out--love that! And, I rented out my garage for some extra cash.
- Groceries were on budget awesome-sauce! I squeaked by, just barely.
- We went over in internet, just slightly. Very unusual, I'll keep an eye on it with the new flatties.
- Electricity is down now that it is warmer and we don't have to run the heater constantly. Yay!
- Didn't eat out very much--just takeaways really!
- Nada on charity and medical--normal for the cell phone.
- Misc:
- $8.80 on alcohol at a geeky function that was also quite fun!
- $30 in fees: trademe ads, passport photo for my citizenship application!
- $269 in transportation: cityhop, taxi's, airbus express. I NEED to cut down on cityhop, but I really miss the freedom of having a car at my disposal. I am thinking of getting a bike...
- $133.49 goods and wants: throw pillows, utensil holder, necklace, photo frame, food processor, pot holders, lightbulbs...
Savings of $727.09 went toward finishing off my $3K 2016 US Trip Fund (complete a year early!!), and towards my slush fund as I have several fun summer-y trips planned in the next few months!
I probably should put that toward my Europe Fund but...I'm not going to do that. :)
My NZ citizenship app was quite expensive: nearly $500 NZD. I didn't count that here--I pulled it from my US savings. But soon, I will be a real KIWI!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Where my returns at?
I had to spend my whole Labour Day weekend close to the house to farewell/welcome flatties and garage renters and deal with all of that nonsense. The bright side of that was, I went over my finances, like I meant to when I was on vacation.
In years past, I saved as much as I could in anticipation of moving back to the US at any moment. I've been on year-to-year contracts, which haven't allowed me to make long term plans for the last 6 years. But I've started my 5-6 year PhD now, so I have some stability, and need to go over everything to see if my plans still make sense.
Am I better off converting my NZ savings to USD and depositing it in my taxable investment account there? Have I allocated my money intelligently? What changes--if any--should I make?
I started off reviewing the facts:
Retirement
I have:
Also:
In years past, I saved as much as I could in anticipation of moving back to the US at any moment. I've been on year-to-year contracts, which haven't allowed me to make long term plans for the last 6 years. But I've started my 5-6 year PhD now, so I have some stability, and need to go over everything to see if my plans still make sense.
Am I better off converting my NZ savings to USD and depositing it in my taxable investment account there? Have I allocated my money intelligently? What changes--if any--should I make?
I started off reviewing the facts:
Retirement
I have:
- $19.3K in NZD Kiwisaver. This money is invested in overseas funds, equally in hedged and unhedged accounts. I contribute 3% of my paycheck into this, to get the 3% match from my employer. The government pays the tax on it every year through a tax credit ($521), as long as I contribute enough. The government will not let me cash in any of the tax credits when I emigrate back to the US. If I left it in there after emigrating, and had turned 65, I wonder if they'd let me have access to all of the $$ (including tax credits) if I were overseas?? Questions... (ETA: Yes, at 65 I am eligible for the full amount of my Kiwisaver: http://www.peak.net.nz/index.php?page=super-overseas) Now the only question is if the US will tax me on that money? Does it count as income if it has already been taxed in another country 30 years ago?
- ~$14K in USD in Traditional and Roth IRAs. I am not eligible to contribute anything else to these, or any other, US retirement vehicles. They are with Vanguard, in good index funds with minimal fees.
I have started a taxable US account to try to make up for my meager retirement savings:
- ~$7K in USD in taxable retirement fund. Soon to be $10K and in Admiral shares (lower fees). Next I planned to diversify this account by saving up for another tax-efficient fund ($3K minimum initial investment).
Also:
- I make so little money that my monthly contributions barely grow my retirement balance. I have NO option other than to invest in NZ retirement schemes as the US bans me from contributing to any retirement funds there.
- My NZ retirement funds returns have averaged 18.05% p.a. over the past 3 years while my rate of return on US-based retirement funds have been 6.4%. (Interesting--I had more faith in my US funds than in the NZ offerings, by far, but the NZ funds are performers. This is a trend across NZ superannuation (retirement) funds.)
- Go on a trip around Europe--and all that entails. I think I've estimated it will take $10K USD, or $13K NZD) for this. I have saved $7.5K for this already.
- Move back to the US and buy a house with a fenced yard for a dog. I will probably end up in the Pacific Northwest or Northern California, as that is where the organisations I want to work for are located. Either way, housing prices are insane in the several locations where I'd need to live to work at those places. Minimum, I think, would be $500K USD. My salary should increase after obtaining the PhD, so I will probably have to save up for a few/twenty years--but I want to get a good head start on it so that it isn't so daunting when the time comes to start seriously saving! I have also saved $7.5K for this already.
Additionally, I currently have, in NZ cash:
- $10K EF. This will stay liquid (cash) no matter what. It should be enough to buy me an emergency flight home and suspend my PhD/work for 2-3 months while paying all of my bills.
- Almost $6K in funds that will be used in the next two years to fund my trips home and back. This should stay relatively liquid.
- $5.5K in 'Sanity funds' in case I go drastically overbudget in any particular month, or am at the end of my rope and need a tropical holiday break or therapy or a massage suddenly. These are not emergencies--just mental health savings. I think these should also stay liquid.
- $6K in mid-long-term funds (6 years, but may need to dip into it sooner if I, say, get my dream job early and finish writing my dissertation elsewhere in the world) to fund moving back to the US. Would like a non-Kiwisaver option for this $$...any ideas?
Here is what I am thinking:
POTENTIAL NEW STRATEGY
- Convert US savings to NZ savings. I currently get 4.6% return on my savings each month in NZ. In the US, I am getting 0.01%!!! Somehow, I hadn't realized it had dropped so low. Ridiculous. It makes much more sense to keep cash savings in NZ, where it will grow faster. I might even think about pulling some money out of USD to convert to NZD, even though I previously already transferred it to USD from NZD in anticipation of my move. I am getting 8 cents a month when I could be getting $32 (!!!).
- Future House Down payment funds will be placed into my Kiwisaver in a two prong approach:
- Contribute a lump-sum of all the saved money earmarked for House Down payment ($300/mo until the end of the year currently). This strategy takes advantage of the amazing returns I seem to be getting in Kiwisaver. The only hitch is that I intend to move overseas in ~6 years, and could cash out my Kiwisaver a year later. The only other way to come out behind with this is if the funds gain less than 4.6% (my savings interest rate) interest per year. This could happen, and then the funds are locked away...is it worth the risk?
- I will increase my retirement allotment to Kiwisaver to 8%. This means I'd contribute about $106 more per month to Kiwisaver than I already do. To make up for the shortfall in my monthly budget, I would then decrease my monthly long-term savings from $600 to $500, reducing my monthly house downpayment cash contribution (from $300 to $200). This also banks (haha!) on the fact that I'd see a greater return on that $100 in the stock market than I would in my savings account. There is no tax benefit to contributing more; we pay tax on the gross amount earned no matter how much we contribute, so that $106 is being pulled directly from my monthly income.
- Instead of saving up money for my taxable account for extra retirement savings, save it in a lump sum and contribute that to my Kiwisaver as well.
I guess my strategy just involves putting all my money in higher-return vehicles rather than my lower-performing US funds. I do need to be careful about what I put into the Kiwisaver, as that can't be pulled out very easily! I would like an option similar to the Roth in the US: one where I could invest my money for mid to long-term goals, but could easily pull it out if I needed to. I guess a taxable NZ account, similar to the one I have at Vanguard, would do? Any good options out there?
Sunday, October 26, 2014
A Little Relief
News on the budget front!
My flat mates are leaving. I've been biding my time until this happened, because I have a deal with them: a fixed amount for rent and utilities. At my old flat, this was a GREAT deal: it reduced my own rent to $110 per week plus paying for 100% of the utilities, which averaged about $75 per week for internet, electricity, and water. I could subsidize my rent further by renting out the garage for $50 pw. That price per week ($135 pw including utilities), for your own huge room, garage parking spot, plus huge lovely sunny windows on both sides of an apartment is impossible to find in the CBD of Auckland. I was so happy at my old place: totally in love with my cheap and cheerful apartment of five years!
But my landlord after the sale of that apartment failed to uphold his end of the deal to keep the rent the same price legally, and a fight ensued. I was evicted and given 90 days to vacate. After about a month of looking, I finally found a new place much closer to work that is almost as good: huge bedrooms, parking spot, sunny on one side part of the day, extra guest bathroom. The price, however, jumped up by $130 pw, and my utilities are higher. I ate the total increase of cost by keeping the same deal with my flatmates as at my old place. It kept me from having to find whole new people, and let them enjoy NZ as they couldn't afford more than that. I was--I wouldn't say happy about this deal, but agreed to not have to deal with the hassle of finding a whole new place plus new flatmates all in the same go. Also, I could rent out the garage spot to help reduce my costs, which *just* made that budget livable.
Plus I always knew they were leaving in a few months. So in June, we moved, and now, in October, they are moving out. I immediately did some math and figured out what I could afford. My monthly outflow of rent + utils will be decreasing no matter what, which is fantastic! :)
I'm now charging $300 per week for a single, and $330 per week for couples. PLUS utilities, of course! If I rent out the garage, I can reduce my rent to about $185 pw, including utilities, to live in the centre of the city, have a huge room, and be a 5 minute walk to work.
I posted on TradeMe and got several great options. I held flatmate interviews over the weekend, and saw two single girls (separately) who wanted the room to themselves, plus four couples.
The weird thing is: no one bailed on me. Everyone kept their appointments--for the first time ever!! And every single person wanted the flat. It seems that the new location and drastically increased price makes it much easier to find reliable, decent people. Who knew?
So now I have some decisions to make. Who do I live with? And what do I do with my extra $$? :) Time for a new budget!
*I notice now that my old/new landlord is renting out my room for $275 pw + utils, no carpark or anything included!!! Crazy!
My flat mates are leaving. I've been biding my time until this happened, because I have a deal with them: a fixed amount for rent and utilities. At my old flat, this was a GREAT deal: it reduced my own rent to $110 per week plus paying for 100% of the utilities, which averaged about $75 per week for internet, electricity, and water. I could subsidize my rent further by renting out the garage for $50 pw. That price per week ($135 pw including utilities), for your own huge room, garage parking spot, plus huge lovely sunny windows on both sides of an apartment is impossible to find in the CBD of Auckland. I was so happy at my old place: totally in love with my cheap and cheerful apartment of five years!
But my landlord after the sale of that apartment failed to uphold his end of the deal to keep the rent the same price legally, and a fight ensued. I was evicted and given 90 days to vacate. After about a month of looking, I finally found a new place much closer to work that is almost as good: huge bedrooms, parking spot, sunny on one side part of the day, extra guest bathroom. The price, however, jumped up by $130 pw, and my utilities are higher. I ate the total increase of cost by keeping the same deal with my flatmates as at my old place. It kept me from having to find whole new people, and let them enjoy NZ as they couldn't afford more than that. I was--I wouldn't say happy about this deal, but agreed to not have to deal with the hassle of finding a whole new place plus new flatmates all in the same go. Also, I could rent out the garage spot to help reduce my costs, which *just* made that budget livable.
Plus I always knew they were leaving in a few months. So in June, we moved, and now, in October, they are moving out. I immediately did some math and figured out what I could afford. My monthly outflow of rent + utils will be decreasing no matter what, which is fantastic! :)
I'm now charging $300 per week for a single, and $330 per week for couples. PLUS utilities, of course! If I rent out the garage, I can reduce my rent to about $185 pw, including utilities, to live in the centre of the city, have a huge room, and be a 5 minute walk to work.
I posted on TradeMe and got several great options. I held flatmate interviews over the weekend, and saw two single girls (separately) who wanted the room to themselves, plus four couples.
The weird thing is: no one bailed on me. Everyone kept their appointments--for the first time ever!! And every single person wanted the flat. It seems that the new location and drastically increased price makes it much easier to find reliable, decent people. Who knew?
So now I have some decisions to make. Who do I live with? And what do I do with my extra $$? :) Time for a new budget!
*I notice now that my old/new landlord is renting out my room for $275 pw + utils, no carpark or anything included!!! Crazy!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
A wee update
FINALLY got to chat to my sister. It turns out that she didn't know I was home/didn't have my cell phone number (doesn't want to call the house phone because she doesn't want to talk to my parents).
She is not doing well. As soon as I talked to her on the phone, I drove up to see her and we spent 30 min together at a cafe. She wasn't outright rude, but would have waves of normalness (for her) and then seem to look right through me/not hear me and answer questions I didn't ask or say something completely unrelated. The latter were pretty scary--it was like talking to someone that was asleep with their eyes wide awake, and sleeptalking.
Two days ago I got a voice message from a doctor in an emergency room. My sister had put me down as her emergency contact. When I called back the next day (my phone doesn't get any cell service at my parents' house, so I had no way of knowing I had any messages until I venture into town), she had already been discharged, and the nurses that treated her didn't want to tell me any information as she hadn't signed some release form. I AM HER EMERGENCY CONTACT. How on earth can they leave me a voice mail saying she had an emergency and wanted to talk to me and then not give me details?????
They also said that she didn't want to be in her group home anymore, and was going to go sleep in a shelter, but couldn't give me any more details than that. That was very concerning. My mom was shaking and crying at this point (she was in the car with me when I got the voicemail).
Eventually, the nurse reached the doctor to get permission to tell me something, anything, and they said she'd been released to an organisation that organised beds for homeless people.
Unfortunately it was after 5 pm on a Friday by then and the organisation was closed. We don't know where my sister is and can't find out until Monday. By that point she could have had her stuff stolen or have been assaulted or ...anything. Her group home canNOT be worse than a shelter, right? I just don't understand why she'd give up a perfectly good bed and house. At that point, wouldn't even my parents' house, however awful she thinks they are, be better than a shelter? And isn't it kind of selfish to take up a bed when someone who literally has no other options sleeps on the street? WHERE are her case managers and the state and her therapist and, and, and, in all of this?
Everyone is really worried, except for the people who are paid to, and supposed to be, taking care of her. Her case manager is "off for the weekend." It seems I'm the only person in my family that my sister will talk to, so it's up to me to figure out where she is and how to keep her safe.
I wish more were done for the mentally ill in this country. The state of her care and the lack of concern by her caregivers is simply appalling.
(ETA 20/09/2014: She called and is safe--she went back to her group home after all. So. All is back to "normal" again. For now.)
She is not doing well. As soon as I talked to her on the phone, I drove up to see her and we spent 30 min together at a cafe. She wasn't outright rude, but would have waves of normalness (for her) and then seem to look right through me/not hear me and answer questions I didn't ask or say something completely unrelated. The latter were pretty scary--it was like talking to someone that was asleep with their eyes wide awake, and sleeptalking.
Two days ago I got a voice message from a doctor in an emergency room. My sister had put me down as her emergency contact. When I called back the next day (my phone doesn't get any cell service at my parents' house, so I had no way of knowing I had any messages until I venture into town), she had already been discharged, and the nurses that treated her didn't want to tell me any information as she hadn't signed some release form. I AM HER EMERGENCY CONTACT. How on earth can they leave me a voice mail saying she had an emergency and wanted to talk to me and then not give me details?????
They also said that she didn't want to be in her group home anymore, and was going to go sleep in a shelter, but couldn't give me any more details than that. That was very concerning. My mom was shaking and crying at this point (she was in the car with me when I got the voicemail).
Eventually, the nurse reached the doctor to get permission to tell me something, anything, and they said she'd been released to an organisation that organised beds for homeless people.
Unfortunately it was after 5 pm on a Friday by then and the organisation was closed. We don't know where my sister is and can't find out until Monday. By that point she could have had her stuff stolen or have been assaulted or ...anything. Her group home canNOT be worse than a shelter, right? I just don't understand why she'd give up a perfectly good bed and house. At that point, wouldn't even my parents' house, however awful she thinks they are, be better than a shelter? And isn't it kind of selfish to take up a bed when someone who literally has no other options sleeps on the street? WHERE are her case managers and the state and her therapist and, and, and, in all of this?
Everyone is really worried, except for the people who are paid to, and supposed to be, taking care of her. Her case manager is "off for the weekend." It seems I'm the only person in my family that my sister will talk to, so it's up to me to figure out where she is and how to keep her safe.
I wish more were done for the mentally ill in this country. The state of her care and the lack of concern by her caregivers is simply appalling.
(ETA 20/09/2014: She called and is safe--she went back to her group home after all. So. All is back to "normal" again. For now.)
Monday, September 08, 2014
Back in the States
This trip to the US to visit family is like no other. For one, it isn't really a break. I'm working almost as much as I did in Auckland.
Secondly, my sister is in a group home over an hour away from my parents' and I haven't even talked to her since I got home. No, it's worse than that--I haven't talked to her in months. But I thought once I came home she would at least be reachable. I have called at least 3 times a day and cannot get ahold of her. The place she's staying has a phone but it is usually busy, and she never calls us. They say she is in bed whenever I can reach the staff on the phone. Usually she is the first person to greet me at the airport, so this ...silence is just so weird for me. When I am home, she usually stays at my parents' house as well, and it is a busy, whirlwindy time of us going everywhere together, sometimes arguing but immediately making up in that sister-like way, and spending 24-7 with her as my shadow. So I'm pretty confused and hurt right now. This is completely new behaviour, her not wanting to have anything to do with me. I'm afraid it is going to be the permanent change that I've been dreading but that has been coming for a really long while.
Thirdly, I came down with a cold on the 31 hour flight over. I'm only now, 4 days later, getting to the point where I can imagine not sleeping 15 hours a day (am also jet lagged and catching up on sleep from not sleeping at all during my travels, so that is usually from about 5 am to 8 pm!) and staying up long enough to get over my jet lag. Also finally at the point where I can imagine getting out of the house and driving my dad's truck around on the wrong/Right side of the road without having to blow my nose or (!) close my eyes on the highway to sneeze.
Other lessons? I've been tracking the electric usage at my apartment in NZ and ...it might be ME who is the expensive one. Electricity usage is seriously low the past few days. I don't know if my flatmates went out of town for the weekend or what (I think they had plans), but I might have to change some of my habits when I go back so I can save some $$.
They also gave their notice, so as soon as I go back I'll have to advertise on Trademe. It will be sad to see them go, but it'll be nice to be able to start charging a bit more for rent. For one, even if I keep the rent at $300 for a couple, I'll have to start splitting the electric and internet bill, which will help me A LOT. Esp. if I change those habits and get the bill down.
I bought so much stuff already! Sadly, it won't lead to free tickets home even though these charges are on airmiles bonus cc's. I'll have to keep trying for that, or tack my trip home on to a work trip next year.
Some goodies I've bought:
This watch that I've been coveting for 7 years. My 5 year old watch has been playing up for a year, losing time and suddenly stopping for no reason, even with new batteries, so it's time for a new one. Also my old watch was an anniversary present from my ex, so...yeah. This is actually the watch I liked a little more but before I could tell him I had decided on it he picked a different (but similar) one to give me instead. Lovely of him, but typical.
This smartphone. Waterproof, excellent camera for twittering for work (have gotten into social media in a big way lately). I don't NEED a new phone, but my old one is very very slow to the point of frustration and terrible envy whenever I touch another person's phone. It has excellent reviews and also replaces my waterproof camera, which is also frustrating and slow as of late and has started to get pieces breaking off of it in the last few months. This phone replaces both camera and old phone, upgrades both in a big way, will allow me to carry just one piece of tech instead of two, and will help with work stuff. I hope this plan works, because I've owned whole cars that were not as expensive as this phone!!
This travel sound conditioner/white noise maker. I have slept with a fan on for the past 10+ years--only way I can really sleep well. I love this sound conditioner so far. This should definitely help lower my electric bill, esp. if I get the battery pack for it!
Secondly, my sister is in a group home over an hour away from my parents' and I haven't even talked to her since I got home. No, it's worse than that--I haven't talked to her in months. But I thought once I came home she would at least be reachable. I have called at least 3 times a day and cannot get ahold of her. The place she's staying has a phone but it is usually busy, and she never calls us. They say she is in bed whenever I can reach the staff on the phone. Usually she is the first person to greet me at the airport, so this ...silence is just so weird for me. When I am home, she usually stays at my parents' house as well, and it is a busy, whirlwindy time of us going everywhere together, sometimes arguing but immediately making up in that sister-like way, and spending 24-7 with her as my shadow. So I'm pretty confused and hurt right now. This is completely new behaviour, her not wanting to have anything to do with me. I'm afraid it is going to be the permanent change that I've been dreading but that has been coming for a really long while.
Thirdly, I came down with a cold on the 31 hour flight over. I'm only now, 4 days later, getting to the point where I can imagine not sleeping 15 hours a day (am also jet lagged and catching up on sleep from not sleeping at all during my travels, so that is usually from about 5 am to 8 pm!) and staying up long enough to get over my jet lag. Also finally at the point where I can imagine getting out of the house and driving my dad's truck around on the wrong/Right side of the road without having to blow my nose or (!) close my eyes on the highway to sneeze.
Other lessons? I've been tracking the electric usage at my apartment in NZ and ...it might be ME who is the expensive one. Electricity usage is seriously low the past few days. I don't know if my flatmates went out of town for the weekend or what (I think they had plans), but I might have to change some of my habits when I go back so I can save some $$.
They also gave their notice, so as soon as I go back I'll have to advertise on Trademe. It will be sad to see them go, but it'll be nice to be able to start charging a bit more for rent. For one, even if I keep the rent at $300 for a couple, I'll have to start splitting the electric and internet bill, which will help me A LOT. Esp. if I change those habits and get the bill down.
I bought so much stuff already! Sadly, it won't lead to free tickets home even though these charges are on airmiles bonus cc's. I'll have to keep trying for that, or tack my trip home on to a work trip next year.
Some goodies I've bought:
This watch that I've been coveting for 7 years. My 5 year old watch has been playing up for a year, losing time and suddenly stopping for no reason, even with new batteries, so it's time for a new one. Also my old watch was an anniversary present from my ex, so...yeah. This is actually the watch I liked a little more but before I could tell him I had decided on it he picked a different (but similar) one to give me instead. Lovely of him, but typical.
This smartphone. Waterproof, excellent camera for twittering for work (have gotten into social media in a big way lately). I don't NEED a new phone, but my old one is very very slow to the point of frustration and terrible envy whenever I touch another person's phone. It has excellent reviews and also replaces my waterproof camera, which is also frustrating and slow as of late and has started to get pieces breaking off of it in the last few months. This phone replaces both camera and old phone, upgrades both in a big way, will allow me to carry just one piece of tech instead of two, and will help with work stuff. I hope this plan works, because I've owned whole cars that were not as expensive as this phone!!
This travel sound conditioner/white noise maker. I have slept with a fan on for the past 10+ years--only way I can really sleep well. I love this sound conditioner so far. This should definitely help lower my electric bill, esp. if I get the battery pack for it!
Monday, September 01, 2014
August 2014 Budget
UGH. SO. BUSY.
PhD has taken over my life, plus part-time work and a thriving social life. I'm running on 5 hours of sleep a night for the past several weeks. On top of that, I haven't been able to talk to my sister in months. She was in the hospital and not speaking to anyone, then released to a group home where the patient phone is always busy and I can't even leave a message because their mailbox is full.
August was really fun, though. I got almost 1/3 of my sample prep done for my first PhD project (1 of 3). I also went on a couldn't-be-more-perfect ski weekend with some awesome people (new group of friends I met almost a year ago, yet I still call them my 'new' friends), had a fun girl's night out dancing, and did a ton of other one on one type events with some of them, along with older friends.
I'm busier and more social then ever yet feel pretty alone whenever I have a chance to sit down. As an introvert, I love being by myself usually, but recent events have made me feel like I'm ready for real companionship, esp. if I'm going to be here in NZ long-term (i.e. the next 5 years). It's pretty weird--I don't get asked out here, ever. I don't get it. I'm a total catch, if I do say so myself! I have all of my business together, I'm smart, funny, stable, kind, and, when I make a minimal effort--say, spend 10 min in the AM to put on mascara, foundation, and lip gloss, and pull together an outfit--not too horrible looking! I put myself out there, am fun, and am flirty and try to make it quite easy to be asked out when I'm interested, so I really don't understand what I'm missing or doing wrong here. I should be racking up. :) There is obviously something that I'm not seeing or understanding going on.
Ah well. I'll have to cash in some of my funds and finally go to a therapist, I think. That's the only way that mystery is going to be solved. Til then--I will continue to have fun! I am going home for a month soon and CANNOT WAIT to see my family and friends and SHOP! and eat yummy American foooooodddddd. I'm drooling just thinking about all the goodies that await me.
So August was crazy.
Income: $4,792.94
I'm still getting overpaid for school (double the paycheck, double the fun), so that needs to be fixed. In the meantime, I make a lot more than I usually do, and that ismostly sometimes saved up. This month was a 5 paycheck month, so I was able to save $1,264.53.
Along with monthly interest on my savings ($130.91), that's going to top up my long-term investment fund to $3.6K. That means I've met my goal of increasing my taxable long term investment fund by $3K USD. Adding $3K to that fund also fulfills my goal of having $10K USD in a Vanguard fund, and that, my friends, will top me up to a level where I am eligible to get Admiral shares (and halving my expense ratio) for that exact same fund, one of my long-term $$ goals. Yippee!
As I've reached my yearly milestone for that long-term goal, the $600 per month I've allocated to long-term goals will have to be split up a bit more between long and short term til the end of the year, wherein I'll make another long-term retirement/taxable investment goal (probably another $3K as you pretty much need $3K to enter another fund in the Vanguard market). How exactly that will be split up is still TBD.
I've made some changes to the short-term goal list, too:
1) Since it looks like work may be sending me to Europe next summer for about a month (July-August-September time frame), I'm going to move my Europe trip fund from long-term goals to my short-term goal list and will concentrate on filling that up as high as possible until I go. I'm not going to be able to spend as much time there as I'd like--so I'll have to save up AGAIN for a real trip, but that's OK. Work will get me flights there and hotel for part of the time in Prague and Germany. I don't expect to use a significant portion of my Europe fund, but it's there if I need it--not skimping on the experience as it's my first time there! I'm going to tack on a trip to London to see my best friend there going or coming, too.
2) I've added my 2016 US Trip Fund to the mix, since I know I'll be making less next year and it will therefore take longer to save up that $3K next year. What was previously my 'Whatever' Fund has now been reallocated to this fund. See? Even if you don't have a specific goal at a particular time, it's good to save as eventually you'll be able to put a face to the name, so to speak.
So that outlines my goals for the next year, in fact:
1) Until December, I'll split the allocated $600 per month savings + any monthly leftovers between my house down payment fund (at least $175), 2016 US Trip Fund, and my Europe fund (again, at least $175 per month, don't want to lose traction there!).
2) Starting January 2015, I'll start saving $250 per month to a $3K Taxable investment fund in order to reach my next milestone on my long-term retirement fund goal: buying another fund (Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund to complement my above fund, or Total International Index fund to own a more complete index fund that is more tax-efficient, or another fund that I discover is most tax-managed or efficient (tax managed funds, maybe?). I'll build that one up in successive years til I have Admiral shares in that one, too. Of the $350 leftover from my $600 per month mandatory savings, $175 will go to Europe and $175 will go to the House down payment fund. Monthly overages will be split between the Europe and the $3K US Trip Funds.
3) Maintain $100K NZD Net Worth.
PhD has taken over my life, plus part-time work and a thriving social life. I'm running on 5 hours of sleep a night for the past several weeks. On top of that, I haven't been able to talk to my sister in months. She was in the hospital and not speaking to anyone, then released to a group home where the patient phone is always busy and I can't even leave a message because their mailbox is full.
August was really fun, though. I got almost 1/3 of my sample prep done for my first PhD project (1 of 3). I also went on a couldn't-be-more-perfect ski weekend with some awesome people (new group of friends I met almost a year ago, yet I still call them my 'new' friends), had a fun girl's night out dancing, and did a ton of other one on one type events with some of them, along with older friends.
I'm busier and more social then ever yet feel pretty alone whenever I have a chance to sit down. As an introvert, I love being by myself usually, but recent events have made me feel like I'm ready for real companionship, esp. if I'm going to be here in NZ long-term (i.e. the next 5 years). It's pretty weird--I don't get asked out here, ever. I don't get it. I'm a total catch, if I do say so myself! I have all of my business together, I'm smart, funny, stable, kind, and, when I make a minimal effort--say, spend 10 min in the AM to put on mascara, foundation, and lip gloss, and pull together an outfit--not too horrible looking! I put myself out there, am fun, and am flirty and try to make it quite easy to be asked out when I'm interested, so I really don't understand what I'm missing or doing wrong here. I should be racking up. :) There is obviously something that I'm not seeing or understanding going on.
Ah well. I'll have to cash in some of my funds and finally go to a therapist, I think. That's the only way that mystery is going to be solved. Til then--I will continue to have fun! I am going home for a month soon and CANNOT WAIT to see my family and friends and SHOP! and eat yummy American foooooodddddd. I'm drooling just thinking about all the goodies that await me.
So August was crazy.
| Aug 2014 Budget | |||
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount | Balance |
| Rent | $1,250.00 | $1,000.00 | -$250.00 |
| Groceries | $590.76 | $425.00 | -$165.76 |
| Internet | $85.00 | $85.00 | $0.00 |
| Electricity | $183.00 | $250.00 | $67.00 |
| Eating Out | $183.50 | $150.00 | -$33.50 |
| Charity | $0.00 | $25.00 | $25.00 |
| Cell phone | $0.00 | $26.00 | $26.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $65.00 | $65.00 |
| Misc | $636.15 | $400.00 | -$236.15 |
| Savings | $600.00 | $600.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $3,528.41 | $3,026.00 | -$502.41 |
| Remainder | $1,264.53 |
Income: $4,792.94
| MISC | |
| alcohol | $ 7.50 |
| entertainment | $ 19.50 |
| exercise | $ 25.00 |
| fees | $ - |
| gifts | $ - |
| goods and wants | $ 125.15 |
| transportation | $ 220.00 |
| travel | $ 229.00 |
I'm still getting overpaid for school (double the paycheck, double the fun), so that needs to be fixed. In the meantime, I make a lot more than I usually do, and that is
Along with monthly interest on my savings ($130.91), that's going to top up my long-term investment fund to $3.6K. That means I've met my goal of increasing my taxable long term investment fund by $3K USD. Adding $3K to that fund also fulfills my goal of having $10K USD in a Vanguard fund, and that, my friends, will top me up to a level where I am eligible to get Admiral shares (and halving my expense ratio) for that exact same fund, one of my long-term $$ goals. Yippee!
As I've reached my yearly milestone for that long-term goal, the $600 per month I've allocated to long-term goals will have to be split up a bit more between long and short term til the end of the year, wherein I'll make another long-term retirement/taxable investment goal (probably another $3K as you pretty much need $3K to enter another fund in the Vanguard market). How exactly that will be split up is still TBD.
I've made some changes to the short-term goal list, too:
1) Since it looks like work may be sending me to Europe next summer for about a month (July-August-September time frame), I'm going to move my Europe trip fund from long-term goals to my short-term goal list and will concentrate on filling that up as high as possible until I go. I'm not going to be able to spend as much time there as I'd like--so I'll have to save up AGAIN for a real trip, but that's OK. Work will get me flights there and hotel for part of the time in Prague and Germany. I don't expect to use a significant portion of my Europe fund, but it's there if I need it--not skimping on the experience as it's my first time there! I'm going to tack on a trip to London to see my best friend there going or coming, too.
2) I've added my 2016 US Trip Fund to the mix, since I know I'll be making less next year and it will therefore take longer to save up that $3K next year. What was previously my 'Whatever' Fund has now been reallocated to this fund. See? Even if you don't have a specific goal at a particular time, it's good to save as eventually you'll be able to put a face to the name, so to speak.
So that outlines my goals for the next year, in fact:
1) Until December, I'll split the allocated $600 per month savings + any monthly leftovers between my house down payment fund (at least $175), 2016 US Trip Fund, and my Europe fund (again, at least $175 per month, don't want to lose traction there!).
2) Starting January 2015, I'll start saving $250 per month to a $3K Taxable investment fund in order to reach my next milestone on my long-term retirement fund goal: buying another fund (Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund to complement my above fund, or Total International Index fund to own a more complete index fund that is more tax-efficient, or another fund that I discover is most tax-managed or efficient (tax managed funds, maybe?). I'll build that one up in successive years til I have Admiral shares in that one, too. Of the $350 leftover from my $600 per month mandatory savings, $175 will go to Europe and $175 will go to the House down payment fund. Monthly overages will be split between the Europe and the $3K US Trip Funds.
3) Maintain $100K NZD Net Worth.
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
Something Has to Go
I don't have this all figured out, this money thing. I'd hit a good auto-pilot the past couple of years: I was happy with how much I was saving to long-term goals each month vs short-term, and how much I was spending. I knew how much power and internet were likely to be each month. Things were predictable. Things were awesome.
Cut to the aftermath of the moving and PhD bomb. Everything is up in the air. I don't know how to put things back together the way they were. I don't know how to live anymore.
I'm buying oodles of things to make my new apartment my home, like the last one was. It isn't working. I have rearranged my bedroom five times. It still isn't right...
My new place is dark. I liked how sunny my old place was, the morning AND afternoon sun streaming through the windows, warming the place up in winter. Since moving, I feel sort of depressed sometimes, and have been getting upset a lot more. I need to use my solar light. I have the winter blues pretty bad.
But this is what I chose. This is my life now, at least for the next year.
The older I get (just had a birthday), the more I feel like I'm settling, compromising, continually feeling like I'm giving one really important thing up for another. I can't have it all anymore. I used to feel like I did...
Moving on from the philosophical, the nuts-and-bolts of my budget have come loose and are threatening an epic collapse. And I need to stop sticking my head in the sand, and address it.
That's the thing about your money situation: you can't just figure it out once and be done with it. It takes little (or big) tweaks here or there, and constant maintenance and check ins and sprucing up.
Reality Check 1: I've moved into a much more expensive place. Even with a couple helping with rent, I've increased my per-week rent by $40, and am now paying double (or triple) in electricity and internet costs. If I don't get another couple in after them, or no single person will spend $300 on rent for a single room in the city, I'm pretty screwed.
Reality Check 2: I am getting paid much less now.
These two things collided at the exact same time, and the devastation can be seen in my last few monthly budgets. The only reason that I'm saving anything at all is because my parents have been sending me money, and because the University is paying me too much (they think I'm full time PhD when I am just part-time).
I still spend it all, which means that if my parents stop sending me money, or the Uni finally corrects their mistake, I am going to be in Big Trouble.
Reality Check 3: I have not rented out my parking spot yet. That is $60 per week out the window. I thought I had--she paid the first week and then kept making appointments with me that she never ever kept. She had a bad accident and went to the hospital just after the first payment, so I let her have some leeway, but this is ridiculous. 4 weeks and she doesn't even autodirect deposit me? Nope.
Despite all of this, I am doing OK financially. I think. I seem to have miraculously saved extra money somehow and this is getting put in my 'whatever' fund. I have no idea what to use that for. I have saved up money for every single thing that I could reasonably spend it on. I really want a dog, but that requires me to own a house, which is completely out of my reach, unless I marry rich. I really want a car, but I can't afford to buy it, the WOF and maintenance, plus pay for the parking spot in the city all at once, so that is out of the window too. I could put it towards more car sharing escapades--maybe rent it for a whole day every weekend or something?--but I kind of do that anyway when it is needed. I don't know. I'll think about it. There are a ton of things I could come up with. A fancy new camera? A new phone? I don't like the idea of a new thing--I want a trip or experience or something out of it. Or to just save it and put it toward a long-term goal: retirement, a house DP, or Europe trip. I'm sure some lightning will hit, esp while I'm at home in the US and have more time to think about this. I need to put any 'extra' money somewhere, have a goal, in order to keep up my motivation. Any ideas?
Other good things:
I found an NZ fee-free credit card that gives me airmiles for normal spending. It is a $hitty rate: 1 point for $160 (in the US this is 1 point per $1, ugh), and the fee is waived for only the first year, but, hey, it's something. I'll cancel it next year if they try to charge me a fee. I've already set a reminder for myself in my work calendar.
Cut to the aftermath of the moving and PhD bomb. Everything is up in the air. I don't know how to put things back together the way they were. I don't know how to live anymore.
I'm buying oodles of things to make my new apartment my home, like the last one was. It isn't working. I have rearranged my bedroom five times. It still isn't right...
My new place is dark. I liked how sunny my old place was, the morning AND afternoon sun streaming through the windows, warming the place up in winter. Since moving, I feel sort of depressed sometimes, and have been getting upset a lot more. I need to use my solar light. I have the winter blues pretty bad.
But this is what I chose. This is my life now, at least for the next year.
The older I get (just had a birthday), the more I feel like I'm settling, compromising, continually feeling like I'm giving one really important thing up for another. I can't have it all anymore. I used to feel like I did...
Moving on from the philosophical, the nuts-and-bolts of my budget have come loose and are threatening an epic collapse. And I need to stop sticking my head in the sand, and address it.
That's the thing about your money situation: you can't just figure it out once and be done with it. It takes little (or big) tweaks here or there, and constant maintenance and check ins and sprucing up.
Reality Check 1: I've moved into a much more expensive place. Even with a couple helping with rent, I've increased my per-week rent by $40, and am now paying double (or triple) in electricity and internet costs. If I don't get another couple in after them, or no single person will spend $300 on rent for a single room in the city, I'm pretty screwed.
Reality Check 2: I am getting paid much less now.
These two things collided at the exact same time, and the devastation can be seen in my last few monthly budgets. The only reason that I'm saving anything at all is because my parents have been sending me money, and because the University is paying me too much (they think I'm full time PhD when I am just part-time).
I still spend it all, which means that if my parents stop sending me money, or the Uni finally corrects their mistake, I am going to be in Big Trouble.
Reality Check 3: I have not rented out my parking spot yet. That is $60 per week out the window. I thought I had--she paid the first week and then kept making appointments with me that she never ever kept. She had a bad accident and went to the hospital just after the first payment, so I let her have some leeway, but this is ridiculous. 4 weeks and she doesn't even autodirect deposit me? Nope.
Despite all of this, I am doing OK financially. I think. I seem to have miraculously saved extra money somehow and this is getting put in my 'whatever' fund. I have no idea what to use that for. I have saved up money for every single thing that I could reasonably spend it on. I really want a dog, but that requires me to own a house, which is completely out of my reach, unless I marry rich. I really want a car, but I can't afford to buy it, the WOF and maintenance, plus pay for the parking spot in the city all at once, so that is out of the window too. I could put it towards more car sharing escapades--maybe rent it for a whole day every weekend or something?--but I kind of do that anyway when it is needed. I don't know. I'll think about it. There are a ton of things I could come up with. A fancy new camera? A new phone? I don't like the idea of a new thing--I want a trip or experience or something out of it. Or to just save it and put it toward a long-term goal: retirement, a house DP, or Europe trip. I'm sure some lightning will hit, esp while I'm at home in the US and have more time to think about this. I need to put any 'extra' money somewhere, have a goal, in order to keep up my motivation. Any ideas?
Other good things:
- I think I have a garage renter starting this week, and for the next few weeks,
after which another renter has lined up to take the spot for a year. < --eta: she bailed.Yay.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
July 2014 Budget Review
Another month of obnoxious spending...follow up post about that soon.
| July 2014 Budget | |||
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount | Balance |
| Rent | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Groceries | $264.01 | $425.00 | $160.99 |
| Internet | $85.00 | $99.00 | $14.00 |
| Electricity | $237.74 | $250.00 | $12.26 |
| Eating Out | $70.00 | $150.00 | $80.00 |
| Charity | $0.00 | $25.00 | $25.00 |
| Cell phone | $20.00 | $26.00 | $6.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $65.00 | $65.00 |
| Misc | $1,128.75 | $400.00 | -$728.75 |
| Savings | $600.00 | $600.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $3,405.50 | $3,040.00 | -$365.50 |
Income total: $3,759.68
Leftover: $354.18
The only reason I have not spent more than I made is because the grad office is paying me double what they should--I'm a part-time PhD and they are paying me as if I am full-time. This is a problem, but one that will be dealt with later. I've notified everyone I can about this, multiple times, and it still keeps happening.
The leftover goes to my last short term goal for the year: $3K total for yet another 'Mental Health' fund. It's at $2,806.74 now, so will be completed. My idea for this was to use it to make my life healthier during the PhD: use it for exercise, therapy sessions, art classes, anything that gets me in a better state of mind and away from creating destructive habits.
All excess after completing my short term fund for the rest of the year will go to a slush fund for enjoying myself while I'm at home in the US (then probably there will be no excess after that). I allocate $3K to it every year, but it is never enough...
I'm not even going to bother to go into all the categories this month. I'm all over the show lately. Since the move and PhD started everything is ridiculous and lopsided and not at all under control. August will be another blowout since I'm still celebrating my birthday with multiple dinners and nights out as well as a ski trip, and I'm going home in September, so that month won't be predictable either!
Yikes. Just hoping things calm down a bit. Time needs to stop moving so fast. I just can't keep up!
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
June 2014 Spending. Change, change and (spending) more change
Doozy of a month. I spent way too much, but I got paid way too much, so all is well in the end.
Interest earned: $114.12
Rent was higher because I was paying double rent in both my new place and my old place ($115 pw for two weeks, 4 days at $30 per day ($120), and 3 weeks at $250 pw). I have since found a garage renter, dropping my rent from $250 pw to $190 pw (effectively). So July should be a lot easier.
Speaking of stuff for the new house, the reason I have spent so much is because NZ is awful. I hate NZ in situations like this. The simplest items are not for sale here, or are so astronomically priced that you have to either ignore those alarm bells going off in your head when you buy it, or make do without it. A plastic bin with drawers that I can find in Walmart for less than $18? Upwards of $80 here. A vast selection of many colors and styles of soap dispensers and toothbrush holders for your bathroom decor? An over the door hook? A small corner shelf unit for my spices? Impossible to find. They simply do not exist here. WTF, NZ...W. T. F. I am really really frustrated because I wanted to make my new semi-permanent home really cute and comfortable and mine. But there is no way to do that due to the lack of options here. It really, really makes me miss home. Here, I have visited every conceivable store that I thought may carry items I want: Briscoe's, Spotlight, KMart, Warehouse, Bed Bath and Beyond, and many more. Nobody has what I want. Yet I KNOW that if I lived in the US I could find everything I wanted in Target and WalMart for much less than I spent here just on removable wall hooks. I have really been trying to cut back on my Kiwi-complaining, but situations like this frustrate me to no end.
| June 2014 Budget | ||
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount |
| Rent | $1,100.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Groceries | $375.32 | $425.00 |
| Internet | $99.00 | $99.00 |
| Electricity | $307.08 | $250.00 |
| Eating Out | $225.80 | $150.00 |
| Charity | $0.00 | $25.00 |
| Cell phone | $20.00 | $26.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $65.00 |
| Misc | $1,167.19 | $400.00 |
| Savings | $600.00 | $600.00 |
| Total | $3,894.39 | $3,040.00 |
| Remainder | $1,033.31 |
Rent was higher because I was paying double rent in both my new place and my old place ($115 pw for two weeks, 4 days at $30 per day ($120), and 3 weeks at $250 pw). I have since found a garage renter, dropping my rent from $250 pw to $190 pw (effectively). So July should be a lot easier.
Groceries: $375, under budget due to me not wanting to move a lot of cold stuff from one fridge to the next, and my new fridge is a lot smaller, so I'll be buying tinier quantities of stuff many times over. I suspect that my grocery bill will now be a lot higher because of that.
Internet is now all my responsibility. $99 per month, should be $85 next month as I've reduced our plan from unlimited to 80 GB per month (we are averaging about 60 so we should be OK).
Electricity: $307.08. Ridiculous. I don't even know what to say about this.
Eating Out: $225. I treated a lot of people who helped me move.
Cell phone: $20. Right on track.
Misc: $1167.19. Holy Moses! This is made up of a ton of things: $100 for a strength training course, $200 for a gym membership, and most of the rest of it was buying stuff for the new house.
| MISC | |
| alcohol | $ - |
| entertainment | $ - |
| exercise | $ 324.00 |
| fees | $ 2.00 |
| gifts | $ - |
| goods and wants | $ 657.79 |
| transportation | $ 183.40 |
| travel | $ - |
| total | $ 1,167.19 |
Speaking of stuff for the new house, the reason I have spent so much is because NZ is awful. I hate NZ in situations like this. The simplest items are not for sale here, or are so astronomically priced that you have to either ignore those alarm bells going off in your head when you buy it, or make do without it. A plastic bin with drawers that I can find in Walmart for less than $18? Upwards of $80 here. A vast selection of many colors and styles of soap dispensers and toothbrush holders for your bathroom decor? An over the door hook? A small corner shelf unit for my spices? Impossible to find. They simply do not exist here. WTF, NZ...W. T. F. I am really really frustrated because I wanted to make my new semi-permanent home really cute and comfortable and mine. But there is no way to do that due to the lack of options here. It really, really makes me miss home. Here, I have visited every conceivable store that I thought may carry items I want: Briscoe's, Spotlight, KMart, Warehouse, Bed Bath and Beyond, and many more. Nobody has what I want. Yet I KNOW that if I lived in the US I could find everything I wanted in Target and WalMart for much less than I spent here just on removable wall hooks. I have really been trying to cut back on my Kiwi-complaining, but situations like this frustrate me to no end.
I know it isn't about the color of my toothbrush holder. I know there are way more important things in life. Yet I am a homebody and love for my digs to be pleasant to my eye, a respite from the big bad world, a place that I walk into and sigh with relief as I drop my bags and weight of my day from my shoulders. A coordinating toothbrush holder does that for me--and I'm sorry, NZ, but you just don't cut it.
I toil away every evening to make my house more of my home. I've cleared and organised the two storage units, sort of sorted out where to put most of my things, and am making a make-shift desk from old shelves I had and some scrap wood I found on the side of the road (never say that I am not trying to be a make-do Kiwi). I am trying so freaking hard to like my new place and to turn it into a place that I can love. Every day, though, I catch myself wondering when I can 'go back home,' like I am on a work trip and just counting down the days when I can go back to my old apartment. I hate that I had to move. I hate that everything changed. But I will cope with it. I have to! I just hope this attitude helps change my mindset soon so I don't keep longing to return to my old digs...
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Whew to the Whew.
Lots o' stuff happenin' over here.
After the eviction and the mad, intense apartment search, the last three weeks have consisted of slowly packing up my junk and moving it over to the new place. I'm paying rent in both places, and internet couldn't be switched over in a timely manner, so it made sense for me to stay put in my old place while my new flatmates moved to the new place and paid me rent. So at least I'm only paying rent on the new place just for myself. My old LL weirdly told me just to pay rent for myself in the old place. I was suspicious that he'd move someone into the other bedroom, but, aside from a request to see the place, that never materialized.
I'm certain that that was his plan, though. Make me miserable by moving some ahole in my beloved apartment for me to share with, with no choice but to leave early.
So yeah--I am paying $115 per week in my old place and $250 pw in my new place, because my flatmates are covering the other $300 pw at the new place. I'm responsible for ALL the utilities in both places, too. So that is two power bills, and one internet bill (flatties have been OK with no internet for the past 3 weeks, they say). That's a lot of cash outlay.
Somehow, though, I'm making it. I transferred over a lot of $$ from savings to cover the expected shortfall that hasn't happened yet. It helps that my PhD salary is finally being paid out, and that they got it all wrong and I'm now getting paid for FULL time instead of 50%. I have notified them, and know that that is going to come back to bite me in the butt soon, but I can't worry about that now.
To the whew: me easily affording my new place on my part-time PhD + 50% work salary is contingent upon two things: a) I have two other flatmates sharing the other bedroom (a couple or students, I don't care which) paying upwards of $300 pw and 2) I rent out the garage for $60 pw.
Today, someone took the garage space, so I will have finally fulfilled both of my requirements. Rent for me is now $190 pw + all the utilities.
Me paying for all the utilities is because of a deal I struck with my flatmates at my old place. I just like them so much that I kept the same deal when moving to the more expensive place (otherwise I would have had to find new flatmates as well). They will be leaving in November/December, at which point I'll have to find two new flatmates. I will then start charging more for the room: I'm thinking $320 - $350 pw plus bills, depending on if they take the garage spot or not. Splitting the utilities will help a lot, as will the little bit of extra income from renting the other bedroom (is bigger, has a balcony and three big closets). And by that point I'll probably be able to rent out the garage for a little more: carparks in the CBD are now going for $65-$70 pw!! That is insanity, but helps me a lot.
So yeah...that is the plan!
After the eviction and the mad, intense apartment search, the last three weeks have consisted of slowly packing up my junk and moving it over to the new place. I'm paying rent in both places, and internet couldn't be switched over in a timely manner, so it made sense for me to stay put in my old place while my new flatmates moved to the new place and paid me rent. So at least I'm only paying rent on the new place just for myself. My old LL weirdly told me just to pay rent for myself in the old place. I was suspicious that he'd move someone into the other bedroom, but, aside from a request to see the place, that never materialized.
I'm certain that that was his plan, though. Make me miserable by moving some ahole in my beloved apartment for me to share with, with no choice but to leave early.
So yeah--I am paying $115 per week in my old place and $250 pw in my new place, because my flatmates are covering the other $300 pw at the new place. I'm responsible for ALL the utilities in both places, too. So that is two power bills, and one internet bill (flatties have been OK with no internet for the past 3 weeks, they say). That's a lot of cash outlay.
Somehow, though, I'm making it. I transferred over a lot of $$ from savings to cover the expected shortfall that hasn't happened yet. It helps that my PhD salary is finally being paid out, and that they got it all wrong and I'm now getting paid for FULL time instead of 50%. I have notified them, and know that that is going to come back to bite me in the butt soon, but I can't worry about that now.
To the whew: me easily affording my new place on my part-time PhD + 50% work salary is contingent upon two things: a) I have two other flatmates sharing the other bedroom (a couple or students, I don't care which) paying upwards of $300 pw and 2) I rent out the garage for $60 pw.
Today, someone took the garage space, so I will have finally fulfilled both of my requirements. Rent for me is now $190 pw + all the utilities.
Me paying for all the utilities is because of a deal I struck with my flatmates at my old place. I just like them so much that I kept the same deal when moving to the more expensive place (otherwise I would have had to find new flatmates as well). They will be leaving in November/December, at which point I'll have to find two new flatmates. I will then start charging more for the room: I'm thinking $320 - $350 pw plus bills, depending on if they take the garage spot or not. Splitting the utilities will help a lot, as will the little bit of extra income from renting the other bedroom (is bigger, has a balcony and three big closets). And by that point I'll probably be able to rent out the garage for a little more: carparks in the CBD are now going for $65-$70 pw!! That is insanity, but helps me a lot.
So yeah...that is the plan!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Found New Place! ...Had to pay for it though
After losing 4 very decent, nice apartments in an afternoon, I decided to play hardball. I have seen over 30 apartments over the past 2 months. What was happening was that I would show up for an apartment viewing, and at least 5 other people would be there as well. Immediately upon opening the door, someone would shout that they wanted the place, and BAM, that is when I'd lose the apartment. I mean, without even seeing more than the front entryway, people were claiming dibs. Legally landlords are not allowed to take more than one person's bond at a time, so of course that person was financially preferable as a tenant over the rest of us who viewed the entire apartment, consulted with flatmates over a quick text or photo, and THEN put in an application. You know--normal people.
These were relatively nice 2 bedroom places within walking distance of the CBD (< 30 minutes walking radius) going for $480 - $550 per week. With MUCH LESS space than what I have now. Some with carparks or furnishings, some without (which pretty much accounts for the spread in prices). We looked at a lot of places in our current rental price bracket ($420-$430) and all were tiny, awful, horrible, storageless, soulless places with no carpark to rent out. If I'm going to pay as much as I am paying now, I want the same standard of living and a carpark to make things super cheap for me. On the other hand, if I'm going to have to shell out money, I might as well get what I want, right? Hence the higher budget. Plus I have a couple committed to paying $300 per week (including utilities) for the next 6 months, so I figured I could afford a bit more. Plus, I can't live in a crappy place and be unhappy--would rather cut back on other things than live far below my current standards. I am an introvert, and very much a homebody/houseproud kind of person. I need my digs to be homey, comfortable, happy places where I have space and security and room and the freedom to make it my sanctuary.
So--back to hardball. I viewed one place in a 20-apartment boutique complex about a 5 minute walk from my work building. It was cute and I loved the complex, but the apartment in question was always in shadow due to the buildings nearby, and I wasn't 100% sold on it, but nevertheless it was 90% of the way there--not too shabby. I've learned to count my blessings. I expressed my interest immediately and the landlord said I had it. My flatmates wanted to view it that day, and as soon as I said that, the LL told me that someone else had already paid the bond and he had to turn me down.
However, coincidentally, another apartment in that complex became available the exact same day. I called the LL within 2 hours of her TradeMe post, and said I'd sign the lease immediately. She told me that two other people were already coming to view the apartment that day and if they didn't like it, I could have dibs (so to speak). I told my flatmates that I was signing up for it whether they saw it or not--they were of course free to look elsewhere if they didn't like it.
The first viewers of the apartment liked it. Dejectedly, I was determined to salvage the day and worked until late. At 9 pm, I got a phone call. The folks that wanted the apartment couldn't pay their bond until their mother viewed it, and she was in Sydney until the next day. LL wanted to get the deal done since she was in town only for one night, so she offered it to me if I paid the bond immediately (sight unseen) and signed the lease the next morning.
I took it.
So now I'm paying rent in two places for the next three weeks because I didn't want to give up my current apartment without anywhere to go. Given the rental climate, it could very well take me another 2 months to find an apartment!
Anyway, that is the deal. I have a new apartment for $130 pw more and with less space, but it is cute, I can see envision calling it home, and it is furnished and has a carpark I can rent out to reduce costs a bit. It will have to do.
Upgrades in living:
1) It has an extra toilet. No more rushing to get out of the shower or tub because someone needs it.
2) It is less than 5 minutes walking to work, whereas I commute about 15-20 minutes each way now.
3) It is in the heart of the CBD yet very cute and homey--not a box apartment in the sky like so many others.
4) Brand new kitchen and a freezer that works!
Downgrades:
1) It costs $130 more per week, meaning I will have to cut back somewhere else. Overall standard of living will decrease.
2) It has less space and less storage areas. I don't have that much stuff, so it will just take a little while to rearrange things appropriately.
3) The furniture isn't very nice--will have to spend a bundle to cover couches, etc., to make sure everything looks nice.
4) The fridge is TEENY TINY. Will have to buy a small dorm fridge to accommodate more stuff.
New budget will come soon!
These were relatively nice 2 bedroom places within walking distance of the CBD (< 30 minutes walking radius) going for $480 - $550 per week. With MUCH LESS space than what I have now. Some with carparks or furnishings, some without (which pretty much accounts for the spread in prices). We looked at a lot of places in our current rental price bracket ($420-$430) and all were tiny, awful, horrible, storageless, soulless places with no carpark to rent out. If I'm going to pay as much as I am paying now, I want the same standard of living and a carpark to make things super cheap for me. On the other hand, if I'm going to have to shell out money, I might as well get what I want, right? Hence the higher budget. Plus I have a couple committed to paying $300 per week (including utilities) for the next 6 months, so I figured I could afford a bit more. Plus, I can't live in a crappy place and be unhappy--would rather cut back on other things than live far below my current standards. I am an introvert, and very much a homebody/houseproud kind of person. I need my digs to be homey, comfortable, happy places where I have space and security and room and the freedom to make it my sanctuary.
So--back to hardball. I viewed one place in a 20-apartment boutique complex about a 5 minute walk from my work building. It was cute and I loved the complex, but the apartment in question was always in shadow due to the buildings nearby, and I wasn't 100% sold on it, but nevertheless it was 90% of the way there--not too shabby. I've learned to count my blessings. I expressed my interest immediately and the landlord said I had it. My flatmates wanted to view it that day, and as soon as I said that, the LL told me that someone else had already paid the bond and he had to turn me down.
However, coincidentally, another apartment in that complex became available the exact same day. I called the LL within 2 hours of her TradeMe post, and said I'd sign the lease immediately. She told me that two other people were already coming to view the apartment that day and if they didn't like it, I could have dibs (so to speak). I told my flatmates that I was signing up for it whether they saw it or not--they were of course free to look elsewhere if they didn't like it.
The first viewers of the apartment liked it. Dejectedly, I was determined to salvage the day and worked until late. At 9 pm, I got a phone call. The folks that wanted the apartment couldn't pay their bond until their mother viewed it, and she was in Sydney until the next day. LL wanted to get the deal done since she was in town only for one night, so she offered it to me if I paid the bond immediately (sight unseen) and signed the lease the next morning.
I took it.
So now I'm paying rent in two places for the next three weeks because I didn't want to give up my current apartment without anywhere to go. Given the rental climate, it could very well take me another 2 months to find an apartment!
Anyway, that is the deal. I have a new apartment for $130 pw more and with less space, but it is cute, I can see envision calling it home, and it is furnished and has a carpark I can rent out to reduce costs a bit. It will have to do.
Upgrades in living:
1) It has an extra toilet. No more rushing to get out of the shower or tub because someone needs it.
2) It is less than 5 minutes walking to work, whereas I commute about 15-20 minutes each way now.
3) It is in the heart of the CBD yet very cute and homey--not a box apartment in the sky like so many others.
4) Brand new kitchen and a freezer that works!
Downgrades:
1) It costs $130 more per week, meaning I will have to cut back somewhere else. Overall standard of living will decrease.
2) It has less space and less storage areas. I don't have that much stuff, so it will just take a little while to rearrange things appropriately.
3) The furniture isn't very nice--will have to spend a bundle to cover couches, etc., to make sure everything looks nice.
4) The fridge is TEENY TINY. Will have to buy a small dorm fridge to accommodate more stuff.
New budget will come soon!
Sunday, June 01, 2014
May Budget
| May 2014 Budget | ||
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount |
| Rent | $555.00 | $555.00 |
| Groceries | $461.77 | $425.00 |
| Internet | $99.00 | $99.00 |
| Electricity | $144.37 | $225.00 |
| Eating Out | $185.90 | $150.00 |
| Charity | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Cell phone | $20.00 | $50.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $100.00 |
| Misc | $847.47 | $700.00 |
| Savings | $600.00 | $600.00 |
| Total | $2,963.51 | $2,954.00 |
May! ...more like May Day.
This month BLEW. I thought I had the flatmate/saving money for PhD situation ALL FIGURED OUT, and then my a-hole landlord blew a hole in my plan. Now I'm kicked out and looking for a place to live, of which there are NONE of the same caliber for the price I have been paying for the past 5 years. Great. Just as my salary decreases, I lose money by trying to save money and my cost of living goes way up. Ain't that always the way...
Income went way down because of the work contract changes. I just signed the paperwork for my PhD income last week, so that may take a while to get processed. They owe me back pay for it, though, so I'll count it:
actual income: $2072. 09 (w/ garage rent)
Owed (approx.): $961.54
approx total income: $3033.63 and I spent most of it!!
Rent: $555 because LL agreed to let me pay less while my flatmates are moving out during their notice period. Nice of him, but then he served me a 90 day eviction notice right after informing about that sweet present.
Groceries: $461.77 Way over: I eat through stress! I also went to the American store and bought a ton of goodies.
Internet: I'm on my own now--paying all utilities. Old flatmate was supposed to pay me her share from the last month of her stay, but she took off to Australia and isn't returning any phone calls or emails. So that is my responsibility.
Electric: Same deal as above.
Eating out: $185.90. Was a bit social and alcoholic this month, as I also drink with friends when stressed.
Charity: Donated to a friend's marathon cause.
Cell: $20 as per usual
Medical: $0
Misc: $847.47. WHOA. Where? Wha?? How?
| MISC | |
| alcohol | $ 145.50 |
| entertainment | $ - |
| exercise | $ 75.00 |
| fees | $ 127.00 |
| gifts | $ - |
| goods and wants | $ 248.87 |
| transportation | $ 118.00 |
| travel | $ 100.00 |
Lots and lots of alcohol, apparently...
Exercise: tennis lessons! :)
Fees: School fees for PhD, parking
Transport: Cityhop! Taxis! I don't do the bus. I can't. It is never on time and never takes me close enough to where I want to go that I actually save enough money to make up for all the time I spend walking/waiting anyway.
Travel: ski trip deposit!! :) so excited for this!!
Savings: Yay! $600.
Garage rent is going away as garage tenant couldn't deal with LL constantly parking in her spot and all the construction dust and machinery in there right now. So he caused me to lose my garage rental income, as well. That guy is awful, can't wait to get out of here!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Flat Hunting
Sorry I'm MIA, but:
a) hunting for flats BLOWS, esp. when you haven't had to look for over 5 years and your rent has stayed the same for that entire time period.
b) see a)
a) hunting for flats BLOWS, esp. when you haven't had to look for over 5 years and your rent has stayed the same for that entire time period.
b) see a)
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Friday, May 09, 2014
Just kidding. Posting resumes...
Well, my budget is about to be blown to bits.
My landlord has decided that he is not going to honor the agreement we made about reducing my rent due to a couple being here.
He thinks that because there is an extra person, all that person's extra rent should go to him, as landlord.
This contradicts every conversation we have had for the past 3 weeks where I asked him if it was OK to get a couple in, reducing my rent, and he agreed.
Now, he wants me to pay my full amount, and the couple to pay the rent that they and I negotiated amongst ourselves. He did nothing, was not a part of that deal, because he told me to handle everything, he was OK with whatever I decided.
We had a two hour discussion about this, and he accused me of being immoral and greedy for wanting to reduce my rent this way. He said he had never heard of anyone reducing their rent by bringing in an extra person to the mix, even though literally ALL of my friends have done this in Auckland, and it is very common to see this on Trademe.
Earlier today, I contacted the Tenancy Tribunal and they told me I was well within my rights because a) no where in my contract does it state the maximum number of people allowed to live here, b) I have a text message from him saying that was OK for a couple to move in and to reduce my rent, and c) our rental agreements are linked to one another (meaning that if the other one moves out the other has to pay the full amount of rent), making it a flatting situation rather than separate tenancies responsible for separate rents.
So yes, I'm moving out, and the couple that just moved in is moving with me. He loses three very, very reliable, good tenants that would always pay on time and treat his place like our home (which is has been for me for the past 5 and a half years). And I lose a home that I have made into my own.
My landlord has decided that he is not going to honor the agreement we made about reducing my rent due to a couple being here.
He thinks that because there is an extra person, all that person's extra rent should go to him, as landlord.
This contradicts every conversation we have had for the past 3 weeks where I asked him if it was OK to get a couple in, reducing my rent, and he agreed.
Now, he wants me to pay my full amount, and the couple to pay the rent that they and I negotiated amongst ourselves. He did nothing, was not a part of that deal, because he told me to handle everything, he was OK with whatever I decided.
We had a two hour discussion about this, and he accused me of being immoral and greedy for wanting to reduce my rent this way. He said he had never heard of anyone reducing their rent by bringing in an extra person to the mix, even though literally ALL of my friends have done this in Auckland, and it is very common to see this on Trademe.
Earlier today, I contacted the Tenancy Tribunal and they told me I was well within my rights because a) no where in my contract does it state the maximum number of people allowed to live here, b) I have a text message from him saying that was OK for a couple to move in and to reduce my rent, and c) our rental agreements are linked to one another (meaning that if the other one moves out the other has to pay the full amount of rent), making it a flatting situation rather than separate tenancies responsible for separate rents.
So yes, I'm moving out, and the couple that just moved in is moving with me. He loses three very, very reliable, good tenants that would always pay on time and treat his place like our home (which is has been for me for the past 5 and a half years). And I lose a home that I have made into my own.
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
Hiatus
Trying to keep up with my exercise, meditation, schoolwork, and regular work has me exhausted. I think it is time to put this blog to bed, at least until something exciting happens! Posts will be very irregular, though I'll try to do my normal monthly spend reports...
I'm still keeping up with reading the blogs on my sidebar--->
but I probably won't be commenting much. Best to you all! Mwah.
Saturday, May 03, 2014
April Spending
What a wonderful April we had here! Other than a few days of showers, it was almost like summer didn't want to end. And the week break from work due to Easter/ANZAC Day didn't hurt, either...not that I did anything with my time off other than meditate and reorganize my closet...
My PhD sort of unofficially started on Monday. So far, so good. Not much has changed, actually. I have awesome supervisors and I get to go to the US for work in November. I was thinking of heading home for Thanksgiving - Christmas afterward and saving my airmiles, but the idea of spending so much time at home in the cold weather really doesn't appeal, even though I'd get to spend the holidays with family again and I'd save most of my airmiles for next year. I am trying to get a few family members to come visit me in the southwest, where I'll be working, in November, though. Just a weekend with them would be great.
I got approval to go home for all of September, so that is what I'm doing instead. My airmiles are pretty much gone after that, though. Too bad. I'll have to come up with another genius plan to cover next year's trip.
Speaking of, I'm not sure if I'll get to go home at all next year. My supervisor mentioned trying for the conference in Prague that I want to go to next August, so I need to make sure I get a lot of work done to earn that trip. That will get me some airmiles, sure, and I'll see if I can hit up Germany to see my other supervisor (she'll be on sabbatical) while I'm there. I also plan on spending a few days visiting my good friend in London. That may eat up a lot of my time/money available.
So anyway, PhD is on track, work is on track, friends and social life are amazing, and I'm keeping up with meditation, eating well (mostly), and exercising a lot. I've decreased my rent by getting a couple to move in with me (though that was not without its major hassles!), so I'm taking care of my finances, as well. My sister is back in the hospital, but other than that, my family is OK. As usual, the only thing in my life that I can't get to go well for me are romantic relationships. Par for the course.
Ah well. Let's get to the money:
My PhD sort of unofficially started on Monday. So far, so good. Not much has changed, actually. I have awesome supervisors and I get to go to the US for work in November. I was thinking of heading home for Thanksgiving - Christmas afterward and saving my airmiles, but the idea of spending so much time at home in the cold weather really doesn't appeal, even though I'd get to spend the holidays with family again and I'd save most of my airmiles for next year. I am trying to get a few family members to come visit me in the southwest, where I'll be working, in November, though. Just a weekend with them would be great.
I got approval to go home for all of September, so that is what I'm doing instead. My airmiles are pretty much gone after that, though. Too bad. I'll have to come up with another genius plan to cover next year's trip.
Speaking of, I'm not sure if I'll get to go home at all next year. My supervisor mentioned trying for the conference in Prague that I want to go to next August, so I need to make sure I get a lot of work done to earn that trip. That will get me some airmiles, sure, and I'll see if I can hit up Germany to see my other supervisor (she'll be on sabbatical) while I'm there. I also plan on spending a few days visiting my good friend in London. That may eat up a lot of my time/money available.
So anyway, PhD is on track, work is on track, friends and social life are amazing, and I'm keeping up with meditation, eating well (mostly), and exercising a lot. I've decreased my rent by getting a couple to move in with me (though that was not without its major hassles!), so I'm taking care of my finances, as well. My sister is back in the hospital, but other than that, my family is OK. As usual, the only thing in my life that I can't get to go well for me are romantic relationships. Par for the course.
Ah well. Let's get to the money:
| Apr Budget 2014 | |||
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount | Balance |
| Rent | $840.00 | $840.00 | $0.00 |
| Groceries | $520.61 | $400.00 | -$120.61 |
| Internet | $49.50 | $50.00 | $0.50 |
| Electricity | $70.05 | $75.00 | $4.95 |
| Eating Out | $79.30 | $125.00 | $45.70 |
| Charity | $0.00 | $25.00 | $25.00 |
| Cell phone | $20.00 | $50.00 | $30.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Misc | $519.39 | $275.00 | -$244.39 |
| Savings | $600.00 | $600.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $2,698.85 | $2,540.00 | -$158.85 |
Income: $3050.48
Salary: $2842.97
Garage Rent: $100
Trademe sales: $107.51 (sold two pairs of shoes I'd never worn)
Rent: This will be going down, hurrah!!!
Groceries: Holy Moses. All those trips to the American store did it.
Internet: As usual. I'll see what it is with the couple moving in. My last roommate was home all day, every day, and I think all she did was download and stream tv shows and movies...
Electric: About usual.
Eating Out: Under by a little bit. Not too bad.
Charity: will give double this month
Cell phone: normal
Medical: none
Misc: Yikes! Way over.
Alcohol: $77.50 (celebrate my PhD acceptance, round of drinks at a friend's leaving do)
Entertainment: $6.30
Exercise: $100 a tennis lesson and registration for the Auckland half marathon
Fees: $2 to change bank recurring debit
Gifts: $26.66 (printed pictures for a friend's bday gift)
Random stuff: $216.93 ($72 for field shirts, $88 for toiletries, craft stuff, and a new canvas wall hanging for living room, $20 or so to Trademe for fees; $36 for boston simplus solution for hard contacts)
Transport: $90 (cityhop car)
$351.63 is leftover to contribute to my Mental Health Fund. :)
How could I do better:
1) want less stuff
2) cut down on cityhop car (once per fortnight?)
3) plan meals so that I don't have to buy so much at the grocery; eat down my cupboards and freezer
Sunday, April 27, 2014
If I'm Lucky
If I'm lucky, my trip home will be approved tomorrow and I can snag another free trip to the East Coast!
After that, I'm out of airmiles, though--it is getting harder and harder to find credit cards with bonuses large enough and easy enough to get on my meager salary.
I'm just happy I've been able to go home for free for the past few years. I can't imagine paying $3K NZD every year now. Guess I'm going to have to though, unless my PhD pays for my flight through the US somehow. Crossed fingers!!
*I just remembered I have 100K British Airway miles in my account...hope I get to go to Prague next year--definitely going to use those bad boys for inter-continental travel if I do.
After that, I'm out of airmiles, though--it is getting harder and harder to find credit cards with bonuses large enough and easy enough to get on my meager salary.
I'm just happy I've been able to go home for free for the past few years. I can't imagine paying $3K NZD every year now. Guess I'm going to have to though, unless my PhD pays for my flight through the US somehow. Crossed fingers!!
*I just remembered I have 100K British Airway miles in my account...hope I get to go to Prague next year--definitely going to use those bad boys for inter-continental travel if I do.
New Tenant!
Whew. New tenant has signed the lease and is moving in this weekend. Just in the nick of time. I thought I might have to cover the rent by myself for a little while til I found someone decent.
I've agreed to live with a couple to save some $$. I ran out of options and they were the best I could come up with over the busy Easter period--unfortunate timing as almost everyone left town!!
New tenants are lawyers and tough negotiators, even though they barely speak English. I agreed to a price of $325 per week including power, water, and internet. I should have held out for power or something, I regret not negotiating harder. My rent then goes down to $115 per week, but my bills double, plus I have to pay for water. We haven't gotten a bill for that yet so I have no idea what that will be. In the US, they were always quite small, though, maybe about $30.
We have a garage renter that brings in $50 per week. I agreed to pay the utilities in exchange for getting to keep all of the garage rent. Last month utilities and garage rent were basically equal. It was too hard to explain to the barely-English speaking new tenant that the garage rent covered most of the extra bills we have to pay. I tried about 5 times, but she couldn't understand. Plus, that is when I assumed that our garage renter would continue to use the spot indefinitely--she hasn't indicated that she doesn't want the spot anymore, so...??? I just figured it would be easier if a) I kept all the garage rent, b) paid the utilities myself, no calculating and sending out a bill to my flatmate, and c) paid an extra $5 - $20 a month in utilities to get in a couple that would save me nearly $400 in rent each month.
But now the garage renter is quite late on her payment. I don't know if she is going to continue to use the spot. Plus, our new landlord moved in some construction equipment into our spot for his own uses for the next 2 weeks and I'm not sure what my rights are. The garage spot comes with the apartment, but since we don't own a car, I guess he doesn't care about our garage renter. ?? He just said casually, oh, if the renter needs the spot, I'll move my car and they can have my spot. But the garage renter should have access to the spot WHENEVER, unfettered, meaning at any time of day or night, without having to call my landlord to move the car. I don't know what to do...I want to tell him that that spot is to be clear at all times for my garage renter, but then he could kick us out or just say, I own everything and that spot is mine now or you can't rent out the garage anymore...and I'd be screwed! I'm already going to have to refund my garage renter her money for those two weeks because I feel so guilty that she can't park there without lots of trouble...
So if I lose the garage rental income of $50/week, I'm on the hook for all of the utilities without that extra income to cover it. I really got myself in a pickle.
Note to self: THINK THROUGH before trying to be nice in negotiations from now on. From here out, the room is $305 (minimum) to a couple without bills included. Apparently, I care too much about what other people think of me, and just offer extra stuff because I want them to think I'm nice. :(
I've agreed to live with a couple to save some $$. I ran out of options and they were the best I could come up with over the busy Easter period--unfortunate timing as almost everyone left town!!
New tenants are lawyers and tough negotiators, even though they barely speak English. I agreed to a price of $325 per week including power, water, and internet. I should have held out for power or something, I regret not negotiating harder. My rent then goes down to $115 per week, but my bills double, plus I have to pay for water. We haven't gotten a bill for that yet so I have no idea what that will be. In the US, they were always quite small, though, maybe about $30.
We have a garage renter that brings in $50 per week. I agreed to pay the utilities in exchange for getting to keep all of the garage rent. Last month utilities and garage rent were basically equal. It was too hard to explain to the barely-English speaking new tenant that the garage rent covered most of the extra bills we have to pay. I tried about 5 times, but she couldn't understand. Plus, that is when I assumed that our garage renter would continue to use the spot indefinitely--she hasn't indicated that she doesn't want the spot anymore, so...??? I just figured it would be easier if a) I kept all the garage rent, b) paid the utilities myself, no calculating and sending out a bill to my flatmate, and c) paid an extra $5 - $20 a month in utilities to get in a couple that would save me nearly $400 in rent each month.
But now the garage renter is quite late on her payment. I don't know if she is going to continue to use the spot. Plus, our new landlord moved in some construction equipment into our spot for his own uses for the next 2 weeks and I'm not sure what my rights are. The garage spot comes with the apartment, but since we don't own a car, I guess he doesn't care about our garage renter. ?? He just said casually, oh, if the renter needs the spot, I'll move my car and they can have my spot. But the garage renter should have access to the spot WHENEVER, unfettered, meaning at any time of day or night, without having to call my landlord to move the car. I don't know what to do...I want to tell him that that spot is to be clear at all times for my garage renter, but then he could kick us out or just say, I own everything and that spot is mine now or you can't rent out the garage anymore...and I'd be screwed! I'm already going to have to refund my garage renter her money for those two weeks because I feel so guilty that she can't park there without lots of trouble...
So if I lose the garage rental income of $50/week, I'm on the hook for all of the utilities without that extra income to cover it. I really got myself in a pickle.
Note to self: THINK THROUGH before trying to be nice in negotiations from now on. From here out, the room is $305 (minimum) to a couple without bills included. Apparently, I care too much about what other people think of me, and just offer extra stuff because I want them to think I'm nice. :(
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
The Old Quandary
Quandary: do you go with your gut and choose to live with the people who feel right but don't save you money, or the people who would save you a ton of money but you feel sort of iffy about?
I've kind of gone for the middle ground this time: save some money, and feel more right than the ones that save a ton of money.
This happens EVERY SINGLE TIME I interview for flatmates. in my experience, they segregate into three groups:
1) There are the people that flat out do not work, and you know instantly. They rarely make it through my special email filter anymore, so honed is my gut. DELETE!
2) The people that you could live with if pressed. They are nice enough, and would be respectful flatmates. You can't put your finger on it, but you know you will never be friends/there are some complicating factors that will slightly interfere with your lifestyle. Not enough problems to eliminate them entirely, as they usually have some sort of redeeming feature, like they can move in exactly when you need someone, or they have a huge flat screen TV and sound system, or love to cook and clean for other people (yes, they exist).
3) The people who you just click with instantly, and you know in your gut that they'd be good flatmates, and maybe fun. You might even be friends, and they'd definitely be a benefit to your life rather than make it awkward to come out of your room and chance-encounter them.
I have had #3 this whole time. I always choose my gut. I haven't been wrong yet! I've lived with an English girl, a gay German guy, another English girl, a Kiwi/Indian girl, and a French girl. They've all been fantastic, and we've had a ton of fun together. I love getting to learn about other countries and hear all their travel stories, and keep up with most of them on Facebook now. I wouldn't say we are close--I am crazy busy and keep people at a distance even when I live with them--but we are definitely friends, or friendly, and all would give me rave reviews as a flatmate (or so they tell me).
This time it is even more complicated because I want to save money...no, I need to save money. My salary will decrease by a lot next year because of the PhD. I have to save up for that occurrence, and save money wherever I can. So I've been interviewing couples as well as singletons.
There are at least two singletons that would be AMAZING to live with--just super fun girls that I have a ton in common with. But they would not decrease my rent, so...they are in second place.
I started by asking for $330 per week in my ad for couples, exclusive of parking and bills. I got a LOT of pushback from that, and ended up negotiating a few couples to $305 per week. One was including bills, one excluding. The couple I liked the most, of course, was including bills because I really wanted them. The other couple would work better for my landlord, have permanent jobs, will barely be home, love to cook and clean for other people, etc. All the good things. But they are older, married, and I just have this gut feeling that my apartment wouldn't be mine anymore if they moved in. I would be an accessory.
So I guess I have decided to go the middle ground and go with the couple I feel most #3 about. It's up to my landlord whether he will let them move in. If not, I have to go with one of the cool girls and not save any money this year, or wait another week to see who turns up. We shall see!!
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