Latest financial/life news:
- my garage renter is leaving, and there is a glut of parking spots near my place, all advertised for $10 pw less than what I'm currently charging. Even if I can find a renter, I'm going to lose $10 pw in income to compete. I might even lower it by $15 pw just so I am sure to get any renter.
- my landlord increased our overall rent by $5 pw. Effectively I'll be paying $20 pw more than I am currently
This month was a 3x paycheck month.
Still, I'm paying for my groceries using my US stimulus money. I just charge it to my US credit card. That helps a ton.
My scholarship ran out but was extended til next July. If I don't get my PhD done by then, I will need to find an alternate source of funding. Or work for free to finish.
My job
managing my research program will be continuing through
end June 2022. I am just 0.3 FTE, which is not enough to live off of.
For post-PhD, I don't know what I'll do yet. I was written into a
few research proposals, but one has gotten rejected and the other one is on hold. That is the one I hope doesn't get funded -- I'm burnt out
and don't want to do it.
In any case, I
barely leave
the house and therefore don't spend much money. Partly due to
depression, part due to habit from the pandemic, and part because I'm
still wary about outbreaks (even though NZ has done a fantastic job). I go to some friends' apartment every Monday evening. Every Thursday pm I go and get click and collect groceries at the mall in my zip car and potentially get a massage. Once a month or so I go to another friend's house for dinner. Sometimes I am required to go into the office for work but so far that is like once or twice a month. That's it, but it is still more than I like.
June 2021 budget
Income: $3,877.76, made up of three PhD checks, 2 work checks, garage rent, and my NZ tax refund.A bumper month with tons of income!!
Rent: $1,040
Groceries: $268.97
Internet/Electricity: $0 (roommate hasn't told me what my share of the bill is yet)
Eating out: $96.57
Charity: $30
Cell phone: $0
Medical: $0
Misc: $474.75
Savings: $50
Total spent: $1,970.29
Overage: $1,907.47 ($1,360.96 transferred to savings; the rest is moved to July because I'm losing my garage renter)
Misc spending: $474.75
Self care: $341 (mostly a massage once a week, my main treat since my back is so messed up and aches all the time)
Goods and wants: $80.74
Transportation: $45.01
Fees: $8
Net Worth (if all funds are in NZD): $217,702.35
Things are going OK with the Net Worth as well. Stocks are doing well it seems.
US Funds (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, non-retirement brokerage): $41,155.61
NZ Funds: $158,550.05
Savings: $83,604.59 (see side bar for funds)
Bonus Bonds: $160
Lending Crowd: $5,500
SuperLife (NZ retirement scheme): $74,945.46
