2025 Goals

 At this point, I only have one goal: submit my thesis. 

The rest of my goals will be set afterward. I think it will be a work in progress and highly depend on if my full salary funding comes through. 

Stay tuned!

2024 Goal Review

I completed most of my 2024 goals. That is about all I can ask of myself right now.

General Goals

1. Plan meals weekly, grocery shop, and cook for the week, every week. - done
2. Dr appointments -
   
1. Bivalent COVID boosters every 6 mo: April 2024, Oct 2024: #9 & #10 done!
   
2. Book & get HPV vax:
1. #1  DONE! 25 Jan 2024
   
2. #2 DONE! 22 Mar 2024
   
3. #3 DONE! 23 July 2024
   
3. Blood test every 3-6 months for hypothyroid, depending on TSH stability:
1. January 2024
2. October 2024 Not done - deferred until 2025
   
4. 2024 Dentist
   
1. May 2024 check up DONE!
2. Dec 2024 check up w/ dentist
   
3. Floss every day - mostly
4. Use new electronic toothbrush every day - mostly
5. 2024 Flu shot - April 2024 
6.  Book check up for blood test, thyroid & ADHD scrips w/ GP (Jan 2024).
   
   
7. ADHD/Therapy
1. Psychiatrist appt: Jan 2024. DONE! Special authority expires in Jan 2024. Need to make appointment for Dec 2025 in June 2025. Need to test out 10 mg in am, 10 mg in pm to see how I go.

 Finances

1. Keep track of spending.
• Update net worth every month  - done
  
2. Stay out of debt.  - done
3. Track peer to peer lending returns.  - done
4. Keep track of airpoints for travel. - done
5. Continue to check in on my credit scores quarterly via CreditKarma and NZ credit score company.  - done
6. I can invest ~$30K more NZD in my US brokerage before hitting the NZ FIF limit, but I'll want to dollar cost average that instead of just dumping it all at once. - deferred until 2025 Keep contributing $50 USD/mo to US brokerage account. I've decided to invest in Berkshire Hathaway shares until I hit the FIF limit. This fund importantly does not kick off dividends that would be double taxed in NZ and US - just taxed in the US. - done
7. Extend Delta e-ticket funds to late 2025 using this trick (supposed to expired in Dec 2024). Had to use a US VPN just to get Delta to show me flight options. DONE! Extended until 1 Sept 2025.
   
8. Apply for cc's strategically: see here. Reapply for Alaska Airlines cc?
1. applied and got JetBlue cc. Done for 2024.
   
9. Complete 1 year CD ladder and reinvest as long as interest rates are high. Done! $5-10K invested each month for a year. Will continue to invest $5K/mo in the highest interest rate value. Keep $10K EF and short term savings ($5800) liquid.
   
10. In mid/end-Sept., once I have ~3 mo of increased salary + stipend, apply for AMEX no fee cc. It offers 1 Air NZ airpoint per $100 spent, with a bonus 50 airpoints with a $750 spend in the first 3 months. This is a BETTER RATE than the cc I currently have, which offers 1 Air NZ airpoint per $110 spent!! and the fee is $150/year. Why? Verdict: REJECTED
11. Apply for No fee, no foreign transaction fee cc: Westpac. Done!
12. Get Wise card. Done! 
    
13. Ask for more hours at work: goal between 0.47 to 0.8 FTE, with a preference towards the lower end for the year after my PhD. DONE! 0.5 FTE is being written into the 2024-25 budget at work.
14. Sign up for Squirrel.  - done
15. Sign up for Zagga.  - done, and invested my first $1K
16. Renew 2024 renter's insurance. DONE! Next year I need to shop around for better prices. The cost increased by way too much. they actually decreased by nearly $80 in 2025 so I am not shopping around anymore.
    
17. File US taxes. Completed forms, still need to mail! Jan 29 2024
18. File state taxes. Completed forms, still need to mail! Jan 29 2024
19. File FBAR. Done! Jan 29 2024 
20. Contribute enough to Kiwisaver to get government contribution. Done! Contributed an extra $261 lump sum on June 1.
    
21. File/check NZ taxes (June/July). Done! Got a refund on June 2.

Travel/Experiences/Social

1. Talk to family at least once a week. - done
2. Text or email friends at least once a week.  - mostly done
3. Research/fantasize about future trips when I need a pick me up: e.g. Cook Islands, Hawaii, Iceland, England, river cruise through Europe with my mom and aunt. - done
4. Find something fun and social (but safe) to do for Xmas 2024 and New Year's Eve 2024-25. - half done
   
   

Work / Computer Stuff:

1. Back up personal and work laptops AND make image of HD several times a year: January / April / July / October. - mostly done. I'm due for a back up
   
2. Look into getting new work laptop that does not freeze every 10 minutes if two applications are open or I make a change in Excel. Ordered in June, finally arrived in September.
   
3. Every quarter, check that the work back up system is working to back up work files separately every week, month, and quarter on the first of each month. - mostly done
4. Submit papers and PhD dissertation:
   
1. Paper 1: Code + MA: in prep
   
2. Paper 2: MS - in draft manuscript form
   
3. Paper 3: GE&F's - submitted!
   
4. PhD thesis.
   

Deferred to 2025:

1. Research ADHD time, energy, & motivation hacks, make list of 25 hacks to try, and experiment with them within my work.
2. Back up personal laptop when at home - clone HDs. 
   
3. ADHD/Therapy
1. Psychiatrist appt - make appt for Jan 2026 in July 2025
2. Therapy appt: make once I can afford it again
   
3. Look into ADHD coaches.
   
4. Research dermatologist & make appt
1. Mole map, treat anything suspicious
   
2. Treat eczema
3. start skin care regimen and find products that I like.
   
5. Rebalance Kiwisaver.
   
6. Look at asset allocation and diversification in my US accounts.
7. Try Zagga.
8. Try Squirrel.
9. Look into alternate ways to invest. 
10. After using up air nz airmiles, cancel ANZ credit card and get rid of $150 annual fee.
    
11. Look into hiring a US-NZ tax accountant. 
12. Travel to bucket list places. 
13. Travel to US once PhD thesis is submitted.
    
1. Make eye doc appointment in US.
2. Watch The OA and Only Murders in the Building with Mom and sis while at home.
   
3. Make plans to see family & friends: 
1. B
2. H
   
3. N/J/A in DC
   
4. local aunt and cousins
14. If I go to the US, check Experian and Equifax credit reports from the US. (Note for future years: Experian and Equifax made me call in and order my reports: 877-322-8228--they refused me online.)
    
15. Take classes in topics I'm interested in. 
16. Finish moving all Google work files to DropBox. 
    
17. Get shingles vax. 
18. Book and have first mammogram. 
19. pain in left inside shoulder.  Update: need to schedule mammogram. I ran out of time so didn't ask about the pain in my shoulder.
    
20. 2024 Optometry appt in the US - reading glasses prescription, dry eyes treatment.
1. order new computer reading glasses from Zenni if needed. Not done: not going back to US
21. Shop around for better renter's insurance prices.
22. Review retirement plans and goals set last year. The goals are detailed here, here, here, and here.
    
1. Convert large chunk of $$ ($30K NZD) to USD if it hits 0.80 USD per 1 NZD.
2. Research buying options / put calls as a way to buy US ETFs as a US-NZ dual citizen (mentioned here and here) - this just may be the way to invest in index funds from NZ using NZD!!

Jan 2025 Budget and Life Review

Time has no meaning anymore. I have less than a month to go before I have to submit my doctoral thesis and I am Schrödinger's cat in that I both exist and do not exist. 

I missed my Friday deadline - my supervisor is going on leave for several weeks and that was the last day she had to review a chapter I was supposed to have prepared. I pulled all nighters, I went without food and showers, but still I wasn't able to get it done and in a state that was ready for her eyes by then. I want to blame my coding partner who sent me his (very disorganized and terribly written) sections at the last minute Thursday evening, but I know I share part of the fault here as well. If I had gotten my sections done I could have just told her not to look at his sections until I had a chance to rewrite/reorganize them. But my sections were not ready either.

I vacillate between feeling like it's useless to keep putting effort in and trying to get it done, and feeling like I'll be able to turn something in. I won't be proud of it either way, but I resigned myself to that a long, long time ago.

The good things: 

A friend is recovering well from surgery and we are back to our regular weekly hangouts. We started watching the new season of Severance (no spoilers!). They are going away for the month of Feb so have to wait to see the new episodes until they're back, but I am glad they are feeling well enough to have company again. 

The friends that are away for Feb asked me to water their plants/house-sit since we live very close to one another. They offered me the use of their car while they are gone. Huzzah! That should save me a ton of $$ in carshares next month. I of course don't have a time of spare time to use the car for fun stuff, but it'll be nice to have a vehicle for grocery store and errand runs. 

My 50K JetBlue points were awarded this month. Hurrah!

My family reunion dates are set and we're going to Colorado in August! Yay :)

 

Not so great stuff (other than the obvious, which is HORRIFIC, of course):

A work colleague died suddenly this month. He was only in his late 50's. He was a hugely influential person in my field and was very encouraging to and supportive of younger scientists. I work closely with his wife. It is a humongous loss on many levels.

My sister has been very mentally unstable lately so my mom and sister are no longer coming to visit me to celebrate my thesis hand in in March anymore. I'm very sad about this.

A friend left her husband. He committed some very serious financial infidelity and was unwilling to work on his problems to ensure it wouldn't happen again. I've been trying to be there for her but a) she insists she is happier than she has ever been and everything is perfect now (even though she has all but stopped eating and is tired all of the time and keeps randomly having meltdowns) and b) thesis-ing has taken over my life.

I paid for a gym membership that I haven't used AT ALL yet. Boo.

I haven't found out yet if I received the funding my supervisor and I applied for that is supposed to start covering my full salary in March. 

I'm pretty unhappy with my flatmate but unable to tell him to get out because I just plain do not have time to find a new one right now.

January 2025 Budget

I had my 0.5 FTE salary as earned income. I didn't leave the house much so not much was spent shopping. However, two big bills came due: I paid $99 USD for my annual 2 TB Google One memory storage and I paid my annual contents insurance bill. That one decreased(!) by nearly $78 since last year, which was surprising.

My parents also sent me some money which floated me through most of my expenses.

Income: $3,541.10

Salary: $3,054.08

Lending Crowd repayments: $220.86

Zagga repayments: $6.16

Garage rent: $260

Spending: $2882.25 (81.4%)

 

Spending categories (budgeted amount in parentheses):

Rent: $1325 - my portion of rent is $265 per week. It was a 5 rent check month.

Groceries: $350.07 ($500). I've been trying to eat down my freezer - it is chock full. I also haven't been eating more than 1 meal a day most days - not hungry (stress from thesis-ing) and just have no time for it.

Power + Internet: $100.99 ($150) - my share of of the utility bills

Eating out: $43 ($150). I got some burger fuel (1x; $32) and some mcdonalds (1x; $11). It's crazy how expensive fast food burgers are!

Charity: $100 ($60). Donated to the family of a colleague who died this month.

Cell phone: $17 ($35). The usual top up.

Medical: $0 ($100). $387 for a dentist cleaning and check up. I had to write a complaint letter to the company because this new dentist was so awful. Maybe they'll send me a partial refund? They just said they'd look into it, but that was before the holidays. $28.46 for scabies lotion because my flatmate gave me scabies. $30 for a scrip renewal for my thyroid and ADHD medication.

Misc: $896.19 ($485). I'm mostly overbudget due to fees: insurance and paying for 2 TB of Google Drive storage this month.

alcohol, entertainment, travel: $0

self care: $61.20 for a 30 min massage

fees: $538.75 - $335 for contents insurance for 2025, $175 for 2 TB of Google One Drive storage, $28.75 for annual membership to the staff club at work

gifts: $183.70 - $175 for sister's birthday present, $8.70 to buy my friend a green tea at starbucks

goods and wants: $60.60 - goodies from the American store ($107.10), -$46.50 in returns

transportation: $51.94 - Mevo car for 1 evening ($48), $3.94 for an escooter to the mevo car

Jan 2025 Savings: $658.85 (18.6%). I also transferred $2K of 'extra' funds in my checking account to savings. The extra funds are there because I've been using my US cc a lot and my parents transferred some money into my US bank account, so I haven't had to transfer NZD to cover my US cc.

Savings and Funds Activity Update

• My fifth 1 year $5K CD has now matured, earning me $260.58 (minus taxes). I started a new $5K CD for 6 mo as that has the highest interest rate right now (4.9% p.a.). The interest rates just keep dropping :( I'll just keep money in term deposits until I can finish my PhD and figure out how to invest instead of keeping tons of money in savings accounts.
  
  
• The $2658.85 I saved this month went to complete my $1K New Smartphone Fund and my $2K New Laptop Fund. These electronics are over 5 years old now. I'll try to make them last but the $$ is there in case I need to replace them. Any savings in future months will go towards a $5K Tax Advisor Hire Fund, which is 2% complete right now (see sidebar).
  
  
• Now that Lending Crowd is a bust, I have also decided to start investing a small % of my $$ in Zagga, another peer-to-peer lending platform for real estate. The returns are ~9+% p.a. for a year or less. I now have one two loans out:
• $50 @ 9.85% (they say $1K is the minimum investment, but I tested making my first loan out at $50 and it went through OK????). Something went wrong with this loan (something about paperwork) and they refunded my money.
  
• $1K @ 9%. This is my guinea pig. Until I understand how it all works, I won't be investing any more $$. This loan matures in October.
  

Net Worth Tracking

NZ Savings: $130,968.97 NZD

Peer to peer lending: 

• LendingCrowd: $3,004.58 NZD - principal still owed, paid in weekly installments
• Zagga: $1K NZD
  

Kiwisaver: $109,680.22 NZD. This briefly broke the $110K mark this month.

US investments: $59,205.34 USD

Total Net Worth (Jan 2025): $341,298.27 NZD (an increase of $8,176.39 NZD)