I haven't been on this blog in a long time but I've continued to save money. I just didn't document it as much. I saved enough for tuition and accomodation in the UK, and also threw more money at my student loans.
Even though I've been saving money like mad, I've also been spending more money than I'd like to. I'm working on stopping but it's all about finding some sort of balance between saving money and actually spending money on things that I care about. Like, for instance, I save money by bringing lunch to work. But when co-workers ask me to join them for lunch, I hate turning them down because I feel like I'm turning down an opportunity to get to know people outside of the office. But I know I have to turn them down so I'll have more money to spend abroad. (I just reread that last part. I said "turn down" three times in total. Apparently my education isn't teaching me to use a wider vocabulary.)
In other news, my dad gave me an airplane ticket using his points (or miles or whatever they're called) but I insisted on paying the taxes and fees. The total cost to me for the return flight? About $400. Yikes. At least it's better than the $1220 that I would have had to pay otherwise.
Oh yeah--new blog design that I got off the internet. (I would make something myself, but this one was so cute. It's a little juvenile but the style is very reflective of my character and stage in life.)
Showing posts with label exchange. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exchange. Show all posts
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Cost of Safety
Most things I'm pretty cheap about. I don't like paying more than I have to for cotton pads to clean my face, which is saying something since I've already mentioned before how much my skin needs help.
However, I'd be willing to pay good money to catch the sick guys who sexually assaulted two girls at York University. Same for the guy at Carleton, because the kind of torment that he put that girl through? That's enough for him to deserve having his balls cut off. Slowly. And then having his balls fed to wild dogs.
I'm mentioning this on my blog because I am so, so angry at those guys. It isn't right, and I'm beyond outraged. To them I ask, was it really worth it?
Even though I move very often to save money on rent, I always pick places I think are safe and have my parents come and take a look around to see if they like it. They've often encouraged me to pay that extra $100 a month for their own peace of mind. I always griped about it, but after all, they were right.
I'm also still deciding about where I'm going to live while on my exchange. The school I am going to is bigger and nearly not as safe. My friend went there last year, and she told me it's not the kind of place where you can walk around at night. I was talking to another girl who came on exchange to my school from France, and she said she was astounded at how quiet things are here, and she used to take the opportunity to walk to the grocery store in the evening, astounded that she could.
A few of the residences I looked at for my term abroad are in a rather unsafe neighbourhood. I decided on another residence that is in a safer location. I might have to get a bus pass just from the stories I've heard about students getting mugged, walking on the way home, at the school I'm going to. But some things are more important than money.
However, I'd be willing to pay good money to catch the sick guys who sexually assaulted two girls at York University. Same for the guy at Carleton, because the kind of torment that he put that girl through? That's enough for him to deserve having his balls cut off. Slowly. And then having his balls fed to wild dogs.
I'm mentioning this on my blog because I am so, so angry at those guys. It isn't right, and I'm beyond outraged. To them I ask, was it really worth it?
Even though I move very often to save money on rent, I always pick places I think are safe and have my parents come and take a look around to see if they like it. They've often encouraged me to pay that extra $100 a month for their own peace of mind. I always griped about it, but after all, they were right.
I'm also still deciding about where I'm going to live while on my exchange. The school I am going to is bigger and nearly not as safe. My friend went there last year, and she told me it's not the kind of place where you can walk around at night. I was talking to another girl who came on exchange to my school from France, and she said she was astounded at how quiet things are here, and she used to take the opportunity to walk to the grocery store in the evening, astounded that she could.
A few of the residences I looked at for my term abroad are in a rather unsafe neighbourhood. I decided on another residence that is in a safer location. I might have to get a bus pass just from the stories I've heard about students getting mugged, walking on the way home, at the school I'm going to. But some things are more important than money.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Redeeming Air Miles
I deposited money in the bank today to put towards my exchange. If you add up the total amount of money I put away for exchange and my student loans, that's more than $10 000. It's exciting to see that I've reached the five figure point!
My dad asked me to loan him $2500 so I had to take that out of my exchange savings. That's kind of a bummer to see my balance go down so drastically. Sigh.
I'm looking at how much it costs for a plane ticket for my exchange. I got a quote yesterday and it's going to cost something like $1220 for a round trip ticket, but that's only if I return within three months. It's going to cost more if I want to return later than that (and I do). I didn't ask though cause the lady at the counter was so rude, I wanted to just throw a business card in her face and walk out. (But I didn't).
My dad told me he's going to redeem his air miles for the trip, so now I have to learn how to redeem air miles points on their website. Most of the offers available on the air miles website are for travel within three months as well (i.e. if I leave in January, I have to return in March). I'm wondering if it's better to get two separate one-way tickets because there's 10% discounts if I do, or if I should just get one round trip ticket instead. I'm leaving during the low season, but I'm returning during the high season... I've never booked a flight before or redeemed air miles, so this is another financial first.
My dad asked me to loan him $2500 so I had to take that out of my exchange savings. That's kind of a bummer to see my balance go down so drastically. Sigh.
I'm looking at how much it costs for a plane ticket for my exchange. I got a quote yesterday and it's going to cost something like $1220 for a round trip ticket, but that's only if I return within three months. It's going to cost more if I want to return later than that (and I do). I didn't ask though cause the lady at the counter was so rude, I wanted to just throw a business card in her face and walk out. (But I didn't).
My dad told me he's going to redeem his air miles for the trip, so now I have to learn how to redeem air miles points on their website. Most of the offers available on the air miles website are for travel within three months as well (i.e. if I leave in January, I have to return in March). I'm wondering if it's better to get two separate one-way tickets because there's 10% discounts if I do, or if I should just get one round trip ticket instead. I'm leaving during the low season, but I'm returning during the high season... I've never booked a flight before or redeemed air miles, so this is another financial first.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Finally Getting Paid...
I finally got backpay from my former employer, and I think I'm getting paid at my current job this week. That would be nice, because it seems as if I've taken some sort of hiatus from my finances.
I am updating the money sidebar by decreasing my UK exchange savings from $7000 to $6500 to reflect my scholarship. After I deposit my money tomorrow at the bank, I'll update the total thingy on the side to show how much money I've saved.
I would love to write something more substantial, but tonight, I'm exhausted from work. I'm out of the door and at the bus stop at 7 am, and I don't get home until 7 pm. How do people with children and mortgage payments do this?! I'm exhausted from just a few weeks!
I am updating the money sidebar by decreasing my UK exchange savings from $7000 to $6500 to reflect my scholarship. After I deposit my money tomorrow at the bank, I'll update the total thingy on the side to show how much money I've saved.
I would love to write something more substantial, but tonight, I'm exhausted from work. I'm out of the door and at the bus stop at 7 am, and I don't get home until 7 pm. How do people with children and mortgage payments do this?! I'm exhausted from just a few weeks!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Some Good News and Some Choices
I guess I'll start off by saying that the good news is that I got a $500 scholarship to go towards my exchange, which isn't half bad. ($500 > $0, so I guess I should be thrilled!) That said, I'm still looking at $10 000 CDN for the total trip. That's down to $9500 with this scholarship. But I also still have $21 000 CDN to pay off in student loans by next summer.
As for the choices I have to make? Well, I have to make a decision as to where I want to live while on my exchange. The university basically offers standard bedrooms (where you share a bathroom with four flatmates) and en-suite bedrooms (where you have a private bathroom).
Standard room = ~$3000 CDN
En-suite room = ~$4000 CDN
The difference is about $1000 CDN for the twenty or so weeks I'll be there... Obviously I should go for the standard room.
The problem is the thing about my skin (which I wrote about yesterday). I'm not particularly ashamed of my skin but washing my skin makes it quite red and ugly. Normally I have to wait until everybody is sleeping before I wash my face so I don't come out looking all red and blotchy. Having an en-suite bathroom would allow me to avoid that.
I once had this conversation with my mother, who simply said "Why don't you spend the money on clearing up your skin instead of make up and other band aid solutions?" As if that thought didn't occur to me! I have had prescriptions for my acne (which I stopped because of the medical side effects) and I've used Proactiv (but that made my skin dependent and eventually reacted strangely to it). I easily burn $20 to $30 a month on skincare products, trying to clear it up in the first place.
The reason why I am having a hard time choosing between a standard room and an en-suite room is that I find a lot of people can't look past my skin problems. They zone in on it and then stare. And there is nothing as annoying as knowing that somebody is staring at your breakouts and then they talk to you about it. My parents do it. My friends do it. What's worse yet is that people who don't know me will look past me because of my skin. In fact, I sometimes have trouble making friends with people who feel uncomfortable looking at my blotchy skin. I'm not joking. I don't hide because of my skin, but usually those guys who are all about good looking girls will just look away.
The en-suite bathroom option looks like a God-send because I'll be able to take off my make up in the privacy of my own room... I won't feel like waiting until everyone else is asleep to wash my face. Most importantly, I won't feel constrained. I won't feel like crap every morning and night, wondering which of my roommates are going to see my blemished skin and leave us both feeling uncomfortable.
But financially, I just can't justify it. $1000 CDN would be better spent elsewhere, like socializing or travelling or just something tangible.
To be honest, my deepest fear is that I won't be able to make lots of good friends while I'm on exchange--and if I'm spending nearly $10 000 CDN to go away for a few months, I truly hope that I'll make friends and have a good time. I'm just afraid that people won't want to be my friend because of my skin (which has happened before) or people will treat me differently because of my skin (which happens a lot to people with severe acne) or people will offer acne solutions/treatments (which has also happened, and I know they're trying to be nice, but those solutions never work and serve as painful reminders that that is what people see).
I know it sounds crazy that I'm saying that a $1000 private bathroom will allow me to make friends--but for anybody with severe acne, that kind of logic makes sense. If no one sees my poor skin, they won't be afraid to look me in the eye. There is a certain kind of pain I feel when people look at my skin instead of my eyes. And that's worth $1000 in itself.
I feel like crap.
What do I do?
As for the choices I have to make? Well, I have to make a decision as to where I want to live while on my exchange. The university basically offers standard bedrooms (where you share a bathroom with four flatmates) and en-suite bedrooms (where you have a private bathroom).
Standard room = ~$3000 CDN
En-suite room = ~$4000 CDN
The difference is about $1000 CDN for the twenty or so weeks I'll be there... Obviously I should go for the standard room.
The problem is the thing about my skin (which I wrote about yesterday). I'm not particularly ashamed of my skin but washing my skin makes it quite red and ugly. Normally I have to wait until everybody is sleeping before I wash my face so I don't come out looking all red and blotchy. Having an en-suite bathroom would allow me to avoid that.
I once had this conversation with my mother, who simply said "Why don't you spend the money on clearing up your skin instead of make up and other band aid solutions?" As if that thought didn't occur to me! I have had prescriptions for my acne (which I stopped because of the medical side effects) and I've used Proactiv (but that made my skin dependent and eventually reacted strangely to it). I easily burn $20 to $30 a month on skincare products, trying to clear it up in the first place.
The reason why I am having a hard time choosing between a standard room and an en-suite room is that I find a lot of people can't look past my skin problems. They zone in on it and then stare. And there is nothing as annoying as knowing that somebody is staring at your breakouts and then they talk to you about it. My parents do it. My friends do it. What's worse yet is that people who don't know me will look past me because of my skin. In fact, I sometimes have trouble making friends with people who feel uncomfortable looking at my blotchy skin. I'm not joking. I don't hide because of my skin, but usually those guys who are all about good looking girls will just look away.
The en-suite bathroom option looks like a God-send because I'll be able to take off my make up in the privacy of my own room... I won't feel like waiting until everyone else is asleep to wash my face. Most importantly, I won't feel constrained. I won't feel like crap every morning and night, wondering which of my roommates are going to see my blemished skin and leave us both feeling uncomfortable.
But financially, I just can't justify it. $1000 CDN would be better spent elsewhere, like socializing or travelling or just something tangible.
To be honest, my deepest fear is that I won't be able to make lots of good friends while I'm on exchange--and if I'm spending nearly $10 000 CDN to go away for a few months, I truly hope that I'll make friends and have a good time. I'm just afraid that people won't want to be my friend because of my skin (which has happened before) or people will treat me differently because of my skin (which happens a lot to people with severe acne) or people will offer acne solutions/treatments (which has also happened, and I know they're trying to be nice, but those solutions never work and serve as painful reminders that that is what people see).
I know it sounds crazy that I'm saying that a $1000 private bathroom will allow me to make friends--but for anybody with severe acne, that kind of logic makes sense. If no one sees my poor skin, they won't be afraid to look me in the eye. There is a certain kind of pain I feel when people look at my skin instead of my eyes. And that's worth $1000 in itself.
I feel like crap.
What do I do?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Opportunity Costs
Awhile back, I had a couple of job offers. The job with the highest pay rate also had the worst boss and worst job description of all the offers. The job with the lowest pay rate had the best boss and best job description of all the offers. (Because I'm a student, I'm paid at student rates and can't negotiate the standardized pay rates.)
I asked my brother what I should do, and he said it was a no brainer: take the lowest paying job. I complained about the low pay rate, and he simply said to me: "opportunity cost." I had no idea what he was talking about.
He explained to me that many times in life you'll be given option A and option B. The problem is that one option will always come at the cost of another option. So for me, the lowest paying job would be most beneficial for my career in the long run--but it would come at an opportunity cost of lower pay rates in the short term.
I'm kind of faced with opportunity costs again now. If I don't go on exchange next year, I won't have to dip into my savings in order to pay off my student loans. In fact, I would be able to pay off all of my student loans and graduate with most of my savings intact. But the idea of being able to study in another country for five months, the chance to meet amazing new people from around the world, and the option of traveling in Europe, is just too good to pass up. I'll be able to go study in the UK, but it's going to come at the opportunity cost of being able to graduate debt free without using my savings.
But after all that is said and done, I know I'm extremely fortunate. I mean, what a 'dilemma' I have! I have savings AND the opportunity to study in another country. My parents are supportive of my decision to study abroad. That is more than anyone could ask for.
I asked my brother what I should do, and he said it was a no brainer: take the lowest paying job. I complained about the low pay rate, and he simply said to me: "opportunity cost." I had no idea what he was talking about.
He explained to me that many times in life you'll be given option A and option B. The problem is that one option will always come at the cost of another option. So for me, the lowest paying job would be most beneficial for my career in the long run--but it would come at an opportunity cost of lower pay rates in the short term.
I'm kind of faced with opportunity costs again now. If I don't go on exchange next year, I won't have to dip into my savings in order to pay off my student loans. In fact, I would be able to pay off all of my student loans and graduate with most of my savings intact. But the idea of being able to study in another country for five months, the chance to meet amazing new people from around the world, and the option of traveling in Europe, is just too good to pass up. I'll be able to go study in the UK, but it's going to come at the opportunity cost of being able to graduate debt free without using my savings.
But after all that is said and done, I know I'm extremely fortunate. I mean, what a 'dilemma' I have! I have savings AND the opportunity to study in another country. My parents are supportive of my decision to study abroad. That is more than anyone could ask for.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
First, Savings for Exchange
On my way home from work today, I was walking behind a girl with long hair. I thought to myself, "Wow, she looks rather manly from behind. How unfortunate." I kept walking behind her until I got to the red light. Then she turned around and I realized that she was actually a man.
I know this story has nothing to do with personal finance, but I was on my way to the bank to deposit my paycheque when this little story happened, so there.
In other news, I would love to put some money towards my student loans, but my first priority is saving up enough money for my exchange. So I'm going to put my student loan payment on hold while I save up money for my exchange. Hopefully that won't take too long to do, if I can manage to keep the costs at a minimum.
I know this story has nothing to do with personal finance, but I was on my way to the bank to deposit my paycheque when this little story happened, so there.
In other news, I would love to put some money towards my student loans, but my first priority is saving up enough money for my exchange. So I'm going to put my student loan payment on hold while I save up money for my exchange. Hopefully that won't take too long to do, if I can manage to keep the costs at a minimum.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Green Light from Overseas
I just got an email saying that everything should be a-ok for my exchange next year! I'll be leaving in January, but I think tuition and housing bills will start coming my way this December. Therefore, I've added yet another money status thing on the side for UK exchange savings. My initial savings goal is $7000 to get some of the essentials out of the way like tuition and housing. The next part will be $3000 for living expenses and fun money (including travelling around the place). I'm not adding any expenses for the plane ticket yet because my dad said he might use his air miles points to get me that. :)
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