Moneytalk, March: the good and the bad

This post will cover anything related to $. The monthly wrap-up will be another post.

Let me start off with something good. Previously one of my goals in March is to pump up my savings to a certain amount by March, and I've JUST achieved it, albeit marginally. The sum will all go to my down payment in future. This sum excludes my day to day cash in my wallet, my emergency fund, the account I set aside for yearly categories (more on that), any money tucked away in bonds and stock (I only hold one, looking to expand the profile). For the past few months, I have a new habit of putting *some* notes at home and replenish the wallet when the notes run out. For some reason, this worked for me, the thought of going to ATMs every week worries me and I panic at the thought of it. I intend to go to ATMs not more than 4 times a month: paying my credit cards in full, wiring money to my folks (this is safer than handing them cash), withdraw cash (to replenish). Sometimes I even do same things at once to save me time from the ATM queue, the queues can be horrible I tell you: there was once I had to wait for 10-15 minutes, it depends on where you are.

Well the not so good news was, the authorities have made people who are looking to buy their first homes much more difficult now. In the past people can walk away with 90% mortgage 10% down payment (minimum). No more of those days...it's now 30% down payment for everyone. Which, to me, is a sky-high number! I did a count, if my salary and savings rate stays the same, it'll take me close to 10 years to accrue the figure that would allow a down payment for a very, very modest house. But the amount wouldn't be enough to cover any lawyers cost, stamp duty, renovation, fitting-out, etc. It's very sad and more so when there's nothing I can do about it. 

Another piece of news is: huge change in commute pattern has taken place, I just did a very modest calculation and found that I'll probably need to pump up 50% more than my previous budget on commute. I'm curious to see how this change of commute pattern will influence my way of thinking about what transport to take; and how the item will play out in my budget. I have not revised my budget yet, as I would like to see how it play out in the first 1-2 months. Meanwhile I might need to start chanting *money buys time*, I need to look at where else I can cut back on...

Moving on, I've come to a decision regarding the talk on credit card upgrade. After a few calls to the hotline, I found out that I had nothing to lose after all! The worst case scenarios if I cannot meet the spending limit was (1) I had to call them to waive the annual card fee, which I have 70% they will do so, if not, I'll just cut the card or I can (2) downgrade it to my current card, without any charges. The upside was, I'll accumulate my points quicker, have unlimited access to the airport lounge. The even better part was, I can sign up for subsidiary cards for my family and DB, the subsidiary cards have no minimum spending per year, no annual card fee, and same unlimited access to the said lounge. Now I want to kick myself for not going for the upgrade sooner. The subsidiary cards I'll have their spending limit lowered if I should apply any, however my hesitation is whether getting the subsidiary cards will affect my credit score.

Thee coming of April will see the whole city "doing without" plastic bags, the shops will impose a levy on most plastic bags used. Some items that are frozen, fresh (think fish from the market), or bread from the bakery, will be exempted (but I don't know what else). This is a big problem for moi as I tend to buy a few items here today and a few items the next day, and I hate bringing an extra bag with me to carry groceries. Hopefully this will wean me off from buying unnecessary groceries, but this policy is a royal pain to housewives and everyone, really. Paper bags can be the new option for shopkeepers but their cost is almost double or even more than a plastic one. Talk about conundrum. 

The following paragraphs is for Pru, I figured it'll probably be best fitted under "Moneytalk" ;) Do remember I am only speaking for what I do, and some or most people may not do what I'm doing, or maybe they are doing even more. 

Every month I set aside a certain amount of my salary to be given to my parents, right now that sum is at 25%. I would adjust it every 2-3 years when I get a small raise, but the % will be 25. My folks used to say their generation would give 70% of their income to their families, but they have siblings and people were generally very poor back then. We had arguments about this before, but 25% seems to work best now, although I'm sure they want more, and that they can take more...In our culture, sons and daughters "should" (although arguably some don't) give some money to their parents regardless whether they are still living with them or not. Agreeing with the spirit behind this practice, I intend to continue this practice even after getting married or moving out one day. It's just the right thing to do and I don't question it. My folks have given me the best they can, and are as frugal as they are.

Another related "expenses" to the above, is the money for my grandparents (I call it "granny money"), it's not an obligation (read: I'm not their direct offspring, they have a handful of them and the offspring are the ones who should be giving them money like I do in the above paragraph), but it makes them happy. Plus I don't see them often, like 4-5 times a year, each time I'll give them a few hundred to let them buy what they want, eat what they want. They are not working anymore and solely rely on their savings, and if not, their offspring to support them. So whenever it's birthday of my grannies, around Chinese New Year or Mid Autumn Festival, I'll shell out some. I know some people who don't do what I'm doing, but I always say you never know how long they're still there for, and in their prime age they were working hard for the family and now it's the time they should be taken care of. 

Outsourcing your time or your hard earned money?

The other day I met up with a friend who just came back from the holiday destination that I'm soon going to, and I borrowed the travel guide from him. In the past I've also borrowed another travel guide from him too! Makes me cringe to buy books of that sort...unless it's somewhere I really, really want to go, and the book is really, really helpful. But these days there's always the Internet.

During our convo, I learned that the price he paid per person, for flight and hotel, is double than the amount of what I booked per person for me and DB. Shocker, right? And my vacation dates belongs to the peak season and his was not! I was very curious so I asked him where he stayed at. He quoted a place which they booked a private pool (!) and the nights we stayed are the same. We lived in pretty much the same area I guess...his hotel was newer, but basically the "level of stars" are the same, if not half-a-star difference. To my surprise, my friend thinks this price was fair. To me, needless to say, was not. I told DB this shocking discovery, that what they paid for one person actually pays for 2 of us to go, with same number of nights spent there in a similar area! I can't remember whether they have free breakfasts included but mine surely have!

I would further add that even though the sound of having a private pool is nice, but I'm not going to use it every day while at that destination. I don't like the idea of vegging in the hotel room when traveling, so it doesn't make any difference to me (or benefit) if the hotel carries a free gym access and a free pool access. I would love the idea of having a private pool, but anything more than 1 day is too much, who am I kidding anyway? If I'm going swimming I might just as well get to a standard pool and do some laps like a pro (ok, maybe not a pro), or if I want some sun I might as well go to the local beach. Paying for a private pool which I'll not be using everyday? No thanks. And the ludicrous part was, I thought his partner did the booking for him, but no, he told me they bought the package via an agent. An agent! If it was somewhere I'm not too familiar with, not that popular with tourists, I might do the same. But chances are that 90% I would not outsource it. 

In the past I've made booking for flights and hotels via agent, but on different occasions and never booked together. One occasion was when I was traveling with my parents and they made a booking for the hotel via the agent (a place they've been to but I haven't, so I trusted their recs, the place doesn't have much "hotels" but instead "home-stays" are plenty, and I'm not staying at anything other than a hotel when I'm with my parents). The other time I booked a flight ticket via an agent because I wasn't too sure about buying it online. 

But I'm getting better at it now...once I got past the "fear of making a mistake" stage (story to come in an upcoming post).

With outsourcing I believe that depends on the age and angle where you're looking at it from. Right now, it makes sense to me that these are things that I could easily do it myself, but when I become old one day, I might just dismiss the act of outsourcing as "giving myself some free time" or "saves me hassles", or it was just something that I'm not capable of, e.g. mechanics, renovation. But for now, as far as I'm concerned, I can book tickets and hotels myself without problems, although it means I have difficulty choosing.

Over to you, what do you / will you happily outsource?

Fail to plan, Plan to fail

My previous boss used to say this phrase every now and then during our morning meetings. It stuck in my head whenever I did something stupid.

Back >1.5 years ago, I was an avid contact lens wearer, and I made use of the sale day at the grocery to stock up on the contact lens solution because I go through a bottle in 1.5 month. That's pretty reasonable and straight forward, right?

Fast forward to now, I still have 1.75 bottles left and their expiry date is March 2015. They're standing on the bath stand mocking me for stupidly stocking up. Truth was, I wore less and less contact lenses and thus did not need as much of the solutions as I thought I would. What I thought would be efficient (saves money, since I'm going to use them anyway) had ended up costing me more, because of the unused things that's going to waste. With anything that touches the eyes expiring soon, I'm NOT going to take the risk of using them and getting an infection. That'd be another stupid mistake.

With that in mind, I decided that any stocking up behavior should not be too long-term. 6-9 months' stock is OK, but anything more than that is a no-no, that includes food. I just realized I have tons of cookies, oatmeal, cereal bars that are close to expiry / expired by a few weeks, and they're still there. Another lesson not to go crazy with stocking up. I don't live in a desert or the Arctic, why do I have such FOMO or fear with not having enough? Can anyone explain that?

Another story that happened which made me want to kick myself was, a spring drizzle that I thought was nothing but enough to make my feet / shoes / coat wet! A drizzle without an umbrella and wellies is simply a recipe for disaster. As I was chasing commute today, the puddle splashed against my leggings (it's probably not good for work but it's a Friday and I don't care lol) and my feet. Talk about gross! The lesson to take away is: when in doubt (of the weather), take the short umbrella. 

Oh, did I mention someone just took my umbrella from my building? I suspected the cleaners took / stole it while they cleaned, but they (the property guards) said no. Glad it was an old one and I had extras.

Here's to no more stocking up of food for a good while until I've finished everything! For my lens solution, I'll just buy when April rolls around and won't get any more bottles until I ran out, which I expected to be few and far between.

What are your "fail to plan, plan to fail" moments?

Sometimes it's not what we think it is

A few months ago I shared that a friend of the same age (a girl), who had bought a flat with her bf and moved in together. Well, she told me she's broken up with her bf and moved back to her parent's. This was such shocking news to me, I always thought she's the one who "has it": not rich, but enough money to pay for down payment and get a mortgage (halved with her bf), a stable relationship hence the moving in part, a nice job, and a bit of cushion there from her investments.

To me, that kind of number is just astronomical (I know it was not much, but it's getting even more difficult these days). I was pretty upset at myself at that time because I kept thinking what I should have done to my money before getting a grip on it now, and how different would bank account figure be now. I still do, a bit upset at myself for what I've done with my money before. But this post just goes to show you how fickle things are...one moment a person looked like they have a stable life but the next moment they're back to square one, well, almost. At the beginning of March I had that crest-fallen feeling for 2 days and it was just enough to wreck everything - peace of mind, appetite, and health, sleep, etc.

Have you come across similar stories? Did knowing such people (and that you can be in a similar place with them, but you're not near that for now) upset you?

*To this date, I think I should thank her for inspiring me to get a grip on my finances, and started this blog. She doesn't know her story gave me such a motivation. And without this blog, I would feel alone in this journey. Thanks every one of you for reading this blog. THANK YOU.*

Something frugal, and something not that frugal

Shall we begin with the not so frugal thing about this week?

Well, I caved and bought this mook (a Japanese term referring to a book magazine with gift, usually a pouch or a tote). Do you recognize the character? She's Lilla My from the Moomin tribe! The cartoon is originated from Finland.

 

The mook is not very expensive, but surely it's not a need, but a want. The bag is made of nylon, has no zippers, but I like the way the colors combined and the cartoon on it. So much for saying to 'pay thyself' first...hahaha.

Moving onto the frugal things this week:

We went to the movies, but we chose to eat at a food court, that cut down our dinner to about US$4.5 for me, US$8 for DB. We bought bottled water because we were both coming from work, usually if it's on the weekend I'd bring my own.

I checked the travel insurance price last week from our usual provider, they offered 10% off throughout the year for their members. Today when I looked at it again, they are offering 35% off for members - YAY. It pays to wait, but I really wouldn't recommend you to wait to buy it at the last minute since the companies take time to process before they issue a green light to your insurance policy. I would suggest if you know you're needing it anyway, go check in with them every now and then, and pounce when a special offer (than usual offer) is there.

I took some time off due to a dental appointment this week, and managed to squeeze in an hour brisk walk at the park, that's gonna be the single entry in my March exercise goal, lol. The said dental appointment meant a surgery date pushed earlier (end of 2015) than the old date (2017 / 2018, which was way too far away). I have doubts about this dental operation, since it's not necessarily a life-threatening situation, and they told me they'll give me 2-3 days off after the operation. Seriously! I must have underestimated it based on my one time experience with removing a wisdom tooth. Well, at least, the operation should save me from seeking private dentist. I also scrapped plans for the dental checkup-and-wash in March, one that I have to pay for, since I have an upcoming visit to a dentist covered by my employer in May anyway. BONUS: I made progress on the Mrs. Moneypenny book (!) instead of the book I'm supposed to finish, but sorry, not sorry!

Tomorrow we'll be dining out WITH coupons, you guessed it. The other day I told DB that since we usually eat out (because we aren't sharing a home together), we might as well: (1) eat more frugal sometimes; (2) when we eat fancy / more up-scale, relatively speaking, we might as well do some hacking, that includes Super Monday deals, going on days / to places that let you multiply the points / miles on your card (travel hacking); (3) make use of coupons from newspaper and flyers. DB agreed. 

I applied for an equivalent to Nectar card in the UK - a moneyback card from a supermarket chain, I don't know why I didn't apply it sooner, I should have! I don't shop at supermarket much, if at all, but it makes sense to have it ready when I do shop there, no matter how infrequently and how small the amount usually was. I had this "ding!" moment when I was paying for the cheese fondue pack at the cashier a few weeks ago. The card took more than 3 weeks to arrive in the mail, but I'm happy that I made a sensible decision :-) Note: supermarket and grocery store are not the same thing (for me).

Upgrading my existing credit card to the "elite" status had been on my mind for months but haven't got around to actually ask about it in detail. To be honest, apart from accumulating miles quicker, it doesn't really offer that much benefits (unlimited access to airport lounges throughout the year? I don't travel more than twice a year and twice a year, the maximum amount of how frequent I can use the airport lounge with my current card, is enough for me). Second, the annual card fee was much higher than the current one, and can only be waived if I had a 150,000 spending, which is rather impossible. Don't think I'll be making the upgrade in this case.

A friend sent me some goodies from the mail - she ordered a matching set of a perfume for both of us, how sweet of her! Her parcel totally made my day week.

The past week had seen me really busy with work so this weekend will be all about catching up with blogs! This week had been not very good, hope you have a good weekend.

Aloha, spring

In this corner of the earth, Spring is finally here. With temperatures going over teens, many are losing their tights/leggings. I am terribly afraid of coldness and easily getting sick, hence have not ditched leggings yet (don't worry I wear a dress over it). 

However the warmth and heat in the air got me to thinking the time I survived solely on dresses and skirts, aka summer. It seemed like a year ago while in fact was just 6-9 months at most. The feel of sunshine on my arms, the sweat (not pretty) but most of all - the feeling of freedom. It seemed like I've been living under a shell for too long, that I forgot how it was to live the spontaneous life (read: careless/mindless about money).

While I have my vice (perfume and beauty stuff), and everyone's got their vice too; it shocked me to hear what some of my coworkers say / do. They have shellac / gel nails / manicure every 7-10 days (shocker to me! I hardly never do my nails), one of them even said she has "seasonal shoes", meaning the shoes (not cheap but not too expensive) will last through 3-4 months of wear and will be tossed. It might shock you to know that I used to think exactly like that person did about shoes, when I bought shoes made of fabric: the dirt, dust and sweat (TMI) just ruined the shoes after intensive wear for 3-4 months, they just look tatty and can't be worn any longer. This perception of shoes changed right after I encountered my first plastic pair of flats, they last and last and last. Best of all, they are more washable than fabric counterparts, if not completely washable in every part! It's a slow lesson I learned from the past year - that fast fashion is probably not good for my new found frugality, nor for the planet. 

On the Agenda this week

Yesterday it occurred to me how close we are to our upcoming trip, a mere 3 weeks away!

I've flipped through the travel book borrowed from a friend and had some idea of what to do during the few days at the destination. I've also texted the driver who we would be hiring for a day or two in the trip. Normally hiring a driver for a full day isn't an option I'd consider at all, but for this certain location, I do think it's warranted, now I just need to finalize on a lot of things for the trip in the coming week:

- call up / ask different insurance providers to ask about their coverage plans, decide and buy;

- looking at sunscreens and bug sprays;

- have the currency exchanged;

- lose some belly fat before going!

- go through my wardrobe for suitable pieces to bring with me, alas I have no long summery dresses can you believe that!

- going for a facial, haven't had one in a month, am trying to delay the visit there;

- get movie tickets for weekend;

- attend dental checkup.

I started reading Mrs Moneypenny's book today and got to say I like her style of writing! Wish I had access to FT so I can read more of her work.

The free supermarket voucher came yesterday! I had doubts about the online survey company previously (still have), instead of counting them in as "side-hustle" money, I'd give the vouchers to my mom for her grocery shopping. I will keep a record of how much I was able to make across the year from online surveys though, be they peanuts, but it felt good!

Coming back from the Art Show

DB and I went to an art show yesterday since I got us free tickets. What I did not anticipate was that the show was commercial in nature, a certain 5-star hotel has rented its rooms to artists and galleries and the latter will put up paintings, objects they sell all over the room. On the windows, the bed, the wall, the bathroom (!) mirror and bathtub (!). Why would anyone pay to go in just to potentially buy artworks (many of them are couples) is beyond me.

Then in one display room, a studio representative was talking to us about what their studio does: take photos in different styles and have them printed. She said during the exhibition they are doing an offer fro HK$500 you get an one-hour photo shoot, and get to have one wall print of 1 of the photos (you can select which one). But they won't give you soft copy of the photos taken during the shoot! WTF is that??? I can do similar stuff with a cell phone app, Photoshop on the computer, and take it to print myself! Or I can ask friends who are good at photography to do that, even though we don't have a studio environment. The whole package offered by the representative was ludicrous ridiculous!

The commercial factor aside, the rooms were really small, dated for a 5-star hotel in a prime location. The views are awesome though, after all people are paying for a prime location! We were a bit disappointed because the show was crowded, and the place was cramped, we did get our free drinks though. Our conclusion was that art was really an subjective and therefore the price is really arbitrary. What looks like a kid's drawing can sell for a lot, repetitions / collage works can sell for a lot but you never know how much effort / time is put into the work. There were really some good paintings though!

After the show we went for a burger and ribs dinner, we really liked the place since it's high-ceiling (guaranteed good vibe in my books), it was bustling but not noisy, and its tucked away in a very chic neighborhood. DB was not feeling that full so we headed back to the hotel and there's a large mall underneath and we looked for sushi takeaway at a supermarket. He finally settled on some and I got some bread on clearance, the supermarket was rather upscale being in a prime location with a few 5-star hotels nearby, so mind you they're still more than what I have in mind for "clearance" items but considering it's half-palm sized scones and banana bread (never tried before), I paid HK$43 for more than 3 breakfasts' worth of bakery goods. Had a bit of the bread today and it was decent without being sweet at all! I wouldn't be picking up anything from the mall's bakery next time though - because the deals aren't exactly 'deals'.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Frugal things this week

Some frugal things I did this week:

- I replied to an email and got free ticket to an Art Show that is good for 2 plus a free drink;

- I borrowed a travel book from a friend who just returned from the destination, instead of buying it;

- Got a free book sent to my way (thanks January for posting about Mrs Moneypenny!);

- I gave away my free movie ticket to my relative who would have better chance of using it than me, I figured it won't be worth the cost if commute costs + time are taken into consideration;

- Asking a friend returning from UK to bring me back some toothpastes instead of asking for them to be shipped to me (yes it's a specific brand that I can't find locally);

- Asking same friend to get hold of a bottle of perfume from UK, and I paid 35% less than locally (Yes this might not sound that frugal at all. Yes I have a weakness!);

- Did not buy any food or snacks, still need to try harder to avoid going into the shops AT ALL

The free book pretty much made my day, knowing it's free, I even forgot about it after signing up, and I'll have fun reading books about financial management!

What frugal things have you done this week?

Admitting my weakness

Time to 'fess up. I was doing good financially for the past week until today.

Bogged down by serious cold and flu for the past 8 days, I stayed home all weekend, aside from work trips. Didn't spend much except a lunch with coworkers that had to be done, a trip to the doctor's, some bug repellents and personal care items for the April trip. I think that's it? Then today I bought a perfume which I love that has been discontinued, a small bottle of a new perfume that I've been wanting to try (making use of the extra discount pass), and a lash serum. I've used better ones before and would like to step down to drugstore basic but that just didn't work, my lashes fall off more than before (TMI i know!). I had no intention of going back to the high-end lash serum and I bit the bullet today morning when another high-end lash serum was on special price. Swoosh! 3 items in basket, 30% off and they're on my way tomorrow. Sometimes I just hate myself for being weak. On some days I think I'm going strong. More practice makes a better, stronger willpower perhaps :-)

What's your weakness?

Slowly hoppin' back on (and THANK YOU)

And a full week ahead, may I add : /

I'd like to say a heartfelt thanks to all that has left a comment on my last last post. THANK YOU. 

I was shot to both sides of the world the past week - a swinging pendulum that gravitates towards the negative, and a lot of sadness in the mix. Things are looking better right now, although there's still a lot to follow up, I'm in a much better place now, emotionally speaking. It amazed me how everything ceased to matter (money was the last thing on my mind), when the world (almost) came crashing down. 

Developing a sore throat in the past few days, I decided the whole weekend to be a stay-in, and hopefully a no-spend as well! I had oatmeal this morning (surprise, surprise), I put water on a higher ratio than oatmeal and loved the watery consistency. By the time I had the second bowl (I used a small bowl), I threw in some dried sultanas and they are GOLD. Not that I had any problem with plain oatmeal but the dried raisins just upped the whole ante and I downed it quickly. Some almonds were also thrown in and it's delicious and balanced (I hope). Some fresh fruit would be nice, but I"ll use what I have. This combo should be featured more often everyday!

I just got a few more pairs this week (March) from another brand. I can live with garment replacements should the need arise, but I'm still saying NO to new clothes/bags/shoes. I unsubscribed from newsletters of apparel retailers sometime ago and didn't aware that I'm missing anything until they sent me promo codes a few days ago for a major sale event. Being very careful, I did not click onto the sites and see what's new and the deals, it's all the more easier to avoid clicking on it than to spend time debating and saying no. Willpower is like a muscle that has to be flexed frequently to strengthen it, too much exercising leads to fatigue sometimes. Auto-pilot is the way to go!

Also organized some papers and letters, and paid my taxes. Even though I don't have to pay a large sum this year, I dreaded on it because of the paper decluttering, today as I went through the papers I thought I might as well paid it and put the tax demand note back to the folder. Staying in might just be my new favorite hobby.

For the upcoming trip in Easter I just modified the list I drafted for my previous trip (oh USA!) and will do some final tweaking tonight. So far I still have to buy travel insurance (putting it to the last few days), schedule a driver at the destination, and exchange currencies. This trip *should* go on as planned.

The coming week will be quite packed as I've got some side hustle scheduled, dinner with a friend, lunch with coworkers (16!), reading through a travel guide book and start thinking on the itinerary. I want to pack a facial session (congested skin!) but will likely postpone it since my throat is feeling bleurgh at the moment. Spending wise, I'm still on track at the moment.

Should my body and spirit allow, this weekend should see a bit of things getting done, I try not to be ambitious here so there is no weekly goals post for the coming week (or maybe more), because honestly, in such a state, being ill and all that, I'd be grateful to just get by, instead of being hard on self for not following a list and whatnot!

How's March treating you so far?

Follow up on February's monthly Wrap-Up

I'm hoping as I write this, I'd be able to hop back on the blogging bandwagon. During the 1 week break, I still read and went through blog posts of those I follow, making a comment or two; but now I'd like to sit down and dig further into the nitty gritty of the February spending.

Here's some figures:

Jan 2015 - overspent budget by HK$813

Feb 2015 - overspent budget by HK$861

The 'slips' in February included the following:

- falling for ready-meal ("just add water") packs of flavored oatmeal, I bought 2, each costs $4.x serves 1 per meal. The slip? I could have bought 1kg of Museli or oatmeal for $30! Not in individual serving and is best accompanied by milk, but still, I loathe to pay more than acceptable just for "convenience"

- I spent quite a lot on gifts in February, even though I said no rather strictly when it comes to gift in my yearly laid out goals, and subsequently I had to spend on shipping it to a friend as well

- I made redundant trips to supermarket and got beverage sachets on clearance. Note to self: Saving money is NOT SPENDING IT in the first place, money is not saved even if you buy things with a yellow label

- I bought a perfume, a scent that I love which was discontinued, I searched high and low (refusing to pay full price), and finally found it on A**zon

- I bought snacks (chips, drinks) for the office, could have saved that money instead, and save myself some waist room

- I overspent in beauty category the most, it's my vice and I knew it, trying hard to tone down on this area

I did well with the no shoes/bags/clothes ban though! I only bought a pair of footsies (socks) in February as my old ones were slipping down as I walk.

The doctor I had been visiting has increased their fees so it's crap news, but I'd have to stick with it and scrimp elsewhere. Furthermore I had the habit of putting a cereal bar (or leftover dried fruits and nuts) in my bag if I hang out by myself during much of the day, it helps to cut down on the "hunger" spending and avoid to eat out. There's also the plus when I'm hungry, I eat everything, including the dried apricots that I've been shunning away from for months, helps to cut down food waste. 

Before you ask, YES, I finished up that bag of sucker (will not repurchase)! 

Monthly Wrap-Up: Feb 2015

February just went by in a blur. Have you noticed the lack of weekly goals post? Well, I got detracted once falling off the bandwagon of posting it weekly. Need to do better in this so the next 10 months won't go by without anything done. However as I've noted in the previous post, a few personal crises had crept up on my plate, and I found myself having poor sleep, cannot eat / no mood to eat, and generally feel immobilized due to weakness. There were times I would just sit and cry. My focus in March is on my relationship and family first. Nothing. else. comes. first. Period.

On travel-related matters, I've just realized the miles I've accumulated so far, is enough to redeem a round-trip ticket to Japan. This excludes the oil & fuel surcharge, various tax and airport taxes that I have to pay should I go, which can be often be ridiculous when they add up to about half the price of the ticket if I'd normally buy on its own! Nevertheless, free is free, as I have no plans to use the miles at the moment, I'll just let them sit for a while. Although some of it will expire in mid 2016. My original target might sound ambitious - but I was aiming for a 3x amount of miles before I redeem it - enough for a trip to Netherlands or Germany or something. But the credit card which I use to earn miles is basically earning peanuts when it comes to miles. I used to earn quite a bit of extra miles when I do my shopping via this card with a tracking website, but since I've cut the amount of shopping lately, a little bit of hacking (possibly switching to a higher tier of the card membership, dining at certain places to earn optimum miles), needs to be figured out. 

I've bought a plane ticket for April's trip and just got the hotel sorted out. It was a pain to select where to stay every time, it really is. I'm a no-fuss person and can happily sleep anywhere except on the street, but not everyone is, and I truly understand that. Crossing my fingers that the eating and getting around will be cheaper at the destination, no shopping will be involved. Even the tickets and hotel has been booked, I"m not sure if we're still going on this trip as I said, the personal crisis is major this time. 

On the extra income side, I achieved my monthly goal, am grateful for that. Also worth punching myself noting is, I need to get the blog sale up soon, the clutter is sitting around for too long. This, should be high on my list once the crises has been resolved.

Diet / healthy eating goal:

My diet has been a havoc in February, unstable schedules (both me and my mom) which means that while meal times are stable, the food I had was sometimes junk, sometimes home-cooked, sometimes eating out. This should raise grave concerns for my belly which seems to be getting more obvious. 

DB and I bought a cheese fondue pack to eat in the other night and it was a complete fail - the pack being too salty for my taste, and too alcoholic for his taste. Added to the pack we had processed food (smoked salmon and parma ham) which were way too salty for my taste. (I don't like parma ham to begin with, please don't hate me!) So the dinner was like salt on salt on salt. That's what I hate about buying processed food because I can't control what goes in there. DB suggested we DIY the cheese fondue sauce next time - we'll surely get around to do that as he loves his cheese! This will depend on whether the crisis will be resolved.

Exercise goal - absolutely zero. Again, this will be high on the list once the crises resolved.

Savings rate - dipped from 45% last month to 36% in February. This has to do with the travel expenses I made. Possibly something else, not in the mood to go through the tiny bits now as I'm near a major breakdown.

In other news, the doctor I pay regular visit to, has risen the fees. This is crap news and I hope I'll be getting better and visit the doctor less often, but for the near future I still need to pay regular visits to there. No way of getting around with it since I am sticking to this doc for now.

Hope March will be a better month!

Personal crisis

I'm dealing with a few personal crises at the moment (relationship, family) and thus I'd be posting irregularly, until the issue has resolved for the better. 

Meanwhile, a monthly wrap-up of February will be up soon. 

Would appreciate some understanding and please keep me in your prayers.