dent debt daily

Hello from Portland!

2011-08-06T12:00:00.003+12:00

I'm not back but I'm around. I'm sure Sense knows that! :)

It has been 6 months since I moved to Portland, Oregon and I thought I could share a bit of an update.

It was not a good transition from summer to winter in less than 24 hours, but I enjoyed my first snowfall. Portland is a wet place to be in winter time. I got lucky to land a job in a month's time. I'm contracting at the moment, which started as a 3-month stint that got extended to the end of the year with possibility of extending further into 2012. I'm ok with that because our benefits, like medical, are through my husband's employer. I get paid a lot here and it is so enjoyable! Such a big difference from what I got in NZ, despite the fact that I was in the highest tax bracket. We just feel much better here financially.

Happy to report that our NZ debt is being paid more and steadily. We received tax refunds over $3k combined that we decided not to use to pay off a NZ card because our primary focus right now is to replenish funds that got depleted for the move. With our improved financial situation, we've managed to save $8k in just 3 months. We'll keep saving until the end of the year, then move to paying off our NZ debts.

Shopping here is great! No sales tax in Oregon!

Our life here is lived as minimalists. We have plenty of space in our rented house because we only bought essential furniture pieces. We made the decision in NZ not to buy a car in our first 6 months here. We still don't have a car and we don't know when we'd get one. I met someone who's sort of friends with my husband who ALWAYS asks us when will we buy a car every time she sees us. I'm not exaggerating. She also introduces me to new people with the by-line: they don't have a car. WTF? At first it was annoying, but now I just laugh at her because I didn't know that was an interesting subject.

We have bikes now though and we use them to get to work. Who knew that biking could lose me some fat?

Also, I had to contact my Kiwisaver provider and IRD for not crediting me my Member Tax Credit as scheduled in July. I was in NZ until February, a month short of the 2011 tax year, and yet I only got credited half of the MTC. I'm still waiting for IRD's response to that because why would I not get at least $1k right? I don't expect to get anymore this year and the next while we live overseas, but last tax year's MTC is something I believe that I deserve. My husband, who left in December, received $300 more than I did. WTH?

Summer is awesome here. I never expected American summer to be VERY BUSY and FULL OF HAPPENINGS. I found myself declining a few invites already.

Til next. Cheers!

No strings attached anymore

2011-01-21T20:31:00.002+13:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The car is sold and there's nothing else that's tying me down here in NZ anymore. Sigh of relief.

It was a challenge for me, mostly because I was worrying too much about the car. As you might know, we had a Prius. It is not a cheap car but it is efficient. However, here in NZ, most car buyers/users are more inclined to buy a cheap car eventhough it may not promise petrol efficiency. The buyers have been driving Priuses since 2000. They bought our Prius as a replacement for their gas-guzzling Vitara that they will sell soon. After our experience, my perspective on cars has changed. I can't and won't even consider a car that's not petrol efficient.

Hours before the transaction occurred, I felt sad about selling our car. I think it symbolized the last significant thing we've owned, enjoyed, and what tied me here. All I need to do next is to buy my ticket to Portland and pack my bags. I have 2 weeks left at work and a few days after that I plan to fly. It sounds so easy, isn't it? The fact in leaving NZ is too imminent and too fast!

Money-wise, there are no more insurance payments to pay, no more petrol to buy, cheap rent of $200/week including all utilities and internet (thanks to friends), and no bus fares to pay. So far I've only spent $70 on food since last week. Wallet is happy!

While I have these few weeks left, I'm going around Wellington to enjoy and appreciate the town that will form a significant part of our history. I will miss this country.

Choose a phone for me, wouldja?

2011-01-12T21:05:00.000+13:00

Having enjoyed being provided my mobile phone for me through work for 7 years, choosing my own for Portland is proving to be a difficult task!

Image via Wikipedia

J has his own iPhone and got himself a month-to-month plan until I get there and we figure out whether we'd take on a family plan. Neither of us is willing to be tethered to a 2-year plan so I started looking at different companies for a phone and service.

Now I'm tired. The plethora of options are just brain-draining. I repeat the cycle of shifting from wanting a simple phone that can make calls and text to something in the lines of iPhones and Androids, and back.

As of writing, I'm resolved to just wait it out. We already have a VOIP phone gifted by my father-in-law and we'll have internet at our new home. I'm guessing that would be adequate until I get a feel for things there. I'm still hoping that my new job there (when I find one) will provide me a phone, which should solve my problem.

The thing is, with a child who's about to start school, I will need to be contacted in case of emergencies.

$23 movies

2011-01-08T00:46:00.000+13:00

Image via CrunchBase

Having no cable right now re-introduced me to the joy of renting movies again. For $23, I've enjoyed 23 movies that I would have otherwise missed, or completely ignored, if I had cable.

I even went to the cinema one day and backed out of it when I was at the ticket counter. I thought it was funny.

New year, old movies. I've made the right choice. Maybe I shouldn't subscribe to TiVo when I get to Portland? What about House? Bones? I have BIG problems. :-P

Living on my own

2011-01-03T22:30:00.001+13:00

I've noticed that I buy less grocery when I'm on my own. Food seems to last longer -- obviously -- but also it's easier to take into account just my diet. When I shop for my family, I have to take into consideration their own dietary needs. Then there's dessert. I can buy one cupcake-size cheesecake and I'm set for days, sometimes even for a week.

Moore Wilson's is the best for buying desserts! Thanks to Floriditas who provide them! I've always liked shopping at MW, but I find them expensive at times especially in the meat section. Their meats are of great quality though, so can't really complain.

Anyway, I have a co-worker who lives next to my apartment who I share food with sometimes. Well, it sort of started out that way when I first moved in with her. I think she just liked the set up. As for me, I'm ok with it but not on a daily basis! So far, it has worked out well; but I generally don't enjoy her cooking because it lacks variety. I can't even begin how much meat she cooks. Ugh.

It looks like $40/week for me works. Hormone helps too. A week before my period I just gorge in food! It's so gross how much sugar I'd consume and all that fluid that my body retains. Then a day after my period starts, I deflate and lose appetite. It's a cycle that no matter how I resolve to not eating much prior to my monthly period, I just get sucked in. I hate having periods sometimes.

I'm enjoying Wellington in my last month. I forgot how vibrant it can be. Still unsure whether the gusty winds will be missed, but I've started feeling some sort of separation anxiety when I went into a gift shop today. I always bring my camera with me cos there are just things that can't be missed, like this:

Gusty winds can really do this in Wellington. Isn't that just scary?

Despite the joys of living alone, I miss my family very much. I keep thinking about next month when I reunite with J, and then another month when the whole family is together.

Taxi charged extra $2

2010-12-31T12:02:00.002+13:00

Okay, I've been searching online and haven't found the answer yet.

Why do Combined taxis charge an extra $2 when paying by EFTPOS???

Obviously I don't take taxis regularly, but a recent hauling of stuff from parking lot 400 meters away from my apartment has taken its toll and I decided to spend $7 for convenience.

The taxi driver warned me about the charge but I had no cash with me at the time, and I rarely do because this is NZ -- one of the EFTPOS lands I know of.

Bittersweet ending

2010-12-29T23:21:00.000+13:00

Life sure has gotten extremely busy for me, especially in the last 2 weeks.

Two days after J left, I thought life would go about as planned. I got burgled on Dec 13th. Oh yeah, for the first time 13 was unlucky for me. I was distraught for the first 48 hours after I found out.

I got home and didn't notice our huge TV was gone. It was while I was changing that I noticed our iPod dock station was not on the bedside drawer. My new netbook was gone, the Wii console that I just sold on Trademe was gone, and my jewelry box was also gone. Anyway, the insurance claim is now in process.

Two days later, the Police called me to say that they might have my TV. They responded to a domestic incident call in the middle of the night and while searching for the man who was reported saw a TV covered in a blanket under their house. It was our blanket that I didn't realise was missing until I went to bed the night of the burglary. The house is in a group of flats behind a neighbor's property. Still, it's not enough an evidence to indict them of burglary. The policeman told me that because he ran away, if he will be located and found guilty, they will have enough reason to jail him. Right. When would that happen?

The burglary expedited the move. The next day the offer on the house went unconditional. I didn't even enjoy that until much later. So the whole week was very busy cos we had a yard sale that weekend, pick up of items I sold on Trademe, then donating items on Freecycle or to people who came to the yard sale. The house is nearly empty now.

It was hard sleeping in the house that day it got burgled. Despite having a friend sleep over, it took me forever to fall asleep. All of a sudden, our home was no longer safe. It wasn't MY home anymore. I just wanted to get rid of it and not have another reason to return. It was a sad feeling because we loved that house. We never had any problem with the area until that day. The person must've come during one of the open homes.

This year ended in a bittersweet note. It's sad really. I pity the burglars who don't know any better than stealing other people's property. It's sad that they don't know how to make their lives better.

I can't wait to be with my family again. If all goes as planned, I shall be out of this country in 7 weeks.

More life changes...

2010-12-11T01:01:00.001+13:00

It's past my bed time and here I am blogging about my life that's going to change again.

My husband is leaving tomorrow for the USA. He'll be starting his new job there next week -- a job that not only gets him out of his good-turned-crap job in NZ, but also a job that brings him closer to his family. I will be staying here in NZ until our house is sold and my permanent residence visa is sorted.

We have accepted an offer on the house after only being in the market for 3 weeks. We'll find out if the buyer goes unconditional on Tuesday. If he does, it will be a matter of weeks and I'm moving back in town until I fly out of this country.

What a year this has been! We got lucky to be honest. I spent a lot of energy being worried on so many aspects; yet, here we are in the midst of it.

We have made very big decisions that put many people uncomfortable just listening to the idea and feelings around it. It put me in discomfort, so no wonder they were. We are not shipping anything at all. It's mainly because we don't really put memories in things. We have been selling and giving things away.

It was a long process that started in June 2009. From the moment we decided to move, it had put us all in transition mode. There was a time that I didn't buy anything bulky or big, from ketchup bottles to trash bags. J, being unhappy about his career potential here in NZ and about his mom's health, was not a happy person to deal with. It became easy for me to be angry, resentful and supportive at the same time. Such an odd combo, but I have been supportive of the idea, it was just difficult to accept the possibility that we'd have to make tough decisions to make it happen.

The first tough decision, and I think it was the toughest, was to have our kid live with my parents while we begin with the transition. He has been overseas for 2 months now and we miss him a lot. It has been full on since I got back. The house looks so much better, thanks to wonderful friends! We sacrificed sleeping in a house that smelled of paint and other chemicals for days. There are still things to do, eg. sell appliances, getting my medical tests, resign, etc; but nothing insurmountable anymore.

Giving up our house was tough too. We love our house and the memories we created in it, but it isn't financially sound for us to keep it as a rental. We carefully looked at all of our options, and the best was to sell it. We don't expect to gain anything from it after only owning it for 2 years and in this current market.

Thankfully J had landed a job after a year of applying. He was one of the 14 people hired out of 650 applicants. I'm so proud of him. He has done so well. Now, no more worrying about leaving NZ to look for a job (which was an option in case he didn't get a job by February 2011).

At the rate we are going, I might have only 8 weeks left in this beautiful country of the long, white cloud. We get asked by neighbors if we don't like NZ. We do! It's beautiful and a wonderful place to raise a family. There is comfort, however, in knowing that we are close to family and knowing that every member of our family is happy. Our home is where we are.

The next step is for me to fly over and look for a job. My parents are willing to bring our child to the States, as they were considering traveling there next year anyway. Hopefully we'll all be together by March at the latest.

So there is my life, and I think I should sleep now.

Update on moving

2010-11-24T14:07:00.002+13:00

Things are moving along on the homefront. The house is sorted to tidyness and staged for open homes and random potential buyer visits. The floor work (floorsanding) is finished and the wooden floors look really nice!

Unwanted/not needed items are being given away on Freecycle or sold on Trademe. J's ticket is purchased. J's accommodation is sorted, until he starts looking for a place for our family when I know my travel date is. He'll be staying at a friend's house til NY Eve for free, then move into a room rental (a friend of a friend) for $650/month including food, utilities, and internet! We think that's an awesome deal.

Those were a lot to take on in the past few weeks. J had even started work while I was away for 3 weeks. So, 5 or so weeks was all about carrying out series of tasks in the most effective and efficient way as possible without hurting the wallet. Excluding our house, we're expecting to get around $8,500 from selling items. Not bad. Our list of things to sell and give away only reached 60+ items. Not bad. We're below the 100 mark, which I targeted this year.

Then there are clothes. I have a lot. J's fit in his closet. I have the same sized closet full of clothes in addition to a 3x3 cube of folded clothes, mobile clothes rack, half a closet full of jackets, containers of bags and more clothes. We haven't gotten rid of all of our baby clothes yet so there's that to give away too. Oh sigh.

When I moved to NZ I only took 2 suitcases full of clothes and I left plenty behind. When mom made a visit, she brought new clothes she got for me on top of the "care package" of clothes she bought for me when she went to HK on a leisure/shopping trip. Every time I visit her, I always bring more clothes than I take with me. So yes, all that giving amounted to closets of clothes just for me. I think I only bought 5-8% of my entire lot in the past 4 years. Blimey!!!

The open home is this weekend, and so far we've had 4 groups visit the house. I hope somebody makes an offer soon! One thing I don't look forward to having is another winter. With snow!!! I just spent 5 or 6 months looking forward to summer and it looks like I have to toughen up for another one.

Holiday deal on MyWorth

2010-11-16T18:33:00.001+13:00

Wow! MyWorth is offering a holiday deal on their iPhone app for only $1.99! Sweet! Makes me want to greet you all a happy Christmas already. :)

I've been enjoying the use of MyWorth. I like having the ability to update my net worth whenever I can. I like my graph :) It's pretty.

Market value down by $15k

2010-11-13T23:28:00.002+13:00

Last week, many homeowners in NZ received their property's latest ratings from QV and they are not looking good.

Ours will be down by $15k as of July 2011. The worst part is that if you are going to sell your home now, just like us, the real estate agents will state the new market values in all the marketing aspects of the sale.

It sucks!!!

But life must go on and we can't keep moping about the fact. We are moving soon. J is going to begin his new job in Portland next month, while I stay here until the house is sold and to continue with the process for my PR visa. It's all exciting but plenty of work needs to be done, nothing insurmountable though.

I've been loving the weather as of late -- sunny, warm (sunny doesn't always mean warm in Wellington), and a great vibe from people everywhere!

Cheap labor or doing it for the exercise?

2010-11-08T23:31:00.000+13:00

You know how some people get Postie jobs for the health benefits they get out of it? I have a friend who did it years ago so that she could get her walking exercise everyday. She's still fit, needless to say. It was a part time job that she liked and then just stopped cold turkey.

We are clumsy about lawn maintenance once fall temperature starts dropping. The grass goes on growing until end of winter. It scares me to walk through roughly 2 feet high grass afraid that a snake would sneak on me. Of course that's silly cos there are no snakes in this country. There is hardly a chance to mow with the soil almost always damp. Crazy Wellington weather you see.

So, one day a month ago we contacted this guy who lives 10 houses away after picking up his flyer from the mailbox. He quoted us $100 for our front and back yards. I thought he was crazy! I really did. We asked him to really take a good look and he still held on to his $100 quote firmly.

I just found out a few days ago that the first wave of the yard clean up easily took him 7-8 hours just to get it ready for his 2nd wave 2 weeks later. He didn't accept the $20 tip we offered. I mean he did not only mow the entire 700sqm lawn area, he took out the rubbish too.

He has a full time job and he said that he only does lawn services on the side. But still I think what he did could have easily cost us $500 professionally. There's a catch: Jobs he does for more than $50 needs to be paid in cash so that he can evade tax. I knew something was up with these cheap services! He is a grandfather but he looks so fit and so young. That must be his secret! :)

Here are photos of the beautiful Wellington waterfront that I so love. Even on wet and cold and windy days, there are glorious days (such as in the photos) to look forward to.

Image via Wikipedia

People like my hair!

2010-11-06T21:58:00.002+13:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

After being away from work for 3 weeks, I got compliments for my hair. It was surprising to get their reaction because I didn't like it when I got it. So now, I kinda like it except on days when I can't get it soft enough despite using a chunk of conditioner.

I reflected on this a bit. Does it mean that my perception of myself is easily influenced by what people think of me? It's only hair! I feel that I shouldn't over-analyze it but I can't help it.

I now like my hair a bit but I still wish that I had the cut that I originally wanted. I'll have plenty of opportunities to try other hairstyles of course. All of a sudden the shade of brown that I chose and thought should've been a shade lighter is the right shade for me after all. Well, at least that's what my co-workers think. Or maybe I really chose the right shade but that I needed to wait it out a bit before the color really does the job I wanted it to do, which is to lighten up my face.

Boring haircut

2010-10-20T01:32:00.000+13:00

For months I've saved a link to a website that shows appropriate hairstyles for every facial shape. I downloaded samples in my phone and showed it to the senior hairstylist at the salon. The salon isn't really a favorite. I don't have a favorite or a preference actually.

She wasn't sure about my chosen style and she said that the style would require me to blow dry my hair everyday to pull the very same look. Ok...that got me thinking because I don't like blow drying especially when done daily. That's so horrible for the hair! So I went along with her suggestion. She wasn't exactly pushing for her opinion and gave me room to think about what I want. We talked more about what my requirements were: manageable style, doesn't require styling everyday, short and gives the impression of thick hair on my crown.

Image via Wikipedia

After the work was done, I realized that it was the same hairstyle I had gotten less than a year ago! Is it me or is it them (the hairstylists)? She and the previous hairstylist work at the same salon but in different branches. I'm still wondering why both of them thought that the same hair style fits me.

Husband thought it was a safe hair style and I agree. The one that I've wanted is more fun to look at but definitely requires a monthly cut to keep the look. I don't think it's practical to do that nowadays. Yet, it will make me look different. I got tired looking like a mom, with my hair pulled into a ponytail when I'm sick of it. Pair that look with glasses and voila! Mama!

I just remembered this hairstylist who did the most dramatic change on my hair more than 2 years ago. I have not gone back to her because she wasn't cheap! One thing I admired about her was her guts to have me try a hairstyle I've not tried before. She made me feel confident in her and I wasn't disappointed. She knew what she was doing.

Oh, I colored too. The hair color -- deep brown -- turned out well. I wish it were a bit lighter but that would make the whole salon visit a waste of money. It's like, I spend all my time coaxing myself to do a dramatic hair change and when I'm at a salon I go chicken on myself. Obviously, this whole entry is just to say that I'm disappointed in my hair decisions.

Won $20 Bonus Bonds

2010-10-19T05:22:00.000+13:00

Image via Wikipedia

Husband excitedly shared the news from the post: I won $20 from Bonus Bonds! Oh yay.

We don't have a lot of bonds, just $220 but I suppose anything is something. I'm pleased that ELSIE works (read: choosing my numbers).

Once I get back to Wellington, I'll use the $20 to buy another bond. Hopefully next time I get $1m, which should make my net worth very happy.

What a busy life

2010-10-18T15:44:00.001+13:00

Image by Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og Fjordane via Flickr

Life has been busy and obviously I have neglected this blog. I'm currently on the road, making some big life changes to prepare for bigger ones.

As you know, I recently posted 2 entries on MyWorth - part of what I was busy about. Have any thoughts on the app?

Budget-wise, it has more room for extra savings. We need to put all of our extra moolah into savings for the big life changes that are coming. Moving overseas is gonna happen in a year's time.

Health-wise, my next appointment with a surgeon is in the first week of November. I meant to have it today but I'm not in town. I didn't get any answer when I enquired about what would the next appointment be about. I didn't really expect anything from an employee who manages appointments, but I still tried. Oh, the lump had gotten smaller by the way so that's a good thing.

I'm going for a hair cut and color. I've only colored my hair twice and I did a light job at it, but this time I want a dramatic change. I want it to transform from black to deep brown. :) Let's see what happens.

Want a free download of MyWorth?

2010-10-17T00:46:00.000+13:00

Okay, I have 2 iTunes codes to give away for a FREE download of MyWorth on iTunes US App Store! The code is only valid for MyWorth.

The catch is that you have to blog a review about MyWorth. Because this effort is basically giving you a free iPhone app, we have no control over the review you would make (or not make). So, I hope that we could trust you to give a blog post review of MyWorth.

You need to be:

An active blogger
Must have an iPhone
Must have an iTunes account registered in the United States, ie. with a US billing address

Before I give away the code, I will need evidence of your blog and its activity. It would be preferable that you have a personal finance-related blog.

If you're interested, leave a comment with an email address and the URL to your blog. I look forward to hearing from you!

MyWorth - the coolest net worth iPhone app!

2010-10-14T18:52:00.003+13:00

Finally! A net worth iPhone app that has everything I need to track my net worth!

MyWorth offers a more detailed approach to tracking my assets and liabilities. It also offers a fancy graph for visual motivation. It's really nice and I love it! :) The graph appears when I change the orientation to horizontal and disappears when I reverse. How cool is that?

The app offers more categories and the flexibility to add more for my own customization.

This is one of the features that I love - the ability to add an asset that is also a liability! The feature is offered for home/mortgage and car/loan. This means not having to do double-entry.

I searched iTunes for similar apps but got disappointed for a variety of reasons. One was too simple and sidetracked into tracking expenses, one had confusing user interface design, and one that just didn't quite offer what I want.

Social Networking
If I were brave enough to share my net worth, I could with MyWorth's interface with Twitter and Facebook. Not to confuse you, the app doesn't share your net worth automatically. You have full control over what you share.

Only in the USA
MyWorth is only set up (eg. demographics) for American consumers, but it shouldn't stop you from using it. It doesn't offer currency conversion...yet. I believe that this app will grow into a wider coverage soon.

But, oh boy, MyWorth is AWESOME!!! At $2.99, I have bought myself a cheap app that will serve me for a very long time. Well done MyWorth creators!

Here's the link to MyWorth's on iTunes: http://goo.gl/cnev

Enjoy!!!

okay, sometimes public health care sucks

2010-08-05T21:33:00.000+12:00

The reality is that there are plenty of factors that caused my appointment to be moved from September to November. Two friggin' months!

I was disappointed but not as much as J was. Of course I want to get this issue over and done with, but it's too late and costly to revive health insurance now.

My case was prioritized as Semi-Urgent. I wasn't even sure what that meant until we took our child to the 24-clinic at the hospital.

There are 5 priority levels:
1. Life threatening
2.
3. Urgent
4. Semi-urgent
5.

I can't remember the other 2 in order, but I'm sure there's Emergency there. My mom is worried about it but I told her that that's public health. It's not like it's always that bad.

There aren't adequate medical capability (skills) here in New Zealand. Two years ago, there was this big issue about the ONLY Pediatric Oncologist in Wellington (or NZ?) left the country to accept a job offer in Australia. All pediatric cancer patients were flown to Auckland for care. Isn't that bad?

I suppose my case isn't life threatening, but until I undergo the biopsy we really can't tell, can we? Here I am crossing my fingers that my November appointment doesn't get changed any further.

Grocery under budget for 6 weeks

2010-07-27T10:36:00.003+12:00

Woo hoo! Six straight weeks! I didn't realize we had been THAT decisive to cut down. We have been eating waaay less meat nowadays and eating appropriate portions. All 3 of us have been living on plenty of produce. I cut 1 chicken breast or 4 pieces of minute steaks into strips and cook with veg if we badly want some meat. Top it on a bit of brown rice and voila! C'est dinner!

Image by jensteele via Flickr

We're happy. Our wallets are happy. I don't feel bloated. I fit in my skinny jeans.

Apart from some kind of bug that doesn't seem to want to leave our house, the home front is in pretty good state of everything. Still a month to go before we pay off cc usage but every spend (down to the cent) is already accounted for in the budget.

I hope we can still meet the grocery budget as we fully adopt a gluten-free diet for J. It's not the most encouraging when a loaf of bread costs $7 at Pak N Save! I've looked online at a few GF online shops in NZ and there's really no big difference in prices. Maybe I need to consider making our own GF bread? Would that work on a regular bread maker?

Anyways, we did cut down on many things that are mostly non-essentials like blue cheese, dips, chips, ice cream, chicken and beef, and expensive fish. My body hasn't felt deprived yet, perhaps because of the nutritious foods that I've been eating? Hope so! :)

patience with public health

2010-07-17T23:13:00.002+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

Public health is good, but it can also test your patience.

I have a medical issue that requires biopsy. It was categorized as semi-urgent and I recently received a letter in the mail about my schedule. It's in late September! Three months after it was diagnosed! I haven't yet sent back the form that confirms my availability on short notice -- within 48 hours of a spot opening up.

My GP told me that it wouldn't take a month because she believed that the queue wasn't long. I'm disappointed about the wait.

The initial tests indicated a good sign but they need to rule out cancer. I'm confident that it's nothing but I just want to get this issue over and done with. My letter did not say if my appointment was a consultation or surgery. I can't fully assume that it's surgery despite my GP having faxed to them all of the information that she has about me and the 2 test results performed on me. I suppose I can only wait and see.

brown-bagging

2010-07-17T12:54:00.001+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

While having lunch with a friend, I noticed her attention moved towards the people in the food court where we were. She said that she just can't believe how many people buy lunches because she almost always bring hers to work.

It doesn't surprise me anymore but I do wonder from time to time. I do eat out for lunch every now and then. In fact I've started organizing lunch with coworkers for Wellington on a Plate in August. We enjoyed last year's one, which is the beginning of the festival (or event, I'm not sure what WOAP is), and thought that we should do it again. Lunch costs between $25 and $35, and we can enjoy a very nice lunch made of a starter, a main, a dessert and a glass of wine. Not bad I think. My husband and I participate separately by taking a day off to celebrate our birthdays.

I like to brown bag. It makes me eat a healthy portion and get to do more work. A plate of lunch here in Wellington used to be around $10, but now it's a bit different -- either they scale down the portion a bit or increase prices. Even coffees here now cost at least $3.50 for a small takeaway cup. A large one is from $4.20. I personally like mocha latte (or mochaccino) and that costs more! It's sad so I only treat myself with that every now and again. I just drink instant coffee at work for free. There are a lot of people at work who bring lunch to work. The fridge is full everyday. That helps motivate me.

What's it like at your workplace?

follow the serving size people!

2010-07-16T22:08:00.003+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

I'm one to preach! :)

Well, I cracked this one a few months ago. You see, I love, uhm...SPAM. I know. My husband says "Ew!" whenever I see it in the supermarket and go "Yum!"

I gave in to Spam one time. By the way, I only buy it like 2-3 times a year. I read the total serving and it was 5! I cut the whole thing into 5 portions and I was disappointed to just eat that little. But it turned out pretty well with salad. So, not bad.

Now I follow serving sizes for any packed product, even porridge (aka oats). I found out that I get hungry every 2-3 hours when I eat the suggested serving size. This helped me understand my body and plan ahead.

So I pack at least 2 pieces of fruit and sometimes add an extra banana just to make sure. Would you believe I only eat half a cup of oats (or 2 weetbixes) in 3/4 cup of milk in the morning? When I read that I thought was crazy! But I obliged and I'm satisfied now. My body is not begging for more unlike it used to.

I get to work at 8am and eat immediately. By 10:30am I'll feel hungry again and I eat a fruit.

The aim is to lose my extra flab and save more money. Let's see what happens!

daycare food

2010-07-16T13:38:00.003+12:00

Image by AlyssssylA via Flickr

Despite our best attempts and efforts to provide our child healthy and nutritious foods, I was so disappointed to see his daycare serving biscuits for morning tea! What the hell is that about?

No wonder my child has started having "preferences" when he used to accept any food we offer him. I've expressed this concern to J and we are considering bringing it up to their attention.

Also, I was shocked to see kids eating potato chips packed by their parents! Is that usual? My mom hardly included those in our lunch boxes and I remember feeling jealous of my classmates who had small packets of potato chips in their lunch boxes. But I am talking about preschoolers here! So here I am, just can't bring myself to include chips in my tot's lunch box. I've started to include rice crackers though. Does that count?

Apart from chips and biscuits, my tot has also refused carrots. He used to love those orange things! He loved them when he didn't have teeth but now the only carrot he'll eat are frozen ones. We have to mask veg under rice or pasta and pretend that his spoon is a plane just to get the food in his mouth. He does eat independently, though. It's not like I spoon feed him but I'm desperate!

how much do you pay for petrol?

2010-07-15T18:57:00.003+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

I've just updated our petrol budget to $65 a fortnight.

We budgeted $60/fortnight for petrol fuel for more than a year since getting our hybrid car. We used to pay less after using a petrol voucher from Pak N Save, but the rising petrol costs has had us paying between $62 and $67. It's annoying but I can't complain whenever another person gasps at our cheap petrol cost. I mean paying less than $70/fortnight for at least 420km to and from work for 10 working days isn't bad, is it?

When we had a petrol-guzzler car, $80/fortnight was the minimum and we used to live within 5km of our workplaces. So crazy back then! I couldn't deal with that. I just wanted to get rid of our car and so we did in less than a year of owning it. After owning a hybrid, I don't think I would ever consider a regular auto again.

What's your fortnightly/weekly cost for petrol?

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