Kiwisaver – deductions have NOT started – sigh. I did get a letter from Huljich confirming my application…and wrongly assumed deductions would start asap!
Graduation – I received $100 Australian dollars from my rellies, who were in town last weekend after a trip around the South Island. I spent about half on a nice dinner out with T and saved the rest. I even wrote them a thankyou note; something I’m stupidly proud of, that I’ve never actually done before!
My parents gave me a very generous thousand dollars. I always feel strange about accepting things from them. Not so much things like food and other random bits and pieces, but certainly hard cash. I understand they want to help out, and in this case acknowledge/reward what I’ve achieved. But it’s a struggle – I swing between envying others I know who have a lot of financial support from their families, to fiercely wanting to make it entirely on my own, without any help at all. I try to remember that being independent doesn’t have to mean forsaking gifts, and to accept graciously.
I’m also happy that I’ve been able to bump up the amount I put away weekly for utilities to $80.
Finally, I started a travel fund with my first paycheck from my side job – $355 in all, which I’m hoping will pay for a midweek mini holiday to Waiheke later this summer. And they’re dealing with me as an employee, not a contractor, so that cuts out tax dramas!
(I’m also featured in the Carnival of 20something Finances over at My Beauty and Fashion this week!)
YAY!!! Congrats on the graduation! and the presents! Enjoy them…they stop coming after you stop having big days like that!
I understand the thing about making it on your own. I hate taking presents from my family because I feel like I’m better off financially than they are, and I’d rather have them enjoy the money instead. But it makes them happy to be able to give me things–and that’s what I want: them to be happy. So I deal with it (and give them nice presents themselves 🙂 ).
I hope you take a little of that cool $1K and get yourself something awesome.
Ironic, isn’t it? We’re independent and secretly envy the kid whose parents give them cash aplenty, but aren’t so comfortable accepting it in reality.