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Browsing category: Uncategorized

  • November 26, 2009

    What are you worth?

    I came across a really interesting post on the TradeMe message boards not long ago on the subject of pay raises. This person was a qualified tradesperson on $20/hr, and had just had a request for a raise rejected. Not having had a pay rise for years, he was worse off in real terms because of inflation. His company also contracted him out on close to $90/hr – sounds about right, that’s what T’s employer used to do.

    It turned into a pretty heated debate, with commenters telling him he was grossly underpaid and no qualified professional should be on a rate less than $50, and others railing against greedy employers failing to keep workers up with the cost of living.

    $50 an HOUR!!! My god, that is a LOT of moolah. That’s $2000 pretax a week or $104,000 a year. I’m right in the average range for an entry-level journalism grad ($30-35,000), and even if I one day work up to a more senior role in subbing or editing I don’t imagine I’d be breaking the six-figure mark. It’s not a particularly lucrative field – maybe I should transition into PR one day? – but to be honest, I have trouble believing my work would ever be worth $50 per hour.

    I do, however, believe everyone is entitled to at least a raise to keep up with inflation. In my entire life (marked by a series of short, casual and part time jobs to date) I received ONE payrise, at the worst waitressing stint I ever did. It was a 50c increase. I was overjoyed.

    Hard work deserves recognition and raises should be based on merit. But we shouldn’t have to work doubly hard to gain a big enough raise every year just to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of living.

    Now that I’m a newly graduated, FT employee – may the situation continue, touch wood – I should have performance reviews and all that jazz along with everyone else. Wages and salaries were frozen last year, but with things looking up, perhaps they’ll see fit to melt the ice a little bit.

    Because otherwise, I’ll have been here 2.5 years, albeit parttime, without one. If I was on the collective contract I would have had two small raises by now. A lot of people at my workplace are represented by the union, but when I moved from evening to daytime hours after a year I switched to an individual agreement as the rate was higher. (For all those who do weekends and shifts, though, the union has a great thing going on with several different allowances and extra payments. It’s all a tad complicated – but at least they get compensation for their odd hours. I think Sundays garner double the pay!)

    What about you – what do you consider a “professional” rate for your industry? Do you think employees deserve cost-of-living raises?

  • November 25, 2009

    Wearing your heart on your sleeve

    One of our flatmates picked up a girl on the weekend. Three days later, she turned up on our doorstep when he was out. She was in a bit of a state – agitated and twitchy, and against my better judgement I let her in to wait for him.

    And holy hell! I unleashed a monster. She launched into a monologue about how she’d been sitting at home going mad waiting to hear from him, how he wasn’t answering his phone, how she didn’t know what the deal was with them and she NEEDED to know, how she already missed him, on and on and on…

    It was all a bit intense, and way too much TMI for me. I really didn’t care about their relationship of lack thereof; I still don’t even know her name.

    That being said, I do grudgingly admire people who are that open, who can be that that transparent. Who can get things off their chest without caring what others think.

    And sometimes we’re the most painfully honest when we’re at our most desperate. I’ve been there: I’ve done that. It was a relationship based on physical attraction and further built on shaky ground. We really had no business being together, but I clung on to some romantic ideal and refused to let go. On the day it all fell apart, I made a last stab at saving us. It was probably the most honest I had been in our entire year together.

  • November 24, 2009

    Me and the boy

    Inspired by Amber’s post!

    What are your middle names?
    Neither of us have one!

    How long have you been together?
    Since December 2005.

    How long did you know each other before you started dating?
    Technically, we’ve known (of) each other since we were about 10. Probably the first time we ever talked to each other was when I was sent to “time out” and he was there too.

    Who asked whom out?
    He asked me out.

    How old are each of you?
    Both 21. I’m three months older.

    Whose siblings do you see the most?
    His. I have one younger brother, he has two younger brothers, an older brother and older sister. One of his little brothers comes over every Sunday to watch wrestling.

    Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
    Money. And lately, the whole life direction dilemma. He’s good at a whole range of things – he’s a great cook, he’s good with his hands and practical things, he is quick to grasp new concepts, and explain how things work, he’s good at trades work and was a great sports coach. But he still doesn’t know what he wants to do career wise.

    Did you go to the same school?
    Sure did – went to the same primary school for two years, to separate intermediates, and then the same high school.

    Are you from the same home town?
    Yeah… I’ve been in Auckland since I was eight, and he’s lived here his whole life.

    Who is smarter?
    Academically I’m the better performer. But we’re both smart in different ways. He’s much more practical and logical. I have more of a flair for writing and creative ventures. He knows a lot about everything – has a good general knowledge, but doesn’t care for current affairs and news (that’s more my area). Honestly, I think he’s more intelligent and has the more useful smarts.

    Who is the most sensitive?

    Me.

    Where do you eat out most as a couple?
    Hmm. Probably Chinese, to be honest, even though I’m not a massive fan. But he never gets sick of sweet and sour pork.

    Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
    Up north to Whatuwhiwhi – that was about five hours. We’re looking forward to travelling overseas together, though.

    Who has the craziest exes?
    Oh, that’s a tough one….I don’t actually know any of his exes, and I only have a couple. One of mine was pretty unstable, though.

    Who has the worst temper?
    We can both get pretty stormy. But he gets over it quite quickly and is always first to apologise. I’m probably more dramatic when I’m angry, but when he’s REALLY riled up he puts on a real show.

    Who does the cooking?
    He is by far the superior cook. I used to do the majority of the cooking, but now I get home later than him, and he usually has dinner ready for me by then.

    Who is the neat-freak?
    Definitely me. I do not understand why he leaves towels lying around, and how to train him out of the habit! That aside, I think we’re both fairly laid back, but like to keep things tidy. I don’t leave dishes lying around more than a day and like to keep the floors unsticky and the bathroom clean.

    Who is more stubborn?
    …..Me.

    Who hogs the bed?

    Me, apparently.

    Who wakes up earlier?
    NOT me. He’ll literally be awake hours before me and lie in bed next to me or watch TV. I really need to get him into reading or some other hobby so he can use that time more productively.

    Where was your first date?
    I couldn’t honestly tell you. We hung out so many times before officially dating. The first time we met up after that party where we connected though, I think, was one night late after work. I’d just finished up at Eden Park (I was working events with a catering company and there was a game on) and bussed to Blockhouse Bay. He met me at the bus stop in jandals and socks and walked me the rest of the way home to New Lynn.

    Who is more jealous?
    Hmm, we’re both pretty level headed. I’m probably more likely to get angry, though.

    How long did it take to get serious?
    A few months, I guess. It was a little difficult as we only had about three months together before he left for the army. We moved in together at 18 when we’d been together about a year which was too soon IMO, but it worked out okay. 

    Who eats more?
    We both have huge appetites. But his varies wildly – sometimes he’ll eat and eat and eat, and other times he literally won’t eat a thing all day until dinner. Mine’s pretty constant.

    Who does the laundry?
    Me.

    Who’s better with the computer?
    Me, unless you’re talking troubleshooting 🙂

    Who drives when you are together?
    Definitely him – he’s a far better driver and has his full licence now. I can’t even drive our car, really – it’s one of my goals for the rest of the year!

  • November 23, 2009

    Spending roundup – Nov 22

    I worked on Saturday afternoon, so my weekend consisted of Thursday off and Sunday. We had lunch at Mercury Plaza and drove over to Mission Bay, where we were going to hire out a tandem bike and go for a ride, but decided not to because the weather was pretty crappy. On Sunday, we hit DressSmart and bought T a new wallet and me some new underwear, then he cooked up a huge roast and we had a group for friends over for dinner.

    $110 groceries, plus an anticipated $20 for lunches
    $47.60 eating out
    $83 for a full tank of gas (HAS to last us two weeks!)
    $28 for T’s wallet
    $6.50 for clothing

  • November 22, 2009

    How to get the most out of mystery shopping

    Mystery shopping isn’t going to make you rich by any means. For me, it’s a nice little side extra that gets me freebies such as gas, meals and prescriptions – what’s better than getting things for free that you’d otherwise pay for? I also do bus surveys regularly as I bus to and from work everyday, and have an unlimited travel pass. I make the most of that by mixing up the routes I catch as much as possible, getting off the bus halfway through and catching a different one the rest of the way, or fitting in a few extra on my lunch break.

    Generally, the more work a survey entails, the more you get paid. You’ll soon work out which ones are worth your while and which aren’t. Some require you to make a purchase, and will reimburse some or all of the cost. If it’s something I need, or something I’d like to buy for myself but might not otherwise, I’ll jump at the offer. But if it’s something you have no use for, what’s the point? It’s like buying food in bulk to get a good deal, and never using it all up.

    To really get the most out of it, you do need to be organised. Check your email frequently – for notices, and for new assignments. Most companies either email you when new jobs are up and direct you to the site, or email you the available assignments directly. And you need to get in fast! The plum jobs get snapped up right away – I’m talking within the hour for popular shops like restaurants and the like. The more regular and reliable you are, the more you’ll get and they will turn to you when they’re desperate to fill an assignment.

    If there are assignments at the end of the month that still haven’t been filled, the company will also call and email shoppers to try and get it assigned. At this stage, they’ll usually offer a sweetener such as an extra bonus or mileage. Even if it’s for a store that’s out of your way that you’d never accept otherwise, a fat payment can make it worth your while.

    Most companies will have a training guide of some sort, and/or guidelines on how they like surveys written up. For example, one of the companies I work with frowns upon using comments on race or skin colour when describing staff. Seriously, read this, and familiarise yourself with their style. Some companies rate their shoppers, and if they have to spend a lot of time editing your reports to get them up to scratch, this will affect your grading.

    Some require you to write detailed comments about your experience. This is a bore, by and large, but be as specific as you can. Explain WHY you gave a salesperson a “satisfactory” rather than “excellent” score (because they didn’t greet you right away, or didn’t mention a special promotion).

    Obviously, you do need to be observant. Read the brief thoroughly. Then condense the key questions and use these as the basis for your note taking. I usually try to jot a few points down in my phone while I’m in there, and then get the rest down as soon as I leave and head out of sight of the store.

    Make sure you follow your chosen shopping dates and times. Most of the time, you need to get your survey written up and uploaded that same day. If you’re going to have trouble completing a shop or submitting it on time – let them know! Treat it like you would your regular job.

    And lastly, always, always, always get a receipt! You won’t get paid without a receipt, if the survey requires one of you. You don’t want to have to re-do or forfeit a shop because you forgot to get proof of purchase.

  • November 21, 2009

    Perfect day, 5 years from now

    Frugal Dreamer had a GREAT idea for a post last week, which I am totally borrowing.

    T and I both did it, and it was interesting to compare the two.

    To be honest, I found it incredibly hard… I don’t know if it’s a lack of imagination, or the fact that I’m feeling a bit ambiguous about my career path and life in general… I’m not really sure what I want and so struggled to articulate where I might want to be.

    We decided to pick a Thursday, approximately five years from now. We’ll both be 26, and although he’d like to have kids by then, I’m not so sure. Doing this visualisation without babies in the picture made our future life look pretty empty, actually – something I never thought I’d say!

    T

    1. What time do you wake up, and how are you feeling as you greet the day? 6am, as usual. Feeling pretty all right.
    2. Where are you? If you’re at home, what does it look like? At home, in a 2bedroom open plan house, with a nice kitchen, bathtub and garage.
    3. Who is with you? E (that’s me!)
    4. What kind of work are you doing? (if you have no idea what kind of work you’ll be doing or want to be doing, list the qualities you want to find in the work you do and the kind of work environment you want.) Environment: a clean, quiet workshop with a steady workflow, where I have my own workstation
    5. As you head out to face the day, how do you look? What are you wearing? What I’m wearing now (singlet and shorts). And shoes
    6. How do you get to work? On a mountain bike
    7. When you’re done with work, how will you spend you spare time and with whom? What activities do you enjoy? With E, watching old horror or zombie movies on my large screen TV. Fabricating in my garage, working on my toy (project) car.
    8. What is your evening like? In front of the fire with a glass of whiskey or cup of tea
    9. When you go to bed that night, how are you feeling after spending the day doing exactly what you love? Fulfilled
    10. What are you most grateful for and what are you looking forward to as you go to sleep? Spending the next day with E.

    E

    1. What time do you wake up, and how are you feeling as you greet the day? I’m up at 7, feeling energised
    2. Where are you? If you’re at home, what does it look like? In my own house (maybe a Lockwood) with big kitchen, walkin pantry, garage, ensuite bathroom and decent sized closet
    3. Who is with you? T. Maybe a pet (preferably a cat, but more likely a puppy if T has his way)
    4. What kind of work are you doing? (if you have no idea what kind of work you’ll be doing or want to be doing, list the qualities you want to find in the work you do and the kind of work environment you want.) I’m in the prime of my career, as a subeditor or a web editor, in an airy, sunny open plan office. I work in a friendly, supportive team and regularly have lunch with coworkers
    5. As you head out to face the day, how do you look? What are you wearing? I look polished and effortless (ha!) I am wearing nice jeans with a shirt and flats, because the office environment is fairly casual.
    6. How do you get to work? Walk
    7. When you’re done with work, how will you spend you spare time and with whom? What activities do you enjoy? With T. I’ll bake, catch up on blogs, watch some TV or a movie. I enjoy photography, playing guitar, travel.
    8. What is your evening like? I might catch up with friends at one of our houses for a few hours – lots of laughs, maybe a silly retro boardgame, good food.
    9. When you go to bed that night, how are you feeling after spending the day doing exactly what you love? Contented and fulfilled. Glad that it’s nearly the weekend.
    10. What are you most grateful for and what are you looking forward to as you go to sleep? T, a warm house, great job and good food.

  • November 20, 2009

    Success, careers and selling yourself

    I caught up with a handful of other journo majors a couple of weekends ago. Out of all of them, I was the only one with a full time job. Don’t get me wrong – a LOT of others (albeit not in attendance) have found work, and in journalism. Even, surprisingly, in print. Something we discussed – in between bits of juicy, scandalous gossip – was that it’s funny how many of the people who got jobs right out of university are the ones who you least expected to. It just goes to show: you don’t need to be wildly successful at school to be successful professionally.

    As time goes by, I think I’m starting to realise that where I’d really like to be is in subbing and editing. There’s nothing I get more satisfaction from than honing a piece to be the best it can be; spotting errors, fixing them, tightening up sentences. As much as I’ve learned this year, and as much as my skin has thickened (which admittedly is still not a lot) I still often find interviewing daunting. I’m not the most graceful of swans, socially speaking, at any given time. And when I’m facing people who don’t want to talk to me…

    Right after I shook hands on the two projects I’m lined up to assist on (both technical in nature) some writing assignments came up. A few other grads from my class were brought on for those. The big boss apologised for how that panned out to me, and said my direct boss had been lobbying on my behalf and really believed in me. He’s the one who suggested me doing more writing, without even having to ask. And is giving me every opportunity to write as they come up. Can I just say how great it feels to have someone on your side?

    And yet, I know I should be pushing for myself, you know, on my own. Except I’m not sure how to do that exactly. And as I said, a typical reporting job is something I’m slightly ambivalent about. But I guess I gotta do my time first, and surely the idea of my fellow grads being hired and surpassing me here will be enough to spur me on.

  • November 18, 2009

    Spending roundup – Nov 18

    $146 groceries (yep, a super pricey week. T bought a lot of lunch foods; I’m trying to get him to eat better, and eat more. He doesn’t eat breakfast and often skips lunch too. Is it any surprise he often has an upset stomach?)$146 groceries (yep, a super pricey week. T bought a lot of lunch foods; I’m trying to get him to eat better, and eat more. He doesn’t eat breakfast and often skips lunch too. Is it any surprise he often has an upset stomach?)
    $29 gas
    $20 brake fluid
    $30 to top his cell phone up (I earned a free topup through YourVoice this quarter, doing surveys)
    $18 on eating out
    $7 for eye drops
    $10 on a three-piece roasting/baking dish set
    $16 for two wicker baskets (we’ll be making up hampers for Christmas presents for our families)

    Also spent: $37 on pizza and drinks at Carpark, and $39 on a taxi to work on Sunday, both to be reimbursed.

  • November 18, 2009

    What my degree cost me

    800px-GraduationIt’s going to cost me $75 to graduate *splutter* what with all the graduation regalia I have to hire. I could just NOT do the ceremony…but I’m a ceremonial type. I like events. I like pomp and circumstance (well, within reason). I attended all school awards and prizegivings, went to our 2006 high school leaver’s dinner (paying something like $65 to sit at a table and eat dinner with my friends, ignoring the majority of the rest of our year whom I hated), did my best to be in every class photo and saved all my yearbooks. It’s our chance to be recognised for our work over the past three years and I’m going to be there, dammit!

    But I’ve been pretty lucky in terms of education costs. I had a scholarship which covered almost all my tuition over the three years – looking back in my records, I paid (out of pocket) just $1358. That’s $644 this year, $212 in 2008 and $182 for 2007.

    I got away with buying very few books – and got most of those secondhand. I’d say I spent under $150 on textbooks.

    Stationery I got a lot of from work for free – pens, reporter’s notebooks and the like. Let’s say I bought two folders and two pads of refill a year – that’s $36. I also had to buy a bunch of extra arty gear – special pens, paper etc for my advertising paper last year, which cost about $40. For photography, I used the old SLR I had from high school, but film and paper together probably cost me $250. I also bought a digital voice recorder this year, which to be honest, I’ve hardly used. Most of my interviews were done over the phone, and I never got around to getting a pluggy thing to connect it up…I could totally have got away without buying it. That cost me $120.

    Finally, bus fares. I would have had to bus into town for work anyway, but I’ll include it all. At 13 weeks a semester and two semesters a year, $27 a week (rounded) comes to $2106 over three years.

    So a rough total puts me at $2029 in directly related costs, plus $2106 in travel. That’s $4135, or roughly the cost of a year’s tuition alone. Can’t really complain.

    (My post on the cost of eating out is in this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by M is for Money!)

    Photo / Quimbero

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