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Browsing category: Uncategorized

  • March 14, 2013

    The pros and cons of shift work

    The pros and cons of shift work

    Shift work - the good, bad and ugly.

    As some of you might recall, I did shift work up until the middle of 2011. It’s funny how quickly you forget about that kind of thing, though, once you’re immersed into the dominant 9-5, Monday to Friday mindset.

    My journo friends who don’t work in magazines/community papers/business news all work constantly changing hours. There are a couple of cops from our high school group who also work long and varying shifts, with long stretches of days on followed by long stretches of days off.  And of course, there’s my other friend, who’s a newly minted doctor and gets slammed with shifts that would probably find me passed out from exhaustion by the end of my first week. Plus security, hospitality and all kinds of other industries also operate round the clock, year-round.

    An ex-colleague has decided that as much as shift work stinks, it’s more about the people and environment than anything else: i.e., it’s better to work shifts with an amazing boss overseeing you rather than work regular hours but chafe under management by a total prick. Intellectually, I agree – but having experienced the pros and cons of shift work, I still hope to manage to stay firmly on this side of the fence.

    Working shifts enables you to:

    • Beat traffic
    • Get stuff done during off-peak times (banking, grocery shopping, exercise)
    • Can work well with your body clock

    On the other hand, shift work often means:

    • You aren’t able to use public transport, depending on your exact shifts and where you live.
    • Wreaking havoc on your social and personal life
    • Messing with your body clock – you might feel that you have fewer hours to operate in when your routine is constantly changing and you’re always struggling to keep up
    • You can’t commit to certain extra-curriculars with fixed schedules

     When I worked Wednesday-Sunday, I pretty much never saw T, and the time we did have together was NOT quality time. I was getting paid well and racking up great work experience, but didn’t have much of a personal life. Monday and Tuesdays were my chance to breathe and catch up on things, usually consisting of: a cathartic run, some guitar practice, some reading, cleaning our little house, baking, making lunches for the week, and leisurely walks to the fruit and veg shop to pick up fresh produce. (Those days always went far too quickly.) And when we lost a few staff and I started having to rotate across various shifts pretty regularly, I felt like I had even less time, with the constant disruptions to my schedule. Life in the 9-5, however, means I sometimes actually almost have time to be bored! (I never am; there’s always something to do, but I technically *could* be legitimately doing nothing.)

    There’s another benefit to industries that operate round-the-clock, year-round, though. When your company doesn’t shut down over Christmas, thus forcing you to take 2-3 weeks off when EVERYONE ELSE in the country is on break, you have more flexibility to take your holidays when you actually want to go away (particularly useful during winter). I used to volunteer to work public holidays quite frequently, or at least not whinge about being rostered on, because I’d rack up extra pay simply for being there – time and a half, legally, and I think those of us who were union members received double) as well as an extra day of leave to bank.

    What kinds of hours do you work/would you prefer to work?




  • March 13, 2013

    Food delivered to your door – what’s not to like?

    While I groan every week when grocery shopping time rolls around, I actually kind of enjoy taking my time to browse through the pickings and selecting stuff myself, especially fresh produce. And although it’s a pain, making an extra stop to take advantage of the crazy cheap Asian markets is always worth it (of which there are many in my neighbourhood). That’s why I’ve always shunned online grocery shopping and home food delivery services.

    But after the launch of My Food Bag, fronted by MasterChef’s Nadia Lim , I’ve been rethinking that stance.

    Background: My Food Bag provides delivery of ingredients and recipes for 5 dinners to your door. I don’t think My Food Bag is for me at this stage; it only has two options: a gourmet option for couples at $139 a week (which is just over our entire weekly grocery budget) and a ‘classic’ option for families of four at $179. Side note: I’m pretty sure we will never be able to afford to procreate. I have also now had the chance to try My Food Bag for a week, and while it’s delicious and awesome, it’s far too expensive for us. Definitely a premium service.

    But what about veggie and fruit delivery boxes? Would that make life easier and help during those food ruts we all fall into?

    Some fruit delivery box services in Auckland include:

    Ooooby: Has about eight different kinds of fruit/veggie boxes. The one we’d probably use would be the $28 original box with five veggies and three fruits

    Produce Delivered: Has about four types of packs. We’d probably use the couples pack, which is $30

    Foodbox: Does about five varieties. We’d probably use the Appetiser, which is $33




    My thoughts in response:

    • I am incredibly, INCREDIBLY picky about fruit. I eat citrus, apples, bananas, berries, kiwifruit, and melons. That’s about it. Most places allow you to veto certain items, though, which probably eliminates that problem.
    • They all sound slightly on the pricey side. I would say we generally spend less than that (the bulk of our grocery budget consists of non-produce, like bread, eggs, cereal, dairy, meat, snacks). But maybe these actually offer quite a lot of vegetables (we definitely don’t buy/eat as many as we could).

    Conclusion: Still undecided. Maybe it’s worth a shot – try everything once, right?

    Do you use food delivery services? What have your experiences with fruit boxes been like?

  • March 11, 2013

    Carnival of Personal Finance #401: March madness

    Why hello there!

    It’s fitting that I’m hosting the carnival of personal finance today, given we’ve just come off a week of thinking and talking about nothing else except money (Women’s Money Week, holler!)

    Before we get stuck in, I’m going to have a little rant.

    There’s a finance company that’s just started advertising here on TV. Every ad follows the same scenario: person calls up company in a tizzy because s/he has just blown tons of $$$ on gifts for a spouse / desperately needs to install a swimming pool / some other inane and irresponsible excuse for needing cash. Company rep on the other end delivers the good news: person is approved for finance and cash is coming right their way. Huzzah!

    Madness. That’s all I have to say about that.

    While we’re on the subject, I got pitched a a business-related infographic last month at work, one that wasn’t amazing, but was mildly interesting. I checked out the source, and did a double take when I saw it had come from one of a new crop of local payday loan sites. Cue instant dismissal and deletion.

    I get it. It’s a hard sell to market these kinds of loans, and content creation is where it’s at these days. But credibility matters, and some things you just can’t overcome. (I can add payday loan providers/other financial predators to the list of places I would never consider working, not just because it would be so freaking hard, but from a moral POV.) Many people are just not going to even consider endorsing you in any way whatsoever. For bloggers who do, though, there must be plenty of money in it. I personally find it amusing to see how those kinds of sponsored posts have evolved – they’ve moved into more sophisticated placements, woven almost naturally into posts about other topics, and in one case I saw, even snarking on them editorially.

    Meanwhile, the PF madness/excitement continues elsewhere, with the US sequester, the continuing fallout from some blogging plagiarism, and a Twitter stoush or two this week.

    Editor’s picks

    This is a carnival all about money talk, after all so MD from Start Freelancing Now’s Freaking Crucial Tools That Every Freelancer Needs to Make Money & Stay Focused gets my first nod.

    Investor Junkie from Investor Junkie asks Will You Still Need an Emergency Fund When You Retire? Can’t say I’ve ever thought about it, but the obvious answer seems to be ‘yes’ – being retired doesn’t exclude you from potential emergencies…

    Jon from Novel Investor lists the Best Investment Books Every Investor Must Read. Go forth, expand your mind.

    Revanche from A Gai Shan Life reckons Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and that it’s about making the best of our individual situations. We can only play the hand of cards we’ve each been dealt in life.

    Ray from Squirrelers says Check for Money Leaks, as money leaks can drain us before we know it. Don’t I know it! Plug ’em up good.

    Mrs PoP from Planting Our Pennies asks What’s An Appropriate Level of Stockpiling? Indeed, it’s a fine line between hoarding and stockpiling. We don’t have the room to stockpile, but my hoarding tendencies mean I have a lot of useless crap lying around that’s accumulated over the years.

    Budgeting

    Madness: the cost of the average wedding. Don’t want to spend a couple of months’ salary on a wedding venue? Me neither. Here’s Lance from Money Life and More on Finding a Frugal Venue for Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions

    Madness: those who don’t get that pets, like kids, are a responsibility. Wish more people would take heed of this. TTMK from Tie the Money Knot presents Don’t Buy a Pet if You Can’t Afford One

    Madness: sacrificing health for money. Does being on a budget mean eating crap? Didn’t think so. Amy from Money Mishaps suggests Economical Foods You Can Eat to Stay Healthy While on a Budget

    Madness: the cost of sporting activities. Kiddie extracurriculars don’t come cheap. Jason Price from Family Living Finance presents How Can You Afford the High Cost of Youth Sports?

    Madness: the cost of house renos. Considering buying a new house vs renovating? Sean from One Smart Dollar weighs up Affording a Major Home Makeover

    Madness: compulsive clothes shopping. What’s up with that? Nicole from Nicole and Maggie: Grumpy Rumblings  doesn’t get regular clothes shopping

    Credit

    Madness: blind hatred of credit cards. It’s all about how you use them. Jules Wilson from Faithful With a Few confesses I Hate To Say This, But I Was Saved By A CREDIT CARD

    Madness: the importance of three measly digits. Everything you ever wanted to know about that all important number. Gary from Gajizmo.com presents What Is Considered A Good Credit Score?

    Economy

    Madness: the wealth equality gap. I’ve never earned the minimum wage (my first job paid nearly $1 over) but plenty of people have to get by on it. Michael from Financial Ramblings presents Who Works for Minimum Wage?

    Frugality

    Madness: taxes, fees and all the other costs travel providers like to slap you with. Hidden fees can be a real budget buster. Kristen from My Dollar Plan outlines 11 Hidden Hotel Fees and How to Avoid Them,

    Madness: growing up without any concept of the value of money. Start ’em young! Bryan from BryanMaltier.com explains How To Teach Kids About Money

    Madness: ruining bread. It’s summer here, so unfortunately this just doesn’t work for me right now: Money Beagle from Money Beagle says Get That Bread Out Of Your Refrigerator

    Real Estate

    Madness: mortgage rates. I DREAM of a 30 year fixed mortgage option. You guys don’t know how lucky you are. PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job… on The Curious Case of The 30-Year Mortgage Rate

    Madness: excessive procrastination. The key to getting started is … getting started. Michal from Dough Roller presents How to Start Your Real Estate Investing Journey: A 5 Step Plan

    Money Management

    Madness: there’s an app for everything. The internet is a wonderful thing, no? Peter from Bible Money Matters suggests the Top Online Personal Finance Management Software to Get Your Budget Back on Track

    Madness: it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. How do you turn a struggling business into a cash cow? Bob from Dwindling Debt presents Turning Distressed Credit Into Financial Gain

    Investing

    Madness: you need money to make money. Buffett: killing it in the market since … how old is he, anyway? Dividend Growth Investor from Dividend Growth Investor presents Warren Buffett on Dividends: Ideas from his 2013 Letter to Shareholders

    Madness: financial jargon. Eric from Narrow Bridge Finance explains What is a Stock Split?

    Madness: we’re drowning in data. Financial information – it’s everywhere you look. But what does it all mean? D4L from Dividend Growth Stocks lists 6 High-Dividend, Low P/E Value Stocks

    Madness: the stock market. Are we finally on the road to recovery? Darwin from Darwin’s Money on Why Stocks Are Breaking Records and it’s Not a Bubble

    Madness: betting on beating the market every single time. Nonetheless, let’s all gaze into our crystal balls, preferably channelling Nate Silver rather than Sybil Trelawney. Div Guy from The Dividend Guy Blog reveals The Sector that Will Beat the Market in 2013

    Madness: getting too complacent. Are your yields safe right now? Do you even have any? Pete from Intelligent Speculator presents What Makes A Dividend Yield Safe?

    Madness: more jingoistic jargon. Almost read this as Aristocats, which would have been way cooler. Glen Craig from Free From Broke presents What Are Dividend Aristocrats and What You Need to Know About Them

    Madness: how far a giant can fall. My first ever cellphone was a Nokia. Ah, nostalgia. But is the Finnish company on the way back? Sean Smarty from Grow Money presents 5 Reasons to Invest in Nokia

    Career

    Madness: the dearth of worthwhile opportunities on the internet. That said, there are more ways to make a buck beyond answering poxy online surveys. Shaun from Money Cactus shares 6 Ways to Earn Money Online Starting Right Now

    Madness: but if the government was to shut down … Pat S outlines How Military Members Can Survive a Government Shutdown

    Madness: the amount of unpaid work we do every day. Is there money to be made in catering? Mike from The Financial Blogger ponders How You Can Make Money From What You Do Every day For Free

    Madness: the majority of new ventures that fail. Don’t rush in blindly. Sam from The New Business Blog suggests Tips to Improve Your Odds of Small Business Success

    Debt

    Madness: taking one step back for every two forward. Trying to get ahead, but feel like you’re always falling behind? Matt Bell from Sound Mind Investing presents Swimming Upstream in Our Consumer Culture,

    Madness: education inflation. Are student loans the next subprime mortgages? John from Card Hub Blog presents Ask the Experts: How to Fix the Private Student Loan Market

    Saving

    Madness: ignoring the humble emergency fund. Where do you keep yours? My Journey to Financial Independence presents All About the Emergency Fund

    Taxes

    Madness: missing important dates, be it your anniversary or your next medical appointment. Know your deadlines! Philip from PT Money presents Last Day to File Taxes in 2013

    Madness: taxes, the pillar of capitalism. Tax cuts produce economic success. Right? Well, maybe not. Michael from Financial Ramblings presents The Economic Impact of Income Taxes

    Madness: thinking ignorance is bliss. Finally, we can’t forget about the kidlets. Big Cajun Man from THE Canadian Finance Blog explains When to File a Tax Return for Your Kids

    One last word: I hate to be the carni-Nazi, but folks. This is the ORIGINAL personal finance blog carnival. Read the guidelines and respect ’em, please. Don’t spam it with stuff you’ve already sent to every other carnival out there. This is for exclusive and recent posts. While I’ve done my best to filter out posts I saw in other blog carnivals published earlier today, I may not have caught them all.

  • March 9, 2013

    Link love (Powered by heated debates and sticky rice)

    link love nzmuseT and I tend to have opposing reactions to watching period films.

    I’m usually thankful to have been born in the 20th century and not been subject to the conditions of life in times gone by – for modern medicine, for the ability to wear what I want, work in a job of my choosing, and enjoy a relatively safe home and means of transport.

    On the other hand, he would probably have done well in the age of the survival of the fittest.

    Linky goodness!
    Speaking of first world problems, I recently stumbled across this Tumblr, When in Auckland. It is truly JAFA-tastic.

    I’m in the carnival of personal finance talking about my financial wishlist (plus I’m hosting Monday’s edition, so submit your stuff!)

    Too true. As Girl Meets Debt points out, sometimes there’s no frugal alternative

    How can you save for retirement/education/house/car/kids/fun/emergencies and ALL THE THINGS? I fully emphathise with Newlyweds on a Budget on this front

    My Alternate Life ponders whether she’s cut out for entrepreneurship

    Marian recounts the best money she’s ever spent (there’s quite a few things on this list…)

    An amazing true story on Yes and Yes this week on being kidnapped by your father

    Here are 75 reasons you’re unhappy, via Dumb Little Man (with solutions)

    Arrivals and Departures needs recommendations for books with a strong protagonist

    I want to devour this smothered Mediterranean chicken by Iowa Girl Eats, but I’m writing this at 6pm on Friday before I leave the office

    Ditto Closet Cooking’s pepperoni casserole

    Ask A Manager explains in detail how to ask for a raise

    Here’s a surprisingly decent list of ways to describe yourself during a job interview at Brazen Life

    Neurotic Workaholic on being the wrong kind of workaholic, i.e., just trying to make a living while attending grad school

    In honour of International Women’s Day, Ms Career Girl lists 10 women you should know (including our very own Victoria Ransom)

    This letter from Amelia to her niece is the best thing I’ve read all week

    Closely followed by Ashley’s post on the best blogging advice she’s ever read

    Finally, if you have even a sliver of a toe dipped into the digital world, this week you would have seen the story about the Atlantic trying to squeeze free content out of a freelance writer. As a rule I really like the Atlantic, and they DO pay (at least some of their) writers, like my hero Rachel Hills. But this is shoddy and incredibly embarrassing.

    That said, I am also a digital editor by trade (the site I run is much, much smaller and has no budget at all, unlike the Atlantic), and so I fully sympathise with this response from senior editor Alexis Madrigal, which succinctly covers all the pressures and realities of the job. Plain and simple, it sucks, and no one – not editors, not writers, not readers – is winning.

    The Atlantic doesn’t have the answers, and I certainly don’t. Media is less a business than a charity these days. In fact, I was discussing this with a friend in the business world, who was baffled by how media companies can continue to pay us (their staff) at all given that rather than making money, they’re all in debt. Again, I don’t know how the financials work … (no doubt there’s some insane witchcraft being performed on the balance sheets every year) but for now the industry is still clinging on.

    Also, here is Felix Salmon at Reuters on the issue (in which he concludes online can pay, but you better get a digital job because freelancing for a living wage is basically impossible and at the Awl, a very long Branch conversation in which a bunch of writers and editors get together to talk moolah and rates.

  • March 7, 2013

    Happiness, hobbies and money

    This post is part of Women’s Money Week 2013.

    A couple of years ago I wrote about the cost of hobbies. Luckily, I’m not into pricey pursuits like snowboarding or scuba diving – most of my hobbies (reading, blogging etc) are pretty close to free, or as close as you can get.

    There are two areas where I do channel my money, though.

    Food

    It’s really hard to stick to our grocery/eating out budget sometimes (the latter of which also basically comprises our entertainment budget). We both love to eat and live to eat rather than eat to live. Yet with other necessities like housing and transport being so expensive, keeping food costs down is important.

    When we go over budget (like we have for the past few weeks) I find it hard to feel terribly guilty. I’ll happily splurge on good cheese/ice cream (heck, almost any dairy product), for example. And we celebrate basically all occasions with a meal out.

    Travel

    We spent a slightly ridiculous amount travelling the South Island for two weeks last spring (things like a fishing charter, ski day and river cruise will do that to you) and I didn’t regret a single cent of it. I like my life just fine, but the absolute happiest memories I’ve ever had are those when I’m travelling. Hence, why we’re hitting the road for the rest of the year after the wedding. I know people who go to the same place every year on holiday, but I like variety.

    Experiences, not stuff, has always been my thing. Good food and seeing new places make me happy.

    What do your hobbies cost you?

  • March 4, 2013

    Ways I’ve made money: a rundown of the highlights

    6 ways I've made money on the side

    This post is part of Women’s Money Week 2013.

    To kick off Women’s Money Week 2013, we’re talking about increasing income. I’ve had multiple gigs going on for most of my working life, and done a lot of odd jobs from waitressing at events to tutoring, mystery shopping and taking part in all kinds of market research. If you’re interested in making extra money through side jobs, you’ll like this post! Here’s a sample of the highlights of my side hustle career…

    The weirdest way I’ve made extra money

    I’ve done a few strange things in the name of market research. For the sake of cold hard cash, I’ve eaten KFC, sampled a range of margarines, and even had electrodes attached to my head. That took place in a downtown hotel conference room, where we all sat still for a couple of hours and watched a lot of Mr Bean, interspersed with a few ads, while they monitored our brain activity.

    The easiest way I’ve made extra money

    Running around putting up flyers on university campuses was probably the cruisiest thing I’ve ever done. And it paid pretty well at the time – something like $15 an hour plus mileage.

    The most flexible way I’ve made extra money

    It’s basically impossible to beat working from home for flexibility. For me, freelancing in spare time has been the most convenient way of increasing income.

    The most efficient way I’ve made extra money

    I’ve pulled back from mystery shopping as it just isn’t worth the time anymore, but back in the day one of the companies I worked for paid $10 per bus survey, and they were dead easy. I lived near a transport hub and could catch any number of buses between my house and town, and I had an unlimited bus pass. I’d catch different routes every day, earning a few bucks just for commuting, and when I had free time (lunchtime, or at the end of the day, or sometimes even on weekends) I’d just hop and off 3-4 buses an hour, going back and forth along key arterial routes.

    The hardest way I’ve made extra money

    In my last year of school, I worked for a local family doing babysitting/tutoring and homework help, 2 hours a week, 3-4 times a week. I was paid $15 cash for two hours (basically the equivalent of the minimum youth wage at the time. Thankfully, later on I progressed to proper grownup tutoring at $20-30 an hour). As with most people/service oriented gigs, it was incredibly hard graft, incredibly frustrating at times, but also incredibly gratifying when I actually got through to the kids.

    The easiest AND hardest way I’ve made extra money

    I can negotiate an ad deal or put together a sponsored post worth hundreds of dollars in under an hour. But it’s taken hundreds (maybe thousands? My sense of time ain’t so good) of hours to get this wee blog to the point where this is possible.

    What are some weird, wacky, or otherwise interesting ways you’ve increased your income?

  • March 2, 2013

    Link love (Powered by shopping woes and dropped phones)

    ZOMG. The wedding ring buying process has totally exhausted me. What follows is one of the most painful and awkward retail experiences I’ve ever had.

    • T decided he wanted a tungsten wedding ring. They seem to mainly be sold online, so we look at Simply Suave, MaD Bling and Man Up Jewellery (and then see Google ads for the former everywhere online afterwards. Bless you, retargeting).tungsten wedding ring
    • We also visited the mall for a looksee, and turns out Michael Hill also sells tungsten rings. We get to see them in person and try them on. T likes them, but I don’t like the price ($500). But Jenny, our awesome salesperson at Michael Hill Jeweller Lynnmall (New Lynn) tells us that they are going to go on sale the following month. She takes our details and promises to call when that happens. Seriously. She is the shiz.
    • T doesn’t like the idea of buying a ring online, even though they are WAY cheaper, so we wait. At one point I go back to the store just to check (and no, they’re still not on sale) and have a quick chat to a different, male staffer, who gives me a little more information on the specifics of the tungsten ring buying process while I’m there.
    • Suddenly the end of February rolls around, and we decide it’s time to just buy both our rings online (I’m getting mine on Etsy).
    • But wait! On February 28, Jenny calls and texts to let us know the tungsten rings are half price. We hotfoot it over. There’s a big sale on and the store is totally packed. She’s busy at the bracelet/necklace counter – physically separate from the ring counter – with a stream of customers.  I catch her eye and smile (though she probably doesn’t remember or recognise me) and wait in line.
    • Male staffer who I talked to on my second visit seems to be the only salesperson NOT occupied. He zeroes in on me; I shrug him off and tell him we’re being taken care of. The second time around he finds us looking at the tungsten ring page of a catalogue which was lying on the counter, and goes for the kill. Jenny is still busy, so while I inform him that she had been the one dealing with us, we end up going along with him. Not only do I feel terribly guilty, it also turns out to be a huge mistake.
    • This guy (I won’t name him) is useless. Fast talking (came across as kind of sleazy), and downright incompetent. He promised to call us when the ring arrived instore, but forgot to get our contact details (I had to prompt him). Then he forgot to give us our receipts, and texted T once we had left the store to come back and get them. According to T, however, the guy was NOWHERE to be found when he returned. But by that time Jenny WAS free, and helped him sort things out (reprinting the receipts, etc). He apologised for what happened, and apparently she understood, though no doubt she was pretty gutted.
    • The next day Jenny texts me again asking when we’re going to come in. Cue back and forth messages while I recount what happened (even though she spoke to T, obviously she wasn’t sure if we were the same couple she originally spoke to. She must see dozens of people a day…

    I can’t tell you how awful I felt. She gave us top notch service, and I gave in to the pushy sales guy who swooped in while he could. I FAIL. I hope she didn’t miss out on too much commission (how much would they earn? And is that reduced during massive sales (50% in this case)?

    link love nzmuse

    This week’s links:

    Via Alexandra Franzen: how to say no (nicely) to anything

    Amber Naslund explains how to get paid for your expertise

    Newlyweds on a Budget enjoys a Pretty Woman moment

    Plagiarism is well and truly alive in the PF community. Financial Uproar goes into all the dirty details

    Housesitting as explained by Traveling 9-5

    Do you need hours to marinate food? Nope, not according to Stonesoup

    I think this is beyond me, but someone should try making A Wandering Food Lover’s colourful pasta and reporting back

    Finally, here is a Venn diagram explaining how to find happiness in your work

    Happy weekends, all!

  • March 1, 2013

    Friday Five: Financial wishes

    • I would dearly like to NOT make lunches to take to work every day (SO TEDIOUS) but it’s such a big money saver. I’d also like to go to the supermarket and not constantly have to think about how much the total bill will be. I would love to buy really good food all some of the time, cost be damned.
    • I wish I had a personal chef. Seriously. It’s like I’ve lost all motivation to cook this summer. I don’t really enjoy it and I’m not particularly good at it. I think if I had the choice I would rather make more money and focus on work (though I do like what I do) and be able to outsource the procuring and production of yummy meals (or just get T to do it all. Whatevs).
    • I wish T made more money. He’s never gone back to making pre-recession income levels. And I wouldn’t say no to making more myself, of course.
    • I wish the IRD would sort its shiz out. For the past six months T’s income tax refund has been in limbo; the IRD says it’s been credited to his bank account – the same one he’s had for about five years – but it hasn’t shown up in there for some unknown reason. Where is it and who can release it??? It’s in some kind of banking no-man’s land. And it’s painful. That’s $500 we could definitely use.
    • I wish it was easier to make money than to spend money. Alas, the dollars leave you much faster than you can earn them. They’ll be flowing out pretty fast in coming weeks, what with a wedding and extended trip ahead.

    What’s on your financial wish list?

  • February 28, 2013

    Why travel abroad? Four reasons I want to travel the world…

    Why travel abroad? - NZ Muse - reasons to travel the world

    Why travel abroad? I’ve been thinking lately about why travel is important to me.

    After all, it’s easy to look at beautiful pictures of mountains, or buildings, or beaches, from the comfort of your own home. Heck, sometimes you’ll get a better view that way. Often monuments are underwhelming in the flesh, or dirty, or crowded, or hard to see from the ground.

    That said, wanderlust is in my bones. I want to see these places in the flesh. Breathe the air. See the colours. Taste the flavours.

    Travel for the food

    We get pretty good Asian food in New Zealand, being in the Pacific. That said, I want to eat authentic Vietnamese and Thai noodle soups. I want to try genuine Greek and Italian food (which we don’t get so much of here). I want to eat real Mexican, French pastries, In-N-Out Burger, and churros in Spain.

    Travel for inspiration

    It’s basically impossible not to be inspired by the sights you’ll see and the people you’ll meet. Write, photograph, paint, draw – whatever your vice, you will find fresh creative fodder on the road. Hand in hand with inspiration (at least for me) also comes sheer contentment. I  As a rule, I’m deliriously happy when I’m travelling. It’s the feeling that I just can’t believe how lucky I am to be where I am at any given moment, and am constantly pinching myself to make sure it’s real.

    Travel to get some perspective

    Basically all the couchsurfers we’ve hosted have said how much they’d like to live here and that they could see themselves staying in New Zealand if they could get a job. It is a beautiful country, and it’s hard for ME not to get caught up in their amazement and awe myself. You get to see your country through new eyes. Conversely, when you’re the visitor in someone else’s country, learning about their customs and laws and environment and culture, you will either learn just how lucky you are to live where you do, or see its shortcomings more clearly (or a bit of both). Travel helps you clarify what’s important to you. Broadening your horizons = personal growth.

    Travel for the memories

    Some of my fondest memories are from the road. Wandering Sydney’s suburban streets. Walking along Bondi in bare feet, and getting strange looks for it. Trying not to lose my shit as I fell 15,000 feet from a plane over Queenstown. The meeting of sea and sky in one glorious palette at Kaikoura. The crystal clear waters of Rarotonga. Freezing my ass off on the walk to Fox Glacier. Drinking from a waterfall at Milford Sound. Spotting penguins in the Catlins. Cursing the squawking ducks on Lake te Anau. Photographing the whooshing geysers at the Pancake Rocks, and feeding weka in the carpark. Getting lost in Mt Aspiring National Park, and stopping to climb the rocks at Hospital Flat. The hidden charms of New Chum’s Beach and Cathedral Cove. All the better, almost all of these are shared experiences with T that I won’t forget.

    It’s likely bad things will happen along the way. You’ll miss a bus or run out of petrol or lose a memory card or get food poisoning … but it’s all part of the experience. Think of the stories you’ll tell when you get back.

    Overall, travel is always an amazing experience for me, and it’s always worth it.

    That’s why I want to travel the world.


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