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Browsing category: Uncategorized

  • January 7, 2013

    The elements of a perfect bank

    I’ve been with my bank for about 10 years, ever since I paid a visit to the branch down the road from my house and opened up my first account on my own. Most of my friends were also with ASB, and are to this day.

    Inertia is what keeps most people where they are. It’s a pain to make changes in your financials, and changing banks is a pretty major undertaking. It seems too hard, too complicated, too time-consuming.

    But for me, it’s more than that. I can’t say my bank has ever really rewarded me for loyalty (after all, I’m small fry) but I genuinely think ASB is truly innovative and hands down has the best internet banking facility out there. Given how I like to manage my finances, this is top of the list for me. I’ve seen National, ANZ, Kiwibank and BNZ internet banking in action (albeit, some of them not for a couple of years now) and ASB has always been way ahead of the curves feature-wise.

    I’ve had the opportunity to give direct feedback in the past through a one-on-one market research session, and the one feature that I really wanted turned out to be something lots of others had requested, and was implemented by popular demand. A company that listens to customers is a rarer beast than it really should be. And a preview of new features in the mobile app (now out) definitely cemented that – the integration with TradeMe is a stroke of genius. Anyone who’s ever used TradeMe to buy anything (which is most of the adult New Zealand population…) knows what a pain organising payment can be (unless it’s a bigger seller that accepts Visa). Linking in with TradeMe’s API to facilitate easy transactions eliminates most of that hassle.

    Overall, I’m pretty happy with my setup – no monthly fees, a high interest online savings account, a Visa with low fees and a rewards programme. Even better would be a no-fee card, but I’ve yet to find one of those in New Zealand. The only reason I might anticipate changing in the future is at the home-buying stage if another bank has a better deal on a mortgage.

    What is it that keeps you loyal to your bank? Would you change banks for a better offer?

  • January 5, 2013

    Link love (Powered by picnics and houseguests)

    link love nzmuse

    Yesterday, I waved off our visitors as they headed into the city for a day of sightseeing. What I didn’t want to admit to them was that I planned to spend a significant amount of my day blogging – lining up posts, updating my theme, and making a few other tweaks here and there. Much like trying out a new recipe, any blog admin I do inevitably ends up riddled with speed bumps and ends up taking three times as long as I intended. Who knew it would be so hard to change my favicon now that I’m self-hosted?!

    In the middle of it all, I started wondering how well my current theme really reflects me. Like it or not (even if the majority of your readers subscribe through Google Reader or similar) your website design does matter. Your name and your look all tie into one cohesive overall brand and I’m torn between my love of clean and simple (à la  Our Freaking Budget) or pretty and fussy (along the lines of L Bee). Identity crisis alert.

    But now, to the business! I present my first link roundup for 2013, and it’s all about quality over quantity.

    First up, Money Life and More hosted an awesome carnival of personal finance with a Christmassy twist (including my post analysing the evolution of my frugality over the years)

    Jenny Blake has 13 prompts to get you thinking about what you want to achieve in 2013

    Wanderlust guaranteed: Traveling 9 to 5’s list of amazing places to celebrate NYE around the world

    Life, Etc on job perks that are well worth the cash equivalent

    Blue Milk on why education is a political issue (read the NYT article quoted; it’s worth it. While I don’t currently have any ties to particular charities, I’m starting to realise that helping to break the poverty cycle is something I’m really interested in – must seek out relevant causes I can donate to)

    Finally, I think Seth Godin is often overrated, but I loved basically every word in this post. An excerpt:

    “Doing what you love is as important as ever, but if you’re going to make a living at it, it helps to find a niche where money flows as a regular consequence of the success of your idea. Loving what you do is almost as important as doing what you love, especially if you need to make a living at it. Go find a job you can commit to, a career or a business you can fall in love with.

    A friend who loved music, who wanted to spend his life doing it, got a job doing PR for a record label. He hated doing PR, realized that just because he was in the record business didn’t mean he had anything at all to do with music. Instead of finding a job he could love, he ended up being in proximity to, but nowhere involved with, something he cared about. I wish he had become a committed school teacher instead, spending every minute of his spare time making music and sharing it online for free. Instead, he’s a frazzled publicity hound working twice as many hours for less money and doing no music at all.

    Maybe you can’t make money doing what you love (at least what you love right now). But I bet you can figure out how to love what you do to make money (if you choose wisely).

    Do your art. But don’t wreck your art if it doesn’t lend itself to paying the bills. That would be a tragedy.”

    And finally: “I mean, if you really want to make a living, go to Wall Street and trade oil futures … We’re writers. We’re doing something that is inherently a generous act. We’re exposing ourselves to the muse and to the things that frighten us. Why do that if you’re not willing to be generous?”

  • January 4, 2013

    Summer, how I adore thee (though not the associated costs)

    PSA: I did a spot of blog housekeeping yesterday, which may have caused a bunch of old posts to resurface in your RSS feed. Thanks for your patience!

    As a Southern Hemisphere blogger, it’s hard watching basically everyone else bask in the sun through June, July and August and posting up delicious seasonal recipes.

    NOW MY TIME HAS COME.

    Mwahah.Beach erosion

    Yes. Polished toes and regularly shaved pits are back in my life. So are other things … I’ve never done an explicit analysis, but I suspect summer is more expensive than winter. In winter, we hole up at home, put Sky Movies back on our package, cook plenty of root veges and beans and mince, and rarely go out to eat.

    Summer means:

    Fruit. Scrumptious, juicy melons and berries and grapes. Fruit that is almost all water, and therefore not filling or cost-effective at all, but so good on the palate.

    Sunblock. ‘Nuff said. I’ve just discovered that the massive bottle we keep in the glovebox has expired and the one other tube we have (which I’m positive we bought on our trip to Waiheke back in 2010) has no best before date, which is probably a sign I should assume it’s no longer good.

    Bug repellent. The critters flock to me like sand to the crevasses between your toes. Also, bug spray for inside the house. Oh, and anti-itch, anti-histamine type creams to dull the fiery itch post-bite.

    Burning up the petrol. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s filling up the car. But it’s worth it for a good day trip.

    Contacts. I haven’t worn ’em in a year, but if we’re going to have a proper summer, it’s time they returned. Also, I need a pair for the wedding.

    Higher power bills. Weirdly, T used the fan so much last summer that our electricity use actually fell once winter came around. At least we’ll save on oven usage – who wants to slave over a hot oven when it’s 20 degrees or more? Plus, I’ve been in a serious baking rut anyway. Those ingredients add up – chocolate, coconut, flavoured essences etc. I haven’t bought flour or sugar in months. You’ll probably spend more on gas for the BBQ, but if you have a gas heater for winter, it probably evens out.

     Do you tend to spend more in summer or winter? What’s your favourite season?

  • January 1, 2013

    Happy new year! 2013, I’ve got big plans for you

    So, 2013!

    Last year we had a somewhat extravagant break. After Christmas in Auckland, we drove straight down to the Coromandel, where some of T’s friends hired out a huge house and we camped out in a spare room. We had tickets to Coro Gold, one of the big NYE music festivals but the weather was literally a massive damper on things. It rained the entire time (my shoes still bear muddy traces from the concert). During the days, I read a lot, powering through all the books I had brought down with me, and even through a terrible Clive Cussler novel I found in one of the rooms at the house.

    There was no swimming done, T injured his arm in the mosh pit and even our stop at Hot Water Beach on the way back was a disappointment – it was a grey day and there were huge crowds, everyone digging in with their feet and wearing out the hot water before the tide came in.

    This year, we stayed close to home. NYE saw us drive out to Karekare, where I got my first taste of the waterfall and swimming holes tucked away in the bush (there’s a series of them; we climbed up to the top, which is the cleanest) and then a jaunt over to Piha for my first ocean swim of the summer. It was all the better for the fact that we had a visitor, and showing a newbie some of the best off the beaten track places around, watching their awe, is unbeatable.

    karekare waterfall west auckland

    karekare waterfall in west auckland bush

    karekare waterfall in west auckland bush

    karekare water hole swimming

    karekare water hole swimming west auckland

    Then it was over to a friend’s house for a dip in the pool and BBQ. Aside from the $30 we spent on food, it was about as free as NYE can get. Toward the end of the night, T and I had a bit of a snooze inside while everyone else played Circle of Death; we got up in time for the changeover, everyone took part in a rendition of Auld Lang Syne, and I was in bed by 1am. Start as you mean to go on – balancing fun and responsibility is going to be a big one for this year, I think. Nailing down concrete goals may be a struggle, but I have a clear idea of a few key things I want to pull off.

    How did you celebrate? Hope you saw in 2013 with loved ones! Here’s to a good one.

    PSA: To ring in the new year, I’ll be doing a bit of cleaning house around the blog this week. RSS subscribers will probably see a flood of old posts popping up in the feed as I make some tweaks, but don’t be alarmed. I’ll keep it all to one day for minimal disruption.

  • December 29, 2012

    My non-negotiables in life

    non negotiables in life(Image via vlad on Flickr)

    These holidays I’m republishing some old posts that newer readers might have missed first time around. Enjoy!

    You know what’s crazy? Twenty-something life. I don’t know how people with families do it. I have had this massive running to-do list since changing jobs, and unfortunately, am relying on T to help cross off a lot of those things. Let’s just say that is making progress verrrrrrrrry slow. It’s really frustrating me at the moment, and while I know I’m letting it get to me more than it should, I JUST WANT IT ALL OFF MY PLATE.

    An illustration of the box juggling pattern.

    Image via Wikipedia

    Sometimes it seems like everybody else has their life so much more together than I do. Full social calendars. Great flatmates. Great wardrobes. Great fitness levels. But look a little closer and it’s clear – as I already know – that you can’t give 100 percent to to your work, to your relationship, to your friendships, to your fitness, to your finances, to your hobbies and to your diet every single day. Those priorities have to shift from day to day and focusing too hard on one area for too long isn’t sustainable.

    I think I’m in the minority in that I act kind of older than I am, because I’ve been on my own since 17 and quite honestly, I just want a calm, quiet life. Especially when you’re female. I was recently talking to someone (male) who happily admitted to not having a lot of close friends, and didn’t sound especially sad about it – while I feel the same way, I feel like I should almost be ashamed that I’m not going out every night of the week.  Being around people generally drains me, and when things aren’t going well, I tend to retreat and would rather be left alone than talk to anybody.

    For me, three things are key to preserving my sanity:

    Sleep. Self-explanatory. I’m sure I could be much productive if I was the kind who could get by on 5 hours a night, but you can’t fight nature. Likewise, I’m never going to be a morning person, so I work to my strengths.

    Me time, aka downtime. Where I don’t have to be around people – and plenty of it. Where I can play guitar, read, blog, watch movies, clean the house.

    Food. One of the quickest things to go down the drain is often home cooking. But it makes me really unhappy if I can’t come home at a decent hour to make and eat a proper dinner. For me, making time to cook from scratch, bake delicious treats, and savour the eating process is non-negotiable. I’m also planning to do more cooking in bulk: that means fewer dishes during the week and gives us leeway on later zombie nights.

    How do you deal when life gets overwhelming?

  • December 28, 2012

    In which I show my princess colours

    These holidays I’m republishing some old posts that newer readers might have missed first time around. Enjoy!

    Top sirloin steak topped with an onion ring

    THIS here is a good steak. Image via Wikipedia

    I’ve always thanked my lucky stars that I have no food allergies, nor do I have any specific dietary requirements. That makes things a lot easier in the E/T household. We eat together and we generally eat the same things – no separate meals required.

    The only thing is, I’m getting a lot pickier. I’m getting a bit more high-maintenance. As in, I cannot bring myself to eat cheap tuna (it’s mushy, watery and generally foul). Cheap ice cream tastes less like dairy and more like fake to me. And I’ve always been selective about the kinds of meat I eat, but these days I’m a total gourmet diva when it comes to choosing cuts. Sadly, our budget doesn’t stretch to rib eye or T-bone. It barely stretches to beef mince, the way things are going.

    I definitely don’t plan on starting to cook separately, but I do think certain meals are going to take a little more thought (either that or I’ll just eat more breakfast for dinner). If he wants marinated tenderised steak (the kind that comes in $20 packs) or ribs, or pork, then I’ll have a tiny piece with tons of veggies.

    Have your tastes grown more discerning with age? Ever have dining clashes with your housemates?

  • December 27, 2012

    What would your last meal be?

    These holidays I’m republishing some old posts that newer readers might have missed first time around. Enjoy!

    I hate naming favourites. Favourite band, movie, song, colour, food…..I’m just too indecisive, or perhaps too apathetic, to decide.

    But I think I’ve finally come up with my favourite kinds of foods, and my favourite cuisines.

    Foods I could not live without…

    Malaysian

    assam laksa[via avlxyz on Flickr]

    Assam laksa. Mmm…

    Thai

    pad thai[via Flickr user adactio]

    Pad thai. Always a winner.

    Indian

    rogan josh[via Flickr user jlastras]

    Rogan Josh (and tikka masala is another trusty fave)

    And in terms of generic food items?

    Potatoes. I think deep down a part of me was once a poor Irish farmer.

    Cheesecake. Can never get enough.

    Pasta. So versatile!

    If I had to pick my perfect last meal on earth, I think I’d go for a Singapore laksa with lots of hard boiled eggs and prawns. Followed by cheesecake and a fudge brownie with whipped cream or ice cream (I’m allowed two desserts, right??)

  • December 26, 2012

    Why I’d never make it on The Amazing Race

    These holidays I’m republishing some of my older posts for readers who might not have seen them first time around. Enjoy!

    I would love to go on The Amazing Race. It’s not the ideal way to see the world, but you’d get to see some of it for sure, and not just the tourist spots! And you can’t deny it would be the experience of a lifetime.   127_amazing_race_468

    I don’t know who I’d be paired with, though. I couldn’t do it with T. I know it, and he even says he couldn’t go with me. We’d probably kill each other. I’d have a breakdown on the second day and get lost in Panama City, never to be seen again. I’m a stressball at the best of times – imagine how much exponentially worse I would be on something like The Amazing Race.

    And I don’t kid myself that I would make it through more than a couple of rounds at most… I suck at map reading, getting directions and finding my way round strange places. The lack of sleep, and disruption and being in loud, unfamiliar, often dirty places where they drive on the wrong side of the road would get to me. And no doubt I’d probably be edited to portray a neurotic, angry, emotional ditz.

    I can definitely think of a couple of friends who I think I could do it with for shits and giggles, but again we’d probably be eliminated almost right away. I’m sure we’d have a blast along the way though.

    So, could you go on the Amazing Race with your other half?
    Who would you go with?
    And what kind of character would they paint you as?

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