My recent posts have talked about my goal to declutter and this got me thinking about the big bag of work related stress that I usually bring home with me at the end of the work week. This mental clutter is the accumulation of everything that has happened during the week, every decision I raised an eyebrow to, every situation I thought that someone (including me) could have handled differently and every expectation that that next week I would have to deal with the events of last week.
What do you do to leave that bag of clutter at work? Some people probably have a nice glass of wine on a Friday night. Some people probably go to the gym. Friday nights, after my web class, I usually come home and figure out my banking. I do this because Saturday is the only day I can actually go to the bank. I also do this because it helps me to visually plan how much longer I will be in my current job. I love my students. I just hate all the office politics (and those who cause the office politics would wonder now, "What is she talking about?") and the mental clutter it leaves in my brain and on my soul every Friday afternoon.
Since my blog is about frugality, it might be helpful for me to confess that my frugality goals are all centred around leaving institutional employment before I am institutionalized myself. I am frugal not because I don't like amazingly nice things (which every frugalista knows you can have anyways, even if you practice frugality), but because I worry about my ability to tolerate this mental clutter for the next 18 years. I will soon be 47. I hope to leave my job in the next year or two and to replace it with a job that provides a similar income until I am 60. Then I would like a mcJob that allows me to make a bit of cash but not get so entrenched in the world of work. The key to my happiness is to make my next job (from 49 to 60) one outside of institutional employment. That is a hard thing to achieve when you are use to making a certain amount of money. I designed this blog to help me flesh out the things I need to do to make that happen and one of the most important of those tasks is to adopt the frugalista mindset.
Write me if you have any ideas about how to reduce the mental clutter that makes it home with me every weekend.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Decluttering my WorkSelf at Home
I am currently reading a (library) book called, "Throw Out Fifty Things" by Gail Blanke. It is an amazing little book. She spends a lot of time in the book talking about the emotional side of our physical belongings. For me, books and papers are an overwhelming source of clutter in my little 1 bedroom, 1 den apartment. Gail tell us that a lot of our "work paper clutter" is really about hanging on to outdated versions of our professional selves. Do I really need that award I got 20 years ago for volunteering with victims of crime? Does my serving it right certificate from 15 years ago actually still have any value?If I answer no to both of these questions, why is it that I have paid professional movers to bring these items along with me each time I move. At some point, this professional certification becomes meaningless clutter.
As I reflect on how my previous professional jobs, I realize that I am knowledge worker who has always invested in learning. I have books/papers/certificates that are not useful to me anymore but I can't seem to throw them out because somehow they have become part of my work identity. Gail's book describes that gnawing feeling I get when I consider throwing out this stuff, but she goes one step further to insist that the best of me (professionally) is yet to come and that much of this old work self actually drags me down. What do you think? Is it easier to throw out an old dress or pair of shoes than a professional certificate,even though none of these items has seen the light of day in years?
As I reflect on how my previous professional jobs, I realize that I am knowledge worker who has always invested in learning. I have books/papers/certificates that are not useful to me anymore but I can't seem to throw them out because somehow they have become part of my work identity. Gail's book describes that gnawing feeling I get when I consider throwing out this stuff, but she goes one step further to insist that the best of me (professionally) is yet to come and that much of this old work self actually drags me down. What do you think? Is it easier to throw out an old dress or pair of shoes than a professional certificate,even though none of these items has seen the light of day in years?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
My Eight Month Challenge
I want to reach a particular savings goal. It is ambitious and will require some sacrifice. The next 8 months will require some lifestyle changes (albeit I am going to leave a pre-planned trip to Thailand at Christmas out of my calculations) to achieve.
I go out for food AN AWFUL LOT. This is the first area where I plan to save and should be a way to really reduce my expenses. I need to replace all of these restaurant meals and take out pickups with something else. I plan to try to cook. I actually love cooking and I think I am getting pretty good at it, but my job takes so much of my life that I actually get too lazy to make anything and end up leaving the kitchen to most unused room in my apartment.
Last week, I went into Starbucks and tried their new instant coffee. It was pretty good. They were giving away free samples and coupons, so the coffee basically costs about $1 a cup if I use the instant powder. This is going to be my new coffee fix at work instead of me just popping over to our new Starbucks. I will use the MacCafe near my house when I actually want to go out for coffee. They have just started offering latte's,cappu's and mocha's for about 75 cents less than Starbucks,Waves, or any of the other coffee houses charge.
Read more about Macdonalds coffee at the American (the Canadian site is less informative) site of their corporate office.
http://aboutmacdonalds.com
Cooking at home is going to become very important. I have a freezer stocked with nice, last minute meals that my mom sent over, but I know that I sometimes want to eat fresh food too. I have stocked my fridge and pantry with all the things that I will need for the next two weeks, so let's see how I do.
Today, I made curried chicken on a bagel. I used a tiny piece of frozen chicken in mayo, toasted a stale bagel, added bits of apple that had been left over in the fridge and cut up a red pepper. I served it with banana slices and tea and it was pretty tasty. I think the currie powder I used was as close to perfect as currie powder can get: it had a tangy taste to it that was amazing. Next time, I will make sure I have raisins in the house as this would have also made it a bit better. The whole lunch probably cost less than $1 with the chicken being the only expensive part of the whole thing.
For dinner, I am going to make a greek salad.I have a lot of peppers and some feta cheese to use up. I also may make some pasta to go with it, but I am out of white wine! A true frugalista would have wine in her house for Sunday dinner because that is the night one usually cooks, but I am not perfect.
Send me a recipe idea if you have any notions about what I should make. In return, I will give you this web address for a cool site I found that deals with the idea of eating well at home.
http://thecheapgourmet.typepad.com/
I go out for food AN AWFUL LOT. This is the first area where I plan to save and should be a way to really reduce my expenses. I need to replace all of these restaurant meals and take out pickups with something else. I plan to try to cook. I actually love cooking and I think I am getting pretty good at it, but my job takes so much of my life that I actually get too lazy to make anything and end up leaving the kitchen to most unused room in my apartment.
Last week, I went into Starbucks and tried their new instant coffee. It was pretty good. They were giving away free samples and coupons, so the coffee basically costs about $1 a cup if I use the instant powder. This is going to be my new coffee fix at work instead of me just popping over to our new Starbucks. I will use the MacCafe near my house when I actually want to go out for coffee. They have just started offering latte's,cappu's and mocha's for about 75 cents less than Starbucks,Waves, or any of the other coffee houses charge.
Read more about Macdonalds coffee at the American (the Canadian site is less informative) site of their corporate office.
http://aboutmacdonalds.com
Cooking at home is going to become very important. I have a freezer stocked with nice, last minute meals that my mom sent over, but I know that I sometimes want to eat fresh food too. I have stocked my fridge and pantry with all the things that I will need for the next two weeks, so let's see how I do.
Today, I made curried chicken on a bagel. I used a tiny piece of frozen chicken in mayo, toasted a stale bagel, added bits of apple that had been left over in the fridge and cut up a red pepper. I served it with banana slices and tea and it was pretty tasty. I think the currie powder I used was as close to perfect as currie powder can get: it had a tangy taste to it that was amazing. Next time, I will make sure I have raisins in the house as this would have also made it a bit better. The whole lunch probably cost less than $1 with the chicken being the only expensive part of the whole thing.
For dinner, I am going to make a greek salad.I have a lot of peppers and some feta cheese to use up. I also may make some pasta to go with it, but I am out of white wine! A true frugalista would have wine in her house for Sunday dinner because that is the night one usually cooks, but I am not perfect.
Send me a recipe idea if you have any notions about what I should make. In return, I will give you this web address for a cool site I found that deals with the idea of eating well at home.
http://thecheapgourmet.typepad.com/
The Pro's and Con's of Professional Development
I counted up the bills and I have spend over $2000 this year in developing myself professionally. This doesn't include any university courses or anything really that is tax deductable for someone working for a employer. I have mentioned a few times in my ramblings that I am a public servant, but today I am going to confess that this takes the form of being an adult education teacher within the public school system. As I have developed an interest in online learning (and some fun opportunities-right people, right time-have popped up), I have invested over $2000 this year to become more "computer literate and tech savy". The good news is that my generous employer has refunded just over $700 of this to me in the form of professional development funding. The bad news is that I have sucked up the cost for the other $1300. This brings me to an important question: should I be doing this? I have a solid emergency fund, no debt (I am a renter), and a well hammered out financial plan.Yet, I wonder if I am going to see an economic payback for this outlay. I have a vague dream in my head that I am going to one day early retire and work for myself, so this online learning training seems in line with my long range goals. I have spent a lot of time (and as we already mentioned, money) on this training.What do people think? Does it make sense? I know that I need to start tracking not only the money spent but also the hours invested in this little dalliance to determine if it is time well spent. If I take home $40,000 after taxes and my employer pays into my retirement fund (defined pension plan= between $300 a month for life if I quit tommorrow and up to $1600 a month if I hang in for another 13 years), how much would I have to earn on the side to justify this expenditure which will probably remain fairly constant for the next 3 to 5 years? I am training in html and Moodle for those who want to offer any comments about my posts. P.s My salary is common knowledge and available to anyone with an internet connection, so don't think that I am oversharing.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Staycation Joys
This summer I really deviated from the norm and decided to spend my 6 week holiday at home. I have a beautiful apartment with a view of downtown Vancouver and decided that it was time to actually rest on a summer vacation. Last summer, I went to Buenos Aires to take the Certificate in English Language Teaching (CELTA) to help me along the road to eventual early retirement. I enjoyed the city a lot but was exhausted when I came home. I definitely got my money's worth with the course and the fact that work chipped in a few dollars (about 1/3 of the cost) definitely took the sting out of such an expensive summer, but one can't do that every year.
The best part about being home was probably being able to sleep in my own bed. I really took it easy this summer and spent a lot of time cooking, reading, visiting, playing, Internet surfing and writing. I found that I needed very little money, and I came up with the top ten ideas for creating an amazing staycation:
1...Replace household items for the money you save not travelling . I already bought very nice bedding (sheets, pillows, blankets, etc.) a while back, so this staycation, I decided to buy a few kitchen toys. I got new placemats, a set of nice dishes, and an excellent cheese grater. All for what one night in a hotel would cost. I also bought a lawn chair with pillows for the balcony (in early August on sale for $70) that brought me a lot of comfort. I should have bought one earlier as it is so nice to sit on a sunny balcony, drink a glass of homeade ice tea, and read an amazing library book. Wild I am not,but definitely happy.
2...Take 20 minutes every morning to mentally plan your day. Staycations need as much planning as vacations if you want them to be fun and memorable. Caution: Do not plan chores. This is a staycation. You must plan fun and relaxing activities only. Do chores as necessary but the idea is not to get a lot of things done.
3... Cook everyday like company is coming. My best meal was a chutney chicken on rice. My worst one was a mushroom truffle sauce (a gift) over spagetti that when others cooked it was great but my own try was horrendous. If I would spend 25 a day going out for dinner on a vacation, I didn't feel bad spending a few bucks more than usual for dinner at home. One indulgence this summer that kept me happy was buying olives and fancy crackers. Great for nibbling on the balcony!
4...Since you are saving money by not travelling, but presumable not earning much by not working, try to do one thing a week that brings in or saves money without sacrifice. One week while sitting on my balcony sipping wine, I negotated for a new credit card that earned me 15000 airmiles and another week I took in some paperwork to the bank (long forgotten about) that gave me a $50 refund. I also signed up for some coupon sites while I was surfing this summer. I usually don't have time to do this kind of thing.
5...Declutter. The freedom I felt from getting rid of piles of stuff that I never use was amazing. I gave it all to my favourite charity. I did this by designating a particular back for junk. Every week, I would add a few bits to the bag as I came across junk or underused items. I then made the trek to the charity store once a week. It was good for them and good for me. While this may not sound like fun, I really enjoyed it because I am currently on a bit of a kick to see how well I can downsize my possessions to reflect what I really love and use.
6... Use public transit and go on little trips. One of my favourite trips this summer was with my mom to Bowen Island, a small community that is a fifteen minute ferry ride away from where I live. I blogged about our meals on another website and wrote a short article (hopefully someone will buy it) so I hope that part of the cost of this little trip will be covered.
7...See some matinee movies. I loved EAT PRAY LOVE although I found the book impossible to get through. I have travelled a lot to some of the places the author describes so the movie was pretty entertaining. it is cheap to go to the movies during the day and not very crowded. I often smuggle in a can of coke and a chocolate bar as movie treats are expensive. I will buy popcorn though because it smells so good.
8...Take an afternoon and sit down and figure out what happy bits of summer you can make into a regular feature in the rest of your life. For example, I am going to cook decent meals at least twice a week during the workweek. I realized that sitting down to dinner was really nice. I also realized that I need to spend more time outdoors going for short walks. I did this a lot this summer as part of my routine was to go to a different local cafe and read the magazines and newspaper. It basically paid for the coffee as I didnt have to buy any such reading material all summer. I never did this before my staycation as I was always at work.
9...Try hobbies out. I used one afternoon of this staycation to pull out my crocheting. I went to sit on a waterfront bench and look over at the view of vancouver, while basking in the sun and finishing up a scarf for winter. Total cost of this afternoon out was under $3 as I bought a ice-cafe at Macdonalds on the way.
10... Call and ask for any free trials of cable vision, internet service or other goodies that you would never have time to enjoy while you were working.
The best part about being home was probably being able to sleep in my own bed. I really took it easy this summer and spent a lot of time cooking, reading, visiting, playing, Internet surfing and writing. I found that I needed very little money, and I came up with the top ten ideas for creating an amazing staycation:
1...Replace household items for the money you save not travelling . I already bought very nice bedding (sheets, pillows, blankets, etc.) a while back, so this staycation, I decided to buy a few kitchen toys. I got new placemats, a set of nice dishes, and an excellent cheese grater. All for what one night in a hotel would cost. I also bought a lawn chair with pillows for the balcony (in early August on sale for $70) that brought me a lot of comfort. I should have bought one earlier as it is so nice to sit on a sunny balcony, drink a glass of homeade ice tea, and read an amazing library book. Wild I am not,but definitely happy.
2...Take 20 minutes every morning to mentally plan your day. Staycations need as much planning as vacations if you want them to be fun and memorable. Caution: Do not plan chores. This is a staycation. You must plan fun and relaxing activities only. Do chores as necessary but the idea is not to get a lot of things done.
3... Cook everyday like company is coming. My best meal was a chutney chicken on rice. My worst one was a mushroom truffle sauce (a gift) over spagetti that when others cooked it was great but my own try was horrendous. If I would spend 25 a day going out for dinner on a vacation, I didn't feel bad spending a few bucks more than usual for dinner at home. One indulgence this summer that kept me happy was buying olives and fancy crackers. Great for nibbling on the balcony!
4...Since you are saving money by not travelling, but presumable not earning much by not working, try to do one thing a week that brings in or saves money without sacrifice. One week while sitting on my balcony sipping wine, I negotated for a new credit card that earned me 15000 airmiles and another week I took in some paperwork to the bank (long forgotten about) that gave me a $50 refund. I also signed up for some coupon sites while I was surfing this summer. I usually don't have time to do this kind of thing.
5...Declutter. The freedom I felt from getting rid of piles of stuff that I never use was amazing. I gave it all to my favourite charity. I did this by designating a particular back for junk. Every week, I would add a few bits to the bag as I came across junk or underused items. I then made the trek to the charity store once a week. It was good for them and good for me. While this may not sound like fun, I really enjoyed it because I am currently on a bit of a kick to see how well I can downsize my possessions to reflect what I really love and use.
6... Use public transit and go on little trips. One of my favourite trips this summer was with my mom to Bowen Island, a small community that is a fifteen minute ferry ride away from where I live. I blogged about our meals on another website and wrote a short article (hopefully someone will buy it) so I hope that part of the cost of this little trip will be covered.
7...See some matinee movies. I loved EAT PRAY LOVE although I found the book impossible to get through. I have travelled a lot to some of the places the author describes so the movie was pretty entertaining. it is cheap to go to the movies during the day and not very crowded. I often smuggle in a can of coke and a chocolate bar as movie treats are expensive. I will buy popcorn though because it smells so good.
8...Take an afternoon and sit down and figure out what happy bits of summer you can make into a regular feature in the rest of your life. For example, I am going to cook decent meals at least twice a week during the workweek. I realized that sitting down to dinner was really nice. I also realized that I need to spend more time outdoors going for short walks. I did this a lot this summer as part of my routine was to go to a different local cafe and read the magazines and newspaper. It basically paid for the coffee as I didnt have to buy any such reading material all summer. I never did this before my staycation as I was always at work.
9...Try hobbies out. I used one afternoon of this staycation to pull out my crocheting. I went to sit on a waterfront bench and look over at the view of vancouver, while basking in the sun and finishing up a scarf for winter. Total cost of this afternoon out was under $3 as I bought a ice-cafe at Macdonalds on the way.
10... Call and ask for any free trials of cable vision, internet service or other goodies that you would never have time to enjoy while you were working.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Why Volunteering Actually Pays
When I was young, I did a lot of volunteer work because I was trying to build my resume. I really enjoyed most of it, and it gave me a good idea of what I did and did not want to do for paid work.
As I am currently "rethinking" the whole institutional work environment notion, I am once again considering doing some volunteer work. This time it is not so much experience that I want to gain, but rather I need good references that can highlight my skills. By volunteering, I can control what "work experience" I have and I can target the job to yield a reference supporting my desired skills.
My paid job operates under the agenda of my institution. They want me to do one thing, so that is what they will tell other employers that I can (hopefully) do successfully.
If Iwant to move away from what I am doing now, I have to be very proactive to create pockets of experience that I use to spring to another (far less institutional) job.
What are your experiences with volunteer work? Does it pay to volunteer?
As I am currently "rethinking" the whole institutional work environment notion, I am once again considering doing some volunteer work. This time it is not so much experience that I want to gain, but rather I need good references that can highlight my skills. By volunteering, I can control what "work experience" I have and I can target the job to yield a reference supporting my desired skills.
My paid job operates under the agenda of my institution. They want me to do one thing, so that is what they will tell other employers that I can (hopefully) do successfully.
If Iwant to move away from what I am doing now, I have to be very proactive to create pockets of experience that I use to spring to another (far less institutional) job.
What are your experiences with volunteer work? Does it pay to volunteer?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
When is something free or cheap actually expensive?
I have create a list of things that are supposidly free or cheap, but actually expensive. Please send me a comment to add to the list.
Things that break and you have to keep replacing them.
An example is found in my shoe closet. I buy cheap shoes for work, brands that constantly need to be replaced, instead of buying one decent pair. I am sure this costs me more in the long run.
Free but very,very crowded language/adult education classes/first aid or driver's training
Sure, you can attend for free, but isn't your time worth something? If you studied in a smaller class or you paid a qualified instructor, you would learn a language/graduate very quickly and actually be able to make money, drive without killing someone, or save a life. Your time is not free, even if the class is free.
Library books that you return late or lose
I once paid over $100 for lost library books that I had taken to work and left in the wrong place to be thrown out. Go to the library with a buddy, so at least one of you will remember the date.
Eye glasses that have the wrong presription lenses
Just like everything in life, eyes change too. Wearing the wrong lens means that you save money, but you may end up seeing poorly, or not at all, as you age.
Food that you bought on sale that is too close to the no use date.
This one speaks for itself. Is it worth getting sick by eating something that is past its prime?
Free online dating sites.
Call me shallow, but I only want to hook up with a guy who can spare a few bucks to find me. The old adage, you get what you pay for, was never more true in this particular example.
Things that break and you have to keep replacing them.
An example is found in my shoe closet. I buy cheap shoes for work, brands that constantly need to be replaced, instead of buying one decent pair. I am sure this costs me more in the long run.
Free but very,very crowded language/adult education classes/first aid or driver's training
Sure, you can attend for free, but isn't your time worth something? If you studied in a smaller class or you paid a qualified instructor, you would learn a language/graduate very quickly and actually be able to make money, drive without killing someone, or save a life. Your time is not free, even if the class is free.
Library books that you return late or lose
I once paid over $100 for lost library books that I had taken to work and left in the wrong place to be thrown out. Go to the library with a buddy, so at least one of you will remember the date.
Eye glasses that have the wrong presription lenses
Just like everything in life, eyes change too. Wearing the wrong lens means that you save money, but you may end up seeing poorly, or not at all, as you age.
Food that you bought on sale that is too close to the no use date.
This one speaks for itself. Is it worth getting sick by eating something that is past its prime?
Free online dating sites.
Call me shallow, but I only want to hook up with a guy who can spare a few bucks to find me. The old adage, you get what you pay for, was never more true in this particular example.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
