Brooklyn Girl's Personal Finance Blog

1. I hate green fruits/vegetables that are engineered to look ripe. Fruits/vegetables are supposed to be fragrant and be tasty (many people don't know that). Even those labeled "organic" in most cases lack these qualities.
2. I do not like that bakeries will try to sell you a day old croissant and other pastries without blinking an eye. They are not edible, I have had to return them.
3. I wish that sushi/perishable items that are supposed to be made daily would be deeply discounted by the afternoon (like in Japan).
4. I wish there were bread shops, like in Europe, where they do both morning and the afternoon deliveries -- so you could get warm bread in the afternoon as well (and could buy 1/4 loaf too).

This is a rich country and we can afford good food, yet we don't demand it and therefore don't get it.

07-May-08 Wednesday
$25 11 yogurts, milk, chocolate milk - farmers market (week supply of dairy)
$4 breakfast pastries, farmers market
$4.50 tiny apple cake
$3.25 greens for 1 salad (for dinner)
5.98 cup of raw sliced almonds (nice to roast before tossing them on Haagendaz)
$1 tiny onion bread (to go with salad)
$1 two cucumbers
$2.99 16 oz strawberries
$3.83 1.3 lb stem tomatoes
$14.49 2 toothbrushes and a razor pharmacy

$66

08-May-08 Thursday
$1.75 bagel w cream cheese (made coffee at work) food
$2.71 pineapple 0.7 oz food
$1.94 watermelon 0.6 oz food
$4.57 prosciutto 0.25 lb food
$0.75 tiny bread food
$15.17 4 packs of swiffer wet on sale Pharmacy
$26.89

09-May-08 Friday
$5.25 toasted bagel with cream cheese, toasted almonds food
$5.37 big cup of watermelon (lunch) food
$57 dinner at the Mexican place (includes half a pitcher of frozen Margarita)
$67.62

10-May-08 Saturday
$27.50 Dry cleaning
$28 Dinner with friends at Saigon Grill - our share)
$55.50

11-May-08 Sunday
$30 Sunday brunch with friends - our share
$6 Grom ice cream cone
$0 ($78 of stuff from Crabtree and Evelyn - gift card, so does not count as spending)
$18 to go supper and Mon. dinner from a Korean-Russian home-cooking place
$54

12-May-08 Monday
1.5 Cheese danish (made coffee at work)
2.1 Edamame snack
9.78 6 pairs of dress socks (these things have to be replaced)
8.31 Lunch - box blackberries, box raspberries, cup watermelon
21.69

13-May-08 Tuesday
$5.50 Contribution to birthday breakfast at work (bagels with cream cheese and lox, coffee, fruit)
$2.99 cup of sliced mango (lunch)
$8.49

The summary:
Week 2 summary
$112 food
$39.44 pharmacy items
$27.50 dry cleaning
$121 eating out

$300 Total
(as opposed to Week 1 Summary:
Week 1 summary
141 student loan
105 roth
200 gift/help grandparents
171 for the house comfort
151 eating out
22 cats
15.75 dry cleaning
92 clothing
38 misc
80 food

1015.75)

I did quite well! Next week we are going to costco so it will be higher again (got to stock up on kitty litter/fancy feast) and I have had my eye on Roomba for quite a while.
But for now, I think I've been quite reasonable.

Especially considering that it is not my month to pay rent, and that DH pays all car/commuting expenses and bills (+ sometimes he buys groceries and dinners/fruit for the juicer...).
His spending is not listed here.

30-Apr-08 Wednesday
$2 Almond croissant (breakfast)
$8.66 Tuna salad wrap (lunch)
$19 10 yogurts and 1 small milk (week supply)
$4 1 bunch of asparagus
$5 ruffle tickets at work
$22 3 packs of dry cat food (wellness and evo)
$60 Wed total

01-May-08 Thursday
$4.78 Pancakes and coffee from deli (breakfast)
$11 lock for the gym
$12 hair bands from nice accessory store
$3.69 pack of tea to keep at work
$0 half of tuna salad wrap from yesterday (lunch)
$13.49 bar of ski wax off ebay
$44.79 Total Thursday

02-May-08 Friday
$1.50 coffee (breakfast) $12.91 0.6lb fresh pineapple, 0.6lb fresh watermelon, tiny chocolate bar (lunch) 1lb of good coffee to have at work
$151 Wolfgangs steakhouse
$141 student loan
$100 automatic transfer to ROTH
$406 Total Friday


03-May-08 Saturday
$15.75 Dry cleaning (1 jeans hemmed, suit jacket for DH cleaned)
$80 Marshalls (2 beautiful Tahari dress shirts $40 each - good value)
$36 bath mat and shower curtain liner
$132 Total Saturday

04-May-08 Sunday
No spend day!
Mainly due to 5 borough bike marathon that promised street closures/traffic
I made Belgian waffles with fresh juice and coffee for brunch at home)

05-May-08 Monday
$1.50 Apple turnover breakfast, made coffee at work
$7.58 lunch
$135 Pottery barn - set of towels, robe, matching fabric shower curtain
$144.08 Total Monday

06-May-08 Tuesday
$8 breakfast, milk to keep at work (for coffee)
$5.70 1 cup of edamame, 1 seafood summer roll (lunch)
$200 gift to grandparents, by Western Union gifts/charity
$8.40 book of stamps
$222 Tuesday Total


Recurring/planned
30-Apr-08 $2,613.71 Discover bill paid (10 day ski trip in march)

30-Apr-08 $561 Visa bill paid (where they don't take Discover)

Good things - we only went out once this week, so even with it being a steakhouse it was less than we usually spend on eating out (3-4 dinners a week at $50 average + 1 brunch).
And we did not go anywhere this weekend.

In defense of pottery barn - it was the first time I got to buy towels (we still towels I brought from my moms house years ago). This weekend I cleaned my bathroom to perfection - every tile, every nook of the cabinet, wiped every bottle and threw out everything I would not use. To complete the final stage I bought this extra stuff (this is not an every week occurrence).

Still $1,009 in one week is not where I want to be. If we bought a house it would be impossible.

I got to do better!

I had to have my first root canal - total of 3 visits and having a crown made. Just had a permanent crown put in today.
The good financial news is that apparently my insurance company covers total cost.

I was expecting a $500 co-pay, thats what the doctor estimated.

So this is nice. Finally something good coming from the insurance company. I knew this dental plan is much better than average, but I was still surprised by "free".

Yey!

Some oily crumbs from the apple turnover I was eating fell right on the front of it. Now there are oily stains.
It is a beautiful skirt, I just put it on and I love it. What do I do???
I really want to save it.

I have a friend with a "dream" of going to a particular foreign country. Since each year I spend a month in a new country, it seems to me that it is easy, and that she would just rather dream about it than do it.

All you have to do is save some money and
1. get a visa
2. book a plane ticket
3. book first night at a hostel
4. buy a guidebook

Unless going to Europe, it is not even that expensive.
I think for her it is just fear. She has been "dreaming" about it for years.

Any dream, broken down into steps is manageable.
If I wanted to open a western cafe in China I should.
1) Learn to cook well
2) Learn the language
3) Have starting capital
4) Hire a capable local to deal with bureaucracy and procurement
5) Find location near congregations of business-travelling foreigners
6) Have a backup re-entry plan/fund in case things do not work out
There are more steps and a tonn of details, but as long as you have these essential things and a passion, it is manageable.
So I do not call something "a dream" unless I am taking active steps to achieving it.

I am about to break down. I have been on the phone continuosly since 10:30 am calling my aunt's employer and her health insurance company.

All of it to get them to send a fax - that would take them 10 seconds! I need this desperately, as my aunt is supposed to start her second round of chemo therapy. (her first one got interrupted because they did not send the information).

So now, they are transferring insurance for everybody and they "lost" my aunt. So now she has no insurance. They say it will just take time until everyone is transferred to the new system. SHE DOES NOT HAVE TIME! She has to go to chemo tomorrow. She is in stage 4. She is in pain, her hair is coming out. And they have her information, and I got them the fax # of the insurance company and I alerted insurance company's supervisor... but are transferring it from one person to another and still nothing is done!

Supervisors do not pick up the phone, after holding for 30 minutes I get a voicemail, and calls never get returned. No ones direct extension is ever given out...

I was nice, diplomatic, calm, reasonable for the first 6 hours. I am about to loose it. I am so desperate and so outraged. A person is suffering fighting for their life, and I cannot get anyone to spend few seconds to send a fax (that was their responsibility in the first place) or to even pick up the phone! What kind of human beings are they? I can't comprehend that.

I am on the phone all day today, I have done nothing at work, and I can't stop crying now.

I love finer things. Living in New York and walking often through stores with finest imports, I feel the difference, and I want luxury in my life. The problem is, I also want to be financially responsible.

The key to achieving this is patience and choosing quality over quantity.
My relatives buy things they want right away. That includes financing furniture/tvs and huge amount of so-so clothing "because it was 50% off".

I am using the approach "one amazing thing at a time". When we moved into our apartment, we "inherited" old furniture nobody wanted, old plates, cutlery, bedding. We were just starting out, and our income has increased dramatically in the last 2 years.

Instead of quickly buying slightly better version of everything, we continue using it, and replace a few items a month with really nice staff that I will want to keep around for years. I hunt for each item for a long time, keep an eye on one, look for deals, coupons for the store if applicable. But in the end I will choose a luxury item I really love over a so-so item that is on sale.

Each thing is selected and enjoyed, not lost in a pile of same things. I know people who have like 20 to 30 of $40 sweaters in their closet that all look the same! I think you are better off having 3 great DIFFERENT style $200 quality cashmere sweaters that you love instead.

I absolutely love our new appliances, our slowly acquired down comforter and pillow, softest beautiful sheets, etc. Every time I come to bed I feel amazing. But... I still have one more down pillow to get. (too expensive to buy 2 this month). A superb Abyss bath sheet will also have to wait till next month. I will enjoy it when I get it though.

So for now, we will keep our old couch and folding kitchen table and many other things until we can replace them not with something "a little better" but something we will enjoy for a long time to come.

So my apartment is an odd mixture of luxury and old and cheap. Far from a consistent "style". I know it does not project a "right" appearance, but I am doing it for our enjoyment and quality of life, not to "impress". So for now I am fine with living in a half "Bloomingdales showroom" and half "dollar-store worker apartment." I do sometimes wonder if guests ask themselves "wtf is going on here?"

Yet it would be very tough. We'll be getting $500,000 in debt. Vacation/entertainment fund would be slashed to the bone. Also, 401K contributions would have to be reduced to just enough to get company match.

I am trying to weight pros and cons... But I just cannot stop imagining living there.

So... Pros:

Location - Manhattan, near a park, shorter commute.
Park is very nice, people lay on picknick blankets with notebooks when the weather is nice.
There is a nice long promenade where people jog along the river. I would love to do that.
I can also bike to work - there is a safe enough route on the edge of the island and it is only 45 blocks.
Access to all the things Manhattan has to offer. That one would be hard to explain in one post.

Layout - nicely planned apartment. 3 closets, spacious living room, very sunny, 5 windows facing tree tops. Very charming.

Lovely kitchen with good storage space - it would be pleasant to cook there.

Cons:
it is a co-op, but this is a Manhattan reality. Condos are rare and out of reach.
Maintenance is $900 a month, on top of the mortgage.
Plus, the assessment for new elevators is coming.

The sublet policy is only 2 out of each 5 years allowed, with board approval. So can't just easily rent it out.

Size under 600ft - but again, Manhattan.

Parking -- while this area has an easier parking than most, it still would be harder than where we are now.

DH's commute may be a little longer. (but he won't work in NJ forever, 3 years max)

I know it would be tight for a while, but our mortgage will stay the same, while our salaries will increase (and our rent would too.) I would also dump all the stuff I don't really love and simplify our living. I think, after all considerations, that living there would increase our quality of life. But this is a huge commitment.
Anyone has an opinion regarding this?

I bought this new cute sheet set and am thinking on using it today, but I am to sick to go to the laundromat. How necessary do you think it is to wash bedding (sealed in a package) before using it first time?

From my landlord that is. Who goes ballistic at such things. And since he does not speak much English, it would be impossible to explain to him that it takes less water to use the machine than to wash everything by hand under the running water.

It is a small machine that will go on the counter top.
I just can't live like this anymore.


So I am getting it, and if the landlord is scheduled to come in, I'll move it to the bedroom for that day. I don't feel unethical about this deception -- I will be using less water! and I'll have one little comfort of civilization.
Is that too much to ask?

On one hand, buying stocks (in mutual funds) is best when the price is low, not after it has been booming.

On the other hand, it is not for the faint hearted.

Yet, the interest rate for safe CD savings is so small you can't keep up with the inflation and the loss of purchasing power.

So what should those who can only invest a little do? Considering that retirement is quite far away, just take the risk?

I'm looking at things like commercial real estate. It has also been significantly down, even though the forclosure crisis did not affect it as much. Is it just consumer confidence? Is this a good time to buy it cheap? Will it go back up long-term? Almost definitely yes.

The weather is so warm, and stores have colorful spring collections out. It is so tempting - warm air, new vibrant colors.

I want to start the season with something new - last years spring/summer stuff now feels so drab. (I was into ivory/brown/beige/white colors back than) Now I am into bold colors - deep vibrant reds, pastel greens, bright yellows, blue.

And I want a few new office pieces. One does gets tired wearing the same thing over and over.

You get an energy burst by wearing something totally different.

The trick is to buy few great things and not get carried away. I wish I could know if the shirt I am seeing will be the best one I'll see this month. Unfortunately, it does not work that way.

my new $300 Cell phone lost 2 year contract just began.

DH wisdom tooth removed - $308
He has to wait until June to be put on my dental plan.

Teeth are just one of those things you have to take care of no matter what.

I am quite upset about the cell phone.
I had it in one store when going to the register, by the time I was in the second store I no longer had it. We went back, of course, but their camera only covered the register so nothing could be done. ;(((

How many times do I have to make my own coffee to make up for that one? this is depressing.

$30 Lift ticket 1 (craigslist) reg price 61
$25 Lift ticket 2 (special deal) reg price 61
$30 our share of gas and tolls (mountain is 2.5-3 hrs away, depending on traffic) We went in a friends suv and shared the cost with 3 other people.
I did not rent a locker - I did not assess theft risk for my old sneakers and 2 sandwiches to be high. Just left them in a pile with other peoples stuff
$11 breakfast
$3.00 water
We brought lunches and water to the resort, as prices there are inflated.

Total: $99


For a full day of 2 adults skiing in our area it is quite good.

If we bought lift tickets at the window, got lunch there and drove by ourselves it would cost us:
$61+$61+$70+$30+$11 =$233 for 1 day.

$0.58 1 onion
$3.47 0.87lb tomatoes (2 small ones)
$3.49 small box of lettice
$7.98 Irish small cooking otmeal
$3.00 halapeno sause
$1.50 can of green salsa
$3.68 1/4 watermelon - 4lb
$3.98 2 tiny boxes of bluberies on sale

Total: 27.58

Farmers market:
$6 -- 3 almond crossaints
$21 -- 12 yougurt dringks plus 12oz milk - I asked and got volume discount - yogurts are $2 each.

Total: 54.58

and I can't even make a dinner out of this

It seems that we look forward to weekend and it passes in a blink.
Take this weekend: Sat - went to the store to fix ski boot problem, went out to dinner, a short trip to the store to buy something I needed for a while, came home, cleaned up kitchen and washed floors in half of the apartment.
Sun - friends came over, I cooked waffles for breakfast for everyone, than played Wii, stepped out to ship Wii that sold on ebay(after all the fees I only made $65 profit on it), went out for nice dinner with everyone, came back(with everyone), made some pina-coladas, played more Wii, sorted the laundry.

So now I have to go to work again. The laundry is still undone(it involves 3 trips to the laundromat and therefore entire evening). Half the apartment that I did not have time to clean is messy. There is a sink full of dishes (and we don't have washing machine - NYC apartment). I did not study Chinese, did not mail return to the amazon, did not find a stub to claim missing airline miles, did not do a million of other things.

We spend a lot of money going out, but getting home hungry after 8 pm is not fun. To shop, to plan, to cook... I want to relax on weekends - but stuff builds up.

When we bought our ski gear one month ago there was no sale (beginning of the season) Right now there is a great sale - 25% off.

Unfortunately it is too late for us. We used the stuff and therefore can't return and re-buy it.

I went with my receipts and talked to the manager.
While he would not grant the difference, seeing how we spend a huge sum of money on top grade equipment, he gave us 4 lift tickets to the nearby mountain. ($62 each)

So we got $248 in lift tickets, for just talking to them nicely and explaining our situation.

That shop has a good service and they tried to help.

Also, yesterday I bought a lift ticket(for another mountain) of craigslist. 30$ instead of 60.

So now I have over $300 of lift tickets for which I only paid $30. I intend to use every one of them! (and go on super-saver sundays when the lift is half off).

Yesterday, on the spur of the moment we went out to eat in Time Sq. Afterwards we still had some time left on a meter, and just taking a chance I suggested going to Toys R Us just to check "what if".
And imagine, that was the day when they got Wiis! Nobody knew about them, so they were just sitting there. They were only selling one per person (quite strict about it). So I got up early today, to be there when the store opened. Waited in the cold... And got another one! (I'll sell that one on ebay and hopefully make $100+) And we are keeping one for ourselves, of course.

I went on a 4 day ski trip (good deal through the ski club)
Besides skiing (which was great) I am once again amazed how much space people have. Even delapidated trailers we passed on route are sitting on like 800sf lots.
For 200K you can buy a huge beautiful log house... The snow, the mountain, nice service in shops.... Makes me daydream of moving. Not seriously, of course, but would it not be nice to ski every weekend on uncrowded slopes, see everything around covered in fresh white snow. I love winter, and that is how winter supposed to be.

On the down side, my new ski boots were killing me so much I had to get a rental. I used them for one day and could not take it anymore. So I am not sure what to do. Since I used them, I may not be able to return them - and they cost 350$. But it is impossible to ski in them. I will go to the store and see what they can do. They felt comfortable in the store.

There is a little studio for sale few minutes from my office! 330SF, $329,000.

Only $450 maintenance. (that is very low for Manhattan)

It is so tempting to cut my commute from 3 hours to 10 minutes a day! Hey, I could go home for lunch It sounds unbelievable to me.

I could live in a space this small with my honey, I've done it before (but without 2 active cats).

There are obvious concerns, besides the space (people who don't live in NYC won't understand. They talk of McMansions but to us 800sf is luxury).

Besides the cost that would make things tight, there are commuting implications for DH. It may take him much longer to get to NJ in the morning - only one tunnel goes in that direction and he would have to go all the way cross town first. And to come back there is always traffic as well.
Second, there is no free parking ever on any day available in that area. So we would have to pay a huge sum for the garage, or park far away and take a bus to the apartment. His commute cost would go even higher than 40$ a day he is currently paying plus $350 a month for insurance.

So our vacation/going out/fun money would have to be slashed very drastically. (at the time when we'd be living so close to so many options)

Those are major drawbacks. But to live so close to work... I can dream, can't I?

Isn't this a beauty? Compact, green, and so attractive. I do not share the love of what seems to be 95% of Americans for giant tank-like polluting monstrosities.


Prius

We are not planning to buy a new car now. I hope our good old Mitsubishi will last many more years. It is a modest responsive work horse and we are fond of it. But it is nice to dream and plan.

For me during daily commute - 7 minutes to the train station, 4 min train to train transfer, 9 min from train to work.
20 min

Commute back: 7 min to bus, 4 min bus to train, 7 min train to home. 18 min

lunch break at least 15 min to grab something from a place nearby.

53 min total (not including shopping and normal walking around)

yet somehow it is not enough. Walking to the train after work would add another 30 minutes, but after work I am tired and just want to get home. I get off work at 6:30 and only get home at 8. This is also the reason I don't go to the gym - I'd get home at 10:30.

$39 at Fairway - 3 yogurts, 4 jars of my favorite salsa (I never saw it for less than $5, and here it was for 3.69), one small star fruit, 1.5 lb of coffee, 1 pack of flatbread.

Than at liquor store - $38 champagne, $12 cherry liquor, $1.5 kaluah sampler bottle

Had dinner with friends and they treated us.

Now I will try to clean up for the New Years eve. Tomorrow I need to get a very fancy meal for new years. And it can't be takeout - has to be something special.
And find a gift for my mom. All after work.

I am not one of those people who can shop for a week ahead - most of the food would go to waste:
1) Plans change too fast - we find ourselves going out with friends frequently and on the spur of the moment. Food spoils.
2) We shop in better supermarkets that are not one-stop shops.
3) I go shopping on foot often due to problems with parking near stores. Besides, being born and raised in the city, I find driving for 4 blocks ridiculous.

So I buy a little every few days.

I will keep track of it. I find it fascinating how other people do it so I'll share my info.

Today:
7 oz box of raw sliced almonds $5.98
2 small grapefruits $1
1 mango $1.99
6 oz pack goji berries in yogurt $9.98
(just to see what all the hype is about)
10 oz grape tomatoes $1.99
0.22 lb fresh goat cheese $2.42
1 lb strawberries $2.99
Marinated olives with jalapeņo stuffing $2.02
Small pumpernickel hero $0.75
0.5 lb rare roast beef $5.93
7 oz baby spinach $3.93

total with tax: $39.88

And tonight we are eating out with friends (Sichuanese hotpot).

While I am all for control spending, there is stuff I want to buy. It is not impulse stuff - I want these things for a while before deciding to get them
The difficulty is in finding a good value and research on non-electronic items. (those I need to touch to evaluate)

On my list are:

1) two really nice down pillows
2) a new down comforter (different size) and I am not so happy with the old one.
So hard to shop for it - very expensive at physical stores - pillows 160$ each and comforter over $400 in Bloomingdales... But you can't feel it on websites.

3) a stylish but roomy black purse
4) black ankle boots
5) a winter brown or ivory skirt to go with my brown suede boots

I have requested password reset to be sent to my email 20 times already during the last month and nothing ever arrived to my inbox.

I am still logged in on this computer, but once it will ask me to sign in again, there won't be anything I can do.

I went to the emergency room with my aunt - she got there at 6:30pm, and we were seen by a doctor at 1am. (She had fractured fumeral neck).
I was appalled on how many people have not been seen yet and were crying and screaming while the staff stood around discussing adjustable rate mortgages and joking around with each other.

It is an emergency room! These people are not there waiting for haircuts!

I was able to get a doctor to see my aunt only by chance - when I heard one of the black doctors speak Chinese to a nurse, I came over and talked to him in Chinese also (and I am not Asian). They started to talk to me - where I'm from, how come I speak it, where do I work... etc. At that point of establishing human contact I was able to get them to look at my aunt. At that point it turned out she was not in the computer and they did not even know she was there! (she was in the computer in the waiting room).

Also recently a friends mother, who has cancer that was blocking the intestant or something like that had trouble passing stool. When it got really bad (her not able to go for few days) her doctor sent her to the emergency room. While she was waiting (for about 9 hours also) it ruptured, and waste went into her blood. She begged and begged for help, yet was ignored by the staff. After they finally got to her, she was rushed from the exam room to the surgery immediately, and they did not expect her to survive. She spend hours in this condition with no help. If they saw her in time, this would not have happened.

I want to know what I can do if me or someone I love is in a situation where emergency care is necessary???
What should we do to get it before condition deteriorates? I need a contingency plan!

When we came back two weeks ago from Argentina (now, that the last charges have posted it turned out to cost close to 10K) I thought that this is it for a while, that now I would save to build back the reserve.

But it did not turn out that way at all. Next week we are going to Las Vegas. With one ticket(second one was free) and 4 night hotel stay it is already over 1K - and we have not left yet.

We also were on a waiting list for a ski trip to Vermont - and now there are seats, and we are going. It is a good deal, but it will be 1.3K minimum again.

Plus, our friends are organizing ski trips of their own...

Plus we were planning a trip to Honduras (frequent flier miles, but have to pay for diving and hotel)

And, my miles expire by September, so we'll go to Florida I guess. (We don't have enough to go further)

And we booked our hotel in Paris already.

I love travel, but lately I was not able to save anything besides retirement and have gone through my reserves. It makes me uncomfortable. But I don't know what to cut. Each trip is different.

This time it is $400 - to replace the timing belt and some water pump or other... The heat is blowing weirdly.
Sucks! It is a very unrewarding way to spend money.

But it made me think of people who say that car repairs "it couldn't have come at a worse time"(Like there is ever a good time to be separated from your hard earned cash?) and blame car repairs for their financial struggles.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things it is ok because we have the money and it won't put us in trouble. Though it sucks!

But it is common logic, unfortunately: if you have a car it will at some time need repairs. Guaranteed. If you have teeth, you will need to see the dentist, if you have a house, something will need to be fixed sooner or later. Nothing is eternal. Some people can't get that and never have money set aside for these inevitable things.