Brooklyn Girl's Personal Finance Blog

$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 jalapeño 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.

50$ meal was much worse than I remember it. (and we got too much food somehow too)
Half the food was left and I refused to take leftovers home. (I just did not want to eat it, not even tomorrow)

This sucks - this place used to be better.

I hate this feeling of wasting money. (if the food was good, I would not feel this way)

I have read your comments, thank you.

I also thought about it, and decided to give it another year - to take advantage of more travelling opportunities.

We had to book the one to Vegas yesterday (our free ticket was expiring). We had to pay for the second ticket(we wanted to go on the same flight), so the airfare for both of us ended up costing $350. (from NY).
We are going in 2 weeks.

And, we booked our hotel room in Paris (on Champs Elysees!) for 7 days. Costs €580 per day - does not even have a pool, but the location! Of course, I would not pay €4,000 for a week just for the hotel. We are doing it with DH's reward points.
(I have to get some compensation for him being away almost 100 nights a year).

I think with hotel costs out of the way, Paris can be financially manageable. Man, dollar is so weak! it is at $1.47 for €1 now.

I do, and I don’t. I keep thinking about it, we got pre-approved… we almost submitted an offer and than I chickened out.

I do want a house, with a yard (even a tiny one), with trees seen from the window, a driveway of my own to park anytime, a WASHING MACHINE at home! (my dream). New York renters will understand what I am talking about.

But if we buy one:
No more month long vacations abroad.
No more ski trips.
No more eating out with friends.
No more nice wine.
No more shopping.
No more family nearby.
Right now we are renting apartments in the same building. They look after our pets when we are gone, I am not alone when my husband is on business trips, we get occasional hot meals, I can always borrow jewelry/shoes/accessories, tripling my wardrobe…

I can have a house, but would have to give up my life as I know it and count every dollar for many many years.
House would become everything – for 30 years! The loss of freedom that comes with such a drastic cut in discretionary income is scary. Right now we could live on one income in the event of a job loss.

I am looking at a beautiful house in a nice town, and I want it. I want to live in it. I am so tempted.

Is it a good investment? I don’t know, considering where real estate is headed.
Will we suddenly become “typical” people, chained to our house, able to only leave for 2 weeks a year? Does this mean the end of youth?

We have a box of so-so cheap ornaments.
The really beautiful ones are very expensive to buy. (around $30 each - and you need a lot of them) I feel too guilty to do it.

I think we should start a new tradition of buying 1-2 really beautiful ornaments each year, and slowly building the family collection.

We'll remember which ornament we got which year, and if we have kids, we'll have a beautiful tree. (and leave the collection to them.)

Good cause and they are beautiful too.
More expensive, of course, but that's the point of fundsrasing.

Also got a beautiful box with blank cards (they have design, but no writing) to use as "thank you" cards.

Now I must actually write them...

delicious sandwiches

Took a fresh baguette, scooped out the middle, left the crust.

spread some goat cheese on it, than olive paste and than put some hot califlower baked with garlic(from yesterday), some roasted eggplant and roasted pepper and sprinkled it all with parmesan cheese.

We just went out to dinner with 2 friends (a married couple). I was totally surprised when they gave us a card with $500 check in it. It was our wedding gift.

I feel it is very generous, since we did not even throw the wedding. We had a city hall ceremony and an unplanned dinner in an inexpensive restaurant nearby. (it was 5 weeks ago, and we just came back from our honeymoon this Monday)

This couple are good friends, and we knew them even before we became a couple. Still, I did not expect it.

It was cold, so walked into Blimpies, looked at the menu, but could not get anything and walked out. The "fast food" smell gets to me.

In the past few years I walked into McDonalds and other fast food places several times, but walked out unable to eat. I don't know how the smell of these places have does not bother other people.

I ended up eating in Cosi. Only a little better, but $10 for a sandwich and a drink.
I have to start bringing lunch more.

We landed today at 6:00 am.

I just looked at our cash withdrawals and credit card statements we spent close to $8,400! - and we mostly stayed in youth hostels.

I was planning on much less - but Argentina is much more expensive than countries where we normally travel.

We also ate at best restaurants and did active stuff(glacier hiking, paragliding, horse riding, kayaking, camping/more hiking, etc). And 3 internal flights/and 3 overnight buses... And bought 2 expensive ski jackets (when you are freezing your priorities get rearranged fast) and a fantastic leather purse for my moms birthday. But still, that price tag is high.

Now I need to get into the money saving mode. It will be tough to give up nice wine.

They will not advance me an extra pack of Yaz - they only give one each month, and do not care that I will run out while abroad.

They advance 1 per year, and I already used that in July when I went abroad for a company programme.

So now I have to fork over 60$ to buy Yaz at the market rate. But they do not suspend my insurance premiums while I go abroad - I still pay these.

This is such a moronic policy -- it is not like I am asking for an advance of painkillers or something "controlled".

And I have to buy it -- because you cannot just go on and off hormonal birth control - it stresses and confuses the body.

Bought a waterproof camcorder - so don't have to worry when rafting, kayaking, or horseriding in the rain. (I wish I had this when I was snorkelling in the Galapagos!) Than had to buy memory, and a "leash" for it. $600+

And, my Pentax broke!!! Horrible timing. Here is my dilemma: it is still under warranty, and they will fix it. BUT... not in time. And I cannot go across Patagonia without a good camera. I love photography and it matters a lot to me.

So what do I do????? It sucks having to buy another camera (especially of the same type - so I can use lenses I used with my old one)

I applied for a training program for a profession I have dreamed about for a long time. And it would be run by my employer, and would be free of charge - a very large investment on their part.

I just got a call from them, saying that they don't know if it will run, if there will be funding, and not to make plans based on it... but if it did run, they think I am a good candidate.

So it feels good to know that - even if nothing concrete is being offered!

My aunt just bought a camcorder that she cannot afford(but she obviously does not think so). I can't even be happy for her.
I was hoping she'd do more to get rid of her cc debt, but she keeps up with us in her lifestyle (often buying things I just bought -we live very close) She makes a lot less.

I've had personal finance discussions with her before, and I don't think they helped.
She says "but it is no interest for a year, its a great deal!" very happily.

She full-heartedly believes that buying stuff on credit is "the American way of life". And if it is no interest offer, than there is no reason not to buy what she wants now.

She has no retirement savings, but I cannot bring that up as an argument - she will get angry and resentful.

It was a hectic, sometimes stressful day, with us barely making it on time to city hall. But once we got there everything went ok. I now can call him "my husband". Sounds so strange.

The judge was very nice and spend some time on the ceremony.

Few closest friends and our family came, and we went to a random place to eat afterwards.
It was a small mediterranian restaurant. We just came home now. Chilling some champagne.

After we come back from our honeymoon (30 days!) we will throw a wedding party for all our friends. We'll rent out a small restaurant, I will wear a dress and have dancing/albums/photographer and I hope a fun atmosphere with maybe some wedding games. But avoiding other "trappings" of the wedding.