An expensive mistake

I just made one, that is.

Needless to say (but I'm not giving myself ready excuses), I was tired, I bought something expensive and I regret it almost immediately when leaving the store. Now, before you ask further "just make a refund", I regret to tell you that the returns/refund policy where I live is next to none. 

Vaguely remembering there is a "protection" policy (aka insurance), an urgent call to the credit card company was made. Apparently I could return all the things to the insurance company (the broker of the credit card company) and get a refund, but I had to pay roughly 12% of the product's value (it's an exact figure, not a percentage given). I wasn't impressed.

More importantly, I'm angry and beyond annoyed at myself.

It was clearly not a need, I am not going to die if I don't have it in my life. Far from that. It's not the sense of entitlement ("treat thyself") either. I don't know what got over me and I did it. The money (any money in fact) can be put to use in a much much better and purposeful way. 

Now we're looking at 2 options - (1) I can take the products (not send...) to the insurance company and fill in forms to do a refund and suffer the 12% loss; or (2) I can go back to the store to exchange for something else of equal value or higher value, which the difference shall be paid in extra. Selling it away is not an option either.

Totally realizing I'm bringing on more trouble for myself, I don't know which is the better option. It is a very expensive mistake either way no matter how you look at it. It SUCKS to feel like this.

This lesson just serves to remind me (1) not to set foot in that store again (except should I decide to exchange products, which is likely, since I'm not going to use that darn thing if I keep it, it's too painful of a lesson); (2) be very, very judicious in making decisions; (3) leave the cards at home (I brought it with me since I had to pay for a prescription today); (4) I'm going to live just fine without it; (5) I've lost more than just the monetary value here, time and mental resources to ponder and wonder about the decisions made. Frankly speaking it's been a torture ever since that stupid decision has been made. 

Can't let this happen again!

Outsourcing your time or your hard earned money?

The other day I met up with a friend who just came back from the holiday destination that I'm soon going to, and I borrowed the travel guide from him. In the past I've also borrowed another travel guide from him too! Makes me cringe to buy books of that sort...unless it's somewhere I really, really want to go, and the book is really, really helpful. But these days there's always the Internet.

During our convo, I learned that the price he paid per person, for flight and hotel, is double than the amount of what I booked per person for me and DB. Shocker, right? And my vacation dates belongs to the peak season and his was not! I was very curious so I asked him where he stayed at. He quoted a place which they booked a private pool (!) and the nights we stayed are the same. We lived in pretty much the same area I guess...his hotel was newer, but basically the "level of stars" are the same, if not half-a-star difference. To my surprise, my friend thinks this price was fair. To me, needless to say, was not. I told DB this shocking discovery, that what they paid for one person actually pays for 2 of us to go, with same number of nights spent there in a similar area! I can't remember whether they have free breakfasts included but mine surely have!

I would further add that even though the sound of having a private pool is nice, but I'm not going to use it every day while at that destination. I don't like the idea of vegging in the hotel room when traveling, so it doesn't make any difference to me (or benefit) if the hotel carries a free gym access and a free pool access. I would love the idea of having a private pool, but anything more than 1 day is too much, who am I kidding anyway? If I'm going swimming I might just as well get to a standard pool and do some laps like a pro (ok, maybe not a pro), or if I want some sun I might as well go to the local beach. Paying for a private pool which I'll not be using everyday? No thanks. And the ludicrous part was, I thought his partner did the booking for him, but no, he told me they bought the package via an agent. An agent! If it was somewhere I'm not too familiar with, not that popular with tourists, I might do the same. But chances are that 90% I would not outsource it. 

In the past I've made booking for flights and hotels via agent, but on different occasions and never booked together. One occasion was when I was traveling with my parents and they made a booking for the hotel via the agent (a place they've been to but I haven't, so I trusted their recs, the place doesn't have much "hotels" but instead "home-stays" are plenty, and I'm not staying at anything other than a hotel when I'm with my parents). The other time I booked a flight ticket via an agent because I wasn't too sure about buying it online. 

But I'm getting better at it now...once I got past the "fear of making a mistake" stage (story to come in an upcoming post).

With outsourcing I believe that depends on the age and angle where you're looking at it from. Right now, it makes sense to me that these are things that I could easily do it myself, but when I become old one day, I might just dismiss the act of outsourcing as "giving myself some free time" or "saves me hassles", or it was just something that I'm not capable of, e.g. mechanics, renovation. But for now, as far as I'm concerned, I can book tickets and hotels myself without problems, although it means I have difficulty choosing.

Over to you, what do you / will you happily outsource?

Fail to plan, Plan to fail

My previous boss used to say this phrase every now and then during our morning meetings. It stuck in my head whenever I did something stupid.

Back >1.5 years ago, I was an avid contact lens wearer, and I made use of the sale day at the grocery to stock up on the contact lens solution because I go through a bottle in 1.5 month. That's pretty reasonable and straight forward, right?

Fast forward to now, I still have 1.75 bottles left and their expiry date is March 2015. They're standing on the bath stand mocking me for stupidly stocking up. Truth was, I wore less and less contact lenses and thus did not need as much of the solutions as I thought I would. What I thought would be efficient (saves money, since I'm going to use them anyway) had ended up costing me more, because of the unused things that's going to waste. With anything that touches the eyes expiring soon, I'm NOT going to take the risk of using them and getting an infection. That'd be another stupid mistake.

With that in mind, I decided that any stocking up behavior should not be too long-term. 6-9 months' stock is OK, but anything more than that is a no-no, that includes food. I just realized I have tons of cookies, oatmeal, cereal bars that are close to expiry / expired by a few weeks, and they're still there. Another lesson not to go crazy with stocking up. I don't live in a desert or the Arctic, why do I have such FOMO or fear with not having enough? Can anyone explain that?

Another story that happened which made me want to kick myself was, a spring drizzle that I thought was nothing but enough to make my feet / shoes / coat wet! A drizzle without an umbrella and wellies is simply a recipe for disaster. As I was chasing commute today, the puddle splashed against my leggings (it's probably not good for work but it's a Friday and I don't care lol) and my feet. Talk about gross! The lesson to take away is: when in doubt (of the weather), take the short umbrella. 

Oh, did I mention someone just took my umbrella from my building? I suspected the cleaners took / stole it while they cleaned, but they (the property guards) said no. Glad it was an old one and I had extras.

Here's to no more stocking up of food for a good while until I've finished everything! For my lens solution, I'll just buy when April rolls around and won't get any more bottles until I ran out, which I expected to be few and far between.

What are your "fail to plan, plan to fail" moments?

Coming back from the Art Show

DB and I went to an art show yesterday since I got us free tickets. What I did not anticipate was that the show was commercial in nature, a certain 5-star hotel has rented its rooms to artists and galleries and the latter will put up paintings, objects they sell all over the room. On the windows, the bed, the wall, the bathroom (!) mirror and bathtub (!). Why would anyone pay to go in just to potentially buy artworks (many of them are couples) is beyond me.

Then in one display room, a studio representative was talking to us about what their studio does: take photos in different styles and have them printed. She said during the exhibition they are doing an offer fro HK$500 you get an one-hour photo shoot, and get to have one wall print of 1 of the photos (you can select which one). But they won't give you soft copy of the photos taken during the shoot! WTF is that??? I can do similar stuff with a cell phone app, Photoshop on the computer, and take it to print myself! Or I can ask friends who are good at photography to do that, even though we don't have a studio environment. The whole package offered by the representative was ludicrous ridiculous!

The commercial factor aside, the rooms were really small, dated for a 5-star hotel in a prime location. The views are awesome though, after all people are paying for a prime location! We were a bit disappointed because the show was crowded, and the place was cramped, we did get our free drinks though. Our conclusion was that art was really an subjective and therefore the price is really arbitrary. What looks like a kid's drawing can sell for a lot, repetitions / collage works can sell for a lot but you never know how much effort / time is put into the work. There were really some good paintings though!

After the show we went for a burger and ribs dinner, we really liked the place since it's high-ceiling (guaranteed good vibe in my books), it was bustling but not noisy, and its tucked away in a very chic neighborhood. DB was not feeling that full so we headed back to the hotel and there's a large mall underneath and we looked for sushi takeaway at a supermarket. He finally settled on some and I got some bread on clearance, the supermarket was rather upscale being in a prime location with a few 5-star hotels nearby, so mind you they're still more than what I have in mind for "clearance" items but considering it's half-palm sized scones and banana bread (never tried before), I paid HK$43 for more than 3 breakfasts' worth of bakery goods. Had a bit of the bread today and it was decent without being sweet at all! I wouldn't be picking up anything from the mall's bakery next time though - because the deals aren't exactly 'deals'.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Follow up on February's monthly Wrap-Up

I'm hoping as I write this, I'd be able to hop back on the blogging bandwagon. During the 1 week break, I still read and went through blog posts of those I follow, making a comment or two; but now I'd like to sit down and dig further into the nitty gritty of the February spending.

Here's some figures:

Jan 2015 - overspent budget by HK$813

Feb 2015 - overspent budget by HK$861

The 'slips' in February included the following:

- falling for ready-meal ("just add water") packs of flavored oatmeal, I bought 2, each costs $4.x serves 1 per meal. The slip? I could have bought 1kg of Museli or oatmeal for $30! Not in individual serving and is best accompanied by milk, but still, I loathe to pay more than acceptable just for "convenience"

- I spent quite a lot on gifts in February, even though I said no rather strictly when it comes to gift in my yearly laid out goals, and subsequently I had to spend on shipping it to a friend as well

- I made redundant trips to supermarket and got beverage sachets on clearance. Note to self: Saving money is NOT SPENDING IT in the first place, money is not saved even if you buy things with a yellow label

- I bought a perfume, a scent that I love which was discontinued, I searched high and low (refusing to pay full price), and finally found it on A**zon

- I bought snacks (chips, drinks) for the office, could have saved that money instead, and save myself some waist room

- I overspent in beauty category the most, it's my vice and I knew it, trying hard to tone down on this area

I did well with the no shoes/bags/clothes ban though! I only bought a pair of footsies (socks) in February as my old ones were slipping down as I walk.

The doctor I had been visiting has increased their fees so it's crap news, but I'd have to stick with it and scrimp elsewhere. Furthermore I had the habit of putting a cereal bar (or leftover dried fruits and nuts) in my bag if I hang out by myself during much of the day, it helps to cut down on the "hunger" spending and avoid to eat out. There's also the plus when I'm hungry, I eat everything, including the dried apricots that I've been shunning away from for months, helps to cut down food waste. 

Before you ask, YES, I finished up that bag of sucker (will not repurchase)! 

Everyday frugality

Happy new year everyone! 

The first week of the year was a rather eventful week, so far I've done the following on my to-do list:

- Read 50 pages of the said book read 30

- Jog 2x walked 1x, jogged 1x (but my calf starts to hurt after i'm done with 1.25 miles...had to switch to walking)

- See whether DB needs help with his house move I spent much of Saturday helping him and his mom to pack and move...

- Hand tiny gifts to DB's mom handed her some, still some more

- Pick up free ticket from cinema  done

- Track refunds x 2 done

- Make outfit plan on Sunday shamefully not yet...

- Ship 2 parcels to friends abroad not yet

- Make a list of items for blog sale not yet...but needs to be done soon

- Continue the glasses search looked at a few places, found nothing, the search continues

New year calls for a new way of doing things :-) I'm noting down the frugal things I did each day this week, whether they are on purpose or not! I doubt if I can come up with a frugal thing to do on a daily basis (dig hard and deep enough?), but so far so good. As long as frugality is practiced everyday, I'm contented.

1st Jan: Went for a walk at the park, healthy and free. What's better than the feeling of getting a head start on first day of the year (health goals)?

2nd Jan: Took home from work some leftover cakes and pastries. Dad was kind of excited about one of the pastries being his favourite. The pastries are individually wrapped so they can sit for a while, yum!

3rd Jan: Took my complimentary ticket from the cinema, picked up some beauty samples. Free of course! I re-gifted a purse to DB's mom, it was new but not my taste, she happily took it, win-win!

4th Jan: Can't really think of anything - except that all my spending were on food today.

5th Jan: I could have asked a colleague to share with me the Starbucks BOGOF offer which expires tomorrow, instead I made hot cocoa using what I have. Frankly speaking I just need a hot sweet beverage as I was feeling a bit nauseous whole day. Also I also picked up some free samples on the way home from a chain store, nothing beats beauty on the cheap (free)! Will be cooking up some instant noodles tonight for dinner (1 person serving) using what food we have. Oh and I received birthday money from my distant family, this will be counted as part of the extra income made this month. [Edit: I bought some butter shortbread, mincemeat tarts, and Hershey's nuggets on clearance! The chocolates would be gifted, the shortbread would be an indulgent treat. Talk about a frugal slip! Today is not a No Spend Day hence, but tomorrow will be!]

So far so good : ) I hope everyone's got a gentle but good start of the year.

2015 Housekeeping / Misc. decluttering goals

Housekeeping / Home / Decluttering goals:

1. Bleach room twice a year
2. Purge closet minimum once a year
3. Sell old books, DVDs, CDs or donate them
4. Practice minimalism: borrow, not buy
5. Use up things, watch them die and go to the trash! Bottles and jars you know who you are
6. Be resourceful: re-purpose things
7. Practice "going without"

Goal (1) is self-explanatory, I do this whenever spring rolls around and in fall. This goes hand in hand with goal (2) together. 

I've asked a colleague at work about goal (3), basically the library doesn't take donated books anymore unless it's special collection or a limited edition thing. So I would either sell my pile at second-hand bookstores or donate them to school, or donate to charity. I need to call the bookstores or pop by to ask and see if they'll take any.

Goal (4): Stuff that I rarely use but wish to use one time or the other (like a cheese fondue), I'd ask my aunt if she has a fondue set to borrow. Same goes for travel books.

Goal (5): I intend to live by the generosity of my friends and refrain from buying beauty supplies as much as possible. There'll be some staples that needs to be replenished, those had to be planned sensibly.

Goal (6) targets at waste reduction. Whenever I bin something, think about ways to re-purpose it. The last time I was about to bin a pair of torn pantyhose, I googled and who would have thought that a pair of pantyhose have so many uses? Read HERE if you're interested.

Goal (7): Whenever I felt I "need" something, go through it a few times, when will I use it, how often will I use it and where I can find space to store it? And try to go without.

It's not how much you earn, but how little you need

I was inspired by a local TV documentary (HERE if it works for you) which told a story of two men who had given up their jobs and live in nature. They are both uni-grads, who could earn from their profession and yet choose to retreat to a life of peace, non-materialism, happiness and simplicity. And before you ask, no, I don't intend to live in a homestead or retire right now, I won't eat what others have left at their fast food plastic trays (not even for the sake of wastefulness), I can't DIY nor make a fire out of the bush etc, but I appreciate a simple and happy life. Whether you aspire to live a life like theirs or not, there are certainly lessons for everyone in the logic/wisdom/principles behind.

- 

Here are a few memorable quotes:

"Why make ourselves busy? The goal of living a life is to be happy, peaceful and healthy"

"Aligning with nature / Getting close with nature means meeting your own needs and NOT harming the natural environment"

"City dwellers have lots of resources but are lacking in consciousness, thinking if they have the money they can throw away things at their disposal. Being rich has nothing to do with wastefulness"

"I eat leftover food from others not because I"m poor but because I want to reduce the burden to our Earth"

"It only gets more ironic when the stuff/junk I pick up from others' unwanted trash is getting newer and newer. Why do we dump things that are so new? I haven't bought any new clothes for 10 years, but I could find brand new clothes from others' trash (still in bags/tags)"

"Wearing clothes is not about satisfying others' sight / eye pleasure"

"Happiness coming from consumerism or shopping is a pleasure that puts the earth's resources on expense"

"I never ask how much I earn per month, but ask instead how little I spend"

"The less you own, the more freedom you have because you don't have to worry. I don't ask everyone to do the same but I challenge myself how little I can live on.

"I consider myself rich since I have the right and freedom to choose the way of life I want"

"Simplicity means not to let MONEY have control over TIME, nor control over what we DO"

"I do DIY home-perfecting projects and am not bounded by time. I wait for the materials to come, sometimes it means waiting to find it in the trash or waiting for people to give them to me, I see it as a training for Patience"

"City dwellers tend to think that money solves everything, hence they make themselves busy because of Money. I don't busy myself for Money, I use my brain to solve problems (life), hence I'm not bounded by money nor am I a slave for money"

"A life of simplicity is an attitude, it does not a definitive standard. You don't have to live on an island. It doesn't mean you have to burn the wood logs to get fire to cook, you just reflect on your life (how far you've come) and take the opposite direction"

"Living in nature doesn't mean not spending a dime on anything, it's about avoiding unnecessary consumption, purchasing it in the greenest manner (bringing our own containers when buying food). We don't refute civilization, we're just don't want to create wastefulness (plastic grocery bags and packaging)"

"I don't think my way of life is 'bitter', in fact it is the city dwellers' way of life being 'overly sweet' (saturated with materialism and its abundance)"

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Please allow me to say that I haven't been touched or felt moved by a documentary for a very long time. The last time was probably about polar bears losing their homes in the arctic, starving and died because they are forced to move somewhere they're not familiar with. 

"How do I want my life to be?" is a fundamental question for me, unfortunately it's not an easy one to answer either. Too many people have lived their lives in a breeze and chase after things that they don't intend to, at the end they might not get anything they want from it - because most of the times they haven't even looked and asked themselves what do they want from it? Sure, life gives everyone their share of sh*t now and then. ..Anyhow this is a reminder of why I need to live my life with a clear purpose (aka consciousness above everything I do). I hope my life would be more than just working and spending money on various things in life "mindlessly", and those things might mean nothing to me at the end!