Just came back from 5 weeks in Asia
I had a pretty good trip overall. No bug bites for either of us until we hit Singapore, which is a miracle.
My favourite cities in order, and the ones in blue are the only ones I’d ever re-visit again.
- Hong Kong — LOVED. IT. Perfect mix of a city. The only con, is the pollution is really horrible.
- Macau — Felt like Portugal but with Chinese people everywhere!
- Beijing — A great photo-journaling experience.
- Singapore — Too westernized, 3x as expensive as it should be and not up to my expectations.
- Shanghai — Seriously boring. If I went back, I’d leave Shanghai & visit surrounding areas.
INCOME = $0 (Am on a year-long vacation!)
I’m not working for the rest of the year.
Am going to enjoy some of my savings, estimating a spending of about $30,000 this year (am hoping to spend LESS).
- $15,000 towards traveling (5 weeks in Asia, 2 months in Europe, some small trips around the U.S.)
- $10,000 for “living”, like renting the hotel and so on.
I never include blogging or freelancing income because they’re small amounts, so I tend to donate it at the end of the year or as needed (like with Japan’s earthquake, which was too heartbreaking not to contribute t0).
EXPENSES:
The above is just my partly-May and June spending expenditures.
I spent about $1000 in Asia on shopping and such, but June was around $800 too because I am preparing for Europe.
5 weeks in Asia:
- Plane tickets: Pre-paid in May 2011 – $3276.28
- Hotels (my half): Pre-paid in May 2011 – $1686.98
- Food (my half): $1000
- Entertainment: $120
- Shopping (mostly gifts): $1028
For more information, see this post on what I spent for5 weeks in Asia with notes (there are pretty pictures too!)
2 months in Europe:
- Plane tickets: Pre-paid in May 2011
- Hotels (my half): Pre-paid in May 2011
- Food (my half): To be spent & paid in July 2011
- Entertainment: To be spent & paid in July 2011
- Shopping: To be spent & paid in July 2011
NET WORTH: $175,749.17 = -$(818.66) or a drop of 0.46%
Heh. Heh.
I expect this number to keep declining at a steady rate until I go back to work in 2012.
Until then, c’est la vie and I am trying to slow down its decline.
- Cash: $1768 — in CAD and EUR*
- Savings: $6452.46
- Emergency Savings: $110,641.58
- Retirement: $56,887.13
*I have more cash, but it’s in other currencies, and isn’t more than maybe $5 so I’m not counting it.
Best of May 2011 Posts
- Gifting and Society: The guilt and the cost
- Living within your means: What does it mean?
- If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it — why I feel like an outsider in my family
- Why I don’t talk about money with co-workers or friends
Best of June 2011 Posts
- 10 Most Stressful Jobs
- 10 Least Stressful Jobs
- When your actions define who you are
- Overspending is like a drug addiction
- Sockless in the City – How to prevent and treat foot odour
- Asia 2011: What my trip cost in Asia for 6 weeks
- Asia 2011: Shopping in Asia – What I bought
- Top 5 Stupid Things I Waste My Money On
- How to achieve lasting wealth
Plans for Summer 2011
Spending 2 months (the summer) in Europe.
Heading to Portugal (love!) and Spain (first trip!!) this time.
I’m hoping to spend a minimum in terms of buying clothing or accessories, but seeing as Spain is something special for me…. I’m not going to cheap out if I see something I really love.
When we get back from Europe, we’re heading to the U.S.
I’m thinking: New York City, San Francisco, Austin and Las Vegas.
Afterwards, it’s W-O-R-K! 
I hope.
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
