It’s been an exciting month, the American election, Covid19 vaccine news, I found a place to buy salted butter–you know, stuff that really impacts my day-to-day life as a Canadian in China.
Spendings Report: $650.61
The biggest one-time purchase this month was $50 for a Secret Santa followed in a close second by last week’s grocery shop at Walmart at $46. Cheese is expensive, kids.
Overall, a pretty average month for me, had lots of fun, went exploring in central Beijing, and I think I actually managed to have a good balance between extroverted outings with friends and introverted burrito-ing in my blankets.
I didn’t pay for any lessons or courses this month so it’s nicely low. This is exactly the calm before the financial storm that’s gonna be the next 3 months with:
- Christmas (and travels)
- New Years (but no travels)
- Chinese New Years (and travels)
- Master’s courses
- More Chinese classes
- Buying a new phone
I’m trying not to get too hung up on saving every last possible penny as I’ll never be where I am now again. It’s a good time to be alive and enjoy what I have.
Net Worth Update: $134,864
Stonks, amirite.
I’m bewildered and proud to say that I have now maxed out my tax-advantaged accounts (TFSA and RRSP for any fellow Canadians reading this). Next year I should have about $15k more room and the rest I’ll put in a high-interest saving account because I don’t know what I want out of life beyond next year.
I have long run out of the handy excuse that I did not have enough saved up to take big risks in my life. Arguably, I can do almost anything I want to with this much FU money. I can literally go back to get another 4-year degree and change my career completely.
Or take 6 months off to travel the world. Or take a year off with my family in the south of China doing nothing except learning Chinese and searching up my own family tree.
You know when you stand in the deodorant section of the supermarket and there’s 100 different choices but they all seem equally (un)appealing to you? That’s the kind of place I’m at now, the deodorant section of my life.
What do/did you wish you have the chance to do in your 20s?
That’s actually a funny dilemma with the deodorants. To that, I would say to think back to the time when you had A LOT less money and what you had wanted to do back then if money weren’t an issue? If you have an answer, that’s probably the route I’d start with and then revise accordingly as you see fit.
In terms of what I wish I did in my 20s (of course I’m still in my 20s but what I could’ve done instead…), I don’t really have many regrets. The one thing I wish I did earlier was that I wished I had more self-confidence and self-preservation towards the beginning of my career to leave situations that were clearly unfavorable to me. I didn’t have that back then because I didn’t have a very stable family. So, to be fair and to give myself that credit, thinking back, I don’t think I could’ve done things any more differently. I just didn’t have it in me to do things anymore differently…
It wasn’t all bad though. I learned very important lessons on how to treat others and stand up for myself, especially in a professional setting. And that is a lesson I’ll take with me forever! 🙂
I really like your advice! Thinking back to when I was just graduating university I thought of travelling the world and reconnecting with my roots in China. Perhaps I’ll just start by giving myself time to get outside the expat bubble 🙂
You did the best you could have with what you had back then. I’m glad to hear you came out stronger for it!
Hey Mandy, I didn’t know you followed this blog too haha
Also, cup of rice, hi!
Hi! So happy you stopped by! 😀