Places in Beijing have been closed for the last month and just started opening up again. As I live on campus at school I am under a slightly different set of rules for coming and going. I can leave anytime, but returning to school is problematic during Covid Times (TM).
Considering I don’t want to pay to stay at a hotel until school opens up again, I’ve decided to stay “locked” in on campus with my other colleagues. It’s amazing for my savings, and luckily this time since most of my colleagues/friends are here, not too bad for my mental health either 🙂
Spendings Report: $978
It’s been a while since it was only three digits! The last time it was less than $1,000 was December of 2021.
Most expensive single purchase this month was $100 on a tent for the shared patio. We’re really turning it into a lovely place to hang out during lockdown, it’s got a foosball table, tent for shading, lights, BBQ, pools, chairs, and tables. I was chatting with a couple of other colleagues and commenting that I’m actually quite enjoying having the chance to become better friends with everyone. Without it, every weekend we all usually go our separate ways.
This month’s clothing is all related to fitness wear. I’ve got a nice crew of gym peeps going and this area of my wardrobe is getting updated. It’s a great privilege for me to be able to afford nice/cute gym wear for the first time in my life and again I’m surprised that I can do this now. The socializing I do while heading to and from the gym is also helping to keep my spirits up.
As I get older the value of friendships become more and more clear to me. When I think about places I will settle down in, or the next location I want to move it, I want to prioritize community. I’m rejecting the idea that adults can’t hang out with friends often like we could have done in school. That’s not the kind of life I’m saving for, and I don’t particularly like mainstream ideas of adulthood anyways.
Lots of people are leaving soon and I’m spending time with them as much as I can. This includes spending money on things I would not have done before, like an impractical-to-move tent. The reality of being an international teacher is that you’ll see friends leaving more often than not, or you yourself will leave them. Hanging out with my friends on campus has given me a lot to think about in terms of priorities for this stage of my life. I have also had to re-evaluate my views and boundaries on friendships, but that’s not a topic for a finance update so I’ll leave it here.
Net Worth Update: regression
It’s back to the same value as 2 months ago! Yay!
To think, we’re all living through history right now and we’ll look back at this time years later. I wonder what this graph will look like in 2030? My predictions and goals at the start of this school year were wildly off, but the law of averages is in my favor as the timescale gets longer.
I’ve decided I’ll keep posting my net worth graphs, but just cut the numbers out of them and talk about general trends. It would be very interesting to do a 5-year recap where I try to match up dips and rises in the graph with major events in my life or the world.
Stay safe and be well, dear reader, keep in touch with your friends and take some time for yourself as well 🙂