Expensive Private Health Insurance

One of my major expenses every month is my private health insurance for which I have a top cover - hospital + extras. I pay roughly $125 a month and I get 75% back of everything that I pay for provided it's below the capped plan. The main reason for this is dentistry. I grew up in a country where dental care and 6-monthly dental check-ups are for the rich. When I complained of a tooth ache when I was around 13, my aunt took me to a dentist for the first time in my life (that I remember) and he immediately took the tooth out. I didn't go to a dentist years after that. Until a couple of years later when it really started to hurt and I had to get two root canals. A root canal costs around $1200 to $1500 and without a health cover, I had to pay that in full (and J paid most of it anyway). That's why I decided to get the top cover - just in case!

I had a little mishap on Tuesday during a training session. I was jogging down a very steep hill when I twisted my ankle & could only shuffle the following day. I went to a physio & the bill came to $90. Very expensive! My insurance covered $67.50 of the cost so I only paid $22.50. Not bad for a long appointment!

Mmmmm....

I really want one of these....


but I know I'll get sick of it after two weeks! I think I'll just wait for the Kindle...

Off to Melbourne

Tomorrow morning, J & I are flying off to Melbourne for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. This is J's gift to me (the flight + accommodation for 2 nights) and a special birthday dinner. He is the best!

Yesterday after work, 2 of my work friends & I had our manicures done ($20) and one of my friends treated me to a yummy Thai dinner. Tonight, J & I are going to Night Noodle markets in the city to meet up with a few of our friends. I've really had a smorgasbord of wonderful food lately!

Budget for the next two weeks (Oct 15 to 28)

Income: $1970

Rent: $400
Family: $249
Personal Training: $90
Uni Loan: $146
Credit Card: $115
Japan travel fund (to J): $325 (paid to my CC)
Week 1 budget (15 to 21): $500
Week 2 budget (22 to 28): 150

I've severely inflated my Week 1 budget due to our Melbourne trip which would include copious amounts of eating out and hopefully shopping. What I don't spend I will insert in my credit card debt.

Our Japan budget is becoming confusing so I might document it now. J paid for our fares which is $1170 each so therefore I owe him that amount. Last pay, I gave him $450 so that would mean I now him only $720.

I booked our accommodation to Tokyo though for 5 nights which came to $650 or $325 each so instead of me paying him another $325 I just inserted that in my credit card instead.

So I now owe him $395 which I will give to him on my next pay!

On the job front...

Due to my desire to be incredibly anonymous on this blog, I haven't really posted anything about what J & I actually do for a living. We both work for the government, the same government department although in different locations and definitely different roles.

J & I have the same degree which is Social Science & Criminology (we met at university) and our professions are related (kinda!) to what we've essentially studied which is a good thing. I started working for this government department in June 2008 as a Level 1/2 (civilian govt employees have levels which goes up to 11/12. A Level 11/12 would probably take me 10-15 years to achieve). In March and April of this year, I relieved in a Human Resources/Finance position which is a Level 5/6. The money was good but I don't think I could have done that job for very long. Towards the end of April, I started relieving as an Intelligence Analyst which is also a Level 5/6 and I'm still doing that role now. I got the opportunity in relieving because the manager (Level 9/10) had to go on holidays and the IA got to relieve in the manager position. It was only supposed to be for 3 months but then when the manager got back, she moved to another manager position in another location. Hence, the IA is still currently doing the manager position and I'm still in the analyst position.

This is the job that I essentially wanted to do when I applied. Since I started in April, I now have 6 months of experience which is enough for me to apply for an analyst position in another location. Everything at work is still kind of a jumble and it all depends on whether we're going to have a new manager by early December. If we do, then we all go back to our original positions and I go back to being a 1/2. I know that whatever happens, I would still definitely have a full-time job but I do want an analyst job.

Due to the GFC (or Global Financial Crisis, etc), government departments have frozen their hiring which means not many positions are being advertised so the chances of me getting a permanent job somewhere else is very slim. Although there are still analyst positions that are being advertised but in another location.

At this moment, we live very close to my work and since I don't have a car, that's very convenient for me. But 2 analyst positions has become available in the last week which I'm going to try and apply for. It's a bit out of the way and it would require me to travel about an hour and a bit more (2 buses and some walking for the other location & a bus and a train in the other) but I really don't mind the extra travel. The position is for 12 months. That means IF I do get it, then I would only stay there for 12 months then at the end of those 12 months, I either go back to being a 1/2 unless I could then find a permanent analyst position or some other job.

I feel like I've been playing musical chairs for months and I still don't know where I'm going to land. As a 5/6, I'm earning $400+ a fortnight than a 1/2 which is also one of the reasons I don't want to go back to being a 1/2. There's also the fact that I actually like being an analyst and it's a career path that I want to eventually pursue later on. J is helping me with my application so hopefully I get one of the two analyst positions.

*fingers crossed*

Shared Finances

J & I don't have a joint account, per se. He gets paid into his account and I get paid in mine. Although we do have a say so in our finances, we're not in each other's pockets all the time so to speak. We do have a joint savings account we've christened the Dulux Dog account (got the cute reference?) but I think I've contributed very little to this account so far.

At the moment, I earn just a little bit more than J does. But he's definitely a better saver. I'm still learning although I'm getting better.

We both get paid every two weeks (or fortnightly). On my last pay, I saved $600 which I've put into my own ING Direct account bringing my total to $2236. Not bad at all for a person that can't really save. It will be very tight but I hope to have $3000 in that account at the end of August 2009.

What is Generation Y?

According to this article, "they're between 17 and 28 years old and comprise the most influential generational group since the baby boomers".

Australia has a habit of defining individuals in their generational gaps such as The Baby Boomers (your parents), Generation X (30-year olds) and of course, Generation Y, those that are born between 1979 and 1990. After that, we have Generation Z, the newest generation of brats which is another story altogether.

For the most part, Gen Y-ers are known to be technically savvy, has very high expectations, are impatient and most of the time, lazy. At least that's the bashing that Gen Y is regularly getting from the media. And I have met ones who would definitely fit the bill.

I am, however, trying to break the mold.

I'm M, in her mid-20's (higher half), a full-time worker, a renter and very independent.

J is my soon to be other half. We got engaged a few months ago. J is also in his mid-20's, also a full-time worker and we live together.

At the moment, we are trying to save up for a home deposit. Our goal is to have around $18,000 by June 2010. This blog would hopefully keep us in line and encourage us to save more.