Time versus Money

Which is more important - time or money? Let me rephrase it: Is it more important to save money or time?

This question is almost as old as "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" and everyone has as many opinions about it! 

I generally ask this question of myself when I am shopping ie. "I really need this pair of shoes, it's $X here. I could shop around and perhaps save $10 but that will possibly take hours, involve going to a different shopping centre etc. Is the $10 saving worth it when I am happy with what I have found?" 

You can probably guess my answer - Yep, I take what I have in my hand to the counter because the $10 saving is not worth hours of my time. Oh, and I hate shopping. Easy decision in this case.

Strangely enough I haven't generally taken that view when I spend not much money but lots of time getting somewhere. As a frequent user of public transport, it's not unusual for me to spend considerable time standing on train stations, particularly on the North Shore line after 7pm. In fact, some nights I've waited longer for a train than it would take me to walk the two or so stops I am travelling (not necessarily safer though). 

However, for longer journeys, a 30 minute train ride into the city for $6 or so is more palatable and attractive to the bank account than a $60 cab ride, which takes just as long so the scales tip in the balance of money over time. 

After last night though, I think I have come to a different conclusion because it took me almost 2 1/2 hours from Bondi Beach to Lindfield last night, door to door. It hadn't taken me nearly as long on the way in but it was still a 4 hour round trip. Just to go 21km that, according to Google maps, should only take 28 mins by car, or say an hour there and back. How is it in Australia's largest city, on a Saturday night (before midnight), it takes almost 4 times the recommended travel time using public transport? 

BUY: 

$14 - train and bus tickets (and $30 on dinner and drinks)

Given how tired I am right now, the $60 to get from Wynyard home would have been a great investment of money instead of sitting on the platform wearing my iPhone battery down for 30 mins waiting for the next connection.

WHY? 

I know you're wondering why I schlepped all the way over to Bondi? It was my gorgeous cousin's boyfriend's 25th birthday last night so I crossed the Bridge and headed to where all the beautiful people and backpackers live to help celebrate. 

And as most people probably find - on your death bed, you don't ask for more money but you definitely cry for more time. So, the time spent to be with friends and family is time definitely well spent and next time I will cough up for the cab fare so I have more time with them. 

First Test

BUY:

$10 - steak and mash (yes, I know that's a pizza in the photo. I'd already eaten my dinner!)

$6.40 - two Pink Lemonades

WHY?

Visit to the pub on Friday with a friend and first test of my resolution to abstain from alcohol. 

I passed. 

Summer blues*

BUY: $5.80 - return ticket to Milsons Point

WHY? To meet Mel for a walk around Sydney's harbour foreshore on a stunning summer day.

BUY: $6.50 - fresh ham, brie and baguette and $3.50 - coffee

WHY? Breakfast (and later lunch) in the shade of the Harbour Bridge

BUY: $3.40 - Cornetto

WHY? Undoing the good work I had done walking between Milsons Point and Waverton Park while watching Mel swim laps of the North Sydney Pool!

*sky blue, aqua, dark blue, bright blue...!

Aunty Steff

Seven months ago, at about the same time I was beginning to fret over my finances, my brother announced he and his partner were expecting a baby. With this news I was given extra special reasons to get my shit together.

In the short term, with some savings, I would be able to visit them and meet my niece or nephew in England and joining the rest of my family in France for Christmas would be a possibility.

In the long term, I began to think about how I wanted to be viewed by my niece or nephew and that really gave me something to think about. I could be the pathetic aunt who lives in the same house as Sophia's Jammy and Mo (the names my parents want to be called) who only pops over to visit her dad to borrow money. Or, I could be the cool aunt. Who has a room all set up with books and toys especially for when she visits. Who sends postcards and awesome presents from her amazing adventures and who is an inspiring, secure and independent woman.

Any wonder that I began my financial education in earnest and I got serious about saving?

Now I am happy to say that I'm on my way to being cool Aunty Steff (I think?). The goal I set myself of $5,000 in savings to travel with has been achieved (woo f*cking hoo!) and I hope to be closer to moving out from Jammy and Mo's when I return from my travels.

The only problem I foresee is that with Sophia's arrival came a million reasons to spend. Like when I went to Coles to buy some food for dinner expecting to spend about $10 and came back with a bag full of baby clothes having parted with $64.44!

To avoid spoiling Christmas surprises, please excuse the lack of description below.

BUY:

Baby presents:

$58.40

$27

$57.95 

$15.95 

 WHY?

Because she looks so cute in stars!

BUY:

$38.50 - taking Jammy out for lunch during a hard day's shopping for baby stuff!

“Only an Aunt can give hugs like a mother, can keep secrets like a sister, and share love like a friend.”

~ Spanish Proverb

Memories

On Wednesday Mum and I visited that mecca of clean, functional and clever yet simple Scandinavian design (also known as IKEA) seeking inspiration for improvements and additions for her study. 

I  made it past the bookshelves and the cute red moose-shaped coat rack without spending any money. I even made it past the heart-shaped ice-cube trays, the myriad of drinking glasses and clever kitchen utensils that are enticingly laid out en-route to the cash registers for that last minute impulse-purchase. I was feeling strong and motivated by my 'buy nothing new pledge' but helped even further by the fact I gave Mum my wallet to hold while we wandered through the maze and that she shouted me lunch of svensk köttbullar och potatismos med brunsås - Swedish meatballs and mashed potato with gravy - one of my most-favouritest meals in the world.

BUY: $5.98 - two packets of Ahlgrens Bilar

Where I came undone was in the Swedish Food Market, just past the cash registers. I couldn't pass the sweet section without buying a couple of packets of  Ahlgrens Bilar. Bilar means cars in Swedish and the tag line Sveriges mest köpta bil on the bag reads "Sweden's most bought car". 

WHY?

These soft little candy cars are my favourite lolly and while I can't even describe the flavour, each colour is different! Chewing on these sweets is like stepping into a time machine - it's the fastest way I have of being transported to Sweden and through memories of my year as an exchange student there: to nights I crawled through the snow and the fence separating my host family's place from my friend Annika's to spend long dark nights in front of the TV watching Arkiv-X (The X-Files) or Buffy vampyrdödaren (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). To car trips with my host mum Lisa, chatting, as she chomped on them to remain alert. To train rides to visit friends in Stockholm or fika and long chats with friends after school. To one of my favourite places, to memories of wonderful friends and family and to an amazing year. While the enjoying a plate of meatballs also brings back warm memories, I can enjoy Bilar in comfort, sitting on my bed listening to Gyllene Tider, Lisa Ekdahl or Robyn and thinking happy thoughts. 

So you see I couldn't not buy them.

You can read a little more of the place Sweden holds in my heart here and here.  

Buy Nothing New Month

After such a ridiculously decadent and expensive month, it's time to get serious about saving. Again. Still? Whatever...

  

I would love a "Buy Nothing" month but that is unrealistic. By comparison, the Salvos' "Buy Nothing New Month" seems like a very achievable and worthy challenge. It works with my attempts to get back to my inner-city hippy, environmentally-conscious roots (lost somewhere over the Pacific in 2009 flying from London to Sydney while also leaving a rather large carbon footprint). 

As the "borrowed" banner says basically I'm going to Buy Nothing New this month. The idea being that I beg, borrow, barter, buy second-hand or swap what I need this month. I'm also thinking that this would include repair, re-use or recycle whatever it is I may need as long as it's not new, with the reasonable exceptions of food, drink, medications and hygiene products. This way I am helping not only myself and my wallet but engaging in sustainable behaviour and not contributing to our largely disposable and wasteful consumer society. For this month at least.

I was a lot better at this when I lived in the same city/country as my best friend! We used to swap books, unwanted make-up and toiletries and sometimes clothes (even though we share different tastes and sizes!) but 4 days into the month I'm doing okay having only bought food, today included:

BUY:
$8.90 - ham and cheese toastie

WHY?
Lunchtime meeting with my boss to discuss the team's and my future. It's exciting....


I am thinking I might face a challenge towards the end of the month when my first niece or nephew is born... 

Another day...

BUY:
$3 – coffee.
$3.25 – chocolate croissant.

WHY?
Mum and Dad's toaster died last night, taking the whole house down with it!! One minute I'm boiling eggs for dinner and the next the house was so dark I couldn’t even fumble my way through it to find a torch. So instead I headed out into the street, helpfully lit with street lights and hassled our lovely next door neighbour who kindly provided both torch and fuse-fixing skills. What this meant was though, there were no breakfast-making instruments available this morning, and the coffee machine wouldn't turn on either... I hope not a result of fried wires from the sudden power surge?