My beloved husband and I grew up in nomadic families. He has moved house 26 times spanning over two countries, including three Australian states. My record is not far off, 12 different houses over 27 years in two countries, including three Indonesian provinces. In fact, our 2-year dwelling is the longest we ever live in the same house for the past 10 years. Another thing I realised last year is that I had never lived in the same city/town for more than six consecutive years… until Melbourne. This epiphany explains the anxiety (amongst other things) I’d been experiencing since last year, which happened to be my seventh year in Melbourne.

I wanted to move out sooooo badly, anywhere would do. It was as if my lease had expired and I had no choice but to move out of town or life would be hell. Lucky for me, my husband felt the same way. So the around the world trip idea was born.

Most people would agree that if you have the financial means to do it (without resorting to debt), world travelling will be one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could ever have. Scuba diving in Thailand, conservation volunteer work in Canary Islands, learning Spanish in Madrid, visiting The Met in New York, learning Tango in Buenos Aires; they’re just some of awesome things I put in the to-do list.

I bought and borrowed travel guide books, read a bunch of travel-based blogs, websites and learned a few travel hacks. The excitement of research fuelled our desire even more.

And then something hit us!

What will happen after the trip?

Most likely I will lose my job and my husband will get burnt out at work. Financially we will be worse off than before. One year of zero income will be aggravated by the likelihood that I will get a lower paying job. Our plan to be financially free will suffer setbacks that cost us a few years.

On a positive note, hopefully we will gain new insights about life, world and universe. Hopefully we will be more grateful. Hopefully we will gain valuable friendships. For sure, it will be a trip of a lifetime. But still it begs the question:

Is it worth it?

Without a deep and thorough search into the cause of our anxiety, the world travel will serve as a band-aid solution. At the end of the trip, we will return to real life… maybe will even face the same issue.

In April, during my business trip in Asia, I thought about how cheap it is to live there then seriously thought about doing my work from there. At the same moment, my husband sent me text message about a job in Jakarta that he was interested in (I’m serious). Before then, we hardly talked about moving to Asia, especially to Indonesia, mostly because of … my relatives. I mean, I love my parents and they are great in moderation. However, daily dosage of them plus my “butt-er in-ner” relatives who keep asking about my non-pregnant state (and my “unnatural” lack of desire to be pregnant) is just way too much.

This time however, by some weird forces, I felt and thought that moving to Jakarta is the right thing to do in terms of improving business, finances and relationships.

Immediately after I returned to Melbourne, I presented my case to my boss and explained how I could make more money by relocating to Asia. He was not convinced at first. Fair enough. So I did my research, talked to local business people, spoke to lawyers and eventually drafted a business plan (thus explains my June hiatus).

Yesterday, my business plan was approved.

Photo Credit: Engine People

So here we are now. Our around the world trip plan is scrapped. Instead, we will improve our finances and travel more at the same time. Two birds with one stone, tickled (I don’t want to kill the birds, ok). Here’s how we make it happen:

1. I will still earn my Australian salary while living in Jakarta. If you read my previous post, it is possible to live well with very low cost there. As of today’s exchange rate, our proposed monthly budget there stands at AUD 1700. We will live in a two-bedroom apartment in city area, no car, close to shopping centres, office buildings and sports centre.
2. Eating out only costs around $2/person for mid-level restaurants.
3. Cheap airfares to other South East Asia countries. Jakarta – Phuket return airfare costs around AUD 160. Tickets to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur are much cheaper.
4. I love Melbourne, but it’s located at the bum-end of the world. It takes about 6 hours to fly out of the continent. Don’t even talk to me about airfares. Since the arrival of budget airlines, such as Air Asia, the condition has improved. Still, it is a lot faster and cheaper to see the world from Asia.
5. Even though my husband will earn substantially less (let’s just say that his employment situation is “flexible”), our expenses will be reduced by 60 per cent and the tax rate is lower. We estimate that we will be able to maintain our current saving rate. Any extra income from my husband will go towards savings and travel fund.
6. In order to make this arrangement sustainable, I will have to bring enough new business as planned. This part will be a big career challenge. I’m both excited and nervous about the expansion plan. The financial and non-financial rewards will definitely take me to the next level. More about this will be discussed on my career goal update.

So people, this is a major life change I didn’t expect when I started this blog. I am extremely grateful that life has been kind to me. Somehow I also feel that by sharing the journey, I become more deliberate in shaping my destiny.

What about you? What major life change have you experienced since you started blogging?

Okay, I admit that I have not been a diligent writer. After going through 5 stages of writer’s grief (Denial:  Ah, it’s only been 2 weeks since I last wrote my last entry, it’s normal, right? -> Anger: I can’t believe it’s been 4 weeks and nothing changes! -> Bargaining: If I can do a handstand for 50 minutes and let blood flow to my brain, I will be an awesome writer -> Depression: I can’t effing write a single proper thought… I’m stoopid -> Acceptance: Yes, I suck, but I’ll do it anyway), I decide that it’s worth dragging my lazy fingers and just bloody do it.

Despite my reluctance to chronicle my off days journey, actually I have made major changes and progress in my life. The bad news is I did not and will not have as many days off as I planned early this year. We have the Big Plan which will take place later this year so our time and energy are focused to accomplish it. The good news is, everything else.

1. Get my Open Water Scuba Diving certificate -> DONE!!

Last month, my husband and I went to visit his parents for a week in Brisbane. Queensland has a much warmer climate so the winter weather generally hovers around 20-23 degrees Celsius. I took this opportunity to accomplish my long delayed goal and face my fear. I tried a similar course last year in Melbourne but didn’t manage to do it because of my fear prevented me to finalise the last 60% of the course until the company went under (and I lost my money).

The best thing about passing the test is the satisfaction that I overcame my fear. The fact that I didn’t end up die, didn’t suffocate or expand my lungs has taught me that fear is often overrated. I learn to believe myself more and trust my body. I will write more about it in my later post.

Photo Credit: Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten

Check out what you're missing. Scuba diving in Indonesia. Photo Credit: Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten

2. Build a thriving vegetable garden -> Hopeless

My theory about gardening is if you can’t muster up a desire to do it in summer, forget about ever doing it in winter.

3. Holiday to New Zealand in February -> DONE!!

We visited the North Island for four days and still crave for more. Check out my post here.

4. Organise the house -> Ongoing.

We try to get busy every weekend and when it fails, we would invite people over. Now that never fails to get us off our bums.

5. Get rid of 365 items at home that have resale value -> Getting there.

While it has been working slowly, the Big Plan will pretty much take care of this goal. So what the heck is the Big Plan? Well, since it is not yet 100%, I feel that it would be incredibly disappointing if the plan fell through after public announcement. So, fingers crossed, people.

Next post: Financial Goals update.

Leah Cim is “unrepentant”. Leah is back again with another prayer this week.

Photo Credit: Moayad Hassan

Hail Apple, Full of Apps

The web be with thee

Blessed art thou among tech-heads

And blessed is the fruit of thy touch screen, emails

Holy Apply, mother of iPod

Pray for us sync-ers

And update our status now

And at the hour of our death

iMac.

She’s home.

Yep, 16-year old Jessica Watson is back home in Sydney after seven-month of solo sailing around the world. The journey is also non-stop and unassisted. Yes, you read that right. Imagine being on a rough sea alone, handling the boat through the storms, eating rations and the only human contact accessible is through your computer… for seven months.

Jessica was set to be the youngest person to sail around the globe solo. However, critics and sailing purists claim that she has not met the requirement set by World Sailing Speed Record Council of “the shortest orthodromic track of the vessel must be at least 21,600 nautical miles in length.” By that standard, hers was apparently “only” 19,631.6 nm. The Council (along with other record-keeping organizations) also stopped recognizing the youngest record pursuit due to its controversy.

World record or not, most of us would agree that she has achieved something extraordinary. Her achievement is remarkable on so many levels. Today, she’s greeted by the Prime Minister as she stepped off Ella’s Pink Lady. Many shed tears, most cheers and the whole Australia is proud of Miss Watson.

Looking back, the most extraordinary thing I did when I was 16 was the ability to reverse parallel park my parents’ car without sending it to another paint job.

Having a lofty goal and pursuing it when you are that young has its own advantage. First of all, you are less fearful (maybe fearless) and more focused to the goal rather than the challenges. You experience fewer failures and the trauma associated with it. You pay little attention to risks and keep your eye on the rewards. You think that you can take the world… and believe it. People keep telling you of your potential and the big future ahead of you… and believe it. Ah, the youth idealism. If you are lucky enough to be surrounded by supportive people, like Jessica’s parents, your chance is even higher.

On the other hand, when you tell the world that you will circumnavigate the globe solo at 16 (not to mention that you’re a girl!), a lot of well-meaning but skeptical adults will tell you to stay at home and come back in a few years. Jessica’s voyage started with a hiccup when her boat collided with a 63,000-tonne freighter during a test run. Immediately the critics came out warning her lack of navigational skills and maturity to complete the journey. Many criticized her parents for supporting her dream and condemned them to be irresponsible parents. But then again these people didn’t know her as well as her parents did.

Knowing the risks prevents you from carrying out risky behaviours that could potentially harm you. Sometimes I still shudder if I remember how I casually met my online chat “friends” (read: strangers) during my teen years. I didn’t realize the potential danger I was in. What if they were serial killer or pedophile? Luckily the most dangerous online “friend” I met was a smug chap who was way too friendly. I ran off after 10 minutes.

Knowing the risks could also be paralyzing. If you know the 1,453 ways how things could go wrong in the sea or the 734 ways your business could fail, would you attempt to sail around the world alone or be an entrepreneur?

They say the biggest obstacle that stands between you and your dream is yourself.

If you are set to accomplish something extraordinary that you’ve never done before, would you research and prepare vigorously until you are satisfied or would you obtain the minimum required knowledge and off sailing? What was the biggest achievement you had when you were 16?

Photo by dongato.

Who doesn’t like travelling?

Most of Yakezie members are travel enthusiasts. Many put travel as part of their life plan and diligently set aside money to budget for travel. Some like Foreigner’s Finance, Frugal Zeitgeist and Simple in France travel overseas to start a living. I personally find travel as the answer to some of life’s challenges.

It’s the variety and randomness aspect of travel refreshes you from daily grinds. The new scene makes you feel brand new. And if you’re lucky, you make friends with the locals, expand your horizon and hopefully score a free accommodation on your next visit.

I will kick off this carnival by challenging whether travelling is worth your money.

Ultimate Money Blog also wonders whether vacation is a good use of money

Early Retirement Extreme argues that Travel is Not Worth It

Money Help For Christians points out how Can You Afford A Family Vacation?

Fiscal Fizzle wonders Should You Take Vacations in a Bad Economy?

And Money Reasons has a definite answer for that: Forget the Economy, I’m Going to Disneyland

Budgeting in the Fun Stuff talks about Expensive Dreams

Eventual Millionaire tells you all about What Tim Ferriss Doesn’t Know About Life Style Design

Learn Save Invest believes that financially peaceful people keep their recreation simple

Once you decide that your travel plan is worth it, here’s how to stretch your dollar further.

Engineer Your Finances dishes out the Travel Industry’s Biggest Secret: How to Slash Your Bill in HALF

Foreigner’s Finances writes about Travel With a Water Bottle to Save Hundreds Every Year

Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog writes the ultimate 10 Ways To Save Money On Your Vacation

The Debt Hawk shows you how to get your vacation faster by choosing the Top 5 Cash Back Credit Cards

Young and Thrifty also compares no fee travel reward credit cards

Couple Money wants to show you how to bid successfully on Priceline

Free From Broke argues that Booking A Hotel Through An Online Travel Site May Not Be Worth It

20s Money shows you How to Travel the World Without Quitting Your Job

Don’t want to end up being the ugly and unsophisticated tourists? Here’s some great articles on how to travel with style.

Simple Life in France shows you how to Travel without looking like a tourist

MoneyCrush shares How I Learned the Secrets of Traveling Light (& Saving Money in the Process)

More Style Than Cash shows you how to travel with your best friend: Dog Travel Bag or Dog Emergency Kit

My Money Minute lists The 16 Dos and Don’ts of Weekend Travel

I love reading travel stories. Sometimes I wish I had a random and weird experience during my trip just so I can share it. Here’s some of the Yakezie members’ travel tales.

Narrow Bridge Adventures travels to Omaha for the Woodstock for investors

Bucksome Boomer’s Journey to Retirement was Sailing the High Seas last week.

Frugal Zeitgeist shows you how to have A Budget Egypt Vacation

Cool to be Frugal knows how to Live in a Foreign Country for 2-3 Weeks For As Little As $300

Other interesting articles from Yakezie members:

Eliminate the Muda writes about Are you married to a gambler?

Clarifinancial wonders If Death is Simple, Why is Life Insurance Complicated?

My Journey to Millions questions if Is Home Remodeling Worth the Investment?

Have a great week, everyone!

Leah Cim is back to lead the Sunday prayer…

This photo has got nothing to do with the article. It just looks pretty, that's it.

Our Google, who art online

Hallowed be Thy mainframe

Thy cookies come, Thy URL be done

In Chrome as it is in IE

Give us this day our daily AdWords

And forgive us our nude image searches

As we forgive those who Blogger against us

And lead us not into malware

But deliver us from Bing

For Thine is the search engine with maps and accessories

For ever and ever

Amen

Nine days have passed since I wrote my last entry. I wish I had a legitimate reason behind my absence like Single Guy Money (being abducted by an alien) or TJ (a healing journey), but I can’t think of any honest reason other than a sheer desire to relax (read: laziness).

You see, work sends me overseas (any other country is overseas for Australia. Heck, even Tasmania is overseas!) to meet clients and run training. At least a couple of times a year, I would fly to Malaysia for work purpose. I always enjoy my trips so far; especially since I cunningly design the trips around colder months. A typical visit covers two or three cities over one week. This time, I bravely (or foolishly?) organise five stops within eight days. We’re only half way through the journey tonight but I feel so psyched and energetic while my two colleagues have been plagued with cold. Must be that thick skin I inherit from my mother.

In regard to my cash-only month project, this trip has become a blessing. The company covers my accommodation, transportation and food so I only use cash for personal spending.

For the next few days, I will report to you what it’s like to live in various Malaysian towns as I visit them.

Penang

I’ve visited this bustling little town a few times in the past but this is the first time I stay for more than one night. My family happens to be in town so I spent most of my free time with them.

Penang is a small island off Malaysia peninsula, just an hour flight from Kuala Lumpur. The island is connected to the peninsula with an 8.5 km long super bridge. The land is so scarce here; most people live in one of the hundreds of apartment buildings. It seems like they preserve the land to build commercial property. The narrow roads are cramped with cars, motorbikes, buses and rickshaws.

The Georgetown area, where I stayed, is on UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Colonial style houses of all colours stand side-by-side with Buddhist temples. In many parts, the original buildings are well-preserved and still used for residential and commercial purpose.

On the first day, my parents instructed me how to catch a taxi to their apartment. Mind you, in most parts of Malaysia, taxis don’t run on meter. You must haggle beforehand. And if you don’t look or speak like the locals, good luck. They said it would cost around RM 12-15 (AUD  1 = RM 3). Having watched my mother haggle the price down to a third of its original offer in the old days, I knew I had it in me.

So I marched out of the air-conditioned hotel lobby to the scorching hot real world. An old taxi driver approached me and I mentioned my destination.

“18 ringgit lah” he said while showing his toothless smile.

I immediately realised that I would feel like a schmuk if I insisted on saving some ringgits. Sigh! I agreed. In the end I asked him to keep the RM 2 change. He waved cheerily at me. Yes, I’m a sucker.

The next day I determined to do things like the locals. So I took a bus to this time. Surprisingly, the air-conditioned (very crucial equipment that is) bus is very clean. It only costs RM 1.40 (less than AUD 0.50) for a ride on any distance. Things are looking up.

If you are feeling adventurous, another mode of transportation you should try is the rickshaw. Some rickshaw drivers act no different from a Harley Davidson convoy. They think they own the road. The only time I rode a rickshaw, the driver pushed through small gaps so fast like a horny bison, I never prayed so hard in my life. Worry not though, not all rickshaw drivers have such Evel Knievelesque approach to mortality.

Don't let the demure appearance fool you. An exhilarating ride awaits.

In between eating too much char koay teow at the hawker’s market and running class until midnight, I imagined what it would be like to live in here. I asked around about how much it costs to live there. Here are some ideas:

Accommodation: RM 35 per room per day (AUD 12) which includes a fully furnished room in an apartment (air-conditioned too!!), utility bill and a maid (who does the dishes, washes clothes and cooks for you). You can get a cheaper rate if you stay longer or under a different arrangement.

Food: RM 4 (AUD 1.30) for a plate of noodle or fried rice at food court or hawker’s market.

Transportation: RM 1.40 (AUD 0.50) for an air-conditioned bus (or half of that for the “economy class”) and less than RM 20 to get anywhere with taxi.

Shoes: RM 50 (AUD 17). Because it’s an essential One time I bought six pairs of new shoes for less than AUD 90. Ladies, start your engine!

Generally speaking, you can live like a king for less than AUD 800 (for a  couple) per month. In comparison, our weekly budget in Melbourne already exceeds that number. It sounds even more appealing with Air Asia offering AUD 400 for a return ticket from Melbourne and even cheaper fares to other exotic Asia destinations. Who’s not tempted?

Would you move to a tropical island for a cheaper lifestyle? What if you could keep your current job and pay then move to a tropical island? Has anyone done this before?

*1 AUD = 0.93 USD

This is a story about my first day using the cash-only system. My husband and I went to see my friend and his partner at our favourite Thai restaurant. On any other month, I wouldn’t think much about what to order based on the amount of cash in my purse. Yes, we would debate over fish or duck, but not because one is more expensive than the other. We love Thai food and don’t think much about the cost as we save on other areas (ie. not buying another white singlet).

Food is an area where we let loose the most. So I thought this would be an interesting experiment. As I sat down and looked up the menu, I mentally calculated the order tally and whether I shouldn’t have my favourite chili fish because it would send my cash budget into chaos. Not only that, I’m not comfortable explaining to my friends that we should order vegetarian curry we don’t really want just because I’m short by three bucks.  I really don’t want to make a big fuss over cash with my friends when there’s delicious food on the table. It’s just so unholy.

So, this is what went through my mind at the restaurant when we ordered the food.

Ahh… I want that pork skin salad, hmmm… $18.95? Maybe the duck salad is better. Okay, duck it is then. What else? How many dishes do we need to order so we don’t look like a bunch of cheapskates? I mean, two dishes for four people are too little. People will look at us weird and I’ll walk out hungry and cranky. But four dishes might be too much… and too expensive too. What about three? Is he going to think I’m cheap if we only order three dishes? Damn! What’s that green curry? Yum… I like it with shrimp, but chicken is cheaper. Maybe not.

What about fish? I always order the fried fish with chili sauce. What’s the point of going in here if we don’t order the fish? What? They don’t want spicy food? What kind of people who don’t like spicy food? Why am I friends with them? F**k that! I want the effing fish with bloody chili sauce on top.

Now, drink. Should I order one? Ahhh, thank God the Thai ice tea is out of order. Orange juice for $6? What a crime! I didn’t know it’s so maliciously overpriced. I bloody buy a whole big bag of oranges for less than that. Okay, he didn’t order drink, good. I can say no too. Gosh, I’m tired. I wanna go home.

In the end, I got $2 change from my cash, not too bad. Good exercise, but I’d rather eat at home than contemplating too much about cost while eating out. The whole point of eating out is so we can relax while enjoying great food and company. Maybe I was being anxious over nothing. Maybe this experience teaches me about the value of home meals. Maybe eating out is not that big deal anymore.

Last night I went home to find one of my favourite mails on the table; the credit card bill. I’m serious. Like a love letter, I opened it carefully and inhaled the smell of fresh paper/ink/financial management triumph combination. I scanned every charge from the top to bottom while tallying up the amount I used for myself, household and work expenses. It’s a self-indulgent exercise really, nothing less.

You see, the bank has a love-hate relationship with me. They love me because I have been an exemplary customer. So much that they waived the last two credit card charges (close to $70)30 seconds after I asked them to. They don’t want to lose me and know that such fiscally responsible customer can’t (always) be exploited. They hate me because I’m fiscally responsible.

For a while, I’ve been in a credit card comfort zone without critical review on how credit card has slackened my spending habit. I must admit that there are quite a few items in my credit card statement that would never have crept into my budget, had I used cash-only method. A few examples from last month’s statement include a dress, a blueberry farm (I’m a sucker for organic jam in pretty jars) and a couple of dining out trips.

If I go back as far as 12 months and I’m sure similar pattern will emerge. Realising how my lax credit card habit could amount to more than $5000/year, I plan to alter my credit card dependency, at least temporarily.

In April, I will withdraw a set amount of cash at the beginning each week for my non-essential purchases. If I run out of money before the end of week, bad luck. All of our bills are paid with credit card, so I don’t see the need to change that.

Money Reasons wrote an interesting article on things you should consider before using credit card. By his standards, I should have a green light. The theory is, if you can control your spending and have your consumer debts paid, the payment method doesn’t matter much.

Still, restricting the convenience of credit card could make a difference in your budgeting system. If you block all access to money sources, you have no opportunity to spend it. I don’t know how or by how much yet but I will write down my chronicles in the land of paper notes and coins.

How much influence do you think payment method has in your purchase decision?

The Overrated

And the honour shall go to… the Australian Grand Prix.

Oh, where do I start? Lewis Hamilton was caught doing a burnout on his latest Mercedes. Unlucky for him, his vehicle had to be impounded due to Victorian anti-hoon law. Who cares?

The event is bleeding out money every year. This year, it is estimated to lose anywhere between $40 to 50 million. And who’s going to pick up the tab? You get the picture. Sydney is vying to snatch the grand prix from Melbourne. I’d say let them. Unfortunately, too many fellow Melbournians are too arrogant to let it go and determined to keep it at any cost.

Many argue the prestige that comes from such event will earn potential return in tourism. Well, we already have Australian Open, Melbourne Cup and the Footy Grand Final, what else do we need? Maybe it’s just me, but Grand Prix is an acquired taste and not as popular as tennis. I don’t see significant increase in tourist volume during Grand Prix weekend compared to the Australian Open.

The Underrated

The Silver Rose

Photo Credit - Rolands Lakis

This is the second weekend that my beloved husband and I spend our time soaking up the high art and culture. Last week it was The Barber of Seville opera and Ron Mueck’s exhibition. Last night we went to see the Australian Ballet company performing The Silver Rose.

Now, before you call us champagne-drinking-snooty art patrons with our chins up high, I need to tell you we did not spend a single cent on the tickets.  From time to time, my husband is invited to art shows and exhibition openings for work purpose. We calculated that if it hadn’t been for the freebie, we would have spent almost $450 for those tickets.

Before the show started, I warned him that I may not enjoy ballet and we might have to leave after the first act. To my surprise, I was enchanted from the curtain drop. The costumes, the stage, the dancers and of course the orchestra are so grand … so opulent. The glorious State Theatre was fully packed with beautifully-dressed patrons who spent the interval eating chocolate ice cream. Maybe there’s a correlation between being overwhelmed by beauty and sweet tooth.

We spent a grand total of $4 that night buying an ice cream, but we plan to invest more time and money on satisfying night out like this.

I would like to close this post by introducing to a grossly and unjustly underrated Melbourne-based band, Augie March.

So, how was your weekend?