Jupiter's Universe

Where are you and where are you going?
Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

bostonimproper wrote:
Sat Sep 03, 2022 11:03 pm
I’ve more or less given up on vacations which require flying [...]. For what it’s worth, active reduction is a good first step if you’re not ready for elimination; it’s helped our household ease into vegetarian eating, for instance.
Good for you, bostonimproper! And for the rest of us :D Yeah, I really appreciate that other people like you are making efforts to reduce their carbon footprints, even if it might cost them (less family visits or exotic vacations, for instance). I am also not quite ready for elimination, but I will try not to fly every year and to seek alternatives, that's for sure. I am already trying to use human-propelled means of transportation as most as I can, and using public transportation otherwise. I reserve the car as a last resort. I am also into a plant-based diet for environmental reasons. I had this one class about sustainable development, and the teacher was quite convincing, showing us contemporary research, that it was making a good difference for an average person living in our area, given the products we had available at our average grocery store. I've been vegetarian for almost nine years at this point.

Jupiter
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

September 2022 expenses :

School tuition : 745 cad
Health : 563.25 (Yes, I live in a country with generalized health insurances, but teeth and eyes aren't comprised in the package.)
Transportation : 85 cad (Half of that is fuel for my sister's car, she needed it.)
Gifts : 63 cad
Phone bill : 5.75 cad (I had a partial voucher, the last one I think.)


September considerations :

I was right, this month was intense! I hope that I will have enough time to achieve everything I want to do before moving out (which is happening, finally!!!). I had so many appointments that I started to cut out my hobby time pretty much entirely (including running) and I am dying to go out for a run. I have to finish my last thesis chapter this week, and the rest of it will be packing/cleaning/preparing a farewell party. Fortunately, I don't have too much stuff, so I think it won't take too long, but we never know. I also want to donate or discard some worn out shoes and clothes, if I cannot repair them first. There is a cool organism helping us to do so in my town. I am really excited for moving out, I haven't been in an apartment since 2020. This little break at my parent's house was more than lovely, but I am looking forward to managing my whole life too. I am moving in a basement apartment with a roommate that I have yet to meet. I hope that being in a basement will encourage me to live more outside. Also, I have to find a gift for my master's degree advisors. And see if I lack of anything for the new apartment. And organize the farewell party. And...

Jupiter
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Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

~~ October 2022 ~~

A new rhythm of life started this month! And that means a new rhythm of expenses... so I thought I could describe my financial expenses plan for the next year (Oct. 2022-Sept. 2023).

These are the monthly expenses I expect to have with uttermost certainty, rounded to the nearest ten:
1. Rent (750 cad)
2. Food, toothpaste, soap, etc. (270 cad)
3. Transportation (140 cad)
4. Gifts (100 cad)
5. Phone bill (10 cad)

This sums up to 1270 cad per month, for a total of 15 240 cad this year. I could probably manage with less for (2): I have not yet found my mark and the first few grocery store trips are usually more expensive because I am starting my pantry from zero. Eventually, I would like to replace (3) with a bicycle instead of a public transit monthly pass. (4) is based on my mean gift expenses from the past years and could maybe be compressed (but I don't really want to at the moment), while (1) is not really compressible. I found something really affordable for the area I am in, and I am counting myself very lucky.

I will add to that a provision (against any accident or loss that could occur). I have not fixed an amount yet, but 1 000 cad seems reasonable. Still, my objective is the 1270 cad per month for any purchase that is not forced on me. I will seek to land below that number every month. I'll let you know if it's a pass or a fail. If I pass systematically, I might revise the upper bound to lower it a bit.

This month, I have succeeded =D

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

November 2022 expenses:

I failed to respect my 1270 cad budget this month... :(

I spent 140 cad more, mostly in food/toilet paper. Basically, I tried to go for the big formats, telling myself "This will last for a couple months at least!", but I ended up finishing most of them this month, due to unforeseen circumstances. For example, I bought 18 toilet paper rolls, but the day after, my roommate's dog trap himself in the bathroom, and out of panic, ransacked the whole bag, so I bought a smaller replacement. Another example is that I bought two big containers of nuts (there was a good deal on nuts). However, I let them on a shelf in the school kitchen, and apparently, many people thought they could have some, because what I thought was a supply for 4 months at least disappeared in 3.5 weeks. One of the nut-vacuum students was even a classmate that I know is on a very tight budget, so I would have felt bad if I had removed the nuts (I think he used them as breakfast, snack and supper). I also went to the restaurant with friends that I have not seen in 4 years... and it was expensive.

November considerations:

I think I have not specified it on this forum yet, but I am still a student... I decided to go for a game design program and I (so far) don't regret it at all. I love studying game design: we have great lectures and instructors, my classmates are awesome, the assignments are a bliss although very time-consuming and I've been doing very well so far, leading me to think I could do great as well in the industry. A downfall of that decision is that I will not have any reliable money-making activity in the next year (the program is intensive, working is not an option). Even if it is not ideal, I am so very happy in this setting! One thing I would like to improve however is exercising. I have not been exercising properly since August, and it would be much more balanced to incorporate at least one hour of muscular work into my weekly routine. I will try very hard to do so in the next weeks.

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Chris
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Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Chris »

You didn't go over budget, you just under budgeted for the education category "lessons in communal living" :lol:

mooretrees
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Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by mooretrees »

What are your ideas to get more exercise? One hour of muscular activity is a wee bit vague so it could be useful to flesh it out. Glad you are loving your school experience, is this undergrad or a master’s program?

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

Hi Mooretrees,
mooretrees wrote:
Sun Nov 27, 2022 11:43 pm
What are your ideas to get more exercise? One hour of muscular activity is a wee bit vague so it could be useful to flesh it out.
I have in head calisthenics for beginners videos. I am usually a cardio person (I love running), but I am looking to develop a bit of muscle, especially around keeping a good posture. After calisthenics, I will do some classical stretches.
mooretrees wrote:
Sun Nov 27, 2022 11:43 pm
Glad you are loving your school experience, is this undergrad or a master’s program?
Yes, it's so far unbelievable how fun it is; I feel very tuned in and I love learning about many things at once. It's a professional certificate; the school is a private one, with good ties to the industry. I got a scholarship, or else it would have been too expensive so I would have not attended. In a way, I am retarding my entrance in the workplace by a year for a job that will be hopefully more diverse (touching art, sound design, mechanics design, programming and team management) than what I was cornering myself into.

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

Chris wrote:
Sun Nov 27, 2022 6:56 pm
You didn't go over budget, you just under budgeted for the education category "lessons in communal living" :lol:
Yes, we could say that! Also, a new thing that I will have to balance is 1) creating ties with the people in the industry (apparently, networking is 1/3 of our job as a student in this school) and 2) avoid restaurants at all cost, because every meal is about 1/3 of my grocery bill for a whole week. I might have to put some restaurant expenses under the "Investment" category, if I ever plan to have a career with a lot of company shifts.

Jupiter
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

December 2022 expenses:

I successfully respected my 1270 cad budget this month... :D

December considerations:

However, the "I will exercise more" part of last month's resolution was another story. I think I didn't plan it enough, especially the when, because I continued working non-stop, doing mostly computer stuff, and in my downtimes I would rather sleep because I felt exhausted. Now that I am on vacation, I can catch up a bit, but my goal is to have a steady exercise routine, not a burst during weeks off and nothing afterward. I lost quite some weight in the past months and it's probably due to muscle loss, so I want to regain everything in the next 4 months. On my todo list, I have the item "Organize workout routine" and on my recurrent todo list, I will decide the when with great accuracy. I am not too worried for execution, unless I get again submerged by assignments, in which case I have a tendency to prioritize work over my needs. This issue will need some extra work and care.

Besides exercise, everything is going well! I re-read my annual goal list from last December, and everything or almost seems checked or on the right path to be checked. It's exciting. I think I will have a pretty similar goal list as the previous one for 2023. It's nothing fancy, it has stuff like spending quality time with those friends/family members, doing X amount of hikes, dancing by myself in my apartment, develop my listening skills or make progress (Y small steps) in certain personal projects. I try to have diverse goals so I can do them all in one year and it does not feel like too many things to manage. Plus, if I strive to be a "balanced" person of a certain kind, my goals should as well reflect some of that, I believe.

Jupiter
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

January 2023 expenses:

I failed again! By around 200 cad, but in this instance, it went all in gifts. I believe it will not compromise my target of 1270 cad/month at the end of the year if I can spread out this Christmas effect on more successful months. Besides, my grocery expenses are starting to go down by a significant amount. Instead of 60 cad per week, I am closer to 40-45 cad. If I pay higher than that, it's because I am stashing a lot. Anyways, I am not mad I missed my target, because it's not all black.

January considerations:

One game jam, three big homework weekends, a team project and multiple level design layouts later, I am still unsatisfied with my workout routine. I went on 2 small hikes and I took some time to stretch/do squats almost every day, but I spend way too much time on the computer for my current efforts to compensate for this sedentary lifestyle. I cannot compromise on that much, however. My desire to complete my projects and homework is too strong. I will keep doing as much exercise as I can, because it's better than nothing, and the next priority/related field of improvement I want to tackle is taking breaks. I will try to take a standing 10 min break every 1 hour of work. This fits my class schedule, so it is the most convenient structure at the moment. Life is amazing, and I am convinced it will be even better if I take breaks!

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

February 2023 expense:

I hit my 1270 cad target with great ease.

February considerations:

Wayyyyy too much schoolwork. I gave it my all, and I had two more game jams during the weekends, meaning I had to do big 9 to midnights days for two weeks. My wish for March is to sleep a bit more, maybe?

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

March 2023 expenses:

Again, really good job at hitting the 1270 cad target. Hourray!

March considerations:

March was slightly better in terms of sleep and workload management. I got to take longs walks on the weekends, but it was still very busy. I am feeling somewhat out of touch with my long-term goals, since I am so caught up in the whole school thing. I went to the restaurant many times, a bit too much for my own liking, and I also started spending on processed foods. I think it is the aftermaths of all the lack of sleep: everything seemed tiring, so I chose the "easy" options. I will try to dare slack on some homework in order to get better sleep during April; hopefully, everything will be right back on track. I'm really excited for April. We have big projects ending and other big projects starting. I love those floating moments of transition.

basuragomi
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Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by basuragomi »

Good work on staying on target! It's really easy to let schoolwork swallow up everything, I don't think there's any way around it but to throw yourself into the flow when necessary and recharge later. This is where having a partner can really help keep your life on track.

ertyu
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Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by ertyu »

Jupiter wrote:
Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:36 pm
I went to the restaurant many times, a bit too much for my own liking, and I also started spending on processed foods. I think it is the aftermaths of all the lack of sleep: everything seemed tiring, so I chose the "easy" options.
same

looking forward to seeing how you resolve this

Cam
Posts: 181
Joined: Tue May 25, 2021 8:21 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Cam »

Just caught up on your journal now, Jupiter. I love reading the perspective of a fellow Canuck who is also around my age. How long is your program? You're doing an excellent job of saving so when you start earning more things will add up quick!

I'm thinking of moving out in the next while to get myself some experience having to do everything myself. Reading about your experiences with communal living make me chuckle, especially the stolen nuts and toilet paper capers. Glad life is treating you well!

Jupiter
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

basuragomi wrote:
Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:45 pm
Good work on staying on target! It's really easy to let schoolwork swallow up everything, I don't think there's any way around it but to throw yourself into the flow when necessary and recharge later. This is where having a partner can really help keep your life on track.
Thank you for the cheering, basuragomi! I really appreciate it. Yes, schoolwork is like having an elephant pet: it takes all your attention and the place in your room, and if you take a day off to unwind with friends, you're really hoping that there will be limited damage when you come back. Having a partner do seems very nice in those situations. A friend of mine at school has a boyfriend, and he always brings her lunch when she doesn't have the time to make some. I really hope that I can find a partner with compatible life objectives!

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

ertyu wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 3:46 am
same

looking forward to seeing how you resolve this
Hi ertyu! I'm so sorry to hear you are feeling tired and relying on "quick" solutions. It is not easy when living life under many constraints, and at a fast pace above all. Are you also a student? I have not found a clear resolution yet, but my school term will end in 2 weeks. Then, I will have a week of vacation where I am planning to prepare a lot of dishes to pack in my freezer. Also, it's Easter weekend here in Canada, so I can enjoy a nice 4-day break to catch up on sleep, homework and food preparations. I have this plan of making everything in slightly larger quantities. For instance, I will bake 2 loaves of bread instead of 1, so I only have to make bread once every two weeks. My homemade bread does not keep well for two weeks, but I'd rather eat dry bread then have to buy the grocery store one.

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

Cam wrote:
Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:58 pm
Just caught up on your journal now, Jupiter.
Hi Cam! I'm happy to hear from you! I see you are posting regularly on the forum, but I haven't got the time to keep reading ERE journals. I will definitely do it when I am on vacation. I love hearing about people's stories and progress, and especially yours since we started journaling around the same time and, like you said, we are about the same age.
Cam wrote:
Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:58 pm
I love reading the perspective of a fellow Canuck who is also around my age. How long is your program? You're doing an excellent job of saving so when you start earning more things will add up quick!
My program is 1 year long. I'm about halfway done, which is excellent news. I already have a paid internship set up right after, so hopefully it won't take too long before I'm back to the level of money I had before starting it. It's really funny to me that I am on a descending money slope, because when I started my journal on this forum, I was persuaded I wouldn't be until the day I reached my ideal FI amount, whatever that would be. Little did I know that I would be caught up in an awesome adventure to become a professional game designer. However, I love it, and I have zero regrets!
Cam wrote:
Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:58 pm
I'm thinking of moving out in the next while to get myself some experience having to do everything myself. Reading about your experiences with communal living make me chuckle, especially the stolen nuts and toilet paper capers. Glad life is treating you well!
Oh, I bet that you will have so much fun! Every time I moved out of my parents' house, I always appreciated the few first months of finding my habits, discovering my favorite times to have breakfast or cleaning up the apartment. Living in a environment where I am a lone agent allows me to get to know myself even better, which I truly enjoy. Plus, it makes you look forward to seeing the family. I wish you a smooth transition with that project!

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

April 2023 expenses:

Oh noooooo! I went a bit above my target of 1270 cad per month, of about 70 cad. From that, 45 cad are from groceries and 25 cad are from a karaoke evening. The groceries I know very well why; it's because there were 5 weekends instead of 4 that went into this month's bill. In the end, it should average out. The karaoke was a one-shot, a friend of mine is leaving for a phd in Germany and this is what he wanted to do before leaving.

April considerations:

April was amazing! I finished my project just like I was supposed to, and the next one looks promising. I will be on a team of 6 with friends I really enjoy. I think we will work well together, they are very agreeable and understanding people. I cannot work well with people that have strong opinions, because I don't like arguing. As a team, I believe we will chose quiet and open discussions instead. The project will last 6 months, so I am sure there will be ups and downs, but I am ready for the ride. On another note, I went running! It was everything I wished for: I was in the forest, the weather was sunny but not too much, warm enough so that I only needed a light jacket...

Jupiter
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:45 am

Re: Jupiter's Universe

Post by Jupiter »

May 2023 expenses:

My goal of 1270 cad per month was an easy win this month! I barely went out, I just worked the whole thing.

May considerations:

This month was incredible! I started the pre-production for my team project, and I loved every second of it. My team is indeed doing very well, we have harmonious discussions and a very smooth way of resolving misunderstandings and other small disagreements. I don't have much to say, besides that I can't wait to start the production on the project (which has to wait for another month, we still need to go through the prototyping phase first). And, to be honest, I also can't wait to start the prototyping phase. It's so much fun! I am so grateful for my friends and instructors.

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