Paris, Au Revoir

A few months ago, my coworker was talking about going to Paris, saying I should join her. We’d sit at cafes and spend nights by the Eiffel Tower, practicing our bit of French and enjoying an escape. It was this fantastic, really fun, big-dream kind of conversation.

So just for fun, we looked at plane tickets, and they were pricey: around $1K usually, per person round-trip. That was way too much.

I knew I couldn’t afford a trip like that, at least not right now and with the goals I’ve set. So I told her, “Maybe if we could get tickets for $500,” half-serious. “Then it’d be a sign.”

About a month or so later, we found just that: round-trip tickets from Chicago to Paris, for about $500 each (plus tax). It was a good deal, all things considered, and I told her I’d think about it.

That’s when I realized it wasn’t the $500 difference that was stopping me, giving me hesitations. It was all the other things: spending a big chunk of my vacation time, using a big chunk of my savings, knowing I’d be doing all that for a few days in Paris, a city I like but wouldn’t say I love.

So I said no, and so did she. And come this fall, we’ll both be staying in Chicago. Paris, and Italy and Greece and Prague and all the other great places, will still be there later.

Image: StevenVanwel

What I Loved on My Summer Vacation, by GG

Dear Blogging World,

As you know, this summer, I went on a long weekend to California, after saving up and budgeting $1000, a little here and a little there. On my trip, we stayed at a swanky hotel, ate some fabulous food and toured San Francisco, Sausalito, Napa, Sonoma and the Muir Woods.

It was really nice to get away from work, especially right after my one-year anniversary, but I’ll admit I came back more tired than I left, in some ways!

Here are the things that I loved the most:

Delica @ The Ferry Building: First night we got there, we were hot and tired and starving! Our hotel concierge recommended we head out to the Ferry building because of its variety and location on the water. The very first thing I ever ate in California, it turned out, would be at Delica, this supercool Japanese delicatessen. I didn’t even know what a croquette was before this trip, but the sweet corn/potato/onion one I had at Delica was AMAZING.

Muir Woods marked the biggest change on this trip–a decrease in temperatures. It went from 114 degrees in Sonoma to 64 in the Muir Woods National Monument. Shocking to my system but pretty cool (no pun intended). These woods are seriously gorgeous, filled with huge cliffs, amazing lookout points and so much natural beauty. This is where I first saw the Golden Gate Bridge, while standing on an oceanfront cliff. Incredible. Later that day, we drove up to the more wooded area farther north, and our car whipped around curves where I could see thousands of feet below me. I’ll be honest–I totally hyperventilated, both sobbing and laughing hysterically, my hands clammy and my breath short. Surprise: I am a little afraid of heights, especially when there are no railings! Totally worth it, nonetheless.

I thought Sausalito was fantastic, filled with gorgeous waterfront homes built into the mountain, a quaint downtown and ocean breezes. On our way in, we noticed an Italian restaurant, Cacciucco, in the residential area, where there was al fresco dining and no line. After we parked in the downtown, it probably took 25 minutes to walk back over, but it was delicious. The salad I had–spinach, pears, walnuts, honey and pecorino cheese–was perfection.

Grand Total to Vacation: $817

The good news is that this is way under budget, as expected. How did I spend that $817 on my trip; where did the money go? After some quick analysis tonight, here’s what I discovered:

PREPAID SPENDING:
$54 Flights
$330 Hotel

ON-TRIP SPENDING:
$193.40 Food (We took turns paying, without too much of the nickel-and-dime business)
$82.43 Clothes (Totally unprepared for the HEAT!!, I bought a pair of shorts, a sun dress & new sunglasses, which I forget to pack)
$150 Transportation (buses, BART, rental car on Saturday)
$7.02 Toiletries (Again, what I should’ve packed)

The extra (”leftover”) money is going promptly to my savings. I’m even more serious about the downpayment fund here in Chicago now, having compared our real estate prices with California’s (OY!).

Want to know which places were my favorites? Whether you’re headed to SF or just enjoy hearing about trips/travel/food, check back here tomorrow.

I’m Back from Cali!

It’s always seemed strange to me, on returning from a trip to a new place, that my regular life should remain unchanged when I return. I’ve been to San Francisco, now! I’ve walked through vineyards in Napa! I’ve driven through Berkeley and dined in Sausalito! Over a few days, I experienced temperatures ranging from 90s to 114!! to 60s to crisp 50s. I walked hills and rode trains and took buses. I mean, for the first time, I went to the West Coast!

Yet when I pull into my driveway, on my street, in my town, everything is as it always was. The geography of my weekend didn’t change the landscape of my life. And so it goes.

I have e-mails and blogs and so much to catch up with, not to mention the sleep that I should be getting right now (still on Pacific time, I guess). For now, I give you some photos. Financial reflections to come.

SF Tips from a Real SF Girl!

Intro: Who better than a SF native to give you tips on the city? I am such a big fan of SF Money Musings. She’s a writer. She loves good food. She gives fabulous, frugal, fun tips on her city. We are so sympatico (and I’m probably tasting some of these bakeries right now, if all’s going well).

So here you go: you’re in for a real treat with these tips from SF Money Musings on visiting San Francisco.

I’ve been living in San Francisco for almost two years and found no shortage of pastry shops (sugar is my weakness) and places to explore by foot.

Here’s a short and relatively inexpensive guide to San Francisco from my experiences of walking several miles during the weekend.

Little Star Pizza – I’ve heard they make a deep dish pie comparable to Chicago’s. It’s also BYOB. The lines are long so either go early around 5 or 6pm or go for lunch (it’s cheaper too).

Golden Boy Pizza – This is one of my favorite late night post-hangover cure. Their foccacia-like pizza with garlic, clams, mushroom and pesto sauce will melt in your mouth. They’re small and sort of pricey but if you’re in the North Beach area late at night and need a quick fix, the pizza will hit the right spot.

Sugary foods:

Tartine – Looking for a slice of France in San Francisco? Head to this French-pastry shop in the Mission for soft, buttery ham and cheese croissants or sweet plum pies. The lines are long here also so it’s better to come here early in the week and mornings before the rush starts.

Dianda’s Italian American Pastry – I discovered Dianda’s by accident. Last summer I went to a potluck my then CPA was hosting. I was getting ready to leave mid-afternoon when one of the other guests told me to wait a bit longer. She said dessert was on its way and if I love sweets as much as I talked about them, I wouldn’t want to miss the surprise.

About 45 minutes later, a large rum-spiked cream puff cake glued together with maple syrup appeared. They call this the “St. Honore” cake, so rich, heavenly and perfect for any occasion. You have to order this one in advance. But the éclairs and cookies are perfectly acceptable substitutes for cake.

Along the same line of Italian pastries, Victoria Bakery and Stella’s Pastry in North Beach are just as stellar and a closer walk from downtown San Francisco. Victoria carries delicious lemon meringue cookies and cranberry croissants. Victoria bought Stella Pastry last year so they carry roughly the same items. The interior of Stella is so warm, friendly and a cozy place to hang out with friends and share a cup of coffee and cookies.

Good Mong Kok – This Chinese dim sum hole-in-the wall on Stockton Street makes the best plain steamed buns. And the ladies who work here are so nice and sweet. They greet you in Chinese with the highest honors, well for a young girl, at least. The steamed buns and dim sum are their specialty. They also carry other standard Chinese pastries such as pineapple red bean buns and the Chinese custard bun.

Golden Gate Bakery – I think their egg tarts are overrated. And they’re expensive at $1 each for a tiny little egg tart. Try if you must but you can get comparable ones from other bakeries in Chinatown for way less.

Tacqueria Cancun – This tacqueria is such a wonderful gem in the Tenderloin especially their cheap burritos. The plates are pricey at $7.75 so I’d stick to the burritos, most are under $5 ($5.41 with tax, technically) for a regular size one which can easily be split among two people. I love the chorizo or carne asada, tender and lightly grilled burrito, which comes with homemade chips and salsa.

Acme Bakery in the Ferry Building – No other sourdough bread in San Francisco compares except Boudin which comes close. It’s best purchased when they open at 6am – fresh off the oven. It’s best consumed plain with the exception of Cowgirl Creamery cheese such as a Humboldt fog goat cheese (another Northern California specialty). They also make sandwiches using only local ingredients at Acme including the Mt. Tam cheese.

Cowgirl Creamery – This place is like the Wal-Mart of cheese. They have what seems like a million varieties to serve your pleasure including the Rogue Blue cheese which combined with macaroni makes for a light dinner.

Ferry Building Farmer’s Market - On Saturday, the Ferry Building turns into a gigantic (several parking lot sizes) farmers market. You will find generous samples to feed your hungry bellies from large plump red strawberries to unique varieties of fruits that sound strange. The market is good for sampling and browsing. Unfortunately it is severely overpriced, expensive and caters to tourists.

So by now you’ve probably had too many samples at the market and need to walk off those excess pounds. San Francisco has the luxury of being a small but urban city. Walking will allow you to see, hear and experience more of San Francisco. Don’t ride the MUNI unless you enjoy watching the bus driver make every single stop on every block in the neighborhood. Walking will get you there much faster and you’ll discover all kinds of interesting places.

A walk to Coit Tower climbing massive amount of stairs is a fun exercise with a group of friends. Start at Montgomery Street BART station and walk straight for about 10 blocks. You’ll see nothing but big empty buildings and some restaurants. You’re on the right track. Once you walk up the hill, you’ll pass the Scientology Church but stay on path and continue until you reach Broadway Street. At Broadway Street make a left past strip clubs and walk one block to find the set of stairs to Coit Tower. The signs will point you there and once you reach the top, you’ll find gorgeous views of The City. It’s also a nice lunch stop to stop and take in the sights. (Note from GG: We are SO doing this!)

City Lights Bookstore – This is a fun place to stop on your way back from Coit Tower. It is THE spot if you’re into poetry, the BEAT generation and literary adventures such as chap books or obscure magazines.

Popscene 330 Ritch Street – On Thursday nights, this little club/dive in SOMA lets you relive the 80s with other 18 and older club goers. It’s a scenester and hipster hangout. You’ll find boys dressed in Fred Perry polo shirts with the collars popped up and in skin-tight jeans. The girls wear their Nicole Richie big shade sunglasses and big billowy dresses with fake pearls. You can hear and check out the latest up and coming bands here before they become mainstream. And the cover is usually less than $10 which is a bargain for a bit of true indie treasure. After the bands leave, the DJ’s spin 80s, Brit pop, new wave, shoegaze and all sorts of random tunes suitable for dancing. The cover charge is $5 if you’re over 21 after the bands leave so if you only want to dance and skip checking out the bands, that’s another option.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art – This museum features a collection of modern and contemporary art. Their exhibitions and collections are interesting and thought-provoking depending on how you view art. Frida Kalho is on display including a collection of her life history with husband Diego Rivera.

DeYoung Museum – This is one of my favorite museums in San Francisco. Chihuly, whose collection of stained art is massive and colorful. There are videos throughout the museum that demonstrate the entire process and his studio in Tacoma. His creativity and passion for stained glass shows clearly in the displays.

Spend less time in Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. There’s not much to see or do except buy overpriced souvenirs. There’s an In-N-Out burger in Fisherman’s Wharf, home of the infamous criss-cut fries and animal-style burgers.

SF Tips from Kim!

Intro: I’m a big fan of Kim’s Kitchen Sink. Kim’s awesome. She works at Google, she likes lists and she makes me laugh. And as a Cali native, Kim was quick to help me out with San Francisco tips for my upcoming trip. PLUS: even though she’s on her big NY trip, she was also quick to help me out with a guest post. (Thanks, Kim!)

So here you go: tips from Kim on visiting San Francisco:

Grad Girl asked me to write a little guest post while she is on vacation, so here it is: a list of my favorite touristy and non-touristy, pricey and frugal-friendly places to visit in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ok, so I don’t know TOO much about SF, because I live in Berkeley, which is across the bay, and I don’t venture into the city all that often. However, here’s some of my advice…

Restaurants:

It’s very touristy, but you should visit the Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf. Honest to goodness San Francisco sourdough, and I think there are factory tours and such. Even just checking out the store is cool — they have the bread in baskets circling around the ceiling on a track.
Of course, Ghirardelli square (which is very close to Fisherman’s Wharf) if you like chocolate…again, touristy, but omg their ice cream sundaes…
The Carnelian Room - at the top of the Bank Of America building, it’s the highest public viewing point in SF. There’s a bar, where drinks around all in the $8-$10 range (I recommend the “Girl Scout Cookie,” and The Boy says they also make a very good “Perfect Manhattan”), but the view is spectacular on a clear night.
• If you like seafood, and want to splurge on a very expensive meal, I’d go for Farralon. You can easily spend $80-$100 per person (entrees in the $20-$30 range), but the food and the atmosphere are spectacular.

Cool attractions/things to do:

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The Exploratorium (a lot of it is geared towards kids, but it’s in an absolutely stunning area, and the exhibits are really fun)
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (the de Young and the Legion of Honor)
Theatre Bay Area has discounts and information for all kinds of theatre in the bay - you might want to check out a show or two, and this is a good way to find cheaper tickets.
You’ll probably want to check out Haight/Ashbury, if you’re interested in the whole hippie side of San Francisco.
It might be fun to do a walking tour, or even a bus tour, just to get acquainted with it all. There are a ton of options for tours, depending on what your interests are.
• Golden Gate Park - museums, gardens, and it’s also just generally a lovely park.

And of course, if you want to venture across the Bay to Berkeley/Oakland (it’s only about a 25-35 minute BART ride, depending on your start-stop points), I would recommend Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Zachary’s Pizza (deep dish deliciousness), The Albatross (a bar with board games, $0.25 popcorn, and pub trivia on Sunday nights), Fenton’s Creamery and Top Dog.

Enjoy your trip to the Bay Area!!

I’m leaving for Cali tomorrow!

I can’t believe it’s been three months since I posted about my upcoming Cali trip. Tomorrow is the day I take off, and I’m so excited!

Having saved my full goal of $1000, I am financially prepared to take in all this long weekend has to offer. San Fransisco, here I come!

Here’s the breakdown of costs, so far:
*Flights, $54 taxes (My dad gave us his credit card points again, meaning free flights! I didn’t factor this into my $1000 budget because I paid for it a while ago.)
*Hotels, $330 for my share of four nights in a four-star hotel (purchased through a TravelZoo promotion.)

More to come! And while I’m gone, I thought you might enjoy hearing advice from Cali natives in the know. Kim of Kim’s Kitchen Sink will be guest-posting with her SF tips on Friday, and SF Money Matters will be giving her stellar advice on Monday. Enjoy, and see ya back here next week!

Goal reached!

Take a look at the sidebars to the right, and you’ll see my Cali Vacation! fund is at 99% ($991 out of the $1000 saved), thanks to some recent eBaying. I’m just going to leave it at $991 for the next week and then transfer it all back to my bank account, where I can pull $9 from somewhere else.

This vacation is going to be well-prepared-for with plenty of funds. Whatever I don’t use will just go back to savings.

yeah! Goal #1 reached!!

2008 Goals

Of course, posting one’s goals for 2008 in late May isn’t exactly ideal. But it isn’t as if I’ve just now decided upon them; they’ve been in my mind, as well as tracked on my sidebar, clearly set for the most part for the better part of five months.

Only now, I’m laying them out in black and white, with the reasons behind them. Feel free to comment/advise/suggest alterations:

Goal #1: Max my Roth IRA contribution to the full $5K.
I start with this goal because it’s easy to set, as the contribution is capped for me. The government will let me contribute $5K; I’m going to contribute $5K.
Note: as of now, this is my only retirement savings account. I maxed it out in full for 2007 ($4K) and will continue doing so. I do not, however, also have a 401K. I could get one, but my company doesn’t offer a match, and I’m just not that concerned about it to go get one otherwise. Thoughts?

Goal #2: Get a total of $50K in my stock portfolio by the end of the calendar year.
$50K would be a 20% downpayment on a $250K house. While I’m not genuinely planning to move right now, I’d like to have the full $50K set aside (plus some) before I do. I think this is very, very attainable (save a stock-market crash or something drastic) as I currently set aside a huge part of every paycheck and I’m already at $41K, before I hit the halfway mark for the year.

Goal #3: Get a total of $8K in my emergency/freedom fund by the end of the calendar year.
I started this fund last year. Given that I’ve deposited any extra funding into it: my tax refund ($1000+), my economic stimulus package ($600), etc., this little account (an ING) is already past $5K. It gets $200 auto-deposited every paycheck, so that’s around $3K more by the end of the year, putting me at my goal.

There’s nothing magical about the number $8K, but I feel it’s well more than I need. I currently live very comfortably on about $900/month, and that’s with my company’s health plan taken into account. So even if I lost my job, I’d be able to survive for quite a while on $8K. I like to be overprotected, though, since you never know what you come up.

Temporary Goal #4: I’m going to California in June, and I’ve set the target goal at $1000.
Truth is, I definitely don’t need this much, especially seeing as I purchased my plane ticket already, and that was the biggest cost. As of now, May 24, I have a little over $400. I’ll try to deposit any leftovers I have at the end of each two-week period. If I don’t get up to the full $1K, it’s not a big deal.

Article Tip

I just read a fantastic post at Forest on Finance, “Should I Be in Sweden or, Thoughts on Travel.” Here’s a clip, and you can go here to read the rest.

“All that to say, as savers, aren’t we a bit of risk-takers? Are we denying some instant gratification now to hopefully be gratified in the future? That’s the point, I suppose. But we’re not guaranteed that future - does that bother anyone else? It’s a risk, but a calculated one, I guess. Yes, the odds are with us that we will survive to retirement or whenever and then we will have the last laugh. They say youth is wasted on the young; are they right? Will I have the vitality to travel the world when I’m retired? How hard is it to even think about retirement when you’re in your twenties? Do you ever feel weird because you just got into the workforce and you’re already considering your exit plan while your friends are out spending their paychecks like there’s no tomorrow?

And further: if we’re savers now, won’t we always be? How will we know when we’ve saved enough? When will we start our spending? For me personally, I have no idea. That bothers me. I don’t like not knowing.”