GARETH SAYS...
To make sure we didn't go over budget in Morocco here is the simple steps we took. You may or may not find useful.
1. We prepared a very detailed budget. Taxis to airports. Coach travel to and from the coast. Hotel rooms. Meals etc.
2. Took all the money for the holiday out of the bank and took it with us (this was basically my wage packet from the month before ONB began - i have been on $20 a day for 4 months now). This meant we would always know how much we had left and we avoided ATM fees.
3. We changed the money money as and when we used it at the banks that were offering the best exchange rates.
4. Anytime i used the credit card i took the money from our stash and hide it away so there wouldn't be any nasty credit card bill surprises when we got back.
We returned home under budget and happy.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Out of Sync
GARETH SAYS…
I have to confess that this blog is not an accurate record of events.
What we did ‘last night’ is not necessarily what we did ‘last night’.
We splurge out the stories in big dollops and then ‘post schedule’ them on Blogger so that they mysteriously appear each day.
This means that we can try and ‘write something’ everyday and still maintain our day jobs.
Writing is fun but it sadly doesn’t pay the bills neither does eating ice-cream or going on holiday my other two big vices.
Sorry.
But for the record here are the most important dates:
November 3rd: Amy winks at Gareth on Match
November 5th: Amy and Gareth meet for the first time
November 8th: Our first date
November 9th: Gareth buys plane ticket to UK for Amy
December 21st: Amy arrives in the UK for Xmas
January 3rd: Gareth writes Amy the card asking her to marry him that he will use in Morocco
February 13th: Amy sends singing dwarf to Gareth at work
February 14th: Gareth takes AMy to Vegas to see Little Legends - more singing dwarves
March 30th: Amy tells Gareth the size of the debt
April 5th: ONB is born at the PeeLander Z concert
April 26th: Gareth moves into Amy's mum's
May 1st: ONB officially begins
July 20th: Gareth proposes to Amy
July 20th: Amy says "Yes" to Gareth
It has been some adventure! And to think it has only just begun.
I have to confess that this blog is not an accurate record of events.
What we did ‘last night’ is not necessarily what we did ‘last night’.
We splurge out the stories in big dollops and then ‘post schedule’ them on Blogger so that they mysteriously appear each day.
This means that we can try and ‘write something’ everyday and still maintain our day jobs.
Writing is fun but it sadly doesn’t pay the bills neither does eating ice-cream or going on holiday my other two big vices.
Sorry.
But for the record here are the most important dates:
November 3rd: Amy winks at Gareth on Match
November 5th: Amy and Gareth meet for the first time
November 8th: Our first date
November 9th: Gareth buys plane ticket to UK for Amy
December 21st: Amy arrives in the UK for Xmas
January 3rd: Gareth writes Amy the card asking her to marry him that he will use in Morocco
February 13th: Amy sends singing dwarf to Gareth at work
February 14th: Gareth takes AMy to Vegas to see Little Legends - more singing dwarves
March 30th: Amy tells Gareth the size of the debt
April 5th: ONB is born at the PeeLander Z concert
April 26th: Gareth moves into Amy's mum's
May 1st: ONB officially begins
July 20th: Gareth proposes to Amy
July 20th: Amy says "Yes" to Gareth
It has been some adventure! And to think it has only just begun.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I've lived, we have...I feel
AMY SAYS...
I've lived....
...in Harlem in a 5 story walk up with no heat and no AC in the middle of a scorching ny summer (with 3 cats, 2 octopi and 5 goldfish)
...in Rome - off a tiny stipend of about $10 a day for a year and a half.
... on a couch for over 5 months without a private space of my own.
I've been homeless - carting all of my worldly posessions in black garbage bags.
I've thrown out most of the things I've collected throughout my life due to lack of space.
I've eaten cat food to try and survive.
I've held the most menial depressing jobs to make extra cash.
I still wear clothes my mother bought me in High School.
(How's my violin sounding?)
Operation Night Brace is a piece of cake compared to many of these situations!
We have:
Cable
DSL
a clean room
a washer/drying in the apt
a constantly stocked fridge
a private bathroom
a terrace
AC/Heat
a comfy bed
a bike room...
...and most importantly...lots of love
I am prepared to see ONB through till the bitter end but the reasons I struggle are as follows:
I feel:
...endlessly guilty - Gareth has given up 'everything' (his flat, his savings, tea-chinos (sp?), a cool neighborhood (the list goes on and on)
...endlessly indebted (How can I possibly ever show Gareth enough appreciation for everything he's done and continues to do?)
So, just to clarify, my reasons for wobbles, if any, have nothing to do with being poor, even n $20 a day I feel pretty rich. I struggle with the emotional 'side effects' of what we are doing and I'm terrified that the result will leave an unhealthy scar on both of us. One in which I am forever guilty - I think that is my biggest fear with the 'extension of ONB'.
I've lived....
...in Harlem in a 5 story walk up with no heat and no AC in the middle of a scorching ny summer (with 3 cats, 2 octopi and 5 goldfish)
...in Rome - off a tiny stipend of about $10 a day for a year and a half.
... on a couch for over 5 months without a private space of my own.
I've been homeless - carting all of my worldly posessions in black garbage bags.
I've thrown out most of the things I've collected throughout my life due to lack of space.
I've eaten cat food to try and survive.
I've held the most menial depressing jobs to make extra cash.
I still wear clothes my mother bought me in High School.
(How's my violin sounding?)
Operation Night Brace is a piece of cake compared to many of these situations!
We have:
Cable
DSL
a clean room
a washer/drying in the apt
a constantly stocked fridge
a private bathroom
a terrace
AC/Heat
a comfy bed
a bike room...
...and most importantly...lots of love
I am prepared to see ONB through till the bitter end but the reasons I struggle are as follows:
I feel:
...endlessly guilty - Gareth has given up 'everything' (his flat, his savings, tea-chinos (sp?), a cool neighborhood (the list goes on and on)
...endlessly indebted (How can I possibly ever show Gareth enough appreciation for everything he's done and continues to do?)
So, just to clarify, my reasons for wobbles, if any, have nothing to do with being poor, even n $20 a day I feel pretty rich. I struggle with the emotional 'side effects' of what we are doing and I'm terrified that the result will leave an unhealthy scar on both of us. One in which I am forever guilty - I think that is my biggest fear with the 'extension of ONB'.
$12,000 to go
GARETH SAYS...
We just have $12,000 left to pay of the private loans - the end of the first (and shortest) tunnel is in sight. We aimed to pay off the private loans by October 31st and by some superhuman efforts it looks like we will be able to do that 10 weeks early!!! I am so proud of what we have been able to achieve.
Only $106,000 of public loans left.
We just have $12,000 left to pay of the private loans - the end of the first (and shortest) tunnel is in sight. We aimed to pay off the private loans by October 31st and by some superhuman efforts it looks like we will be able to do that 10 weeks early!!! I am so proud of what we have been able to achieve.
Only $106,000 of public loans left.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Presents update!
GARETH SAYS...
Oops how could i forget??? We also got a stack of cash with strict instructions not to spend it on the loans!
Thanks Mum, Dad, Liz, Mike, Grandma and Aunty Jane xxxxxx
UPDATE!
We just got an inflatable globe in the post. Thank you Katie!
Oops how could i forget??? We also got a stack of cash with strict instructions not to spend it on the loans!
Thanks Mum, Dad, Liz, Mike, Grandma and Aunty Jane xxxxxx
UPDATE!
We just got an inflatable globe in the post. Thank you Katie!
A Party and presents!!!
GARETH SAYS...
Getting engaged has had an unexpected side effect - people want to give us presents. We threw an engagement party when we were back at my Mum's and got given lots of things.
My sister, mum and aunt had slaved away to create an amazing celebratory afternoon tea. More cakes than we could possible eat and more sparkly stuff then we could ever drink. I think it was all a bit overwhelming for Amy - welcome to the family.
My friends Chris, Ian (and Mrs Sweeney), Richard, KTG and Lucy (and Seb Junior) made the effort to trek out to deepest darkest Bedfordshire. And like the 3 Kings they came with gifts:
His and hers matching t-shirts. Mine says: "Help I'm in debt" and Amy's says: "and engaged". We wore them for the whole party.
A weeks worth of fun. 7 little packages to be opened one a day. We are saving these for a week when we need them.
Chocolates
Smiles and love
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
For pictures of the engagement party have a look at my sister's blog.
We are still thinking about what to do in America. I'm all for an evening of Power Love Ballad karaoke.
Getting engaged has had an unexpected side effect - people want to give us presents. We threw an engagement party when we were back at my Mum's and got given lots of things.
My sister, mum and aunt had slaved away to create an amazing celebratory afternoon tea. More cakes than we could possible eat and more sparkly stuff then we could ever drink. I think it was all a bit overwhelming for Amy - welcome to the family.
My friends Chris, Ian (and Mrs Sweeney), Richard, KTG and Lucy (and Seb Junior) made the effort to trek out to deepest darkest Bedfordshire. And like the 3 Kings they came with gifts:
His and hers matching t-shirts. Mine says: "Help I'm in debt" and Amy's says: "and engaged". We wore them for the whole party.
A weeks worth of fun. 7 little packages to be opened one a day. We are saving these for a week when we need them.
Chocolates
Smiles and love
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
For pictures of the engagement party have a look at my sister's blog.
We are still thinking about what to do in America. I'm all for an evening of Power Love Ballad karaoke.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Idiot update
GARETH SAYS...
Having looked into this story a bit more you will never guess why she did it!!! ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................To pay for her son's education.
“I really want to do this,” said Smith. “To everyone else, it seems like
a stupid thing to do. To me, $10,000 is like $1 million. I only live once,
and I’m doing it for my son … It’s a small sacrifice to build a better
future for my son.”
Smith’s boyfriend, Jeremy Williams, said the couple discussed the idea for
more than three weeks before deciding to go through with it. And when they
did, Smith’s eBay auction attracted more than 27,000 hits and 1,000 watchers.
According to Smith, the money will be used to send her son to private school.
Having looked into this story a bit more you will never guess why she did it!!! ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................To pay for her son's education.
“I really want to do this,” said Smith. “To everyone else, it seems like
a stupid thing to do. To me, $10,000 is like $1 million. I only live once,
and I’m doing it for my son … It’s a small sacrifice to build a better
future for my son.”
Smith’s boyfriend, Jeremy Williams, said the couple discussed the idea for
more than three weeks before deciding to go through with it. And when they
did, Smith’s eBay auction attracted more than 27,000 hits and 1,000 watchers.
According to Smith, the money will be used to send her son to private school.
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