Comment Replies

By the way, I'm getting used to Picasa program to upload photos. So bear with me for the Italian pictures....

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Anne said...
i really liked this post. I also try to at least put 20% into my savings account. But putting half of the 20% into an IRA is probably smarter since you can't really touch it until you retire. Never too early to save up for retirement.anyway, i'm actually saving up for a condo, and hopefully i'll get to my savings goal sooner than planned. if you dont mind me asking... how old were you when you got your condo?


CuttiBeBe: Wow, 20%!, you are doing good girl! i can barely let go of that 10%. IRAs are good if you know you won't have emergency needs. The tax and penalty upon withdrawing from an IRA account is really not worth it. However, if you don't have any medical expense or educational expense, an IRA is a great way to save.

I don't mind at all. I got my condo last yr March 21st, 2007. I was 23. I lived at home for 6 months and that kinda of gave me some cushion. But my mortgage is 50% of my monthly paycheck, so I was ok. My mom helped me with the renovation and the sale price. She put down 50% deposit and I took out the rest in loan, a 200G loan, yea, for the next 30 yrs of my life, i'm dedicated to this loan. sweet.


fuzkittie said...
Hey cutie, I like this post and how you expressed yourself. I have also been asked that in my blog before. Even though I don't think I have to answer questions like that, it's not offensive in any way to me. I have money to spend because I work for it, and yes I had money to spend in college because my parents gave me money. Nothing to hide, and nothing to boast about. =)I like your writing! I will be checking back on your blog. =)


CuttiBeBe: Hey fuzkittie, i love your blog too! You are an IT auditor right? We are in the same field, I'm a finance auditor. Now i know how you can afford your Dior makeup, cus the IT peeps always make more than us finance peeps! apparently checking access security is harder than balancing a financial statment, lol. jkjk!

Same here, mommy and daddy gave me spending money in college, but I also worked, $10 an hour intern baby, making copies and all that. =P But you know it's long gone by the end of the night.


Anonymous said...
"But if you are just a student and not making a penny, I'm sorry, but you should wait until you start making money to buy those things. It's not a matter if you could afford it or not, but to me, it matters if I deserve it or not."I don't quite understand. So poor people aren't deserving? There are many good people that work so hard all their life that cannot have what they want. There are people that are poor that are far more deserving...But then that's where the pain of credit card debt comes in. I see a lot of poor people that work so hard and blow it all on some expensive bag or shoes (car or tv for guys) because they feel they deserve it and they do deserve it. It's pretty sad to want something so badly and not be able to afford it. You're one lucky girl to have such affluent and supportive parents. My parents paid for my brother tuition in full while they could care less about me. I grew up poor, worked my way through college, only to end up with student loans and to continue being poor. I wonder when the cycle is going to end and I can live freely and comfortably. But I enjoy your honesty because most people will take all the credit and never say that their parents help them out. I envy you as well as admire you. But I pity myself. Hmm.


CuttiBeBe: Hey anon, I think you misunderstood me. In that quote, I meant people who are in high school or college rocking them LVs and BMWs as if they made a penny. That's not right. If you don't work, you shouldn't spend money like that. I believe, you shouldn't enjoy the fruit someone else plant for you, while you are still learning the skills to survive in the world. I'm just sick of seeing 11 yr old with a LV on their arm and flinging their sidekick all over the place. It makes me sad that their parents didn't teach them the value of money and the joy of working.

There are a lot of deserving poor people out there. But then again, I think one should set their priority straight. Do I deserve a YSL Downtown patent leather bag, yes I think I do, I work hard, I make my money and I should be able to spend it on whatever I want. However, what is a YSL bag if you ain't got a place to sleep? or have a roll of toliet paper in your house? Yes, it makes them happy, but I can't imagine anyone being happy living in a crappy house and sleeping on the floor with their LV bags.

I don't mean to be racist, but I find that there is a trend for Vietnamese or Cambodian people to have very high end luxury things and then when you go to their house, it's like 8 people living in a 3 bedroom apt and there isn't even a place a sit. I derived this from my experience cuz I had a Viet and Khmer roommate in college, and even they've told me their parents will take out another loan to buy a Benz SUV, and that it'll squeeze their budget even tighter, so she had to get another job for pay for books. From the way they talked about people around them, it seems like everyone's compete for the latest LV, and not paying off their student loans. Why???

I've always wondered why people would take out a loan and buy a luxury car, when they could put that money in a mortgage and get a bigger house. It puzzles me that they think what they have on their arm is more important than a place where they need to lay their head at night. And then they start saying they can't go out tonight cus they don't have money. Well, girl, go return your $1000 LV bag and you will have money to go out for every night of the month.

To reward yourself is one thing, but to deplete yourself of necesscity is another. Set your priority straight. if you have debts and loans to pay off, then pay them off. That special edition bag ain't gonna feed you and it won't kill if you don't have it. Pay your bills first, then use your DISPOSABLE income to reward yourself, not your rent money.


The Faux Fashionista said...
Whoa, what a loooong post! I'm glad you posted it though, it all makes such good sense. And thanks for posting the cost of living in NYC thing because I'm CONTEMPLATING working there upon graduation and it really helps knowing what my monthly savings would be. Thank you thank you! You are so lucky to have such wonderful and supportive parents. Mine are great too, but they still have my brother to send off to Australia next year so I won't get the luxury of them footing any of my bills :(

CuttiBeBe: you are welcome! the cost of living in NYC is.. yea, pretty up there. The best way is to get a roommate in queens or bklyn, which isn't all that bad if you cant afford that high rises in NYC. my coworker lives in queens, 20 min away from manhttan, and she pays $750 a month for a 2 bedroom with her roommate. pretty damn good deal.

I know how it is in a household with siblings, I'm the only child amongst my friends, so I always hear complains that their parents have to take care of their brother or sister, and they are left on their own to survive, sometimes they even have to pinch in to help out too. I guess I lucked out. I was horrible enough to make my parents not wanting a second child. lol.

Anonymous said...
honestly, you don't have to explain a thing. i think it's so rude when people inquire about your financial status!!!

CuttiBeBe: Yea I don't have to, but I wanted to, b/c I think it can help people to see a different side of the story.

Anonymous said...
WOW,that's all i can say. i like the way you put everything. it's well said. i'm glad you're living the way you are and getting what you want, you deserve it. i would LOVE to get a LV bag, but it's too dam expensive for my pockets. you are one lucky gal! :)

CuttiBeBe: I'm very blessed and grateful for everything and everyone I have in my life. but LV bags is just a status symbol. I think every girl should have a classic LV bag and that reward will come sooner or later for you. I'm working on my Cartier watch. Ooohhhh how I want one so badly! I will get it when I get promoted. Thats my goal.

jie jie said...
You are lucky to have parents to take care of you and support you financially. I admire how they brought you up to appreciate the value of money but most of all how to value yourself. I have to share what I earn. Honestly, I want to because I cannot stand just ignoring my family. There are times I cannot have certain things because someone more important to me than myself needs something. But there are times when I spoil myself and end up not realizing someone needed something, whom I could've used the money on instead of my selfish desires. It saddens me sometimes that they're getting more conscious about asking for help because they feel like it's too much trouble. All I ask from them is to just let me know and I'll decide how much help I can extend, and for them to just appreciate or not be too disappointed in whatever I can give. I know and honor that obligation, and if I fall short, I feel such a failure. I think it's the way I was brought up. Thanks for posting this Steph. It helps me reflect on things I rarely put much thought in.

CuttiBeBe: Hey Jie Jie, you are a very family oriented person and also a very responsible and consider person. That is why, more often than not, you put the blame upon yourself and feel as if you need to take care of EVERYONE. I think you will give up anything for your family if they needed your help. But you know what's the most important thing you can do to help out your family? It's to take care of yourself, so they don't have to worry about you. My mom taught me this about family, b/c we are away from each other so much, we worry about each other. We all have our own life to live, but we are connected by the heart. Take care of yourself, take care of your health, that is the best thing you can do. And whatever money or energy you have left? Call them, talk to them, spend more time with them, that way you will know when they need help even if they don't ask. Little things like offering to take them out to dinner or buy some of their favorite food or you see some nice shirt on sale and thought of them, will bring a smile to their face, b/c you had them on your mind. Jie Jie, don't feel bad that you can't help. You are helping by taking care of yourself. =) I'm sure your family is proud of you already.

Anonymous said..
I've always read your blog religiously and honestly always wondered but never asked. But ready all this post today kind rubbed me the wrong way and left a sour taste in my mouth! I didnt think it was necessary! You dont owe anyone an explanation and if you couldnt resist, you could have been simple and more mature about it. Im a tad disappointed to say the least.

CuttiBeBe: Just got your comment as I'm writing this post, so I'll respond again to your question. No I don't own anybody any explaination, but I wanted to share and I believe I can expose my personal life as much and as little as I want. This is my personal blog. I appreciate that you check back regularly, sometimes it may be too much information than you'd like, but it is what it is honey, I'm bored, and I wanted to share my world. What about the post about my plastic surgery? Did you find that unncessary and too much info? I'm kind of sick of people seeing one side of the story and those with story to share are too personal to lay it out for the world to see. And that is completely fine. It's their choice. And this was my choice to let people know how I make a living and how I can survive and still afford the Italy trip. What's so disappointing about that? if anything, I thought I could open up people's world and let them know, It's ok to spend money on trips even if u r going to bring lunch to work every day for the next month. It's ok to reward yourself with a little goodie here and there. It's ok to have your parents take care of some of the things for you. But it is up to you to live your life the way you want. Set your goal, work hard, know your limits and be good to yourself.

If that's rubbing you the wrong way, please click X on the upper right hand corner. thank you.

edit: I felt really bad after writing that last comment. I don't mean to attack you Anon. But I really don't know what I wrote rubbed you the wrong way. is it b/c you are a private person and don't like reading about other peoples lives too much? then why are you here? if you are here for the beauty reviews, you have the choice of skipping my post whenever you see long ass posts like this. and how did i present myself immature? i could use a simple and more mature way to express it? what do you mean? don't get me wrong, i just want to know what your dealie is, so i can address it correctly. i do appreicate you visiting though. =)