I spend almost a month of no shopping and it's funny but I don't feel the need to shop as much as before. It's a good feeling... Probably because I didn't go out a lot these past few days. I'm still looking for clothes that are easy to mix and match. I got the basic down and I need more cardigans and jackets of all kind.

Last Saturday, I ask my coworker if she has taken anything from my donation. She said she loves everything, only the pants and a pair of boots are given to charity. I didn't know my clothes would be liked by her and her sister too! I guess I could've sell them but now it's too late. I learned my lesson. I'm glad that people like my taste... LOL

Before the 19th, I'm going to make a list of what I need after I look through my closet. After the 19th, I'm going to go shopping around. By the way, my birthday is on the 20th of June... I can't wait! I'm turning 20. On the eve of my birthday, I was thinking of eating and playing pool at a local bar with a couple of friends. The next day after work, I'm going to Old Montreal to walk around and to take picture.

Next year, I'm taking a semester off to go to China in May or somewhere close, I also have the time to see my friend in Switzerland, go to Japan and visit my godbrother in Singapore. The problems are the following, I don't know if I have enought money and time for all of this. I'm planning to study Mandarin for at least 4 months (Beijing three months and Shanghai one month), my dad probably wants me to visit many parts of China so he would probably sign me up on a tour bus and pay for it. I might visit Switzerland for two weeks or less around April to see a few of my friends whom I met in Vancouver almost four years ago. I want to go to Japan for maybe a week or two in April too. After Japan, I'm thinking of going directly there to China to Beijing or Shanghai. Singapore will be hard to fit in there. It's a bit difficult to guess now. xD My university entrance is in September so I'll be back on time next year. I have approximatly five months to travel. Going to Switzerland than going to Japan and after China, the distance is quite large.

For money, I have a mutual funds dedicated for my travel and I have around $7000 in there. I put money inside since I was 17, almost three years ago. The economy in Canada at the moment is not quite good and I lost around 1k or 2k in my mutual funds. The date where I can take out the money is on August 2009, about a month and a half from today. I'm planning not to touch it until next year, I hope the economy will get a bit better.

Sorry for my rambling a lot here, I guess what is important right now is to find ways to earn money. Speaking of money, I recently counted my piggy bank and I got $77.10 inside. I put all my change there for months now and I accumulated quite a lot. Since it's summer at the moment, I'm planning to pay %40 of my paycheck toward my travel and I'm going to try to earn money in other ways. I'm not good at doing other things then finding a job... ._." I'm not creative enought and I don't have an entrepreneur mind either. I guess for now, I'll probably help out my aunt at her store for extra money. I'm going to set the savings bar at $2000 now. I hope to save this amount this summer, if I can. lol

By the way, I add $22.90 from my bank to my savings. I have $100 now and $1900 to go.

It's my 22nd day of no shopping already!

The weather hasn't been great lately so I've spend most of the days staying at home and I didn't spend at all. My parents weren't happy that I sleep late and waking up late these past few days. My brother is taking summer school and I decided not to. At first, I wanted to take Algebra from 6 to 9 pm but when I think about it, the course will be much cheaper in the Fall semester. I guess I'm going to try to improve my languages in the summer instead.

Since I haven't been shopping lately,I went over my closet and I realized that 1/2 of the clothes I own, I barely touch because they are uncomfortable, does not flatter me and etc. The clothes I always wear always consist of things I felt good in and that are easy to mix and match. My coworker who is also my friend wanted me to give the unwanted items to her so she can pick what she likes and the rest, she'll donate to charity. In this case, I couldn't say no... I mean, I just need to walk 10 minutes to my workplace and hand her my things, then she'll take care the rest. Good enought for me. So yeah, I'm planning to renew my wardrobe with basic things and probably some vintage clothes... I'm thinking of visiting some thrift stores in Montreal this week or the next.

As for my challenge, I recently received my paycheck which is $190. Not a lot for you guys... But I work part-time so it was good enought for me. I paid my bus card with it and my phone bill. I'm stuck with $120 now... Since I'm not traveling this year and I'm left with 1/2 of my closet empty. I want to save for my Switzerland and China trip next year. Uuum... I wonder how I'm going to split the money. 20% of my paycheck goes toward it? I'll get back to you guys later about it.

Yesterday, I finished my math exam around 4:30 pm. The exam was sooooo easy, I think I will get around 90s for sure!

My first day of summer starts today! I also had a no spend day yesterday too!! Didn't bring my wallet or anything that makes me want to spend!

I'm going to school by bike today to see some friends. Most of them are going to University in September and I'm staying for another semester in College. After the next semester, I'm going back to China for a few month before going to University. I really want to go somewhere else to study next year so I'm going to try to improve my French and English this summer.

Okay guys, I am dedicating this day the start of a shopping ban. Meaning no clothes shopping for 30 days... I am challenging myself again because I really need to get back my saving habit again.

I don't care what most of what you guys think of me, I am going to try to save again.

I decided to put the money that I saved up for London into Mutual funds. I am planning to go to China only next year to study Mandarin. I might go to New York this summer which I only need a certain amount of money which I can accumulate in the future.

I am really going to concentrate on my future and traveling will be next year. I don't worry about the market going down at this moment, I still have plenty of years to go and I hardly need any of the money right now except... Going shopping haha... xD

I am sooo weak when it comes to clothes... Now that I've found some nice sweaters... Hehe.

I bought clothes before school starts and none after that which is a huge improvement. I decided to take my friend's advice about buying clothes. Once a month, buy a sweater/jeans/shoes or whatever you like, just one. Basically, I get whatever I want or need on clothes only once per month. It just possible because... I have a lot of clothes already and I already took out my unwanted clothes last month when I move back in to my house.

Since I am not going to London now, I would really like to use this money to inject it into the market. I won't be using this money for awhile... I will be working throughout the semester and I am not planning any future trips for a little while. If I keep it in my bank, it will run a possibility of me using the money on clothes. I am pretty good at buying clothes that I will love for a very long time but I have enought to last me the seasons already. xD

I went to my appartment a few hours ago to put my things in and my flatmate let me choose which of the three rooms I want. I decided on the yellow room instead because it's so joyful and welcoming. I also like the pink and green room but it is not really my style. As for settling in, some things in the appartment are not yet install so I need to wait a few more days before I can settle in.

My dad keeps telling me that rent is expensive and he won't help me or give me any money. I already knew that part and that living by myself or with my flatmate is not easy at all. My mom badmouthes behind my back a few minutes ago with my brother saying that I trust people too much, my temper is so fierce that I will get beat up some days, as the days go by I become stupid and all that negative things.My brother just says : uuumm... He understands why I am leaving this house, parents are the main reasons why I want to leave.

Being Chinese leaving a house at age 19, especially for a girl is in a way... Controversial. There's so much negative things about moving out at a young age, especially when I am still in school. Whatever is the case, I need to cope with this. I have to do what I think is best for me. It may not seem like I have any Chinese values in me but... I've been taught it in a negative ways. My parents are too traditional and too close mind.

I am going to have difficulty in reuniting my family and not take them for granted for the first few days or weeks or even months. They just have this negative impressions on moving out. I can't even talk to them about it in a calm and respectful ways, I get insulted instead. My parents think they know me and how I will end up in the future. Well, I understand their point of view because I used to think like that. They can't see any positive sides of it because they've never got out of their comfort zone.

I say... Let the controversy begins. I am Chinese and I am moving out!

I'm going to prepare my things tomorrow before 5pm. My friend asked her boyfriend's father to lend the moving truck to move my things. My family knows that I am moving out, my mom was quiet and she looks hurt today...

Well I can't do much. They took everything for granted until it's too late. I guess everybody does that in some ways... Anyways, I feel bad for hurting my parents but they have to understand that I need my own space, have my own life and... Just support me.I guess all I need for now is trust which they almost never do.

I talk with a coworker who knows a lot about appartment. She is going to talk to the owner about some things. With my flatmate, she just trusts people too much without asking any questions such as if he is going to come to the office often or something like that. Since I don't see the owner that much, I asked my flatmate to ask those questions but she always forgets to ask when he is there. she is kinda irresponsable in some ways... When it comes to ponctuality and remembering something... She is really really bad at it. She makes me worry sometimes but one thing for sure, when it comes to paying rent, she will have the money. Anyways, I need to talk to her tomorrow and established some rules. I know that things will change once we move in together.

Two things I will be expecting from her, she will be going out often and her friends will come over often. Of course, I won't let them come in when I have studying to do.

My dad is hoping that I will give up by not helping me in anything.

Well I don't care, I am moving out. My dad will pay for my education like he said but the rest, he doesn't want to hear about it. That's fine with me.

I talked with my friend who I am going to live with. She told me the owner told her that we can have the key to the appartment right away. We decided on a date to move... Well, I want to move out this Friday or next Wednesday. Since I have prepared some stuff already, why not move out soon. I have stopped spending too much since I know I am going to move out soon.

Well... I have to see what my first month budget will look like. I hope that it will a great experience for me. I know I have to pay 325$ every month. This amount included everything like water, heat, trash fee,internet and all the basic applicances... Even couches for our living room, a double bed/sofa, a single bed, a refrigerator,etc. You get what I mean?!!! =O All we need to pay is our cellphone bill, food, electricity, bus pass, entertainment,etc. The owner might install a satellite cable for the whole building. OMG... We are so lucky.

My friend is going to ask the owner if he is going to come often to our appartment --> Office thingy tomorrow. Oh yeah. We also have to watch his little daughter (15 years old) and maybe his dog from time to time LOL. That will be cool. His daughter is very sweet, I saw her a couple of times at my workplace and she gets along very well with her dad.

So I gave my friend 160$ for the rent last week. I don't know if I have to pay the full rent price or not. Since I am going to China, I might pay a part of the 325$. Since I am comming back sooner than expected. Around the 31st or 1st January, I will work more. Hopefully, it will work out xD.

This will go to my sweet future category. It is a great experience for my friend and I.

Lately, I've been stressing a lot between school and work. I have really bad stress problem and I often get into depression because of that.

Yesterday, I realized that the reason why I'm stressing too much is because I keep thinking about the money earn for my trip. School sort of come second all of a sudden and travel is my #1 priority. No wonder I overspend sometimes. I turn my life into something unrealistic and I am behind my social life. I don't want my life to be all about school and work. So I have to make an important sacrifice...

What is my sacrifice? Traveling. I'm only going to save for Japan now. Since I am only a thousand and five hundred short. The rest, I will put a percentage in my future and enjoy the rest of the money. As for China, I will think about it when I finish college in December.

Why I made this sacrifice? To have peace of mind... School and friends are important to me and I want to make them my priority.

Other sacrifice? Less luxury for me = less money making. By the end of September, I will only work on Saturday morning for the rest of the semester. I will have Fridays (most of the time) and Sundays free.

Why again? Less stress and concentrate more in school.

I want to think realistic... and in order to be realistic, I have to give up things that I love which is to travel each year. My big trip will be China and Japan. For the rest, I will think about it after college.