Moving Out Advice

[Lioness]

If I remember correctly, it's been a while since there was a moving out thread.

I'm moving out anytime in the next month :smallbiggrin:

A neighbour who lives down the road is going to rent out her place for about 6 months, and it's a fairly low rent price, so I'm moving in

I'm looking for advice...on saving money, the best place to buy things, what to buy cheap of and what to buy expensive (bearing in mind that I'm a poor Uni student ). Also on managing, well, a house. How to keep on top of things like bills, etc.

Also how to save money on food...

I've got no idea what I need to bring into the house and what's already there, but I think it's mostly furnished. Mum's giving me my bed, my desk, and a couple of other pieces of my furniture, so I can use them. I've already got an iron.

Also, if I get a roommate in, it will be cheaper for all involved. How do I choose a roommate, and what sort of person do I look for?

Many thanks :smallsmile:

[xPANCAKEx]

food - buy in bulk when deals are on and buy from value lines. yes it may be not-so-tasty, but until youre rich, you cant afford to eat all the expensive foods. if you can, join a food co-op to buy even more stuff in bulk

packet noodles are your friend for snack/light meal purposes

go vegetarian - its usually cheaper to live healthy as a veggie than it is as a meat eater

take a packed lunch to school/work. This is a MASSIVE money saver

cook large quantities of things that you can eat over 2-3 days. Pasta sauce, mexican and baked foods will often keep for a few days so long as you dont mind the dietary monotany.

keep heating down an essential minimum. If its cold, wear another layer or 2 before you think about turning the heating up. Make sure all the curtains are drawn before dark. Turn lights off as you leave a room. Turn the computer off when not using it (and turn the screen off if you're leaving it to download stuff over night)

for the love of sweet zombie jebus NEVER use the stand-by function on anything

-------

picking a room mate is tricky. Obviously you want someone reliable and on your wavelength in terms of how they want to keep the house/how sociable they are, and their approach to solving interpersonal problems

references are all in this case

[Haruki-kun]

Never hesitate to cut out a coupon, buy in bulk, buy meat when it's on sale, it'll last years frozen anyway.

Also, and this is something that I learned the hard way: It's better to buy cheap food/cheap brands, but only if you're actually going to eat them. Otherwise you'll end up leaving whatever you bought in the refrigerator until it rots. Might as well not buy it, then.

Oh, and don't let laziness get the better of you, try to resist the urge to eat out. It's nice eating out, different place, don't have to cook, don't have to do the dishes... but it's a pretty fast way to lose money. :smallfrown:

[thubby]

Also how to save money on food...
grocery stores and their respective coupons.
in all seriousness, go shopping with your parent-who-isn't-inept-at-shopping. she's probably been at it a while :smalltongue:


I've got no idea what I need to bring into the house and what's already there, but I think it's mostly furnished. Mum's giving me my bed, my desk, and a couple of other pieces of my furniture, so I can use them. I've already got an iron.

a modem and possibly router springs to mind. you'll need to get in touch with your isp as im guessing you've been using your parent's modem till now.


Also, if I get a roommate in, it will be cheaper for all involved. How do I choose a roommate, and what sort of person do I look for?

*throws a dart at a wall of faces*
in all seriousness, if you dont have a friend/relative/someone you know, your best bet is to put out an ad, craigslist and most local papers will have cheap space.
then interview potential roomies. i suggest setting up a seperate gmail account to be contacted, and meet somewhere public.

[factotum]

The way to keep on top of both food costs and bills is to know exactly what you're spending. It does you no good to get to the end of the month and found you've spent so much on heating bills (or more likely aircon bills, given your location :smallwink:) that you can't afford to eat for the next month! If it's cold, put a jumper on, if it's hot, open a window...

[drakir_nosslin]

All you need can be found here. (http://www.ikea.com/au/en/preindex.html) I'm a fan. 80% of all things in my apartment were bought in one of those stores. It's a shame they don't sell computers as well.

[Lady Moreta]

For appliances - try somewhere like The Good Guys (if you have them over there). Save up so you can pay cash and they give you a nice discount. Small applicances, I've found it's better to pay a little extra. Don't spend $20 on a kettle for instance, it'll die in a month. Save up and spend at least $30 and get something that will last. Same thing with heaters, you are much better off getting something decent that will last. Try for a oil column heater, they're not expensive to run and they work fantastically. Or a gas heater if the place is set up for it. We have a gas heater and it's wonderful.

If you need plates/cutlery though - those you don't need to spend a fortune on. Heck, I've been married 3 years and we still use the crappy plates/knives/forks etc my husband had when he was flatting. Try second hand shops or op shops for bargins.

Food - things that are canned or pre-packaged, you don't need the brand name, Coles brand (or whatever) will do fine. Same for baking products, I use Coles brand flour and my cakes turn out just fine.

Meat - generally you'll be okay with the generic supermarket brand. Mince. Mince is your friend. Mince and pasta are very good friends :smalltongue: get the 3 star stuff and have a jar handy to drain the fat when you cook it (this is what we do because I'm fussy about fat).

Veges - depending on how fussy you are, you may be better off finding a good greengrocer instead of supermarket stuff. Prices are generally much of a muchness anyway, and your stomach will thank you.

Flatmates: you're going to uni soon aren't you? Find out where you can advertise and do some. If you join clubs check there as well. If you do find yourself a church, definitely check there (heck, check local churches anyway, they're always full of people looking for accommodation). Invite potentials over for a meal, make sure you spend a decent period of time with them before making a decision.

[Rawhide]

All you need can be found here. (http://www.ikea.com/au/en/preindex.html) I'm a fan. 80% of all things in my apartment were bought in one of those stores. It's a shame they don't sell computers as well.

If they sold computers... Oh my, I can imagine averagejoe trying to assemble them.

P.S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WugVu2b-y0s

[Moonshadow]

I'll be your roomie, sis. I'll even do all the cooking. You just have to put up with my snoring :smalltongue:

[Lady Moreta]

I honestly wouldn't go to Ikea - I've found that they're just not as cheap as they try and convince you they are.

I think you'd do fine with Big W or K-Mart to be honest. Heck, even The Reject Shop or a Red Dot store will have cheap and easy stuff, depending on what you need. I have a bookcase I use as a shoe rack that I got from a Red Dot store... works fine. If you're just after cheap plastic containers for holding pasta or similar, one of those places will be fine.

Think about wear and tear. How much use is something going to get... if the answer is 'lots' then you're better off paying extra for good quality... this is mainly for furniture/larger items I'll admit. For things like storage, use your common sense, you'll soon be able to tell whether or not that lid will really stay on.

[Killer Angel]

I honestly wouldn't go to Ikea - I've found that they're just not as cheap as they try and convince you they are.


They're cheap, but not SO cheap, and the good quality stuff, isn't certainly for free...
Like every place, some things are worthy, while other aren't.

[xPANCAKEx]

cheap furniture - CRAIGSLIST!!! theres tonnes of free/cheap stuff as long as you arnt picky... and if you're poor, you sometimes cant afford to be

[Moonshadow]

If you're okay with searching through piles of people's junk, hard garbage is also an excellent source of cheap furniture.

[Coidzor]

Definitely recommend keeping track of your expenditures and establishing a budget.

Granted, I've... always had a bit of trouble with such things.

But once you get on top of it, it's good to have an intimate understanding of how flexible you can be.

One thing, if you have a freezer available, meat that's about to go out is frequently even cheaper than meat that's on sale. I'm not sure what it's called over in Australia but it's generally known as manager's special here in the states, since they want to recoup some of their expenses from it while it's still salable. So figuring out what day of the week and what general time of day to check by your market of choice for such things is something to consider.

Beans and rice can form the most basic staple, as far as I know, of protein and starch for survival, so I'd recommend looking into that class of recipes for some that have appeal to you. I'm rather fond of cajun red beans and rice myself. Both can be bought in bulk relatively cheaply and a single expenditure will cover a month or more. Pasta as well, of course.

Old bread (like, about to expire and on special as a result) can be refrigerated to last longer without going stale and without much deterioration as long as it's being used toasted... Similarly as long as it's sealed bread can be frozen and stocked up on, but really, really needs to be toasted or maybe used as breadcrumbs after that experience.

Ramen, of course... And I believe there are many youtube videos you can refer to for step-by-step instructions for cheap, healthy-ish ramen.

Now finding a good roommate if you don't have a candidate already on hand or even one on recommendation from someone whose judgment and intel you trust... Bit trickier that. :/

[Lioness]

You guys are fabulous. Thanks so much.

I'll try to respond to most of it...if I miss it, it's because I was slightly overwhelmed with stuff.

Food: I adore pasta, rice, and potatoes, and they're all very cheap. I will live off them. Also am going to cook up large quantities and freeze individual serves.
I work at a supermarket, so I get a discount...I am also able to poke the meat/perishables people to tell me when they're marking stuff down.
I will not be eating out if I can help it, and will be packing lunch instead of buying it from Uni.

Wondering...apart from cordial, are there any sorts of good water-flavourers to add to water. Because I would drink just water, but I have a sweet tooth.

Money: Am planning to put most of what I don't need each week into a savings account. That way I've got something to fall back on if something breaks/something bad happens. Thanks to our health system, government-subsidised doctor's appointments for concession people (like me!) are only $10, and most scripts can be filled for $5. So if something bad happens, I shouldn't die for lack of professional help.
Does anyone have recommendations regarding using books to keep track of payments and such?
Also, before I buy things on impulse (new dance shoes, new skirt, etc.) I'm going to wait a few days. Can I get something similar at an op shop? Do I really need it, or do I just want it?

Transport: I'm going to use my bike as much as possible...riding to the shops, Uni, and other nearby places. Only places I can see me using a car is to dance lessons, DP's house, and at night. Am also going to keep public transport to a minimum.

Roommate: I've decided to not have a roommate. I don't use a whole lot of electricity, water, and gas (like, freakishly small amounts...2 minute showers, no air conditioning, minimal lights, etc.). Another person in the house would save me $15 rent, but it's likely that they would make up for that with extra bill stuff. I'm willing to live very simply, but at the moment I don't know anyone who could easily adjust to that lifestyle.

I'm getting a lot of my appliances and furniture from Freecycle, or from stuff that mum doesn't need in the house. They might not be good quality, but they're free! Conversely, they might be great quality, but just unwanted.

[Rawhide]

Wondering...apart from cordial, are there any sorts of good water-flavourers to add to water. Because I would drink just water, but I have a sweet tooth.

I don't want to sound like a killjoy, but, why? As far as the health of your teeth go, it is far better to have a lot of sweet drinks in a short amount of time, than the same amount throughout the day. Your mouth takes a very long time to stabilise after eating or drinking something sweet, if you keep drinking a sweet drinks throughout the day, you won't give it a chance to stabilise.

[Lioness]

I don't want to sound like a killjoy, but, why? As far as the health of your teeth go, it is far better to have a lot of sweet drinks in a short amount of time, than the same amount throughout the day. Your mouth takes a very long time to stabilise after eating or drinking something sweet, if you keep drinking a sweet drinks throughout the day, you won't give it a chance to stabilise.

Hmmm...

I didn't quite mean drinking sweet drinks all day. But maybe a couple of times a day.
It's probably something I need to fix, but I don't really like the taste of water. It's so...bland, I guess.

[Coidzor]

Wondering...apart from cordial, are there any sorts of good water-flavourers to add to water. Because I would drink just water, but I have a sweet tooth.

Well, this is not really fashionable on your continent, but both sweet iced tea and lemonade are relatively inexpensive for a fair amount of processed liquid. Just regular old sugar is usually relatively inexpensive, or is here at least. And will last quite a while. Some families even have an extra sack that just got forgotten about in the pantry, so you might see if such is the case with yours and if you can have/nick it.

Combine that sort of thing with a packed water bottle filled with said sweetened beverage...

But... beyond that I've no real ability to comment. I mean, unless you wanted to try out horchata (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/horchata-recipe/index.html)(fancy version) or something...



Does anyone have recommendations regarding using books to keep track of payments and such?

Well, the companion book(forgot the name, sorry) to a cheque book wherein one records the expenditures for a record would work for purchases made out and about town, but I'd recommend having something a bit larger and more substantial for the actual book to be balanced. And that depends upon your preferences really. It could just be an excel spreadsheet, even...

[Mathis]

Hmmm...

I didn't quite mean drinking sweet drinks all day. But maybe a couple of times a day.
It's probably something I need to fix, but I don't really like the taste of water. It's so...bland, I guess.

I like to add lemon-juice to my water. Now, I love water and I drink a lot of it, but sometimes my sweet-tooth takes control and I need something with more taste. So I squeeze up some fresh lemon (not concentrate mind you) and add water to taste. It's pretty good, and sure is a lot better for your teeth than pure sugar. Though I do think some of the acids in lemon isn't exactly good for your teeth, it's better than most of the stuff you can buy at the store. As long as you floss and keep normal dental hygiene and such I think you're going to do ok anyway.

[factotum]

Food: I adore pasta, rice, and potatoes, and they're all very cheap. I will live off them.

Hmmmm...I wouldn't try that if I were you, unless you want medical bills dealing with your severe malnutrition :smallwink:. At least include some sauce or fruit!

[Lioness]

Hmmmm...I wouldn't try that if I were you, unless you want medical bills dealing with your severe malnutrition :smallwink:. At least include some sauce or fruit!

Well, not solely off of them. But they will be a staple of my diet.

I will have fruit, meat, and eggs as well.

[Cyrion]

Something nobody's mentioned yet- make sure you get a formal lease between you and your neighbors. This will outline the expectations and agreements everyone has and make sure that both of you are protected. This will be even more important if you get a roommate whom you don't know.

It may seem like it's trivial or even over-formal if your neighbors are friends, but with something like this you want to make sure that everybody has the same expectations or standards. There are a variety of generic leases available online; here (http://www.davishousing.com/ResourceFiles/ModelLease.pdf) is one version. This is the lease that I lived under for years as a graduate student, and I think it's good for both the landlord and tenant. Of course, alter it as appropriate to fit your particular situation.

[Anuan]

I gave this advice to my ex recently; DON'T. EAT OUT. ONCE A DAY. AS YOUR ONLY MEAL.

I was able to spend on average fifty dollars a week (or fortnight? I can't remember now) buying groceries for three people. Not the highest quality food, but we had plenty of nutrition, and occasional bonus tubs of icecream. Buy pasta, buy rice, buy nice fresh vegetables and freeze what you don't use over the next few days. Buy ohsobadbutsogood 50c packets of ramen. Make it as per usual, or use it to extend your carb intake by turning it into cheesy ramen scrambled eggs (Felix says adding diet coke to the mix is delicious, but I wouldn't vouch), if you splash out and buy the cup ones, you can even pick up flavours you dont like and instead of using the broth, boil the noodles, drain, and mix in a spoon of pasta sauce heated in the microwave.

Buy a big block of cheese if you like cheese, as even little ones are expensive and the big one's only a few dollars more and can last a lot longer.

Pasta can be delicious with just butter and cheese and salt and pepper.

Rice is the same, and you can make fried rice out of leftover boiled/steamed rice with a few vegies, soysauce, egg, onion, garlic, whatever you like.

Buy plenty of spices and herbs and seasonings and such. You'd be amazed how easy it is to turn something really simple into something very palatable with just a few dashes of this-and-that. Hotsauce is also a must.

Nearly everything can be frozen to extend til you want to use it. Tomatoes, not so much. Most other vegies and all meats can.

Learn to make simple sauces to make everything amazing. Buy a cheap flask of red wine for cooking. A couple pieces of cheap steak pulled out of the freezer? A little wine, a little cream (when you've got money left over from following all these tips for a while :smallwink:), tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, a little parsley, garlic, BAM DIANNE SAUCE. Pour over steak and boiled, buttery potatoes, mashed if you want. For something more simple, just saute mushrooms in butter in a little saucepan, serve with said steak. For an inbetween, when your steak's done cooking and you're resting it, do the butter and mushrooms with a little cream and pepper in the steak's cooking juices to make an awesome mushroom sauce. If you don't like mushrooms, the resulting sauce is still amazing as long as you don't eat the 'shrooms themselves (the Anuan method.)

Some people may disagree with this, but when you've got a little money saved up and you've got nothing planned, do go out and get something nice. Eat out, or get overpriced delicious takeout, or buy a little cake or some icecream or something. Nothing too extravagant, but it'll make everything feel worth it, and you'll appreciate it a lot more when you've not had it for a while.

Oh and another thing; buy potatoes frequently, but not in too large a bulk in case they go off. Potatoes can be used ten billion different ways and they're all delicious and filling.

As for water; buy nice flavoured (herbals, if you like. Rooibous is really nice) teabags and make iced tea with a little sugar, or just a few drops of limejuice, with a little sugar. Less, there, than with tea. Plus keep it chilled. Water is so much tastier chilled. I've told you this bit before :smalltongue:

[Lady Moreta]

One thing I did mean to mention...

If there are any particular food/drink things you are fussy about you're far better off spending a little extra than getting a cheap subsitute that will sit in the pantry because you just can't bring yourself to eat/drink it. We're like that with peanut butter :smallsmile:

You'll soon learn what items you are okay to get cheaper and what things you really need to get better quality. Sometimes the brand name stuff really is better.

[Coidzor]

I gave this advice to my ex recently; DON'T. EAT OUT. ONCE A DAY. AS YOUR ONLY MEAL.

:smalleek: Gah! Why would someone think that?!


Buy a big block of cheese if you like cheese, as even little ones are expensive and the big one's only a few dollars more and can last a lot longer.

Indeed, as an added bonus, getting it in block form allows for you to let it age up and get sharper to a certain extent before you finally open it up and begin nomming off of it. Though you're not really going to be living on the timescale that such things operate on, since it generally takes 3-4 months to get some improvement if it started out as, say, a block of sharp cheddar.

Though this might be different in australia, given we treat dairy a lot differently here in the states...


Pasta can be delicious with just butter and cheese and salt and pepper.

Indeed. Even a bit of that cheap powdered parmesan-like substance and butter can be quite satisfying. :smallbiggrin:


Rice is the same, and you can make fried rice out of leftover boiled/steamed rice with a few vegies, soysauce, egg, onion, garlic, whatever you like.

Aww man, you just reminded me that I still need to master this skill.


Buy plenty of spices and herbs and seasonings and such. You'd be amazed how easy it is to turn something really simple into something very palatable with just a few dashes of this-and-that. Hotsauce is also a must.

Oh yeah. I can't agree strongly enough.


Some people may disagree with this, but when you've got a little money saved up and you've got nothing planned, do go out and get something nice. Eat out, or get overpriced delicious takeout, or buy a little cake or some icecream or something. Nothing too extravagant, but it'll make everything feel worth it, and you'll appreciate it a lot more when you've not had it for a while.

That or if you can budget for it, Lioness, have a little reward for yourself planned every now and then. There's a couple schools of thought on this as far as I recall. One's just to have a little money set aside week-by-week/month-by-month into a slush fund for indulging one's self and impulse decisions, another's to have a planned series of small rewards every so often sometimes combined to a lesser extent with the first... And there's something else that's just slipping my mind...

[Miklus]

Ah, university! Six years of poverty! Good times!

You can get your hair cut for FREE at the hair dresser school! Downside: they sometimes cut you in the ear!

But seriously, sometimes I took all my money for that month out as cash. I makes it easier to keep track of it. And if all else fails: Rice with soy sauce...until next month. :smalltongue:

[xPANCAKEx]

yes - find the nearest dental training school

im lucky in that i that i have one only 20 minutes away from me - i got emergency treatment in 2 days rather than 2 weeks, and all for free!

[factotum]

And if all else fails: Rice with soy sauce...until next month. :smalltongue:

Or rice with baked beans--that seemed to be popular among the cash-strapped when I was a student. :smallsmile:

[Lioness]

yes - find the nearest dental training school

im lucky in that i that i have one only 20 minutes away from me - i got emergency treatment in 2 days rather than 2 weeks, and all for free!

Australia has a pretty good healthcare system, so stuff like doctor's appointments and dental stuff is discounted if you're poor.

[Rawhide]

Australia has a pretty good healthcare system, so stuff like doctor's appointments and dental stuff is discounted if you're poor.

If you can find a bulk-billing doctor, it's free.

[SlayerScott]

I'm not sure how good this advice will be because there are no doubt cultural differences that might render this advice useless.

#1 - Here we call it Value Village, but whatever your used goods/thrift shop equivalent is, visit there first. You can get just about anything you need there.

#2 - The Dollar Store. That's plan B for everything you need that you didn't find at the the thrift shop.

#3 I'm not sure what the state of Australian farming is but make good friends with PORK! Pork is always cheaper than chicken or beef and is extremely versatile in the kitchen, You can get a big pork tenderloin dirt cheap(usually) and then it's good for 3 days worth of delicious meals.
Day 1 - Roast pork tenderloin - cook the whole thing and then eat very little of it. Use the drippings to make gravy and then have it with mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Onions and Mushrooms in the gravy to bump up the veg content
Day 2 - get some thin slices and dump them in your ramen
Day 3 - pork sandwiches
you get the idea. Tons of easy pork recipes!

#4 - Unless you're a vegetarian, vegetarians make lousy roommates. You get back from the grocery and they gladly eat your bread, cheese, milk, eggs, etc. Then when it's their turn to go to the grocery they buy a $20 jar of organic Tahini and horrible tasting soy milk. They'll complain incessantly if you use the community frying pan to make chicken. And like all my vegetarian roommates from University a decade ago, none of them are vegetarians anymore.

#5 - I'm annoyed by drinking water too - so bland and tasteless. Kool-Aid! Still pennies a glass and better for you than pop. Other mixes like Iced Tea and even Gatorade last a long time and are excellent cheap alternatives. Tea's great too. Plus, as a University student, you can mix Vodka with any powdered drink. You can mix whiskey with powdered drinks too, but it's kind of gross.

#6 - Just Add Water pancake mix - the ultimate never go hungry food for the impoverished. Pancakes are heavy and the mix is cheap.

#7 - Mom & Dad. Yeah, you're trying to be independent. I'm not suggesting sponging off your parents but listen to any advice they have, graciously accept any help they offer and call your Mom from time to time to say how much you appreciate all the hard work she did over the years. You'll have a new appreciation for your parents when you have to do all the crap that it never occurred to you had to be done at all.

#8 - NEVER EAT IN BED. That's the best way to avoid cockroaches, mice, bedbugs and other things too horrible to contemplate. Also, keep the floor clean and open food and garbage off the floor. Liberally apply poisonous cleaners to corners where mice and bugs might like to stay.

[Rawhide]

#3 I'm not sure what the state of Australian farming is but make good friends with PORK! Pork is always cheaper than chicken or beef

Beef is incredibly cheap here, at least in Queensland, and is far cheaper than pork.

[SlayerScott]

Yeah, I was afraid that might be the case - that's one of those cultural differences I was alluding to in my preamble. Most Aussies I know have waxed poetic about their beef(or Kiwi Lamb), but I've never heard them mention pork.

[Anuan]

Australia's got some of the highest quality pork around. But the plain fact is that beef is more delicious in just about all cases except roast, and bacon. Oh, and fried ham rocks pretty hard as well.

[Generic Archer]

The thing is, Pork doesn't taste that good.

Beef mince is cheap,
'Roo Sausages, Steaks, and Roasts are all rediculously cheap, and taste even better than beef.
I feel sorry for the rest of the world that they don't get 'roo as an option


Cheap food:
buy bulk, especially the staples: rice, pasta, potatoes
have tinned tomatos, always
stirfrys are good, and quick
italian is easy, pasta + tomatoes (above) + spices/sauce depending on cost
Indian curry sauce + meat and rice, should last 3 or so meals
Cereal is cheap...
Never, repeat Never, Buy coffee... preferably not even the beans to drink at home, but certainally never buy it prepared

I basically live on the above... with some other stuff as well of course

also if you can jump through the hoops/be bothered dealing with centrelink to get onto Youth Allowance that helps dramatically

Dane

[Lioness]

The thing is, Pork doesn't taste that good.

Beef mince is cheap,
'Roo Sausages, Steaks, and Roasts are all rediculously cheap, and taste even better than beef.
I feel sorry for the rest of the world that they don't get 'roo as an option


Cheap food:
buy bulk, especially the staples: rice, pasta, potatoes
have tinned tomatos, always
stirfrys are good, and quick
italian is easy, pasta + tomatoes (above) + spices/sauce depending on cost
Indian curry sauce + meat and rice, should last 3 or so meals
Cereal is cheap...
Never, repeat Never, Buy coffee... preferably not even the beans to drink at home, but certainally never buy it prepared

I basically live on the above... with some other stuff as well of course

also if you can jump through the hoops/be bothered dealing with centrelink to get onto Youth Allowance that helps dramatically

Dane

Thanks :smallbiggrin:

I'm already on Youth Allowance...hoping to also get Rent Assisstance and a couple of Uni scholarships.
I was a coffee drinker, but am switching pretty permanently to tea. It tastes lovely.

[Rawhide]

I was a coffee drinker,
I can forgive you for your past transgressions.


but am switching pretty permanently to tea. It tastes lovely.

Woooooooo! Have you tried chai?

[Anuan]

She already said she's switched pretty permanently to chai, Rawhide. You want to know if she's tried masala chai. "Chai" is just a word for 'tea.'

If you do try masala chai, oh foofly Lioness, then I'd suggest a mix with cinnamon, cloves and licorice root along with anything else. If anise can be avoided, do so. Blerch.

[Rawhide]

She already said she's switched pretty permanently to chai, Rawhide. You want to know if she's tried masala chai. "Chai" is just a word for 'tea.'

If you do try masala chai, oh foofly Lioness, then I'd suggest a mix with cinnamon, cloves and licorice root along with anything else. If anise can be avoided, do so. Blerch.

No, she hasn't and no, I did mean chai.


Recently, no earlier than 1980, "chai" entered North American English with a particular meaning: Indian masala black tea. Of course this is not the case in other languages, where "chai" usually just means black tea (as people traditionally drink more black tea than green outside of East Asia).


Noun: chai

A beverage made with black teas, steamed milk and sweet spices based loosely on Indian recipes

In English, chai specifically refers to masala chai. You're merely referring to the word origins or roots.


P.S. Chai was originally a milky tea, thus chai tea is incorrect. The worst of this is when a cafe has on the menu "chai tea latte", which translates roughly to 'milky tea tea milky'.

[RabbitHoleLost]

The worst of this is when a cafe has on the menu "chai tea latte", which translates roughly to 'milky tea tea milky'.

:: giggles::
See, I think that's the best and it makes me smile everytime I see it.


Good luck, Lioness. I lurves you and hope for the best. I've none of my own advice as I have yet to really move out.

[THAC0]

For budgeting, make sure you know exactly how much money you have and where it goes. This might be tough for a few months, but pretty soon you'll figure out what utilities cost, and from there you can calculate how much you can afford to spend on food, and then how much you can save or spend on "extras." Make sure to evaluate "needs" vs "wants," and I strongly encourage considering savings to be a "need." Sounds like you're on the right track.

If you find you have a busy schedule during the week and don't want to cook healthy meals, cook large portions on the weekend and freeze them in single-serving sizes. Pull it out, pop it in the microwave or oven, and you're ready to go. Just like a frozen meal, but cheaper and healthier.

[Lioness]

Thanks, THAC0.

The cooking large amounts on weekends thing is something we already do at home, and something I'd like to keep doing when I move out. I'd also like to have enough time to cook myself tea every night, though.
I guess we'll see how things go.

I'm officially moving in next weekend :smallbiggrin:

The landlady has been lovely, and she's leaving a lot of her old furniture and appliances there, because she doesn't need them :)

[Rawhide]

Something else important to remember before you go buying only the cheap stuff is the old saying that "the poor man pays twice".

Sometimes it is better to pay that extra bit of money to get something that will last or perform better. You definitely don't need to buy the most expensive items and sometimes cheaper items are just as good, or better, than more expensive items, but you do have to be very careful or you can find yourself spending more on items simply because you spent less.

Be careful and ensure that what you are buying is of a high quality, will last and will cost you less in the total cost of ownership than the more expensive items and don't be afraid to pay those extra dollars if you think it will be better in the long run.

This includes many items such as tools, appliances, computers/accessories, clothes/linen and many others. Tools and appliances break, computers and parts become obsolete, some printers will cost much more to replace the ink, some appliances will use far more electricity that other models (that $30 fridge may cost you much more than a new $300 fridge), clothes/linen wears, gets holes and tears, the list goes on.

In short, do try to find inexpensive items, but don't sacrifice quality for a short term saving as it may not pay off in the long run as you use, repair, maintain and replace items.

[Lioness]

I read that when you posted it, but didn't reply...all is duly noted :smallsmile:

I'm moving in on...Sunday evening, I believe.

I've been slowly taking my stuff down there, and seeing what the owner has left.

I have two toasters!
And some ants.

But also a fair bit of furniture and some linen and stuff.

At the moment it's looking like I'll only need to buy a quilt, and some of those fancy little containers that you put rice and sugar and tea and stuff in.

When the house is clean enough (some of the owner's stuff is still there) I'll make a video tour of the house for you guys...it's pretty cool :smallsmile:

[Skeppio]

The worst of this is when a cafe has on the menu "chai tea latte", which translates roughly to 'milky tea tea milky'.

Wow, I'm totally asking for 'milky tea tea milky' next time I go to a cafe. :smalltongue: