Things To Do To Move Back!

I knew that I would be overwhelmed by how much packing I would do to move back home so, I have already moved my winter garments and some other stuff during my last two car trips to Istanbul.

There is actually not too much to pack but, since I am pretty lazy around the house, I am procrastinating. 

Then I remembered this from an old training course: How do you eat an elephant? The answer is "bite by bite". So, today I will pack clothes and accessories I shall not need within a month, do a load or two of laundry and look at the kitchen cupboards to see if I have enough boxes and tapes and bubble packs.

I have already found the carrier company to handle moving my stuff, thanks to a co-worker. Only a couple of things shall be sent to Istanbul, the rest will go to Antalya. There is an apartment co-owned by my uncle and mom.

I went grocery-shopping after work today. I knew there was not much to eat at home due to my very long vacation but I also did not want to overspend without checking what's on hand either. So, I quickly grabbed some fresh fish, bread, canned fish for another night and some non-food stuff and came home.

I was famished and feeling tired so, I quickly grilled the fish and gobbled it up. Then I decided to watch a favorite show before I started to pack. After the show I decided to write this post. See procrastination here?

Well after the post I think, I will have run out of reasons not to start working and finally accomplish something tonight. The hardest part is to start. Rest is easy:) So, off I go to attack the laundry first!

Summer's End

My favorite season is the Fall so, on this very first day of the Fall, I am filled with joy looking forward to my last day at work on the 14th of September. On the 17th, I will file for retirement and finish up packing the rest of my stuff to take back to Istanbul.

I cannot believe it is only 9 more days of my draining, terrible job. I have been off since August 18th. I have spent 4 days by the seaside in Kaş, Antalya with my sister and brother-in-law. Then I took my mom to Barcelona for 5 days. We returned last week and have been resting ever since. Mom seems to have thrown out the towel on travel. It is too much for her to walk at the airports. She loves to travel so, may be she will forget how tired she was this year and come with me somewhere else next year. Who knows?

Here are the things that I am looking forward to this Fall:

1. Filing for retirement.
2. Emptying my apartment.
3. Moving back home:)
4. My first assignment as a consultant.
5. My first payment from my new job.

Feels good!

Coming back soon!

I have started this blog and neglected it for a long while. I love Istanbul but I had to make a life decision to move away for a while. By the end of September, hopefully, I will be back in Istanbul for good. I intend to revive this blog and turn it into something useful and inspiring.

I am entering a new phase in my life: Part-time, project-based work! It sort of sounds scary but, my soon to be ex-job was absolutely draining. It was not always like that. If it were still bearable, I would keep working probably until May 2014. That would put me in a safer cash position. I decided to take a risk instead of feeling frustration.

I will have a steady income stream just to keep me make my ends meet through Social Security. If I can find a good tenant for my investment apartment, that will also help a bit. Anything I earn on top of these will go to savings and travel, home improvement projects and a car upgrade in the coming years. I will share my plans later on.

I have 26,483 TL remaining debt (non-mortgage) on the investment apartment so, it is not too bad. My monthly payments are 1,350 TL and I am hoping to clear that debt earlier than 2014.

When I start earning from my new venture, the first thing I will try to clear up is that debt. It consists of three pieces:
 Debt 1: 6,945 TL at 12,60% interest
 Debt 2: 10,228 TL at 11,52% interest
 Debt 3: 9,310 TL at 11% interest

My first target is Debt 1 of course. I hope to clear that before the end of this year. If I can close it by the end of the year, I shall probably save about 900 TL in interest. Not a lot but still....

So, stay tuned. I will be coming back with at least two posts a week discussing Istanbul, frugality and working part-time as a consultant.

Winter! Go away, go away!

I hate heat. Anything above 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit is hot for me. Whenever we have very hot days in summer, I keep telling myself that I would never complain about the cold weather in winter time. Well, that was before I got stuck in Ankara for two consecutive winters! For the last 8 weeks my world is frozen. I have to scrape the windshield every-single-day!

We are not even halfway through February and March in Ankara is also known to be a mean, cold month. 6 more weeks of this? Oh give me a break please. I am hoping with all my heart that, I will be in Istanbul for the next winter!

Sundays...

I generally like Sundays. I rest, do a little bit of work around the home such as cooking for the week, enjoy some reading and do not much else...

I only dislike Sundays when I dislike my job like now. I dread the idea of going to work tomorrow.

When I started working for this company, I liked it and for quiet a while it was OK and even good. Things have dramatically changed over the course of last 6-8 months. There are external factors affecting the management and they are taking it all out on the rest of the employees. The boss thinks he may be fired soon and he is doing everything in his power to cover his... you know what. He keeps asking for more reports for minute details, he keeps making everyone re-visit old files to see if there are any issues which may be used against him and etc. It is in sufferable. Last week I had a breakdown and was at the verge of quitting.

If I quit now, I will most likely end up selling the investment apartment I bought. I still have 28 months of payment on it. According to my calculations, I should bear this job for another year. Then, quitting is doable but still a bit risky. I am willing to take that risk.

I am actively looking for an alternative but given the economy, it is tough. I just keep counting the days and hope for the best...

No Spend Days...

It is extremely cold outside and to be honest, I just want to come home at night. Going shopping is pretty unappealing these days.

I am also focusing on cutting all unnecessary expenses as well so, I decided to use stuff out of the pantry this week delaying my grocery shopping until Saturday. The fridge is practically empty.

Two days in a row, I was able not to spend a penny (well, kurusch in my case:). Today, I am having pasta and tuna for dinner. Tomorrow is lentils and bulgur pilaf. Friday, leftovers and soup. I do not need to buy gas this week either.

So, by the end of the week the number of no spend days will be 5! Good for me!

I am planning dramatic changes this year and I am short on cash. Counting the days till October!

I am back!

I love Istanbul. I sure do but life has thrown me to another part of the country since August 2010. Unable to find a decent job in Istanbul for a while I accepted an offer which brought me to my hometown. Mom and sis live here and although I do not like Ankara, I am glad that I get to see them more often now.

I left my apartment in Istanbul as it is. I did not move my furniture. Every month I go to Istanbul to meet with a group of friends. My original plan was to go every two weeks but, that is not very frugal and I need to save money to go back to Istanbul for good.

I stayed with mom for about 7-8 months when I first came here. She had both her knees replaced in December 2010 and needed my assistance before and after the surgery for a while. Later on, I decided to invest my money in an apartment here in Ankara in the early spring in 2011. I bought a two bedroom apartment and took out a short term loan of 3 years. It is minimally furnished and now I am living in my new apartment.

I am still not sure if I regret my investment decision. I have mixed feelings about it since, I hate debt of any kind. I am sure in the long run I will not regret it. It will be a source of additional income.

I am trying to live frugally and socking away most of my income to build a healthy emergency fund. For me that is a whole year's worth of expenses. Once I have that kind of money aside, I feel stable and happy. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen soon enough. I may have to stick to my job here in Ankara until next year. That is one huge year doing something I do not like anymore. Initially, I was happy but things have changed.

I decided to blog again since it helps me focus on my goals and lets me communicate with total strangers who might help me in coping with the situation.