Lifestyle

25 Things I Still Don’t Understand At 25

As I near the halfway point of my 25th year of life on this beautiful earth, I sit here during work (oops) thinking damn, I still don’t know shit. I’d like to think that during my 25 short years I have learned a thing or two- mainly how to still function at work while being terribly hungover and learning how to cook rice in a pot (sorry for growing up with a rice cooker #asianparents) However, there is still a ton I don’t know- so why not list them out? If you have more- feel free to comment them below!

  1. WTF is a deductible?
  2. Is global warming a real thing…? And should we be worried
  3. People who don’t know how to balance hanging out their friends and their significant other
  4. Investments, stocks, all things money. *Cue Finance Boyfriend RN*
  5. How much water am I supposed to be drinking so I can be ~healthy~
  6. How to let go of someone whole heartedly
  7. Taxes
  8. How to never, ever get the Sunday Scaries
  9. How to say no..or yes to things
  10. How to casually talk to the opposite sex without having to expect something or give something
  11. Why wine makes you sleepy drunk
  12. Why you have to go to the airport two hours before any flight
  13. How to wear heels and not get blisters
  14. Men
  15. What exactly is credit?
  16. The difference between tylenol and advil
  17. When it says “dry clean only” do they really mean dry clean only?
  18. How daylight savings actually works
  19. How to thank your parents for everything (TYSM Pat & Lars)
  20. How your mom is always right!
  21. Damn proofs *cue 10th grade algebra/geometry*
  22. How to make your best friend feel better when her world falls apart
  23. How I forgave you
  24. Why people are just not nice
  25. How to actually “adult”

0 comment
Lifestyle, Relationships

An Open Letter To Men w/ Yellow Fever

Let’s just take a moment to absorb in the above title. If you know me in *real life* or have taken a gander to the right of this post then you know that I am Asian and more specifically Chinese. If you haven’t picked up on that then, maybe you should get your eyes checked–and your head too while you’re at it. See Image A below.

Image A

I have two Chinese parents, three Chinese brothers and a pair of Asian eyes. I ate rice with chopsticks almost every night growing up and participated in traditional Chinese activities (Yes, I really dressed up as a lion for Chinese New Year). But, I’m also your average twenty-something-year-old trying to make it in the world and obviously still struggling. Like any jaded twenty-something-year-old, I partake in all the necessary (adult) activities during the weekday to live irresponsibly during the weekend activities. I have a 9-to-5 job and a side hustle all because I like to brunch way to much with my friends. I am also v social media crazed, date occasionally and enjoy getting drunk on the weekends– don’t judge. I am essentially your average twenty-something-year-old woman living in a big city, or so I thought.

The other week I was talking to a friend of a friend who was telling me some story that I obviously wasn’t paying attention to but occasionally threw in the “omg no way”,  “wait really?” or “wow”– those safe phrases one uses when they want to pretend they are listening/engaged. As she was going on and on about her story, my mind was going further and further into Rae Chow Daydreams. My daydreams were interrupted when she hit me and said “Did you hear me?, I think I have someone for you.” Like any single woman, my ears obviously peaked and I wanted to know more, so I asked. And then she said it. The phrase that immediately makes my blood boil more than you would better believe.

“He’s into Asians, I think he’ll like you”

To most people, this phrase probably wouldn’t even make you flinch and rightfully so. I wouldn’t expect it to unless you are one of my few Asian homies. Now don’t worry this isn’t taking a turn to become some equality, f racism post. This phrase has been said to me twice in the past two weeks, which is a lot.

Growing up in a predominately white community my entire life and the majority of my friends being non-asian, I have unofficially named myself everyone’s “Asian Friend” which is totally fine with me because it is true. However, I am also just another twenty-something-year-old woman who probably likes all of the same things as the basic blonde standing next to me, Starbs included.

So this is an open letter to the men with yellow fever and to the women who make assumptions about others based on their looks or ethnicities. The world and life is so much bigger than my almond shaped eyes and rice based diet. My ideal ~future~ partner will respect where I have come from, understand the importance of my Chinese culture, but also know that it doesn’t entirely define the woman I have become today. He should be able to enjoy eating with chopsticks (no forks allowed, jk), but also understand that an instagrammable rainbow latte is just as important to my life. So friends, table your assumptions and get to know the person I am, not the one I look like.

 

0 comment
My Two Cents

MY 2 CENTS TRANSACTION: MARKETING MANAGER

Welcome to the “My 2 Cents Transaction” Series, a money diary log written by contributors of all different income levels, locations, and occupations. Each contributor will be logging their weekly expenses in either food, lifestyle, or activities/entertainment. This is not meant to flaunt what other people are doing or how much they are spending but to open the eyes of individuals about money and how to take control of your future finances. Thanks so much for reading as always & if you’d like to be an anonymous contributor feel free to email me at rachelmchow@gmail.com or message me on Insta/Twitter. xx Rae

Occupation: Marketing Manager
Age: 24
Location: NYC
Salary: $70K
Total Spent This Week: $1,009.94

Monday:
My Monday morning starts off like every rough Monday morning, I make myself my morning espresso at home($0!) and head to work. My roommate texts me a link to an event she is going to on Friday night. Naturally I tell her that I will think about buying my ticket. Thought complete and I buy the ticket for $20! My colleagues and I are thinking about what we should get for lunch. It’s a beautiful day out but we’re stuck in meetings so we cannot enjoy a nice lunch break. We walk to Luke’s Lobster and I get myself a lobster roll and a side salad for $20.69. A little more than I like spending on lunch but I felt like it was a good day to treat myself. On my way back to the office I stop in Duane Reade and grab a Diet Coke for $2.43. Luke’s Lobster was literally the best decision I made all day. After work, I go to my favorite gym class of the week at Equinox which is expensive but totally worth it! After the gym I make myself dinner with the food I took from home (TY Mom!).
Total Spent: $43.12

Tuesday:
Tuesday morning I had to be at work by 7am to set up for our conference. The first two Tuesdays of the month are always the worst for me as I have to get in super early! I rushed to make myself espresso before bolting out the door to the subway. The good thing about running conference is that I get free bagels, yay! By 9:30am I’m exhausted and my coworker and I decide that it’s time to try out the new coffee place that opened up across the street. $4.66 later and I get a medium iced latte. Honestly, it wasn’t terrible but I would have gotten a much better and bigger drink at Starbucks. I get over my expensive latte because it’s employee appreciation week and my boss treats the office to lunch! There’s nothing I love more than free meals *heart eyes emoji*. I don’t leave work until after 6pm and I’m super bummed because I miss my workout class. My friend texts me as she’s near my apartment and wants to get dinner. We go to Treadwell Park to enjoy some nice bar food and drinks. She orders a beer I obviously do not and I get a cool pink rosé sangria. We order a giant pretzel which was the size of my face to share with cheese and mustard sauce which was so delicious! We would have been fine with just that but I already ordered hot dogs which we’re basically the size of my arm! I could only eat half of it which was fine because I need to cut back on calories anyways! $43.10 total spent which is not terrible for us. We make plans to go to happy hour on Thursday because we are both in need of a night of drinking. I head home and go to sleep because I am exhausted!!
Total Spent: $47.76

Wednesday:
Wednesday was just another day in the office! I saw I had back to back conference calls all morning so I ran across the street to the the new coffee shop again. Even though I’ve already had my morning espresso this was necessary. This time I get a medium iced vanilla latte and it’s a little better but I should have gone to Starbucks instead $4.66. After spending 3 hours on my conference calls I remember that my other department is having their employee appreciation lunch today! Oh the perks of working for four different departments. I spend the rest of my day catching up on all of my work as I prepare for my big summer trip to Italy which is coming up in a few weeks. After work I finally make it to the gym for rooftop yoga and a 3 mile run. On my way home I remember I haven’t gotten my eyebrows done in probably two weeks so I stop by my favorite Perfect Brows on First Ave and spend $16.54. I look like a whole new person! I go home and cook myself dinner and meal prep the next two days as I’m all out of free work lunches.
Total Spent: $21.12

Thursday:
I oversleep for work and absolutely do not feel like doing anything all day. I take my time getting ready and make myself an iced latte because I make the best espresso drinks thanks to my grandma’s awesome stove top espresso maker. Despite the way I feel, I still go to work. All I can think about is my upcoming trip to Italy and how I haven’t done an ounce of shopping. I go to Nordstrom Rack online because that is my jam! Plus they are offering 25% off. One thing leads to another and two hours later I have officially spent $638.49. I normally don’t spend money like this anymore but I’m in a bind and everything is returnable. I’m secretly hoping nothing fits so I don’t have to spend the money but it’s necessary! My trip to Italy is free so it makes up for itself. After a number of unproductive hours I leave work to go home and change before my happy hour. At my job I have to dress very formally and I hate going out after in my work clothes. I take the subway down to the east village where I meet my friend for a drink. I have an unlimited metro card that I get pre-tax and taken directly from my paycheck and mailed to my house which makes my life so much easier. We go to Goodnight Sonny because they have our fave margaritas with spicy salt around the rims and we know we’re in for a good night! Plus they are $6 – how could we go wrong?! We get hungry so we split a Lobster roll and potato chips. Not as good as Luke’s but after a few margaritas it’s all good. Happy hour is ending so we find an extended happy hour nearby. I spend $43.20 and we head to Yuca bar. We continue drinking margaritas and order some appetizers since we love Spanish food and cannot resist. I spend $43.65. My friend lives nearby and has a rooftop that we can go to so on the way back we stop at a liquor store and I grab a bottle of rosé $13.05. We hang out on her roof for a few hours and watch the sunset. By this time I’m exhausted and just want to go home so I order an Uber. Obviously Uber gives the driver the wrong address and he cannot find me. Finally after 2:52 (I know because of the overage waiting fee I was charged!) I find the driver and we head uptown to my apartment which seems to take forever and cost me $14.13. I get super hungry and am super drunk so in true fashion I drunkenly order Chinese food. $19.91 because of a delivery minimum I swear! I get home and eat my Chinese food with the help of my roommates and pass out. What a freaking day I had!
Total Spent: $772.43

 

Friday:
I wake up super hungover and question why I thought it was a good idea to drink so much and how I’m going to get through the day and night. Obviously I always think of what’s best in the present and do not think of the future consequences. I didn’t feel like doing my hair so I put off washing it until later which turns into my hair going up and glasses on. There’s nothing I hate more than wearing my hair up because I look like a boy but today it had to be done. I finally make it out of my apartment without coffee and I’m desperate. I finally get smart and go to Starbucks. I get my usual venti iced quad espresso and the breakfast sandwich looked so good I had to get it also $8.38. People think I’m crazy for drinking so much espresso but it’s the only thing that gets me through the day. I struggle all day but I make it through! It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was and now I’m ready for the night. Tonight we have an 80s themed roller party to go to in Brooklyn. Normally I would probably say no because I rarely go to Brooklyn but my roommate convinced me. I have most of my outfit planned but I need a shirt. I remember I have a gift card to H&M so I go there on my way home from the train $0. I also stop at Duane Reade to get hair srunchies. They only have a pack of 6 which are 4th of July themed. I basically spend $6.52 on two hair scrunchies but it’s cool I’m feeling a lot better about my outfit now. I was planning on having my leftover Chinese food for dinner but my roommate texts me she is thinking of getting pizza. Obviously that is a great idea and we split a small pie and garlic bread, best decision ever for $9! We order an Uber to Brooklyn and pick up our other roomie from work and split three ways $10.26. We are all not up to drinking so we roller skate and take a few pictures. The night was actually a lot of fun and to my surprise I can roller skate! Well sort-of can. After the event is over we order an Uber back to the city and split again three ways $12.27. As we wait for the Uber we spot a raccoon and I realize I need to leave Brooklyn ASAP. We decide we want to get food on the way home and check out a small diner by our apartment that we’ve never been to. We get a few things and are so happy we found this place so close to us! $13.65.
Total Spent: $60.08

Saturday:
I had big plans to sleep in and go to the gym. One of those things happened! I would have gone to the gym but it was raining so hard I didn’t feel like walking to Equinox. Instead I order breakfast and sit on my couch and indulge in an SVU marathon $10.02. It’s my cousin’s graduation party so I take the subway to my grandma’s house(so I don’t have to pay the ridiculous LIRR prices!). We have free food and booze all night and my night ends with me going to my parent’s house and snuggling with my dog!
Total Spent: $10.02

Sunday:
I’m home on Long Island today so I go to my favorite hometown store TwentyFive A! My Nordstrom Rack package is set to arrive the day before I leave so I’m panicked and have to spend $225.57. It was necessary. It’s Father’s Day so I spend the day getting fed by both sides of my family. My aunt lives in New Jersey and offers to drop me back in the city on her way home. Super excited to again not spend money on the LIRR! After commuting and dealing with delays, cancellations and overcrowded trains I can’t justify spending $10 and giving them my money. My aunt gives my leftover food and we head home.
Total Spent: $225.57

At first I thought this was going to be the most boring submission yet but I see that I did not disappoint. After documenting everything I spent this week I suddenly feel like I should be in debt. I don’t always spend this much money but with my trip coming up and my life being so stressful lately it just happened. Since I moved out and started paying rent I’ve been trying to be really good about what I spend money on. I’m used to my parents helping me pay my bills but since I moved out I’ve been on my own and it’s really a learning experience for me. Luckily I have saved money and have credit cards that can help me for now. Obviously after reading what I just wrote I will need to be even more careful! More meal prepping, less drinking and more using my expensive gym membership!

0 comment
My Two Cents

MY 2 CENTS TRANSACTION: PROJECT MANAGER

Welcome to the “My 2 Cents Transaction” Series, a money diary log written by contributors of all different income levels, locations, and occupations. Each contributor will be logging their weekly expenses in either food, lifestyle, or activities/entertainment. This is not meant to flaunt what other people are doing or how much they are spending but to open the eyes of individuals about money and how to take control of your future finances. Thanks so much for reading as always & if you’d like to be an anonymous contributor feel free to email me at rachelmchow@gmail.com or message me on Insta/Twitter. xx Rae

Occupation: Project Manager
Age: 26
Location: NYC
Salary: $125K
Total Spent This Week: $723.20

Friday:
I usually work remotely on Fridays because my entire team flies in from different parts of the country. This flexbility with work allows me to plan my day accordingly and sometimes start my weekend a little early. I got a notification on twitter that Carly Rae Jepsen had released her new single ‘Cut to the Feeling’ which I immediately purchased ($1.29) on iTunes despite also having Spotify premium because I want to support artists that deserve my money. Other artists in this category include Beyonce and Taylor Swift. ‘Cut to the Feeling’ turned out to be the theme for the weekend as it was also the start of the summer…Memorial Day Weekend. After working half a day, I met up with the guy I’ve been seeing for a lunch date. We had to get creative on scheudling dates since we have opposite schedules, he works in the restaurant industry and I’m on the 9 to 5. Normally I wouldn’t agree to doing daytime dates during the work week, but when life gives you a handsome man …you break your rules and treat him for a sandwich and salad at Bite ($20). [I hope he doesn’t read this] After my date, I made a stop at the liquor store to pick up some wines, 1 bottle of prosecco for the train to Greenport and 2 bottles of Cabernet for a thank-you-for-hosting-me-at-your-giant-summer-home. ($80). I met my two best friends at Penn Station and purchased my roundtrip ticket to Greenport ($50) and we were off to Cut to the Weekend. We immediately popped open the prosecco and finished it before getting to our transfer in Ronkonkama, I’m sure everyone on our train hated us becuase we wouldn’t stop talking loudly about how much we love Carly Rae Jepsen. C’est la vie, 3 hours later and a lot of standing, we were finally at our destination. [Fuck the LIRR for not providng enough cars on the train out to Greenport forcing me to stand for the majority of the ride]. A quick walk from the station, we met up with our hosts for the weekend for some dinner and drinks at First and South. 3 moscow mules and a chicken sandwich later ($60) we had overstayed our table reservation and took the hint from the waitress to head out. For those of you who don’t know Greenport well, it’ll probably be the Montauk of the north fork of long Island in a few years. I say in a few years because we went out to Claudio’s after dinner for some drinks and dancing, which they had the audacity to charge $5 cover. Upon entering what we thought would be a rager, turned out to be what felt like a sweet sixteen.
Total Spent: $216.20

Saturday:
Woke up fairly early and somehow convinced my friends to go on a run to the beach with me. My marathon training really starts in July but I’d rather have a good base to work off of. 6 miles later we made it to the beach and I even got to see the house they filmed the Greenport episode of HBO’s GIRLS. Once we all got back to the house, we were feening for some lunch. M loaded us all into her dad’s giant pick up truck. I usually take the role of DJ and the first song to come to mind in that pickup truck was none other than Miley Cyrus’ ‘Party in the USA’. A banger, if you will. For lunch we went to Fork and Anchor to pick up our provisions for a day at the vineyards. I purchased a chicken salad sandwich and an Arizona Dollar Can ($15). After a quick car ride over to the vineyards, lunchbags in hand, we were told that we weren’t allowed to bring outside food into the vineyards. Those assholes trying to ruin our good time couldn’t keep us from eating our lunch in the parking lot ontop of M’s pickup. We did manage to get into the vineyard for some wine tasting, which really shouldn’t be called a tasting as I drank the entire glass of Rosé. ($12) We decided to make the day into a day-drinking event and head to another vineyard, Croteaux. This place looked like Pintrest had thrown up in their backyard drinking patio. Cute A F. The five of us split 4 bottles of Rosé, which was more economical than paying per glass. ($40) Rosé you stay, my budget sashay away. A full day of drinking would not be complete with, you guessed it, more dining. M made us a reservation at the Frisky Oyster, which makes me laugh typing it out as much as it did when she told us where we were headed to. I had grilled octopus for dinner and 2 cocktails. ($55) You probably think we called it a night after the full day of drinking, but we didn’t and decided to keep the party going and go to a cocktail bar for post-dinner. I tend to be me gregarious with my wallet the more I drink, so i bought everyone a round at Brix & Rye ($55).
Total Spent: $172

Sunday:
Somehow I’ve managed to avoid a hangover all weekend, which is quite impressive considering all the indulgence. I spent the majority of the morning out on the deck sun tanning/napping while I waited for K and B to wake up. (They had stayed out later than the rest of us and almsot couldn’t get an Uber back to the house) M’s mom, Mrs. G, grilled us some lunch which was very nice of her. After lunch, we decided to go check out Greenport Harbor’s Brewing Co. I bought us a round of beers to kick us off, a refreshing IPA. ($20) After the bewery, I somehow convinced everyone we needed to go to Ralphs for some italian ice. There’s no Ralph’s in Manhattan, so whenever I see it out in LI i make it a point to go. Rainbow Cookie Cream Ice is the best, got myself a small and also spotted K’s lemon italian ice because she claimed they didn’t take credit cards. ($10) turns out Ralph’s does take credit cards and K’s a freeloader [JK]. We made the executive decision to go pick up Greek takeout for dinner. I got myself a beef gyro platter from Hellenic Restaurant. ($17) So many onions, good thing we were planning to stay in.
Total Spent: $47

Monday:
This was our last day in Greenport. The place we planned on getting brunch at had a 2 hour wait, which wasn’t gonna fly since we had to catch a train back to Manhattan. So we ended up going to Noah’s for brunch. Noah’s probably the best (most expensive) restaurant in Greenport. I had a soft-shell crab BLT for brunch, no regrets. ($30) Without fail, LIRR had dissapointed me again and we had to stand for the second half of the train ride back to the city. Once I got to my apartment, I realized I had nothing in my fridge. Ended up making one of my dad’s go-to meals for when you get back from vacation and have no groceries, white rice and fried eggs. Immediately after eating that, I decided to order groceries from Fairway for delivery. ($96) Total Spent:$126

Tuesday:
Back to reality, I picked up a BEC and an Iced Americano at Starbucks for breakfast. ($5) Normally I only have an Iced Americano in the morning if I really need it. I needed it. While at work, I realized that Pride weekend in NYC was coming up and I didn’t have anything to wear. Immediately purchesed a crop top, problem solved. ($60) For lunch I usually go out with my coworkers. It’s a good way to get some air/relax since our client can be pretty demanding on this project. Got myself a salad from Panera. ($10) After work, my college friend wanted to catch up over coffee/tea. We met up at Pret and I had a iced green tea because I try to avoid having more than one coffee a day. ($3) I like to run after work even though I’m more of a morning person. I find that I have more energy after work to push through a run. Once I got home, I realized I had run out of rice, so I went and picked up a bag of rice from H Mart. ($30).
Total Spent:$108

Wednesday:
Another day another dollar. I had to go to a different office to lead some trainings for our new team of field surveyors. Hiring / managing this team has taken a lot of my time in May, and this training would be no exception. I packed a banana for breakfast and picked up an Iced Americano at Starbucks ($5). The training went well in LIC and I barely had time to get myself lunch. I picked up a Mexican Caesar salad from Chopt which is my favorite thing they have on the menu. ($11) After work, I knew I had to do laundry. Laundry is usually something I do on the weekend, but since I was away all weekend, I didnt have a chance. One load later, I had fresh clothes and linens while I got my evenning run in. ($3) Since I bought groceries the day before, I decided to make dinner for my roommate and me. He doesn’t know how to cook, but you better belive he knows he’s doing dishes. Made us some steak and brocolli. Gotta eat big to get big. I’m usually in bed by 11 PM on work nights just browsing on my phone and watching YouTube videos. I realized I had run out of my favorite Acne Bandage Stickers. My parent’s always said I’d grow out of acne, still waiting. Thank God for Amazon Prime, ordered my favorite zit stickers from Nexcare. ($30)
Total Spent: $49

Thursday:
I woke up early and got my run in before work. I try to avoid this because I don’t like going to work still sweating but I had no choice since I was heading up to Boston for the weekend after work. For lunch, I got a salad from Sweet Green. ($10) Salad for lunch? Shocking, I know. After work, I met my best friend at the bus stop with dinner for the both of us to have on the bus. Another salad. ($20) I like to think that I’m reversing the damage I do to my body on the weekends. We boarded our 4 hour bus ride to Boston. ($55 roundtrip) We were heading up to Boston for the weekend for her 5-year college reunion. You’re probably wondering why I’m going to my best friends college reunion and not mine. Simple, my state school has too many students in each graduating year to host a reunion. Luckily, I’m good friends with all her college friends and able to attend their reunion instead. Once we got to South Station in Boston, we took an Uber to our friend’s apartment in Cambridge. ($10)
Total Spent: $95

So I like to think that my weekly spending was heavily influenced by MDW plans and Rosé consumption. I try not to overthink my budget too much as long as I’m still putting money from every paycheck into savings/investments. Some people like to splurge on expensive clothing or luxury goods, I’d rather spend my money on experiences and travel. One of my biggest pet peeves is penny pinching when going out with friends. At the end of the day it all comes out in the wash when it comes to splitting checks with friends. I’d rather have a good time with friends and family than sit and count how much each person owes on a per item basis.

0 comment
Lifestyle

The Female Commandments Every Girl Should Know

Being a girl is hard. Like really hard. Especially when we are immersed in such a patriarchal society. As women, we are constantly in the spotlight-making sure we look good, say the right thing, and act the cool way from both the male and female perspectives. This stems from the very fact that when, us women, go out and get dressed up, we do it for the other women not the men. ‘Cause trust me, ya’ll def don’t know the difference between a bandeau or a bralette. If you think girls are catty or rude towards each other, we probably are, but in a challenging way. In a world where male domination is far from being annihilated, us sassy females need to stick together, support each other, and be the ultimate #girlgang.

photo | @thecuriousfrolicker

So here are a list of Female Commandments thou shall abide by.

  1. Thou shall not make rules about when to sleep with a guy according to time. Do it when it feels right and don’t be ashamed.
  2. Thou shall not steal another girl’s BF, because once a cheater always a cheater.
  3. Thou shall not be ashamed of choosing oneself over anyone else, you do you boo boo.
  4. Thou shall not post a bad picture of a friend because that’s just cruel
  5. Thou shall always like a friend’s selfie because that takes a lot and you should always be a guarantee like.
  6. Thou shall know if your friend is giving you the “good eye” or the “bad eye” when talking to someone at a bar.
  7. Thou shall not slut shame any other females because we’re all pretty dope and should be supporting each other and not going against one another.
  8. Thou shall do things that make oneself happy despite what others may think.
  9. Thou shall take chances on people and things because the best things in life are usually unexpected.
  10. Thou shall always be honest and tactful when giving friends advice. If that shirt doesn’t look cute on you don’t worry something else will.
  11. Thou shall make goals for oneself. The best thing to do in life is strive for something out of reach. Who knows, you may surprise yourself.
  12. Thou shall give what you can when you can. You don’t have to be a hero all the time, just sometimes 🙂

Shout-out to all my girl homies who keep doing them every single day, ya’ll rock. If you have any other commandments to add the list, let me know below!

0 comment
My Two Cents

MY 2 CENTS TRANSACTION: SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Welcome to the “My 2 Cents Transaction” Series, a money diary log written by contributors of all different income levels, locations, and occupations. Each contributor will be logging their weekly expenses in either food, lifestyle, or activities/entertainment. This is not meant to flaunt what other people are doing or how much they are spending but to open the eyes of individuals about money and how to take control of your future finances. Thanks so much for reading as always & if you’d like to be an anonymous contributor feel free to email me at rachelmchow@gmail.com or message me on Insta/Twitter. xx Rae
Occupation: Senior Program Manager
Age: 29
Location: San Francisco/NOLA
Salary: $115K
Total Spent This Week: $307

Friday:
On Friday I had the day off from work for an extended weekend in New Orleans for my cousin’s graduation. I ordered my Lyft line for $16 (with tip, always tip your drivers, especially for shared rides!). I had an overpriced and underwhelming turkey wrap at the airport for $13 and was on my way. When I touched down in NOLA, our group went to a wine bar with tapas plates. My cousins got the drinks and I got the food ($55). Not bad considering it fed 6 of us.
Total Spent: $84

Saturday:
Saturday was the graduation day. Side note: I’ve been to several graduations before but this one was one of the most unique and entertaining. Even though I fell asleep through some of the speeches due to jetlag, the live jazz, celebrity keynote, fireworks and glitter really set it apart. Between the general commencement and the specific school ceremony, we each got lunch from the cafeteria. $7 for a rice bowl. After all of the festivities, we took a stroll into the French Quarters and ended up at the Carousel Bar. That’s right, there’s a bar that literally rotates while you enjoy your cocktail(s). It’s quite the experience and the drinks are high quality. I got the first round for my cousins at $55. After a delicious BBQ dinner that my uncle treated, we went to a dueling piano bar where my cousins got the 2nd round and on the way back to the hotel, we made an impromptu drunk food stop at Halal Guys for $10.
Total Spent: $72

Sunday:
Sunday was our last day in New Orleans so we did some toursity things and walked through the French Market. I picked up some souveniers for a total of $22. My mom treated me to the quintissential raw and baked oyster lunch at Acme which was amazing. After walking around more through the French Quarter, we met up with my cousins for one more round at the Carousel. $18 for 2 drinks and we were ready for dinner. By the way, at this time, I got an email from my airlines that my flight had been canceled and rebooked for the next day. After the initial shock, I remembered I had travel protection with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card (the best credit card you can get by the way!) and called them up to check. Since it was the airlines fault (mechanical issues), I was covered for up to $500 for hotel, food, taxi, etc. So, that night, I treated the group to dinner at this nice French restaurant.
Total Spent: $39

Monday:
Thanks to American Airlines and Chase, my mom and I got to stay an extra night at the JW Marriott (normally $220 a night). Since my mom is an Elite member, we got some really good complimentary breakfast. Since this delay was unexpected, I had to “work from home” so we didn’t do too much more sight seeing. Mom treated for lunch and we headed out to the airport. Since American had canceled our flight, they gave us about $60 in meal vouchers. I split half with my cousins who left on an earlier flight, and then used the rest to buy dinner and a lot of Naked juices. Free money, yo! The flight was uneventful, and I when I got to SFO, I was pleasantly surprised for my Lyft line to only cost $10. But all the freebies finally caught up to me when I realized the 1 day delay resulted in a $71 parking ticket for street cleaning. UGH!
Total Spent: $81

Tuesday:
On Tuesday, it was back to work. I usually drive to my company’s shuttle stop about 30 minutes away and then take the shuttle for another hour. I think that qualifies as a ‘super commute’. Unfortunately, nothing to be proud of. At work, they serve free breafast and lunch (Tech company perks are awesome). After a long day at work, my coworker wanted to treat me to dinner for my belated birthday so we got soup dumplings after the bus ride.
Total Spent: $0
Wednesday:
On Wednesday, it was another typical day of commuting and working. For dinner, I had my left over grilled chicken sandwhich from the airport. No point in wasting food, right? Plus, I felt like I had spent a lot in New Orleans so it was time to be a little frugal.
Total Spent: $0
Thursday:
Thursday was yet another normal work day. I don’t remember much of what happened other than a lot of meetings and saving a sandwhich from lunch for dinner. I typically don’t do this but the pulled pork sandwhich was too hard to pass up. Also, it felt pretty awesome to not spend any money on food for 3 days straight. I did have to fill up my gas tank though, but luckily I have a small car.
Total Spent: $31
I was a little worried about tracking my expenses during my trip to NOLA but it turned out to be fine. Actually, the subtotals are pretty representative of my lifestyle. I tend to live pretty humbly and frugally on a regular basis but like to enjoy my time off the clock. I have also realized that while buying rounds of food or drinks for groups can be expensive, I find joy in sharing that experience with people I care about. I’m thankful that I have the financial means. I also realized that I “play the system” a lot. Meaning, I tend to take advantage of corporate benefits whenever possible. Whether that’s filing a $500 insurance claim with my credit card company, working remotely from my 40th floor hotel room, or a taking “free” sandwhich from work. My motto is, if you don’t play the system, the system will play you! All in all, I enjoyed this exercise. I may try it on my own from time to time to keep myself in check.

0 comment
Relationships

You Don’t Have To Marry The People You Date

Photo: @thecuriousfrolicker

It’s funny how things have changed since my parents generation. My parents got married and had kids before they were 30 and have been together ever since- you go Pat & Lars! But for most of us, me included, that is most definitely not the case. I’m in the latter half of my 20s and am living the best life of my life…alone.

When getting into a relationship there are several things that go through one’s head:

  • Are they nice?
  • Can they make me laugh?
  • Can I hang out with them everyday and not get sick of them?
  • Do we connect emotionally, spiritually, and physically?

And lastly, can I see myself marrying them? I’ve always thought that the people I date must represent some of the qualities I see in someone who I would want to be my partner for life. If they aren’t aligned with the same life morals and characteristics than what is the point? Wrong.

You don’t have to marry the people you date

That in itself is one of the reasons why dating exists…. To figure out what you want. To figure out what you can live with or live without. To figure out what you can handle when things get tough. Dating is the action of figuring out, not just who is good for you, but who is your best match, your best partner.

The times have changed from our parent’s generation. You don’t just meet someone in your apartment building, on your street, in your local coffee shop, or in the neighborhood. The exposure to potential soulmates has increased dramatically from the click of a couple buttons on our smartphones and that my friend, is why it may seem so difficult and frustrating. There are so many more options and potential mates out there BUT it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Photo: @thecuriousfrolicker

Think of it as having that many more opportunities to be exposed to different walks of life and to experience different relationships. Being single used to have a stigma to it and people used to “feel bad” for you if you were single, but in actuality maybe we’re the lucky ones. We’re the ones who can create those memories with our friends without having someone tie us down. We’re the ones who can stay out till the sun comes out or go on a spontaneous trip without someone bothering us.

I think that some women and men get caught up in the fabricated idea that you meet your soulmate in college or before college, date for a few years, then get engaged by 26/27, married by 28/29, and have your first kid all before 30. I mean it makes total sense why we think that since most of our parents followed that path. But let me tell you, the times have changed. The whole world of dating has changed from IRL to URL and it’s making meeting people that much more frequent. Before the internet, we would only meet people if they were in the same classes or through a friend. Now as soon as we turn on our phones, we have 100+ potential relationships at our fingertips. So take advantage of this. Meet, talk, and date as many as people as you can because after all, it’ll help you in the long run.

0 comment
My Two Cents

MY 2 CENTS TRANSACTION: SOCIAL SERVICES

Welcome to the “My 2 Cents Transaction” Series, a money diary log written by contributors of all different income levels, locations, and occupations. Each contributor will be logging their weekly expenses in either food, lifestyle, or activities/entertainment. This is not meant to flaunt what other people are doing or how much they are spending but to open the eyes of individuals about money and how to take control of your future finances. Thanks so much for reading as always & if you’d like to be an anonymous contributor feel free to email me at rachelmchow@gmail.com or message me on Insta/Twitter. xx Rae

Occupation: Social Services Worker
Age: 26
Location: Long Island/Manhattan, NY
Salary: $40Kish
Total Spent This Week: $1,161.79

Sunday:
Sunday I was on the way back to my Mom’s house on Long Island after spending the weekend visiting my grandparents in Philly. My grandpa just got transferred to hospice care, so I was making a conscious effort to not give a fuck about spending and just worry about quality time/helping my grandparents out (I spent additional money on this earlier in the weekend, but we’re starting with Sunday so here ya go). I spent $14.32 ordering prints of family pictures for my Grandma on Snapfish because she was complaining that we only ever send her digital photos, not real pictures that she can frame/hang on her fridge. Before I left Philly, I was watching the Yankee game with my grandparents and was super amped about how well the Yankees are doing this season. I’ve had my eye on these Yankees sneakers for like, 2 months maybe, that I wanted to buy to wear to games this season. Yankees had a great weekend, which equated to me finally caving and buying these sneakers for $76, as well as Aaron Judge tshirts for myself and my little brother to the tune of $62.74. Probably impulse purchases but I kind of dgaf. I love the Yankees. I also spent $21 on gas for the car to get back from Philly, and I have a savings app on my phone that auto-drafts $90 every Sunday to help me save money for forthcoming friends’ weddings (I wish I was kidding but I’m not).
Total Spent: $264.06
Monday:
New month, new LIRR monthly ticket for $261. Kill me. $9.80 on multiple coffee runs to Starbucks. Spent $9.50 on lunch at Chipotle.
Total Spent: $280.30
Tuesday:
Tuesday I met up with my friend Olivia, who is getting married next week, for a fitting for her wedding gown. We ended up going to get lunch, which cost me $24.73 (I treated her). I also was late coming back to Long Island from Manhattan because I had to pick up some paperwork from my Aunt for our jobs (we work together), and my Mom said it was too late and she wouldn’t come get me from the train station. So I had to take an Uber home from the train for $9.66. Also spent $9.80 again on coffees at Starbucks. Need to cutback, have no self-control/stamina. 
Total Spent: $44.19
Wednesday:
Started off Wednesday with an $11.20 uber ride to the train station as per oversleeping, per usual. Spent $2.89 for coffee at Starbucks. Ordered greeting cards from this artist I like online for $21.60 for upcoming friend weddings. Ordered a salad on Seamless for lunch for $19.00 (the place has a delivery fee). 
Total Spent: $54.69

Thursday:
Thursday, I had an early meeting at the Dep’t of Education, so to cheer myself up (I fucking hate early AMs), I bought myself breakfast and a couple other groceries to keep in the fridge at work at Whole Foods for $23.18. Ordered a new facial exfoliant from Amazon for $27.99. My banking app informs me that I got billed $2.16 on iTunes but I’m not sure what for. I’m assuming it’s for Tinder premium, which I signed up for kind of flippantly last summer and now cannot figure out how to unenroll from.
Total Spent: $53.33

Friday:
As of 5:02 AM on Friday AM, I am officially an aunt!! Spent $274.05 on a baby gift for my first niece, Ginger. Bought her a subscription to a service that will send her a new picture book about a woman who changed the world every month for the first year of her life. Expensive for a baby gift, I know, but I read about this book service in NY Magazine like 6 months ago and have been planning to buy this for her since then. I got paid today, which always gives me a false sense of my own wealth that causes me to spend more money. Took $50 out of the ATM, which I subsequently used to get my nails done. Then went out for Cinco de Mayo margaritas/tacos in Hell’s Kitchen to the tune of $60.89. Spent a further $14.00 on more beers later that night at a bodega on the way to my aunt’s apartment.
Total Spent: $398.94 (please kill me)

Saturday:
Saturday I laid around all day until the evening, at which point I went to an event for my friend Gerard’s German cultural society which cost $45.00 for dinner/all you can drink beers. I made money on that transaction for sure, drank a million beers. Spent $21.28 total on Ubers to/from this event.
Total Spent: $66.28

Let me start this off honestly by saying I’m awful with money and don’t really have an established budget. My best friend likes to tell me that I live my life “Friday to Sunday” which is true. I’m a paycheck to paycheck type of chick and I have never had any credit cards in my life because I’m afraid I’d put myself deeply into debt. I don’t really save money (except for the money that I mentioned I’m saving towards other people’s weddings, as I sit here single and sexless). I spent more money in this one week than I make in a biweekly paycheck, for reference on how stupid I am. As I sit here typing this, I have $170.18 to my name until the next time I get paid (which is in 8 days but who’s counting). Logging spending helped me realize things I already knew rationally (i.e. that I spend too much money at Starbucks) but that I rarely consider on a concrete basis. That LIRR monthly ticket is a killer, and considering the LIRR concourse of Penn Station got flooded with literal human sewage this week, it is an outrage how expensive it is. I also try to avoid taking Ubers and taxis whenever possible, but did not plan my schedule well enough this week to do so. This was also kind of a big week for me for buying physical stuff (Yankees paraphenilia, gifts for other people), which I generally don’t do. I usually joke that my money goes to transport/food/alcohol and that’s about it. It was also a rare week that had me buying multiple gifts for other people, I must say. I think this does not reflect a typical week for me, but who knows? I’d say a few more weeks of logging would be necessary to prove that hypothesis. Also, something that doesn’t get reflected well in this spending log — how much I freeload. I live with my Mom rent-free and eat her groceries without contributing, generally. Also went out to dinner with her one night this week and she paid. Had dinner at my aunt’s apartment two nights, which was supplied by her as well. I am pretty much a homeless begger who lives at the mercy of my relatives, constantly writing checks I can’t cash (figuratively, I’ve only written like 3 actual checks in my whole life). Complete dirtbag status. Also not reflected this week — any student loan payments, which is rare for me. I pay several hundred dollars/month, spread out in different intervals to lessen the burden. I think next payment is maybe next week?? My take away from this exercise is that maybe if I held myself more accountable to routinely counting how much money I spend, I wouldn’t spend so much. But who knows, I’m too lazy to write all of this out more than once.

0 comment
Relationships

Why Good People Ghost- Age of Dishonest Dating Culture & Behavior

Photo by: @thecuriousfrolicker

My mother always told me to never put all my eggs in one basket. Whether it was about friends, relationships, or time- it just wasn’t a good idea. When it came to my dating life post-college, I ended up doing just that- foolishly putting my eggs all in one basket. Now it’s not that I wanted to, I just thought that’s how dating in the real world worked.

To my surprise, dating post-college was a whole different ball game. It was not like college where you hook up with one person then casually see them for a couple weeks or just end it amicably because you had to see each other in history class every Wednesday.

Dating post-college is a complete rat race. There is no more confined group of single people in one small area. This shit was the real deal and you were either in it 100% or not. So I decided to join the rat race like everyone else and be in it 100%. Like any other jaded 20 something year old, I downloaded the apps. I started texting, swiping, dating, and “talking with” various people. I had some bad dates and some really good dates.  For me, I was still trying to figure out what the hype was.

As I stayed in the game longer, I really started to find out why people in the dating scene acted the way they acted.  I found this out because, I too, started turning out that way. Everyone had an agenda… whether it was the same didn’t matter.

The deal is:

you would go out and date people, put all your eggs in one basket, and then get burned. So the next time around you became smarter and distributed your eggs evenly. You fought so hard to protect your heart from getting broken that you didn’t really care who’s you broke along the way. You date the person that filled that space because your dating app crush didn’t answer you for three days. You sleep with people you don’t particularly care about just to convince yourself that you don’t need anything more. You text people just to distract yourself throughout the day. You leave relationships open just in case your current one crashes and burns so you have somewhere to run. You keep people on the back burner just so you don’t feel inadequate.

Check any 20 something year old’s phone and I guarantee you will find a whole laundry list of people they are texting, dating, seeing, or wanting to see, sleeping with or wanting to sleep with. We can’t trust each other in a dating aspect because we can’t even trust ourselves. This stems from not being truthful from the beginning, and living in the fear of being upped one. Dating in general is hard, but dating in a big city is even harder. What if the person you are talking to meets someone online, at a bar or at work, and they blow you out of the water? We are constantly at risk of being replaced, which defaults us to keeping one foot in and out of the door for those “just in case moments”.

We continue to be in the dating whirlwind until we realize that we are just like the rest. We continue to date and talk to people because that’s “just how it is”. We tend to take things too far until we are too deep into it and don’t know how we feel.

It’s easy for us to hate those who ghost,

but even harder to realize that we are apart of the problem.  

This vicious cycle of dating is only becoming bigger and more intensified from the actions taken by us: jaded 20 something year olds. So I’ve come to the realization, that in order to fix it we need to stop perpetuating it if not, continue to swipe right.

0 comment
My Two Cents

MY 2 CENTS TRANSACTION: COLLEGE VET STUDENT

Welcome to the “My 2 Cents Transaction” Series, a money diary log written by contributors of all different income levels, locations, and occupations. Each contributor will be logging their weekly expenses in either food, lifestyle, or activities/entertainment. This is not meant to flaunt what other people are doing or how much they are spending but to open the eyes of individuals about money and how to take control of your future finances. Thanks so much for reading as always & if you’d like to be an anonymous contributor feel free to email me at rachelmchow@gmail.com or message me on Insta/Twitter. xx Rae

*calf not from sunny side farms

Occupation: College Vet Student
Age: 25
Location: Ithaca, NY
Salary: $150-200/week
Total Spent This Week: $156

Sunday:
My vet school family all went out to dinner. We hadn’t all been together and sharing a meal for a while, so we went to a nicer place in Ithaca, the Boatyard Grille. I spent $50 for a surf and turf, glass of Pinot Noir, and made sure to tip my waitress well. Definitely not a normal expense; the last time before this was February after an exam.
Total Spent: $50
Monday:
I had class from 8am to 1pm with additional lunch and dinner lectures held by my club, VBMA, so I didn’t have to pay for food today! Monday night, I went food shopping and meal prepped for the week after a gym session – $65
Total Spent: $65
Tuesday:
I had class from 8am to 3pm. I studied after class, grabbed a prepped meal at home, then went to work in the small animal emergency room. I fit in a late gym session and got home at 1am.
Total Spent: $0
Wednesday:
Today was a light class day – 8am to noon. I went to the gym after class, then grabbed a meal at home and studied at school until 10pm. There was a local southwestern restaurant hosting a salsa night, and so I met a few other vet students there. $5 cover, $13 for drinks, $22 total including tip for the night
Total Spent: $22
Thursday:
Today, class went from 8:30am-noon, but I had an afternoon lab learning about calf management at a local dairy farm, Sunnyside Farms. Afterwards, a couple of vet students stopped by Cream at the Top for some soft serve. $4. I fit in a lift after the lab, grabbed another meal at home, and studied at school at night.
Total Spent: $4
Friday:
Class went from 8am to 1pm today. I fit in another gym session after class, studied at school until 8pm. My veterinary fraternity was having a formal at a hotel in Ithaca Commons, and my ticket was $5 after dues. We went out to the bars after the event was done and I had another two beers $10, including tip.
Total Spent: $10
Saturday:
I worked out this morning, then went to school to study. It was such a nice day out that I joined a few friends on a hike at a local national park, then studied some more outside in the backyard.
Total Spent: $0
Spending was definitely up this week. I minimize my expenses through making cold brew coffee at home for the week and meal prepping utilizing on sale fruits, vegetables, and meats. Though I need to study a lot for vet school, I also realized my work-life balance achieved through a strict gym regiment and time with friends. Luckily, Ithaca is an affordable city to live in, and great friends makes entertainment more about who I’m with and less about what I do. Though I did overspend a little this week, normally my shifts in the small animal ER will more than cover my cost-of-living and entertainment expenses for the week at about $100. I always put my surplus ($10-40) into my savings.
0 comment

1 2 3 4 … 9