Tag Archives: money

Chhori started childcare

Posted on January 11, 2017 | 13 comments

I am sure you all remember when I announced the arrival of Chhori into our lives. I am sorry to tell you all that 22 months has already passed since then and you have all grown older. Yap Chhori is 22 months old now and has stared childcare from last Friday. And it was a big milestone for us as well.

We had planned the day in advance and both AS and I had taken the day off. As I mentioned in my previous post, when we went for a visit to the childcare, she refused to come home but we were not sure how she would handle being there for a whole day.

chhori-childcare-9

I have to admit, I was more nervous than anything. I was worried if the teachers will understand her needs and how they will feed her. I think being a mother; it was harder to leave her with complete strangers for a whole day. I know every parent has to go through this and we were lucky to have my parents to help out until now.

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The big day finally arrived. That morning, I just told her she is going to go to school today. I don’t know how much she understood but she seemed excited (it could just have been because we were going out).

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She ate her breakfast and happily allowed me to change her clothes and was more than happy to carry her bag. As we were leaving, she wanted to take her toys with her including the baby shopping cart. We explained to her that the toys can’t go with her but there will be lots of new toys at the childcare and she was OK to leave them at home.

chhori-childcare-2

It was raining that day and that didn’t help my mood at all. We parked and went inside the centre. Once we were inside the child care, she went and played with other kids without hesitation. I was surprised that she didn’t even care if we were there or not, just went inside the room and started playing with toys and mingling with other kids

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It was very emotional for me to see our daughter become a toddler and so independent but at the same time I was very proud of her. We told the teacher to call us if anything came up and we can come back to pick her up anytime.

At noon as there had been no calls from the childcare I called to check if everything was ok. The reply was she is doing really well, had her snacks and meals and a nap. Not a tear for the whole day.

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So we decided to go and pick her up at the end of the day only so that she would get used to the whole day care.

When we went to pick her up, she seemed happy. She had biscuits in each hand.  She came to us said “Mama” and “Papa” and kissed me. I was really happy to hear good reviews form her teacher. She was well behaved the whole day and enjoyed her first day of childcare.

Please share your own experience of childcare and any suggestions you have for this anxious mother to make her stay there better.

Take care everyone.

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S.Please vote for  Nepaliaustralian Blog Award

https://nepaliaustralian.com/2017/01/10/nepaliaustralians-blog-award-2016-nominations-announced/

13 Comments

Posted in Being Mum, Our daughter

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Child care visit

Posted on October 24, 2016 | 7 comments

From the day Chhori was born, every parent around us has suggested putting Chhori on the waiting list for childcare. From their experience it can take more than a year to get a place. As I had to come back to work from my maternity leave, we put down Chhori’s name in two different childcare centres when she was around a few months old thinking she will have to go to child care when she is one, which is when I came back to work.

chhori

But lucky for us, my parents decided that they would come and look after Chhori and we were lucky to have them around. But unfortunately like every good thing in life, their stay in Australia will come to an end in a few months’ time which means we need to put Chhori in childcare 5 days a week while we are at work.

Happy 35th Anniversary Dad & Mum (5)

So it was time for us to do childcare visits to determine which childcare we want to send her to. We got offers from two different childcares so we decided to visit them on the same day and we took Chhori with us.

We met with the teachers in both the child care centres where they showed us around the rooms she would be in and also the play area and the toys they have. They also showed us their process for doing things and updating us about her as well as what kind of food is given to her while she will be there.

Chhori (2)

At the first childcare Chhori saw a drawing table with crayons and paper so she insisted that she wanted to draw. The teacher was kind enough so she was allowed her to draw while we had a chat with the teacher. Once we finish our tour, it was time for us to leave but Chhori refused to go wanting to draw some more.

We distracted her and finally we were out.

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At the second childcare, as we were doing the tour, she spotted a few kids and a teacher playing with blocks. She straight away went and started playing with them. We did the rest of the tour without her but I was so surprised that she didn’t seem to care at all that we were not around her. I am sure she didn’t even look for us until we finished everything and went to get her to go home.

No matter what we said she didn’t want to go home so we had to pick her up against her will and leave. She was crying when we left.

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That got both us wondering if we made a mistake by not sending her to the childcare sooner. As I have previously mentioned, she is very social and loves people but seeing her enjoying childcare so much, now we hope she will have an easy transition to go to childcare part time in January and full time from March.

I will definitely share our experience next year. Please do share your own childcare experience with your kids. Is it normal for kids to not want to go home?

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

7 Comments

Posted in Being Mum, Our daughter

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Goldstar shoes – Made in Nepal

Posted on October 20, 2016 | 16 comments

I remember when I was really young, my dad used to go to the gym and he used to wear Goldstar brand shoes. It was a brand which was made in Nepal and it has reputation for lasting long.

But since I have come to Australia, I haven’t seen the brand much until recently.

First I saw the comeback of the shoes in my Facebook with Nepali celebrities wearing them. It has changed completely from what I remember; from traditional dark conservative style to new modern colourful shoes.

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I read that now Goldstar exports premium quality shoes to India and other countries at an affordable price. It is also available online and via Facebook and Instagram.

One of my friends was getting a few pairs of Goldstar shoe for himself and his wife so I decided that I would get a pair as well.

Finally it has arrived here and I love it.

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I love the colour and style. The finishing could still be better for competition in international market but it is still a great product starting from Rs 500 (AUD8). How can one go wrong with that price? It is really comfortable and I hope it will last long.

If you are going to Nepal do check different range of Goldstar. I am sure you will find your style from their huge range and support a product made in Nepal.

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

16 Comments

Posted in Nepal

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Finding money – What a nice surprise!!

Posted on September 28, 2016 | 8 comments

On the weekend, AS came to me with ten $50 notes. He had this big grin on his face and gave me $500. I was surprised but I was not going to say NO to money in any case.  🙂

Anyway it turns out that, he found this money in his suit jacket. So yes basically it is our money.

Remember a year ago, Chhori had her pasni celebration. Click here if you want to know more. Anyway, during that time, we took money out to pay the venue and, he forgot the remaining money in his suit jacket. He didn’t even know that it was there and I had no clue either.

Chhori pasni (16)

Finding your own money is a lot like you are gaining nothing in reality but it is still nice to fine the money if you have already forgotten about it 🙂

For us, that extra $500 can add to our Dashain kitty :).

Please share your own experience where you have found money that hasn’t been budgeted for, accounted for, remembered, promised, or owed, anything at all, since you lost it.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

8 Comments

Posted in General

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25 ways you can save money

Posted on June 20, 2014 | 6 comments

A while ago, I wrote a post, Not Spending A Cent For A Day, because I believe in saving. Of course, everyone wants to earn more money and it might not always be possible to get more. However, it is possible to have more on your account by saving more. Here are some more simple steps I am taking to get more value out of my money. Hope it will be helpful for you guys too.

  1. Switch off light and power point whenever not required.
  2. Use energy saving blues (CFL or LED) and water efficient appliances to save money on electricity. They may be a bit expensive to buy but will save money over the long run.
  3. Choose a credit card with a low interest rate, especially if you are paying interest. Over years, you will save heaps of money on interest.
  4. If you have many credit cards, consolidate and you will save in annual fees and other administrative fees.
  5. Buy a car at the end of the financial and calendar years and do not forget to ask for discounts.
  6. Make a list of what you want to buy before going grocery shopping and stick to only those items stop impulse buying.
  7. Try the 30 days list idea and stick to it. It will save you heaps of money.
  8. Double the quantity of recipe when cooking which saves you time and money. I cook for lunch and dinner.
  9. Reuse the 3D glasses in cinema. It costs $1 every time you buy them.
  10. Always use discount pharmacy and generic medicine. They are always cheaper and have the same active ingredient.
  11. If you are thinking about a holiday, try to go away outside the school holidays if possible. You will get cheaper deals on flights and accommodations.
  12. If you are flying, try to fly midweek as Fridays and weekends are more expensive. In addition, mornings and evening flights are expensive than afternoon flights.
  13. Premier cuts of meats are very expensive like a kilo of lamb cutlets are $40/kg while if you buy secondary cuts; they are cheaper and taste the same.
  14. Always buy seasonal fruits and vegetables, as they are cheaper and tastier.
  15. When getting insurance, shop round and if you see the cheaper options, tell your insurance company. As the market is so competitive, there is a higher change that they will match the price otherwise you can always switch to the cheaper ones. Do make sure that you are getting the same level of coverage though; or you may end up paying more money later.
  16. Always open an offset account for your home loan and it will save you lots of money on interest saved over the lifetime of the loan.
  17. If you use certain brands/ shop more, subscribe to their newsletter and keep an eye on the specials. I have saved heaps buying things on discount.
  18. If you are going to dine in expensive restaurants for special occasions, check their website for early menus or fixed menu rather than á la carte. They are cheaper and you can enjoy the same food and quality.
  19. If you use your mobile a lot, look for plan options like cheaper calls or data only plans depending on what you use a lot and it will make a difference on your monthly bills. Avoid plans if possible and stick with prepaid, as you will have control on how much you are spending.
  20. Use cold water for the washing machine and it helps your clothes last longer and also save money on electricity.
  21. If you live in a country where tap water is good for drinking, stop paying for expensive-bottled water.
  22. If you have cable, check how often you watch it. As all of us are so busy, it might be worth buying the movies/ series online rather than subscription for the cable.
  23. Exercise is very important but you don’t have to pay for a gym subscription instead run in the park, practice yoga in front of the TV or pay as you go for swimming.
  24. Skip the delivery and pick up your meals. For us we save $8 every time we order pizza if we choose to pick up rather than get it delivered.
  25. If you have a big family, shop in bulk and save.

I am sure some of you already do most of these but of course you could always do more. If you google, you will find lots more tips and tricks online to help you save. My logica is if I can’t make more money, I will cut my spending and as a result the savings in my bank will increase. Be money wise and good luck.

Friday afternoon already so looking forward to the weekend.Have a great weekend and Take care,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

6 Comments

Posted in General

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My money, your money

Posted on February 7, 2014 | 16 comments

Everyone dreams of a perfect marriage and a perfect partner but not everyone is lucky in life. There are many factors that might rock the boat of marriage and money can be one of the main factors.

In the past, money was mainly the responsibility of the man and few women had access to money and as a result money didn’t play a vital role in marriage, as men worked hard to earn money and women looked after house and kids. However, these days more and more women are working, making most household a dual income house.

This has brought lots of question to newly married couple.

Are we going to combine all the finance so your debt is my debt and so is the money?

Are we going to keep your money as your money and my money as mine but share all the expense?

These decisions in life play a vital role on which direction the marriage will go.

Growing up in Nepal, I have seen most of the couples live in dual-income marriages where each has full access and control of their own and their partners earnings. But in Australia, I have seen the couples living happily in both arrangements.

One of the reasons why people are hesitant to combine their finances is because they are scared to lose control over their money. They don’t want another person to tell them how to spend their money or what to do with their money.

I can’t tell you whether or not you should combine your finances with your significant other; it has a lot to do with individual comfort levels, trust, and many other marital issues. However, it is a decision that all couples face, particularly if they choose to marry or agree to a long-term commitment: should we combine our finances or not?

I can only tell you what I do and why I made my decision. From the day, my husband and I got together, we combined all our finances. It was not an easy decision but we made that decision together because we thought that was the path we wanted to take moving forward. We were both honest about what we had and what we wanted in future.

Both of us have the same goals like getting married, buying a house and travel. I have to admit travel was number one on my list and somewhere on the bottom on his but we made a decision that we don’t travel all the time but will have at least one big holiday a year. That sounded realistic to me so I agreed.

By combining our finance I was answerable to my big purchases so I can’t just go and spend $500 on a bag and another $200 on a dress in one day. Even before I take my credit card out of my wallet, I will have to come up with a good reason why I spent so much. It proved to be a good thing for me because I always think before I make a big purchase and when I can’t justify it, I don’t buy it. It was not that he was controlling my purchase but I knew we have a goal to reach to and buying whatever I feel like whenever I feel like was adding unnecessary obstacles in reaching our goals. And the same thing was happening with my husband which meant our saving was growing steadily.

Luckily enough our arrangement is working well for both of us and both of us are happy with what we have achieved so far. We have a long-term plan like where we want to be financially when we retire and when we have babies and we can see that if we stick to our plan. We can reach our goal and that is a very happy feeling.

Regardless of how you arrange things, you should discuss your money at least monthly with your partner. This will definitely give a real overview of your financial situation. Otherwise, imagine your surprise when you find out that your partner is in $20,000 debt.

This can be as simple or as detailed as you like, depending on your comfort level, but there should be at least some time set aside regularly so that each person can be as informed about your shared finances as possible.

I do believe that transparency and open discussions is very important in a marriage, as it will strengthen the bond of shared responsibility. When there is financial transparency and common goals, it facilitates two people pulling together rather than away from each other and marriage gets redefined as a partnership between two contributing adults.

Do share how you mange your money?

Take care and have a great weekend,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

16 Comments

Posted in Marriage, Relationship

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Piggy bank savings

Posted on June 21, 2013 | 9 comments

Sometimes it feels good to have some extra cash and that is how we felt when we opened the piggy bank. We got more money than we had expected, $645.95 to be exact. Thank you for guessing everyone on my previous post 🙂 . Yap that is what we deposited in our bank so both of us were very happy.

receiptIf you are wondering, it consisted of

5 cent

349

 $17.45

10 cent

338

 $33.80

20 cent

551

 $110.20

50 cent

241

 $120.50

$1

116

 $116.00

$2

124

 $248.00
$645.95

Going to buy another piggy bank for loose coins and hope to fill it in a few years.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

See you next week.

Take care,

XOXO

M from nepaliaustralian

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Posted in Personal

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