Saving money and how I get to travel a lot
Hi everyone!It's been awhile where I just did a blog post where I just sit down and write out (or, type out!) what I am thinking. What I love about blogging is that I can just sit down, say whatever is on my mind and hope that others will be able to see things from my point of view. Because I am trying to blog everyday this month, I feel that my blog posts are getting very repetitive (which is boring :( ) so I'm going to do something different today!
Today I'm going to talk about how I save money and how I get to travel & shop a lot overseas. A lot of the time when I post hauls or vlogs on Youtube, I always get some comments from people saying I'm rich, and that is how I get to travel and shop so much. Honestly, those comments annoy me much more than the "You're so ugly!" comments.
Why?
Because I work HARD for my money.
Some people assume I just don't work at all, sit at home all day playing dress ups with my Liz Lisa clothes, and my parents pay for everything. Yes, I still live at home so I don't have to pay rent or bills, but that doesn't mean that they pay for all my travelling and shopping expenses. I never ask my parents for any money.
The reality is, I work almost every single day. I don't just work 1 job, I work 2 jobs. At one point when I was saving to go to Japan in 2012, I was working 3 jobs, clocking up to around 60 hours a week.
The past few years, I have lost contact with a lot of my friends because I am always at work. It sucks, but I know I need to work hard to make money for my future. Why do I have to work so much? I ask myself that a lot lately, but now at my age, I feel that I need to work hard to save up for things like a car, a house... and to pay off my university loans.
I always get asked what kind of jobs I do. I don't want to give out too much information just for my privacy's sake, but I work very normal jobs. My main one is a retail job, I work in a normal clothing store in Australia. I will admit, I am lucky in that job. I get paid a lot more than I probably should to be honest. I complain a crap load about living in Australia because everything is expensive, however working in Australia, you get paid well. Because of that, I work as much as I can, save as much as I can, and I also limit my spending in Australia. Right now, the only thing I spend money on in Australia is food.
I don't really talk much about my work life on twitter or my blog, I just don't feel the need to.. but because I don't, there are people that assume that you just don't work and assume you are rich because you get to travel much.
In terms of travelling, yes I do travel a lot. If I am travelling for Liz Lisa work, Liz Lisa pays for my flights and accommodations so that saves a heap of money. However, the main purpose of those trips are for work, not play. I try to not complain much about my work online, but I will say that working for Liz Lisa is great fun, but it is also very hard and it's not easy as most people think it is.
When I travel to Japan, I pay for everything myself. To be honest, travelling to Japan is really not that hard. If you just get a part time job, work as much as you can, you can save money very easily for a trip.
One piece of advice that I really want to tell everyone is:
Wanting to go to Japan is not enough, you have to work hard to get there
End of the day, I just wanted to clear these things up. I am not rich, I just work hard. I think that if I can do it, anyone can. I am no-one special, I am just anyone else. I am an ordinary person who works a very ordinary job that anyone can do.
I just want the people who post the "you're so rich" "your parents must be rich" "you have a lot of money" comments to understand that money doesn't grow on trees, and you just gotta work for it.
I apologize if this blog post doesn't really make sense.. it's 2.30am and I am very tired haha.
If you guys want me to talk about anything, leave me a comment and I am more than happy to talk about it on my blog!
21 comments
Write commentsYeah I understand a little of it, I wonder if some people think the same about me cause I'm always talking about reviews on beauty products, and I buy a lot of them, but in fact, I am poor lol, cause I spend my money on it cause I don't know in what to spend it. I think we all need to spend our money in something we love, and that's completely normal, it's better to spend it like that as spend it for cigarettes for example.
ReplyAnd never I have thinking you are rich, I don't know why they are thinking that.
Could you talk about how you chose your major? I'm having a tough time with that myself right now. You shared how you chose Japanese, but I understand you also have a psychology major. If it's too personal don't worry about it. :)
ReplyVery encouraging post Kim. People are just jealous if they say you have too much money because they are simply too lazy to work hard enough to fulfill their dreams. Therefore they feel sad and have to compensate it by saying ugly things about you.
ReplyI know that hard work and passion got you to the point where you are now and I really admire you for your attitude!
Sometimes it's neccessary that someone reminds you of your dreams and that you can get there if you really, really want. So thank you for that <3
I really look up at people like you.. I'm 15 and I started working this year to save enough money to go to Japan. I don't want my parents to pay for everything I do. It'll take me a lot of years to accumulate enough money for everything that I want to do and buy in japan. I totally agre wanting is not enough!
ReplyWaiting doesn't help with anything.
ReplyRemember when I told I wanted to go to Disney? My main goal for next year will be travelling to Paris to visit a friend (and Disney of course :P ). Since (with great sadness) I couldn't get into the course I wanted this year (Asian Studies actually! ;;___;) I'll be applying myself to a Chinese/Mandarin Course and I'll try (as hard as I can) to get a part-time job. Mainly because I can't be sitting in my house all day and because it's really nice to have money of my own. The main goal will be having money until December to buy the plane ticket's (I plan to travel on August, so as soon as I get the ticket, the less I spend). I'll be saving a lot then to get some goodies from them and to visit Paris.
If I get to reach this goal, my next one will be travelling to Macau and who know, Hong Kong.
People shouldn't assume things like that right away. People shouldn't be mean and work for themselves.
If we don't work for something, we will get nothing.
Please Take Care dear and Thank you for this amazing post!
Kisuu*
beauty-with-love.blogspot.com
Really enjoyed this post because this is so relatable. I am the same. Ever since i've started working, i've never asked my parents for a cent. I travel to Hong Kong every year to see my family and i pay for all my flights and shopping expenses. A lot of people who don't know me or even people i'm supposed to be 'friends' with judge me because they think i have no value of money, i shop a lot and that everything is paid for for me.. But i work hard for that money. I can justify investing a bit more in good quality products or brands i like. if anything, i appreciate the things i buy so much more because it's with my own money!
Replyà la foliee
Thank-you so much! <3 It was always my dream to go to Japan ever since I was 13, and I didn't get to go until I was 20. I hope later more people will understand they just have to work hard to get to where they want!
ReplyThat's ok! You're only 15 and at least you are trying to save! I didn't get to go to Japan until I was 20 haha
ReplyI remember! And that's great you are going to study Chinese! And I'm sure you will be able to save up for your August trip! Just work hard and you can do anything ^_^
ReplyExactly! I don't like it when people say I shop too much, I never shop in Australia and whatever I buy in Japan is like... 1 years worth of supplies for me haha. And I think it's great that you can also relate to it! We just all have to keep working hard doing what we like <3
ReplyI really like this post ^^ My goal to save up to Thailand & Japan within two-threes years. (before i get to uni since i will have a lot of expense for that) Traveling from UK to there is also expensive -sigh- I mean from Thailand to japan is already quite expensive already.
ReplyI tried to work for this job and i been ripped off by them for a bit T_T I'm looking for different job for now hopefully get better job.
reading this post or any hauls or clothing entries makes me want to work harder to buy all the things I want. ^^ I've never been out of the country but Japan is one of my priorities to visit first! I'm amazed that you were able to hold 3 jobs.. I wish I could work as hard as you but I'm in a bit of a standstill because I don't know how to start off getting a job. For a few months I'd turn in resumes at stores and call in sometimes, but i still haven't managed to get a job yet.. what things did you do to get the jobs you have now? I know i need to put myself out there more but I don't know how. ;__;
ReplyAhh yeah :( I used to work at a fast food place and they paid me super low :( Just try hard to find another job! You'll be able to soon!
ReplyI'm sure you can one day! I know what you mean actually... it took me ages to get a decent part time job. I used to work in fast food and they paid me ridiculously low :( I will try do a blog post on tips on how to get a job! But for now keep trying to apply in as many places as you can!
ReplyI really admire you Kim. I really want to travel to Japan one day. My mom want to visit Osaka because she watch too much Conan. I started a job in Fall 2011 and planned to save Money for Japan and Liz Lisa clothes but the job was SUPER HEAVY (I have to carry 30-50 lbs stuff and I'm only 115 lbs) and they only pay me minimum wage so I quit and went back to college. I realized I need a better education for a better job. I am 25 year old now and sometimes I wonder if Liz Lisa clothes would be suitable for older women because by the time I get to go to Japan I would have being 27 or 28 year old. What do you think?
ReplyReading this blog I just feel that I am so lucky. I am a Chinese and now studying in United States.My parents pay for my tuition and all of the cost for my living in the states. This is very normal in China and we will do the same thing for our children.
ReplyI watched your video in youtube and I found that we are so similar. I love Japan too! I learnt Japanese all by myself and went to Japan twice. It is much easier for me to learn japanese because most of the KANJI in japanese have the same meaning in Chinese. I also like Japanese makeups. The packaging is so cute and the quality is very high.
Anyway, this post lets me think of many things. Hostly, I use my parents' money to buy a lot of high end makeups like dior, urban decay,YSL etc. I feel shame of myself. I am of the same age of you and I think I should live on my own too. I am currently working part time as an research assistant. My job's pay is enough for my basic living cost and I think I will try to live on my own. I can not get university loan because I am not US citizen. So my parents still need to pay the tuition for me. But now I am seriously thinking about paying those money back when I have enough money.
Thanks for sharing your life. It has been very helpful for me.
Totally agree with your quote "Wanting to go to Japan is not enough, you have to work hard to get there." Lots of people think Japan is ridiculously expensive but compared to the UK (where I live) it's not that bad.
ReplyBut you definitely have to work hard and save a lot. For my trip to Japan and Korea this year, it's costing £5000 for everything and it's not easy to achieve. Working or studying to do what you love is difficult but if you really want to go somewhere, you'd do everything by all means to get there.
NyNyOnline
I like your charakter because you say the true and work hard for your life. Respekt
ReplyAt ones my wife and my two childrens are fans from you. I also thx for the great japan and korean review i realy exited to look Tokio and Seoul with my family.
ReplyHi Kim, i only know and watch your videos recently :) Actually I feel jealous with you a lot. What you are doing is also my dream which i kind of give up :( . I m living in California and it s very expensive here. However I feel all of the excitement about Japan coming back to me now and I think i will try again to make my dream come true.
ReplyHi kim,
ReplyHonestly the first time I watched your videos with sunny I really thought what a lucky girl you are for having enough money to travel from australia, to korea and japan. I thought you live an extravagant life that does not require you to work anymore and etc. But after reading this article I become to idolized you more. Like you, I also want to visit japan and korea but most likely japan.(coz im an anime fan hhhaha).I'm getting 22 this coming year and my savings is not yet enough :(((((. It always comes to my mind to just spend that little savings I have since it might be too impossible for me to visit japan. But thanks to youuuuuui :)))))))))))))) you do give me the push I needed to continue