I am so so confused :(

I am confused :(

Ok, here is the story, this time mine, not a fiction one as in here.

I am not happy in my current job. I am working at this place for almost five years now; to be precise I will be completing 5 years in this August. I have got bad hike from last two years, not because I didn't performed, but because of low dollar cost one year, and recession the other year. Even this year picture is very gloomy. The division where I used to work, the work that I used to love, has been sold off last year. Almost all of us had been absorbed somewhere else in my company, I must confess a very genuine effort on their part, and they could have given us pink slip. I got moved in last mid-November. I do not like my new work. I hate it so so much. Everyday when I get up in the morning I feel like bunking my office. :(

Sad story, right? I made up my mind that I had to do something about all this. I started giving interviews and now I got an offer. This is second offer that I had got this time around. First one was almost OK other then they were calling me for almost same salary I am getting now. I refused without a blink.

Now, today I got another offer. They are again offering me almost same salary plus involve relocation. They are, yes, offering me a promotion, something that I don't see anywhere in my near future in my current company. They have the work that I want to do, I hope so.

Lots of things point out that this offer is bad and I should reject it too, but some part of me says that I should take it. Situation is something like, here it’s sure bad and there it's possible to be bad. :(

I am not sure what shall I do? I think I need to weigh in lots of things and do lots of calculation and brainstorming before I can come to some conclusion. Oh GOD, please guide me. Please.

I can't promise you that I'll do what you will suggest, but if you understand my dilemmas please feel free to drop some lines, to motivate me, to guide me, something.

Tracking every penny spend

One of my best friends recently asked me why I am so obsessed about tracking. Yes I can actually tell how much I spent on tea when I was in my college and so on.

I do this because seeing my tracking equips me with the knowledge of my exact financial status. This in turn leads to good money habits and power to take informed financial decisions in my life. After I got married I took the responsibility of managing our joint finances. My disciplined money habits helped us in surviving a pay cut of my DH, critical illness of my MIL, setting up a new home, buying new car, all in two years of our marriage.

We would never have survived financially if I had debt or not had savings to survive in these testing times. I used my good money habits to take care of my family during tough economy.

My suggestion to all of my blogging friends, "start tracking!". It will be a record book of all your wise money decisions and not-so-good money decisions. It will teach you a lot about your spending habits, and will also serve as motivator and teacher in future.

relationships or charity talks??

"This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you"

These are the lines from one of the fwded mails fwded to me by one of the good friends.
It was some article by Swami Vivekananda.

Actually I am writing this because I didn't agree with these words.

What I believe in is if you do something for someone and don't expect anything in return then its not a relationship, but thats called a charity. Relationship is a two way function and according to me relationship is as strong as you expect both parties to participate in it. If there are no expectations, there is no possesiveness, then is it truly any relationship! Well, I doubt.

Be it any relationship, there is always a selfish angle to it. A mother loves her child and expects her children to love her and respect her back. Friends love you because they expect you to accept them. Spouse or romantic parter probably expect emotional security.

If there is no expectation back, belive me that thing is junk in your life. There is a rule that says until all your basic needs are not fulfilled, you can't do charity. And i think the rule applies in relationships too.

But I will say, expect and give alot in any relationship. Thats what gives the strength to the relationship. Leave charity for later half of your life

Are you Frugal or Miser?

I am a frugal person and kind of proud of it too. But one thing I know for sure is that I am not a miser.

I never compromise on a thing which matters to me. For example, if I or my loved ones need medical help I'll really never compromise on good doctors for cost. I only wear flat sandals and can't bear heels. I never ever compromise and buy a cheap sandal and compromise on comfort of my feet. I love pampering my near-dear ones with best gifts I can find. Cost doesn't come in picture.

I know that I am blessed enough to be in position to do all said above. Yes I don't have unlimited money to splurge on every thing, but it doesn't mean that I am struggling with my everyday needs too. By almighty's grace I am lucky enough to have food, clothes and house. I know that I love to splurge on nice clothes, hence I cut corner at places which doesn't matter to me.

I think that's the whole essence of being frugal. You should save money on things that doesn't matter to you. Do deals comparison; do price matching, compromise on quality for cost at places that doesn't matter. And you should splurge on things and places which are utmost important to you.

Rather, if you are always saving money, all decisions are only dictated by saving money, then you are not frugal, you are MISER. You being frugal don’t mean that you should make your partner's or family member's life miserable too.You want to save money doesn't mean that your wife should not buy few new clothes.

I never ever want to be a miser and then regret when I am old that I have all the money but diabetes, bad body, heart problem, and hence now I can't splurge on food or clothes. I like to enjoy my life today, in moderation, save for tomorrow in moderation. Extreme frugality is also not good my friend.

What about you? Are you a spender, frugal person or a miser?

Happy HOLI - 2010

I wish I could share my personal photos of the holi but that might be a danger to my anonymity.
So, from the net, here are few of the photographs that I liked and well captures the spirit of HOLI.

Tax Related changes of 2010

New Income Tax Slab:
Income up to Rs 1.6 lakh - nil
Income above Rs 1.6 lakh and up to Rs 5 lakh - 10 per cent
Income above Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 8 lakh - 20 per cent
Income above Rs 8 lakh - 30 per cent.

Additional deduction of Rs 20,000 allowed on long term infrastructure bonds for income tax payers; this is above Rs one lakh on saving instruments allowed already.

To Check how much Tax you are actually going to save with this new Slab, head to:
Indian's Investor Page.