Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Now, I am not a minimalist by any means. I don’t strive to only own 100 things, travel for months with just a small backpack of possessions, or get rid of the gadgets that I love (Kindle, iPhone, Macbook Pro, Canon G10). And while I don’t mind our small apartment here in Germany, I’m looking forward to having a bit more space in my townhouse back home. :) But I do respect minimalists. And ever since I forced myself to condense my life into a 60L backpack, I don’t even remember or miss the things that I left at home.

But if I only brought the items that I actually care about, where does that leave the rest of my stuff? Does that mean I only need 2 pairs of shoes, 1 jacket, 2 pairs of pants, 1 sweatshirt, and a handful of t-shirts? I’ve never once uttered “oh, I wish I had brought X with me.” In fact, I overpacked. By a lot. I could probably do without 30% of the stuff I brought with me. And hypothetically if I were to leave my possessions in Vancouver behind forever, the only thing I would have regretted not bringing are a few pieces of sentimental jewelry.

So what does that mean for my personal finances when it comes to minimalism? Fabulously Broke touched upon the subject in a guest post for me – Minimalism and finances go hand in hand. And just like my No Spend Day Challenge – where I’m trying to curb my needless impulse purchases – I feel that minimalism is the same concept. It’s trying to de-clutter your life and make it a little simpler.

I know that I could be happy with only owning whatever I can fit into my backpack, but the truth is, I like the comfort that my “stuff” provides me. I like having a home – which is why I am a homeowner. And while I don´t (and never will) have a lot of stuff, I like having a comfy couch, nice dishes, a bread maker, a flat screen TV, and a few more pairs of pants than I actually need to have. :)

Do you ever think you could become a minimalist?

Monday 2nd
$2.53 (€1,90) Starbucks

Tuesday 3rd
$2.53 (€1,90) Starbucks

Wednesday 4th – Faro, Portugal
$24.49 (€18,75) train to Baden-Baden
$4.57 (€3,50) bus to airport
$2.49 (€1,90) bus to Faro
$13.09 (€10) segway rental
$26.17 (€20) dinner

Thursday 5th – Lisbon, Portugal
$27.48 (€21) train to Lisbon
$19.63 (€15) lunch
$11.63 (€8,89) drinks
$3.73 (€2,85) tram ride
$17.67 (€13,50) Cafe do Rio

Friday 6th – Lisbon, Portugal
+ $730 freelance income
$9.82 (€7,50) entrance fee to Castelo de São Jorge
$2.94 (€2,25) train to Sintra
$1.70 (€1,30) snacks
$17.67 (€13,50) entrance fee to Palácio da Pena
$2.94 (€2,25) train to Lisbon
$26.17 (€20) dinner
$26.17 (€20) drinks

Saturday 7th – Faro, Portugal
$27.48 (€21) train to Faro
$18.98 (€14,50) lunch
$2.49 (€1,90) bus to beach
$3.60 (€2,75) snacks
$2.49 (€1,90) bus to Faro

Sunday 8th – Faro, Portugal
$2.49 (€1,90) bus to Faro airport
$4.57 (€3,50) bus from airport to Baden-Baden
$16.36 (€12,50) train to Stuttgart
$5.23 (€4) yufka doner

WEEKLY EXPENSES: - $327.11
WEEKLY INCOME: + $730

TOTAL: + $402.89

Most of us use some form of social media every day. And if you’re anything like me, you’re on all the time. :) But how many of us are utilizing the power of these social media platforms to advance our careers?

While many job hunting tips talk about cleaning up social media profiles, making accounts private, or using a false name, often times our social media presence can work for us. In fact, Reppler – a social media monitoring service – conducted a survey of hiring professionals, and found that nearly 70 per cent of employers would hire a candidate because of what they saw about them on a social networking site.

Social media has helped me countless times before. My Moneyville/Toronto Star editor found me through my blog. I got my Canadian Living job through contacts via Twitter. I found and hired both my real estate agent and my blog web designer from Twitter. Now, I’m working for my real estate agent as his Marketing Manager. A few months ago, I inquired about a freelance job posting on Craigslist. The employer contacted me about 20 minutes after I submitted my resume, to tell me that he already follows me on Twitter, and felt like he already knows me and what I am capable of. Having an active Twitter account automatically gave me an advantage over any other candidate, because of the connection I had already made with that employer online.

Having a social media presence can positively impact your face-to-face networking activities, and can also help you tap into the hidden job marketing of positions that are not advertised. Maybe I go a bit overboard, because I don’t just have to standard Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. I also have Tumblr, Pinterest, Goodreads, FourSquare, Vimeo, and Formspring. :) But I use them because I like them, and I know that if I’m not on those websites, some other person is – and they could one day be going for the job that I want!

Here are a few tips I’ve found to using social media effectively:

Understand how you are perceived

Creating a social media presence takes time. It is not an overnight employment fix. But, if you utilize it correctly, it can be a huge benefit to your job search in the future, and to your credibility as a professional.

In order to make sure you are conveying the right message about yourself to other people online, consider using a social media monitoring website like Reppler. It’s a completely free service that scans through the biggest social media networks – like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube – and comes up with an Image Score, shows you any inappropriate content, and advises you of any privacy or security risks in your profiles.

Here are a couple of screen shots I took of my profile to show you how effective Reppler is in analyzing how you are perceived online.

Build your connections

Gone are the days where you have to show up at every face-to-face networking event in order to get business cards and build your professional network. This is arguably one of the biggest benefits of social media, so take advantage of how easy it is to make connections!

There are a few ways to grow your network online: friend or follow those with common interest, participates in Twitter chats, engage in discussion on Facebook pages, and send personalized messages to people you would like to connect with on LinkedIn.

Position yourself as an influencer

As a job seeker, marketing yourself on social media is about crafting your personal brand. And a great way to impress potential employers is to have your own blog about the industry that you are most interested in. Not only will you be able to establish yourself as an influencer and expert in your field, but good content will always get shared and spread throughout social media networks.

I am most interested in personal finance, so that’s what I write about. And within personal finance, my niche is the 20-something crowd. I don’t think this website will ever become one of those broad all-encompassing sites that talk about everything, and I like it that way. When people think of me and my blog, I want them to think about frugal living, how to get out of debt, and growing up. Those are the categories I think I’m most influential in.

Find opportunities

Social media isn’t about pushing out messages and waiting to attract followers and conversation. It’s about pursuing and networking with people – especially those who are more influential than you. As a job seeker, it’s not very often that you get the opportunity to directly communicate with high-ranking executives, CEOs, and industry influencers. Use this to your advantage to connect and engage with the companies and people you want to eventually work for.

You can use the Twitter search function to look for jobs using industry hashtags, or recruiters posting job ads. You can also use LinkedIn or Facebook to look for jobs through company pages. And don’t underestimate the power of your own network. Let people know that you’re looking for work. Word spreads around quickly – and someone might think you’d be the perfect fit for a position with their company.

Take your networking offline

One of the main functions of social media is to build your connections. But you have to remember to take your networking offline and meet face-to-face. That’s where the real magic happens. Attend Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter meet-ups. Check out industry-related conferences, or just invite someone out for coffee to chat and pick their brain. One of the best things about having a blog, and being on social media is getting to meet people in person. :)

How have you been able to utilize social media for career advancement?

After a couple of weeks of gorgeous weather in Germany, it just *had* to be cold, rainy, and a little bit snowy during our trip to Vienna. :) Even thought the weather wasn’t on our side, we had a really good time. I’d love to go back again one day, if only to eat more chocolate torte. While I felt like two days was enough to see Geneva, it wasn’t enough time to see all of Vienna.

Cost

Accommodation (2 nights): $0 – HostelBookers.com sponsorship
Transportation: $176.12 (€133,50)
Food: $45.73 (€34,50)
City Transit: $7.59 (€5,70)
Entertainment: $49.29 (€37)
Miscellaneous: $8.26 (€6,20)
TOTAL: $276.99

Entertainment

There was so much to see and do in Vienna that I felt overwhelmed. We made sure to go to the most famous buildings and locations first – like St. Stephens’s Cathedral, Belvedere Palace (where we paid admission to go see the Gold exhibit), and Museumsquartier. But we also ventured to the Prater Amusement Park where we rode roller coasters, played pool for hours at a popular bar, and walked, walked, walked. One of my favourite areas was the Naschmarkt, which is an outdoor food market. The people watching, fresh food, shops, and restaurants were so much fun to walk through.

Accommodation

(note: my stay was provided free of charge by HostelBookers.com and Wombat City Hostel Vienna, but the review is my honest opinion of the hostel.)

We stayed in the Wombat City Hostel for our 2 nights in Vienna, and it was a fun and interesting experience. We were placed in a 6-bed mixed dorm room which costs €24 ($31.81) per person, per night during the weekends. There were 4 other people in our room, 3 people from Spain, and 1 person from Munich. We didn’t get to talk with the group from Spain, since they left each morning quite early, and by the time we got back to the hostel at night, they were already asleep. We did get to chat with the fellow from Munich, who was nice. He gave us some tips on how to save on train fare in the future. As for the rest of the hostel, the people there really ranged in age from young college students, to older travellers in their 50′s and 60′s.

The dorm room was spacious, and we had our own washroom (which we never had to fight for). We also had our own lockers in the room, which we could open and close with our key cards. There was a huge kitchen available for travellers to cook their own meals, a big area for lounging and using the free WIFI, and a bar that looked fun, but crowded.

The location was about a 25 minute walk from the train station, and located right beside the Naschmarkt, which was really convenient. There is also a subway station just down the road, so it’s easily accessible by transit as well – we just prefer to walk. :)

If you’re looking for hostels or cheap hotel accommodation in Vienna, make sure you check out the HostelBookers website!

Food

We took advantage of the cheap breakfast provided by the hostel each morning. We had our breakfasts for free, but the cost was only €3,80 for all-you-can-eat, and is definitely worth it.

Obviously when traveling, certain cities are known for certain types of food. In Munich, I drank the best beer of my life. In Geneva, it was all about chocolate. And as for Vienna? I loved everything about the cafés. We were lucky enough to visit Café Central, which is one of the most famous café in the city. I ordered an iced Viennese coffee and chocolate torte. Nic had an Amaretto hot chocolate and the fanciest black forest cake I have ever seen.

We also went to a tiny hole-in-the-wall that was recommended by the hostel for having “huuuuge” schnitzel. And they were not lying! We shared one order of schnitzel for lunch, and we were both so full that we could barely walk back to the train station. Yet the guy sitting beside us ate his entire order of schnitzel by himself, then helped polish off his girlfriend’s meal! :)

Monday 26th
No Spend Day!

Tuesday 27th
+ $400 freelance income
$2.53 (€1,90) Starbucks
$43.64 (€32,76) groceries

Wednesday 28th
+ $208.48 freelance income
$2.53 (€1,90) Starbucks
$26.64 (€20) German cell phone

Thursday 29th
No Spend Day! 

Friday 30th – Vienna
$2.66 (€2) sandwich
$0.93 (€0,70) chocolate bar

Saturday 31st – Vienna
$7.59 (€5,70) 24-hour transit pass
$11.99 (€9) amusement park
$10.39 (€7,80) burger & fries
$8.26 (€6,20) souvenirs (fridge magnet & postcards)
$13.32 (€10) Central Cafe
$22.65 (€17) pool & beers

Sunday 1st – Vienna
$14.65 (€11) Belvedere Palace (art museum)
$17.34 (€12) beer & schnitzel
$2.66 (€2) sandwich

WEEKLY EXPENSES: - $187.78
WEEKLY INCOME: + $608.48

TOTAL: + $420.70

Well I’m extremely impressed at how cheap my German cell phone is. I pay 5 cents/minute to call back to Canada (although I almost always make my phone calls via Skype on WIFI for free), and my data is only €8/month for 500MB. And I can also purchase 50MB of data (for 7 days) when traveling outside of Europe for €4,99. Over the past 2 months, I’ve only spent $39.96 (€30) – or $15/month – and that includes the cost of the SIM card. For the exact same service I’m paying $55/month for in Canada with Rogers.

Other than that, I don’t have much to say about my spending this week. I kept everything low during the week because I knew we’d be splurging over the weekend in Vienna. I’ll recap my trip on Friday. :)