Exciting News!

Keeping my Rogers Blackberry

Exciting news! Dale officially has his VISA! A package arrived in the mail for him today, and although I haven’t seen it yet, I’m excited to hear the information that SWAP sent him. I am also starting to receive emails from family in Ireland with helpful hints such as “try to find a place to rent along the Dart (tram) or Luas (train) line” in Dublin, both of which can take you into the city centre.

I found out that my Visa Desjardins credit card was “glitching” because the PIN is five digits, not four... That one’s on me. I was also told that I cannot ask for a new one six months in advance, but that I can apply for a credit card abroad with free delivery. I then set up an online account so that I will be able to keep my eye on my bills easily. I think I will be using my Visa far more than I do now considering my current bank account will charge me for every withdrawal, but I can transfer money from there to my credit card no problem.

I called Rogers today to cancel my phone plan, and I ended up not cancelling it at all. I was told there is a new option that I could suspend the contract for six months, with the expectation that I could suspend again in January. This sounded like a great plan, as it would mean I’d be spending $15/month, equaling $180 for the year, rather than spending the $300 plus tax cancellation fee. However, when Dale called hoping for the same plan, he was told you can only suspend your plan once in 12 months. I had to call back. Unluckily for me, Dale’s information was correct. I’m just happy I found out now, rather than in January, in Ireland, when I was screwed. Instead, I will be suspending for the first six months for a lump sum of $90 (which equals $15/month), then I have to start paying my regular bill in January. But for that half of the year I will be credited $15/month until I return in July 2014, which means my bill will only be about $30/month. What this means is that I will spend about $270 rather than cancelling for $300. I save a tiny bit of money, but I also get to return home and get a new phone and deal because my contract is up and I didn’t cancel it. My favourite part is that I only spend $90 right before I leave rather than $300. I need all the money I can get if I’m going to manage my goal of leaving with $3000! I still have my fingers crossed that someone will want me to sign over my contract to them before July 2nd. My mom has kindly posted about it at work, and I have an ad on Craigslist, and the details on my facebook page too. My bases are covered. If no one takes it, my plan is to go through with what I have described above, but also get the phone unlocked, leave the SIM card at home, and get a new SIM card to use on the other side of the world. I hear they are much cheaper over there too! Plus I will be using Skype on my laptop for most calls, especially for calls to home. Skype to Skype calling, which includes a video chat if you want it, is free! I plan on enviously drooling over my family’s Christmas dinner.

So how do I plan to leave with $3000 when I don’t have a job? Well, nowadays I am making just enough money to cover the typical expenses that arise. For example, today I took a ton of bottles to the recycling depot and managed to cover the cost of my youngest sister’s birthday present. Happy 20th birthday Sydnee! I’m giving her a ticket to Vancouver’s Extreme Air Park, an indoor trampoline playground! If you know Syd, you’ll know how much that will mean to her. I have also been house, plant, and dog sitting for a family friend, which pays rather handsomely. And rather than buying new clothes—which I’ll admit I did a little of after Vegas—I have swapped used clothes with my mom, two sisters, and two friends! I basically have a new wardrobe to get sick of in Ireland; it is so great!

I now have $2781. I’m hoping to receive $400 back in medical expenses from my insurance, which would bump that number to $3181. Take away about $500 for traveller’s insurance—which I have yet to choose—and $90 for my phone suspension, and I will be left with $2591. But having said that, I am also graduating from university on June 14th, and my birthday is June 29th. Maybe I’ll get really lucky right before I go! If I have no job in Ireland for three months, that $3000 should cover my expenses. I’ll talk more about student loans on a later blog post!

Another exciting advancement is that Dale and I booked our hostel in London! It was frustrating, but at least it’s done. We were most concerned about security, but proximity to Heathrow Airport and the touristy area is important too, along with cost. We chose Smart Russell Square Hostel, which we heard mixed reviews about, and we will have to change rooms for the last night of our stay because it booked up fast. We will be in a 14 bed, mixed dorm, and we found the hostel from Smart Backbackers. For one person, the first two nights are $20 each, and the final night is $35. If we could have booked earlier we would have, but we’ll have to accept how this worked out and hope for the best. One thing we did make sure of was that our hostel is in the tube’s Zone 1 and 2 by looking at a map of the London Underground. This makes the distance to the tourist area both shorter and cheaper. We will be booking our Ireland hostel as soon as possible! We just don’t know for how long we will be stuck in it…