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Author Archives: Kristina Tahnyak

Avatar photo About Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.

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The unknown makes me uneasy

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unknown, losing a job, potentially losing a job, company transfer, merging of companies

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Good morning Dinks.  As you know in a mere three months my company will be out of business because we were sold to one of our competitors.  The new company promised to keep as many jobs as they can and their plan is to keep them in our city.  However at the same time they told everyone the details of the severance package if applicable.  This leads me to believe that not all jobs will be kept.  Maybe come January I won’t have a job (although I hope that’s not the case), maybe the new employer will keep my current job as is in my city or maybe they will offer me a different position in a new location.  Who knows?

I’ve noticed my co-workers habits have changed since the announcement just over a month ago.  Our employer said that everything remains business as usual until January and the takeover can last anywhere from 12 to 24 months, but it doesn’t seem to be very reassuring.  I’m noticing that people are still starting to panic about potentially losing their jobs.  Let’s be honest, the unknown is extremely scary!

Losing an income

I admit I’m nervous about losing my income and I’m a DINK.  I always have Nick’s income to fall back on and although it will be tough we could get through it.  I couldn’t imagine not knowing where my next paycheck was coming from if I had a family with kids or if I was a single parent.

I’ve definitely started thinking about the future and I’m trying to change my personal habits without disrupting our lives too much.  However at the same time I can’t help but worry about what’s going to happen to my job in January.  Nick tells me to think positive and assume that nothing is going to change, but that’s just not me.  I’m a planner and I worry about everything unknown.   I’m going to be very honest, the unknown and everything about it makes me nervous.  I’m afraid of the dark, I’m afraid of the ocean and I fear total silence.  Like I said everything about the unknown terrifies me.

I can’t help but think that come January I won’t have an income.  If I do lose my job I will receive a severance pay out, however I don’t want to count on that.   I know I’m lucky to be in a couple with two full time incomes because some families only have one, but if I lose my job we will still be losing half of our total household  income.

Cutting costs

Since the announcement my co-workers and I have definitely cut back on our lunches.  We don’t go out and celebrate team members birthdays and we’ve definitely cut down on the after work activities.  If we do decide to spend our lunch hours together we usually end up going out for sandwiches or to the mall for lunch in the food court, we usually don’t spend our time sitting in restaurants.  It’s sad but at the same time we have to start saving as much as possible in case the worst happens.  Would you do the same?

Looking for a new job

The fact that people all throughout my office are quitting because they got a better job offer makes me nervous.  My co-workers are definitely changing their habits and it doesn’t help but make me wonder if I should be doing the same.  If you knew you could be jobless in three months what would you do?  I have two options: I can stay in my job, hope for the best and get a severance payout if I do lose my job or I could pre-empt the change and start looking for a full time job right now.   What do you think?

If you knew that you may not have an income in three months, how would you prepare for a job loss?

Photo from Flickr

It’s OK to be alone

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to be alone, me time, introvert, ambivert, being alone, social difficulties,

to be alone, me time, introvert, ambivert, being alone, social difficulties,

Good morning Dinks.  It seems like everywhere we turn someone is talking about mental health – from TV commercials about depression to our employers emphasizing a work life balance.  My employer is always stressing the importance of a work life balance.  After attending seminars about how to decompress after a rough work day and attending a workshop about ways to release tension at the office I’ve come to realize that work life balance is not necessarily about finding a balance between  your home life and your work life.  It’s about finding peace in all aspects of your life from your relationship to your career.  How can we do this? By putting our self first every once in a while.

Can you take me time if you’re in a relationship?

I know some people don’t like to put themselves first (especially when they’re in a couple) because they think it makes them appear selfish.  But that’s just not true.   I love having a little me time whether it’s taking a 30 minute  bubble bath or spending an afternoon shopping; every now and then I always take a break from the hustle of life and just zone out into my own little world.

Some things are bad for your relationship (or at least my relationship) like being stuck in traffic or trying to shop together.  Forgetting about yourself is just as bad for a relationship because it can create resentment.  If you’re always putting someone else’s happiness before your own then you’ll never be truly happy.  Whenever I go on vacation without Nick people always make comments about our relationship and my response is always the same “Just because I’m one half of a couple doesn’t mean I’m not an individual.”  Of course I always ask my boyfriend if he wants to go away and if he says no I’m still going.

Taking some alone time doesn’t mean I love my boyfriend any less.  It just means we don’t need to be together 24 hours a day.  My Dad once told me that he loved having kids but every now and then he needed a break.  That’s why he went on week-long fishing trips every year and left us at home with our mom.  Regardless of how much you love your spouse sometimes you just need some time alone.

Do you work better alone?

I work in a creative environment as a community manager.  Although several different product launch campaigns in finance require a social media aspect the truth is I work alone a lot – and I prefer it that way.  I am happy to collaborate with my creative co-workers, but the truth is I just like being alone.  Some people think that being alone all the time is lonely, but I work very well by myself.

I know people always say there is a social aspect to success in the workplace and I do believe that’s true.  I enjoy having lunch every now and then with my colleagues, but I can’t do it every day.  Getting along with co-workers definitely makes the day a lot easier because in some cases we spend more time at work than we do at home.  But sometimes I just need a little alone time at work – whether it’s on my lunch hour or during the work day.  Is that weird or is it just me?

Photo from Flickr

Weekly roundup: Priorities, Excuses and Startups

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Happy Friday Dinks.  My birthday week is officially over and as of yesterday I am 34 years old. I’ve got to tell you it feels awesome.  Over the last week Nick and I moved into an amazing apartment and although moving is VERY expensive we are finally getting settled in our space.  Once it’s all set up and the boxes are empty I will share some pics.

Enjoy your weekend Dinks and Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends.  Here are some great posts from our personal finance friends.

Man vs. Debt – Re-Evaluating Your Financial Priorities

Good Financial Cents – The 17 Worst Excuses For Not Savings For Retirement

Mr. Money Mustache – We Sold the House! Here’s How I’m investing the $400,000

So Over This – Wage Theft: Should Salaried Workers Get Paid Overtime?

Young Adult Money – How to Get Rich: Side Hustles and Startups

Photo from Flick

Can we ever really be settled?

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getting settled, new apartment, moving in, transferring, settling in

3131314633_ffc49d36bb_zGood morning Dinks.  Nick and I recently moved and we are still getting settled in but I have to tell you I love our new apartment.  Both our lifestyles and our living situation got an upgrade from where we were just a couple of weeks ago.  We moved to our previous apartment after the market crash and it was supposed to be a temporary situation.  Six years later we finally moved out and our new apartment is awesome.

Location, location, location

We went from 570 square feet to 1100 square feet, we went from doing dishes to having our own brand new dishwasher and we went from sharing laundry with 21 floors of students and old people to  being able to do laundry at any time in our own high efficiency washer and dryer.  Yes it’s safe to say my life and my relationship just got a lot better.  I know it may sound weird to say that an apartment can help a relationship, but in our case it’s true.

Over the last few days everywhere I went all people want to talk about is our move; my family wants to see photos, my Dad wants to come and help us assemble furniture, my chiropractor wants to know how my back is holding up and my co-workers want to know how the move went.

The more I talk about the move I’ve come to realize that everyone has an opinion about moving; some people love it because it signifies a new beginning and some people hate it because it’s a lot of work.  I have to tell you it’s definitely a lot of work, it’s been over two weeks and we still have boxes that aren’t unpacked.  However this move is definitely worth the work because our new apartment is great and it’s in a fantastic neighborhood.  The last time we moved it was a personal defeat because we were broke after the market crash, but now we got our s&^t together and we deserve this great apartment after living in a teeny tiny apartment for six years.

How long should it take us to be fully settled in?

We haven’t moved in a really long time so I’m not sure how quickly we should be moving along.  My mom told me we should be settled in within a month and totally set up with how we want the apartment decorated within the year.  My goal is to do it within six months.

Our new apartment has a lot of character and several of the fixtures act as decor so I’m not expecting to spend a lot of money on home furnishings.  Especially since we already spent over $500 on new items for our apartment at Target, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.  Believe it or not those expenses were all for functional items such as laundry detergent, garbage cans, a ladder and other household supplies.  We knew there would be extra expenses because we moved to an apartment with more than double the space.  But after a new bedroom set, a new dining room table and a new sofa the expenses are still coming.

When I stand in our new apartment and look around I’m not sure we can actually ever be settled in because a home is always a work in progress, right?  If I look at my mom she always has a home project on the go; she’s always buying new pillows, painting walls and right now she’s renovating her upstairs bathroom.  So I’m not sure we’ll ever be  completely done.

How long did it take you to get settled into your last home?

Photo from Flickr

Long term or short term goals?

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long term goals, short term goals, goals in life, trying to achieve in life

long term goals, short term goals, goals in life, trying to achieve in lifeGood morning Dinks.  It seems like every time we meet someone they ask what we want to do over the long term.   When a man meets his potential spouse’s parents they ask what their intentions are for their daughter and their relationship, when a woman meets her future husband’s parents they ask what her future plans are for children and when we go to a job interview the employer always wants to know where we see ourselves in the company in five years.  So here we go Dinks, let get into it, what are your plans for the future?

I live my life three months at a time

I have to tell you I’m not a big fan of anything long term.  I’m not really sure why but I really suck at setting and achieving my long term goals.  I think it’s a mixture of being too much of a commitment and getting bored really quickly.  I lack focus on the long term and I think that’s because I work in banking and my professional life is always measured in quarters.

In the world of banking the first three months of the year are dedicated to retirement, the spring time is mortgage season, summer is focused on debt and the fall is focused on back to school.  That’s how my professional life has been over the past decade so it only seems appropriate that I mimic my personal life in a similar fashion.

Nick is the exact same way so it really works out well whenever we need to plan.  However at the same time I have to ask myself, where is our relationship going if we only think and plan for the short term?

Why we all need long term goals

The one exception  to the rule is retirement.  I save for retirement but for some reason I don’t consider it an actual long term goal, I just think of it as something I need to do for my future.  My various short term goals include travelling, saving, working and  more recently buying furniture to decorate our new apartment.

You may be thinking but Kristina aren’t your savings goals long term?  Yes and no.  I guess the money is there for the long term – or at least until I need it – but I try to hit a specific dollar amount every three months.

How to achieve your long term goals

I can’t achieve a long term goal I think it’s a good idea to use my demise to help others achieve their goals.  Yes that’s right, I am going to help you achieve your long term goals by telling you to do the exact opposite of whatever I’m doing.

Here are four ways to achieve your long term goals:

Stay focused.  I definitely don’t have this, I can’t focus on anything very long because I like a variety.  If you can commit to one thing over time you are already ahead of the game.

Break it down into shorter term goals.  If you lack focus like I do breaking your long term goals down into shorter mini goals will help you hit milestones and stay motivated.

Track your progress.  I like short term goals because you can achieve them so much faster but if you track the progress of your long term goals it can keep you motivated.  Tracking the progress of long term goals will help make sure you are working towards them and make sure you  achieve your goal within the deadline.

What are you working towards over the long term?

Why I don’t think anyone should tip – EVER

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leaving a tip, giving tips, restaurant tips, gratuity

IMG_1388Good morning Dinks.  As  you know I recently took a trip to New Orleans and on the way home I had an eye opening experience about the world of tipping.  I have mixed feelings about the world of tipping; as a habit I think it’s a waste of money, but as a former bartender I have to tell you every little bit helps.  I haven’t worked for tips in years and now I have to say I’m not really sure I believe in the concept – at least not for every profession that expects them.

So here’s my first question, do you believe in leaving a tip?

This is where Nick and I disagree.  He believes in leaving a tip for absolutely anything and everything, whereas I believe in only leaving tips at traditional places like restaurants.  Why? Because I believe people are getting paid to do their jobs and I don’t feel that I should have to leave a gratuity on top of it.

Nick believes in leaving a tip whenever a service is rendered.  He will tip the guys who deliver our groceries and I think it’s unnecessary.  I believe the store is providing that service so we shouldn’t be paying extra for it.

Do you consider the tip into the price?

I absolutely consider the amount of the tip to be included in the overall price and it definitely factors into my buying decision.  I also don’t think any service with a flat rate should require a tip on top of the fee for service.  This brings us back to the story about my cab ride from the airport after my trip to New Orleans.

The fare from the airport to downtown is a flat rate of $40.  When we reached my apartment I gave the driver $40 and asked him for a receipt.  His exact words were “Maybe if you have me a tip.”  I was shocked at his response and at this point I had two options, one: I completely ignore him and proceed on to my apartment or two: Play stupid, tell him I didn’t know we had to tip for a flat fee and hand him a couple of bucks.  Which do you think I did?

Yes that’s right, number one.  Not only do I think that tips shouldn’t be given, but I also believe they are a luxury not a right.  The fact that the cab driver asked for a tip on a flat rate fare, that is mostly likely in his favor anyways, made me furious.  Why should he get a tip?  Did he go above and beyond for his service? No! He just did his job.

How do you know how much to tip?

Now this leads me to the next question regarding tips, when you do leave a tip how much should it be?  Sometimes I round up to the nearest multiple of five and sometimes I just leave 15%.  It honestly depends on my mood as well as the service.  Trust me if I have bad service I am OK with leaving no tip.

How do you feel about tipping?

Weekly roundup: Groceries, Homes and Help

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(A swamp pic from my trip to New Orleans)

Good morning Dinks and happy Friday.   My birthday is in five days and the celebrating has already begun.  This has been a great year; I have a great new job as a community manager for an investment firm, we moved to a great apartment and now I’m turning 34.  I look forward to seeing what the next year has to bring.

Enjoy these posts from our personal finance friends:

Narrow Bridge Finance – Easy Ways to Slash Your Grocery Bill

Money Crush – From Renter to Homeowner: Buying for the First Time

So Over This – Having a Pet is Hard Work and Costs Some Serious Money!

Frugal Beautiful – Getting over it: The frugal fear of hiring help

Blonde & Balanced – Moving is a metaphor for relationships

Clever Dude – Don’t Let Finances Kill Your Marriage

Why accumulation is costly

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minimalist lifestyle, frugal lifestyle, hoarding, hoarder, accumulating, stuff accumulation

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Do you hoard things?  Do you buy several of the same item in case you need it later?  Does anyone really need that much hot sauce?

Good morning Dinks.  I am happy to tell you that Nick and I have finally moved.  Yes that’s  right.  After months of searching we are finally moved into our new apartment.  Last week we started unpacking boxes and hopefully soon we will be settled in, but I have to be honest, it’s not a quick or easy process.  Let me tell you that moving is a lot more work than I thought it would be.  Not only is there the packing and the actual move but setting up shop in a new apartment takes a lot of time.

Do you accumulate the good and the bad?

Let me tell you that you never really know how much stuff you have until you have to pack it into 45 medium and 10 large sized boxes.  Accumulation is a double edged sword for me.  I think it’s good to accumulate some things like money but some other things like stress, ill feelings and loads of stuff should definitely not be accumulated.

Yesterday I treated myself to a massage to help relax after our big move and the massage therapist told me that I am carrying a lot of stress in my neck and shoulders.  She said I should try to relax more.  Gosh if I had $1 for every time someone told me to relax I would definitely be a rich woman.  That’s the thing about accumulating non tangible items – like stress- you may not even know you have them.

How much stuff do you have?

On the other hand physical stuff piles up and piles up into boxes and when you need to move it can cost a fortune in moving expenses.  Please believe me when I say Nick and I have a lot of stuff.  We definitely don’t need it but yet we have closets and drawers full of material things like clothes with the tags still on, personal hygiene items and stock piles of household necessities.

I can only guess what you’re thinking, why do two people who live in a small apartment hoard stuff when they have limited space?  I honestly don’t know the answer but I think it’s because we used to be broke.

We lived through a period of our lives when we didn’t have anything and we’re both terribly afraid to go back to living with nothing.  I don’t think either one of us will ever forget what it’s like to have nothing and now when we buy something new we don’t get rid of the old item (unless it’s broken) just in case we ever find ourselves without an income again.

The minimalist lifestyle

We both agreed that we would throw out unused and unwanted items before the move so that we could keep our moving expenses to a minimum.  However since we started packing only four days before we were supposed to move we didn’t really have time to sort through anything.  Actually that’s what I say but the truth is we can’t bring ourselves to get rid of anything.

As I was packing shoes, jackets and dishes into boxes I had an epiphany, I realized that I really liked the way our apartment looked without stuff.  I told Nick that we should just leave everything in our old apartment and start fresh in our new apartment.  All the money we would save on moving expenses could be used to buy only the essentials once we get settled in.

Have you adopted the minimalist lifestyle?  I am definitely considering it and I’d love to hear what you think.  I want our new apartment to be a home with welcoming decor and a friendly feel, however I don’t want to have too much stuff.  Does that make sense?

 

An update on my job loss

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job loss, company merge, selling out to a competitor, company merging

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Good morning Dinks.  It’s go time in my relationship today.  As you read this Nick and I are finally moving into our new apartment.  More to come on that next week.

This week my employer released more information about the sale of my company to a competitor.  In case you have no idea what I’m talking about three weeks ago my employer announced as of January we are being acquired and jobs, although they are trying to be kept, are not guaranteed.  When the news broke my mind was racing and in true Kristina fashion I made a pro/con list of all the reasons I should start looking for a new job as well as all the reasons why I should wait and see what happens.

Has this ever happened to you?

Needless to say since the news broke my office has been buzzing with rumors, speculation and “what if” scenarios.  Not too many details were released except that there has been an offer to purchase and it is pending a shareholder vote in December.  We don’t know who will get to keep their jobs, who will be transferred to the new company or who will receive a severance package and be forced to look for a new job.  That in itself is very unsettling.

Nick keeps telling me that everything will be fine.  He keeps reassuring me that I probably won’t lose my job in January.  Nick is the complete opposite of me when it comes to situations like this; he doesn’t believe in worrying about something that he can’t control.  Whereas I stay up at night worrying about what will happen if I lose my job.  To be honest the thought of job searching makes me sick to my stomach.  Less than two years ago I searched for this job, this great job, and now I may be losing it.

A new job and maybe a new beginning

I am not sure what’s going to happen with the new job, but I hope it brings good things for me.  The head quarters of my new potential employer are not in the city where I currently live.  This is sad because it could mean big changes.  However at the same time this could be the big break I’ve been waiting for to relocate.

The new firm has offices all around North America and actually all around the world.  However I’m not so excited about moving abroad as I am about moving to a fantastic North American city such as New York or Boston.

A change in my job will be a change in my relationship

If I do end up moving to keep my job it will be the end of my relationship.  Nick has already told me that he’s not interested in relocating.  So that is definitely something I’m taking into consideration.  However, I have been dying to move to a new city and this may be my chance.

The question now is do I stay with my current employer in hopes of still having a job in January when the acquisition actually happens, or do I play offence on the transition and start to look for a new job now.  There are a few pros to looking for a new job now, one: I will find a permanent job and still have it in January and two: I won’t be searching for a new job with the rest of my co-workers if we do end up getting pink slips come the New Year.

What would you do?

Why I suck at long term goals

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long term goals, goals for the future, short term goal, scared of commitment

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Admittedly there are not a lot of changes in my life from year to year and I like it that way; that’s not to say I plan for the long term, it’s just because I stick to my normal routine.  For this reason it’s extremely awkward when I bump into old friends on the street or to family at reunions and someone asks me what’s new with me.  The God’s honest truth is absolutely nothing – I’m not just saying it to avoid the conversation.  I still work in finance, I’m still a financial planner and I’m still with the same boyfriend.  That’s about it.

Why don’t I ever plan anything for the long term?  I think it’s because long term commitment absolutely freaks me out.  This may be why Nick (my boyfriend of 15 years) and I have yet to buy a house – or get married.  Trust me he has the same issues.  It’s not like he’s proposing to me every year and I’m saying no, he is just not asking.

I know what you’re thinking, but you’ve had the same boyfriend for 15 years and yes that’s true.  But that’s because I love him and I don’t like change.  Let me give you an example of our long term commitment issues.  We bought a house twice and both times we both freaked out and pulled out of the deal.  I don’t know what it is about signing on the dotted line but I can’t commit to anything long term, not even a yearly gym membership.

To say that I’ve never done anything long term would be true.  Other than go to school and live with Nick I haven’t EVER done anything long term.  I keep my cell phone contract to a minimum and I’ve switched providers four times in the last ten years.  I switched my major in college three times in four years and I sold my car after only three years of the initial five year financing agreement. So now you see what I mean – no long term commitments.

This is why I live my life one year at a time

Long term is boring.  Short term goals are so much fun. It’s great to have something to look forward to and know that it’s coming sooner than later.  I like to have a short term travel goal every three to four months.  I need to get away because I like travelling and when I’m in one place too long I get bored – but I still like to have a routine, if that makes any sense at all.

It’s hard to keep track.  I definitely have commitment issues and tracking my progress over the long term is no exception.  I just can’t commit to working towards the same goals and checking in on them over anything longer than twelve months – and by twelve months I’m being very generous, I have more of a six month attention span.

My OCD needs shorter term goals.  I am sure part of my inability to commit to anything long term has to do with my fixation on the need for change.  I am OCD in the sense that when I have something in my head there is no stopping me but at the same time I’m ADD in the sense that I always have several things on the go.  I change our home decor and redecorate often because I just can’t stand to look at the same thing for too long.  I am one of those girls who changes her nail polish color twice a week because I just get bored of looking at the same color for too long.

Do you think this is an underlying problem to a bigger issue? Be honest!

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