Hefty Bank Fees in Germany

To shop for the right account for me, I visited all the banks in the downtown area the other day. All meaning 4 (at least that’s all I could find on foot!).

They offer pretty crappy packages in my opinion. Every girokonto (chequing account) gives 0% interest, and they all charge expensive fees of 4.90€ to 6.50€ per month. That’s like $6-11 Canadian dollars per month for an account that is mainly online!

2 of the banks will waive the monthly fee if I carry a 1200€ balance, but if I go under even 1 euro, then a hefty monthly fee of 7.90€ (or more!) will be charged for the months that I am under. Talk about pressure!

I guess it’s not so bad but I am used to having free accounts WITH interest and no minimum balance.

Keeping a minimum balance, while not so hard in Toronto, will be hard for me here in Germany. My work is freelance so my income will be hard to predict, and I’m not sure if I will find any other work (especially since I haven’t a place in the city yet). Basically, I’m expecting money to be tight this year, so I have to figure out which account will make more sense for my situation.

It’s hard because I hate paying bank fees! But I also need to use money to survive, and it doesn’t make sense to draw from my Canadian account just to keep a balance in my German account.

Oh the joys of being young and trying to survive.

Sunday’s Adventures

My Sweetie and I spent most of this lazy Sunday checking out eBay for a bike for me. We revolved part of our day around when the auctions would end, taking a walk in between.

And yes, we ended up winning a bike in a nearby town (!). We drove over to pick it up, and on our way back to celebrate, we stopped for dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

Too bad it’s not much to celebrate because the bike is too small! Unfortunately, genius’ that we are, we only noticed the size description right before we left to pick it up. Silly us.

The bike is really cool though.

It was only 20 euros and we’ll try to re-sell it or give it to a children’s charity if there is one nearby. While I have it, I might ride it around only at night (so people don’t notice I’m riding a girls’ bike instead of an adult bike, keke).

Here’s a picture with Cute Boy to show you how small the bike really is:

He was fixing it up. Muah!

Picking up temporary work to help pay the bills

Yesterday I landed myself two jobs!

Nothing fancy, but it will help me relieve some financial stress.

I’ll be working the Christmas rush at a busy store, and helping out the Professor I RA’d for on a new but similar research project.

I’m pretty excited, because this will give my life some structure and I won’t feel so strapped for cash.

I’ve always said I wouldn’t do retail again, but apparently I am back. I chose it because it’s relatively easy to get and it happens so FAST. It’s a good in-between job if you’re not interested in doing it full time. Here are my tips:

How to Get a Seasonal Retail Job

There are TONS of temporary jobs that come up around Christmastime, particularly in retail work. It doesn’t pay the best, but if you’re looking for a few extra bucks and have some spare time and the desire to work, then why not! It’s also nice when you choose a store that you like/think you will be buying lots of gifts in, so you can utilize the discount (mine is 40%!).

Step 1: Calling the Store. Last week I phoned and asked to speak to the manager. I told him I was interested in applying for a seasonal position and said I would come in to drop off my resume when he was in. He gave me his hours for the next day, and I came in and quoted the wrong name! lol. It’s better to get the right name.

Step 2: Apply in Person. It is SOOO important to speak directly to the manager, as the manager is the one who is interviewing and hiring. Leaving a resume or application form with just-anyone will result in it getting lost. When I handed in my resume and application form (you fill out the form while you are there, or sometimes you can download it from the store’s website), I was automatically invited in for an interview the next week. There was small talk and some smiling too. It helps!

Step 3: Getting Interviewed. If you get to the interview stage, you’re probably already in. Especially when you’re at a mall where there is big competition for your services. Retail jobs tend to have high turnover rates, with more jobs than people willing to work. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put in effort as a sign of respect to your interviewer and for yourself. An interview, any interview, is an opportunity to answer snap questions and to express yourself professionally. Questions that retailers usually ask are 1) Why do you want to work for our company? and 2) When in the past have you experienced conflict in your workplace and how did you deal with it? Having thought out the answers to these questions beforehand will help to calm the nerves and produce more naturally sounding responses.

Step 4: Working. Good Luck. Can’t help you on that one.

It just occurred to me. I should actually write an article about How to get a Research Job. We’ll see, maybe later.

Socializing can be expensive

I remember I wrote about my biggest expense being my return plane tickets.

And true; tickets are quite expensive, but I’ve changed my mind.

I now think my biggest expense is my social life!

I’m trying to see and spend time with everyone as much as possible, since I don’t intend to be around for a while. This takes it’s toll on my efforts to save money, and I get stressed because of it.

I have mixed feelings about this because on the one hand, I want to go out and have fun with my friends. But on the other hand, I know how important it is to save as much as I can for my upcoming move.

Also because it’s the wintertime, it’s COLD outside. I can’t just go for bike rides or walks in the park or head to the beach with my friends. This weather makes us all want to stay indoors, but in places like lounges, bars, and restaurants – where money is spent.

I try to cut down on the costs by going out for coffee or tea instead of lunch or dinner. And if I’m heading a certain way to run an errand, I plan some dates and meet up with people so I can see them on the same trip! I also make sure to catch my last bus, because otherwise I’ll need to pay for a cab ride home.

I know, it’s annoying. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

This is me at my gf’s place drinking tea before heading out.