Economic choices

Couple of days ago I attended my son’s orientation program for the student exchange to Peru. 20 students are going to Peru and of the 20, 12 were Caucasians, 7 Asians and 1 Indian.  His school is one of the top academic schools here and without being racist, you know what I mean when I say majority of the kids who study there are Indians and Asians.

I did expect to meet other Indian parents and was really surprised that I was the only one. Later that day I asked my son how come none of his Indian classmates are going to Peru? He replied ” most parents consider it too expensive”

Which is true. His trip to Peru would cost me 10000$.

This year, I have to spend 10000$ for my son, 9500$ for my youngest for her student exchange to Spain, my flight ticket and accommodation in US to send Yaya to Uni, Her Uni fees(that extra bit her scholarship doesn’t cover) and  return trip back to Aus this Christmas(I don’t want her to be alone for Christmas)

I pay all these not because I am super rich, but because you can’t attach a monetary value for experiences..

Student exchange is brilliant way to teach children independence. It teaches them to get along with others and help them find their own strength and weaknesses.. In order to provide my children this opportunity, I had to cut down a lot of my own expenses. I haven’t bought a single new dress for over three years. All my clothes are second hand. My friends laugh at me when they stay over during winter time.. My winter PJ’s were bought in Canada..10 years ago.. all Christmas themed.. and I wear them in June in Australia.. (our winter here) Actually even the parcel delivery guy had a good laugh when he came to deliver a parcel first thing in the morning and I was still in my brilliantly red flannel PJ with pictures of Santa on a sleigh…

I am very careful with my groceries and try not to waste food. I do check what is on sale at the grocery shop regularly and stock up on soap shampoo etc..

A friend who grew up in Malaysia, who along with her siblings studied in a private school followed by Uni in England told me.. Her father was determined to give them the  best education . even though he was only a documentation controller in a construction company..and he did it by being frugal..

14 thoughts on “Economic choices

  1. My family is the same way. We are very frugal and I find myself getting more conservative with money too. While a lot of people I know go shopping often and buy lots of expensive clothes, go on trips, go clubbing/drinking every week spending so much, I only go when there is a sale and only buy from the clearance racks since they are relatively cheap and affordable (I make it a point to spend no more than $20.00, but you still can get nice clothes!). I rarely take vacations/trips (except NYC here and there, but still it’s cheap to travel as I live close to it), occasionally go out and have fun and drink, which is like every 1-2 months (also consider I’m still in school and take it seriously so I spend most of my weekends on schoolwork..etc). Haven’t gone on a luxurious vacation for a LONG TIME, but want to save up a lot and go to a place I never been at least every 2 years. For basic things, I usually buy from the dollar store and buy cheap meals and such. No fancy restaurants all the time, though I do once in a while. My parents are the same way. They saved a lot and only buy things when it’s at an affordable range for them and where they consider “cheap”. However, since my brother and I are more independent now, they are going a bit more lavish . They just returned from a 2 week pilgrimage this past Saturday, where they traveled across the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt). Mom was saying it was lifetime experience for her since she doesn’t get to do this often. Hope to have the ability to travel in the near future!

    I do agree with visiting a different country and interacting with all kinds of people. It helps you to branch out more. I wish I can study abroad, but don’t think it will pan out for me. However I know I can def travel abroad and spend time in many countries I want to visit.

    Wish Toothless a great time. He’s definitely going to enjoy Peru. One of my cousins just went last summer and said that once you visit there, you will have NO desire to leave. Do you know if he is planning to visit Machu Picchu? That’s worth experiencing I heard….just tell him to bring lots of toilet paper and hand sanitizer if visiting.

  2. A few years back I was talking to one of ours friends daughter (Indian) about her high school and if she is going to do the student exchange program. Her dad told me that they don’t want their daughter to stay in some strangers place!

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