pooooor! poooor! poooor!

I am spiritually growing but materially very, very, poor.

I wasn't always poor.


Before I moved out, I was comfortable every month.

But since moving out, and being saddled with electricity bills, internet bills, having to buy the "uniform" the teachers have so that I can match them has taken out a LOT of my money. And my other Peace Corps friends have mastered the art of living frugally. They save fifty or more bucks a month, while these last two months I've been scraping by and borrowing money.


What happened? When did my personal finances begin resembling the Greek debt?



It all started when Justin got here. I got swept up in going from place to place that I didn't budget out the vacation. So we stayed in 44 dollar a night hostels for two nights, which added up to 44 dollars for me total, which is a LOT of money for a PCV.

Then my host sister from Tumbaco wanted Converses, so I paid money for that. All that leaves me with is now is...debt. I need to start tracking all of my expenses, and I realize now, with three looming weeks until I get paid, that I will need to (gulp) ask for money from the parentals. After buying all the stuff I need for my apartment, and getting my life in order, I should be OK from this point on.


There are some PCVs whose parents supply them with money every month, who take vacations once or twice a month all over the country, seeing the parts of Ecuador that every guidebook reccommends. That's great for them- I'm glad they're living it up. But it annoys me sometimes that I can't do the same. Some people act like the Peace Corps stipend is lavish. Lavish! Ha! If I can pay everything I need to pay in a month and still manage to travel soemwhere nearby, it is a success.



So, that's the main thing I've been doing today. Making a budget and thinking about money. I'm not sure if the PCVs around my site were always frugal, but I've found it so hard to get used to this new belt tightening. Gone are the days of 25 dollar Guapos dinners, or buying a new dress from Forever 21 just because I felt like it. Sighn. Apparently, also, gone are the days of eating out in Zaruma. It's time to get austere.


The lights just went off all around Zaruma. Typical. It's a Saturday night. I don't know why this always happens during Saturday nights. When it went out, people all around my neighborhood gasped and my host mom screamed "Que iras!' which means, loosely translated, "I'm so pissed!" So yeah. I'm in complete darkness now, except for my laptop. I can see the moon from the open window, which is nice, because at least there's light somewhere. Things like this don't even phase me anymore. Power outage? Whatevs. This could last for five minutes, or it could last for hours. The power's probably out in Pinas and Porto Vello too, meaning a lot of people are sitting around their houses with candles.


Which reminds me.....I forgot to buy candles. Fantastic.



(Twenty minutes after writing this, seeing my teacher, and making pasta in the dark, the lights came back on. Finally! It's such a thrill when they do. It makes you appreciate everything electrical so much more.)



Good night, lovelies. Hope everyone is having a good Cinco De Mayo (which is nothing here, because it's not THEIR day of independence. It's kind of funny that we celebrate another country's Independence Day- or, as K says, "take other people's holidays". But it's a great excuse to wear a sundress and drink a maragarita.



So, Happy Cinco de Mayo!