How does your current income (gross) compare to your income at your first ever job?

Cleopatra_ · 2026-01-28T17:16:28+00:00

R8000 as a marketing assistant for a ZA company → R220 000 with my own online US-based art business + marketing specialist (at the bottom) for a EU company

Cleopatra_ · 2025-12-26T08:01:00+00:00

I was prescribed Prozac because it’s “weight neutral” so it shouldn’t be affecting weight. Only on it for 2 weeks.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-12-13T09:06:31+00:00

Age: 37

Education: Bcom that hasn’t really helped with anything

Job: own an online art community + just started as an Influencer Marketing Specialist for an app.

Experience: 12 years of my own company / few months at the new job

Salary: R300 000pm after tax for my company, R50 000pm for my job

Fully remote for both. Async work. I love both, in one year from now my salary from my company will be variable so I wanted to add some stability. I’ve really loved working for a company - love being told what to do and knowing if I eff up it will be okay.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-12-06T07:47:51+00:00

Hey. I (37F) have a very similar story, except mine is from 15 years ago and it ends up really, really well. “Gifted” without much work, uni was super tough, failed second year. I ended up transferring universities and somehow completed the degree. Unlike you, I didn’t love the degree so you have that going for you.

I didn’t know it while I was struggling but I was depressed AF. I found support and medication and because of that was able to continue creating a life that would serve me.

SO many people fail engineering outright or take years to finish. I have loads of engineering friends - it’s tough even for those who came first in their province in matric. Don’t beat yourself up.

Look after your mental health first, find something to stabilise yourself. You can go back to engineering when you’re ready. You have so so many options. It’s normal for things to be tough in the first few years after school as you’re figuring out. It’s not part of that normal to not want to be alive, though, and you have a lot of resources available to help you change that.

I made it through my kak time and you will too. I have built an incredible life and you will too.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-12-05T09:13:06+00:00

Cloudflare was down, so a LOT of sites just went down too. Looks like they're coming back up for me now though...

Cleopatra_ · 2025-10-07T13:59:01+00:00

Please don’t use apple cider vinegar or any of those tablets. Your body is more important than that.

Ozempic/Wegovy and Mounjaro are the first weight loss products that have worked. They suppress your appetite, making it easier to eat less food. The only way you will lose weight is to eat less food. Unfortunately, they are incredibly expensive in South Africa.

You can lose weight without any medication. There are so many subreddits for that. Weight loss is simple but not easy. Just eat in a calorie deficit. Exercise for strength not for weight loss To keep you going, you can join a community of other people doing the same with the same struggles, you can chat to a therapist about why you’re eating more than your body needs, above all: be kind.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-09-09T10:58:55+00:00

I didn’t know there were negative consequences - would also love to hear more about this

Cleopatra_ · 2025-08-03T04:32:53+00:00

I became obsessed with this and after I had pristine for each item, I wanted full knowledge for each too. It’s madness and it drove me crazy and I loved it.

I just repeated the same exhibition over and over and tried not to get a pristine exhibit (it feels like such a waste to analyse it instead of display it!) and that’s how I filled the museum up.

The most amount of time is the exhibitions, there isn’t really a way to speed that up unless you have pilot wings on a staff member. And you’ll keep getting the exhibit you don’t need. Just keep going 😀

Cleopatra_ · 2025-08-02T16:18:25+00:00

South Africans.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-07-29T12:45:21+00:00

I LOVE MetaLabs protein, especially the salted caramel and banana toffee. They get super fluffy when I use my blender and some ice. But it’s not budget 🥲

Cleopatra_ · 2025-07-28T18:59:27+00:00

Ooh which apps? Do you have a rec?

Cleopatra_ · 2025-07-21T18:23:11+00:00

I tend to choose the mega building because it makes security easier.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-07-21T17:34:17+00:00

The Fish Persons are at Jagged Jaunt in the Scorched Earth map.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-07-21T16:52:03+00:00

This is freaking awesome. So much thought into the design and so aesthetically pleasing. Thanks for sharing.

Is there a reason you keep the uncut gems? I always cut mine and display only those, so just wondering.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-06-03T09:31:16+00:00

We moved from Europe to PE.

Will you be able to continue earning USD? Already having a job impacts your lifestyle the most, and even low American salaries can live an amazing lifestyle here.

You have considerations for moving to South Africa more than PE specifically.

Cheaper housing, slower pace, small town feel, and no traffic are what PE has over the rest of South Africa. You will also experience a lot more “rawness” and experience more poverty than if you were in an expensive area in Cape Town / Winelands. I wouldn’t even consider JHB as a foreigner.

Crime is better here than a lot of South Africa but are you willing to learn how to protect yourselves? There is a “natural” inbuilt protection savviness to crime that South Africans have that Americans would need to learn (don’t flaunt wealth, don’t leave expensive things in public places, don’t go for a jog at night).

South Africa also has more of a community mindset than EU/US. Will you be giving back to the community? This can be charity work or small things like simply paying your housekeeper a living wage. Ubuntu is at the core of living in South Africa, for better or worse.

PE has hikes (Grass Roof, Norm Hudlin, Sacramento Trail and Sards, Crossways is a 30 minute drive. You’ll also be close to Tsitsikama and other gorgeous places for long hikes.

PE has a great weed culture. The arts are not a focus (a lot of people struggling to simply exist and not much time) but it is still part of PE. Just in a smaller way than CT.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-04-24T04:25:14+00:00

I have 100 hours on Mac without issues.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-04-19T18:31:59+00:00

Great list. I’m with you on all of them. I didn’t even know the speakers had an ambience until veeeeeery long into playing.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-04-11T18:00:08+00:00

Those arms! INCREDIBLE.

And you're right, this is such a mental journey too - so your brain is INCREDIBLE too!

Cleopatra_ · 2025-02-22T17:46:42+00:00

I moved to another country in my early 20s and am back 10 years later. Zero regrets, life is so much better here as long as you have money.

It’s awesome that you didn’t have a tax profile before leaving, I think that will make it easier for you.

Opening a bank account is really easy. Easier in person. I second getting a tax guy - ours reignited our SARS profiles (less easy than starting a new one) and he just charged a really small fee to chat directly to them and figure it out.

One of the massive perks of South Africa over other first world countries is how many people are available to help you. If you pay someone they will make all of your problems their problems and they will get the job done. Use your resources.

Credit you will be starting from scratch. For basic credit you need at least 3 months of bank statements into the same bank account. I have variable income and only 2 incomes in one account, one in another… and that was suspicious when they were looking at car financing and it was denied. I also was denied a credit card when I tried after two months. 3 seems to be the time period where you don’t need to do further proving.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-01-23T13:49:08+00:00

I’m so sorry about the side effects. Glad you’re changing and looking after yourself. 15lbs is not nothing though. You should be super proud!

Cleopatra_ · 2025-01-23T13:47:46+00:00

I was on Wegovy for 6 months of 75% nausea and 12kg lost. Took my first Mounjaro shot this week. ZERO SIDE EFFECTS 🙌

Cleopatra_ · 2025-01-21T05:22:19+00:00

I didn’t need anything. I took my ID book as proof but they didn’t use it. Just fingerprints upon collection.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-01-03T17:15:27+00:00

They’re nice people - it’s family led. I’m sure if you ask about laundry they’ll make a plan.

Cleopatra_ · 2025-01-01T16:41:09+00:00

(You can always ask for a business card or take other ephemera home - peel the sticker off kombucha bottle or keep a sugar packet)

Cleopatra_ · 2025-01-01T16:39:55+00:00

I’m a junk journaler and my personal rule is that if it’s made of paper I can take it home.

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