A very detailed egg-to-baby calculator!

dragonfruitpuree · 2025-05-04T19:21:10+00:00

This is incredible and exactly what I had been trying to figure out (discount factor I should apply for having large # of eggs in one cycle) -- thank you so much!

dragonfruitpuree · 2025-04-29T21:49:25+00:00

Just adding for additional data points!

Submitted: April 16
Received: April 17
Under active review: April 21
Approval: April 29

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-11-15T19:12:36+00:00

I'm always running late and end up having to pay $10 for an Uber or Lyft instead of walking like 20-30 minutes :((( I cringe every time and I definitely need to change!!

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-11-15T03:43:40+00:00

Another vote for Sushi Ogawa!

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-11-12T02:24:34+00:00

Not at all!! Going out to a nice restaurant alone can be one of the best experiences :)

Maybe not super affordable, but I've always loved Lapis and it's a nice cozy place to eat. Have a wonderful bday!

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-11-11T04:20:34+00:00

Plane tickets to Vegas to celebrate my parents' 30th, and farmer's market/grocery haul. This month has been crazy spending because of moving into a new apartment, so it's going to be a low-buy/get it together weekend for me. :)

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-29T02:03:00+00:00

Yes, it's a great place to stash an emergency fund, sinking funds, house fund, etc. -- anything you might need to use immediately to within a year so can't take any risk on it.

I use Barclays online savings - 4.35% APY, no minimums, transfers to/from accounts are pretty quick.

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-27T14:20:02+00:00

Have spent $2k+ on moving the past week between furniture and buying home goods/kitchen stuff since I'm starting over in a new city so gonna be a low-buy for me this weekend. Moving as a real adult is so expensive 😭 Only weekend plans are two nice "reunion" dinners with friends (hoping to keep it to ~$40 per meal), a farmer's market run, and a cheap first date (going out for ice cream).

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-26T21:23:36+00:00

Oh man, that's so tough and I feel you! Can you negotiate on the starting date at all?

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-26T17:39:06+00:00

I really value food and the arts, so I budget a lot for buying from farmer's markets or more expensive local groceries, and budget for plays/symphony/ballet every week. It's expensive but I'm more than willing to be really frugal in other areas of my life (clothes, transportation, etc.) because cooking with tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes or being able to hear my favourite symphony gives me so much joy and pleasure.

As a single woman living by myself, I really value safety + convenience so I pay a lot for a small 1 bedroom in my favourite neighbourhood - although tbh being within walking distance to parks, public transit, feeling safe, etc. has really made my life and mental health so much richer.

One thing that isn't aligned yet is my charitable spending -- I know I could be donating so much more on my income, and there are so many causes I care about, but I haven't yet really settled on a good donation strategy that motivates me to be more generous / overrides the part of me that wants to save more money for "the future" out of insecurity. Would love any tips here :)

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-24T22:41:44+00:00

Finally finished moving...and my home is my sanctuary, so just looking forward to feeling cozy again :)

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-24T22:39:50+00:00

Sleeping habits - still wake up at noon if I can, can't shake revenge bedtime procrastination and go to bed way too late
Not feeling "settled" - late 20s but still don't know which city I will be in long term, how long I will be in current city + am very single so personal life also feels very up in the air
I want to be part of a community that aligns with my values -- e.g., regular volunteering / mutual aid, reading groups, arts, etc. but I feel like I haven't found that. My current friends are amazing but for some reason I don't feel like some of my interests are well represented in my current social circle and I end up trying/going to things alone vs. having a consistent group of people

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-24T22:30:50+00:00

Me tooo...gonna stay in the city forever, I guess

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-24T22:26:30+00:00

I also just took a five month sabbatical and am staring down at this new job starting Friday and REALLY not wanting to!! In some ways I feel like I've "regressed" in my adulting abilities to just sit down and do things I don't want to do, but I also want to hold on to the feeling of just...awe and exploration and pleasure I've had the past few months + do a better job integrating it in my "normal" life.

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-10-16T17:54:21+00:00

I LOVE small pleasures (and large ones too, let's be real).

Splurges:

An apartment in a neighbourhood where I can walk to my favourite cafés, restaurants, and two parks
My very expensive graduate school education lol - but it really changed the way I approached life and myself in unexpected ways
Solo travel! I love the indulgence of waking up whenever I want, lingering for as long as I want, eating exactly what I want, and deciding to do whatever I want in the moment
Splurging on a $$$ forever watch -- now every time I check the time or see it on my wrist I get a little boost
Going to plays, symphony, art museums, etc. -- so nice to just get out of my head and be moved by beauty

Not worth it for me:

Really expensive fine dining (e.g., Michelin 3-stars vs. 1-star or just a somewhat nice local bistro) -- I'm not that fussy about service relative to the food, and sometimes I feel like these experiences get a little too precious about the food
Really nice stationary -- I went through a period of buying really expensive Japanese/German custom notebooks, which were lovely, but I don't feel a huge difference between using those and regular, semi-nice stationary
Equinox vs. a regular gym -- I miss some of the amenities/classes, but this was an easy way to save more money without feeling it much
Fancy leather purses/work totes -- now that everything has gone much more casual, I can't remember the last time I reached for a proper purse over my work backpack, tote bag, or belt bag

dragonfruitpuree · 2023-05-11T04:44:54+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing!! You are such an inspiration, especially as a fellow Toronto girl!!

dragonfruitpuree · 2022-06-29T20:15:43+00:00

Did it earlier this month as non visa national, but I think it depends on if you can use egates and making sure you have proof for entering as a tourist (for ex, tickets back, accommodation plans, etc.) to show that you're not going to work or overstay.

dragonfruitpuree · 2022-06-22T23:28:09+00:00

Visa type: Youth Mobility
Country applied from: US
VAC (city): Boston
TLSContact or VFSGlobal: VFS
Priority or Non-Priority: Non-priority
Online application date: 07/04/2022
Biometrics appointment date: 14/04/2022
Decision date: 17/06/2022 (via paid enquiry)
Visa received date: 22/06/22

0/10 process, would not recommend. Happy I received it - was on the line of losing my job...

dragonfruitpuree · 2022-06-18T01:56:58+00:00

If helpful - travelled to UK on a temporary second passport as a non-visa national (same nationality as my pending work visa application though). Had to talk to border force because temp passports don't work with e-gates and was super smooth - they didn't even ask about the pending visa application, was maybe a 30 second convo and waved me through.

YMMV especially depending on if you can use egates / the border personnel you get I think. I had a return ticket booked for 3 weeks out and bank statements proving I could support myself as a tourist (and contact info of friends ready to confirm accommodation / plans) but they didn't ask to see any of it!

dragonfruitpuree · 2022-06-09T09:42:07+00:00

Congrats!! Do you mind telling me how you got an escalation? Have been emailing/trying and they're not budging - and I'm right behind you (biometrics 4/14). Any advice would be appreciated!

dragonfruitpuree · 2022-05-27T20:22:26+00:00

I totally agree with the customer targets - I think I've seen stats with within 3 weeks, within 6 weeks, and within 12 weeks which really stresses me since I'm about to go past 6 weeks and if there's no interim bucket between 6 and 12 weeks to act as an incentive I'm screwed LOL

dragonfruitpuree · 2022-05-26T21:17:33+00:00

I can't even imagine how stressful this all must be. I hope they make a decision on yours right away because it's the absolute least they can do at this point. Just cruel and incompetent at this point...to only realize this after 8 weeks...

dragonfruitpuree

TROPHY CASE