Through the challenges of April, I chugged along doing my best, and suddenly it was May...

It took no time at all to update my Ynab budget. I used the same budgeted amounts from last month and the money available is greater than the money budgeted, that's always a plus! Not only that, all of my accounts reconciled at first click.

I think the ease of my budget this month is due to several factors. First of all, I'm not spending as much. There are fewer transactions that I can forget about, or that might get accounted for twice, or maybe it's a bank holiday so it is slower to get synced into my budget.

Second, I finally merged all of my personal accounts into just a few. My rental income still goes to it's own bank, but now I don't have fifty million transfers from one savings account to another. I have my long-term savings right in front of me, in the same bank as my checking. I actually like it, because it is a visual reminder of the equation between my spending and my saving. I have a choice to spend or transfer money to savings.

I still have a credit card to pay down. I am undigging myself from that, but it is encouraging to see another pile that increases. Like there is something to my finances besides undigging, I can also build.

In other news, I still have to pull in my eating. I make this way too difficult sometimes! I am a good rule follower, so I need to follow my own eating rules. Then I can spend less time overthinking what I eat.

The family and I were able to get out yesterday for some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine after so many gloomy, rainy days. There were others on the trail, but many wore masks and everyone was respectful about maintaining distance.