I've been struggling to get back down to my preferred weight. Not by a lot, but enough that I have to put in a real effort to lose it. It's a combo of my age (premenopause) and the fact that my job no longer requires me to be on my feet all day long, so my daily steps are very low. I'm addressing the exercise by trying to take more breaks during the day, attending at least 3 paddling sessions a week, and aiming for 2 additional workouts on my own at home. 

The easiest way to get to my preferred weight would be to address my eating habits, which can be a little embarassing. I know what to eat, I am very well read on science and nutrition. But when I'm feeling down, or tired, junk food is like a quick fix for me. I've been diligent lately to bring foods to work that taste good and support my goals. And when I do choose to get junk food, I've been choosing the small, kid size at least. 

We have also been eating at home most nights for dinner. Eating out is not cheap here, and DW and I got fed up with spending a lot of money for a meal, and just being 'meh' about it. It's not worth it to us for most meals, so we have been making extra effort to have dinners at home. Maybe I'll track that next month, see if I notice a difference on the scale, or in the bank account!

I have been a YNABer for years. Unfortunately the app won't connect with my bank out here (tears). I just can't get on board with manually entering each transaction, so I a have been checking out different apps. 

So far Frollo has been easy to use. Still not YNAB. I think I'll have to spend some time fiddling around with it a bit to see if it will be useful. 

The plus side is that the new app is free, so no more yearly subscription costs. 

Last year was a whirlwind. I moved to Australia with DW (who is an Aussie citizen), we bought a small place, and we both started new jobs. DW switched to contracting after 15 years of government service, so with that change came a large payraise. My pay is slightly higher than what I was making in the U.S., but I don't have as much time off because I'm not teaching. 

In 2023 we really need to update our plans to reflect our new income, expenses, and responsibilities. My goal so far is to sit with a financial planner to help us manage our money going forward. Taxes are very high out here, and with our jump in income, and no dependents, it will be even more brutal. I want an expert's advice on how to allocate our money most efficiently, as I have no idea about the Australian financial world. 

We haven't been doing anything special with our money this year, besides saving. Most of my money has been spent on travel, for my kids in university to stay with us during winter break. They fly back to the states tomorrow, I'm so sad. But we've had a wonderful visit with them, and I'm glad the girls have been able to enjoy some warm sun and beaches before heading back to the east coast winter. 

Looks like the last time I logged in here was last January at this time, how embarrassing. 

I know that writing helps me feel more in control of my life. It may help me set up a plan going forward, so things don't look so scary, or help me better understand what I'm feeling. I vow to return and write a real post when I am logged into my laptop! 

Today was a snow day, so DW and I spent the late morning doing inventory for our upcoming international move. It took several hours to do this, glad we got it done with. While doing inventory I decided to do some cooking . I made tomato soup, grilled cheese, and hummus with jicama. I love using up food in the house, makes me feel good! We have to eat up our kitchen and pantry as we can't ship any food products with us. Whatever we don't use I'll bring over to my DD's place, but I don't want stuff ending up as "food clutter" for her. 

I won't have a job right away when we move to Australia, because there will be paperwork for me to complete first. I have been saving for the past year, though, so we are ready for this. 

My last day at work is Friday. With snow days, though, I will only be at work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. Can't say I'm disappointed about that! 

Oh my gosh, it has been so long! I I have been busy with life but realized that I miss the habit of journaling. It really does help you stay mindful of your goals and keep you from spending without trying things through. I'll be back with a longer post when I can write from my laptop. Just wanted to say I'm glad to be back! 

I have some quiet time to myself and thought I'd check in. I'm chugging along, keeping hope for the future and trying to do my part. 

I'm not working with my part-time, after-school-hours-job right now because it has to work around my full-time position, which is "fluid" right now due to the rise in case numbers. As long as I stay current with my certification, though, I can pick up more hours when life settles again. 

SO and I looked over my budget now that households are merged. I should be able to save almost 35% of income for the next 12 months. Which would give me a huge boost for the next life adventure in a couple years, which may include a move out of country. The trick, of course, is to keep that savings in the savings vehicle, and not withdraw for this, that, and the other. Because although I say I can save that much money, some of it will be earmarked for "save to spend later", as in a vacation eventually. I need to clearly set aside money for those "spend later" goals. Looks like I will dig into my YNAB account deeper this weekend so I can take the bulk savings and divy it among where it will actually end up being saved and spent. At least that way I will be "honest" with my spending/saving. 

My girls are doing much of the cooking today. My oldest stayed over last night (she only lives 25 minutes away anyway). I'm so glad we're friends now and survived the hellacious teen years! Now if I can get through these years with my youngest successfully... 

Wishing everyone a peaceful Thanksgiving with something to be thankful for!