In need of a brain dump...

 Work has been all over the place! But luckily, I was able to parse it out. Timelines and to-do lists help manage the workload for sure.

Mild stress but I channeled all the work to Monday and Tuesday!

Fortunately, I was motivated enough to do 80-90% of packing for my trip this weekend. Including laundry. It made it all manageable.

I love when my body and brain agree!

So I'm packed except for a few electronics. 

I leave for Egypt on Wednesday!

I just bought my last tour; downloaded What's App; got my passport and visa and all my docs printed.

Phew just double checked my credit card is not locked! 

Decided not to take the big one.

Because yes... even more proof that these credit card sign up bonuses make me spend more!!

So my debit card allowance is still the better choice for me. It's so easy to get spendy with a high credit limit!

I just don't think twice. I have an almost $2k balance on my credit card that I said I was waiting for the statement to close so I could get extra interest on my savings, but it's not worth it!

Phew. Once this is over... I'm freezing that card!

And waiting for my next trip. 

Speaking of trips. I'm getting tired of negotiating 2 names so I'm thinking of rolling the dice and changing my name before my March trip. It's a very small chance I'll be travelling overseas between Jan and March. So I might renew my passport and pay for the expedited and hope to get it for March. 

Because I think after March, the wait times go way up!

So yes, I still have a bit of a spending problem with credit cards. It just feels free. It's so funny, how I'm usually so careful or at least mindful, but once that big limit card gets in my hand, it's a swiping. So yes, I need the physical barrier!

I feel like I've been so busy, socially and mentally, I haven't had much time to reflect on finances. Thank goodness for automation and all the years before. If not for that, I would have made no time to do any manual transactions.

I don't even really feel like it. I've been slacking on making sure my budget app categories are right. I just have other things I'd rather be doing with my time.

Which is a good thing.

This year was focused on mental health. I give my self a big fat A+. I stuck with therapy and started meds and upgraded my life all for the sake of mental health.

Next year it's supposed to be physical health. Not sure what that looks like, but I think I decided to go with the 6 weeks of PT as prescribed by the doctor. Seems like a good starting place. And a good overall initiation. 

I think I also decided to continue counseling for at least my first year in Newtown. I'm thinking about going down to every other week, but we shall see. 

That's pretty much all the goals I can think of.

My finances are pretty much the same in terms of savings... default - max out 401k. And stretch for $36k.  I'll probably have to do a reset of goals after a while in Newtown. But at least with some basic goals I won't have to beat myself up too much.

Again, this is all made possible from the last few years of aggressive saving and reaching my leanFI goal. I'm better with short term goals. And without a deep FI community, the purse strings are definitely looser than they have been! 

Onwards!