Finding Balance

So it's been just over a year since I went back to working full time and it's been a crazy one.

At the start I used to tell myself that once things settled down I would get my rhythm back. A year later and things are still feeling just as crazy. I did take up a lot, started studying again and traveled. There was lack of sleep, lack of exercise, stress, getting sick and all around feeling bleh.

In the back of my mind it was always there nagging at me, 'Have things settled down yet?'

So slowly I started working on the little things that I could. I am still not there yet but at least I am on my way. Sleep, exercise and positive thinking even in very small doses have been very helpful. I have also started reading a book everyday.

After I cam across some of my goals written down in a notebook. It made me look back through the months. While there has been progress made on a lot of things some of those good habits went in reverse. Looking forward I plan to bring all the good stuff back, apply my learning and be more mindful not to overload myself.

What are some of the things that put you out of balance? What do you do to get it back?

Review: You Need A Budget

So I finally have the chance to write that YNAB (You Need A Budget) review.

I got a 3month free trial from a here.

I found it helpful to have that much amount of time to see how it works and how to deal with potential issues that come up. I was looking for an expense tracker app that was flexible. I pretty much used the envelop method + Excel for my budgeting and I was looking for something that complemented that. Having come up against a huge 14k bill, I really wanted to keep on top of things and make sure I wouldn't be living on two-minute noodles for the rest of my life.

They have videos and classes on how to use the app and also on the philosophy you are supposed to follow. I had a quick read through, it all sounded pretty straight forward. I honestly do not like logging on to their web interface. So I have mostly been using the app and it covers most of my needs. It is easy to set up. I do not connect my bank accounts preferring to enter everything manually.

It is easy to budget and enter transactions as you go in the app. You just need to pay attention to the accounts and other details as it pre populates  some of the fields. The reports function of the app is very minimal. It shows your Net worth and Age of money. So I had to log into the website to see the Spending and Income v Expenses reports. You can also export your budget.

So the first month I used the app I did not use my credit card at all just so I could get used to it. In the second month I went back to normal and put everything on the credit card and paid it off. The experience was pretty much the same for me nothing changed.

Now well into the third month of the trial. I have decided I will sign up and see how I like it after a year. I am still expecting a few bumps in the coming year so it will be good to see how things are tracking. I feel I would eventually need to upgrade to something more holistic as I look at things like investing and so on. It would be good to just have an all in one platform.

There are two things I found interesting with the app. Firstly it does not have a lock or pin function. I know a lot of people lock their phones but I still thought it is not enough. Especially for people who link their bank accounts to the app you would need to be diligent with your phone. Second thing I found interesting is there is no read only access or secondary access to a budget. This might just be an extra. Just as an example I would love to create a separate budget for the trip I am having with some friends. It would be great for everyone to be able to see the budget or as a bonus add to it as well. But as it stands you would need to share your log in details and they would have access to everything. So we stick to pen and paper or Excel.

The YNAB app/philosophy have been around for a while I am sure there are plenty of other reviews out there that might be more interesting. I would very much be interested in hearing what others use for their budgeting or if you have used YNAB how you found it and what financial/life stage you are at. I am happy to answer if there are any questions in relation to something specific about my experience.

Short Update

As it is, it is clear to me that I am getting a lot of things done except for studying.

I am working full time and doing postgraduate studies among other things. There are days where I feel I have been so productive but there is always this nagging feeling that I forgot something. As I drift off to sleep it comes back to me. That pile of books that has not had even a single page turned this week is calling.

The count down to exam day is barely 2 weeks. At this stage I am still hopeful for a pass by a hair's breadth. If some good progress has been made next week I will have an update on the first month free trial of YNAB.

The Barefoot Investor: The only money guide you'll ever need

By Scott Pape. This is a personal finance book mainly for Australian audience. This was an update from his original book. It was a very easy read done in a few hours.

About Personal Finance

Update for the week: Half a module done (out of 6) and 4 weeks until D-day!

So just to set things straight I am not an expert on this matter of personal finances. I am on my own journey and trying to figure out what works for me.

So on this journey I thought it would be good to share some of my finds along the way. To kick off I'll introduce Mr Money Mustache. I have also put his blog in my blog list so feel free to click through and have a read.

Word of warning for those who can't handle swearing proceed with caution!

So I started going through the blog right from the start and am still somewhere in 2013. But so far I have picked up gems here and there that I can use to optimize my situation. I feel this is the biggest takeaway: to make the most of your situation.

There's plenty of information that anyone from anywhere can apply. There is also a forum attached to the blog for even further reading and knowledge sharing from other readers from different parts of the world. Everything starts with you. I like the thought of pronoia and what MMM refers to as having a positivity gun. It can do wonders for you.

Personally my finances are still in their infancy. In the previous post I mentioned having recently started tracking stuff on the YNAB free trial. I will leave that for another time. Right now I need to cover some ground on those modules!

I would be happy to hear your thoughts on personal finance and if there are blogs or books you recommend on the topic.

Give me more time

After a few consecutive days of people asking me how I manage to do all the stuff I do. It just left me thinking how long my to do list is! And it gets longer everyday.

I am doing some further study and everyday I ask myself how much I want this. This has helped me stop doing some of those things that wont let me reach my goals. Should have started this earlier, currently I am half way through the semester and have 5 pages of the first module done. Needless to say the coming weeks are going to be fun!

In the coming posts I'll talk about some personal finance blogs I have been reading and following, books I have read and also the YNAB app that I recently signed up for the trial.

Time for me to get back to those books!

It's not all about the money but you need to know about money

Wouldn't it be nice if working was 100% by choice for everyone everywhere?

Unfortunately that's not how things roll. You have to pay for a lot of things and for most of us the only way to get the funds is to work.

So you get a job or start a business, you live your life paying for things and sometimes you borrow money to make these payments.

For some living their life to the fullest is great but for others it's not so great. All circumstances being the same sometimes it just comes down to knowing how to manage your money so you can live your life instead of the other way around.

I have read a few books, blogs and websites on personal finance and even on being frugal. It all comes down to the kind of life you see yourself living (your priorities) and the effort you want to put in getting it(how much it's worth to you).

So there is no one size fits all, we are all different but there are things we can learn from each other. In the coming weeks I will share some of those books, blogs and websites and my thoughts on them.

I would love to hear what your thoughts are on the matter.

It's been a while...

Hi there,

It only took me half the day to try and remember my email and then my password. Got there in the end which is good.

It has been a long time since my last post. Been living this life as much as I can.

Quick fill in: I studied and finished a diploma, read a bunch of books and comics, been to Japan a few times, been to London, volunteered for a few events,changed jobs, signed up for my first Hackathon and other crazy stuff all the while eating all the good food I could find. Safe to say I have gained some weight.

I am still trying to figure out the way forward and I am excited to continue this journey :)