Affluenza

Yesterday my husband and I both signed up for the gym. 24 Hour Fitness. They had a special on - $199 for the year, including all the gyms nation wide, except the Super or Ultra clubs (non of which are near us anyway!). I have been sitting down five days a week, eating well but slowly gaining pounds from lack of exercise. I'm not interested in losing a bunch of weight, just toning up again and feeling more energetic. We all know how much better it feels when you have been keeping up with regular exercise! I have been feeling like a corpse lately. I used to exercise quite a lot when living in Australia. We're an outdoorsy nation, and I walked in the city a lot, went for long walks and bikerides with my friends. Here, I walk most days for 30 minutes - but don't walk around and about through the day. Just sit down. So, I think its good to go to the gym 3-4 times a week and build up a sweat, get the heart rate up. I'm really excited about it. Last night my husband and I went for an hour together, and felt so good after. I feel really good today: like I got some cobwebs out. And the best thing is... no startup fees. Just $199 for the year, including everything. That works out at $17 per month each for my husband I. That is an insanely good price. The 24 hour fitness gyms in our area are really nice. To think I used to pay $100 per month in Sydney for my gym membership... pah! Husband and I are planning on playing racketball together. Its not really my cup of tea, but he really enjoys it. I'm happy to do any sport if it means he gets into it.

This morning I was drinking nescafe. It reminds me of servo's in the middle of nowhere in WA. Driving along the beaten track, stopping by the servo, getting a coffee - its always nescafe with milk and water. Love it.

I recently have acquired my own bank accounts. Thats right, I'm looking after my own finances. Well, kind of. I have a certain amount going into my account, the rest into our joint account. Why? So I can manage my own money. I do a lot better with my budget when I can monitor it and feel "in control". Otherwise i assume everything is fine, unless Husband says something. Already after looking at my budget - what I have per month, that its either eating lunch out, coffee's etc or getting a facial. One or the other. So I'm getting a facial, and making all my lunches and making my coffee at work. No more Starbucks!!! So I got up at 7am yesterday and today in order to make lunch. Impressive huh?!

Recently I have been thinking a LOT about how spending stops you from achieving goals in life. I've been meditating on where I want to be in 10 years, what I would have liked to accomplish. For us, it means paying off debt as quickly as possible. I bet my husband last night that we can pay it off in a year if we are head down, bum up. I have been feeling really disappointed in myself the last 6 months - and I want that feeling to end. I think reading the book "Affluenza" has been really motivating also. So no more clothes. Shoes: if I save up for them. Basically, it has to be one or the other. If I want to get highlights in my hair: I need to save up for it. I'm hoping I can direct my energies towards other, more important things to me. We live in such a spendthrift society, which I'm tired of contributing to. I've realised the guilt I've been feeling. And realizing I will eventually miss out on other things I want to do in life, more important things, because we haven't really knuckled down. We have a modest apartment and car. But I know how much money can be wasted day to day.