Tag: covid-19

June 1, 2020 Lessons Learned

4 lessons we’ve all learned during the pandemic

One thing I can say for sure is that we’ve all been spending a lot more time on our own or with just our family members for the past few months. I think it’s been a challenging adjustment for everyone, but we’ve definitely learned a few things. Here are four lessons I’ve learned during the pandemic:

  1. What I can do without
  2. How to share
  3. That it’s important to buy local
  4. What really matters

1. What I can do without

I’ve learned that I can do without a lot. Before, I took things for granted – that I could buy whatever I need whenever I needed it. That if I wanted a new book and didn’t want to buy it, I’d just go to the library to get it.  If I felt like picking up dinner or going to the movies, I could.  Now, I can do most of those things again – but it takes a little more planning.

2. How to share

I was lucky enough to pick up 1 container of Lysol wipes in mid-March. The limit was one per customer. Fortunately, it was a big container so I could share it with my parents. I’m so lucky I found it as they were sold out for months after that!

3. It’s important to buy local

I think I’ve always taken it for granted that someone would buy local – just not necessarily me! I’ve realized how critical it is to support local businesses as they don’t have the cash flow to sustain themselves over the long run if anything goes wrong – unlike big box stores. Plus they are part of the community and more likely to give back. So I’ve tried to focus on small businesses more over the past few months.

4. What really matters

I’ve come to appreciate how lucky I am to have a flexible job, and that I can be safe at home to work and take care of my son. I’ve also come to really appreciate my back yard! I didn’t use it much before COVID-19, but it’s been so nice to have somewhere to go that I could be outside and not worry about masks or physical distancing.

The Takeaway

I’ve learned a lot over the past few months – and how to focus on what is and isn’t important. It’s amazing how much we all take for granted until it’s suddenly taken away.

What’s something you’ve learned?

May 15, 2020 Saving money

5 ways we’ve learned to keep ourselves busy cheaply during lockdown

Another good thing that’s come out of the past few months is that we’ve all learned how to entertain ourselves fairly cheaply. Previously, we might have spent a lot of money on an evening out to keep ourselves busy – but that hasn’t been an option for the past few months.

So we’ve all learned how to keep ourselves entertained with what we can find at home! Here are some of the ways people have been keeping busy for free or cheap:

  1. Going for walks
  2. Baking
  3. Playing games online with friends
  4. Taking free online classes
  5. Downloading ebooks from the library

1. Going for walks

For a while, when only the bare essential stores were open and even playgrounds were closed, a lot of people were going for walks.  I’m lucky enough to live in an area with great nature paths and quiet streets, so our main entertainment for a few months was socially distanced walks once a week with family members.

2. Baking

Baking has definitely been very popular over the past few months. I’m not much of a baker – and even I baked my first loaf of bread.  Flour and yeast have been flying off the shelves! When I found some yeast, I picked up some extra to share.  I think baking has been popular because it’s very soothing and because you get to eat the end product.

3. Playing games online with friends

If I had managed to get a Nintendo Switch and a copy of Animal Crossing I’d definitely have spent time online playing games with friends.  This didn’t happen for me, so I played stuff I already had solo. I know that online gaming has been popular with a lot of older kids as a great way to have fun and keep in touch with their friends.

4. Taking free online classes

As soon as it looked like schools were going to shut down, lots of places stepped up to offer classes that anyone could take for free. Disney was offering animation lessons, Scholastic had stuff for younger kids – you could find a free class on just about anything you wanted! I started one that talked about the history of the pyramids.

5. Downloading ebooks from the library

My local library really ramped up their online offerings since the actual library branches were closed. You could even apply for a library card online if you didn’t have one.  We also got access to two other city library ebook offerings which was great – I found some books I wanted to read that I couldn’t find anywhere else.

The Takeaway

The great news is that all of these options will continue to be available even as things open up. We may not have as much selection in some things in the future, but stuff will still be out!

What’s one free or cheap way you entertained yourself over the past few months?

 

April 15, 2020 Making money

How to protect your income – during a pandemic or any other time!

 

While we’ve all felt the impact of the COVD-19 pandemic, no one has felt it worse than people who’ve been laid off or had to close their businesses.  The Canadian government has stepped up to provide a variety of resources such as the CERB – but thas not necessarily enough to replace the income you were making before.  A few businesses that have been able to remain open have seen an uptick in income – like places that make outdoor play toys like swingsets and pools!

Here are a few ideas on how you can protect your income no matter what the circumstances:

  1. Retool your business
  2. Change how your business works
  3. Have a side hustle

1. Retool your business

One of the biggest changes some companies have made during this pandemic is to retool their business. Automakers are now making ventilator parts.  Alcohol distillers are now making hand sanitizer.  While it’s certainly not easy to just change what you make or how you make it, it can pay off.  Think about how you operate your business now and if there are ways you could expand or change it in the future to give you more income streams.

2. Change how your business works

Places that provide take out or delivery have been doing very well. They’re considered an essential service and have been allowed to stay open.  A lot of restaurants that have never considered offering pick up or delivery are now doing so in an effort to stay afloat.  My husband and I ordered a nice steak dinner from a place up the road. Steak isn’t the best takeout dinner 🙂 but it was nice to have something a little more upscale than what we usually buy.

3. Have a side hustle

The days of having a job for life are now long gone. More and more people are turning to side hustles – everything from freelance writing to driving for SkipTheDishes.  Take a look at the skills you have an figure out if they could be used in a side hustle. Are you crafty? Then Etsy is your new best friend.  Like to drive? Plenty of options out there for delivering packages, people, or food!

The Takeaway

Flexibility is the name of the game. The more options you have for “income streams” the better off you’ll be. In my lifetime, I’ve been a technical writer, then a business analyst – and now I’m a freelance writer. All of these have something in common – the ability to analyze and then communicate information. So I’ve been able to carry over my skillset which is great.

What skills or experience do you have that you think you could turn into a side hustle? Or is there a way you could change your current business to be more flexible?

March 15, 2020 Saving money

Saving during a pandemic

I have to admit I never thought I’d be writing those words!

While being at home for days on end has definitely been rough on pretty much everyone, the pandemic has given at least some of us the opportunity to save some money.  Here are the main four areas people are saving money in during the pandemic:

  1. Commuting
  2. Eating out
  3. Drinking
  4. Travelling

1. Commuting

My husband takes the train to work every day. At two times a day, five times a week, that really adds up.  With him now working full time at home, we’ve saved a lot of money on commuting costs. As well, we’ve been able to decrease the insurance on one of our cars as we really aren’t using it these days. So we’ve definitely saved money on commuting!

2. Eating out

Normally we’d go get takeout once a week.  However, we decided to skip it for several weeks as we felt it just wasn’t worth the risk. As well, my husband would go buy a cup of coffee a few times a day while at work, so we’re also saving money on that (although we are spending more on coffee at home now!).  I think a lot of people we know are following the same pattern – they just don’t want to deal with the risk of picking up food, so they’re avoiding it completely.

3. Drinking

We’re past the stage in life where we’d go to clubs or go out for drinks with co-workers. But for people who do this on a regular basis, they are definitely saving a lot of money. In a big city like Toronto, drinks can often cost up to $10 apiece, so if you go out for drinks a few times a week and now you’re not – you could be saving a lot of money.

4.  Travelling

Again, we’re at a stage in life where we’re not doing much travelling. I did have one overnight trip booked – but I could cancel the hotel at no cost, so I saved some money by not going away. A lot of folks may have ended up putting down deposits they won’t get back, but if you were planning a trip in the near future, and didn’t have anything put down, you may have saved yourself some money due to this pandemic.

The Takeaway

I’m not going to try to put a rosy glow on this – we’re living in uncertain times and it’s a lot to process. It feels like life has gone from normal to scary almost overnight. No one knows what the future holds. But I’m trying to see the silver lining in all of this – and that lining is that we’ve saved ourselves some money at least!

In my next post, I’ll talk about areas where people are spending more money during this pandemic.

How has COVID-19 impacted your spending?