Author Topic: Covid-19. Things I'm grateful for...............  (Read 778 times)

Jack0Life

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Covid-19. Things I'm grateful for...............
« on: July 02, 2020, 12:31:56 PM »
I'll be honest. I've been feeling down this past week. Been dwelling on negatives stuff instead of focusing on the positive stuff. Got really pissed off this week cause I sold all my stocks and lost out on $3k-$5k of gains. I have to spend $10k on a new roof on the rental which is 2 months in rent behind. I got furloughed from my $120k job which I won't get back to anytime soon due to the surge in Florida. Just got denied refinance due to my wife not making enough money. Wife's parents visiting from another country and are stuck here. You know it keeps adding up..
Last night while browsing Youtube, I saw a van dweller that lot his job and his van is dying and don't know how to move forward. Then I read this thread that this lady lost her husband and did well for herself but Covid-19 killed her business. Makes me think I have it better than most.
I know I have much better than a lot of folks so lets focus on some positives for once.
- Very grateful that my wife still have a job. She went to school during most of our marriage and got a decent job last year. Just in time. While its not quite enough to cover our expenses, it covers a nice chunk.
- Getting unemployment is a huge plus. Wasn't counting on it but its been nice getting something every week.
- Still in good health. Pretty sure there's tons more.
Listen, we're not starving or anything like that but all these negative news was dragging me down. We were well into FIRE and this may delay for a few years.
Last thought. I just wish people in general were more conscious about making our society whole again instead thinking about themselves. Seeing this country in disarray is depressing.

Bean05

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Re: Covid-19. Things I'm grateful for...............
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2020, 03:42:16 PM »
Wow does this hit home. So our initial 2020 shock was DH being diagnosed with bladder cancer in February. That's not good, but there are many things I'm grateful for.....

-He got diagnosed BEFORE everything shut down with the pandemic, had surgery and then plenty of time at home to rest. Nowhere to go, no pressure of people coming over.
-His second surgery, I couldn't go to the hospital with him; however, they were amazing and because it was during the beginning of the "re-opening", they didn't have to put off the surgery at all, like for so many others.
-He's changed his diet and is eating healthier than ever, which is helped by being unable to go out to eat.
-I've worked from home for the last 20 years, so nothing has skipped a beat there.
-Our son missed prom and graduation, but he loved virtual learning and sleeping in every day through the end of the school year. There's a drive-thru graduation next week which will be a singular experience I'm sure!
-Say what you want about Florida but the weather was so amazing during the entirety of lockdown; I've been out walking miles every day and have lost weight.
-Come an expected above-normal predicted hurricane season that HUGE dust storm blew off the coast of Africa and has been keeping storm potential tamped down (another one on the way).

So much to be grateful for. Thanks for helping me keep it top of mind. I'm glad you're of that mind as well, and I wish you the best.

As for the country, my hope is for true forward movement. I also hope people will try harder to remember to try to be civil. Let's care about each other.
 

RedmondStash

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Re: Covid-19. Things I'm grateful for...............
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2020, 04:05:20 PM »
I am grateful for:

- The peace and quiet of home. When you're an introvert, you always feel like you should be getting out of the house. Permission to just stay home and soak up the goodness of quiet time is an unexpected boon.
- All the research and work I did to understand personal finance over the past 5-6 years. The market may be heaving like a storm at sea, but I am calm, because I got our AA set up in a comfortable and conservative way. I'm newly FIREd, but I still have peace of mind.
- A nice neighborhood to walk the dog in, with respectful neighbors who understand the need for social distancing.
- InstaCart. It may seem non-Mustachian, but given that spouse & I are both relatively high risk, it's a worthwhile strategic investment in our ongoing health.
- My health. I have friends who've been sick, friends who are sick now, and one friend who has been sick in a variety of exciting ways since early March. This virus is brutal. I am grateful that, so far, we've been spared.
- The ability to connect online via social media. It's not the same as in-person, but lockdown would be so much more painful without it. If this pandemic had hit in the 1980s, or even the 1990s, this experience would be entirely different, much more isolating.
- A relatively low-maintenance lifestyle, which means on those days when external stressors get to me too much, it's okay for me to take it easy.

Life could be a lot worse than this. Knock wood, since, at any time, it could become a lot worse than this.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!