It’s been an interesting year so far in 2020. I don’t know about you but my family and I have been sheltering-in-place for 100 days (I’ve been counting). What started so abruptly (my office cleared out while I was at a late lunch and I came back to a very empty office), and what we didn’t expect to last very long (Oh it’ll be back to normal in a month…ok two months…ok maybe early….mid…late summer?), has continued to affect our world. It’s been an interesting journey to watch amongst friends and family; how we’re all dealing with it and figuring it out. This ‘new normal’ that appears here to stay has set in, and we’re all kind of getting used to our new, smaller lives. In reflecting on 100 days of our world turning upside down, I wanted to do hopefully an encouraging post for my readers and myself. 

The are more important things than personal finances

One of the things that this pandemic has taught me is the importance of slowing down. There’s not a ton to do out in the world right now, and I’m finding that I can only watch so much Netflix. Family time has become so important to me during these 100 days. Prior to COVID, I would have definitely ranked family time as being near the top of my list of importance, but I’m not sure my actions reflected that. The world used to be so busy, with me running around all over the place with various work, personal or social commitments. COVID has turned that on it’s head, and now I’m able to spend precious time with family. Whether it’s family walks or FaceTimes or phone calls, it’s all been great. 

There’s also a lot going on in the news right now of course around COVID but also around the fight for racial justice and equality. As difficult or painful as it is to go through, I do believe that change is coming and although difficult, it’ll be for the best in the long-run. Focusing on things like keeping yourself healthy by being smart about social distancing and hand washing is important, as are things like protesting and demanding change. It’s important to remember in life that there are certainly things more important than personal finance (maybe it’s just me that needs a reminder), and it’s good to focus on those important things. 

All this to say, these 100 days have been a good reminder for me about my personal finances; being so thankful for having a job, focusing on spending my money in positive ways (locally, thoughtfully, donations to charities or organizations fighting for change), and focusing on quality enjoyment of our money. 

The importance of time off/away

One thing that I’ve not done a good job of this year is taking time off. I think I’ve taken 1 PTO (paid time off) day this entire year and it was to move (yes we moved during a global pandemic). My boss at work on a team call was actually calling folks out for not taking PTO, and reminding us of the importance of doing so. I think in the back of my mind I figured that we’d be getting back to normal around this time of the year, and I wanted to save all my PTO to go do something fun, like a family vacation or trip far away. It’s looking more and more like this won’t be the case, and I’m coming to terms with the fact that I may end up taking PTO and just have a staycation. 

PTO should primarily be used to give you a mental and physical break from work. Work is a grind, and the 40+ hours per week can really wear on you. It’s good to take breaks every now and again. Of course if you’re able to couple a break from work with a fun vacation, all the better! Mrs. Money and I love to travel and have traditionally been able to take a vacation or two once a year. June is a tough month for us as it’s the time we normally take a trip; with Mrs. Money working at a school it makes sense. We’ve been seeing photo reminders from photo apps or social media reminding us of “this day ___ years ago” and seeing beautiful photos from Italy, Germany, the Virgin Islands, Southeast Asia and even the beaches of North Carolina. As tough as it is to come to terms with the fact that we probably can’t do that this year (we had plans for Barcelona), it’s important to do so. Even if we can get away and go camping or a staycation, it’s still something I need to commit to doing and taking time off for. 

Time off is important whether or not you’re actually taking a vacation, so please be sure to give yourself a break sometime this summer or fall and step away from work for a few days! 

The importance of giving yourself grace  

Nobody in this world is perfect and we all make mistakes from time to time. These 100 days have really reminded me of that, and I’ve been trying to give others and myself more grace and more understanding. BabyMoneyFinance has definitely been on a few work calls, and I’ve had to take more breaks throughout the day to help out. I try to be nicer when I’m dealing with people on the phone or in person and even try to be a little bit nicer of a driver. We’re all going through a lot right now and it’s important to remember that. The same goes with my budget and my spending, I’m of course very thankful to still be gainfully employed and both Mrs. Money and I are receiving a paycheck. When it comes to spending, we of course try to spend money in a way that will benefit our local community, aiming to as best we can shop local and even at minority owned businesses. As we’re not spending as much on gas, travel or other things you do not in quarantine, we are a little less stringent when it comes to eating out once or twice a week, grabbing donuts or coffee, or stopping by the food trucks that frequent our neighborhood. I know that perhaps we could be saving more and ought not to be spending as much but I’m giving myself a break!

Summary

The world has really changed over the last 100 days and as much as I’d like to think it’ll quickly go back to the old normal, I just don’t think that it will for a while. Remember that there are more important things in life, try to focus your time and efforts on those things that do matter, and cut yourself some slack and give yourself a break during this time!