How do you guys save money for economic breakdown due to coronoa virus?

I hope you get released soon, Reinhart. I would not want to be in any institutional environment right now. :(


Answer: you don't, I guess, if you are me.

Long story short: we got a few warm days here and I removed the storm windows (mistake as it quickly got cold again and even snowed though it did not stick but oh well). Took hours, mostly because some of them were actually painted on by a dumbass.

House did NOT come with screens. House has over 22 windows. House has custom windows. Many windows are not even same size.

So .... I bought kits where you make your own screens. Ordered the kits as well as the screening mesh. To be done in evenings next week. Not all over 20, mind you, just enough so we can get some fresh air in strategic areas. Place is probably cool at night even in summer. I hope so. We have a central ac unit but I have no clue if it works yet of course. A man came back in December to give the furnace a tune up and said it looked OK but no way to tell until we turn it on. I bought a fire extinguisher for the house. Better safe than sorry.

THEN I bought bushes (I am starting on a long term plan for landscaping). Then I bought gardening supplies that did not come with the house.

I engaged a local boy to mow the lawn. House also did not come with a mower but we don't have a lot of lawn. Mostly ivy and trees under which the grass does not grow much.

I am supporting the local economy at least. :)

How do you guys save Money for economic breakdown due to Coronoa virus?

Cooking.

Everything. Golf membership, Gym membership, eating out, driving. I used to spend like 10K a month on credit cards now I spend like $1200. Can we at least open the golf course? I mean one cart per person.

But since my revenue is zero it's bad. Having to dig into savings to pay bills.

The truth is the people who make policy and the people with large public platforms are all still getting paid. I think we should cut all government workers/media pay to zero too and see how long this shut down lasts.

Savings just come naturally without efforf as I am no longer driving, no longer eating out, no longer going on vacation...

The big question though is whether or not I will still have a job in 3 or 6 months time ? We'll see.

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MrSmiley21 wrote:

As luck would have it, the dealership is open. I dunno, if they'd give me at least 24k trade in on this truck, I might be rolling out of there with a 2020 Silverado. The one I want will be about $37,500, and I'd like a maroon one, TYVM. I got the cash to just buy that mother fucker. Gotta support the local economy.

Red and black cars are hard to see rust on. Just sayin'. ALthough if it comes down to it, black is easier to spot-coat with the anti-rust marker :P

If you're not absolutely hurting for cash, consider donating your old truck to a group that runs meals and Rx pickups to seniors: Meals on Wheels, Home Dialysis, etc. in your state/region may need it a lot more. You can claim the trade-in value quoted anywhere as your tax receipt amount. :)

Man I remember going over the bottom of my poor benighted black Subaru in the spring and seeing all the horrible ragged holes the ice had torn in places, the anti-rust marker feebly brushing off bubbling paint chips and exposing the rot underneath ;_;

Two months and change into quarantine:

--Groceries are more expensive overall. Our grocery bill has grown 50% since late Feb due to periodic shortages for things like household cleaners, fresh milk, fresh fruit, and meats. If you can manage it, go vegetarian and save; eat fruits that are in season or buy frozen; make soup at home from odds & ends.

--Garden stores are light on bedding plants as nurseries may be closed by quarantine or the prolonged cold this spring. Start your own from last years seed. Take cuttings or runners from a friend. Empty 2L plastic pop bottles are great if you don't have a cold frame or a seed tray. Bagged cow and sheep manure is heat sterilized so dig right in.

--Be careful while cycling. If you're a cycle commuter like me, you add extra points of contact between you and contagion just by being physically active: drinking water and water bottles, safety equipment that you take off and put on whenever you enter a building and leave, even just your higher respiratory rate can put you at magnified risk of picking up or spreading the virus.

Keep trips short enough so that you can eat at home after washing up. Use a mask when you're outside. Have fasteners and clips to store helmet, gloves, and cleats safely instead of having to lay them down on the floor or in a coat room. Clean change of cycling clothes errday, shower before and after, etc. Stay 30 feet (10m) behind or ahead of the next cyclist on the road.

Still safer than public transit, especially now with fewer cars on the road.

I’m paying attention to equity firms right now, looking at EPS of companies... Right now it’s chaos as private equity firms are fighting over companies. Not too happy about the dissolution of stocks, nor the impact of employee benefits going down the drain but this is the nature of the beast. Cash is king right now... Always has been.

I’m purchasing lots of stocks right now... So my portfolio is vibrating. I’m not an emotional investor but this pandemic makes it hard to distinguish between logical and emotional transactions.

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Aim_Deep wrote:

The truth is the people who make policy and the people with large public platforms are all still getting paid. I think we should cut all government workers/media pay to zero too and see how long this shut down lasts.

As someone who has kept their job — and actually profited from the pandemic, luckily — I agree.

To be clear, my job is currently in phone customer service for a major cable TV/broadband internet provider, with a large emphasis on commissioned sales. It's a shit job if you're not good at selling, but I'm pretty amazing at selling. I've developed a pretty good nose when it comes to sniffing out the people who have actually lost their jobs during this economic crisis, from the people who are getting paid by their employer (e.g. the government) to sit on their couch at home — a .edu/.gov/.us email address is a dead giveaway. And the latter wanted to watch a bunch of HBO, which has made for a good three months for me when combined with work-at-home internet upgrades.

But enough of that. Point is I talk to a lot of people from around the country when it comes to their ability to pay their (cable) bills. And the majority are in that genuinely hurting camp, and it is more than a little heartbreaking to face the scale of the economic damage every day as part of my job. Vegas shutting down all casinos has caused imho irreparable harm. This week I dealt with a customer with suicidal ideations, successfully I hope. I'm still going strong but it's not surprising at all to me that sales are down overall among my coworkers. I understand I'm a special variety of bastard who can turn my heart off like flipping a switch, but most people thankfully aren't.

I mean, I'm not sorry about bringing home huge checks during this whole thing, but that's because I don't expect people to feel sorry about looking out for their own interests. What does strike me as more than a little odd is how some people who have been ruined by this lockdown seem so keen to keep it going — and how the people who have been on the right side of it, so far, think things can keep going like this.

To be clear I'm actually not advocating full opening of everything as if COVID19 isn't a thing. I've spoken to people infected with the virus, too — and the next of kin closing up accounts for COVID19 fatalities. But assuming that appropriate precautions are taken so people can work safe, it would be nice to see America get back to work.

As far as the rest of the world goes, suit yourselves I guess.

My mortgage broker lost 30k over night from his 401k... it’s an example of why you shouldn’t have everything in one basket... Yes I fired him..

I have lost about 500k so far. What does it mean?

Not much. Most of my excess went to helping those below me.

Imagine your losses when the rest of the world realizes you are only 4% of the population.

Good luck. I will still keep helping others and blaming leaders. You will keep supporting leaders.

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cowolter wrote:

I like to keep a spreadsheet where I track every single expense, from a Redbull at the gas station to rent and everything in between.
So for me :
Not driving anywhere so no parking/gas expenses
Not going out for drinks or dinner
No trips
No gym
Not buying anything we don't need, those new pair of shoes? Yea they can wait

I use Xero, it’s super addictive...