So far this week I've spent my work days dealing with very distressed students and mental health crisis - all by phone. And packing up my workplace, sorting paper files, delivering training in preparation for working from home. I hope to God they tell us today or I am just going to take leave.
In Australia we've had thousands of people put out of work, we've seen lines around the block at Centrelink offices, and their website keeps crashing as people are trying to register for welfare. Quite a few of my clients or their partners have lost jobs in the last week. I expect that DS will be laid off soon as well. DD is just waiting to be told to work from home, hopefully today.
Right now I'm grateful that we are so far ahead on our home loan and that we don't have debt. DH & I's jobs are pretty secure and we both have long service leave and plenty of sick leave (months) to fall back on. We had a courtesy call from our bank yesterday which was nice. Home loan payments can be put on hold and to contact them if we need to re-arrange finances in the future.
So at times like this its normal and natural for us all to be anxious and feeling stressed. I've cut my TV viewing way back, news just half hour morning and night - I only need to know whats happening locally. I've cut back social media - and I've started exercising in the morning to help manage my stress.
I also wanted to mention a wonderful, frugal forum that I have been a member of for many years. Simple Savings is very low cost, it even has a 'leg-up' program for people struggling financially and its filled with so much wisdom, frugal tips and community. My day would not be the same without it. They also have a Facebook group but I found it was very, very different to the forum, just not the same sense of friendship as the forum. So if you are looking for frugal help hints and frugal friends I can truly recommend Vault membership @ $21. Fiona is also updating her book '$21 challenge' to release it as an e-book soon.
Ok, thats enough for today, just quickly sharing my thoughts before I head off to work. Take care, take a moment to slow down and breathe, we will get through this xx
2 comments:
Ours were closed for Spring break and now are shut until September, everything moved to online, prepared or not. I do hope they do this soon as kids are often the carriers that spread it versus get sick themselves.
its fortunate the it was spring break when this started. shut for six months is amazing! I don't think it will be much longer but gosh its hard waiting for it to happen.
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