Well this month was a busy/spendy grocery month. I’ll finalize my spending for the month on Saturday, but I’m sure it’s my grocery budget that took a hit.

I ended up having almost $600 extra in my checking account so I paid, $337 on CC10. The goal is to save until this pandemic is over, and I’ve been doing so, but it felt good to pay a little extra, not as much as I’d like, on this credit card.

Friday is pay day, I’m throwing, $1000 to the emergency fund, bringing the total to $7,000, $12000 will put me at 6 months of expenses save. Having the six months save will definitely take the stress out of life, particularly as we go through this COVID-19 mess.

Work news
Things have gotten a lot less stressful. Thank goodness.
I’ve been sitting in on a ton of webinars, just today alone, I’d attend four, earning four credit hours towards my recertification that isn’t due until 2022. The good news is I’ll earn my 60 credits by June.

I’m so thankful for this blog, you all often provide great advice.

I’ve been saving as much as I can. Outside of my grocery and electric bill, my expenses have been extremely low. I’m hoping my manager will continue with the work from home option. So far I’ve saved about $150 in gas alone.

I notice that there has been a spike in the cost of food, an 18 count of eggs 🥚 were just over a dollar now it’s $2+. I understand the supply and demand has impacted these increases, but I can’t help but think yikes!

As you all know, I’m in Florida and people are hitting the beaches in droves. I’ve decided to continue with social distancing, only heading to the store when I need items. No pool or beach for me.

I’ve also been keeping myself busy, attending virtual movie night, virtual BINGO, virtual happy hour and painting a wine glass, all have been fun. I’ll admit I’m a little antsy but safety first.

I’ve also been walking more, I’m down about four pounds, I’m hoping to hit my goal of 10lbs over the next 30 days.

Well that’s it for me

This is tough for me but I decided to hoard cash and only pay the minimum on my debt. Though I think/feel like my job is stable, with this pandemic, things can change over night.

I reached out to our controller, after reading an article that the loans for small businesses had reached its cap. He was always adamant that there is a possibility that the organization wouldn’t get it, as with I, but just to read about it, it did something to me. Our organization’s loan application and backup documents are in, at this time we are just waiting.

Then a friend of mine, who has a small business, was in the middle of underwriting when he received an email, his loan was denied due to depleted Paycheck Protection funds. He actually shared the email. This is so heartbreaking, as well as my validation to save more aggressively now.

Honestly I’m nervous about food. I went on Walmart Sunday, and the shelves were empty, no eggs, milk, orange juice, nothing.

I know we’re told not to hoard things, but I’m heading into the grocery store today to get a few perishable items, and water. We’re heading into hurricane season, and if we have an active season, with this pandemic, only God knows what will happen.

For the most part I feel good but I can’t help but be nervous.

This week has been rough, work is very stressful. I’ve got to learn to let things go. This is not my organization.

Financial news, my stimulus/loan hit my account today, $1200. I added this to my emergency fund. I also, received the check from my side gig (last week) and decided to pay my car insurance for three months, saving me about $16.

Though I’d really like to tackle my CC right now, a part of me is telling me to save. Save as much as I can, and pay minimum payments on bills. I’m so confused about what I should do. Save, pay debt, save pay debt.

My student loans payment automatically stopped.

I’m just confused 🥴

This pandemic has made me realize that I want to hit FIRE sooner than later. I was pretty much doing what I should, adding to my EF, saving for upcoming expenses, adding to my 401(k) and paying down debt. I’ve even cut expenses.

I realize my biggest obstacle is my income and fear. I’m worth so much more than I’m paid, I was always taught when you get a job you stay, take what’s offered don’t negotiate. But at 65k for the amount of work I do, and my accomplishments while on this job (implementing new processes that streamlined hiring, recouped the company over $100k, saved us 5% on health care premiums) for the size of the company I work for, it’s a joke. I’m under paid by $30k for my position, for my current role in the area I’m in.

I recently stepped out on faith and applied for one director’s position, $100k, and one VP position, $200k.
I refuse to take less than $100k a year, those days are over

I hold a masters, two certifications and over 10 years experience. I know my crap, people reach out to me all the time. I’m going to start charging for coaching. This pandemic made me realize, years of fear has allowed me to sell my self short.

Wishing everyone a happy Easter 🐣

This has been a day from hell. I’ve literally spent four hours on the phone trying to decipher a law that consists of a 174 pages with our CEO.

Why she refuses to hire a lawyer only God knows why. When you calculate the hours spent by myself, her and other employees dealing with this particular problem, a lawyer would have guided us in less than 30 minutes for far less. It’s ridiculous.

I’ve been asking for counsel since I started at this place and with the new law in place I’m highly recommending it, even our CFO, is recommending and still there’s push back.

Every professional even friends who are attorneys are recommending we seek counsel.

In financial news, apparently under this new Act, government student loans are automatically stopped. My intentions were to pay even though there would be a zero percent interest rate. Now I’ll just throw it at CC10. I’m so confused about what I should do but I guess this was my sign to just pay the CC off. Fingers crossed that this credit card is gone by June

So I called my insurance company, told them I’m working from home and got a discount of $30 per month, due to COVID-19.

Well worth the 20 minute wait time.

A senior cousin of mine who works in a nursing home has been diagnosed, with the COVID-19 virus. Pray fully she’ll get through this. This virus is a scary thing, and has started to hit home.

I needed a few items from the grocery store, I was running low. Just to go in and see the store marked up with tape, so that people keep a safe distance is scary.

I pray that as a nation we get through this soon

Well I was given a directive to do something illegal, I told my CEO to put it in writing to me. Now she’s nervous and complaining that I asked for it in writing. Personally I don’t even think she understood what she was asking.

Honestly I think everyone’s anxiety level from this virus is on high alert; but as I mentioned in the past and will continue to do so, we need to stop, take a break, think things through, and then make a decision. Those people who were hired to do a job should be allowed to do so, otherwise we are going to find ourselves in a mess.

It’s the lack of structure, that is driving me crazy. I’m trying to hold on, but at times I feel like my peace/sanity is more important. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I love the flexibility I have and my team that I love; however, when I look at the opportunity cost in that I’m giving up, I ask, is it worth it? I just need prayer of peace.

I woke up, at 3:30am yesterday, I had a terrible dream, I dreamt that SO’s cousin was ordered to kill me. Went back to sleep and had another nightmare . I can’t wait to get back to some normalcy. This COVID-19 stuff has me mentally, emotionally and physically drained.

In financial news, last month I over spent in the food category, and really didn’t pay much attention to my budget. I’m going to get back on track this month. For my March money saving challenge, I saved $166. YTD I have about $350 saved in my challenge envelopes.

Regarding the house, I have a friend who is a realtor and accountant review the refi documents, he said everything was okay but recommended that I ask for removal and deduction of a few fees. He told me I could lock in the rate and still not move forward.

I asked the broker to reduce the fees and she, said no. I had an uneasy feeling so I followed my gut and told her I’m declining the refi. I did so for a number of reasons, 1) she wasn’t willing to negotiate on a $750 fee in that she could, 2) I felt rushed, it was always you need to get me this in one to two hours, with no time to review and ask questions, and 3) my guy kept saying no.
I don’t know, I just had an uneasy feeling, and I thought wait. It was like God, telling me to be still, so I decided to listen and be still. I hate being rushed to make decisions. I do believe by mid April early May the rates will drop again.

My word for the year is fearless. I felt scared to tell the broker I didn’t want to do it. Why? I don’t know, but I jumped out on faith and said, fear will not allow me to make decisions. I tell you I felt better.

Today was pay day, even with everything going on, I’m still thankful I have a job. I went ahead and paid my May mortgage, minimum on CC10, and the student loans, car insurance and cell phone are all autopay. I decided I will continue to pay as is, no extra payments and go into COVID-19 save mode.

We are laying off an additional 30-40 people, so the uncertainty of things have me pumping the breaks.

I have no idea if I’m getting a stimulus check or not but if I do, it will definitely go to CC10 because it’s not wages earned for me, this is truly extra cash.

I need to file my 2019 tax returns, I’m using TurboTax and it’s estimating about $600 in tax return. This will go into my savings since it’s wages earned that I gave the government 🙄🤦🏽‍♀️. I’m really trying to get this refund thing to about $0, where I break even.