Things Change Fast Around Here

Well, it’s true! Things change fast around here! Monday arrived with a vengeance! In short, I decided to withdraw from college. We have too much going on in our world and it’s a lot for me to handle.

I tend to make a “to do” list to tackle each day or throughout the week. For Monday, I had a “to do” list and as I was working my way through it, I got overwhelmed and stressed out!

I also logged in to my new class and looked through the syllabus and each unit. There was so many assignments, discussion, and work to go with it. It was a lot!

I am already stressing about being a single mom, homeowner, the Coronavirus, and my son being home for the next several weeks!

Home Repairs Needed

Not only that, I am getting my HVAC system replaced and that’s going to cost about 1/3 of my salary! I opted for financing, which I am thankful for. I have a full 12 months of 0% financing. I dislike loans, so I hope to pay it off before the 12 months!

I am trying to look a true positives with getting a new HVAC system. 

Positive Reason 1: The company is installing a Nest Thermostat, which is what I have wanted for about a year now! I am so excited to finally get a Nest and it’s being installed for me!

Positive Reason 2: Upgraded system means it will be more efficient and better on our ozone! 

Positive Reason 3: They are checking my smoke detectors and CO detectors.

Learning at home

My son will be home for several weeks. I am doing my best to continue our schooling. Keeping up with his education, keeping us active is important to me! I want us to continue learning even if we are at home!

I bought some fun activities that gets us moving. Once the weather clears up, I want to go for walks throughout the day and play ball outside. 

I also bought art supplies. I am making fun worksheets for him to work on each day! I was going to purchase some activity books but being on a budget, I decided to keep making his worksheets on my own. 

I found some free lesson plans and learning opportunities. I am having him watch an educational video each day along with doing his worksheet! We’ve been playing ball inside for now! We throw the ball throughout the day!

Living on a budget

Since we live in a fixed income and the upcoming major home upgrade, I am looking for ways to cut expenses. 

Instead of buying a bunch of activity books, I am going to continue making worksheets that my son can do each day! 

Second, as I was paying my bills, I saw a charge of something that I thought was free. I called for clarification and found out it was a modem rental fee. To save money, I decided to purchase my own modem from Best Buy! I had a $75 Gift Card to use that I earned a few months ago! Once I get my new modem set up, I need to figure out how to return the modem I am renting! I’ll be saving $14 a month using my own modem! 

Update: After two hours on the phone with my cable company and then having to call customer support for the modem, it turns out I need a router. So, I found a Modem Router in one! I chose the NETGEAR Dual-Band Router Cable Modem! It does cost a bit more than a modem however, this will pay for itself in about 9 months!