Student Loan update:

Principle: $58,638.33

Interest rate: 3.2%

Current interest balance: 0 (just cleared a payment)

Daily interest cost: $5.15

Like most places in the US, my area is seeing the worst surge in Covid cases since this whole thing started. Although so far no new lockdowns have been announced, anyone with common sense will be planning to stay home for most of the winter except for work, essential shopping, and outdoor activities. We also get real winter weather/snow here during a regular year- all the more reason to be prepared to stay home.

I have been thinking about my pandemic-related spending lately. I would like to be intentional about investing in things that will improve my quality of life in the winter without overspending on unhelpful things. I am not much of a decorator/shopper to begin with, so some of these things have probably just been overdue since I moved in a couple years ago but now seem more urgent.

Spending so far:

After months on the laptop, finally dropped $170 on a real monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Already making a huge difference- I am much more productive and should have done this sooner!

Coffee table for the living room

USB webcam for zoom meetings

More stamps and cute greeting cards to send surprise mail to friends and family

      Cloth masks

Items I am planning/considering:

New lamps for my dark, cave-like living room

Additional pantry stocking up

Backup laptop charging cord

Will probably buy more kindle books over the winter as the library ebooks have had very long waits since this started

A pair of knee-high boots

More underarmor style leggings for under my clothes. Really want to keep spending time outdoors all winter to exercise and fight off the blahs

Need to inventory/try on winter clothes, donate those that don’t work and make a list for any missing items (may need some new jeans/socks/1-2 sweaters due to attrition)

Getting a cracked computer screen repaired

Cute teapot/tea set. This is totally frivolous but fun

Free items:

Pedometer app to make sure I am getting enough activity in

Recommended items I love:
       -      Electric blanket! So cozy/luxurious feeling and really cuts heating bills!

Tea kettle – somehow much cozier than microwaving the water

What items have you bought to make the time at home more comfortable? Recommendations?