Our Experience With Travel, Food, and Finance During the Pandemic

Travel - Other than a few visits to our parents who reside less than an hour away, and extended family that live two hours away, we went to The Great Smoky Mountains: Pigeon Forge, TN & Gatlinburg, TN. You can watch our YouTube videos here and here. We also took a one day trip to Eudora Farms (drive thru zoo) in Salley, SC. We were awestruck as zebras, camels, and other animals trotted by our car and up to our window. What an experience during the pandemic.

What road trips have you taken since the start of the pandemic? How about destinations for which you had to get on an airplane? We would love to read your experience.​

Food - Pre-pandemic we have always cooked home. This came in handy during the pandemic.  However, with infrequent visits to the grocery store, we have been utilizing our pantry more. We also have family who have shared their Senior Citizen pantry food items with us due to upcoming expiration dates. We donated any pantry food we were not able to use to our local Goodwill, who in return, distributed the food items to local emergency food pantries.

Our staple foods have been sphaghetti and brown rice/with vegetables. However, we cooked for the first time: coconut curry; corn muffin; black bean burgers; oven-baked apples and peaches, and a sweet potatoe pie.  YUM!!

What have you cooked for the first time during the pandemic? We would love to read your experience of trying something new.

Finance - Our experience of telling money where to go have helped us tremendously during the pandemic. We intensively automate our money to go to investing (REITS, stocks, mutual funds, index funds); short term savings account; long term or emergency fund; and extra payment on the mortgage each time we receive a paycheck.  Please note this is not investing advice, but our personal finance experience.

What we want? Freedom

• A paid off mortgage in 19 months (prior to our 47th Birthday in 2022)
• Investments that will grow from compound interest (it's not too late to start today)
• Ten months or more emergency fund because we don't know how long this pandemic will last
• Choices - Self-care (our most recent YouTube video on mental wellness); Family time (can take time off from work for family crisis and still pay your bills); Travel

What is your experience with finance during this pandemic? All experiences are different. It maybe to be a stay at home parent; start a business; or take time off to take care of your health. 

Sharee in London (March 2019)