The pandemic has upended all our lives in different ways and hopefully made us more appreciative of what we have.
After all, we donât appreciate what we truly have until itâs gone.
Whatâs fascinating about us creatures is that we are hesitant upon any change but once itâs initiated, we adapt rapidly. From WFH to Grubhub deliveries, Zoom happy hours to no classroom, weâve gotten used to this new normal by now and we may or may not want to continue it but what is certain is that we are more than ready to spend and waste time in normal life again.
Ironically, it doesnât seem hard for Americans, the fully-vaccinated or not, to get back to normal since most of us prefer our past boring comfortable lifestyles without any change instead.
Back to normal means we stay safe and protect others. If you donât get vaccinated, itâs your loss and frankly entails you donât care about protecting others. How selfish.
Majority of hospitalized patients with covid arenât vaccinated. Itâs frustrating how everything is debated in America, even proven science. I find we have too much time on our hands so we resort to bickering about everything! From masks to colors, everything is political and is wasting years off of our lives!
FOMO of Normal
Anyway, besides bringing up the divisiveness weâve all gotten enough of in this country and reminding ourselves that history does in-fact repeat itself, what some have discovered, myself included is that getting back to normal life doesnât take a whole lot of getting used to.
I believe in no time people will be huddled like sardines on the subway, possibly with masks this time. Basic activities/events we took for granted such as eating inside, visiting family and loved ones outside of state, going to a sweaty ear blasting drumming concert and the classic, spending are all luxurious retreats we now crave.
Even my neighbors dressed up like they were going to a wedding just to take out the trash for a few months in 2020 to pass the time.
Spending is universal and certainly today making a huge comeback, especially in the retail and travel industries. No doubt it continued just on different things. During the pandemic millions made their largest purchase on their primary residence by taking advantage of low-mortgage rates pumped by stimulus from the Fed and unemployment benefits they didnât really need but got anyway.
Cooked up at home felt comforting yet tiring and as with everything, we wanted a sense of normalcy so to hide that feeling, some went overboard.
Big time.
I know a couple colleagues who spontaneously purchased a beachfront house in Malibu, read here what it entails in April of 2020 because it was on âsaleâ a.k.a low-interest rate environment. For a quick 101 lesson on housing, never buy a property just because rates look attractive.
When you need to buy, buy!
We tend to forget when thereâs a sale we are still spending money no matter what, even with that 60% juicy discount.
As my colleagues have adjusted to their beachfront resort that they plan on staying in for 2 months out of the year and maintaining, renovating, cleaning and guarding for the rest, it is more of a pain than a hassle. Real estate isnât an immediate investment nor appreciative asset if it doesnât work for you.
Use it or loose it!
Their imagination got the best of them and they realized quarantine wonât be here forever. Eventually they will want to be somewhere else as young teens. Luckily, properties can always turn into rentals but with fees, restrictions and costly maintenance, the mortgage might not pay for itself.
Spend wisely and make sure it brings money into your pocket not out.
Back To Business
As with the recovery, itâs been swifter than expected but slow as intended. Recoveries should be slow after all. If you break a limb, you shouldnât go straight to partaking in the Olympics or if you get a splint, relieve it ASAP. Same thing with the economy.
With unemployment as high as job openings, read here why this never happens, inflation inflicting staple goods, and the delta variant in full-swing, summer might be put on hold but consumers and Americans in particular couldnât be more excited to get back.
In Q2 spring of this year, NYC was back in business. Small businesses were getting back on their feet as the weather cleared up, restrictions eased, parking got tighter as the rich came back from their island WFH stations, Little Island got established, and people were out and about needing to be extra careful with their new spending habits.
For the folks I interact with almost on a daily basis, they tell me they feel more confident and excited than ever. They are jazzing up their style with a new twist and canât wait to loose those pounds from homemade banana bread.
Jonah Age 17: âThe city is young again and weâre ready to crush it.â
Cynthia Age 32: âI donât know about you but 2020 was the fastest year of my life and 2021 is starting to slow down which I appreciate.â
Fewf! It wasnât just me who thought 2020 was a week long but at the same time 60Â years.
At the very moment, most of us just want to experience the small boring pleasures of life again. We want to breathe fresh air, stare into space, waste time commuting, and embarrass ourselves.
Hopefully weâve learned a thing or two during this pandemic, ideally financial literacy related and got our spending in order, got to know ourselves better, achieved somethingâââsmall or large and got creative all intended to gear up for a big moment of stepping into normal life of wasting more time again completing boring average daily errands in normal yet grateful fashion.
Stay safe, vigilant, sing the 15 second version of âhappy birthdayâ while washing your hands, and spend less than you earn.
The world is waiting for you.
Cheers!
MIA (Missing In Action)