I am officially moved in to my new place (that I'm renting from the bank). I moved in Saturday amidst the COVID madness. And of course it was almost 90 degrees in North Carolina. Ninety Degrees before Easter.
It all just seemed so matter of fact. I scheduled an Uber to take me to the truck rental place. He arrived early, and I arrived at Penske Truck Rental at 6:45a. I waited outside until 7a when they opened. Due to COVID, I stood at the door and shouted out my information. He wiped off the steering wheel and I e-signed the rental agreement.
I'd rented a 12 foot truck but ended up with 16 feet and a ramp. The ramp was more of a hindrance than anything because it was so steep. A few days before I purchased a $54 dolly and used that to haul my stuff from my apartment to the rental truck. At 9a, the TaskRabbit I ordered arrived to help me move my desk, stand-up desk topper, and bed to the truck. He was also able to dismount the TV, so that was nice or I'd have been sans TV for awhile. I originally thought I'd load from 8a to 10a, but didn't end up leaving until 10:45a. I'm not sure why it took that long because the bulk of the stuff was out of my apartment after about 36 to 45 minutes. Yes, I timed it.
Similarly, it took under an hour to unload the truck. My realtor agreed to come by at 2p to unload the bulky things the TaskRabbit had helped me load. I didn't want a stranger knowing where I lived just yet.
Spectrum came around 4p to hook up my internet for a $50 activation fee.
24 hours later, the internet was out.
Now it's Sunday. I'm in the new place, no internet so no TV, and no fridge. I twiddle my thumbs for a little bit; call Spectrum and schedule a technician for the next day; and finally decided to venture out to Redbox and pick up take out.
I ate some okay Chinese take-out and watched 3 movies. By midnight, I checked on the modem and it was back online. I, at least, could go to sleep a little less anxiously.
It's Tuesday, and my fridge was finally delivered (at the door only). Thankfully, the only install required was for me to roll it to the corner and plug it in. I had no idea fridges had wheels! So that was easy! Thank the Lord.
I finished the rest of my online tasks, including flipping through the new home owner's manual and registering for a few product warranties; marked a couple things on my Google calendar related to home maintenance.
Yesterday, it took almost a full 8 hours to sort through and update all my accounts now that I'm in the bank bonus churning business. Boy oh boy, I hope it's worth it! I know I won't be as jazzed to redirect my regular direct deposit for anything more than say... $200 in the future. For the most part, I was able to balance my accounts and move money to the correct places. I left out about $5k to churn with the hopes of getting about $1k in bank bonuses in the next 6 months. That's a pretty good return considering all my net balances on my investments went down.
Now that closing is done and all the shops are closed for any major spending, I (God-willing) should be able to move about $5600 to investments by early next month. One of my institutions is incredibly slow to post incoming transactions. But, that's okay.
Then I should have around $2200 or $2300 that I'm leaving out for big housing expenditures including a washer/dryer (abt $1100) and maybe a couch or two. I'm unsure about furniture. I am leaning towards a comfy couch for the living room but also stumbled across maybe some sort of pullout that I could get instead or in addition to. I have to think more on whether the likeliness of guests or overnight guests is high.
Remember that bank bonus website I got excited about. Well, they posted a link for good credit card bonuses. Chase was offering $200 off $500 in purchases. I applied for 2 of the cards and called today to find out I was denied. I just got disconnected from their reconsideration line after a 20-minute hold. I've spoken to so many customer service people in the last few days I'm about ready to be done. I think if I don't get the Chase cards, I might just call it quits on the discount game. I tried for the Lowe's card to get 10% off appliances and was also not instantly approved; they then required a lot more personal information than I was willing to give. Add to this my general no-credit card policy and the trouble I had with Raise discount gift cards and I might just draw the line in the sand. Never again with a gift card for an appliance.
Overall, I'm settling in nicely. I've only killed a few bugs. The weather is cool again. I have a fridge which means I can buy groceries. Call volume at work has slowed considerably. I'm still employed. Today was payday! I plan to rest and relax and enjoy my April staycation/government implemented shutdown. And the fact that the job interview I thought I nailed didn't get back to me means one less agonizing decision to make or outcome to wade through.
My old life is officially behind me. My death date is in front of me, I just have to figure out how to occupy my time between now and then. :)
I bought a house that costs less than a Tesla then interviewed for an out of state job!
It's true. I signed on Monday amid the COVID pandemic. The closing was quite sterile, literally and figuratively. The attorney representative asked me if I was excited, and I said not yet.
I'm still not there yet. Part of it was the fact that the transaction was purely financial on my part, I haven't told my extended family yet. I've only told a few co-workers from my old job just because I needed to tell somebody.
Other than the possibility of saving on my housing expenses in the coming years, another part of the process I liked was how it was almost entirely electronic. I found the property online. I "purchased" it online. I applied for a loan online. I completed documents online. Other than the signing, I never needed to meet anyone face-to-face, not even a realtor.
As one who practiced social isolation and sheltering in place before they came buzzwords, I was a big fan. For someone who doesn't always feel heard, I could appreciate having time to think through each process and make decisions without feeling pressured or rushed.
Money Matters
So yes, I did a quick Google search of the cost of a Tesla, and a little chart showed up with the base price of a Tesla Model S coming in at $85k. My house cost $77k! Outside of that, I've already spent more than $4100 in transactional costs and more to come, I'm sure.
Still, there are people in the world who are paying more a month on a car than I am on an actual house! Can you imagine?! Shoot, some of those people probably aren't even financing that fancy car.
I learned about escrow and it makes me uneasy. If you're unfamiliar with how escrow works, to protect themselves, the mortgage company or its servicer has you pay a monthly amount that covers a) principal and interest on your loan b) estimated property taxes and c) homeowner's insurance. You make 1 monthly payment each month forever and the escrow company pays those three individual entities. The way it was explained to me is if you don't pay your property taxes the county could foreclose your loan for unpaid taxes and this would be bad for the mortgage company. I was thinking...errr... what about the human living in the building?
I still don't get how this would effect the mortgage company because I would be the one homeless. But the reason the idea of escrow makes me uneasy is what if you have a subpar employee who forgets to send the payment to the tax office? I guess I don't know if I still get a tax bill? Is there a receipt that the taxes owed got paid? That would make me feel better if I could at least have access to the accounting of the taxes. I didn' t think to ask that exact question. There were some tense moments with the attorney representative. I'll just chalk it up to the stress of COVID because otherwise I'll just stay mad.
One of my hopes since I started my financial independence journey was to be better at downloading my monthly statements. It's so tedious and happily uneventful, but I really want to be good about tracking statements related to homeownership expenses. At least until I get more knowledgeable about the process.
The Interview
So I had the interview today. And because I had an internal referral, we were able to cobble together some practice interview questions. Silly me being so on the fence about going through with the interview in the first place pretty much had access to the exact questions. (My biggest obstacle!) But I was like ugh, I can't think of any examples. I hope they don't ask this. Wrong, they did! Luckily I had at least browsed through the questions. Even with my mock interview with my colleague, I wanted to insist she go through those practice questions with me, but I already felt like I was asking too much. And she didn't seem all that interested. Another case of not speaking up for myself. I was a little bit annoyed at myself that I really could have knocked it out of the park, but given all that led to that moment, that just wasn't my reality.
Anyway, I still think I did a good job.
The recruiter asked if I was still open to relocating give the current climate. The short answer is yes, but given my recent closing, I felt the need to include that. My peers thought not, but I asked the internet and found once source that said it was okay, so I did that. Just like a human.
I've been trying to consider contingency plans for if I actually get offered this job, but my won't let my fingers really explore it as anything more than a passing thought. My county is supposed to pass a "stay inside" order tomorrow, so that has taken some of my focus in light of my pending move. I looked at the actual legal document of a neighboring county's stay inside order and it explicitly says that moving services can remain open. So, I think it should be okay.
I think part of the reason I included my current housing situation in my response to the recruiter was a) the possibility of subtly implying they may need to sweeten the deal and b) kind of having them make the decision for me given my situation. I don't want to have to consider an offer and wonder if it would have made a difference if they knew the burden of a freshly-closed house. Or wonder when to disclose it in the future - should I mention it at offer? should I try to negotiate? etc.. Maybe they'll think the job isn't worth the move, and take me out of the equation completely. This way I feel all my cards are on the table and the ball is in their court (probably not what you should do). My hope is just, if they decide to make me an offer, they'll make it their best offer considering all the factors. The recruiter had indicated that she would offer within the range if your asking was a little low, so I'd like to think she'd present a fair offer.
I'm not particularly confident in my negotiating skills, so I don't want to have to rely on them.
Housing Update: We received your wire!
Hello,
Just stopping by to provide a quick update on my house hunt.
The good:
I was succesfully able to complete the wire transfer to the title company on my lunch break on Friday. I was nervouse because they were supposed to give me the instructions on Thursday, but since I've already committed to the process, I didn't say much about their untimeliness. Of course my out of state credit union was not able to help me do the transfer after I completed the necessary paperwork a month ago.
I anticipated this and squirreled away some money in my local bank. Thank, God right. Luckily, my downpayment/cash to close was a little less than $3k so this was not a huge amount of money I needed to have in two places.
COVID-19 note: I was able to complete the wire transfer request through the drive-up teller. Pretty convenient. I wonder if they'll incorporate any new services gained from this outbreak into life after the outbreak.
The troubling:
Because of the outbreak and a pending job interview scheduled for Wednesday (two days after closing), I have a feeling I can't shake that I'm making the wrong decision. Did God really allow an international viral outbreak to stop me from buying this house?
In my How to Overcome Anything post, some of the research I came across suggested you really have a realistic talk with yourself on these sort of doomsday fantasies.
What is the reality? What is the actual worst case scenario?
Outside of something really violent happening - what my coworkers were warning me about, the only thing I'm really thinking is the inconvenience of closing on a home and having to move out of state a week or so later. It would be inconvenient and a little costly.
So here are the actual possible outcomes
- Violence, death/ dismemberment, or other crime
- Get the out-of-state job after moving in
Let's address them.
As far as New House being in a less desirable neighborhood, I'd already made my peace with that months ago. Nothing really new has happened there. If God really saw my ultimate demise happening in this house, is an international pandemic really the way to go. I would think, another buyer could've out timed me; I could have seen something violent in my 2 or 3 trips to the property; the loan could not have been approved for some reason, due to my high student loan balance - although I think the law protects me there; I think the name change I did a few years ago could have been flagged; the property could have flooded; there could have been an inspection issue.
Outcome 2 is getting the out-of-state job. I know 2 people now who have been able to rent out properties using a property manager. So I know I have at least 1 referral. Moving twice would be extremely inconvenient and costly, but not impossible. The higher salary could definitely absorb the cost. The only other thing is the Internet says with an FHA loan, you're required to be living in the house for at least a year or the lender could default your loan. That sounds terrible.
While I don't want to bet against myself, I'm not all too hopeful about this job prospect as it has a lot of variables stacked up against it given my anxious nature, poor history with large interview panels, and structured behavioral-based interview questions.
Outside of the nagging feeling I have, I'm not too worried.
This morning I went out and bought a $54 hand truck. Onward!
Just stopping by to provide a quick update on my house hunt.
The good:
I was succesfully able to complete the wire transfer to the title company on my lunch break on Friday. I was nervouse because they were supposed to give me the instructions on Thursday, but since I've already committed to the process, I didn't say much about their untimeliness. Of course my out of state credit union was not able to help me do the transfer after I completed the necessary paperwork a month ago.
I anticipated this and squirreled away some money in my local bank. Thank, God right. Luckily, my downpayment/cash to close was a little less than $3k so this was not a huge amount of money I needed to have in two places.
COVID-19 note: I was able to complete the wire transfer request through the drive-up teller. Pretty convenient. I wonder if they'll incorporate any new services gained from this outbreak into life after the outbreak.
The troubling:
Because of the outbreak and a pending job interview scheduled for Wednesday (two days after closing), I have a feeling I can't shake that I'm making the wrong decision. Did God really allow an international viral outbreak to stop me from buying this house?
In my How to Overcome Anything post, some of the research I came across suggested you really have a realistic talk with yourself on these sort of doomsday fantasies.
What is the reality? What is the actual worst case scenario?
Outside of something really violent happening - what my coworkers were warning me about, the only thing I'm really thinking is the inconvenience of closing on a home and having to move out of state a week or so later. It would be inconvenient and a little costly.
So here are the actual possible outcomes
- Violence, death/ dismemberment, or other crime
- Get the out-of-state job after moving in
Let's address them.
As far as New House being in a less desirable neighborhood, I'd already made my peace with that months ago. Nothing really new has happened there. If God really saw my ultimate demise happening in this house, is an international pandemic really the way to go. I would think, another buyer could've out timed me; I could have seen something violent in my 2 or 3 trips to the property; the loan could not have been approved for some reason, due to my high student loan balance - although I think the law protects me there; I think the name change I did a few years ago could have been flagged; the property could have flooded; there could have been an inspection issue.
Outcome 2 is getting the out-of-state job. I know 2 people now who have been able to rent out properties using a property manager. So I know I have at least 1 referral. Moving twice would be extremely inconvenient and costly, but not impossible. The higher salary could definitely absorb the cost. The only other thing is the Internet says with an FHA loan, you're required to be living in the house for at least a year or the lender could default your loan. That sounds terrible.
While I don't want to bet against myself, I'm not all too hopeful about this job prospect as it has a lot of variables stacked up against it given my anxious nature, poor history with large interview panels, and structured behavioral-based interview questions.
Outside of the nagging feeling I have, I'm not too worried.
This morning I went out and bought a $54 hand truck. Onward!
Back at work and a Housing Update
First day back at work after 6 days off. It was awesome. I think after having done it, I prefer doing a Wed to Wed vs just a straight Monday to Friday off. I know some might prefer having more consecutive days off in a row with the weekend as bookends, but I prefer the illusion of having 2 weeks off. I like that last week was a 2 day work week for me and this week is a 2 day work week for me.Winning!
It's a sad feeling to know I like my job the most when I have little to no work to do, to the point that I get annoyed when customers call. Mind you, I work in a call center. Sad, but true.
I didn't think the week off had worked for me because I still cried most days, but I've seen little benefits here and there. For example, when someone mentioned my aunt in an email, I felt distance from the grief. I still teared up but it didn't feel so fresh.
And clearing out both my work and personal inbox took about an hour, so that helped make it feel like time indeed had passed.
Housing Update
One thing that wasn't in my inbox was wiring instructions for the closing that's scheduled for Monday. It all seems off. In my wishful thinking, I imagined God was giving the whole world a pandemic to get me to NOT buy the house. But I checked in with my realtor and lender, and the closing is set to happen as planned.
I still haven't received Final Closing Disclosures and wiring instructions, so this is interesting. I asked the internet, and I think the rule/ law is they're supposed to provide the Final Closing Disclosures at least 3 business days ahead of closing. And Saturday is considered a business day in real estate. So today was the 3rd day. It's almost 8p and nothing.
I mean I don't actually know what my recourse would be if this mattered to me.
I was trying to talk with a colleague about what I would do if I didn't sign on Monday or couldn't move this weekend. She was no help. It's hit and miss with her. I need to really figure out her optimal place in my life.
I don't really know what my Plan B is, and I am not convinced it's part of some larger plan. I think it would just be really inconvenient.
I don't think I would be homeless because the rental office is saying we could renew our leases with no increase. But the minimum renewal is 9 months. So that would suck.
I could probably consider just a 1 month renewal for a premium. Renewing here and for 9 months just seems so out of the realm of possibility.
Interview
I was thinking maybe God was parting the heavens because the pending job interview with Big Pharma was my golden ticket out of my current life. I was hopeful because it was going to be a phone interview with just one person and probably Friday (tomorrow). Turns out the earliest they can schedule that is Wednesday (two days after scheduled closing) and it went from a 1:1 to a panel interview with video conferencing. That instantly increased my anxiety and mentally took me out of the running. Even if I was adequately prepared with all the questions ahead of time, the panel feels like interrogation and flight-or-fight mode kicks in. It's far more difficult to perform under these conditions.
So that's it. Plan for the weekend: not pack, possibly make cupcakes, and maybe run out tonight to get some plastic utensils and lunch meat in preparation for the viral apocalypse.
It's a sad feeling to know I like my job the most when I have little to no work to do, to the point that I get annoyed when customers call. Mind you, I work in a call center. Sad, but true.
I didn't think the week off had worked for me because I still cried most days, but I've seen little benefits here and there. For example, when someone mentioned my aunt in an email, I felt distance from the grief. I still teared up but it didn't feel so fresh.
And clearing out both my work and personal inbox took about an hour, so that helped make it feel like time indeed had passed.
Housing Update
One thing that wasn't in my inbox was wiring instructions for the closing that's scheduled for Monday. It all seems off. In my wishful thinking, I imagined God was giving the whole world a pandemic to get me to NOT buy the house. But I checked in with my realtor and lender, and the closing is set to happen as planned.
I still haven't received Final Closing Disclosures and wiring instructions, so this is interesting. I asked the internet, and I think the rule/ law is they're supposed to provide the Final Closing Disclosures at least 3 business days ahead of closing. And Saturday is considered a business day in real estate. So today was the 3rd day. It's almost 8p and nothing.
I mean I don't actually know what my recourse would be if this mattered to me.
I was trying to talk with a colleague about what I would do if I didn't sign on Monday or couldn't move this weekend. She was no help. It's hit and miss with her. I need to really figure out her optimal place in my life.
I don't really know what my Plan B is, and I am not convinced it's part of some larger plan. I think it would just be really inconvenient.
I don't think I would be homeless because the rental office is saying we could renew our leases with no increase. But the minimum renewal is 9 months. So that would suck.
I could probably consider just a 1 month renewal for a premium. Renewing here and for 9 months just seems so out of the realm of possibility.
Interview
I was thinking maybe God was parting the heavens because the pending job interview with Big Pharma was my golden ticket out of my current life. I was hopeful because it was going to be a phone interview with just one person and probably Friday (tomorrow). Turns out the earliest they can schedule that is Wednesday (two days after scheduled closing) and it went from a 1:1 to a panel interview with video conferencing. That instantly increased my anxiety and mentally took me out of the running. Even if I was adequately prepared with all the questions ahead of time, the panel feels like interrogation and flight-or-fight mode kicks in. It's far more difficult to perform under these conditions.
So that's it. Plan for the weekend: not pack, possibly make cupcakes, and maybe run out tonight to get some plastic utensils and lunch meat in preparation for the viral apocalypse.
$28 of Pandemic Groceries and a Housing Update
It's 10pm and I just got back from the grocery store. Why, you might ask? Well, I was watching the ABC app via my friend's cable sign-in and some live news got through.
If you don't know, my default setting is to avoid the media.
The clip of local news that came through several times announced, among other things, that the governor of NC had closed restaurants. I did not know that was a thing!
I've gotten bits and pieces of the pandemic from reading other people's blogs and overhearing conversations but because it hadn't really affected me, I had paid it no mind.
Recall that it's Tuesday, and I've been on vacation since last Wednesday. So I had even less contact with the outside world than normal.
So at 9p in the middle of whatever show I was watching, I decided I should probably get groceries.
I quickly scanned the local news channel's website to make sure I'd heard it correctly. Yup, schools were closed even NC State U; as were the Science Olympiad competitions I'd signed up to judge this month; and yes the governor had indeed ordered restaurants to close. W-O-W. From what I could tell, a lot of things were closed until a future time TBD but some things were closed until the end of the month.
Pandemic Groceries
In my mind I decided I should probably try to get groceries for 1 to 2 weeks. Here's the thing. I'm supposed to be moving in 1 week, next Saturday to be exact. As a result, I'd been emptying out my fridge and cabinets and just getting fun snacks and minor things as I need them. For the most part, I'd been enjoying my solitude in the name of celebrating my birthday month.
I just figured I'd go out to eat, if I got hungry enough. In fact today, I'd had popcorn, a banana, and cookies. The when it got dark, I looked in my freezer and decided to use my deep fryer to finish off 2 egg rolls that had been there since last year and a handful of fries, like literally maybe 7 to 10 fries, and I fried one remaining fish fillet that I ended up just saving for later. The plan being two fold - fry whatever I could so that I could clean out the fryer in prep for my move next weekend.
Even with the trip to the grocery store, I figured I'd just get pasta and ground meat to make a pot of spaghetti that could get me through to the next weekend. Then the angst of the pandemic, thoughts of going back to work, and the real possibility that I could lose access to other things gave my emotions cruise control.
So I walked out of my nearby Food Lion with cut fruit, strawberries, french toast sticks, 5 pounds of potatoes ( I only really wanted 2 single potatoes but that was all they had), pita bread, no eggs (out of stock), the pasta and meat I came for, juices, and some cereal.
I just didn't know what to buy. Some things I felt made sense - spaghetti, cereal. Others I bought in anticipation of some emotional decline, and still others in case I'm house bound for a second week - the potatoes.
I still have about 5 pounds of not-so-tasty Jasmine rice here, so I vacillated on the potatoes for quite a while. Which is worse - rice I don't want to eat or potatoes I don't want to peel. I erred on the side of pandemic and emergency preparedness and purchased the potatoes so I'd have options.
Housing Update
After all that, I still don't really know if I'm closing on Monday. I guess I thought the week ramping up to closing would be more hectic in terms of communication with the other parties. But really not much so far.
I had the New Home Orientation yesterday. It was supposed to last 1.5 hours, I think it lasted almost four. But I enjoyed it. I didn't know something like that was a part of the process. If you've never done it, the builder set it up. It's a walk through for things that need to be touched up, but he also explained how to use the appliances, where basic functional things were - such as hot and cold water shut offs, important electrical outlets, the breakers, emergency numbers for the HVAC and plumbing that came with the house, warranties I'd need to update, notes on things maintenance of things like the HVAC, the dishwasher, the attic. Little things like that really help an anxious soul like myself.
I'm just better at doing life when I know what to expect.
Today, in my clicking around, I went ahead and priced out some appliances I'll need, i.e fridge, washer, dryer. Based on just store-brand recognition, I did some basic searches at Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Sears. For the most part, they all offered 0% financing with their credit card or some version of 5% off.
For now, Lowe's had the best prices because they included free delivery and basic installation. Sears' prices were comparable but they had a delivery charge which did not include installation.
And as for whether to take the special financing or the 5% off, I think I'm leaning toward the 5% off. Because my cash to close is so low, I should have enough to cover the appliances which I'm estimating to be around $1600. (Side note, it turns out hoarding funds in anticipation of the move might actually not be a bad thing because the blogosphere is saying now is a good time to buy low, in terms of investing.)
Three Cheers for America
I imagine people have strong opinions on the pandemic and how local and national government are handling it. Some people are even positing on how it'll affect financial futures - locally, nationally, internationally. People are talking about down turns in the stock market and another recession like what we saw in 2009.
My mind definitely hasn't gone there. I mean I barely knew anything was happening until a couple hours ago.
However, when I was in the grocery store - free from panic - I just found a quiet moment of gratitude. In another time, I think business owners would take this opportunity to gouge prices or take advantage of consumers. Instead, all the prices at the grocery store were the same. In fact, I've seen people talking about ways to help local business and each other. I've gotten a few emails about free delivery options from restaurants. Even my leasing office has offered to renew our leases without an increase in the midst of this mild crisis.
I know it's a marketing ploy to keep their businesses thriving, but I still think it could have gone in a different direction.
And whether it's the law or not to not price-gouge or take advantage of consumers, I'm happy to live here.
In a final thought, can you imagine if I were still on sabbatical. This would definitely be a strange time to be coming back from sabbatical. Unexpected, to say the least.
If you don't know, my default setting is to avoid the media.
The clip of local news that came through several times announced, among other things, that the governor of NC had closed restaurants. I did not know that was a thing!
I've gotten bits and pieces of the pandemic from reading other people's blogs and overhearing conversations but because it hadn't really affected me, I had paid it no mind.
Recall that it's Tuesday, and I've been on vacation since last Wednesday. So I had even less contact with the outside world than normal.
So at 9p in the middle of whatever show I was watching, I decided I should probably get groceries.
I quickly scanned the local news channel's website to make sure I'd heard it correctly. Yup, schools were closed even NC State U; as were the Science Olympiad competitions I'd signed up to judge this month; and yes the governor had indeed ordered restaurants to close. W-O-W. From what I could tell, a lot of things were closed until a future time TBD but some things were closed until the end of the month.
Pandemic Groceries
In my mind I decided I should probably try to get groceries for 1 to 2 weeks. Here's the thing. I'm supposed to be moving in 1 week, next Saturday to be exact. As a result, I'd been emptying out my fridge and cabinets and just getting fun snacks and minor things as I need them. For the most part, I'd been enjoying my solitude in the name of celebrating my birthday month.
I just figured I'd go out to eat, if I got hungry enough. In fact today, I'd had popcorn, a banana, and cookies. The when it got dark, I looked in my freezer and decided to use my deep fryer to finish off 2 egg rolls that had been there since last year and a handful of fries, like literally maybe 7 to 10 fries, and I fried one remaining fish fillet that I ended up just saving for later. The plan being two fold - fry whatever I could so that I could clean out the fryer in prep for my move next weekend.
Even with the trip to the grocery store, I figured I'd just get pasta and ground meat to make a pot of spaghetti that could get me through to the next weekend. Then the angst of the pandemic, thoughts of going back to work, and the real possibility that I could lose access to other things gave my emotions cruise control.
So I walked out of my nearby Food Lion with cut fruit, strawberries, french toast sticks, 5 pounds of potatoes ( I only really wanted 2 single potatoes but that was all they had), pita bread, no eggs (out of stock), the pasta and meat I came for, juices, and some cereal.
I just didn't know what to buy. Some things I felt made sense - spaghetti, cereal. Others I bought in anticipation of some emotional decline, and still others in case I'm house bound for a second week - the potatoes.
I still have about 5 pounds of not-so-tasty Jasmine rice here, so I vacillated on the potatoes for quite a while. Which is worse - rice I don't want to eat or potatoes I don't want to peel. I erred on the side of pandemic and emergency preparedness and purchased the potatoes so I'd have options.
Housing Update
After all that, I still don't really know if I'm closing on Monday. I guess I thought the week ramping up to closing would be more hectic in terms of communication with the other parties. But really not much so far.
I had the New Home Orientation yesterday. It was supposed to last 1.5 hours, I think it lasted almost four. But I enjoyed it. I didn't know something like that was a part of the process. If you've never done it, the builder set it up. It's a walk through for things that need to be touched up, but he also explained how to use the appliances, where basic functional things were - such as hot and cold water shut offs, important electrical outlets, the breakers, emergency numbers for the HVAC and plumbing that came with the house, warranties I'd need to update, notes on things maintenance of things like the HVAC, the dishwasher, the attic. Little things like that really help an anxious soul like myself.
I'm just better at doing life when I know what to expect.
Today, in my clicking around, I went ahead and priced out some appliances I'll need, i.e fridge, washer, dryer. Based on just store-brand recognition, I did some basic searches at Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Sears. For the most part, they all offered 0% financing with their credit card or some version of 5% off.
For now, Lowe's had the best prices because they included free delivery and basic installation. Sears' prices were comparable but they had a delivery charge which did not include installation.
And as for whether to take the special financing or the 5% off, I think I'm leaning toward the 5% off. Because my cash to close is so low, I should have enough to cover the appliances which I'm estimating to be around $1600. (Side note, it turns out hoarding funds in anticipation of the move might actually not be a bad thing because the blogosphere is saying now is a good time to buy low, in terms of investing.)
Three Cheers for America
I imagine people have strong opinions on the pandemic and how local and national government are handling it. Some people are even positing on how it'll affect financial futures - locally, nationally, internationally. People are talking about down turns in the stock market and another recession like what we saw in 2009.
My mind definitely hasn't gone there. I mean I barely knew anything was happening until a couple hours ago.
However, when I was in the grocery store - free from panic - I just found a quiet moment of gratitude. In another time, I think business owners would take this opportunity to gouge prices or take advantage of consumers. Instead, all the prices at the grocery store were the same. In fact, I've seen people talking about ways to help local business and each other. I've gotten a few emails about free delivery options from restaurants. Even my leasing office has offered to renew our leases without an increase in the midst of this mild crisis.
I know it's a marketing ploy to keep their businesses thriving, but I still think it could have gone in a different direction.
And whether it's the law or not to not price-gouge or take advantage of consumers, I'm happy to live here.
In a final thought, can you imagine if I were still on sabbatical. This would definitely be a strange time to be coming back from sabbatical. Unexpected, to say the least.
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