what changes will you be making post corona

[newyearnoeu]

This time next year, when a vaccine has been produced and we have emerged post corona with hopefully minimal damage....will you make any changes as a result?

Personally I've already decided to aim for the following:

1. bulk up savings (putting this in bold because I know people will pick on it) I KNOW THAT AS MUCH AS THEY MIGHT WANT TO THIS IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE FOR SOME PEOPLE - there are so many people worried about the effect this will have on them financially. Stats say that at nearly a third of people in the UK don't have enough savings to last more than a month - yet more than 60% of the population went on at least one holiday abroad last year. I'm willing to bet that there is some overlap and some AGAIN NOT ALL of us, including me, could actually save a lot more if we didn't prioritise what we think are necessities (phones, holidays, clothes). I'm guilty of thinking just because I've got a well paid job, and have managed to buy a house quite young, I'm doing okay if I'm not spending more than I'm earning - starting to realise now how head-in-the-sand that is. Chances of having a holiday abroad this year look unlikely now, so that money is going straight into savings, I also plan to go pay as you go (or rolling SIM) when my contract ends next month, for as long as my current phone keeps going, so hopefully will save a good £20-30 p/m there. Few more ideas for saving money which, honestly, I should have been doing anyway, but better late than never!

2. keep shelves full a bit more. I never let them go to empty, but have lots of different supermarkets near me that I can just 'pop in' on the way home, so rarely do big shops and have really full cupboards. Going to make sure going forward that I always have at least a few spare loo rolls, one long life milk, a few other essentials - basically enough for a fortnight.

3. be thankful for friends, family and my health

4. remember which companies are slightly less likely to f* you over than others - I had flights booked with two airlines (to the same place, one there and one return). One has cancelled the flight and offered a full refund - the other has only offered a free change of details to another flight, except if you try to rebook it only offers you more expensive flights so you have to pay the difference....

5. hope workplaces realise that WFH is achievable and staff can be trusted. I didn't realise until now how many of my colleagues are immuno-compromised to some degree, or have caring responsibilities. In the future I'm not going to feel guilty about asking to WFH, or even calling in sick when I have a bad cold or something else infectious - it's actually less selfish than coming in and infecting others who might react worse than me

So nothing earth-shattering but some things to plan (and hope) for to distract from stressing

I'm going to get out more when it's over. I've been in self isolation but realised it's no different from my normal life as I hardly ever leave the house

Have an emergency fund and get healthier, lose the weight etc

Ah a nice hopeful thread.

Save, look after my health, be grateful, hug my family (especially my Dad who is the other end of the country and told me not to visit until the end of the year)

this won't happen but I'd like govs to look at the current economic system & see it's not working. People are working harder than ever with less reward & life is getting more & more expensive. Why are so many working people close to the breadline?

I will possibly/probably be a widow (DH is in process of cancer treatment and has high blood pressure so no coronavirus treatment for him) He ran a marathon the month before cancer diagnosis.

I am self employed and so no job from tomorrow, I honestly dont know what do do or what I will be doing a year from now but chances are that it wont be great.

3. be thankful for friends, family and my health"

That's your number 3? Jesus. I'm a prepper, I save money too. But your number 3 is my number 1

This is such an uplifting and positive post, Thank you OP. Lots of suggestions to reflect upon

1. Do more to become self-sufficient and provide for my family. I don't have a garden at the moment and I am still on mat leave, and yesterday I realized these are still pathetic excuses for not growing my own food. I've always been a bit of a prepper but I relaxed too much after the baby came and if it wasn't for my Brexit stockpile I would have been completely on my back foot with this. I'm now waiting on seeds to arrive and every windowsill in the house will have crops growing.
2. Move to somewhere within walking distance of the sea. I want to be able to just walk and hear the water lapping against the ground whenever I want. I used to live by the Firth of Forth in Edinburgh and I really miss the sea. Luckily, there's plenty of cheap houses near the sea in Northern Ireland and very few holiday home towns.
3. Find more ways to reduce my dependence on consumables such as toilet paper (bought a handheld water squirter to replace it), sanitary towels (just bought some period panties) and baby wipes. All things I thought I "needed" and justified buying but when we couldn't get them this past week, I learned how to manage without them.

Spend more quality time in pubs, bars and restaurants and concert venues.

This! Cinemas, art galleries, museums too.

Appreciate small businesses more, I have friends who are self employed and am heartbroken for them. There have also been posts from established small businesses in my town which may end up folding.

Be a lot more aware of food waste.

Become a bit of a prepper.

1. Lose weight - has been creeping up again and putting me in a risk category. Entirely self-inflicted.

2. Spend some savings (if any left) because, after all, you can’t take it with you and your home might as well be as comfortable as possible.

3. Get a better work/life balance. Make the most of free time and stop sitting in watching Netflix!

4. Have a damn good holiday with the kids before they are too old to want to go with me. (Also assuming any money left.)

Lose weight. If this thing harms or kills me, I’ll have myself to blame. Hard truth.

Great post what are the lessons we can learn already.

I do not live in the UK (SE Asia) and it has been hard being away from "home" during this time.

For me, the following are already hitting home:

1. Maintain our savings float to a full 6months take home pay. Ensure this is in cash / liquid assets (as we have seen, stocks and shares-linked savings have been reduced).

1. Manage our access to social media and talk rationally and reassuringly to family and friends about the news. The sheer availability of information has been overwhelming (in the UK and Singapore) and the impact on mental health is huge. Don't add to the anxiety!

1. Check in on more vulnerable family, friends and neighbours. Make sure that older neighbours know who we are, how to contact us and that they can trust us in an emergency.

1. Start donating regularly to food banks.

1. Improve emergency kit we have stored in case of blackouts etc to include antibacterials and masks (when they come back into stock).

1. Improve the quality of "stay at home" entertainment ideas, to reduce reliance on the internet and screen time. Old school ideas such as books, board games, cards, craft and art supplies.

1. Support the NHS more actively / vocally, especially when it comes to politics and elections. I am worried that the NHS will be criticised once C-19 has blown over for failing us, but it needs us more than ever to protect us all (especially the most vulnerable).

This a lovely thread - thanks OP.

Anyone looking to reduce waste, reduce their reliance on buying things etc, 1 million women is a great Australian group with lots of tips via Facebook, Twitter and they have an app as well. Also the Facebook group ‘Journey to zero waste in the UK’ has helped me to look at our habits in a new way.

Look after my health and that of my family more, dietary changes such as more fresh stuff, more exercise, fresh air.

Appreciate those close to me much more.

1. Grow more organic food in the garden green house, food bank any surplus

1. Vitamins and Minerals and fasting more serious (on 15 types of natural pills already :)

1. Buy some shotgun's with ammo and a walk in gun and safe room.

1. Move to the Moon in my spaceship that I'm currently building with amazon prime goodies and then self isolate with the Alien's unless they invade first never know what might happen next in this crazy world.

One thing I've realised reading on here and in real life is just how many people struggle on with life when they really should rest because they're ill. So many people with colds etc actually staying home now.

I hope in the future people keep their germs away from themselves and this idea of presenteeism stops.

Stick to the wash hands for 20s rule .

I also think I'm going to stop using the internet and social media quite so much. I didn't think any of it has actually played a positive role in how this has played out.

I'll be leaving my job for a job for a totally new career where I don't feel like I'm putting my life at risk.

I was called in at 2am today, wasn't meant to start until 7 but we are in a mess here
Hardly any hand gel
Infection control seriously questionable and more scary stuff coming in.

In fact I might just start looking for a job now because my mental health cannot deal with this for the long haul.

And of the above

Don't take family for granted etc

All good ideas OP. We are really lucky that we happen to be in a good positition financially and I had done a big shop before this started so we have not suffered much at all.

We are going to home educate one of our children. He is bright and motivated but just really struggles with the school environment. Seeing not only what amazing resources are available online so he is not reliant on our knowledge but also how much happier he is when he can focus on the work and not sticking to rules about sitting still etc. or the distractions of other kids means he would actually have a lot more time to socialise.

I am also going to unclench about the state of our house and garden. The kids are having a blast in our little garden and although they trash it, they tidy up their toys at the end of each day and a sweep of the floor sorts out the inside.

Definitely have more contact with my DM and siblings. We are abroad so can go for months without talking to siblings but we have all been checking in on each other which has been lovely

This may change as we go through the worst of this epidemic but:

Contact elder family members more and keep in touch

Get fit, running and yoga.

Cut back on food waste

Tell nhs staff how great they are at every opportunity.

Tell my DH I love him more.

Just be astonished how people have time of threads of this length and to worry about planning a future when it's clear the real issues in life are apt to be things that never crossed your mind.

People weren't washing hands properly...that's just vile

Starting from now I'm going to lose weight, get fitter and healthy. Its come as a huge wake up call and fright to realise I'm in the at risk catagory.

When this is all over I want to be able to live my life fully instead of hiding away.