Welcome to #Covid19 #Coronavirus #SelfIsolation #SelfQuarantine, or as I like to call it: Every normal day of my life, now with added bonus of yet another disease/virus/harm intent on killing me. I’ve been disabled (multiple health issues going on 22 years). How have I coped? By keeping busy, filling my hours and days. How have I done it on a social security income? By being smart, doing cheap and free things. I’ve blogged about this forever and have previous posts about it.
- Have a limited income like me? Reduce your bills. Get rid of extemporaneous items: all subscriptions. Yes, online magazines, tech sites, foodie items, fashion, auto mechanics. All of it. Get rid of overly self-indulgent bills. Be ruthless. What you should be left with is Mortgage/Rent, Electricity/Utilities, Cell Phone bill, Internet and Food (about $250 per month per person). That’s it.
- Choose only one form of entertainment. Choose the cheapest home internet and cell phone plan you can. I have low-income internet and a data-only hearing impaired phone plan. Both are cheap. Do you go to movies every week? Theater? Ball game? Choose one. Yes, you can have fun going out but not four or five places/items per week. Now that you’re stuck at home, get rid of all those memberships to outside venues. Watch them at home on whatever form of entertainment you choose: cable tv, internet, satellite.
- Buy an ereader. Even the cheap ones from Amazon (watch for sales) can give you the world. I have a low-income amazon prime membership, where i have the world of Amazon and Amazon Fire at my fingertips. Movies, shows, sports, music, workouts, ebooks, games–it’s all there.
- Buy fresh low-fat meats and low-carb veggies. Stretch out with what you are able to eat–the grains (of which i’m all allergic to). There are countless apps, shows, how-to’s, cooks to show you how to shop, store and cook healthy, cheap foods. I’ve been doing it for 25 years. So can you.
- Exercise! Do some form of exercise at home. There are a lot of workouts you can do: Jogging in place, yoga, body weight exercises, dumbbell and bar workouts. The number of free workout apps and different types of workouts you can do are mind boggling. There is no reason for you not to workout while confined at home, at any physical ability level. I do 30 minutes dumbbell workouts, 30 minutes walking pad treadmill and 15-20 minutes body weight workouts.
- Stake out ‘your place’ at home. Live with your family? Have a family meeting who stakes what area at home. Have a small home or apartment? Schedule alone time that no one will bother anyone else–a favorite chair, place on the couch, corner of the room. Schedule family time to do something: game, group exercise, movies, etc. Keep each other in touch.
- Use some form of social communication to keep in touch with outside family and friends. There are an abundant number of resources to chat, play online or physical games, gossip, etc.
- Have health issues like me? Get in touch with community and social organizations to do shopping for you, do errands to minimize your chances of catching something during covid, flu, cold seasons. Be sensible! Keep your home and yourself clean.
Brick ONeil 
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