@evelynandtheodore

Pandemic Plans 2021

Can you believe it's already been a year since this whole thing started? Yeesh, time flies when all the days blur into one, I guess, no matter how boring. 😆 I did a few projects last year to take advantage of the time I had at home (though my work situation never changed, I was definitely not out hanging out with people like I had pre-pandemic). I didn't accomplish everything on last year's list, but that's usually how it goes, because lists evolve & change constantly when you're me, and can't stay focused on anything to save your life. So here's my tentative list of plans for 2021, projects & otherwise.


Plan 1: Basement Lounge

This project has been in the works since Summer 2020 when we did the BLM yard sale and I cleared out a huge amount of decor & things taking up room in our basement. It's almost done, but I need to add some finishing touches & remove some other elements that aren't working for me. There are a few small projects I never did last year that would work well in here, and I'm still working on slowly building the vinyl record collection, so I may even need to build a record storage solution at some point.


Plan 2: Move More

This kind of goes in conjunction with the Basement Lounge, because an added function I didn't originally plan for with the room is to have it be where I can do some light workouts just to get my body moving more. I'll have my yoga & pilates equipment down there, as well as our folding bike so that it sits on solid ground, rather than the carpet in Carl's room. I also want to make a habit of going for a walk every day after work/dinner so I can be outside more, and maybe eventually do the couch to 5K program because I miss running, and have for almost a decade, but haven't bothered to do much about it. 

Plan 3: Carl's Room

I've pretty much accepted that Carl's Room will always be a work in progress. It's a room that has no true purpose, and it basically just houses furniture that I love but that doesn't have a home, and as a closet space for my hanging items & shoes. I've been debating swapping the Ikea couch out for a full sized bed so that it looks like a true guest room, but I've hemmed & hawed about it for so long that I may end up keeping it the same, as storing a couch is a bit more difficult than storing a bed frame that can be disassembled flat (and has been for quite some time). 
Either way, something in the room just isn't right, and it bothers me more than it probably should. Carl's ear flapping has also caused some stains on the walls from both his slobber & when he splits his ear open on his collar tags, so a repaint is in order at some point with some fresh white, which leads me to...


Plan 4: Finish Painting

I started repainting our main floor sometime last year after tax return season, and I still haven't finished even the living room. Why did I start repainting? Well our walls had an off-white flat paint on them that was impossible to clean. Anything even remotely damp or wet would stain the wall, regardless of whether it was Carl's slobber being flung across the room, a Magic Eraser trying to clean said slobber off, or just a slightly damp rag to quick wipe up anything that splashed. Pro tip: never use flat paint on walls; I really don't know what our landlords were thinking.
So far the stair case & 3 of 6 walls in the living room/entryway are done, but I'd like to finish those last three walls, and then move onto the bottom half of our bathroom & all of the dining room walls. If I have enough of the 5 gallon paint bucket left, I'll start to tackle Carl's room, otherwise I may need to get another gallon for his at a later date.

Plan 5: Laundry Room/Storage Unit

I've always hated our laundry room, but it's been especially heinous the last few years. It's become a weird dumping ground for things that need to go to the storage unit, but before I move those things to the storage unit, I need to go through the storage unit and donate/trash a good amount of items I don't use. After that & all the storage is actually in the unit, then I plan on doing a few small scale projects to update our small sad little laundry room & making it more practical & functional.

Plan 6: Rebuilding Savings

Lately, I've been driving for Lyft part time after my day job & it has helped me tremendously in the financial goals department. Outside of my $3.5K student loans (which are still up in the air until at least October 1, but may be cancelled altogether), I am entirely debt free & it feels so good. Now I have a real chance at saving up some cash for when we eventually want to buy a house, or in case of emergencies. I've been able to increase my 401(k) contributions, set aside more money from each check, and still have plenty of "extra" to spend thanks to Lyfting. 


Plan 7: Enjoy the Outdoors

I feel like I didn't allow myself enough time outside last year, and I'm already making plans to make up for it this year. I'm going to use the truck to go camping in a few relatively close-by parks I've never been to, and take a few friends with me along the way. With my Move More plan, I also will be hiking more at our local parks & forest preserves to get ready for camping. 
I also would love to add some yard appeal at our place, so I plan on planting a lot along the side of our building, maybe replacing a few outdoor furniture pieces, and reseeding our lawn where Carl has killed all the grass. My Lyft money will definitely be funding these projects though, because as I've been pricing items/plants/etc, I've racked up quite the wish list.
I also hope to find some time to use the outdoors for building projects like I have in the past, but that'll all depend on time allowances & such.

Well that's my list for the year, so we'll see what works out and what doesn't! Some of these things could realistically be done in a weekend, but since starting Lyft, weekends are some of my most profitable days & I haven't decided how I'll set up my summer schedule yet in that department. 

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