I know that right now is a crazy and kind of scary time for most of us dealing with Covid-19. From trying to homeschool our kids, keep our finances in tack, and try to keep our minds from completely spinning out of control so life has gotten crazy. But I wanted to put together a list of resources for you that I’ve found helpful during this time.
Also, I wanted to mention this that if the experts are correct that Covid-19 will show up again in the Fall, we need to prepare now for it. Obviously, I don’t know if schools will close again or business shutter again. I hope they won’t but I don’t have a crystal ball. I wanted to say that if you went into this current pandemic financially unprepared, now is the time to prepare for the next wave. (Head here to this video where I talk about the things that we’re planning for in case Covid-19 shows up again.)
Online Learning Resources for Kids:
ABC Mouse – free for 30 days. I’ve used ABC Mouse for years with my kids and even though my boys are now too old for it, my daughter who is in preschool LOVES it! This has been a lifesaver for me. I set her up on my tablet with ABC Mouse while I work on the DLD learning stuff with my boys.
Adventure Academy is the older elementary learning program from ABC Mouse meant for kids in grades 2nd – 5th. We just started using this with our boys over Spring Break. It was a way to continue learning during that time. This one doesn’t have a free trial but is currently 60% off.
Reading Eggs – 2 week free trial. This is a new program that we started using earlier in the school year because my oldest is a struggling reader. So far, he really enjoys it. It’s helping our other son that actually likes to read strengthen his reading skills. I will be honest that I did not like this program for my preschool daughter. ABC Mouse works way better for her but this program does work really well for my older children.
Hooked on Phonics just $1 for first month. Okay, so we have not (yet) used Hooked on Phonics with our kids. Therefore, I can’t tell you if I think it’s worth it or not. However, I did want to share that they are offering one month of their service for just $1 right now. So if you’re in need of some extra learning support for your kids, they may be an option for you. I can tell you that my husband used Hooked on Phonics as a kid. It did help him learn to read…but that was in the 90’s so take that review for what it is. 😂
Places to Purchase Household Items:
Grove is so far the only place that I’ve been able to get cleaning supplies from consistently. Of course, this could totally change. However, so far I’ve still been able to get cold medicines and cleaning supplies (and even TP!) from them. Right now they are offering a free Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning kit for new folks. Again, not sure how long their supplies will last but wanted to share the info in case you’re struggling to find cleaning supplies.
Thrive Market right now is giving a $20 credit to new customers. I have only used them once because honestly, they are not a program I can afford to use all the time. But given the lack of supplies that we needed in our stores, I placed an order with them. I was really happy with the service. So if you’re struggling to find supplies that you need, they may be a great option to try.
Ways to Save:
If you’ve been following our family’s financial journey for a while you know that for the last 5 years I’ve been using Republic Wireless as my cell phone provider. I have absolutely LOVED their service! I only pay $20 a month for it and it works super well for us. They have several different options and plans to choose from and even have a bring your own phone option as well. So if you’re looking for ways to slash your expenses during this time, I highly encourage you to check them out.
I received a lot of emails last week about using different bill negotiation companies. I have only ever used Trim so that’s the only one I have personal experience with, but I can tell you that it was so worth using them! If you’re looking for ways to slash your expenses I encourage you to go look at Trim (or any of the other similar companies) to see if they can you some money! Also, it’s definitely worth it to give a call to your providers and see if they are offering any discounts. You could save yourself a ton of money just by making a few phone calls!
Also, if you’re looking for an online personal budgeting program, we use Personal Capital and LOVE it! It is free (there is a paid option but there is also a free option) to use and easy to set up! You can check them out here.
Okay, so these are just some of the resources that are available during this time and hopefully we’ll all be getting back to “normal” before long! Let me know if there’s anything that you’ve found helpful during this time that isn’t on this list!
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I am definitely changing the way I am paying on bills right now to be better prepared for anything unexpected or the next wave of this virus – which hopefully we won’t need but will put in place either way. Thanks for sharing some great tips and suggestions.