COVID has been good for us - surely we aren't the only ones?

I know a lot of people have suffered tremendously from the pandemic but, 2 years on, I can honestly say that COVID has been good for us.

1. Financially (now vs 2 years ago)

• Super Balance:- up 22.3% (we are retired, drawing the mandatory minimum pension)
• Net Worth:- up 17.8%
• Loan Portfolio:- down 69.2% (mainly due to us downsizing)
• Cash Reserves:- down $79,200 ($63,900 was spent on renovating new PPOR and our pension payments were reduced to 2% and 2.5%, down from 4% and 5%)

2. Mental Health

• We are in great shape.
• We were lucky (if one can call it that) in that we had some pre-COVID training with the wife having breast cancer in 2016/17, 3/4 of her colon removed in 2018 and fracturing her back last year.
• So, since late 2016, it has been a habit for us to social-distance, sanitise everything (shopping trolleys, tables when we eat out, ...). We never thought of wearing masks before COVID but we found that a small imposition.
• With 5 years experience under our belts, we are very comfortable taking personal responsibility for our health, being agile/flexible with our plans, ...

3. Physical Health

• We are in reasonably shape, both of us have put on a few COVID kilos (we also blaming aging for this phenomena ).
• Otherwise, we haven't caught anything no colds, no flu, no COVID (so far), ...

3. Only COVID Negatives

• We haven't seen our kids, their partners and our four grandchildren (they all live in Melbourne and we live on the GC) as much we had planned/would have liked.
• When we retired, we planned on having at least one top-shelf overseas holiday every year. Our last one was over 5 years ago (in August 2016 before the wife was diagnosed with breast cancer). So COVID has impacted that plan.
• In reality, these are first world problems.

Surely, we aren't the only ones who have had a good run the last two years. It would be great to hear from others who have had similar experiences.

BTW, I am not advocating that the world should have a major pandemic on a frequent basis, once every 100 years is more than frequent enough.

 

Totally ok on my end too.
* WFH is comfortable and saving time
* Saving money in general - no trains and purchased lunches
* I can still go unicycling even in lockdown
* Could explore and ride bush tracks close to home
* I'm quite happy with mostly staying at home

I lost upper body strength and core strength during the Sydney lockdown but got it back eventually.

 

For me, financial health is great and has improved since the pandemic.

However, my mental health is shot.

I’d say the pandemic hasn’t been good for me.

 

I'm a massive introvert - and even I'm starting to feel twitchy ... in a thumb twiddling holding pattern kinda way ... after two years.

Even physical health hasn't been great due to my motivational walking partner being laid out for 5 months due to this virus

 

Really hard to live like a hermit.. even for those who are introverts.

 

I think - with Omi going thru the populous like a Bondi Tram, hot/muggy summer conditions making outside uncomfortable, post Christmas "now what?" and my exercise partner out of action - I'm feeling more bunkered down than when we were in lockdown

 

I am feeling the lack of exercise and finding it hard to get fit again. Financially OK, lost some income when dividends took a dive but expect that to recover.
My daughter lost her job and her granny flat 2 years ago so is living with us, so there are 3 of us [mum and 2 adult children] daughter is working now and says Newcastle is growing on her, so she may stay. Am very lucky as son takes care of the lawns etc and daughter helps around the house.
Adult children are so much easier than young children ...

 

Living in Barcelona with no tourists for over a year was nice but apart from that one minor thing nothing good about Covid only a long list of negatives.

 

Must be a photo of @kierank

 

It’s not too bad for me either. Comfortably working from home, introvert and much prefer to spend time at outdoor places doing hiking, ocean swimming, camping, etc. I’m also in IT and feel like most in my team can really relate to the above photo .

Totally understand that it is really hard for a lot. But for others it’s quite manageable.

 

Up until the end of last month, I knew only one person who had caught COVID, on a flight from London in January 2020. She had long COVID for a long time.

So far this month, 3 x family members (2 from Qld and 1 from SA) have gone down with the virus. Now in isolation near Port Macquarie and can’t go home until recovered.

 

I think I know where you are coming from.

Between 2016 to 2019, we went into the Valley of Despair many times. The more times we went there, the better/quicker we got getting out of there.

As I posted above:

So we found COVID relatively easy to process.

I trust things will improve for you.

 

My education/career was in IT .

I was a massive introvert when I started my IT career; when I retired, I was a pain-in-the ass extrovert .

 

Was he vaxxed?

 

We were very lucky with the timing - sold a business just as Covid lockdowns began. Popped the proceeds into Stockmarket pretty much a day or two after the bottom.
Were planning on international travel, but instead visited NT and Tassie instead.
Plus I’ve picked up very well paid work as a direct result of Covid.
No real negatives for us.

 

It worked pretty well here as well. Generally Brisbane done very very well both economically and socially. Hardly any lockdowns. People generally seem to be happy, content and healthy. I like that.

I moved to our Brisbane office pre COVID. That was one year transfer only. With COVID company relaxed interstate transfers. I got approved to stay in Brissie office permanently. Yay.

Now a lot of my colleagues from Sydney are moving here as well. Which is nice.

I started hiking more. This place is mind blowingly BEAUTIFUL. Went hiking through Lamington national park and I can’t believe how beautiful the nature in SEQ is. Makes me appreciate life more.

I did notice that I am much less social. Stopped going to gym. Gained probably 5-6kg. Not my fault. I blame the ageing process

 

Whats COVID..? I live in Bondi.

 

Up to the start of this year, I had similar thoughts.

Only knew of one Aussie who had caught COVID. What’s COVID .. ? I live in Kirra.

Thanks to your Premier, my COVID contact base is 4 times larger .