Ending out week two of unemployment and some of the things I’ve learned so far:
– Illinois Department of Employment Security, not so bad to deal with. Online experience very good. Lots to complete, but simple enough process. *crossing my fingers benefits are approved*
– Sucks when this happens on the last day of the month. Our medical benefits literally stopped as of that day.
– Healthcare.Gov, similar experience as IDES, pretty good. Simple online process, quick and very user friendly IMO.
– Keeping to a routine is very important. It has made me feel pretty productive over the last two weeks.
– I can be awesome at meal planning when I want to be.
– Ebay, not so intimidating. Their app makes buying/selling straight forward. My Adventures In Ebay is going well with one sale already under my belt.
– It takes a while to get used to not being work-busy and the stress that goes along with it. I still find myself pacing the house with that caged animal feeling. I suspect this will go away as time goes on.
– You can regrow green onions over and over again by leaving the root in a glass with enough water to cover the roots. Doesn’t really pertain to unemployment, but still something I learned recently and I’m trying out. They’ve tripled in size since I started a couple on Monday!
– I don’t watch as much TV as I thought. I haven’t had the TV on once since I’ve been out of work. Not intentionally, no effort put into it, just haven’t had it on. Instead though…
– I have though been listening to music every day. I turn Pandora on in the morning and let it play all day. My top channels: Today’s Country, Rock Hits, 80’s, & Today’s Alternative.
– It’s good to take a hard look at your expenses and see where you can pull back. We have a few things we’re changing (Nicole or I will write about these soon). I wish we had done some of these earlier, wasting money is wasting money regardless of your situation.
Joe-
