So there was another low-ball offer on the house, like $55K less than asking price.

We decided what our lowest sell price is ($20K less than current asking price) and did a Take It or Leave It offer with 24 hours to accept.  I'm still recovering from COVID (fatigue is lingering and some days I am more tired than others).  My realtor was surprised that I didn't comment on the kind note that the young couple wrote when they submitted the offer. My honest response was "I stopped reading when I saw how low-ball it was."

My biological father told me that real estate is all emotions, and once you take them out of the equation, you're better off.  That is true.  I've decided that it will sell in its own time, at a reasonable price, and we will not sink our cash boat that has kept afloat all the years we couldn't really afford the house.  That's where I'm at.  Tired, but hopeful.

I am going to the West Coast from the Midwest next Sunday for one week. I  am travelling with Children 1 and 4.  Child 1 has to meet with her agent and has some work lined up.  Child 4 is just coming along for the ride.  We have all had Covid.  We are all now out of quarantine for at least a month.  And this is costing next to nothing.  Round trip air fare from Chicago to Santa Ana is $97 (Spirit with one stop over in Las Vegas - going there it is 45 min, coming back it is 2 hours).  And car rental for a week is under $100.  It was $400 for three of us to fly R/T and the car rental.  We stay in my parents condo and we shop at Trader Joes and mostly eat in, except from In N Out.  

Here is just hoping a good 2021 for all of us.

Well, the house is still on the market - the initial contract fell through.  Inventory is low, but things aren't moving.  Until it sells, we remain cash poor and paycheck to paycheck living.  We did turn down a ridiculous lowball offer when four of us were in the throes of Covid.  So for now its day by day and we hope for an offer.

The residual effects of Covid for me are extreme fatigue and no taste or smell yet.  I have returned to subbing - but only for 1/2 days last week and this week I'm really feeling just too tired.  I am so happy that my kids came through it easier, maybe this is where youth is definitely on your side.  Yet another family friend passed away Sunday of Covid.  Again, can't even really talk about it to process it.  It's not denial, just self-preservation.  And then there is the reality of life with SADD.

I was going to participate in Frugalwoods Uber Frugal Month Challenges, but decided just to adopt a low-spend month.  I budgeted $500 for gas/groceries/everything else (all spending outside of mortgage and fixed bills) for the first half of the month.  I'm happy to say that we only spent $350.  The remainder I used to pay for College Student #2's books for the upcoming semester.  We also found out that the Pell Grant for College Student #1 was $3,100 rather than $700, that was a welcomed surprise.

We remain waiting for our Stimulus Payment #2 because we were part of the Tax Act-IRS fiasco.  It will be a nice addition when it arrives, supposedly to be deposited 2/1 or shortly thereafter.  

Goals for remainder of month: Maintain a spending threshold of $350 for the balance of the month for all discretionary spending.  

I am almost two weeks post diagnosis of Covid.  I am happy to say that my family has bounced back quicker than I did, and that my daughter with asthma didn't spiral badly out of control which was my greatest fear.  My cough is gone mostly and I am not only tired; the extreme fatigue tired symptoms lessened two or three days ago.  Finally today I was motivated enough to make a batch of chili and help pack up my son who is returning to his college campus.

Our stimulus was hijacked because of diffiuclties with TaxAct and the IRS.  It is claimed that the funds should be deposited into our checking account sometimes this week.  I am hopeful, as the primary residence is still on the market and we rejected a very low-ball offer.  I just need to trust that it will sell, be thankful that I have a small EF, and continue to cut corners where we can from the budget box.

My only goals this week are to drink 40 ounces of water a day, 4 NSDs, read daily, and try to get outside for a walk every day.  SADD is ususally kicking me to the curb by this time of the year, but I'm attributing the curb kicking was due to Covid.

That's it in my small corner of the world. 

Health update: All of us who have tested are positive for Covid.  I can say that I am not feeling as though I am dying quite as badly or quickly as several days ago.  The shortness of breath is the worst - and as a person who has SOB due to anxiety, this is a double-edged sword.  We are monitoring the oxygen saturation levels here and I have done a breathing treatment or two with the nebulizer, but the albuterol causes an edge.  No win situation for anyone.  But some of us are feeling better and we are receiving help from family who shop and drop.  I did watch the Queens Gambit and enjoyed it.  SO watched Cobra Kai.  We have finished a jigsaw puzzle also.  And I did get a late Christmas present in the mail which was tea.  I enjoyed that.

I also found out that my previous SIL's father died of Covid.  He was a doctor who treated patients with Covid.  He was only 73 and in good health.  I can't really talk about this pandemic anymore - might actually crush me in the process.  But I'm trying to take it one day at a time.

Goals:

1) 20 NSDs in the month of January (So far 3/3 because of illness - not discipline)

2) $3,500 in savings account (anticipated $1,800 stimulus and $1,650 rental property income and $50 from savings)

We rejected a very lowball contingent offer on the house.  Like $50K less that what the price was just dropped to) and three months.  Being too sick to even ponder about it, SO and I decided to just decline. We're hoping for a reasonable offer soon.  

Off to catch up on the blogs; hope my fellow SA-ers are doing well.