Last week I started my Money Diary as I was exhausting my unemployment benefits. I’d filed for the 13 week unemployment extension on my state benefits on that Monday after my 12 week original unemployment benefits had come to an end two days prior on Saturday. This weeks diary picks up where that one left off.
So, What’s Up With My Unemployment Extension?
I ended last week wondering 2 questions: 1. The length of time it will take to get the first unemployment extension payment and 2. Do unemployment extension benefits count for still receiving the last 2 weeks of the $600 federal payment?
Shortly after my Money Diary went live last week, I received an email letting me know my unemployment extension application was approved to receive my additional $90 payment per week through October. Tiny but better than nothing. On yesterday, I filed my weekly certification per usual and this afternoon, I received my unemployment check for $690 as I have for the past 12 weeks preceding it. With this, we have the answer to both questions … it took a few hours for them to process the application, there wasn’t a lapse in payment from one week of regular benefits to the next of extended, and yes, the $600 federal payment IS still included in the remainder of July payments.
Keep in mind I received my last regular check on that Monday and applied for extension benefits the very same day as the deposit as that meant my benefits were officially exhausted, so if you’re planning to apply for an extension, don’t delay!
How’d This Week Go?
Well, the first week is always the hardest and while I do check my bank account every single morning, I didn’t track my spending as well as I should have for the purposes of keeping a diary. I’ll do better next week.
Sunday
My daughter and I flew to Boston for a 2 week stay. She had a previously scheduled surgery planned for Friday the 17th and, after consulting with the surgeon and doctor, we decided to go through with it. Because she had appointments scheduled for everyday leading up to the surgery, we flew in on this day. We utilize an amazing organization, Angel Flight, for plane tickets to and from her Boston Children’s appointments, so the tickets weren’t an expense we had to worry about.
Two weeks is quite a lengthy period of time to pay for a hotel but pre-Covid-19, I worked part time for a popular hotel chain and, even though I’m furloughed, I still get the benefit of my hotel discount.
I grabbed Taco Bell for dinner. I have a hardcore crush on the $5 Chalupa Box and was SO disappointed to realize not only did this location not have it, the box that was being advertised as $5 also wasn’t $5, it was $6.49! I ended up just getting the 3 soft taco combo and being incredibly disappointed because my tacos were wet as if they pulled the lettuce straight out of water … I guess this means it was clean … maybe. It also meant I was highly disappointed and will likely break off my love affair with Taco Bell, especially since I’m working my way to being a vegetarian again anyway.
I got my daughter vegetable fried rice from the Chinese restaurant closest to the hotel. The menu in the window said one, while the price rang up $4 more … major side eye.
2 plane tickets to Boston: $0
Taco Bell: $6.94
Chinese: $11.72
Monday
I woke up early to go to my favorite Boston coffeehouse, Jaho, to get some work done and grabbed a Red Velvet Hot Chocolate for my daughter and me.
After my daughter woke up, we took a trip to Primark to get button up pajamas and shirts that would be easier to wear post surgery as well as some lightweight sports bras that would give her a bit of support but not hurt her incisions.
Thinking we would be getting around via subway and bus, per usual, and staying as long as we were, I purchased a 7-day metro pass only to find out afterward you don’t have to pay for the buses at the moment because they’re loading from the back to avoid Covid-19 exposure to the drivers as much as possible … whoomp, whoomp.
We made our way to the hospital about 30 minutes late and had dinner during my daughter’s IVIG appointment, which was automatically charged to her insurance.
Jaho total: $12.64
Primark total: $100.77
7-day pass: $22.50
Tuesday
We spent the vast majority of the day in the room until later in the afternoon when we decided to grab lunch from Wendy’s to have in the park prior to the hospital. The entrance to the subway was actually right near where we were sitting, but I missed the fact there are 4 different green lines and we got on the wrong one. To give myself some credit, I did realize as soon as we started moving but it did cause a bit of a delay at the next stop trying to get my bearings and we were even later than the day before mildly late today as well.
Wendy’s: $11.65
Wednesday and Thursday
We didn’t really go anywhere on these days because my daughter was having horrible headaches from her Monday and Tuesday procedures, so they’re getting lumped together.
I didn’t want her to suffer on the train, so we took a Lyft to her early morning appointments. I really felt like it was money well spent because she got to sleep in and I could tell she was feeling horrible from her 2 days of IVIG.
We did, actually, go to McDonald’s on Wednesday night and Tasty Burger for dinner on Thursday but my daughter was too nauseous to eat her food both days … whoomp, whoomp yet again.
Lyft for both days: $24
McDonald’s: $10.05
Tasty Burger: $15.09
Friday
We checked out of the hotel today because my daughter’s surgery is at 7 am. I didn’t make the next reservation to start until the 21st thinking we’d be in the hospital for 3 to 4 days and I didn’t want to pay for a room I wasn’t going to be stepping foot in for days.
We took a Lyft to the hospital because it was so early, cold, and starting to rain, plus we had bags for the stay.
I got an omelet for breakfast in the hotel cafeteria and I have to say, it was pretty darn yummy.
I had a chicken pesto blt for dinner, which also came from the cafeteria … I’d get it again but it wasn’t my favorite meal of the stay.
Hotel for Sunday through today: $302.30
Lyft: $12
Omelet: $3.99
Chicken pesto blt: $6.99
Saturday
We were in the hospital and while I did eat, my daughter really didn’t as she was feeling nauseous due to her surgery. The food I had was charged to the room to later show up on the hospital bill.
She ended up getting discharged later in the evening and, naturally, we took a Lyft back to the hotel but her father paid for it.
This is the first day I didn’t actually take out my wallet for anything.
What Now?
I definitely had some things I purchased that I slightly regretted later, like the metro pass. It was only slight regret because the subway wasn’t free, just the buses. Even with those, the bus wasn’t as reliable in terms of time like it has been in the past, so we really did prefer the subway.
With the addition of the 2 $600 payments, that’ll be $1200 extra I wasn’t planning to have and will take care of rent and utilities for the month of August. This also means I still, presently, have 3 months of savings. The hotel stay didn’t detract from the 3 month amount because I’d already put the money I knew I would need for the trip in a separate account, which didn’t having anything to do with money I would need for rent and utilities.
