The coronavirus came like a storm and destroyed our world as much as it could. Some would say that I am exaggerating the situation, but I am certainly not.
- Take into consideration the number of people whose health has suffered because of it; 6.8 million worldwide as of June 8, 2020.
- Take into consideration the number of people who have succumbed to the disease and lost their lives because of it; 397,000 across the globe.
- Take into consideration the number of people who have lost their livelihood because the economy was put on a stall because of it; probably in millions, yet unknown.
After looking at these, can you possibly tell me that the virus has not wreaked havoc on our lives and our finances?
Even though the nationwide lockdown has been revoked and businesses are opening back up, the financial ramifications for the virus cannot be unturned any time soon.
The insurmountable losses that both businesses and employees have suffered during these heart-wrenching times cannot be recovered any time soon.
Who is to Blame?
The sad part is there isn’t a single being on the planet, which can be blamed for the atrocities the virus has caused.
The Chinese?
There have been theories proposed that the Chinese developed this virus, but can you ever know for sure? Even if they did, what anyone can do now, waging war against that nation will only lead to more losses, both of life and funds because war isn’t cheap.
And what would it mean for me, an average worker from Birmingham, who lost close to everything during the pandemic?
The answer is absolutely nothing. Instead, I stand a chance to lose my brother, who is in the British Army, and would be fighting a war if there is one.
Not only this, losing the war would mean that the general public would have to pay more taxes to pay for it. It would be another financial setback for us. How else do you think the government will get the funds?
China may or may not be the culprit. We can never be sure. Just based on a theory, we cannot target one of the most powerful nations in the world.
The British Government?
Some people say that our government is equally at fault. They should have predicted something like would happen and warned us much in advance.
I think this reasoning is equally flawed.
Yes, the government had the example of Italy in front of it. Yes, thinking that it should have done more is not inappropriate.
However, what could it do more?
- The government imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the virus in March. People went into financial shocks because of it.
- The government set aside a contingency fund, double the previous size, to battle the pandemic. For whom?
- The government is providing unemployment aid worth £2,500 to all the workers who have lost their jobs, until October 2020.
- The government lifted the shutdown when it knew that the people were suffering more from it than without it.
I am not sure what else it could do to make the situation less frightening and troublesome than it already is.
I would also like to say that our government has done everything it possibly could to help its citizens. You can search up what all the other governmental bodies have done in the world, and you would realise that ours did not fall short on even a single aspect.
So, playing the blame game is not the solution you might be seeking to overcome the financial losses you might have faced.
However, you can learn from other people’s battles and take lessons for the future.
Learning by Examples
There are hundreds and thousands of people in our nation who suffered immensely in the present pandemic. This was suffering that could never have been avoided.
Maybe it was God’s will to teach us a lesson and value life and its freedom. He has given us.
Yet, some people took the pandemic as a challenge and overcame it like a pro.
Here are two such stories.
The Inside Help
A 28-year young man sold his precious bike to supplement his income in the pandemic when his boss asked him to go on unpaid leave until the pandemic ended.
He knew that having food on the table was much more important than owning a bike that he cannot even ride during the turbulent present.
When the lockdown was lifted, his boss called him back, and now he owns an electric bike, which isn’t bad.
The Outside Help
A 45-year-old woman lost her job because her firm did not have the funds to keep her. The business was so low. She couldn’t do anything about it.
She applied for government benefits, but they weren’t enough. Her prescription pills and insulin shots were so expensive that she barely had anything left after paying for them.
She applied for the loans for unemployed without a guarantor. She did to help her get by during the pandemic, and it did. Soon after, she got a freelancing job that she still has. She may not ever want to go back to her corporate job now.
Winding Up
There are so many more stories in the world that will motivate you to keep going. Yes, the present has been nothing short of a tragedy, but the future need not be.
For that, you have to manage your finances.
- Sell the things that you already have.
- Get loans, if you are eligible.
- Start rationing and stop unnecessary spending.
These are just a few ways to improve your financial health in the pandemic. It is still up to you to work things out. If your finances are looking good in the present, then your future is bound to look amazing.
Description
The pandemic is always on everyone’s mind. People look up the coronavirus toll at least once a day. People also blame anyone and everyone for the havoc the virus has caused. Is it justified?