I’m baaaaccckkkkk!!!! Did you miss me?

Well guess what? I missed you too!

Had to take a break to batten down the hatches and get things under control at the home front.

Like many other folks out here, I had to stop everything and readjust to life in the pandemic.

March 13, 2020 will go down as a day in infamy.

It went from getting up and going about my day to lock everything down, close up shop, HIDE the wife, HIDE the kids, and LOCK THE DOORS!

Who would have thought that this would still be wreaking havoc on so many of our daily lives almost a year later?

The year 2020 sink into the abyss.

While the fat cats on Wall Street got richer, many of the regular working stiff got the shaft. I ain’t here to put anyone down. I’m here to lift people up.

I want to get you to the places where you want to go. So I am going to show you how the rich are doing it. I know that talking about building wealth during a pandemic may seem callous, but know this, one day the pandemic will end.

And if you are tired of living hand-to-mouth and paycheck-to-paycheck, then you better listen up. I’m trying to change your money mindset to one of sheer hope and abundance dammit!

I feel like Kanye and his song Jesus Walks when he rapped the lyrics,” I ain’t here to argue about his facial features. I’m here to convert atheist’s into believers.” Many will doubt me. But some will listen. And to those that do, your life will change.

I have so many posts on ice that I didn’t even know where to start. So I figured I would just dive right in.

My 5-step plan for surviving COVID.

Number One you need shelter.

If you are beefing or in any type of conflict with your roommates or partner, now is the time to kiss and make up.

This cannot be over-stressed that you need a roof over you head. I saw a ton of chatter online about people not knowing they need to sign a form and submit it to their landlord to stop any possible eviction due to limited funds or no income.

Reach out to local housing authorities, neighbors, 7 on your side or even your Congressman if it will help you. If you can’t afford an apartment, see if you can rent a room. This is top priority. You cannot stay safe without 4 walls and a roof.

Number Two you need food.

Whether it is a local grocery store, Instacart, or a food pantry, doesn’t really matter. You must have food to live.

Stock up on fruits, veggies, milk, bread, and eggs. Anything that helps you make a quick meal. You just need to survive this.

This too shall pass.

Number three you get the household in order.

Forget putting water in the pool, watering the grass, or landscaping.

You have to conserve everything.

You never know when a freak storm or accident could make things more difficult. So limit and cut any unnecessary spending and home maintenance.

Number four you need an emergency fund.

Don’t kid yourself into thinking the government or unemployment is going to save you. It’s not.

Any place you can pull resources from do it!

Even if you do cash advances on a credit card, a cash-out home refinance, or personal loan.

You need MONEY IN THE BANK!

Money is the only legal tender with which to pay bills.

My suggestion is to have a minimum of $5k at all times just in case.

Number five keep stacking that dough.

If you are one of the lucky ones that still have a job or are working from home (about 30 million Americans lost jobs), then you have something to work with.

Keep contributing to your retirement and savings accounts. Do not stop. This fund will be what allows you to one day retire.

Don’t slack now, if you do not have to.

I’ll leave you with this tidbit.

The stock market has averaged over 11 percent from 1975 to 2015.

Over those 40 years, the stock market has minted many millionaires. You could be one of them, as long as you keep stacking and stay the course.

And if you need motivation, tweet me. I’ll be @mjp2520 on twitter.

Talk to you soon.