Snow Day VS. Money

We are having an ice and snow day here.  The roads are a mess and most things have been canceled.  For activities, you do not mind so much as it gives you a chance to relax at home for the day and evening.

But what about if you are supposed to go to work! 

There is nothing worse than something that forces you to threaten your life because your bills need to be paid.

So many thoughts can run through your head and make the mind hurt:

·        If I don’t show up I don’t get paid; can I afford that hit on my paycheck.

·        I know I’m a good driver, but what about the next guy; I can’t afford to wreck my car.

The base of your concern switches from safety to money simply because:

·        The loss of one [1] days’ pay for some can be devastating to their budget.

·        The loss of transportation becomes an expense they can’t afford.

So, what are some safeguards that you can apply?

·        Check in with your employer on the handling of snow days.

·        Know what is in your sick/flex day’s account.

·        Know if you can make up the time prior to months end.

·        If possible work from home via a network connection to the office.

·        Make sure you have collision insurance on your vehicle.

·        Know how much a cab or uber would cost to get you to work.

·        Know your route via bus and the time it will take to get there.

One major thing you have control over is to have an emergency fund. 

Even if it is only enough to cover one day’s pay, or alternative transportation to work, it is better than nothing.  This is especially important if you do not have any sick/flex days that you can use.

Snow days are just like sick days, and unexpected I can’t make it work days.  The loss of income when you are banking on it can cause stress and perhaps take you out when you really should have stayed home.

Creating an emergency fund is not as hard as it sounds and yet most people do not have one.  It could be something they plan to do or are working on obtaining funds to do it with.  If you haven’t already started one make a point of tucking away a few dollars this month as your snow day fund.  You will be glad you did.

For our public service workers, this is not always an option and their dedication and care should always be regarded as a gift.

Today’s Exercise:

What can you implement today that will ease your stress and relieve the potential burden the next time you need to take a day off without pay.