Since it's so easy to focus on all of the negatives of unemployment, I wanted to prepare a list of what the "perks" have been... other than the obvious of not having to work.
{Money Savings}I attribute this to pure laziness before, but we have been saving a ton of money. No more Starbucks runs, lunches out, or takeout. Our grocery bill hasn't gone up, but the amount we are spending on eating out has definitely gone down. Also, even with driving around running errands and to interviews, I haven't had to fill my car up with gas. All of these have made the loss in income a little more bearable.
{Projects Getting Done}I've had time to clean out that closet that used to drive me crazy, organize that pile of paper that was sitting in the office, and even back-up our home computer. Little things, I know. But just knowing those are complete takes a tad bit of stress away.
{More Time Together} Since the house is clean, our weekends have consisted of fun things instead of doing laundry/cleaning the bathrooms/etc. It's been really nice.
{Dogs Are in Heaven} They are loving it, obviously. They get a ton of walks, Lily hasn't eaten anything she hasn't supposed to, and Sheldon is listening so much more than he was before. It's a relief.
{Fitness}I can be doing better with this one, but I am slowly getting more active. Applying for jobs takes a good part of my day, and I feel like I'm almost busier now than I was before. However, I need to take this opportunity to focus on my health and well-being before the stress of a new job takes over.
That's all, folks. If you ever find yourself in my position -- whatever you do -- do not get sucked into daytime television. You will feel much better about yourself if you avoid it at all costs. However, make some time for Ellen, because she's the exception.