20+ Productive Things to Do at Home During COVID

 
The world has changed since COVID.

Everyone has had a different experience, but one thing many can relate to is being stuck at home.

Sporting events, concerts, and many social activities have been put on hold until there is a vaccine or some intermediate treatment that can provide us with antibodies to fight COVID.

At the beginning of COVID many people tried new things (where are all the bread bakers out there?). But as the months dragged on and people started to realize COVID wasn’t going anywhere it became more and more difficult to be productive.

Which brings me to an important point: we are in a pandemic. Tens of millions of Americans are out of work. You do not need to be productive during a pandemic!

Simply getting through this difficult period in our nations history is a win.

Take things day-by-day if you need to. I certainly have taken this approach.

With that being said, many people want to find ways to be productive while they are stuck at home. After all, this could extend to Spring 2021 – or further.

For me it has meant reflecting on my long-term side hustle goals. Do I want to write another book? Create a course? Create a business plan for a new startup? Now seems to be the time to give some mental energy towards it.

During the Spring/Summer/Fall I also want to spend as much time as possible working on my yard, since the Winter can be difficult. Then I can switch to indoor home projects during the Winter.

Perhaps you have a more general goal of doing something productive with your time. If this is you, you’ve come to the right place. Below are a number of ideas of productive things to do at home during COVID.

Deep Clean and Organize Your Home

 
When was the last time you gave your home a thorough deep clean? Since you’re spending more time at home, it makes sense to make your home a clean and organized space!

Start with deep cleaning your home. We’re talking about washing the curtains, shampooing the carpets, wiping down the baseboards, and washing the windows. Deep cleaning can take some time, especially if you have a large home, so you may find it easiest to clean one room at a time.

Next, focus on organizing your home. Start with one room at a time and organize all drawers, shelves, and any other area that tends to collect clutter. It will make being at home so much more enjoyable. If you need additional motivation, ask yourself when will your calendar ever be this empty? Now is your opportunity to organize everything you have put off.

Read

 
There’s no shortage of books to read and things to learn. Some may say this isn’t necessarily a “productive” way to spend your time, but to that I would say that reading can expand your mind and expose you to new ideas.

For a digital approach to reading, you can subscribe to apps like Kindle and Libby for a minimal monthly cost.

Many libraries are now open. The one that we go to has offered contact-less pickup of materials since April. All you need to do is browse books on your library website and request them. When they are ready you can go pick them up without coming within six feet of another human. Many libraries are offering a similar type of service today, and I would encourage you to take advantage of your free time to read something you maybe otherwise wouldn’t have made time for.

Start a Side Hustle

 
Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business? While you may not be able to leave home, there are plenty of online businesses you can start right from your laptop!

Whether you’re interested in blogging, freelance writing, graphic design, coding, becoming a virtual assistant, or something else, there is no shortage of ways to make money online. Check out our huge list of 50+ online and at home side hustle ideas to get started.

As an added bonus, the extra money you make from a side hustle can go towards bulking up your emergency fund, paying off debt, or building up your investments.

Create Healthy Habits

 
Being home for the foreseeable future can get tough mentally, which is why prioritizing your health is of utmost importance.

Establishing a new routine isn’t always easy, but you can start by prioritizing new healthy habits. Now that you don’t have to commute to work, can you get up in the morning to workout? Can you set your own bedtime so you ensure you’re still getting plenty of sleep? And why not try your hand at learning how to cook since most restaurants are closed?

Prioritizing your health is important to care for yourself during COVID. But better yet, the healthy habits you establish during this time can create a healthier you for years to come.

Put your Bills on Auto-pay

 
If you don’t already, take an hour to set up as many of your bills on auto-payment as possible. This could be your rent, mortgage, utilities, phone bill, and any other number of recurring bills. You can even put your monthly credit card payment on auto-drive.

This will help you avoid getting hit with a late fee, which can be costly both from the cost of the fee as well as your credit score. By having your bills on auto pay you can also shift all your spending to the credit card that gives you the best rewards. Which brings me to my next idea…

Make Money on Credit Card Rewards

 
While travel may be on hold during COVID in all but the most necessary situations, that doesn’t mean you can’t reap the benefits of credit card rewards.

A good example I have is my recent trip to Asia where my wife and I saved over $2,000 on flights and hotels by using credit card rewards.

Both sign-up bonuses and ongoing rewards can be beneficial.

For example if you sign up for the the Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card and spend $500 within the first three months of account opening you will be given a $200 statement credit. But you will also receive ongoing perks, such as 1.5% cash back on every transaction. There is also no annual fee for this card.

Another example is the Chase Reserve credit card. With this card you will earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, which is equivalent to $750 towards travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You can also transfer 1:1 to partners, such as United Airlines. You also get a $300 travel credit each year with this card, as well as access to a network of airport lounges. This card does come with a $550 annual fee, but the sign-up bonus and travel credit outweighs the cost.

Now you may be leery of signing up for a travel credit card until there is an end in sight for COVID. If that is the case, the sign-up bonus of a statement credit that comes with Chase Freedom Unlimited® may be more attractive.

Sign up for an Online (High Yield) Savings Account

 
For those who have an emergency fund or a savings account, one of the biggest mistakes they make is keeping it in an account with 0.01% interest rate (trust me – I made this mistake for years). There are a high-yield savings accounts available that you can take advantage of. They are easy to sign up for and the difference can be hundreds of dollars of interest that you otherwise are missing out on.

For example you can sign up for a CIT Bank high-yield savings account (which is the savings account I use myself) that is going to be much, much, MUCH more than 0.01%. You should absolutely do this if you have cash sitting in a savings account making you almost no money in interest.

Learn a New Hobby

 
If you’re like me, you have had hobbies you dreamed about doing someday, but could never seem to find the time to start. Sound like you? If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new skill now is the time!

Some ideas include:

• Woodworking
• Cooking
• Sewing
• Running

For ideas for hobbies to try during COVID, check out our list 20+ ideas for hobbies.

Organize Your Digital Files

 
If your home is already organized, why not spend time organizing your digital files?

Between cell phones, computers, emails, photos, and more, it’s easy for our digital files to become a mess. Create digital folders for everything, and spend time sorting through your files. It will make your digital life less cluttered and you will thank yourself in 2021 when life gets a lot busier once COVID slows down.

Start Tracking your Income and Spending

 
Many inside and outside of the personal finance space point to budgeting as the first step in managing your money better. But in reality they skipped a step: tracking your income and expenses.

If you don’t know how much you currently spend each month on a category such as restaurants, how can you possibly budget?

So instead of starting a budget, first track your income and expenses for the past three months and see what your average spend is for things like rent/mortgage, clothes, and groceries. Once you have that you can set a reasonable budget.

You can do this manually by logging into various credit card and bank accounts and combining it all in a spreadsheet, or you can use a service like Tiller that aggregates this data real-time. learn more about Tiller here.

Update Your Resume

 
When’s the last time you updated your resume? Even if you aren’t actively job searching anytime soon, it’s always a good idea to have an up-to-date resume on hand.

Add any relevant experience you’ve gained since last updating your resume. Don’t forget to edit and proofread content you already have! And double check on your resume’s style and formatting. Could it be updated for a more refreshing and appealing look?

While you’re at it, go ahead and update your LinkedIn profile as well.

Watch a Documentary

 
Sure, you likely have already made your way through several Netflix series binges, but what about documentaries?

Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu offer a huge selection of documentaries covering everything from nature to history, current events, biographies, health, and more.

Catch Up With Friends

 
Have friends you’ve lost touch with? No matter how much time has gone by, the pandemic is the perfect excuse to give them a call to see how they are doing.

And even if you haven’t lost touch with people, COVID likely has caused you to not see even if your closest friends for well over a hundred days. Reach out and set up some time to connect on the phone, over Zoom, or in person (in a socially distanced setting, of course!).

Spending a few minutes catching up with a friend is the perfect way to break up the monotony of quarantine and boost your mood.

Work on a Home Project

 
As I mentioned earlier I have spent a lot of time on home projects this Summer, and I continue to use it as a distraction during COVID – at least as long as the Summer and Fall months last. Once the snow starts falling I will shift to interior projects, which can be as small as changing a light fixture or as big as laying new flooring and trim. Whatever you decide to do, now might be the best time to be working on a home project, as schedules may get a bit busy once a COVID vaccine is in place.

I realize you may currently be a renter. If this is you and you are considering buying a home soon, I recommend spending time learning as much as you can about home maintenance and what renovations entail. I arguably jumped into a fixer-upper without having an appreciation of how expensive subcontractors are. This mean doing more of the work myself, which can be beneficial but also super frustrating.

Start A Blog

 
Most people have, at one time or another, thought of an idea for a blog. But many people never get started.

COVID may actually be one of the better times to dive into blogging. Blogging has a pretty big learning curve. It also takes free time to actually produce content, not to mention manage social media and all the other things that go with blogging.

Many social events are cancelled and people are spending way more time at home during COVID. Why not take this opportunity to give a blogging a try? I give step-by-step directions on how to quickly get started in a recent post about starting a blog during COVID.

Create a Student Loan Strategy

 
For some couples, simply filing your taxes properly can create an annual cash flow of $10k+ that otherwise would have gone to student loan payments. And that’s just one year.

For some individuals, refinancing private student loans can result in thousands saved over the life of the loans.

And for individuals who are eligible for student loan forgiveness, being strategic about their student loans may cause a six figure positive net worth swing that takes years off their working life.

Check out my book Student Loan Solution: 5 Steps to Take Control of your Student Loans and Financial Life to see which strategies you would benefit from.

Cut Cable – If You Haven’t Already

 
Millions of people have already cut cable, but others are holding out. For some the issue was live sports. For others there was specific channels that weren’t part of streaming packages.

I can assure you that no longer is an issue. Live sports are widespread across offerings like Sling and YouTube TV. Some of the packages are starting to approach the cost of cable, but even with that being the case it can be worth it to never have to haggle over prices again. I personally have spent hours and hours of my life going back and forth with my cable provider. Now with the new services available I know I’m getting the same pricing as everyone else and can start and stop at any time.

Read my step-by-step guide to how to cut cable in 2020.

Try a New Workout

 
I won’t lie: I’ve struggled with not going to the gym since March.

Thankfully the weather in Minnesota has been nice enough to run outside, but that simply won’t be possible once Winter hits.

I’ve also struggled with “only” running as my workout. I was used to lifting weights twice a week before COVID, and I likely won’t be back to the gym until after COVID.

One thing I did to remedy this was try an at-home workout for the first time, kickboxing to be specific. My wife and I have done this workout from time-to-time, and I imagine in the Winter I’ll end up doing this once a week or more.

Go on a Hike

 
Assuming the weather allows it, consider going on a hike. With trips cancelled and people needing a break from being stuck at home, many are discovering – or re-discovering – parks within driving distance of their home.

An app that I have found incredibly useful for hiking is AllTrails.com. In the website or app you can search for hikes near a geographic area. You will see various details about each hike such as how difficult it is, how far of a distance you’ll have to go, and reviews from people who have hiked it.

Give Your Opinion & Take Surveys

 
Companies spend huge sums of money to get market research data. The big secret is that consumers who give their opinions to these companies oftentimes are getting paid to do so.

Taking surveys and giving your opinion can be a nice way to make money while you are sitting on the couch watching TV. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out our post with a big list of survey websites.

Get a Handle on Debt

 
All debt isn’t the same, nor is everyone’s financial situation the same. For example, $100k in federal student loans is vastly different than $100k in credit card debt. A $30k car loan is different for someone with $200k a year in income versus someone who makes $50k.

That’s why I never advocate for a one-size-fits-all approach to debt.

If you have debt that you want to get a handle on, here are some posts you may find useful:

Options for Dealing with a Large Unexpected Expense

When to Use a Personal Loan to Pay off Credit Card Debt

Working with a Debt Lawyer: What to Expect

How to Deal with Debt on a Low Income

Student Loan Solution: 5 Steps to Take Control of your Student Loans and Financial Life

Clean Up Your Social Media Profiles

 
Do you remember what you tweeted ten years ago? Me neither. Yet day after day we hear new reports of social media posts being unearthed from years ago that people didn’t even remember making.

It’s good practice to go through your old social media posts and profiles from time-to-time and clean them up, even if you are confident that you’ve never posted something that an employer may deem inappropriate. Take some time to delete old posts and check the security settings on your profiles.

Look Into Life Insurance

 
After being married for a few years I knew that life insurance was something that would be worthwhile. I ended up putting it off for years, though, because I never prioritized it.

With the extra time that COVID has afforded us you may want to consider setting aside some time to get a free life insurance rate quote and learn more about the process. To start you can read my post Why and How I got a Million Dollar Life Insurance Policy at 27 or head to PolicyGenius to get free quotes form multiple life insurance companies all in one place.

Check out some of our favorite personal finance resources:

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