8 Products That Can Keep You Sane During Quarantine

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If you are tired of staying at home all day, you are not alone. Mr. FAF and I have been working from home since March while taking care of our kids. Every weekend, the question we keep asking ourselves seems to always stay the same: “What are we doing for fun this weekend?”

My weekend routine consists of the usual cleaning, watching kids, cooking, and even working if I have a lot going on. We have explored pretty much all the parks in our area. Hanging out with friends and neighbors is tempting but not advisable.

But we have to look on the bright side of things, right? Today, I will tell you about the eight products that have kept me company and happy during the quarantine.

I love my husband and kids, and I know spending time with them should be my priority. But we can agree that we all need a break from each other every once in a while.

1. Lenovo ThinkPad

This Lenovo ThinkPad is my company-issued laptop, and I use it at least eight hours a day. It comes with touch-screen and face-recognition features, and I absolutely love it.

It saves me so much time when I don’t have to type in the password to log in. I just sit in front of the computer and have my face recognized as my signature. Boom! I’m signed in.

I know a lot of people, especially software developers, love MacBooks. But I’m a PC kind of person. In fact, I bought a MacBook on Black Friday last year and had a hard time trying to figure out how to use it.

In the end, there was an issue with the audio, so I ended up returning the MacBook and never look back.

2. ThinkVision monitors

I got two ThinkVision monitors from my company. Previously, I got a small used Dell monitor from the Buy Nothing group in my area.

I thought that was all I needed and almost didn’t request the two monitors from my company. I didn’t want to waste the company’s resources since I didn’t think I’d need the extra equipment.

However, after having two monitors hooked up with my laptop and having three screens, I feel like my life has changed forever. I don’t have to click back and forth as much to nagivate between different websites and tabs. The two monitors have greatly increased my productivity.

3. Apple IPhone SE (unlocked)

Mr. FAF is a Apple product fanatic. He has a MacBook, Apple earpods, an iPhone, and an Apple watch. When my $200 Amazon Fire phone gave its last breath, he insisted I need an iPhone for better security and phone quality.

We have a phone plan with T-mobile, hence the unlocked feature. He decided on the new iPhone SE (unlocked) which was on sale for $399. I use this phone every day to listen to podcasts and YouTube videos when I prep food or do housework.

I honestly don’t need an iPhone for that. Hopefully, the phone will last me longer than the other brands.

4. Apple earpods

This is another Apple product Mr. FAF insisted that I should get for months. Initially, I thought these earpods were a luxury, especially because I was quite happy with my $29 Apple earphones.

However, after my old phone dropped a couple of times when I was listening to podcasts while cleaning, I decided to give this product a try.

I have to say this is one of the best electronic products I have tried so far. I can listen to music and podcasts while cleaning the house or doing the dishes without having to worry about where to put my phone.

I feel like I can multitask more and have listened to countless personal finance and coding podcasts while doing housework with these earpods.

5. Baby playpen

This has to be a life saver for us during this quarantine. With a two-year-old who wants to run around the house, put everything in her mouth, and touch anything she can lay her hands on, this baby playpen helps keep our baby in a safe area of the house.

We use two playpens to create a big space in the living room for our baby and put a lot of toys in it for her entertainment. Whenever I need to work or do housework while our baby is awake, I will just put her in the playpen. She might cry for a couple of minutes but will eventually start playing with the toys.

I can’t say enough how this product has kept our parent sanity in check since March this year.

6. Dishwasher

We have been able to save so much time by using the dishwasher we used to use as a drying rack for the dishes. Instead of spending 20 minutes or more doing the dishes twice a day, now we spend five minutes loading the dishes and spend the extra 30 minutes or more working or taking a break.

7. My personal finance blog

With physical contact cut off from pretty much everyone except for my family during the quarantine, I find myself wanting to express my thoughts and sharing my stories and tips on this blog even more.

Blogging is a great way to stay connected with an audience. As I’m approaching my fourth year blogging anniversary, I’m also planning to turn my blog into a side business for some extra income on the side.

I started monetizing Frugal Asian Finance in November 2019, and so far I have made four figures from this blog over the year. It’s not a big number per se, but it’s proof that blogging can generate an income for you while you are doing something that brings you joy.

I started my blog on BlueHost for just $3.99 per month (full refund within the first 30 days) and then moved it to SiteGround when my blog grew bigger.

8. YouTube

I absolutely love YouTube! YouTube is my go-to place to learn about and explore different lifestyles and interests (i.e. tiny house, van life, cooking, coding).

There was one period of six months or so when I barely checked YouTube since I was focused on changing careers. But now that my life is more balanced, I listen to YouTube videos while taking a break from working or while doing housework.

My YouTube subscriptions reflect the different phases of my passion and obsessions. Thanks to YouTube, I have learned more about real estate, coding, cooking, makeup, fashion, tiny houses, van life, and house repairs.

I feel like no matter what legit key words I type into YouTube, I will find some high quality content to watch. YouTube has kept me company during this quarantine when I want to explore new interests and see what other content creaters are making.

Conclusion

The 8 products above are both physical and digital. They have provided me so much value, especialy during the quarantine. Some products are pricey (i.e. laptop, earpods), but some are inexpensive and even free like blogging and YouTube.

I hope you will be able to find ways to keep yourself and your family happy and healthly during this time. And whatever you decide to do or purchase, don’t forget to check your budget first. Your bank account and your future self will thank you later.

Join Us For The Latest Update!