Sharing your COVID Cookies

No one could predict the year we’ve had - toilet paper almost became a new form of currency, people got used to waiting in line to enter stores (even when it wasn’t Black Friday), and we embraced Zoom as the ultimate digital connection platform.

When shelves were void of toilet paper, they were also void of something else:  flour. With extra time at home people went back to basics in many ways, including baking - and they couldn’t stop. People ended up making more baked goods than a single household could eat (seriously, it's actually possible), and then something wonderful happened. 

One morning, I found a box of cookies sitting on my front step because my friends had made too much and wanted to share. I loved it for two reasons:  one, they were oatmeal chocolate chip; and two, it demonstrated that even though we were all locked in our homes, people were still finding ways to create moments with their friends and families. 

But more importantly, it was a wonderfully simple way to re-establish some control at a time when everyone felt powerless. And then people started to make those changes with their spending, too. Those retirement dollars were spent on home renovations and landscaping, and for some people, on cottages, instead of travel.

And now, COVID and its impact on our lives continues, I’ve noticed something. There are empty calendars everywhere and people are feeling a “nothingness.”  We’re used to there being something on the horizon that keeps us anticipating tomorrow, whether it’s a trip, a family get-together, or coffee with a friend. I’ve even had a few retired clients say “I wish I had some work to do,” just to have something more in their calendars. 

We can put a better twist on this for 2021. Since travel is still limited, you don’t really want to go back to work, and there are only so many house projects you can do, it’s time to start thinking about sharing some COVID cookies.

Finding ways to give can give each of us something to look forward to, and with 2021 shaping up to be the year of giving, now is the time to start thinking about how that can be meaningful to you. First, you don’t have to be wealthy to do it. It’s about giving some of what you’ve worked hard to save to a family member, charity or cause that means something to you. While we can’t control many other aspects in our life right now, this is one innately human trait that we can - whether or not you still run out and stock up on flour ;).

I recently completed some planning with a couple working through this very issue, and who then decided to make a gift to each of their four kids. Rather than gather everyone together and give the gifts all at once (the usual way), they’ve decided to meet with each child separately (when COVID allows) and share their gifts with them over the next year. They now have four pretty cool experiences to look forward to that aren’t travelling or completing another project in their own home, and more importantly, they get to enjoy seeing their kids use the money they’ve been able to give.

Everyone I work with is more than able to do this. It doesn’t need to be big, but it doesn’t need to be small, either. Give some thought to what sharing a “COVID cookie” might look like for you, and let's make that our plan for next year.