First, a few of the “fed news” focused sites often put out handy shutdown guides and information that are worth checking out (eg, https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2023/09/your-guide-pay-and-benefits-during-shutdown/390423/, https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2023/09/a-government-shutdown-qa-for-federal-employees/, https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2023/09/what-happens-to-furloughed-employees-during-a-government-shutdown/, not a news site but Reddit’s r/fednews is sometimes helpful and sometimes a mess). I’d check these out and keep a very general eye on “is the government reopening yet?” news, but not spend too much time trying to read the tea leaves on Congressional moves each day: for previous shutdowns, there have been a lot of almost-nope-nevermind-almost moments, and it’s a lot of unnecessary stress to try to divine what may or may not be happening with continuing resolutions/budgets before they happen.
Second, assume that certain things operating with federal funding may be out of commission for a bit – passport services, Smithsonian museums, national parks, etc. (Even though positions like air traffic controllers and airport TSA inspectors are usually exempt in a shutdown, if a shutdown lasts long enough, we may see issues like in the past with air travel being affected by widespread staff callouts.) Note that a lot of small parks in DC are managed by NPS and not by DC, so you may see a bit more chaos than normal around town.
Third, of course, consider your financial plans for if the shutdown lasts for weeks vs. days and you both aren’t working. Do you have any doctor’s appointments coming up in the event that a shutdown lasts for over a month? Do you have several months’ rent/food/gas money in savings? (Sounds like you are all set on this one.) Are you close to anyone who might need help, like other contractors who might not be getting paid? (People interviewing for fed contractor positions: ask in your interviews about what happens to your role during a shutdown!) If you do need financial help, talk to your landlord/bank/etc., because finance people in DC understand shutdown circumstances and may be able to give you leeway.
Fourth, shutdowns can be a stressful time in DC. I try to keep a bit of structure to my days so that I’m getting out of the house, exercising, seeing people, catching up on books, etc. See if any orgs near you need volunteers, think about donating blood, or consider any day trips out of town you might want to take if you have time. Take care of yourself, try to filter out the inevitable awful rhetoric, and just like people who worked from home during the pandemic, don’t be hard on yourself if you’re home and “not productive”.
Fifth, a lot of government websites will be trimmed or out of commission during a shutdown. If there’s any info you need, it’s always worth a shot to try the Wayback Machine (https://archive.org/web). (People who are applying for fed jobs, USAJobs may be out of commission during a shutdown, so download before Oct 1 any resumes you’re still working on…)
Last, a shutdown – while terrible – could be a good time to get to know DC. If there is a shutdown, check places (not museums and parks) that you’ve been meaning to visit off your list, explore your neighborhood, google “DC shutdown specials” and try some new restaurants, etc.
Sending good thoughts to all the feds and contractors in DC. Hopefully there won’t be a shutdown, but it’s always good to think ahead about this.