What are you realising you can do without/can't live without?

[SouthWestmom]

In terms of spending when/if things get back to normal?

I'm going through all my samples and left over bottles of hair/skin stuff.

Realised although it's nice, I can do without any sort of face scrub. Don't need my three different hair curl type products but will keep buying bumble and bumble gel oil.

Love the Clarins rose cream but looked it up and it's £75 usually !

Am using up the elasticiser, not sure I really want to invest in it.

Cheap shower and bath oils are fine - have noticed no difference between the posh stuff and the Tesco own.

I need to have my eyebrows done weekly, I feel like my face belongs to someone else at the moment.

We don't need to go out though, everyone seems happy enough staying in!

Smart work clothes and doing my hair 😉

eggs

I'm missing my boyfriend! Not missing wandering around town because I think I need a new top or something. Wasted so much money on stuff like that!

Can live without going to the supermarket every 2/3 days. Just do a weekly shop and make sure I buy the extra I know I will need midweek.

Can live without the stress of daily life/working etc, I feel so much more relaxed and ds seems the same.

Can't live without getting my eyebrows waxed. Was due to get them done before lockdown, been about 2 months since I last got them done. I think they are starting to join in the middle!

Really enjoying having a walk every day. Normally do about 5000 steps on an average workday, pushing 12000 between a daily walk and running round after ds. Hopefully going to keep this up. Ds seems to enjoy the daily walk as well.

Really missing having the house to myself for a large part of the day 😩

Can live without getting up at 5am every week day 😊

I'm not missing going out for meals as much as I would have thought I would. Still having the odd takeaway.

Realised I need wine and chocolate more than I would have expected

Realised I can do without new clothes. No point in buying new clothes if I'm not going anywhere.

Missing being able to see my mum.

Strangely am missing the seaside - it's not as if I go there that frequently but the idea that I can't makes me long for the sea.

@Growingboys I understand the issue with takeaways is just the packaging which gets discarded straight away. Hot food should be fine but things like sandwiches not recommended. We are only having Indian takeaways.

Eyelash infills...I feel like I've got no eyelashes!
Eyebrows waxing.
Going out for day trips. There's a national trust place I live near to that I used to go to regularly.
Socialising/going out for food.

Thanks @shinynewapple2020

Maybe I'll toughen up and get a takeaway next weekend then.

We do takeaway like this:

One person carries the stuff from the front door and takes the lid off /lift it up.

The other person lifts or spoons the food onto other serving plates without touching the packaging.

First person takes it straight to recycling or black bin. Washes hands.

But we've only done three, down from dh's usual one a week and me getting pizza for the boys.

Interesting that eyebrows feature in the missed things.

I definitely miss seeing people in real life.

Not actually missing any specific thing, just a general feeling of freedom and being able to make plans for the future.

Can’t live without my hairdresser - my roots so desperately need doing 😖 sadly I can’t do my own foils and I will not be going anywhere near scissors no matter how appealing the idea is

I’ve also missed my day off on my own, I would love a few hours without Dh and the kids.

I’ve been using up all my samples as other posters have been doing. All chucked in a wicker basket in the bathroom, finally getting through them. Some things I will not be buying again, others maybe 🤷‍♀️

We were still having the odd takeaway which has now stopped as the curry place has closed down!

I will continue to meal plan as I’ve been really into cooking (forgot how good a cook I was) and it’s nice to be getting back into it and trying different recipes out.

That’s about it really.

Can’t say I’ve missed socialising as I didn’t really before all this kicked off.

I can live without hairdresser. I cut my own hair last week and it looks great! More by chance than skill but I'm happy with it.

It's lovely not having to see anyone, I'll miss that when its over. Of course I do want it all to be over because, apart from the fear of catching the virus, it is a dreadful situation, particularly for those with young children or who are estranged. Never mind those who aren't receiving salary.

My son got engaged last autumn to a wonderful young American woman, the plan was that she would move here this year and they'd marry. They can't even visit each other at the moment and that's hard for them. They are coping though, each has a lot to do to occupy their time.

For me - all is well at the moment. Except I am getting decidedly round.

In no particular order:

• Hairdressers
• Sex
• Restaurants
• Going places

Not missing the hordes of tourists..!

Am missing meeting friends, a good haircut, a trip to the dentist and going to concerts

Definitely not missing wearing a bra!

Really miss getting my eyebrows done. I have totally butchered them!

Used to swim four times a week and while I miss it my hair is so awesome from not going! Much less bushy and dry. I'm now wondering if I might give up swimming altogether.

@Thepigeonsarecoming - Bra? Even the knickers have become an optional extra of late.

It’s interesting because I came to a lot of these realisations last year after I spent six weeks in hospital.

I haven’t enjoyed a takeaway for a while now so I just don’t buy them any more.

Had a pacemaker fitted so couldn’t wear a bra for about three months as it agrovated the scar so now I regularly don’t wear one.

Am missing being able to go out, not that I was ever the socialite but for the past three years. I had lost pretty much all of my mobility due to a serious heart condition and after intervention last year I feel as if I’ve only just been given it back, and I know that might only be a temporary measure as have been told my heart will deteriorate again and then I will need a transplant, but this virus has made it feel as if I just given the idea and then it was taken away.

I miss my DP and my family. DP and I don’t live together for logistical reasons but saw each other at weekends. My parents don’t live close by but did come down fairly regularly to come to my hospital appointments (which I am now also having by phone) and they lived in my house for three months when I was in hospital and after I came home. So they’ve been a fairly regular fixture around here.

I’m shielding due to afore-mentioned hart condition so can’t even go out for a walk. And there’s talk that the shielded will have to remain that way or at the very least in lockdown until a vaccination becomes available so I don’t foresee seeing any of them for the foreseeable future. Am already thinking about what Christmas will be like on my own.

@Zisforstripyoss why not just alternate your shop at Aldi with the other supermarket?

On one side if my job, I am missing my students...online teaching just isn't the same as I have young children so am not doing it live, just sending them resources (uni lecturer).

On the other side of my job...I am still going to work and enjoying the far easier commute! Only an hour each way compared to hour and a half normally.

Because I am still working and out of the house three days, our lives haven't changed as much as others. Probably the thing I miss most of all is my cleaner. I am trying to keep in top of things but am working long hours so it is only being done piecemeal.

I can't do without my friends, video calling is not the same. Face to face teaching turns out to be essential too. Can go a lot longer than expected without seeing DF. Can do without as much shopping for food. Can do a surprising amount of study without access to a library, but I do miss having a functioning printer.

I miss having a trip to look forward to. Last year I spent most of the year having cancer treatment but scheduled short breaks (not overseas) when I could - so mid way through Chemo, then between Chemo and surgery, after my mastectomy prior to radiotherapy etc. I always said that kept me sane. Now we had a few things planned, including overseas holidays, but obviously everything is on hold. Borders are closed between states here (Aus). I have realised that actually I can live without the overseas trips, but not having the odd 1-2 nights in a hotel to look forward to makes me very miserable. I was just getting my life back then this came along.