Will lockdown change the way you spend in future?

[StormCiara]

I'm going to phrase this as carefully as I can, because I know many people have been financially devastated by the crisis. Our finances are basically the same as before, but without going out and only shopping every 2/3 weeks we're saving a LOT more than we were before. We're not extravagant by any means but this has really shown up our unnecessary spending! DH and I have been knocking round how to keep this up, and how far to keep it up, when lockdown lifts.

We're definitely committed to less frequent, more organised food shopping - sounds so obvious really, but the more often you go, the more you spend! And running out of something isn't actually a disaster. We'd really drifted into frequent top-up shops, and inevitably you always get a few extra things on top of the milk/nappies you went in for.

I don't want to cut back on going to see films at the cinema - it's one of my solo treats over winter and I love to do it with friends. See also drinks out. But I don't get any special pleasure from buying food on the go, so will be more organised about taking food out with me.

Any more ideas? What will you do differently?

I'd like to think so yes.

There are lots of habits we'd acquired which we've now stopped, and I don't think we'll go back to certain things...like buying coffees while DD is swimming, that was costing us a fiver a week, I was dreadful for buying lunch at work too and totting it up loosely in my head I was probably spending at least £100 a month.

I've been enjoying shopping at independent shops and will definitely continue doing that.

We’re saving quite a lot of money too, which I am putting towards a new bathroom!
Our grocery bill is higher, as we’re feeling all 5 of us for 3 meals a day but also because we’re trying to support local farm shops etc. We are saving on children’s activities/meals out/general crap. To be honest I imagine we’ll go back to spending how we usually did as the DC’s enjoy their activities and we enjoy meals out and general crap

I'll try to stick to one well-planned shop a week.

We will continue to support the smaller businesses for food as they have been amazing.

I’ve bought no new clothes and that will continue for a while and my amazon habit has gone down a lot. Saved on socialising too and hobbies at home are much cheaper.

I'm actually the exact same as you op. I don't really go out much, a walk in the park and lunch with a friend or coffee even, is enough for me. Dh and I rarely go out yo eat its just too expensive and you end up thinking "I could have made that better myself "

It's the extra shops I've been doing that blow our money and extra meals for extra visitors. And buying ds some food to save him money (at uni)

I'll try not to go back to shopping all the time and just doing one big shop and that's all.

I've hardly used any petrol at all and I'm enjoying being so much less busy - I would drive to work then grab food (often an overpriced sandwich) and run out the door (to the car) again to get to a hobby most days, and I don't miss being that busy. I hope at least one of my hobbies stays online, and I'll be going out a lot less. I am enjoying my garden for the first time in forever, and, well and just not doing as much.

The once weekly shop I want to continue; I am really noticing the difference in how much I spend not popping to the shop every other day, and anything I want to cook or bake that I don't have the ingredients for simply waits for the following week. I do miss bargain shopping the reductions and getting my favourites from different supermarkets but I'm enjoying the spare money and time more.

That's really great re local businesses @WarmSausageTea and @IceCreamAndCandyfloss. We've actually had a similar experience. We get a veg box weekly from a local wholefood shop, and in lockdown we've been adding extras from the shop (milk, cheese, dried goods). Their stuff is generally more expensive than supermarkets, but by not going to supermarkets and throwing in loads of extras and instead ordering exactly what we want we're still spending less over all.

@TemoraryUsername absolutely get you re being less busy. I actually really like it.

No, it won't change at all.
We have had the same standard of living for 30 years it suits us, don't want more, don't want less.

We have a set amount spending money each (mine normally gets spent on costa and clothes, dh spends his in the pub) and I have been donating a good chunk of mine to local charities during lockdown. I would like to keep doing this.
We are also getting a weekly box of fresh produce from a local business. It is more expensive but the quality is excellent. I would like to keep that up too.

I’m going to try and support local and as much as possible not support emerging economies.
The lockdown has really highlighted how our country no longer manufactures anything which honestly doesn’t help the younger generation or ourselves in times of need.

I never realised how much I wasted on buying Breakfast, lunch & then dinner on the way home so that's stopping.

Massively reduced clothes spend but that had happened before Covid - bored of what the shops are offering & don't actually need more stuff.

Will still spend £££ on my haircut but meals, drinks out will reduce.

I think most will eventually go back to normal spending by cutting back you maybe hurting local businesses and the economy.

Am I the only one that is spending more? We have spent more on food and takeaways than we normally do!

We were eating out at least three times a week and I don't really miss that. It was due to being tired from a long commute and finding it easier to eat out. I actually enjoy cooking. I'm also going to shop more from local independent stores. We've saved a bit on doing things like washing our own cars and doing painting and decorating ourselves. I'd like to keep that going. And work from home more so save money and time.

I'm spending more in lockdown: no work perks like free snacks and coffee, plus much higher grocery bills and buying loads of craft supplies and activities for my toddler.

Our shopping bill has gone up as food seems to be pricier and have to buy more expensive items as stuff not available , plus we purchased a lot of paint , diy stuff before lockdown so we had projects to do at home so haven't noticed a saving at all as yet .
But in saying that we will go back to before as if anything this has made me think life is too short and to actually just go for it sometimes and do the things we want more

Plus my electricity bill is enormous with two teens constantly home and husband wfh at the moment

I wrote a post the other day about how much more I've been enjoying exercise now that I'm doing it at home, mainly for personal reasons rather than money but of course if I keep up this situation then it'll save loads of money. I pay my favourite yoga teacher for her online classes, and hope she continues with at least one online class per week even once the yoga studio reopens. I'll continue to pay her and only her, and then there's countless free exercise classes on YouTube and I already have several Jillian Michaels DVDs.

I've spent far too much time at trendy yoga studios and gyms full of people who are always thinner and trendier than me, usually kitted out in Lululemon whose shops have some of the snobbiest, sneeriest staff I've ever met.

Clearly the situation is no good for mental health. I've felt so much calmer recently and it's because I no longer spend most of the class silently hating everyone in the room.

Restaurants are a difficult one because I do want to support local businesses, but since mid-March I've lost 8lb of weight and feel a lot better for it. I reckon I'll lose even more weight if I just continue to cook at home.

I'd like to think I will just be more mindful about what I spend. I know I run the risk of sounding really smug and insensitive when some people have been tipped into dire financial straits through covid, but it gives me a much-needed sense of security to end the month with money still in the bank, and I am going to try and remember that feeling.

My biggest saving at the moment is through not commuting so it's going to be important to me to maintain wfh as much as I can. Food bills have gone up because we're using the Waitrose a 5-minute walk away rather than driving to a cheaper supermarket, which is probably a bit daft, but we are saving on not eating out. I miss that though and a long brunch at our lovely local cafe will be the first thing I do when we can!

It's incidental spends that I will try and curb. I have a lot of stuff already - don't need more clothes, shoes, makeup or perfume. Don't need more books (well, except maybe gorgeous cookbooks), takeaway coffees, etc.

DH, however...got to get him to curb his Amazon habit just opened the door to yet another bloody delivery

There is a strong possibility that my husband will lose his job so yes, we will be spending inline with our reduced income. Luckily I work for the NHS so my job is reasonably secure. My husband has lost a lot of weight worrying about this even though I've assured him we'll be OK. But there must be millions of families up down the country who are kept awake at night with the prospect of long-term unemployment. Sorry to sound so negative, very tired.