If you are financially comfortable, have you started cutting back on non-essentials?

[LabraDabraDoo]

I realise that we are very fortunate to have the financial headroom to choose to cut back and at the moment we spend quite a bit on non-essentials. We did a budget last night to look at likely price increases (especially fuel) and it looks like, while our jobs are secure ( although our investments are in the doldrums) we will be cutting back on quite a few non-essentials. Anyone else also making this choice yet?

Our list includes:
Back to buying decent quality supermarket meat and reining in trips to the farm shop.
I’m not buying clothes this Spring, I have enough to clothe a hundred middle aged women. We aren’t heating unused rooms in the house. Horse riding lessons are being suspended ( kids didn’t seem too bothered so that’s an easy £200 saved). We’ve cancelled our plan to refloor downstairs (wooden floors, so that’s a big saving). I planned to raise the children to a cottage in Norfolk for a couple of weeks in summer and we’ve arranged a house swap with a friend instead. We are not going out to eat for the foreseeable, and outings will be free swimming at the gym, dog walks etc. All other home improvement plans and big spends ( I considered renewing my car) are on hold. There are some things I hope we don’t have to cut, like cancelling holidays, music lessons and our lovely cleaner. We are still saving money into pensions and investments.

Anyone else making cutbacks? Do you think it’s going to start having an impact on people who provide non-essential services or are they still enjoying a post-Covid boom?

Annoyingly I feel like we've cut back a lot already as we've two children in nursery (rarely buy clothes, no meals out, very few takeaways) but just as the nursery bill eases we're being hit elsewhere. We're in the position where we could save quite a bit on food and stuff, but the DC are getting older so will start wanting more clubs, etc, so that may be difficult.

On the back of this thread am going to be more mindful about where I spend my money - if I have discretionary spend I will support those businesses I value and don't want to disappear.

@ReadyToMoveIt

And you might say ‘oh diddums, you have to drop horse riding lessons, poor you’ but imagine the effect on the horse riding lessons provider when half their customers have to cancel?

Well said @ReadyToMoveIt

I’m ‘comfortable’ in that I can cover all bills & mortgage with the odd treat such as a monthly takeaway but am looking at ways to cut back. Haven’t used the tumble dryer for weeks, no heating on whilst I’m WFH, and less mindless food shopping and more focussed on buying for a meal plan. I wanted to move house this year and get a dog. Both are now on hold.

For me personally, I’m trying to use my car less. If I have to drive, try to park somewhere for free

We are shopping carefully, but we always have... buying what's in season in the UK. We continue to watch our energy consumption because we discovered the environment in the 1970s. We shall support DS at university with rent and food money. And we are about to retire. Fortunately we have our state pensions, and our private pension which has taken a major whacking from a tenant but will recover, we hope. I think we'll keep the lights on and have enough to help DM who is 88 and on pension credit when needed. We live decently, but not extravagantly, in general. But we prefer to cook at home, unless the food is genius, so we control our spending.

Yep 100% OP, we are comfortable too but I've just switched to Tesco online shop from Waitrose having seen our predicted energy bill. We were fast turning veggie anyway, so food shop had been coming down already. I don't drink anymore either which is another good saving!

UK holidays in place of the abroad trips we'd normally take (will still have one sunshine holiday).

I'm planning to use after school wrap around one day less and just flex my hours more so I work into the evenings but save £30 a week for both kids at club.

We've turned the timer to heat water for less time, and turned heating off today.

Things I won't cut back on yet;

Sky TV
Gym and swimming lessons for kids
Cleaner (have dropped to fortnightly though).
Kids extra curricular activities and tutor

When you write it all down it's no surprise we're usually spent up by the end of the month, it'll do us good to cut back.

We're becoming greener through necessity when you think about it. Two years of lockdowns with empty roads. Google told me I had done ninety miles one month. Nowhere to go so no need for clothes, holidays fraught with stress, abroad anyway. Now energy bills. Our old house we would use 5009 litres of oil a year. Which meant our bills were high. Log burner going every day in the winter months.

We've been moving to this point since the first lockdown

We’re pretty frugal anyway, as we are in the middle of a big house refurb and try to funnel spare cash into paying for that. But we’ve made a few changes anyway.

I’ve bought a second hand chest freezer so I can cook in bulk and freeze some, so that I’m making the best use of our fuel. I’m making more slow cooker meals and using tins in cooking more. We’ve also bought wearable blankets for everyone to help stay warm.

I posted earlier in the thread. Having now read all 16 pages, I'm feeling even more depressed.

I'm a self employed tutor. In the last 2 months, I've lost 4 clients - £480 a month. I have never ever lost so many kids in such a short space of time. Usually one out, one immediately back in. I have no enquiries and no wait list at the moment.

I might all, all 4 cancelled because of 'needing to cut down' . All relatively wealthy families. Still going on their fancy holidays and still driving their posh cars.

On the flip side, I'm now nearly £500 a month down just as bills are about to sky rocket. Scared doesn't even cut it.

Yes, we're comfortable in that we cover all our bills, & still can do fun stuff but not so much that we can afford overseas holidays each year.
The biggest thing for us is putting off moving. We were hoping to get our house ready to put on the market in Spring, but house prices are crazy locally & we'd be doubling our mortgage to get the type of house we want/need which seems unimaginable now with prices on every utility etc going up. So we'll still get our house up to standard but wait a bit & see what happens to the market.
As part of that we're decluttering & have been selling DCs old baby equipment, clothes & toys on FB.
I've just bought DS his first single duvet & have again gone for a 3-1 All Seasons one so that if we need to we can reduce the temp overnight & everyone will have a thick 15 tog duvet on but it splits down into 4.5 & 10.5 togs duvets for the rest of the year.
We got rid of one of our cars last year; we're going to try & keep the heating down, though we're fortunate to have fixed our energy prices a few months ago until 2023.
We don't drink or smoke; we often take picnics with us out but we'll be staying closer to home. Don't do beauty treatments & I've not been to the hairdresser since 2019.
We both WFH so have got lots of layers, work in the two south facing rooms in the house. And we've applied for the tax rebate on working from home.
We'll continue with our veg box from the local grocer; our milk delivery, window cleaner, kids after school activities & subscriptions for now.
We have one short break to London booked already & looking to book another UK holiday but splitting the costs with family.
We already meal plan & I shop in Aldi & Sainsburys mainly with the points deals in mind.
Atm our focus is going to be on cutting consumption (elec, gas, diesel, food) before we look at cutting other luxuries like DCs subscriptions etc.

As a single earner householder, I was already careful with keeping my outgoings low. But I'm doing the following this year:

Reducing grocery spend by 1/3 - buying in bulk, only on special, store brand and eating more veggie.
Shopping my closet - only new (but non fast fashion) if needed. I am trying to have less stuff generally.
Replacing the cat's fancy tinned food with homemade food/raw meat -but retaining his dry food for those nutrients.
Not using the heating - wearing warm clothes & slippers, electric throw blanket, electric blanket in bed, brushed cotton sheets.
Any job that can be insourced (rather than outsourced) is done by me - ironing, pet grooming, cooking housework etc
I never eat takeaway but do go out for the odd meal or coffee with friends/family.
Using the oven less - airfryer & instant pot more.
No TV subscriptions.

I still have my gym membership, Prime etc and buy what I need but I want the buffer, in case prices go up more. I'm just trying to avoid impulse purchases.

Debating about getting rid of our second car but when I need the car for work trips that leaves DH without it.
I've decided not to buy anymore clothes until I lose a stone in weight which will probably be never so that's a saving.
Trying not to use the tumble dryer and rationing baths.
Still eat out as we want to support the local pubs in our village and still pay village shop prices for top ups for the same reason.
But won't be venturing out to London for nights out as much and will have one holiday this year not three.

In all honesty no changes really at the moment but it’s coincided with a period when we’re done the worst of the childcare costs so feeling better off overall.

The biggest thing we might do is change to an electric car. We were hoping to wait a few years but cost of diesel for my husband’s car may well swing it as his mileage is high.

@CoastalWave I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have QTS? There’s a shortage of teachers.

@CoastalWave and this is how it begins people will still use the large corporate‘s and as you say go on their holidays, drive there fast cars but the small local businesses they considered to be a luxury they’ll cut down on those …. it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy people are just so blind.

Still going on their fancy holidays and still driving their posh cars

Presumably though these holidays were booked and cars (probably) leased before all this cracked off? Some things aren’t easy to cancel, if you’re in a contract for example.
For me personally, things to benefit my children are the last things I cancelled. But I can see why people have to make whatever cutbacks they can.

I'm not cutting back on anything. I don't go to farm shops, gyms, national trust things or go horse riding anyway.

We are comfortable but I'm feeling the nerd to rein things in to build up more of a buffer fund incase washing machine/fridge breaks down (they are both 10 years +).
-Not getting any more oil until after the summer. Heating used to on a timer, it's now off and heating will go on for an hour when we feel the chill.
-Cutting back on meat/fish. This is really hard for us as we really value food but rising prices makes it hard to justify. Swapping a weekly salmon fillet dinner to tuna toasties.
-buying non essential things on a needs basis rather than a want. Eg saw a duver cover I really liked (reduced to £15) but I don't need it so won't buy it.
-No takeaways. Will attempt to make them at home (I really can't justify £9 for a chicken fillet burger when I can make it for £2)
-Still going on holiday, but getting one family room instead of 2 bedrooms. Not buying any new clothes, hoking out last years sunscreen. Bringing our own teabags/coffee to keep costs down whilst we are there.
-Cutting back on drives. Can't cut out completely as ds is disabled and he gets settled on drives.
-I've opened the numerous Bayliss and Harding bath sets from Christmas instead of charity shopping them
-No small businesses. I was buying to 'support' rather than actually needing/really wanting the stuff, so that is going. Feel really bad, but can't justify the expense.

I'm not cutting back on anything, try hard not to waste stuff but will still be eating out and doing planned stuff to our new house. No holiday though but that's due to lack of time.

@CoastalWave

I posted earlier in the thread. Having now read all 16 pages, I'm feeling even more depressed.

I'm a self employed tutor. In the last 2 months, I've lost 4 clients - £480 a month. I have never ever lost so many kids in such a short space of time. Usually one out, one immediately back in. I have no enquiries and no wait list at the moment.

I might all, all 4 cancelled because of 'needing to cut down' . All relatively wealthy families. Still going on their fancy holidays and still driving their posh cars.

On the flip side, I'm now nearly £500 a month down just as bills are about to sky rocket. Scared doesn't even cut it.

Oh come on

The holidays would have been presumably booked in advance. Possibly pre covid!

And would be daft to sell a car incurrent climate

Be careful not to allow bitterness to creep in

A lot of expensive cars seem to be on leases too.

@CoastalWave

I posted earlier in the thread. Having now read all 16 pages, I'm feeling even more depressed.

I'm a self employed tutor. In the last 2 months, I've lost 4 clients - £480 a month. I have never ever lost so many kids in such a short space of time. Usually one out, one immediately back in. I have no enquiries and no wait list at the moment.

I might all, all 4 cancelled because of 'needing to cut down' . All relatively wealthy families. Still going on their fancy holidays and still driving their posh cars.

On the flip side, I'm now nearly £500 a month down just as bills are about to sky rocket. Scared doesn't even cut it.

Few people would prioritise a “posh car” or “ fancy holiday” over their children's education. They are either tied into contracts which can't be cancelled or they don't think you are much good as a tutor and cutting down on spending is an excuse. It's a lot easier to say you're trying to save money than it is to tell someone you don't think they're much good at their job or their children don't like you.

I might all, all 4 cancelled because of 'needing to cut down' . All relatively wealthy families. Still going on their fancy holidays and still driving their posh cars.

Most likely the holidays are paid for- or a large non-refundable deposit already down- and the cars will be on contracts that can’t be dropped without heavy financial penalties.

A PP already suggested classroom teaching (assuming you have QTS), could this be a short term option for you?

Just a little tip that I've just thought of. We're getting a takeaway tonight from a Greek food place, a mixed platter. Instead of getting all the sides to go with it we'll just get the medium size and I'll make flatbreads, tsatziki, hummus etc to to with it. So still plenty of food and feels like a lovely treat but only a tenner instead of 20 quid.