What have you stopped doing due to COL

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I earn a decent salary but am definitely cutting back on things I used to do, I'm curious if other MN have a similar mental list

• far less takeaways (saving £20-£30 a time)
• get my nails done a couple of times a year instead of every 3 weeks (at £20 each time)
• shopping at Aldi not tesco -
• don't get my hair coloured done anymore it's growing out (only bothered twice a year due to the cost anyway but saving £70 each time)
• less frivolous spending on clothes, only replaced what I've really needed
• book ban NO NEW BOOKS just read what I have (a lot) or ones one my kindle or library ap
• Heating is on far far less
• more mindful cooking and impulse buying
• mindful.of driving and what things I can achieve on the same trip

Need to tweak my pet insurance that's my next job!

Nothing.

I'm a low earner living in a council flat and have always known I'll have to work until I drop even before the COL crisis. So nothing much has changed for me.

Less on heating, holidays, home maintenance, haircuts, health. And that's just the H's.

Not much, we’re cutting down in takeaways but that’s more because I’m on mat leave so pay has dropped and we’ve got the second lot of nursery fees coming up and we were spending a lot on takeaways. We haven’t really felt the col rise as our salaries have also risen.

Stopped tumble drying

We are high earners but notice the CoL rise and as my children get older the £££ increase. I have tried to be much better at avoiding unnecessary spending - eg making sure we leave the house with full water bottles and snacks from home so no one needs to visit the shops; meal planning strictly.

Eating out - used to go out for dinner once a week, now it's very rare and usually only if we're away. Cut down on heating, buying less meat and wine (probably not a bad thing). We weren't extravagant anyway, don't spend on 'stuff' (clothes, beauty treatment etc) so not that many areas to cut back on further.

Cancelled gym membership. Took up home workouts from YouTube and running outdoors more. Though I do spend a bit more on workout clothes and trainers I'm still spending less per month than gym membership.

Don't eat out as much, or get takeaways.

Use the car less, walk more (weather permitting).

Visit the hairdresser less and stopped paying for hair to be coloured. I use box dyes once a month.

Eating out and takeaways. COL has coincided with a massive growth spurt and tons of eating from teenage ds, I’m not paying £120 to go to the beefeater (or similar) for him to return and want another meal!
I also buy less biscuits and snacky food (no more Friday and Saturday crisps and choc in front of the tv). Also fewer grapes and soft fruits.

Do a delivery with Tesco. Means I can check what I need and not impulse buy !

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Given up Netflix and Amazon Prime. Use a lot less meat - only once or twice a week now, and use chickpeas and lentils a lot more - sometimes to bulk out the meat, sometimes instead of meat. Heating is now off until September. Stopped eating out and takeaways. Started worrying a lot more about the cost of putting two kids through uni at almost the same time.

Going to London for a day in the holidays - I used to do this about once every half term, but it's just too expensive on the train now, even to do free activities.

Actually getting the train anywhere.

Cutting down on treats etc from supermarkets, and on coffee/cakes etc when I go out - I used to go for a long walk a couple of times a week, and end up in another village and visit a cafe, but it's too expensive now (and sadly my motivation for exercising is lower as a result!).

Hair cuts less often. No blow dries.

No newspapers now to sit in a cafe with. Partly because of not going to cafes much anymore, but also the price of the paper so I can't even replicate it by sitting outside with my own coffee.

Trying to walk to save bus fare during the daytime.

More frozen veg instead of fresh, and things like frozen onions and garlic and herbs and so on - might seem more expensive initially but for one person, it actually saves them from going off when I don't use enough otherwise.

We turned our hot water off about 18 months ago. We have an electric shower so that's fine and for cleaning work surfaces I boil a kettle. We also used to have the central heating on a timer and now don't. Heating is at 18 degrees.

I don't go out as much. I cut down on alcohol (needed tbf). We eat more basic meals and most definitely far fewer takeaways. We used to go out for dinner/lunch weekly but now maybe once a month.

Last year I took on 6 weeks of an evening part time job on top of my full time job so we could go on holiday this year without being stressed about it. FWIW I am a professional in a professional role and I did bar work for a bit. I'm about to start that again in 2 weeks time. That was exhausting but I was not prepared to compromise on holidays.

A meal out for a special occasion only, so maybe twice a year. Save up for that.
No takeaways.
Only go to places that are free.
Tracker on the fuel, so washing is done when it’s cheap.
We’ve sold everything we can, that’s not wanted or needed any more.
Free Kindle books when they’re available.
Don't go out for a drink, or the cinema, or theatre.
Trying to sell the house to downsize, but that’s not happening unfortunately.

Eating out.
Trips to London to visit galleries, exhibitions & theatre - DH and myself used to go a few times a year for long weekends but we haven't been since lockdown.

Similar to others here. We have 2 DC and a household income of about £50k, we still get by fine but definitely continue to feel the price rises so to cope, ours are:

• I used to get a bikini wax every 2 months or so. Now I don't ever unless I'm going on holiday or something so only say twice a year.
• DH and I used to get a takeaway once a week, now its once a fortnight.
• Less socialising with friends for DH and I. And when we do, we do more of going to friends houses on an evening doing BYOB & snacks rather than going out.
• DH and I buy less clothes. We weren't big on this anyway but now we are ruthless on whether we need something or not and I buy most my new things on Vinted now.
• I buy less cosmetics/beauty things - again, didn't spend much anyway but cut things out now that used to be part of my usual beauty regimes just to save money.
• Go on days into town much less with the DC. The museums etc are free but we still end up spending quite a lot - parking, petrol, sometimes lunch/snacks if the weather is wet if there's nowhere dry for a picnic etc.
• I buy less books. Didn't buy many anyway but can't remember the last time I bought one now. I try to borrow from family, or use the work 'library' (shelves with charity shop books on to borrow), or the library.
• Less impromptu spending on the DC. Again, we didn't do this much anyway but now there's literally never a chance of a random toy or magazine etc being bought for them when we are out. It's strictly gift occasions only.
• Buy less snacky rubbish food like chocolate, desserts, biscuits, crisps because the prices have gone up so much.
• I exercise at home using YouTube videos now instead of paying to go to exercise classes.
• Spend slightly less on family kids presents for birthdays and Xmas, and slightly less on presents of children that the kids get invited to birthday parties for.

Stopped takeaways and meals out (mostly)
Cancelled our fortnightly cleaner
Switched from Ocado to Sainsbury’s to Morrison’s to (finally!) a combo of Aldi and Tesco for the things I can’t get at Aldi
No coffees or snacks bought while out
Traded our car for a cheaper one

Always bring a packed lunch to work
Eat out much less
Try to bring snacks/lunch/a flask on days out or if going to the cinema or theatre
Book the cheap seats for any plays/concerts
Stopped going to London
Only buy books if I absolutely can't get them via library, then second hand
Heating is only on in dire need, we rely on Oodies/electric blanket

We have started to always take drinks and snacks with us when we go on days out now. The odd drink and snack every time we went anywhere was starting to add up.

Mainly buying clothes as needed from charity shops
Getting hair cut for free by DH with scissors
Getting main fruit and veg etc from the local weekly Food Pantry for £5
Apart from that basics range type e.g. flour, butter, cheap fish e.g. mackerel, hake, tines tuna (don't eat meat otherwise)
Apart from that reduced food from local shop (yellow sticker)
Teens use to Good to Go app and their own money to buy takeaways if they want one
Eldest teen took a year off after school and worked full time locally, to save for uni next year, paid his driving lessons and bought a car and insured etc
Youngest teen helps an elderly neighbour with recycling etc and is paid for that a bit every month too.
Changed from gym to local sports centre which is about £25 for all classes, swimming etc per month.

We didn't have many meals out before, but we've packed them in completely now. A scone and coffee at a nice coffee shop is just as nice and you don't feel ripped off by tiny meals made with cheap ingredients and getting hassled into leaving a tip.

Shop at Lidl as opposed to Sainsbury's. We only go there for washing powder and particular ingredients that we can't get at Lidl.

Fewer day trips. We can't afford holidays anyway.

Cancelled the pet insurance when they doubled my premiums in the absence of any claims and then I found out they're rubbish and have a reputation for not paying out anyway. I save money each month instead to pay for vets bills now and have some savings to fall back on as well.

Eating less meat and fish. Eggs are cheaper, so rely on them for protein. Don't buy alcohol anyway.

I colour my own hair and only get it cut twice a year, as cheaply as I can.

I miss the theatre and weekends away but they were luxuries.

I buy fewer clothes but everything is starting to look tatty so I'm going to have to get some bits soon.

Fewer clothes and meals out, upped my working week from 4 days to 5, basic meals (beans on toast etc) at least twice a week

Obviously I didn't do this just due to CoL but moved to a cheaper town with a shorter commute, so saving on petrol and housing costs (a little).

Buying less alcohol- used to have a bottle of wine a week as a treat but not any more.

Cutting down on random spends, new clothes only if I really need it. Haven't had a hair cut in nearly a year.

Takeaways as a very occasional treat rather than a once a week type thing.

Eating out. No more weekend treat breakfasts or pub lunches. If I go out for the day I get a supermarket meal deal. The only time I eat out now is a once a month cheap deal night at local curry house with a group of friends. Costs me under £20 for food, a drink and parking.

Tumble drier. I now hang washing to dry indoors if the weather isn't good (partly COL and partly chucking out ex who couldn't stand washing in the house).

Rarely drink alcohol now.

Hair - stopped going to a salon and found a local hairdresser with a proper set up at her home, much cheaper and she's good. Highlights 6 monthly instead of quarterly.

No more deliveroo groceries out of laziness, and takeaway once a month to 'celebrate' payday.

No holidays other than freebie ones - I do pet sitting. Had 5 last year, looking at 5 again this year. Luckily I WFH so don't even have to take leave if I don't want to. It's great for a change of scene.