Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how much money you have saved since lockdown?

568 replies

Cheapprimarkbra · 03/04/2020 07:43

... Compared to same 12 days of the previous month (23rd - 3rd)? Not including the usual bills, subscriptions/direct debits and mortgage/rent, have you noticed a massive change your outgoings?

I am a self employed freelancer (as is DP) and we both rent, so definitely not an enviable position.
Between 22nd Feb and 3rd March, I just worked out that I alone spent roughly £384 on train tickets, clothes, coffees, online orders, meals out and takeaways. This same 12 days I have spent £78 (just food, essential office supplies and a cheeky lottery ticket), so that means my savings total up to about £306 in TWELVE days! I feel almost ashamed at how easily I would throw money away, and will definitely reflect on this whenever I go to buy something that I don't necessarily need in future.

It will be interesting to hear other peoples' savings stories!

OP posts:
Lordfrontpaw · 03/04/2020 08:17

Travel - about £200 but deffo more on food!

Letsplough · 03/04/2020 08:17

Nothing, I've spent more on food and also had to buy a printer, paper, pens for 3 kids school work. Also bought a badminton set for the garden. (This was a great buy, it's amused them for hours) It's my son's birthday this month so have ordered his presents early but then again I will be saving on him now not having a party.

MaxNormal · 03/04/2020 08:17

None as we're now spending our savings.

myidentitymycrisis · 03/04/2020 08:18

I don’t anticipate a saving
I seem to have spent more on food. And I expect fuel bill to be high.
I didn’t have commute costs and didn’t spend a huge amount on going out. But I may be pleasantly surprised

NewYearmorestress · 03/04/2020 08:18

Nothing. Food bills up, still paying most of DC clubs to keep spaces, loads spent on things to occupy DC. Still paying for parking permit I'm not using at the moment. More on heating, washing, cooking.
So overall I'm effectively worse off.

BarbaraofSeville · 03/04/2020 08:18

Probably a few hundred pounds. Will add up to a considerable amount once you've factored in the holiday we had booked at the end of April that almost certainly won't go ahead - we've only committed to the flights so far and should get those refunded.

Mainly due to spending nothing on eating out, fuel for work and trying not to spend on things we don't need as DP works in the entertainment industry so faces little or no income for the foreseeable as even if lockdown is eased at around the end of May, a lot of the summer festivals that provided a lot of his income for the year have been cancelled so we need to spend less, especially as he's fallen through the cracks as far as government help is concerned, as have a lot of people, but that's a whole other thread.

Fortunately, my salary will continue to be paid so it's not all bad and our essentials will be covered and any spare money will go on DP doing bits of DIY/decorating that need doing and we can get the bits for.

JunoJigglewick · 03/04/2020 08:19

I saved about £250 end of March. That was after spending an extra £70 on printer ink and paper and some workbooks for the kids. I will possibly save another £250 this month as I can't think what else we need to buy other than food. No top up shops as we have managed to get a click & collect for tomorrow that replaces the food used in 14 day isolation and the last week too.

Although I've just signed up to an online graphic design course so may just splurge on fancy pens and paper.

Permenantlyexhaustedpidgeon · 03/04/2020 08:19

I’m def out of pocket - saving on petrol but spending a fortune on food as paying for independents to deliver rather than Tesco / Aldi. Spending more on alcohol 🙈 spent more on crafts / science kits etc. School fees still need to be paid, and I’m on furlough. Plus I panic bought a load of beauty products in an attempt to make most of lock down.... I need to reign in the emotional purchasing!

Runningjayne · 03/04/2020 08:20

None, well maybe by the end of the month I'll have saved £100 in petrol. I have quite low outgoings away but a drop in wage means I wont be saving

Barkingfuckingdogs · 03/04/2020 08:20

Why are people saying they're spending more on washing? Surely at work, you'd have a clean shirt/blouse/whatever everyday, school uniforms etc, whereas at home, it's comfy tracked/lounge wear most days. Same for spending more on food. Unless you're eating massively more, then surely you're just spending same, maybe even less cos there's no daily Costa coffee etc.

Bringringbring12 · 03/04/2020 08:21

Loads.
No gym no clubs no petrol no yoga

I’m honestly feeling really quite comfortable financially

Nyancat · 03/04/2020 08:21

DH is still working as normal so it's almost as if this is showing me how much it costs for me to go to work. We are up about £500, no petrol costs, parking charges, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, chance to properly meal plan and only buy what we use, food waste is massively down. We don't eat out a lot usually, maybe take away once a week normally, but that's gone too. Could be an extra £100 over the month as we have cleaners but we are continuing to pay as we are fortunate enough to have secure jobs for now.

rookiemere · 03/04/2020 08:21

Singlebutmarried you saved £400 by not going to the pub for two weeks Shock?

TokyoSushi · 03/04/2020 08:21

About £700, pretty much the only benefit!

Bringringbring12 · 03/04/2020 08:22

@NewYearmorestress

You’re still paying for your kids club to keep spaces? What clubs? Not exactly going to be a rush to take up space if you stop paying!

BikeRunSki · 03/04/2020 08:23

Well, I havn’t spent any money on petrol or work lunches.
On the other hand DH is losing business hand over fist (he employs 67 people), which massively overshadows the extra food and heating bill from DH and I and both dc being home all day.

userxx · 03/04/2020 08:23

At least £400 from not going to the pub

I bet you're the landlords favourite 😏

PegasusReturns · 03/04/2020 08:23

Lots - I’ve always know we spent a lot on eating out (including takeaway lunches whilst working) but I’d guess we’ve reduced spending there by about 600.

Also no cinema, exercise classes beauty treatments so probably another 250

I’ve also had to put some big expenses on hold - e.g. was sue to get hall re-carpeted and drive block paved but those aren’t happening.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 03/04/2020 08:25

No nursery, no train fares, no weekend activities. Over £1000 in a month- however well aware a portion will be offset for additional gas & electric. Assuming I don’t lose my job I also want to utilise any savings to increase my LOs further days at nursery...she needs it!!!!

CeeceeBloomingdale · 03/04/2020 08:26

Nothing. We both still have to go to work. If anything we are spending more as food is more expensive and the kids are home all day draining the electricity and blasting the heating

VegetableMunge · 03/04/2020 08:26

About the same, or possibly a bit more if anything. I think because we didn't really have high working costs to begin with: no childcare, commuting no more than £100 a month between us, didn't do the picking up a quick coffee and pastry thing. DC swimming lessons have been cancelled so that's about £50 a month, but we have spent loads more on food because we've just got stuff when we needed it and it was available rather than making any effort to shop for bargains, plus we used to get the benefit of KS1 free school meals and now don't so that's extra meals to buy. Actually I'm not unhappy with some of that, we've bought more from small businesses in the last month and want to keep doing so. And the gas and electric reading is higher than usual so that will be more too, not surprising as we're all at home.

We had a UK break planned in May that I suspect we won't be going on now, so even if we don't get a refund that'll be a saving in spends.

Bringringbring12 · 03/04/2020 08:27

@needsahouseboy

* None as I've had to spend money to put my son in after school clubs*

What after school clubs are operating?!

Marylou2 · 03/04/2020 08:27

Would hate to say as feel massively guilty as we're both lucky to work in industries that are as yet unaffected. The biggest "saving" will be that we paid a minimum deposit to hold our summer holiday and won't be paying the balance which is huge so technically we'll still have it, but no holiday. Also I've realised how much money I spend on complete non essential fripperies. Probably about £500 a month and the same for DH.

blackcat86 · 03/04/2020 08:27

Its mixed. Our food bill is up £20-30 a week and then we're needing to top up random bits from small businesses delivering. I've also had to buy DD some new clothes and outdoor toys on Amazon as she had a growth spurt and needed entertaining but usually would have bought 2nd hand at a baby sale. Our utilities are through the roof right now to.
I have saved on things that were cancelled:
Hair cut for me and DD £25
Theatre tickets £26
Nails (not regular for me but we're doing a pamper night with friends) £18
Event ticket £11
I've also saved hugely on petrol and horribly random things like mothers day and even travel to DHs grandmother's funeral next week which would have been 2 hours away. It's a strange time.

Original poster
Cheapprimarkbra · 03/04/2020 08:29

@TheoriginalLEM I am a self employed freelancer too, and I promise this wasn't intended as a smug thread, more of an admittance to how much money I threw away before it all really "mattered". Really sorry you're struggling - my DP is too so being able to save money is vital for us!

OP posts: