Lock down has made me realise I've been wasting money for years. Anyone else?

[sunshineanddaffodils]

As supermarkets have been short of my usual premium versions of food I've bought the cheaper alternative and found they are just as nice/better.
Also recently dyed my own hair and actually prefer the outcome! This obviously saves me loads.
DH and I usually go out to eat one evening every couple of weeks. Instead we're having a nice meal and wine at home so not really missing that at all.
Anyone else?

Not at all. I have known for years that I have been wasting money on commute, but if I didn't , I wouldn't earn anywhere the same.

It reinforces that life is too short, and the things we've been spending money on are the ones making us happy. I miss holiday, hairdressers, going out.

The area I would normally save money would be shopping in Aldi, but as they don't deliver, I have to buy everything from the main supermarkets.
We are reluctantly saving a fortune on days out, birthday parties, holidays but frankly life is too short. I wouldn't want a life where I would refuse to have any fun.

So apart from commute and childcare, I am happy with what I normally chose to spend money on. I am also wasting money on a mortgage, but we got to live somewhere, it's hardly a luxury.

Not me - I am missing everything I used to spend money on - cleaner, hairdresser, gym, eating out, having my nails done. I value it even more now.

I am going on a massive spending spree when this ends.

Yes some savings, especially from petrol. We live rurally so school run is 10 mile round trip for example. I am trying to spend though, local businesses, independent retailers. Things I would usually buy anyway, but have ordered a bit sooner than necessary or a slightly bigger order, that sort of thing.

We found the opposite. The cheaper brands are out of stock, so we’re more branded products. Also, dh has done most of the shopping, and will come back with Tropicana rather than a Tesco!

I think I’m spending more than usual. The shops only have premium brands in stock, we’re having a weekly takeaway (was monthly before) and I’m drinking way more alcohol than I usually would. We’ve also had to buy more ink and paper for the printer, and I’ve bought a few craft kits and outdoor toys for the dc. I imagine I’ll spend more on resources etc for home schooling after Easter too.

Swings and roundabouts really. There's much less opportunity to buy random crap, and our petrol consumption is almost flatlining, but a lot of what I do get has to be branded items I wouldn't normally buy as the cheaper versions have been snapped up.

I'm saving so much, not been in my overdraft since this all started.
Biggest saving is from 16 year old DS not going to school. I'm saving about £250 a month on bus fees and his lunch money.
A further £160 a month because he's no longer having clay pigeon lessons.
Hardly used any fuel because I'm not running them all over the place.

I'm also working extra shifts because I'm a frontline NHS worker and loads of my colleagues are off sick

No - I’ve had to buy more expensive supermarket items because my usual ones are out of stock. I’ve also had to pay delivery charges for my prescription (vulnerable) and to get items that supermarkets don’t have.

The only thing I’ve saved money on is petrol but that saving has been wiped out by the other expenses.

I’m the opposite. I normally buy everything reduced to clear or value brand, often visiting two or three local shops for “bargains”. My older boys buy their breakfast and lunch at work and often have a meal out or takeaway one night during the week. We are all self isolating to protect dh at the moment and I’m spending more than double my usual spend.

We usually have an online shop once a fortnight, which we now can’t get. We’re spending a lot more on food, because we don’t have a car, and are limited to local shops.

I miss going out for lunch/dinner a couple of times a week, popping to a bar for a drink, hairdressers, salon, gym.....I am so utterly bored today. Normally we would be on a 10 mile hike.
It's made me realise I would be so depressed if I was immobile and restricted to the house.

We are saving around £600 a month on DH's commute plus lunch and snacks, he's now planning on working permanently at home.
Another area is about £250 a month on weekend activities with DC and eating out.

It's costing us about £50 a week more in food shopping because we'd usually split the shops between Aldi and Asda. Now we're just sticking to Asda and it's spendy buying everything from there. I miss my Aldi value beans too, they're my fave.

I'm saving money on not buying coffee, lunch or my monthly bus pass due to being furloughed though.

It’s true but I still miss pret and all my favourite restaurants dearly! Meal deals can be overpriced but I just miss the normality of working life, working from home just isn’t the same.

I still seem to be spending . Because we’re all at home , we are eating a lot! Spending a fortune on food.
We usually eat out once a week with the kids, get a take away another day and I would bring the dd’s to the coffee shop another day so we are saving on that though we still get a take away once a week.

Have spent loads on art supplies, jigsaws etc.

Saving on ballet , swimming lessons, drama and fuel I suppose 😂

Yes, me too. I suspect the older generations who were more thrifty than us will be glad we finally ‘get’ it.

We have been spoilt up until now-a throw away society towards possessions cars, phones, TVs, clothes when we didn’t really need them always. My Nan used to darn her socks for example, rather than throw them away.

I’m also thinking more of the environmental impact of such behaviour too.

I'm with you on the hair thing!

Yes for me, definitely. Before lock down, I'd go to Walmart a couple of times a week for this and that and it really added up. I haven't been there in more than a month. It's saved me loads.

Definitely making me think about my spending habits yes

My food shop is now staggeringly expensive. 4 adults to feed 2 meals a day to every day. No multi buy offers. .

But offset by less going out clothes.

We're spending more on top up groceries because we've completely stayed away from the giant superstore near us and stuck to the local Coop. Safer but dearer.

But saving on pretty much everything else: no commuting costs, no expensive weekend running costs to children's activities which are expensive in this house, no 'extras' while out shopping, not eating out, no movies or theater excursions which had been planned (refunded), no spring/summer clothing top ups for work this year...

We are tge opposite. I usually buy on offer, and value options. Now these are not to be had, so food costs went up 30%

I am saving a TONNE because DD aged 15 is not out every weekend and needing cash!

She's a good kid and I don't mind giving her money as we live rurally so jobs aren't easy to find...but my goodness! I've saved a lot.

Nothing has changed much for us either.
We bought some cheaper brands anyway, had prepped for Brexit so had lots of none perishable, including a stash of loo rolls
We've lost 70% of our business, but live frugally anyway.
I should imagine some families are able to save a fortune with no childcare and other work related costs.
Hopefully it will come in handy for those who find no jobs to return to

Opposite here, usually shop at aldi in the next town, but now usingg the local butcher, fruit stall, tiny sainsbury's and it mega more money. 2 chickens and a half pound of mince £14 and that is his usual price, sausages work out at £1 for skinny or £2 for fat ones. The price of apples is 50p each, pears are 75p etc. Cauliflower £2 etc etc .