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?

I get fed and watered at work. But, we’d probably eat out or have a takeaway once a week, so it’s evened out for us really. Though, we’re spending less on fuel and going out. Swings and roundabouts.

but if you can and choose not to spend on pleasurable things at all I think that’s rather sad and not something to pat yourself on the back for.

I dunno, I've saved a good house deposit from not doing "pleasurable things" so I'm quite proud of that. Cutting back also makes you realise what's really necessary for your quality of life and what you don't miss. I stopped (new) clothes shopping and wearing makeup years ago and don't miss it at all, whereas I am really missing my evening classes and brunches.

We are spending more on food in some ways in that our usual cheap brands aren't available and because we are having deliveries or click and collect from one supermarket I can't pop round to different places for our favs. cheap things. On the other hand we are saving money because I am not going round shopping buying loads for snacks and stuff we don't need. We are also saving on fuel, school lunches, takeaways coffees out and treats in general.

We only really have takeaway on payday weekend (and DH wouldn't really bother at all) but I was guilty of popping into the shops to get something I fancied, or a topup shop and then spending £50.

We are saving on petrol, and DD's extra curricular activities (£20 a week) as well as the meal deals or school dinners I'd get once or twice a week if I didn't have the makings of a salad in the night before.

And it's saving money by not being able to take the DDs out and about as they are having to make do with what we can buy rather than putting stuff in the trolley on a whim. I'm also not getting a costa coffee at the weekend. It's all adding up.

As will the refund on our £2.8k holiday if and when it is finally processed by TUI. And possibly the UK cottage for late May. And perhaps even the week in London we were hoping to have in the summer. All hard saved for, but now looking impossible or unlikely.

We are spending a bit more on meat from the local butcher, but are otherwise making do with what we can buy from the local Iceland and Home bargains etc as they don't have the huge queues that other places have. DH will pop by Morrisons on the way home from work when he's back at work, but he's had the week off so is avoiding the shops as much as possible.
We are also making a good effort to minimise waste as much as possible and are more stringent than before about it.

Nope. In fact supermarkets don't always have my usual cheaper brands in so I've had to but the more expensive stuff.

Pipe down, Taylor. We're not all as fortunate as you

I don't feel I've been wasting money, but I've certainly been saving it while home! Over £150pm on commuting saved, plus, I guess at least £50 on petrol for other journeys.

Working from home I’ve not been buying lunch, coffee, snacks etc every single day! Didn’t realise how much money I was spending!
Have been forced to actually buy premium brands where I normally wouldn’t for some things due to lack of stock in supermarkets so am having the opposite problem there.

I have a 40 mile round trip every day to work, so I’m roughly saving £120 on petrol, £100 for the school bus and £5 per day on M&S lunches. I am also being a bit more creative with food and making soups or risottos with leftovers, which would have been thrown away.

More the food waste - we are more careful, using everything and being more creative. This will definitely change how we respect and use food.

Can’t shop online and do not drive so I’m forced to shop at my local Tesco. It’s so expensive and I have to go there a few times a week for the week. Can’t buy freezer stuff always fresh food. Feel like a chef!! My family has been benefiting from a lot more fresh fruit and veg and chicken and prawn. Mostly branded stuff but a few of Tesco own brands. The lockdown has cost me not saved me
Money unfortunately

saving a fortune not buying clothes that I don't need and the stores I use are closed online, I am using up food rather than throwing it away as I am never sure if they will have what I want in store

Yes I've been really reflecting on how much food I would over buy each week. It would either get binned or stored for another day. I can now go a couple of weeks at a time without doing a good shop now im using everything.

Also saving money on hair appointments- going to carry on dying my own hair after this which is a saving of over £100 every 6 weeks.

We have also saved lot of money on days out, about £159 per week, but that makes me sad as we love our family outings.

Not saving anything here, quite frugal usually in terms of not visiting cafes, restaurants and takeaways - would do one as a once a month treat.
Expenses have gone up as cheap options not available when I go shopping, would usually get own brand beans today had to buy Heinz at 95p a tin food bill has gone up drastically easily an extra £40-50 per week for 3 of us

And coffee - not on offer anywhere £7 a jar

Shopping is costing double so not saving at all and my electric and gas bill seem to have gone through the roof

Spending way more on food but less on other things. We do have a fairly expensive lifestyle, regularly travel around visiting family which is easily (£1-200) on a train although cheaper in the car of which we have 2. Even getting to work costs us £300 a month we're not spending.

It's bloody boring though, I'm happy going places and doing things. Can't wait to make up for lost time.

No savings here either. My food shop has gone up astronomically. I’m having to rely on the once a week online food order instead of cheaper local bits. Always used Ocado to do big/heavy items & bulk buy things like loo roll, wash liquid & then top up shops for extra milk & some fruit, veg, that sort of thing.
Understandably but frustratingly all multibuy deals are off & cant get hold of usual brands/Ocado own so having to take whatever they can give me.
My 2 eldest kids are eating us out of house & home!! I’m pretty careful at not wasting food & making things from scraps, leftovers etc but I can’t keep up with the demolition squad that is my family. 😫

Anything I've saved from eating out etc I've paid for by having to buy expensive brands in shops as the cheaper brands haven't been available. I've not actually saved anything

We've been totally crap with money. It's not that we're mega extravagant but its the little things that just add up that we've not really appreciated. DH and I buy lunch and a coffee at work approx £6 a day each. DD1 spends about £5 a day on breakfast and lunch at school. Thats £17 a day at least whereas a packed lunch and breakfast at home would be a fraction of that. Thats £4000+ on crap. Same with eating out- go to a generic chain restaurant and pay £70 for a meal for 4 that'd cost about £15 at home. It's definitely been an eye opener!

I’m saving money on stuff that I generally fritter on but am spending more on necessities like food and household stuff so if you aren’t a fritterer you are probably spending more

Spending more on food but nothing on kids school meals, bus fares, diesel, lunches, kids parties, other kids presents, travel, holidays, meals out etc also when kids nag for things - its so easy to say no as nowhere to buy things - i will definitely be carrying this on after lockdown!

Im spending when this is all over. Pubs restaurants etc will all need our money if they are to survive.

I’ve definitely saved more on diesel and not eating out. I’m currently on ML so I had been lunching about 3 time’s a week which obviously isn’t happening at the moment. I’d usually buy myself or DD clothing once a week or more so I’ve saved on that too. However we have found our shopping bill has increased. I’ll just be putting what I’ve saved into savings. It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting our holidays either but again that’ll just get saved too. However I have shopped locally and supported small businesses more than I usually would so I plan on continuing that once normality has resumed.

I'm not spending on commuting, takeaway coffees & lunches, no more popping to Tesco after school for snacks etc. So I have saved a lot on unnecessary expenses. The food shop has gone up because we're eating more at home & we're buying what we can get hold of from different places. Found a fresh produce deli place nearby who will deliver order over £30 so using them for dairy & bread. Bit more expensive but they're saving me from going out for fresh stuff.