To ask who else just isn't spending AT ALL!?

[junebug21]

Just that really... is anyone else noticing their bank account numbers rising!!? Due to being home on full pay and not spending on childcare, petrol, kids clubs, coffees etc etc all my pay is stacking up and I'm mind blown by how much I normally would be spending!! We are very lucky to not have many bills (no mortgage) we literally only pay insurances (life, house etc), electricity, Netflix and phones! I feel like I have been wasting A LOT of money beforehand! (I am aware that there are many not in this position etc and we are v lucky) but I also feel like I'm missing something and I owe someone/something a lot of money!!?? Anyone else??

@junebug21 Our posts crossed! My reply to Hollow answers your question, though. SE people can't be furloughed. I don't qualify for benefits.

I soon might, though.

Serin, back in the day 40k was a huge amount, my first house cost 14k and my monthly salary back in the day for teaching was £350!

Saving a fortune, mainly due to the 20% discount on school fees, but also £200 a month on DC’s activities, travel to work, wrap around childcare and general frittering on coffees and Pret.

Also had a refund from school ski trip and outdoor pursuits week, as well as a short break I had booked and a Minis rugby tour.

DH lost his job in November though so it’s very welcome and has been squirrelled away.

@crimsonlake Still not the same!

We're barely spending anything. My income has been zero since March and while DH earns plenty, he's self-employed so his income isn't regular or guaranteed.

All we buy is food and necessities at the moment. We've saved a fortune

I'm saving a couple of hundred pounds a month that I'd normally spend on meals out. I'd far rather be out than saving. I don't consider it a waste, it's part of living a good life for me.

Our bills are exactly the same, only thing we’re really saving on is fuel and the childminder. We’re spending more on food and I’ve developed an online shopping habit so don’t think we’ve saved much.

Nope. Still paying 80% of childcare costs so that they can pay their staff. Spending a ton on food (mostly due to DH, who is definitely comfort eating his way through lockdown). I am better off not paying for my commute, but have spent a lot on extra books for DD because no school and no library....

Look at how much house prices have risen compared to earnings. The gap between the two is huge now. You can't get on the housing ladder just by saving and not going on holiday.

I am literally only paying for food and the normal bills. No childcare costs anymore but then again I get tax credits towards that so ill have to pay it back/they'll get reduced cos of that.
So yes huge difference
Still working from home but I worry about redundancies at the end of it cos some people are being furloughed at ours cos way less new business

I had been saving money. A fair bit really, but work for the IL's family business and was asked to take a salary sacrifice on my enhanced maternity package so gone back to SMP and DH has been furloughed.

Thankfully we aren't paying childcare else we'd be buggered to be honest. We sacrificed a deposit on a holiday we were due to take in June and didn't pay the balance so we have that amount in savings now. Glad we did that and didn't end up with vouchers we potentially wouldn't be able to use next year.

DH's industry is back up and running now (construction) so hopefully things will go back to normal.

Feeding the family three times a day is costing a fortune, I used to just buy dinner for DH and I as DS1 had all his meals at nursery or grandparents.

But I am saving money by not meeting up with friends for meals.

I have a huge pension pot but I can't touch it for almost another year and I've lost my job! So no I'm not spending either. But when I retire I'll just catch up

I've saved money on diesel, lunches but spending more on ordering things on amazon for DS2 to be entertained and also my good bill is huge

Hmm sort of. No hall fees for dd this term but DH pays those. Our dC are 25 and 22 and we are all at home so three meals a day for 4 and two of the four are early 20s and DS has pretty much run 7k to10k every day. Saved 100pcm on petrol and 200pcm on hair but grocery bill has shot up by at least £300pcm.

Take lunch to work every day usually and don't buy coffees out during the week.

and not spending on childcare, petrol, kids clubs, coffees

Or in my case no university halls fees for the last term, no petrol, kids clubs is not applicable, neither is buying coffee while out, not buying any new clothes, not going out for meals or to the pub.

BUT, DD is home from university and has hollow legs and a bottle of wine between three doesn’t go far enough, we have had to buy a WiFi extender, and our solar panel inverter is not working so we are paying full whack for our utilities.

That said our outgoings are significantly lower than our income just now, and I still have a job (WFH) – for now.

Just how much coffee are people buying? It never occurs to me to have a coffee while out.

Yes and no - I’m not spending on normal daily crap (or my daily fruit I buy on my way to work!) but I’m using this time of not spending on small things to invest in stuff I’d normally budget/save a little for - new bras, new jeans etc

Saving on petrol and the nursery bill. Also on haircuts (overdue for us all) Spending more on food which would normally be eaten at school/nursery/work, plus doing a lot of online shopping as we’ve had a couple of birthdays. Also used “saved” money to get car repairs done, so we are not ahead at the moment.

Spending a bit more on food but despite me and DH both being on furlough, both managed to save a lot more than normal last month! Just shows how much we'd spend on crap or luxuries like eating our regularly etc. Of course I still have the odd Amazon and eBay purchases but in general spending a lot less!

Bras and jeans are things I couldn't buy online as I have to try several on before buying. I really CBA spending half of my time queuing at the post office just now to send stuff back.

I'll make it all back from the documentary about how they took the front window out to get me out like an awkwardly shaped couch.

Hahahaha

Yup, I'm barely spending anything - I've just put up what I put in kids' savings account to £100 each a month; that adds up to a little bit more than my commuting costs for a month. I'm not going to be communting 4 days a week for the rest of this year, that's for sure - even if my office can be socially distanced (and it probably can), it's 40 mins each way on the tube.

I've ordered myself insanely expensive posh slippers because they'll be what I'm wearing most of the time for the rest of this year and I can afford it now.

Been giving a lot to charity as well because I know I am lucky in us both being employed and not having to worry about our finances much even if one or both of us were to be out of work for a while.

Saving on commute, swimming and music classes (their call not ours), nursery fees, spending more on food and things for DS and the garden but still saving more than usual

I am definitely spending less money, but not as little as I should😊.

My garden centre delivers, so I have spent a fortune on plants to cheer myself up. I joined hello fresh, so spending more on groceries, but less on takeaway coffees and eating out.

I do treat myself to little things online, and Have spent some money making my home office a bit more comfortable.

I'm saving a bit more than I was before.

I'm saving the ~£150 I used to spend on my commute, and more on not buying breakfast and lunch from a shop. So probably saving another ~£120.

I did have an online shopping splurge last week. I spent £150 on clothes and shoes and I don't think I've ever spent that much on clothes in one go before!

No, I've lost money! My maternity ended and before this all happened I had already told them I would be staying off for a year otherwise I could probably have been furloughed!
I saved previously pretty well though so (touch wood) it'll be okay