To ask how you are economising

[contentedsoul]

We’re all going to be affected either personally or close friends/relatives

Just wondered if you’ve all started cutting back and how extreme

Heating not been on for 2 days
Still have hot water
All lights not needed switched off
Hallway, lamps etc
Airport flask filled first thing (holds 2 full kettles) lasted all day
I’m on a mission to cut back to the bones - not spending anything except bare essentials.

Thank god winter is almost over - had it been before Xmas... what with Xmas shopping, heating etc etc

I haven't economised but I don't really do much that costs money at the moment.

@Ninkanink I'm not a saint! I've just been very broke in the past and don't want to make it worse for others in this extraordinary time

DS's activities all cancelled that's £45 every 6 weeks for bouldering / £11 a week for climbing and £34 a month for martial arts.
I'm saving £62 a month on bus pass.
Also no school holiday clubs, which would be £28 a day.
No day trips.
Going to be saving a fortune

No more Costa coffees and almond baked as I am now working from home
No travel fares
No cinema trips
No hair salon treatments, but will still do my nails
I have been cutting down over the years and so have managed to save

I know. I’ve been there too.

to anyone reading who is frightened or stressed over money right now.

Also ds Muy Thai classes cancelled - saves £16 a week
I will be cancelling my gym membership £42 a month
Stopped working with my PT ( £40 an hour)
Stopped my boxing class ( £14 a week)
This has made me realise that I spend far too much money

So far money isn’t our personal issue, but I am trying to be cautious with resources. Last night I noticed some milk had expired. I couldn’t bring myself to keep drinking it because we are a household full of people with compromised immune systems, but I decided I could bake with it. Found a loaf of bread that had gone rock hard and made bread pudding.

I'm only buying food, pet food/litter and any medicines. We don't really need anything else. I'm saving the money that I'm not using.

Not consciously being more frugal than usual but saving an amount because no meals out; no magazine, coffee for train and no bought lunch.

Not spending more out for daughter’s wedding, as looks like it will have to be scaled back.
Not booked ‘big’ holidays as unlikely to be able to travel. Might pick up a bargain when restrictions are lifted - assuming there are still airlines in business.
Not out and about so no cinema or theatre tickets. No supper party catering or need to take gifts anywhere.
Reduced fuel costs as not driving at moment.
Fewer ferry fares as not going over to our cottage for a while now.

We are more aware of food waste; put the heels of bread into the freezer. Eating what’s open rather than what we fancy. We are still doing pretty much our normal shop (well I hope we are if our online shopping comes!) but trying to get by without the top up shops we tend to do in the week.
Another one for turning off lights etc but I wa trying to do this anyway.

I’m far more aware of food wastage and trying my best not to make too much or throw things away.

We will save money through not going anywhere at all! We do tend to eat out once a week which we won’t be doing. That will probably save us £200-£250 a month.

Also saving money on petrol as I can’t visit my parents once a week. 😭😢

I've just gone and bought a £38 bottle of chase marmalade vodka. No seriously, that IS economising. I won't be able to go to the pub, or out for a meal where I would only get 4 drinks for that price.

We're not economising exactly. Dh's job is safe for the minute and we have plenty of savings. However I'm reconsidering where I shop. We're in self isolation because me and dd have symptoms. Just got 24 eggs. milk, bread and a fruit/veg box delivered from a local independent grocer supplied by local farmers. Before for convenience I'd probably have jumped into a big chain supermarket. The butcher is dropping a box off later and for Mother's Day instead of going out, the restaurent we were planning on going to is now doing takeout/deliveries.

Some of dd's classes have moved online and I'm continuing to pay for them because I know how dependent on the money her teacher is plus I'd like her to be able to go back after this.

I also have an order from a local bookstore due tomorrow. Basically I want to support our community as much as we can.

The heating is off but it's warm and we've been doing lots of kids yoga. Dh is obviously saving on his commute but our electricity bill will increase because he's working from home.

We will save a fortune not commuting to work every day (London)

Sorry if someone has mentioned this (I have skimmed the thread and not read every post). In two (or more) car houses there might now be the possibility (given working from home etc) of managing with one car, this could change the insurance on the other to third party fire and theft, rather than fully comp and consider a couple of months of SORN?

' thus could change' not 'this could change'

We are very lucky to still getting paid (both of us) right now, we have no mortgage or rent. But we are saving as much as we can (on top of what we have) because that COULD change of this goes on longer than 6months. But right now we are fortunate to be in a very good position.

Am I the only one who is amazed that people are only just waking up about food wastage?

I am not economising, my food costs have increased if anything - I am sure the shops have put the prices up, or maybe the only remaining items are more expensive.

@justincase I've always been conscious of food waste but trying extra hard now. That's a good thing

I don’t waste much food at all. What we don’t eat gets taken to neighbours as soup or made into meals they can heat easily in their Aga. That’s not down to the virus though: Its so they think they are doing us a favour using up our leftovers, so pride retained. Several ‘younger’ people do the same so our elderly folk are well nourished, not isolated and checked up on regularly.

I can’t do it at the moment because of infection but will resume shortly. Others are doing it at moment. Nothing complicated but a roast meal usually has enough left over to make a chicken pot pie or a stew with dumplings. A risotto can be ‘diluted’ with stock to make chicken rice and mushroom soup. With a couple of cheese scones from the freezer,
a vegetable soup made out of wilting veg and a few beans becomes a decent meal.

I’ve never liked the idea of food wastage. Not vegetarian but am respectful of animal lives feeding us. Wouldn’t want meat or fish , in particular, wasted.

No cutting back here-I’m not making this time even more miserable! I’m not bothered if we rack up the credit cards a bit either.

We have plenty of everything and still have 3 Ocado slots to come so not yet touching any frozen or tinned supplies yet. Most of our electricity is renewable.

If all else fails we’ll live on eggs (we keep hens).

Financially nothing likely to impact us much apart from lack of tenants in BTL but have enough savings to cover if desperate. DH’s job is perm WFH and I’m on mat leave. He’ll get full pay if ill, not SSP and paid carers leave if I need help.
We live very rurally and we are virtually self isolating anyway-we are only doing essential shop runs and feeding the horse outside our property and have minimal contact with anyone. Our driveway has gates so even the postman doesn’t come as far as the house.

Oh and we have a full woodshed so can run the woodburner if it got really bad but I can’t see how utilities will be disrupted.

Am I the only one who is amazed that people are only just waking up about food wastage?
Nope

The festival we go to every summer has been cancelled.
That's £450 saved!

Have always been economical with food shopping. Admittedly, now that I'm working full time I haven't been as stringent as I should.

I'm saving just by being at home really.