Is this going to make you think twice about what you spend money on?

[Bearbehind]

Given we can’t really spend money on anything right now, will you think twice before spending on ‘stuff’?

I’m literally making use of the last potato right now and it’s really brought home the fact I do waste money on stuff normally.

Do you think you’ll quickly go back to spending money on clothes, shoes, holidays, hotels, nights out, restaurants?

It has definitely made me and DH realise how much money we waste on things like buying lunches, takeaway coffees and sort of piecemeal food shops. Also been thinking about how much we spend on family trips and days out and the eye-watering cost of some of the kids activities!

I really hope I will continue to meal plan and reduce food waste and be more mindful about what I'm spending in general. Probably sounds trite but it has made us re-assess a bit what is important to us as a family - we are a far cry from the Waltons but we are on the whole enjoying being together more, usual squabbles aside!

A lot of people will have to take stock because being without a rainy day fund can come home to roost.

I never spent money on those things anyway! We rarely buy clothes for us and eat out only occasionally as we live rurally so not much choice.

My money goes on my horse and my child. Spending in both has not changed so far (online).

We are being more careful with food but still get Ocado deliveries and are buying some treats as well as essentials so bills are more expensive rather than cheaper.

No I am planning to make a huge effort to change our ways. I’m a pretty “ live for today” person, but this has made me see we waste an obscene amount . I don’t miss eating out etc at all. I don’t need any more stuff!

Yes
I cant believe the amount if money I spend on crap.
Shopping, Going out for breakfast meeting friends several times a week for lunch,hairdressers plus the amount I spend on dd weekly.
The amount I spend on clothes is madness.

Yes, not because I waste money generally - I don't think I do particularly. But I think our income is going to take a massive hit beyond lockdown and I will need to cut down spending. I think I will be cancelling gym membership for example and hoping to carry on cycling and walking as much as I am now instead.

Depends on whether I still have a job or not as I'm currently on furlough.

If I do then no, I'll continue to spend as I did before. I've never been one for buying "stuff" really - I probably only buy a couple of new items of clothing once a year. I spend my money on experiences, like holidays and going out for nice dinners. I've been thoroughly miserable not being able to live normally.

I don’t buy many clothes and we just have cinema cards and perhaps go out for coffee and cake every weekend. We have a bit saved but I don’t want to touch that unless it’s really necessary but we do need to be a bit more careful seeing as our household income has decreased by 20%, and probably more in coming weeks.

I’m actually saving more during this as working at home - I think I’ll be more frivolous afterwards in terms of eating out etc , making more of life

I think so. I don't see eating out as a waste so will continue breakfasts and lunches out - we don't do many big meals out so we're talking £20 rather than £70-£80 on 3 courses with wine. We will also keep our unlimited cinema membership.
I'd gone from full to part-time after maternity leave so was on the downswing anyway with clothes, but I really feel like my definition of "enough" outfits has changed. I'm not going to fixate on an item and obsess until I buy it any more (last summer I spent £80 on 2 pairs of Lucy & Yak dungarees when one would have sufficed, for example). We really want to keep meal planning too.

Well I spent £17.50 on one bunch of moscato grapes and a fennel saucisson today (both essential) so nah probably not

i've not been too too horribly affected by this. nor will my future income be. so with that in mind i will be spending locally and doing my best to help out the good restaurants and nice shops get back on their feet so to speak.

I own way more clothes than I need, more books than I can read and make up than I can use.

Already filled two sacks ready for when the charity shops reopen. My work wardrobe looks particularly useless hanging there at the moment!

I also waste an absolute fortune in coffee shops.

Im going to continue to spend way less on take aways. Make do with what food we've got in the house rather than pop out if I fancy something else. Only go into town shopping when I've run out of something and try to only buy what I go out for!

I'm using money saved from not spending to clear a couple of credit cards I have. It's not a massive amount I owe but if I can get rid of it I won't need to volunteer for so much overtime. Then I can spend more time at home with the husband and kids.

Interesting replies until it got to

Well I spent £17.50 on one bunch of moscato grapes and a fennel saucisson today (both essential) so nah probably not

I’m assuming it’s a piss take

Definitely. We must have been spending on absolute rubbish as I've taken a reduced salary this month and we still have had enough for savings. Can't believe how much we have saved.

spending money on clothes, shoes, holidays, hotels, nights out, restaurants?

I think our lives were very different before lockdown.

On that list the only thing we would spend on would be eating out at the local 2 for £15 place twice a month.
Maybe the NHS should pay me more so I didn’t have to wear my £10 Asda jeans to death, could buy new clothes and shoes and afford hotels.
On the plus side, if I die, my family will get a bit of money.

It's making me think of where I spend my money more than what I spend it on. I'm making more of an effort to support local businesses. I hope to continue to do that.

Yes definitely. We frittered a lot away on little extravagances.

Not really but I am fairly cautious about spending already. We have maybe 3 takeaways a year and same restaurant meals. I'm not buying clothes for myself at all this year.

I am saving in fees for the kids clubs - that really adds up.

Can't believe how much I spent on coffees on the weekend or out for breakfast on my day off and a mooch round the shops for a load of crap that I don't need.

Sundays it was always easy to get through £100 on literally nothing.

I've spent around £50 in the last two days and that was on a couple of comfy jumpers for me and dc so not frivolous but every time I check my online account I'm surprised by how much is still in there 😂😂

It has made me think where I am going to spend my money I.e shop local and not in Tesco.

The only think we spend a lot on are the kids activities - not sure how they'd feel if I stopped it after lockdown ends ? Worth having a conversation about it tho.

I think I'll spend more on doing stuff rather than buying stuff. Have always bought locally where I can and will probably do more - go to cheaper supermarket for staples (local big one have worked really hard) and buy other stuff at smaller stores.

On a slightly different note, I will also try to continue going to bed earlier - I have managed this much more and feel so much better for it.

No. I don't waste money excessively, but buying a nice top cheers me up. Taking the kids on a day out makes lovely memories. Holidays the same. If I'm down, a coffee (own cup) perks me up. I rarely impulse buy and stick to the rule something needs to give me pleasure or is of practical use.

People are very wasteful. Ripping out good serviceable kitchens because they are no longer fashionable. Buying silly expensive shoes, having ridiculous impractical nails and fake looking tans and plastic surgery. Buying food they throw away. It goes on and on. I don't do that, so have no problem with my personal spending.

I will probably spend just as much on holidays - I spend a large % of my disposable income on travelling.

I think I will be more careful about wasting food and not buying clothes willy nilly.