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?

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

😂😂😂 Style

Definitely. I’ve deleted loads of stuff on my amazon wish lists for example. I was so tempted to buy stuff to entertain the toddler especially but I’ve thought really hard about what we actually need, and I’m making some activities for her instead, and games for the garden for the older two etc.

I’m being more careful about not wasting food too which is affecting my shopping list in a good way.

Yes, definitely. I normally go to the supermarket every day and buy what we need for that day. We are spending a lot less at the moment now we have to meal plan. And I normally get through a tank of petrol a week so I’m saving loads there too.

My spending's cut itself to the bone.
No eating out, no childcare, no parking fees ...us lucky cannon fodder now get in-building parking woo hoo. My travel plans for the year are off. Obvs. 😂 Though there wasn't a lot of food wastage to begin with, there's none now - utilising the freezer more.

I do think that it will take some serious effort to get the population spending again and letting those larger salaries spend their way down to the service sector. Our economy (and the working poor) relies on it.

6 weeks ago we'd have found it hard to comprehend where we'd be now, but we've adapted remarkably quickly. Those who have seen a substantial impact on their income will revert back equally quickly I think.

I live with someone who was accustomed to near daily top up shopping and never foregoing a desire for particular foods when they fancied. Unfortunately I'm predicting this will return the moment restrictions end.

My money is going so much further, I didnt realise how much I wasted on a quick coffee or lunch. I think it will make me think more in future, although as I work in hospitality (well, I dont at the moment but you know...) I am worried that this will affect my job a lot as people will over all spend less on such things.

Yes I think so. I don't waste huge amounts of money, but do eat out and pop to the shops more than I need to.

This has definitely made me think more as I can easily go at least a week without going to the shops to top up.

Haven't missed eating out at all really.

Definitely. I knew I was spending loads of money on "stuff" to fill a void in my life, but I never had the time or energy to stop and assess.

One huge thing is that I'm going to spend locally as much as possible. Local garden centres instead of chains, local food growers, local crafts people and makers.

It won't be more expensive because I won't be wasting hundreds of pounds on rubbish.

One example is a flour mill a short trip away. It can be combined with a day out.

I'm already being a lot more thoughtful about where my money goes, and I'm looking forward to putting it into practice.

I'm also reassessing my work schedule as I want to spend more time at home.

I’m going to go back to normal as soon as possible.

No, I like buying stuff for myself. I’m no martyr

I’m going to go back to normal as soon as possible.

I think there will be new ‘normal’ after this

I do wonder if excessive lifestyles, particularly those of celebrities, will become less socially acceptable in future

We’ve made do for some years, looking after things, mending things etc so the kids can have the nice teens stuff.

I’ve definitely seen their attitude change to the ‘latest’ whatever, been less picky over food, taken pleasure in each other’s company.

DD needed new glasses day of shut down, there was only one frame available for the lenses and she didn’t bat an eyelid, normally she would spend ages deciding.

It’s been an eye opener for many a younger generation.

@Lovebb Deciding to buy less doesn’t make me a martyr. I’m just saying I’m going to think before I buy.

Yes I think we’ll be more aware of keeping a more comfortable savings cushion. DP is self employed so has gone from a very large income which he was working all hours 7 days a week to earn to literally nothing coming in until June.
Thankfully we are saving to buy a house so have that money to fall back on

Yeah its not about being a martyr, just about reconsidering where your money is going. I genuinely didnt realise how much I waste on stuff that is throwaway. Buying coffee instead of making one with the v nice coffee machine I have at home, grabbing a sandwich at the shop instead of making one, grabbing a McDonalds instead of cooking a proper meal. I havent missed any of these things, and while I might do them occasionally in future it wont be anywhere near as often and only when I really cant get something from home.

It has opened my eyes to how much cash I've wasted over the years.

We’ve never financially recovered from 2008 tbf.
I think I might go back to work full time when this is over, make hay whilst the sunshine’s and I still have my health.

No, I'll be going back to my normal way of doing things. If I want something I will buy it

I will probably go out loads when we are allowed out. All the things postponed plus the excitement of being free again. We will do more local walks regularly and I will probably meal plan a bit more. I will probably buy less frivolous coffees and lunches. My kids activities won’t stop. They miss those.

I'm a spread sheet frugaleer so no nothing has changed for us.

My grown up kids on the other hand have noticed a massive difference to their bank balances. Me and DH have been telling them for years to stop spending and start saving. I'm hoping they learn from this.

I want a life where I don't have to work full time, so if spending less and stopping buying things I don't need in order to achieve that makes me a martyr, I'm happy to be one.

Yes. We spent shit loads on eating out 😳

@Bearbehind I actually wasn't taking the piss. The fennel saucisson was exquisite; the grapes were pretty special too,

I spend a lot of money on popping out at lunch, on crap that I don’t need! I have been working from home for the last month, and have saved loads. So hopefully I will not revert back to that once we are back in work

Im not a huge spender, I dont buy a lot of clothes/makeup but I am a sucker for the latest cant do without gadget for my hobby. That will be reigned in.

I will make sure I spend more on special holidays/day outs with the family though. We barely did a weekend a year together before now. I want more good times with them after this.

It's definitely been really useful for me to have a break and assess where my money is actually going. I won't be paying to have my nails done again as I quite like painting them myself, I may buy a gel lamp in the future to save me doing them so often though!

I think I will still buy myself nice things but it will be more of a case of considered spending. This month I've kept a list of things I would like and at the end of the month I will see how much I have left in my account and maybe treat myself to one thing I would like the most. I'm determined to put more money into my rainy day fund, I've been in my job about a year so wouldn't get any redundancy pay if anything happened in the next few months.