Currently we are worse off, but will probably work out almost even in the long run as we won’t be doing anything like going on holiday this year, so will save costs later on.
Our income has stayed the same but basic living expenses gone up quite a bit.
Our food bill is much higher as I have been ill and my husband too busy with work to cook, so we are eating more easily prepared food. Also buying everything online means we aren’t picking up reduced food locally which we usually do a lot. I think we are also eating more out of stress and there seem to be far fewer offers and multibuys (and I can’t get bread flour so we are buying bread products etc.).
Electricity use has almost doubled, due to being home all the time and working. There have been some other working from home costs (we had to buy a monitor etc.) but these are mostly one off costs.
I am in the shielded group and in quite poor health, so I also took the precaution of buying anything that might help me get through this (an oximeter, more accurate digital thermometer, stocked up all the first aid supplies, multivitamins etc.).
We have also had some one off costs we wouldn’t have had normally eg. I had an essential hospital appointment and we had to hire a car to get me there as can’t use public transport while shielding.
I think the worst off are obviously those who have lost a big chunk of their incomes. For other people who haven’t, whether you are doing better or worse probably depends on how you usually spend your money. I imagine that people who spend a lot on coffees, going out to eat, public transport and other services they aren’t currently using are probably saving a lot. But people whose disposable income is smaller probably are mostly worse off if their bills are rising.