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Covid

How are so many people still spending as normal?

439 replies

nc1962 · 30/10/2020 15:38

I'm so confused by what I'm hearing compared to how people seem to be living their lives.

On the one hand, it's everywhere about job losses, redundancies, people not being able to pay mortgages. But on the other - a lot of people I know/vague acquaintances are going on holiday at every opportunity, buying a lot of stuff and spending a lot of money on house renovations.

Our household has been hit badly by all of this, with a massive drop in income.

Of course it's different for everyone and up to people how they spend, but I'm so uncertain what to think. Are there really so many households (normal as opposed to very rich) who have been able to carry on as normal? I thought we were very typical in terms of having taken a big hit, but now I don't know what to think and whether this is a short term or long term thing.

I wanted to ask what others are finding to be the case - are a lot of people you know carrying on as normal, or has there been a big financial impact?

OP posts:
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BashfulClam · 02/11/2020 19:47

We are saving about £1k a month, no commute, no lunches, no coffees, no going out!

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Poppyismyfavourite · 02/11/2020 15:00

@PattyPan ooh thanks I'll have a look

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Jen8888 · 02/11/2020 12:05

Both mine and DHs industries are thriving at a result of Covid.

In the last month DH has made a significant step up in title and salary/bens.

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irregularegular · 02/11/2020 12:00

There are plenty of people whose income isn't affected. I've worked throughout, very hard but from home, in my permanent and secure job.

During the previous lockdown period we saved a lot of money on commuting, children's school travel, kids' activities, work clothes, cleaners, gym membership, not holidays or socialising etc etc

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PattyPan · 02/11/2020 11:49

@Poppyismyfavourite if you are wfh you can claim £6 tax relief a week because of the extra costs like heating - look on the money saving expert website for info

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Poppyismyfavourite · 02/11/2020 11:45

@EmmaGrundyForPM yup our heating bill is going to be awful - previously we just had it on in the morning and evening for an hour or two, now it's on all day :S

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Ddot · 01/11/2020 17:22

I've said things to people about wearing mask keeping distance and been swore at a few times. Shopping is awful

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Ddot · 01/11/2020 17:17

I live up north, very few adhere to rules. Social distancing, mask wearing it's a nightmare. Police got goverment money last lockdown to control virus, spent huge amount on sandwiches for their lunch

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acaiacai · 01/11/2020 17:08

It's funny @Ddot I only hear of ppl being exempt on Mumsnet...I work in a huge company and we have over 700 employees...WE HAVE to wear a mask on site...ALL DAY, except when eating. And everyone adheres to the rule...no one is exempt...funny that!!

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Ddot · 01/11/2020 16:46

Its never going to end. Just been for petrol 7 people in garage 4 without mask 😱

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thaegumathteth · 01/11/2020 16:35

We're ok at the moment but not taking it for granted at all.

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DoveOfPiss · 01/11/2020 15:51

During the first lockdown I was a student, living off my student loan and tax credits for the kids. I spent the lockdown homeschooling my 3 younger ones while working on my dissertation and our placements went ahead, although some were wfh.
Since July when I finished my degree, I have been looking for a job in the healthcare sector (you'd think that would be easy) without success and when my carefully-budgeted student loan ran out mid August I have been trying to pay my rent and feed 4 kids, one of whom just turned 18 so I no longer get benefits for them, on tax credits, child benefit and housing benefit which doesn't cover the rent. Their father contributes nothing.
At least they now get a hot dinner at school and I'd have gone under if I hadn't had the food vouchers in the summer. Plus now the heating is on when the kids are home.
I'm hoping to get a job soon but life is pretty shit atm. As soon as I get a job my benefits will stop so I don't think we'll be any better off ☹️

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Ddot · 01/11/2020 13:35

My window lock just broke, not closing, kettle stopped boiling and need new oven. Ahhhhhh

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BatleyTownswomensGuild · 01/11/2020 12:37

I'm saving about a fifth of my salary every month from not commuting, holidaying, going out, buying work clothes etc.

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elliejjtiny · 01/11/2020 12:29

Our income and outgoings have been mostly unchanged, spending a bit less on petrol due to not visiting family and spending more on printer paper and ink. Our income was low anyway though so we weren't doing much non essential shopping or having days out/holidays etc.

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DustyMaiden · 01/11/2020 12:28

DH had an extremely well paid job has been made redundant.

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LearnedResponse · 01/11/2020 12:23

I’m sort of surprised that you’re surprised Autumn. Most of the public sector, healthcare, adult care finance, education, tech, pharma, farming, construction, trades, food production and food retail (and all the associated admin jobs associated with jobs in that sector) is a lot of people.

However hospitality, leisure, live arts, beauty, “non-essential” retail and anything supported by advertising are also huge, so although thank heavens my friends and family aren’t in those sectors I can completely imagine how tough it is, and pray the treasury keeps the furlough coming, along with any additional support required.

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Autumnblooms · 01/11/2020 11:59

I had no idea so many ‘normal’ people were ok!! We are falling through the cracks here Sad

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alphabetti · 01/11/2020 11:58

We have saved money as I usually have to drive half an hour to work so massively saved on petrol. Through lockdown my partner who is TA was on rota so we cancelled his bus pass and he just bought daily tickets or I drove him there/back so again a saving. Kids didn’t spend small fortune on school meals and we didn’t waste money on coffees etc out so saved. We spent the saved money on decorating our living room and putting down laminate and anew stair carpet. To other people it might look like we had loads to spare but it was only possible due to being able to cut back on what would usually be travel costs.

I work in revenue and benefits for a local council and can see there are many people hit financially by this pandemic it’s just awful. The football team my partner coaches for and daughter plays for have regular collections for any families that need help and anything left goes to local food bank so every pay day we buy extra and send it there as the thought of anyone going hungry or struggling for essentials such as toilet rolls, nappies etc is awful.

FIL has been on furlough since March and worried about losing his job and MIL on sick with anxiety but they still spending as usual and been on 4 weekends away through summer. We would not have done that as unnecessary spending but maybe that is what they needed to do to get them through a tough time so wouldn’t even consider judging them.

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Sunsetdawn · 01/11/2020 11:53

We're spending a bit less than usual, and earning about the same. We feel very fortunate to be in this position and we're saving as best we can in case things get worse for us and/or our loved ones after the transition period or in case of redundancy.

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Ponoka7 · 01/11/2020 11:45

My children are all key workers, two only just above minimum wage. They've all had their earnings increase because of there being no competition, increased hours because of isolation/childcare issues, or in the case of my Son in Law, extended contracts to free up the NHS. Their jobs are secure, if not were they work now, but in the same roles.

The lack of expenditure elsewhere has freed up money. I'm spending much more on Christmas decorations because I'll save a couple of hundreds because of theatres, cinemas, Christmas Markets, children's activities (for GC) not happening.

Some people on the bottom rung can splash out because they can't drop any lower. Some jobs will always exist and employers are now looking ar people in their 20's to recruit.

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Figmentofmyimagination · 01/11/2020 11:45

Also let’s not forgot the other shitstorm around the corner beginning with B. Very few people can be certain their earnings will retain their purchasing power atm, even if they keep their jobs.

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Figmentofmyimagination · 01/11/2020 11:34

MRex clearly nobody will be getting preferential treatment in a pandemic, nor should they etc. I was thinking more medium term, as it will surely be many years before nhs waiting lists recover, if they ever do, especially with the huge hit to public finances.

I imagine this will be the new inequality. Health insurance won’t help you once you’ve retired. Just a basic hernia operation outside the nhs costs more than £4,000.

And in fact even now, I know of two people who has ended up using savings to pay for themselves over this period because of delay - one with prostrate cancer. It’s a nice idea to imagine this isn’t possible but it is.

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Redcrayons · 01/11/2020 10:58

Even those whose incomes are currently secure are a bit crazy to be splashing the cash

It depends on what you do. They aren’t going to be making nurses redundant any time soon.

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Bajalaluna · 01/11/2020 10:55

We've saved money due to dh not commuting (usually costing £200 pm), not eating out, not having days out to shopping centres and spending unnecessarily, and cancelled 3 abroad holidays at the beginning of the year, so have made up for that over the summer with a few short breaks away in UK. We have saved money mainly due to no commuting costs, so will probably put this towards house renovations as and when Covid allows. I know we are very fortunate in that dhs job hasn't been affected, he is busier, and has been taking on overtime, so actually earning more, and I work for one of the big supermarkets, so again, my workload has actually increased this year. I know everyone's situation is different, and many people have lost salaries/income during this, but ALOT haven't (look for example how many people Tesco/Asda/Morrisons employ as one example of people who won't have lost income) they're the ones who are "spending as normal"

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