I think I'm spending a fair bit less overall. Not nearly as much for dining out, or food to cook at home, or for entertaining at home. Less on various home-repair projects as I'm doing more myself instead of hiring workers. Far far less on travel.
I think I'm spending a fair bit less overall. Not nearly as much for dining out, or food to cook at home, or for entertaining at home. Less on various home-repair projects as I'm doing more myself instead of hiring workers. Far far less on travel.
Sadly not spending any money on take-out or restaurant food, hardly any gas for the car, can't go for haircuts, travel is out, not paying much more for food than normal, utilities the same since we are retired.
All my restaurant budget (in other years $160/mo) and most of my "splurge food" budget (in other years $100) is going to regular groceries, and it does seem we are spending a couple of hundred more on food, mainly because we rely on the local markets that have somewhat higher prices than supermarkets, because we can't buy food in bulk and we are trying to support the local agricultural economy.
We had a COVID wedding so you could say that that's a big expense, but it would have been a lot bigger if the wedding hadn't been downsized due to COVID.
We saved on not "snowbirding" to New Jersey. (Autocorrect kept changing snowbirding to snowboarding--we definitely did not snowBOARD to NJ this year)
Net-net we did not save a penny this year, but next year will be different.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
www.silententry.wordpress.com
I guess we're spending less. I could look it up, but...I know we're staying afloat on the reduced income we get from DW's pension (plus a pension of mine) so we're saving some money.
Less travel, of course, and less fuel needed for both cars (though DW's gas bill is rising due to commuting between here and DD's and DMiL's). Saving bigly on haircuts now that I'm not going to the barber every 4-5 weeks and DW decided to go naturally gray.
We've been getting takeout once a week from a local indy restaurant (more than we used to eat out); otherwise, every meal is cooked at home and the grocery bill shows it. We've also reduced the number of trips we make to the supermarket. I used to have no problem buying most of what we needed at one store except for what was on sale at another; now I just pick up what we want where I'm buying everything else (unless the price is just ridiculous). The heating bill is higher because both of us are home and one of us needs to have it warmer than the other does.
We've donated the stimulus money that's come in, ate a couple of gift certificates we'd purchased for leisure last year (those places are hurting, too), and somehow managed to max out our dental copay.
Next year likely won't be better financially. We figure most of the year will look like this year, but we're planning on some remodeling and (looking more likely) some purchases to replace some appliances and furniture that have done their time and then some. We can do some of the remodeling ourselves but won't want to do all of it. So we'll see....
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
Definitely saved. I’ve spent way less on gas, from March through June, only $40. Total on gas. Averaging about $30/month since then, compared to average of $200/month. Almost no bridge tolls. Less car maintenance, and my tires will last a couple of years longer than previously projected.
No haircuts- I used to wear it short so got a cut every 6 weeks, long now and I’m probably not going back to Short.
Almost no fast food- no grabbing a burrito or burger just because I’m out and about at lunch time- and no dining out, actually planning and cooking meals, healthier and way less expensive.
Two cancelled vacation trips, easily $2000 there.
Since I’m home, I’m able to adjust the heaters throughout the day, and even though December was very cold and damp And our rates have gone up, my December gas and electric bill was $30-40 less than previous years.
After needing to make several returns, I’ve delayed buying clothes until I can actually try them on (I’ve lost weight, yay!) My closet is pretty lean at this point, but better that than stuffed, messy, with things worn out or not fitting well, or synthetic fabrics that I hate.
Cancelled my Prime membership, because I hadn’t seen a 2-day delivery in 4 months, and now have satellite internet, so much is easily accessible for entertainment.
I’m now debt free (paid off the big vet bill from April), and my credit card, have healthy savings, and a good supply freeze-dried food, and a 5 month supply of dog food.
I’ve also completed a lot of little projects I had sitting around- and ditched a couple completely that had passed their “best by” date, LOL.
Living not “tiny” but small, and feeling rich beyond measure!
Last edited by mschrisgo2; 1-10-21 at 2:30am. Reason: Clarification
Wow, mschrisgo2! Congrats!
To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown
Mschrisgo, you have accomplished so much. Congrats!!
Sadly, yes. No travel and no 3-4 restaurant meals each week. now we might get restaurant fare 2x/month? Sometimes not.Originally Posted by gimmethesimplelife
I was last at the grocery store Dec 23.
I did spend $ online buying/shipping clothing items to 2 girls who lost everything and a disabled/fixed income friend has taken them in temporarily. $350 well spent!
My last auto insurance billing actually dropped by about twenty five percent, with the explanation that there had been less travel and fewer accidents. Which seems appropriate since I've only filled up with gas about every other month for some time. I don't have dental insurance and have saved a few hundred by not having routine cleaning and checkups. Maybe a hundred to so a month on restaurant meals and and another few hundred on cancelled theater tickets. Possibly a smaller amount by doing more scratch cooking and bread making.
It doesn't add up to a huge amount and there has been a little comfort spending and extra donations to partially off set. I suspect people who have spent larger amounts on leisure or luxury travel might be the big savers.
Like everyone else, we took no trips this year so we’re certainly saving on travel. But there sure are a lot of Amazon boxes finding their way to my address… Just the packaging alone horrifies me.
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