Ah well, it's only 6th June. Sorry I'm more than a little late.
I actually did my May wrap-up of finances on Sunday but I didn't get a blog post written. These lazy long days are doing me no good at all in the getting-things-done stakes!
My food expenditure remains high and I think there are several factors at work. Firstly I am not eating out at all. I always have "eating out" as a separate category from "food". I have been having an occasional takeaway (to support a local business) which I have counted as groceries but from June I shall call it eating out. I am having a few treats to compensate for the things I can't do. Other people are shopping for me so I can't shop around for the best deals. So, all in all, the grocery bill has been too high
I am managing to save during the lock-down, largely because I am no longer meeting friends for coffee. no longer having pensioners' pub lunches, and driving much less. Because I'm not going out I'm not buying any clothes, not even tights - I spent £265 on clothes in 2019, much of which was on tights and underwear. My craft group is no longer meeting and although that was only £8 per month I often decided I had to have something to make me a better crafter. The stash is being used instead. That will save money around Christmas.
I'm spending quite a lot on paid help because my gardener is coming every week at the moment and I am still paying my cleaner half wages. However, I think this is all money well spent.
I have been doing as many surveys as I can but I am usually paid in Amazon vouchers so this doesn't appear as income although usually it does reduce expenditure. I'm also being paid to be a participant on a year-long survey concerning corona virus. Again I am paid in Amazon vouchers so I have decided to save up for something special.
Quite apart from that, I am still managing to salt away a little money each month, in fact slightly more than usual so I am still a happy bunny. I wonder how all of our finances will look when we get to the other side of the corona crisis?
We are much the same as you, food spending up, most of everything else is down. I am spending more on garden items, but we have been doing more jobs outside, and most of the items purchased ill last for years. BUT I may have got some plants as well.
ReplyDeleteplants have been much more difficult to get this year. I've no greenhouse and very limited windowsills so I have struggled. I've bought some on line with varying degrees of success.
DeleteFood in general has gone up, and that includes take out meals as we are adding good tips when we do. I used to spend $140 a month in gas for commuting. I've spent $20 since March 22 and have a 3/4 filled tank right now, so basically $400 saved. The flip side is that March-now, my husbands earnings have been at about 50% of the same period last year, so anything we save is offsetting salary loss.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten to mention motoring costs! Yes, since 11th March my car has moved only eighty miles and about twenty five of those were when I lent my car to someone else! The last time I bought petrol was 9th March and I have over half of that left still. That has been a big saving. My income has dropped only very slightly and I realise that in that I am very fortunate.
DeleteYou are doing really well. Food prices have definitely risen and like you a few treats have crept in to compensate for the staying home boredom. I will need petrol next week, the first time i believe since March. I'm still hoping that my plants come good. This freezing windy weather is a pain.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how many months to the gallon the car is doing!
DeleteFood spending up here as well. Prices are rising, things are still missing on the grocery shelves. I have also been buying a few groceries for Kris here at home. I hate shopping in the store nearest him as I feel very uncomfortable there. This means I can't use his card, and sometimes he forgets to reimburse us (no problem as it really does not add up to a lot).
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I'm just not going shopping. It's either on line orders or some kind person brings stuff for me. Hope Kris is better soon.
DeleteFood has gone up and like you we are unable to shop ourselves so are reliant on delivery. We are also spending a lot more on postage as we send little things to the family. We have filled the oil tank and saved a fortune, we are winter ready for half the price. Hope all is well with you, take care.
ReplyDeleteThe oil savings must more than wipe out food cost increases. I know when I had an oil tank I dreaded having to fill it. Keep warm next winter!
ReplyDeleteFood prices have gone up plus I find that I have a tendency to buy things "just in case" and stock up again bit by bit. Plus - there don't seem to be as many sales at the moment. But I have not been eating out - haven't bought so much as a cup of coffee since lockdown.
ReplyDeleteNormally by now I would have paid $390 for 3 months worth of transit passes (I work 25 hours per week and usually 5 days per week + I'm out most Saturdays and Sundays so a pass makes a lot of sense). I lost two weeks with of travel on my March pass but otherwise I've only added $40 for my few outings - I'll probably add another $20 before the end of June but certainly a big difference there.
I bought a new bra (very expensive) and 3 new tops for the summer (all on sale) - a new Spring jacket and another pair of lounge pyjamas (again, on sale) and all online, I don't anticipate any other clothes shopping over the next few months.
For my home I've bought another fan, a fitted sheet (my sheets have finally started to wear out so I am slowly replacing them) and a set of 8 facecloths. I would like another small bookcase from IKEA but have no desire to visit them as yet - the lineups are massive.
Outside of food my biggest expenditure has been for PPE - since I travel on public transit I want to have plenty of disposable masks and gloves.
My budget has gone wild! My husband and I are both earning a little extra (not a ton but a little) as a form of hazard pay. We've been getting take out/ pick up at least twice a week to support small local restaurants that we are very fond of. We would never eat out so much otherwise. Generally we go for walks a lot as a family but we've been going for walks even more and as opposed to normal when we'd go for a walk and not purchase anything we've been going for very long walks and stopping to get small treats from little local downtown businesses.
ReplyDeleteThe lockdown in our State has been much more severe than many other states here in the US but curbside pick up, or window walk up has kept some restaurants and ice cream shops and coffee houses open. We are very concerned about the real possibility of small businesses that we really enjoy going out of business. It would be wise to save/ spend less but call us fools. That's okay :)