Sunday 24 May 2020

Money Makes The World Go Round

Mick found a five pound note last week. He was taking Archie for his last walk of the day just before bedtime when he saw it lying there on the pavement. It reminds me of the time, many years ago now, when he came into the house and told me he'd found a five pound note on the drive. It was half an hour later, when looking for some money he had in his pocket, that he realised he was a fiver down. The five pound note he'd picked up on the drive was his own!


Whenever I find any money in the street it always makes me wonder who dropped it. Was it a child who has lost their pocket money, or an elderly person who has lost part of their pension. Will someone have to go without something now because losing that money means they can't afford to buy it.

How are you managing your finances in lockdown? We're very lucky, Mick is able to work from home so he's still been earning his normal salary but I know many people are having to take wage cuts, or worse still, have lost their job.

Are you finding that you're spending more or less in lockdown? These days, many people shop around for the best prices but I suppose lockdown is preventing that somewhat. People don't want to be going in lots of different shops for their groceries, they want to be in and out of that one supermarket in the shortest time possible. The one way systems in the shops also make it difficult to head in different directions once you're inside the shop too, so you can't backtrack to an item once you realise it's a better offer than something that's ahead of you. I would have thought that having Mick at home all day, we'd spend more on food but in actual fact we seem to be spending less. I think that's because we're not doing all those top up shops during the week when 'extras' seem to jump into the basket.

Another area where we're spending less is petrol, though it's not actually saving us any money as Mick can claim mileage for petrol he uses for work. Usually, he drives an average of eight hundred miles each week when he's at work, but he claims the amount that costs back. At the moment he's taking Eleanor to work and picking her up too every day so that she doesn't have to use public transport, it's ten miles each way so that's forty miles a day, and he drives to my dad's too, so he's still using the car and I'd say it's costing us about the same as it usually would.

You would think that the amount of gas and electricity we're using at the moment with Mick being at home would increase, but it's hard to work out how much extra that is. We change our supplier regularly to ensure we're on the best deal and the heating has been turned off for much of the time during lockdown as we've had such lovely weather.


One thing that's definitely gone up is the coffee bill. We have a Tassimo coffee machine, it's Mick's, there's only him in our house who drinks coffee. He usually has one cup before work each day, but being at home, he's helping himself to numerous cups each day, and those pods aren't cheap!

How about you? Which areas are you spending more on and where are you making savings? Have you realised that a change you've made during lockdown is saving you money and therefore, it's something you'll continue to do in the future? I'd love to know.

23 comments:

  1. We're also spending less. We have a Dolce Gusto and only John drinks coffee, but only one a day. We haven't used the car as we shop in the Co-op down the road, but we filled up with petrol the other day now it's under £1 a litre. We're using less gas and electric now it's summer. We've never been big spenders, but I think we'll probably spend less in future. Best, Jane x

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  2. Our spend is down, like you no expensive top up shops, heating off, and not using much power. Car has hardly been used, but we have shopped online, its the time of year for sorting the garden, most has been spent on my greenhouse revamp. Our income is the same, hubby retired and me not working.

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  3. I have definitely saved money during lockdown that is until last week when I made a trip to the garden centre, I came out in shock because of the amount I had spent, but then I did manage to justify the cost, I don't have a coffee machine so I'm missing my cappuccinos but I ma saving money there, also petrol prices are down I saved a lot when topping up my tank and I didn't have to but put petrol in it at all last month. I live on my own so luckily I don't have any extra utility costs. I feel for those who have lost their jobs and are struggling at the moment and I fear it's going to get so much worse. xx

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  4. We are not spending on petrol as we are not having days out. We also are not going out for meals or buying meals when we are out. No shopping for treats such as clothes etc or pot plants. We’re not really spending more on anything either. We may be saving more but I guess when we come out of this and experience a recession we will pay for it then.

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  5. Some years ago when I was getting out of my car at a small market there was a hundred dollar bill at my feet. Earlier this year My daughter found a $50 bill on the ground at the gas station. These incidences happen to myself and my children frequently. Maybe not in those large amounts but it happens. I always wonder about the previous owner but also consider it as a fortunate for us. Luckily my family are in a secure position and have not had to be concerned about providing for ourselves. I have been reading about the struggles but I don't know anyone that has had to ask for help or food. I have been quarantining since the end of February and I'm fine. I haven't gone stir crazy because I'm use to keeping myself occupied at home. I am a homebody. It's almost as if nothing has changed. I confess though that I've been ordering out a lot more from really nice restaurants because I love a homey good cooked meal and of course my online ordering from Amazon and Etsy has increased but in my defense I would have ordered the items anyway. Quarantine or no quarantine the items were in my basket. Online ordering is so much and those baskets must be empty !

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  6. Oh yes, coffee. I don't think I've ever drunk as much coffee as I have during recent weeks. X

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  7. i'm saving on petrol but have also noticed that as i'm not going out i'm not using make-up and make -up removing toiletries so that's another small saving

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  8. I think we're spending less on food, although it's hard to gauge because Mark isn't usually here during the week. I'm not doing top up shops in the week either, we are using what we have and we are not having take away, so I suppose we are. I usually fill up my car once a month and haven't been to the petrol station since the end of March, so definitely a save there. Mark doesn't pay for his fuel so. I think after all this is over I'll try to carry on doing my shopping in this way, not just going because it's the end of the week.
    Mark changed our utility supplier at the beginning of lockdown, we also got our internet cheaper too, although we have had a couple of big expenses, first my washing machine broke and the next week my vacuum cleaner, so both had to be replaced.

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  9. I've never known a tank of petrol to last this long. Hubby filled up today £20 cheaper then usual. My grandson face timed me to say he found a £20 note in a stream. He got wet getting it and his mum wasn't amused!

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  10. We are retired so our income hasn't changed as we receive a pension and social security. We are spending less on food as we aren't eating out as much and we make do with what we have in the pantry and freezer... no "running to the store" to pick up this or that. I think the biggest change is gas. We are certainly using less but also it costs almost half what it was when the crisis started.

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  11. My car hasn't left our driveway since the week before lockdown. Douglas has only been out twice - both times to collect pills from the chemist. It's typical that the price of petrol is so low when we're not going anywhere! We're getting our shopping delivered and, although things are dearer than I would normally pay - as you said, I'd normally go here for this and there for that to get the best deals - I'm not putting things in my online trolley that would jump in there if I was in the shop. No bunches of flowers or a magazine or stuff like that. I wonder what I'll do when I'm allowed out again? I hope I manage to keep to the "we only need this" list I've developed online! :o)

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  12. We are definitely saving money with only using the car on odd occasions & only around town, though one weekend as restrictions have been lifting, we got to see DD & grandies who live on the other side of Melbourne. Our gas & electric have gone up, but that is because winter is coming on & it's been unbelievably cold & wet for May.
    I suppose we are fortunate to be pensioners & don't have to worry about work, but we do worry for our children & grandchildren who are in the workforce. Take care, stay safe & huggles.

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  13. I should think most people are spending less as they aren't going to restaurants and various entertainment places or on holiday trips. Good job the weather is good too so the washing can dry outside. Some must be really struggling though.

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  14. That's an interesting money story! You know I just found 20 on the bike path the other day. NO One was one that path. There is a legend here of DOGMAN who is a beast in the woods. I doubt dogman had cash on him. LOL
    WE are definitely spending much less now that we are at home and self sequestered. We used to meet folks for lunch or dinner. I eat very light since being on weight watchers. We would laws split the check. IT was not even and it would sometimes bug me.
    For sure when we return to gatherings at dining places we will do breakfast. The drinks add up to fast when one marguerite becomes two etc.
    We also are not going to the barn or Illinois so Our gas and driving is way down.
    I have ordered from Amazon, but it is just easier and for things I would have to purchase for gifts anyhow!

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  15. Life now isn't much different for us being at home. We've been doing online shopping for maybe the last eighteen months but it's more difficult finding an available delivery slot now. I had just renewed my six month delivery contract with the supermarket when lockdown began but they have waived the monthly fee so my weekly delivery slot isn't costing me anything now. As for petrol the tank is almost full. Our hospital and garden centre are fairly local and the only places we have visited recently, wish we'd filled up when petrol was under a £1 a litre as it is now. I do like my coffee so I think I'm drinking more of that and as you say the pods aren't cheap. I really feel for those who are suffering financially and mentally right now these are tough times.

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  16. saving a lot but then there have been purchases made of New Zealand made socks, stockings and underwear, and a merino top, plus books, but we're still well under a normal spend. Shops only opened nearly 2 weeks ago, as did finally takeaways. I've been to the shops once in 10 weeks (yesterday) and hated it, so I'm not shopping again. I won't even go into the supermarket! I don't need a thing anyway - not even the NZ made items, but bought them to support small NZ companies!

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  17. We are spending less as the basics have been on the shopping list for our daughter to get as I can imagine that she needs to go around a supermarket as quickly as possible before she goes to work and there will be the social distance queues to slow her down and her own shopping to do. On the other hand we're paying a bit more for food items from the milkman,but I don't mind as it keeps us ticking over with fresh milk, bread, egg and potatoes. Our daughter is insured to drive our car so has taken it for a run to make sure it's in good order. Finding money in the street like that does make you wonder who dropped it.

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  18. This made me smile. A couple month ago I was walking my dog down our alley (socially distancing!) and she started sniffing some paper. When I uncovered the paper, it was a $10 bill...shredded. I was bummed, but it turns out if a certain percentage of the paper is in tact (and it isn't much!), the bank will honor it...which they did. Shira bought doggie cookies. No saving for a rainy day1
    http://stephanieyoung.zenfolio.com

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  19. Your money story made me laugh. I am still working but working less, yet having to pay my babysitter twice as much because Little B is out of school. We are fortunate that only one of my sons has lost his job so for the time being he is on our payroll! So this pandemic is costing me a lot more with a son who needs help and extra babysitting, still I consider us very fortunate. Stay safe.

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  20. I'm always finding money! We are spending far less on petrol as hubs is working from home, so we rarely use the cars now. Our food bill is probably less now too as I use everything in the fridge before shopping.xxx

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  21. We have a small business so have been affected quite badly. Less spent on food stuffs, but more tea being drunk and cake being eaten.

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  22. Way more spending on food here - more treats, less offers at supermarkets (and no shopping around) and 2 grown up children home from uni. Also having takeaways - have a couple of good independent ones close by that we've been supporting when they reopened.
    Spending is way down on fuel - husband wfh and I'm not working (casual hours in 2 schools so not at either right now) so our income is down slightly - but not much. Electricity up due to 4/5 people at laptops most of the day but glorious weather means all the laundry for the 6 of us is line dried (I dislike tumble dried washing at any time- it smells and feels funny to me)

    No spends on haircuts - but did buy clippers to do 4 x male cuts - price justified just in those 4 cuts alone :)

    Have spent on gardening stuff - probably about the same as normal and presents from online shopping - again, same as normal.

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  23. With just the two of us, we are spending less …
    Of course this is not the same for everyone! I think there are those, especially with families who are finding things difficult.

    All the best Jan

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