How have your expenses changed with the Corona Virus?

[gayl]

Food expenses way UP despite eating at home. Groceries are expensive. I need new shoes. Wore them out hiking, usually I stick to paths but so does everyone else so I'm hiking. Also shopping a lit on etsy and things are more expensive there (but worth it to support independent people).

 

[statsman]

BIL and his wife aren't showing up from California this week (trip canceled by my DW), so we're saving on the expense of that visit. Part of this visit required us to get a new queen mattress set, frame, and bedding (our kid's old bed won't fit two adults). That has also been put on hold. We're suppose to have our front and back yard beds re-planted, but the landscaper is having difficulties picking up the shrubs we want. So, the expense of that is on hold.

Other than that, the rest of our expenses are mostly unchanged.

 

[Starsky]

A lot less - no gas for my truck, I've been driving my Prius locally. Saves $150+/mo. No eating out, no golf, no travel (was supposed to be in P.R.), no ammo, doing my own prep work in the backyard to save $$ on my upcoming deck. I estimate about $750-$1K this month.

(OTOH, I just bought myself a new $600 telescope for my birthday! I'm that bored!)

 

[Cayman]

Last recession, I picked up a gorgeous British green XJ8, jewelry and other splurges at bargain prices.

I'm not excited about the likely fire sales this time because I see a lot of illness and exponentially more human suffering than the last recession.
The situation is very different than last. I plan to donate more, volunteer more, and buy more locally. Be well everyone.

 

[Toocold]

So far we are very down. Most of our expenses are discretionary where DW likes to pick up stuff for the kids, student activities, and eating out. She can't shop, kids activities are shut down, gas tank is full. I think it's the first time we've spent less than $500/week on our cc in a long time. It's just groceries and utilities atm.

 

[DrRoy]

Cancelled $5K of travel through April, not counting an air ticket credit. A $15K Danube river cruise with business class air to be postponed to 2022, with a 25% bonus credit coming. Oct travel still on the books. An ongoing and a planned remodel project are on hold, with about $10.5K paid and $11.5 not. Two other projects were completed already YTD, and two trips as well. Fortunately, we raised the $ for all this in Dec. with the market near record highs. Our anticipated spending for the year ex travel and projects is about half of the total.

 

[athena53]

Yeah, I'm in a similar situation with travel. Much of my future travel (when that becomes an option again) will be funded by credits and savings from planned travel this year that I cancelled or never booked.

 

[Chuckanut]

3+ million new people on the unemployment line are proof that spending is down on the average. Other than buying groceries and a few OTC meds, there is not much I can spend money on. Even the state parks are closed, so I can't burn up some gasoline going there for my daily walk. Instead I walk in my neighborhood, which is free for practical purposes.

Let's not forget those unemployed and under-employed people as we save money. They are buying us time with their financial lives. I hope and trust that the medical institutions make good use of that time.

 

[Rianne]

Total expenses way down, essentials the same:
-Netflix, Prime, ESPN (they've gotten creative ) Cable, internet
-Food, going to premium grocery store since we're spending 0 on social events
-No more movies at theater
-No restaurants, bars
-0 travel, except for drives to the forest preserves

 

[harley]

We have three bidets in our house and have been using them for many years. I can assure you that you still need to use toilet paper, or preferably flushable wipes. Bidets are great, but they do not always clean you up 100% of the time. I won’t go into further details, but you get the idea.

Just as an fyi - Are Flushable Wipes Really Safe to Flush?

In case it's tl;dr, the answer is not really.

 

[Hermit]

Some expenses are way up. I have put in a temporary shower which consists of a 360 curtain rod, shower curtain, shower head on a long, flexible pipe, and other plumbing items. I no longer need to use the community showers as I have been doing as I build my house. I ordered a stackable washer and dryer so I no longer will need to use the laundromat. Unfortunately, the order was delayed until mid April. The washer and dryer are just moving a planned purchase up a few months.
Dining out costs down: No more pizza slice for lunch at Costco.

 

[Bamaman]

I'm supposed to be flying to Budapest today from Berlin, however the trip had to be cancelled.

We're spending quite a bit on food, as the wife's practicing her dessert artistry. I drive 65 miles every other day to our lake house doing Spring Cleaning and visit the city dump weekly. Whatever virus' are there is not the Coronavirus, however. Have to take Brynley to get allergy shots 2x weekly at 20 miles each way.

But we're doing our part to avoid others. I'd hate to be locked down without satellite television and the internet.

 

[LRDave]

Our FIDO 2% back Visa bill for March was around $550. I don't recall a month under a thou since we've had it (many years).

 

[Pellice]

I am foregoing alcohol for the time being. It wasn't that much money - 1 beer/day - but, since I like sipping a beer while cooking or deep cleaning, and I'm doing more of that now, I didn't want to start imbibing increasing amounts of calories or alcohol while I'm self-isolating, and it just seemed easier to not drink at all. I may take it up again at some point, but right now, not drinking.

 

[ncbill]

Staying at home instead of eating out regularly...lower food bill.

Hardly driving at all...lower fuel bill.

 

[scrabbler1]

My grocery costs are higher since I can't get a lot of the sale items I usually get. Instead I am limited to 1-3 items depending on item and store so no stocking up. Instead I am buying things I don't usually buy and paying full price which I hate. Gas costs are down some but I don't dive much normally so it's not much savings. Everything else should be unchanged so probably slightly more spending due to the food issue.

Same here, mostly. No big changes except for not being able to get any food items on sale because the supermarkets aren't printing any weekly circulars. I drive very little so I can't say gas costs have really risen or fallen.

 

[audreyh1]

We'll see if we have a lower food bill! LOL! I doubt it!

We've really stocked up the fridge and freezer with good stuff. And I'm still thinking of ordering some more gourmet goodies on line.

If I have to be stuck at home for weeks, I'm going to be sure we eat good!

And wine.com - might have to order more....

But still way cheaper than traveling.....

 

[GravitySucks]

Bars are closed so down maybe 20%

 

[Dtail]

We'll see if we have a lower food bill! LOL! I doubt it!

We've really stocked up the fridge and freezer with good stuff. And I'm still thinking of ordering some more gourmet goodies on line.

If I have to be stuck at home for weeks, I'm going to be sure we eat good!

And wine.com - might have to order more....

But still way cheaper than traveling.....

Conceptually the same for me, but unfortunately health wise am treating us to snack goodies too including a half batch just of raw cookie dough made from scratch.

 

[Major Tom]

My spending is about the same. I rarely travel, and don't often go out to events, dinner parties etc. I do go out to eat once in a while, but it's a $10 burrito, and not a more expensive meal.

A month or so ago, I did purchase tickets for me and my best friend to see Kraftwerk. The show is in June, so I'm curious to see if it will go ahead. If it does, I am not sure how I will feel about being in a large crowd of people. It will be a bit too soon, I think.

 

[Retire2013]

I am buying a lot more groceries for cooking at home but eating out less and cancelled several trips so overall spending is way DOWN.

 

[DektolMan]

Expenses down. 20k+ Bathroom remodel delayed, June trip put on hold.

 

[audreyh1]

Conceptually the same for me, but unfortunately health wise am treating us to snack goodies too including a half batch just of raw cookie dough made from scratch.

We’ve been sticking to our low carb eating which means no sweets, so no cookie dough for us!

 

[Golden sunsets]

Groceries. Groceries. Groceries. Spending more, way more. High end protein and quality fresh veggies. Zero eating out.

 

[doneat54]

Cancelled $5k in planned travel, have pre-paid trip to Ireland in late May that looks iffy, that'll be another $5k back, but we were doing that with a big group and most all want to reschedule. Definitely spending less eating out, we had an $800/mo budget for that and often blew past it. We are getting take out a lot more from favorite places and tipping heavy, trying to support them.

Gas, way down, utilities probably too as we are quarantining at our smaller, second home. Groceries are probably up a bit as I like to cook, and love to eat. And since we are eating together a lot more, we are eating a little more upscale. Booze is definitely up. With more cooking comes more wine consumption, we like our wine pairings.

No $$ related, but missing twice a week racquetball. Anticipating warmer weather though and still hiking with our two pups daily.....