Spending less these days?

Originally Posted by csandste
Less eating out, less driving. A couple hundred thou poorer.


Same here, but saving a bit on the gym membership. I miss it though, haven't been doing as much as when I went to the gym.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359


Same here, but saving a bit on the gym membership. I miss it though, haven't been doing as much as when I went to the gym.


Yeah all of us gym rats miss the gym, I feel like a shadow of my former self. It's been the biggest challenge for me.
 
Probably spending a little less but my costs are really low regardless.
But I there are others in my life who need some splash cash due to job loss, cutbacks, etc.
 
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I'm spending less. My credit card statement was $1500 less this month.

Amazon has nothing on sale that I want or need. Only thing I bought was water filters for the Fridge since they were on sale.

With Costco being a zoo, the only thing I did at Costco was gas up last week. Only did that because my tank was almost empty.

I've been doing some home repairs, painting drywall repairs etc to keep busy after work.

I know we should all being trying to help out the small businesses/restaurants, however I think this may go on for a while. I work on Contract, so I don't have the security of a permanent job.
 
Saving quite a bit on gasoline as I'm not commuting. I have been spending a bit on my electronics hobby, but it's still chump change (for me).

With the stimulus check deposited, we're thinking we might order-in on Sunday night. We usually order-in (or go out) once or twice a month, so, really no change there.

In some ways I'm in a bit of a quandary. I've saved up money for a rainy day, and my job is still secure, so, is it time to spend and do my bit to keep the lights on (by spending money and "stimulating" the economy)? Or do I sit on it just in case? In the end I still have a mortgage to pay off and an underfunded 401k. Since my job is still secure I'm left thinking... if the choices I was making pre-COVID19 were wise, then they might still be wise in these times. The occasional frivolity but otherwise careful spending.

I do find myself casually surfing CL at times, wondering if I'm going to find some toy that I've been wanting, and now can scoop up on the cheap. But since that would require me to leave home... it seems unwise.
 
Been working from home and living like a hermit. Wife is also working from home.

Wife and I support local restaurants and order takeout once a week. We are spending near zero on gas.

Cell phone company (Metro PCS) gave use two months free service.

Car insurance company gave us 20 percent off for two months (We paid a year in advance anyways)

Sold a bunch of unused stuff from my garage on facebook marketplace, offered contactless pickup and sold everything.

Paid off all the credit cards, paid off one school loan.

Refinanced the house to a 3.25% rate with no points, and cut 5 years off the term.

Been walking about 5-6 miles a day around the neighborhood, have a great tan.

Working from home until at least May 1st, and haven't used one hour of PTO.
 
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Everyone is spending much less.

Its time to circle the wagons and hunker down.

Possible depression quickly approaching....



As if you are telling anyone anything they don't already know. There's enough negative things going on around us all, focus on the positive.
 
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Everyone is spending much less.

Its time to circle the wagons and hunker down.

Possible depression quickly approaching....



Originally Posted by RazorsEdge
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Everyone is spending much less.

Its time to circle the wagons and hunker down.

Possible depression quickly approaching....



As if you are telling anyone anything they don't already know. There's enough negative things going on around us all, focus on the positive.


My sentiments exactly!
 
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Everyone is spending much less.

Its time to circle the wagons and hunker down.

Possible depression quickly approaching....



Originally Posted by 02SE
Actually spending more. Lots of need out there.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
What with some days working from home as well as much less time out and about either together or separately, I find that we're spending less now than we typically have in the recent past.
Less driving combined with dirt-cheap fuel, no meals/snacks while out, since we aren't out much as well as no gym fees and no live theatre, with its attendant drinks and dinner out after.
No vacation planning or spending, since we have no idea when we'll next get to visit or younger son via PDX much less venture to the Caribbean over the next winter. No weekenders in store for this summer either.
We're spending less now than we have since we met in grad school nearly forty years ago.
Almost kinda makes up for the sickening decline in our individual portfolios.
Lord, how I wish I'd dumped Boeing two months ago or better yet a year before that.
Retirement will not be as flush as we had planned.
Maybe work longer? That isn't as bad as it sounds for either of us.
In continued health lies wealth, or something like that.

I worked with a guy who was going to retire in '09-'10. He was working in 2012 or so when I met him. I asked him why at his age he did this to himself, as I'd never do this at 60+. He explained stock market crash. I felt sad.
 
Originally Posted by Ws6
I worked with a guy who was going to retire in '09-'10. He was working in 2012 or so when I met him. I asked him why at his age he did this to himself, as I'd never do this at 60+. He explained stock market crash. I felt sad.

One of my first lessons about the "school of hard knocks" was the birth of our first daughter (40+ years ago) and how it didn't go according to the Lamaze classes that we worshiped. Never assume that life will heed your plans.

Was he sad? If so, instead of feeling sad, you had an opportunity to bolster his navigation of "hard". Yea, everyone needs to acknowledge and accept that life doles out "hard" on a regular basis, in spite of well executed plans. Life satisfaction relies on emotional resilience, psychological flexibility, and skills to navigate the storm. If forced to work beyond your planned retirement age due to "hard", why wallow in self pity rather than accept and resolve it the best you can? Move forward and make the best of it.

As I watch the snowfall accumulate on April 17 in southern Michigan, I wish everyone a nice weekend!
 
Originally Posted by Ws6

I worked with a guy who was going to retire in '09-'10. He was working in 2012 or so when I met him. I asked him why at his age he did this to himself, as I'd never do this at 60+. He explained stock market crash. I felt sad.


Unless you lost your pension or something in crash you can still retire the day of recent crash. You should never be cashing out the entire retirement, but instead drawing upon it yearly to supplement your social security and market will fluctuate.
 
Originally Posted by doitmyself
Originally Posted by Ws6
I worked with a guy who was going to retire in '09-'10. He was working in 2012 or so when I met him. I asked him why at his age he did this to himself, as I'd never do this at 60+. He explained stock market crash. I felt sad.

One of my first lessons about the "school of hard knocks" was the birth of our first daughter (40+ years ago) and how it didn't go according to the Lamaze classes that we worshiped. Never assume that life will heed your plans.

Was he sad? If so, instead of feeling sad, you had an opportunity to bolster his navigation of "hard". Yea, everyone needs to acknowledge and accept that life doles out "hard" on a regular basis, in spite of well executed plans. Life satisfaction relies on emotional resilience, psychological flexibility, and skills to navigate the storm. If forced to work beyond your planned retirement age due to "hard", why wallow in self pity rather than accept and resolve it the best you can? Move forward and make the best of it.

As I watch the snowfall accumulate on April 17 in southern Michigan, I wish everyone a nice weekend!


^^ This

We have to be mentally able to deal with whatever comes our way and make the best of it.
Life does have a way of working out if we allow it to.
We plan based upon what we know but must also be prepared to deal with unknowns.
An eventual economic contraction was inevitable but the timing is unknowable until it arrives.
 
Some people will get cabin fever staying home for so long, nothing major.

I'm currently back doing field service helping out the region. Wife and adult kids also at work full time.
 
Furloughed, always lived well below my means, but now I have to tighten zee belt again. Does not bother me, but the family gets nervous.
 
This once and for all confirms the economic theory that saving and living below your means is only good at an individual level. When an entire country does it, the economy will collapse.

Orman, Ramsey, etc should be careful what they preach
 
Originally Posted by xfactor9
This once and for all confirms the economic theory that saving and living below your means is only good at an individual level. When an entire country does it, the economy will collapse.

Orman, Ramsey, etc should be careful what they preach


Maybe. Maybe not. If everyone and every business had a few months of expenses saved up, this whole thing would have been a blip.
 
We have spent a little less since this has started. With that said, my wife and Amazon are still friends, I just hope that the beast doesn't get unleashed. Lol
 
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