Have any of your habits changed b/c of Coronavirus?

[Cindy_FICO]

We are looking to write a blog post about the financial habits you've changed to save money or if you learned any new skills that you'll continue to hone and use to save money after this is all over.

Please share below - thanks!

[Anonymous]

- moved in with family to lower my cost of living

- working remotely full time to save on parking/commuting costs

- have reduced dining out (take out) from 3-4 times per week to 3-4 times per month

- paying down revolving debt

[tricie17]

I have definitely changed my money habits with not doing the restaurants so much (fast food carry out).   I must say that finally my budget is on point.  I am more disciplined than ever.  I will more than ever keep my credit paid since this seem to be the real norm now.  And oh yeah, the supermarkets/grocery stores are booming because I have never brought so much food before in my life.  It is just raunchy how people are purchasing everything off the shelves causing this environment.  I do think this is a new way of life.

[Save-n-Invest]

Some expenses are eliminated or lowered due to the shelter in place orders. Not a lot of places to spend money. Prices are increasing in grocery, paper supplies and cleaning supplies but not enought to  offset the eliminated expenses. 

It's not intentional but less funds are being used. 

[CYBERSAM]

- No traveling

- No conventions

- No restaurants

- No shopping

- No movies

- No entertainment

- No ball games

- No events

- No dentist

- No Starbucks!

I did noticed full tank of gas last about a month now! 🤔

[redpat]

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@CYBERSAM wrote:

- No traveling

- No conventions

- No restaurants

- No shopping

- No movies

- No entertainment

- No ball games

- No events

- No dentist

- No Starbucks!

I did noticed full tank of gas last about a month now! 🤔

---

- No fun!

[joltdude]

Dipped into my emergency fund and paid off things that I normally would have just let ride....

Severely reduced discretionary spending.....

Actually took the Fed deposit and replenished some of that emergency fund... 

Also seem to be able to drop even normal everyday spending in general due to being stuck at home....  No SB (Starbucks) , not using gas (plus gas prices have plummeted).. no restruants, no travel, no shopping, only luxury was a pizza or takeout once a week if that...

Am able to work at home but its slowed down to a crawl....

-J

[Cindy_FICO]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! 

[Anonymous]

@Cindy_FICO  Before the pandemic I was an avid movie buff and international traveller.

Suffice it to say that both of those activities have come to an abrupt screeching halt.

I've learned to live vicariously via NetFlix and The Travel Channel. It hasn't been easy.

My bank account is now bursting at the seams, and I learned just how much money

I was wasting. If/when life returns to "normal," I've redisovered a personal discipline

that I'll be relying on, and I won't be spending my discretionary income so frivolously.

From a credit perspective, Cash is now King and access to cash is a close second.

Responsible money management and good credit scores have never been more important.

With all that said, no matter how much cash or good credit you have, health is wealth.

Plenty of money and great FICO scores do no good if you're sick, hospitalized or dead.

So I'm counting my blessings more than the dollars in my checking account. It's important

to keep our priorities straight...

[Revelate]

It's hard for me to separate COVID changes from throwing some crap in the car and moving halfway across the country.

A part of me is just seeing how little I can get away with, but I would have fallen back on some old habits.

I think I will do a meal service for the long term now once the refrigerator is successfully powered for one such example.  I was eating better and more consistently and feeling better as a result.  The three weeks sans refrigerator have been hard and I feel objectively worse now so I will fix that soon, like Tuesday, finally.  I don't think I would have found that without the enforced isolation of COVID in a new town.

I discovered some new products like washable bamboo not quite paper towels.  Also when it was difficult to get big things shipped I decided just to get a Japanese futon and a pair of tatami mats and I am sleeping fine in the new place.  

For the rest it hasn't changed that much for me but I was living a pretty simple life anyway and had already identified areas in my life I was throwing money away.  

Interestingly the most obvious impact may be on my credit card portfolio...  not traveling much and not eating out as much, I may be moving to a much simpler credit existence and cutting up several cards as a result.