How Are Your Spending Habits Changing Under Lockdown?
/How Are Your Spending Habits Changing Under Lockdown?
How Are Your Spending Habits Changing Under Lockdown? Will you still be able to afford to travel once the isolation period is over?
We live in an unprecedented situation, but that should not stop us from paying attention to the expenses we incur. Taking care of your budget may seem complicated now, and yet it's easier than ever.
Below you can find some useful information for the times when you stay at home, but which you can put into practice regardless of the context. Shall we?
The light at the end of the isolation
Staying at home can be effective for you and your budget. You don't go out to bars and restaurants, or cinemas and clubs so often; you don't walk around the shops, you don't go on trips. All these NOs are like a breath of fresh air for your expenses or, in other words, a YES for savings.
However, on the other hand, impulsive spending is waiting for you. Sitting on the couch, cleaning the house, or watching movies can give you a lot of ideas. Ideas that often end with a series of online shopping and that can leave you broke faster than expected. Maybe a new carpet? Or clothes, which are on sale? Is it a good time to change your phone? You have time to organize your closet and you know Ikea has a lot of stuff that can help out.
Your budget needs a routine
Like you, your budget is changing. Changes that need to be adjusted controlled, and carefully analyzed. Even if you haven't found the routine that makes you say "Evrika!", Time is not wasted. Think that with a well-established program comes a strict schedule for your expenses.
Think about it like this - have a rule that you only spend 10 minutes browsing online shops per day, and don’t buy it on the spot, but wait until the next day, to think about it. You might forget about and realize you don’t need it.
Spontaneous, but with the list always behind you
As I said above, a lack of activities can have a big impact on your budget. Therefore, a degree of security also brings you the fact that you know exactly where your money is going, and you have control over it. Think of expenses as small tasks that you have to accomplish. The fewer there are, the more time you have left for your favorite activities.
Spending the money only on what is strictly necessary would be an interesting exercise. How do you do that? The holy shopping list. Now that you are in the house, you have time to prepare intensely for this, and it is a perfect time to observe your shopping habits. And you can look at it as a workout: the more often you make lists, the better you save.
Healthy activities can keep your budget healthy
Routine is essential for a well-calculated budget. Of course, for each of us, the routine will look completely different, but with the same purpose: to keep your mind trained, busy, and away from impulsive shopping. And such a program can help you get through this period easily, both financially and mentally.
Think about putting on a daily schedule, with fixed hours: when you wake up, when you eat, when you exercise, when you work, when you watch series and so on. And when it comes to exercise, we all know how much it helps control the mind, not just the weight.
Did you start watching the show and you think you should do a little cleaning? It's okay, pause, plug in the vacuum cleaner and clear your head. Keep your mind and hands occupied as much s possible, and that will take you away from all the online shopping websites you know. You can focus your energy on manual activities like origami, knitting, cooking, or drawing.
Make sure you unsubscribe to all those newsletters you get now about sales and things that you might actually not need them.
And that's how you fooled another day when you didn't buy anything just because you got bored. On the contrary, you may even find that one of your favorite activities can become profitable later.
Financial insecurity - when do we start to panic?
Panic is not good and it has not helped anyone or will ever solve any problems. Instead, one of the skills that could make you, your family's superhero now is the ability to adapt. Do you need to change? Change your habits? As long as you stay in the house and save the world on the couch, don't forget that things can change economically outside. And it's good to be able to be prepared for any situation.
It's time to be open to every opportunity, to practice new skills, to be prepared for any change. Nobody knows precisely what the future will bring, but certainly, those who find their balance can adapt easily and can find concrete solutions. Maybe you enroll in an online course or perhaps deepen a field you like, but never had time for. Or, who knows, perhaps you'll learn something completely new.
3 NO for the next stage
Remember that together we can get through this period. We need to remember the really important things, help those around us, and be more empathetic.
Stop postponing things or decisions that might help you, such as giving up old shopping habits and forming new ones that fit the current situation.
Do not leave the house unless you have to and carefully follow the instructions and recommendations of the authorities.
What can you do?
You can get involved in the local community and make sure you help out small businesses rather than go for the big corporation shops.
You can make sure you follow a routine for your finance, just as you follow for your healthy habits or workouts.
You make sure you can adapt to the new “normal” and acquire new skills, or improve something that you always consider a hobby.
These are only a few of the things that can make us survive to the current reality under COVID-19 lockdown and these habits will be in handy once you go back to a normal life.
