*sigh* this may take a while

savingholmes

Glad that you are staying well. A lot of us living further away from family are now appreciating in a whole new way why it also has consequences.

clearmydebts

Hi!
Haven't been on for a while! I don't like the new format at all so avoided here for a while. Glad to hear you and the family are all well and your sig is looking very healthy. We are also spending a huge amount on food but saving in all other areas as well. It's quite shocking what we were frittering away every month. Payday for H tomorrow as well so we are going to be able to pay a very healthy amount off CC2 Every cloud and all that.....

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Thanks DAL, SH and CMD...
Lincolnshire is beautiful, also love the Peak District... those 2 areas are both places OH eye up longingly
Good point SH,  both of our Mums are local and we've been able to help out by dropping off essentials and have a couple of driveway catch ups at about 5m distances.  One of my best friends emigrated to NZ last year and she is riddles with guilt about her parents and desperately worried about them.
Lovely to hear from you CMD, I'm not a fan of the new format either, they should have left it alone.  I've got used to it a bit more now.  Miss the easy quoting though!

Isitdoable

In total agreement with you on the lockdown savings!  All kids clubs cancelled - £200 per month, not spent a penny on fuel (oh the irony when its so cheap!) - that's normally £500.  Although our food bills are crazy as everyone is eating so much, and the dishwasher is going on twice a day!

savingholmes

Our dishwasher is on 2 or 3 times a day. We are saving on fuel - but DS (22) is home and eats like a horse... I blame him anyway... and I've been spending on my garden so not seeing much in the way of savings - just a re-direction of the money.

Drawingaline

Food budget is way up, but I am surviving without popping to the shop every day for that 'forgotten' thing! Which is nice, we are adapting and really enjoying eating as a family every evening. (still cooking at least three different things of course. Sensory issues and autism suck sometimes). And obviously all the cakes..... 😉 

We have saved £500 in April on commuting costs (petrol for me, train fares for hubby) and looks like it maybe the same in May. Hubby has bought some vouchers for a shop that is closed at the  moment so he can buy some things when it reopens (basically his birthday present which was at the beginning of this month) and I fully funded our scotland trip category. Supposed to be going in July, will see if that happens. Am putting this month's extra towards a moving category. Want the solicitors fees ready upfront. If it doesn't happen then can put them in the ef. 

ohdearhowdidthathappen

I do wish they'd start giving some sort of time frame for this lockdown to end.  I'm very keen for the children to get back to school and some sort of normality to resume.  I'm of the 'protect the vulnerable and every other !!!!!! get back to normal' school of thought though. 
It's impractical to keep everything shut down like this much longer.  From a healthcare perspective, it's horrific.  The backlog of appointments, scans and x-rays!!  It'll take months/years to catch up, how many missed/delayed cancers, heart conditions will there be?  
Financially, the fall out will be huge.  Tax will be interesting in the coming years....eek.
I'm probably too pragmatic, but I do think education and healthcare need to get back to it soon.  Businesses and individuals too really... I'm surprised at how many of my friends expect to stay at home indefinitely and still get paid.  Not sure that's how life works.  Unless you've got a cast iron reason not to work, people will just have to.  

ohdearhowdidthathappen

I finally get paid tomorrow, has seemed like a long month.  Finances are fine, actually managed to save £1k, which is mad.
Still waiting on schools to confirm refunds for trips, hopefully not much longer.
Work has been fine, the hospital is actually really quite quiet, which is odd and as mentioned above, I personally think quite sad as I'm sure there are many people who need healthcare.
Home schooling is going fine, I'm finding it best to get it all done in the morning and then the kids can chill in the afternoon.  Goes to show how much of an average school day is wasted, there's probably a maximum of three hours of actual school work done from what I've seen.  I haven't got the mentality for it, but I can see why some people choose to home school the whole time.

Moneyfordreams

We up north had less attendances over all in the first few weeks, but lots of very sick people. Although the volume of sickest people seem to have reduced in numbers, our general attendances have rocketed back up to almost normal. People have stopped staying at home  

I do get where you are coming from an end date would be useful. And where the money for supporting economy will be found will no doubt feature in future budgets. I think I could cope with a few more weeks. But like you I have a steady income and quite well versed with risks of healthcare. My husband says months.. I don't believe that at all  🙏  People struggling must be at their wits end. 

Glad your home schooling is going well. My 6 yo GD has given up. She's a bright spark and says she's just too clever to try. She is missing school. I would still be cautious of her returning though. Not that that is down to me. I've not seen her since lockdown, even after lockdown I would be concerned as I am in contact a lot. DD1 is skint on furlough, a hairdresser,  DD2 is bored stiff missing her office job. Anyhow I suppose I'm indoctrinated or a conformist.. I believe / hope we get the most accurate information, however cannot wait for another normal to start.   

savingholmes

Different people's perspectives  are interesting. I think it would be mad to end lockdown anytime soon. The risk hasn't gone away. Both DH and I are at higher risk if we contracted it so happy to work from home. My company is weird though with some rushed off their feet and others not enough to do as those dishing out the work haven't quite caught up and realigned goals to the new reality. The amount of £ being spent currently by the government is amazing.