COVID-19 Spending and Saving

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Perhaps the only upside to what I call the “pandammit” is that I’m not shopping like a drunken socialite, to quote my friend S. Which doesn’t mean I’ve stopped shopping altogether; it’s more that I’m buying different things.

Big-ticket items flew out the window as life got simpler and our activities remain close to home. Meanwhile, entire categories (hello, hand sanitizer) became essentials. What a topsy-turvy world! (Google reports that the expression “may be an adaptation of the medieval verb ‘tirve’, meaning ‘to turn or to topple over’. It has also been suggested that ‘turvy’ is an allusion to ‘turf’ and that ‘topsy-turvy’ means ‘with one’s head on the turf’.”) 

Spending more

  • Amazon – miscellaneous household items, esp. hard to get stuff
  • Whole Foods delivery in the early months
  • Fresh fruits and veggies from farmers’ market and small specialty grocers
  • Cooking gadgets
  • Wine and booze – do you even have to ask why?
  • TV streaming services
  • Zoom membership
  • Books
  • Vitamins, supplements, acetaminophen PM
  • Face masks — whoever predicted one would need a wardrobe of these?!
  • Cute socks
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Fresh flowers to maintain sanity and illusion of elegant normalcy

Saving more

  • Makeup, especially lipstick – kind of pointless when wearing a mask, no?
  • Hair salon – spreading out appointments and doing trimming/touch-ups myself until desperate
  • Pedicures – My toes are not worth dying for
  • Restaurants
  • New clothes – to go where, exactly?
  • Travel
  • Cultural events/theatre/opera tix
  • Massages and facials (see pedicure)

Yep, things are definitely tirving these days.

photo of inverted woman on wooden chair

Photo by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com

 

 

 

8 thoughts on “COVID-19 Spending and Saving”

  1. snakesinthegrass2014

    I will never see “Topsy-Turvy” in the same way ever again. 😉 Zoom has a membership??! Lordy, I had no idea. I’m grateful that I’ve only had two Facetime calls during this whole experience (I can’t stand video conversations), so I’ll be damned if I actually have to pay for the privilege, as it were! 🙂 We’ve managed to stay with just one streaming service (Acorn), but we’re contemplating getting a second one for variety sake. Even if there is a vaccine, I’m imagining it’ll still be eight months or more before it’s safe to venture far again. Great post. – Marty

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    1. adguru101 Post author

      Thanks, Marty! “Membership” was probably the wrong word… you can use Zoom for free for up to 40 minutes or pay for a yearly subscription that provides unlimited time. Our Zoom “cocktail hours” with friends inevitably run considerably longer than 40 minutes, so it’s been worth it.

      Using Acorn too, and just added Starz although I may cancel it after a couple of months. You’re right, though, that we can expect it to be a long slog until we see the other side of this mess.

      As one friend said recently, “This virus thing is getting old.”
      Alisa

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  4. Pret A Porter P

    God knows what I’m buying clothes, shoes, jewelry, and handbags for… :/ (None of which are appropriate for work). Even prior to covid I go no where and do nothing! Atleast I talked myself out of buying new luggage. I think it will be 2022 ATLEAST before we can travel as normal again, with an american passport anyway.

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  5. adguru101 Post author

    I consider it a form of optimism… we look forward to living through this, doing what we used to enjoy, and planning for future trips. I’ve cut back but unfortunately not “out” entirely — I have far too many handbags but sometimes I just can’t resist…. 🙂

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