Major changes you’re making due to COVID

[touchingcloth]

I'm not talking about the enforced changes we're all making - lockdowns and distancing - but big decisions you have made voluntarily, and which you probably wouldn't have if not for the 'vid.

As I understand if the only place face masks are compulsory in the UK (or England at least) is on public transport, but here in Portugal their uso has been obrigatório in all indoor public spaces for a couple of months now. If you go into a shop, supermarket or even the common space inside a mall then you must wear a mask, and most supermarkets and larger shops have security guards on the entrances or patrolling indoors to remind people of this. They're also technically mandatory in restaurants when you're between courses, but I haven't been to any to eat in yet, partly because of the mask thing.

I'm fine with wearing the masks, but as a glasses wearer they make my specs steam up something chronic, and slip off my face quite regularly. This has made me order a trial set of contacts, which is something I never thought I'd do cos the idea of touching my eyeballs appals me. I know it's not an earth shatteringly huge decision, but it was something I was convinced I'd never do.

[Icehaven]

I've accidentally paid my overdraft off by completely unintentionally spending about £300 a month less than I usually do, so I'm determined to not use it again (although my spending is inevitably going to go up once I have transport costs again and start going back to pubs) and I've opened a savings account and set up a direct debit to save a set amount each month.

I've been shit with money my whole life and it's always been a source of anxiety to me despite being entirely of my own making, so sharply seeing just how much I must have been spaffing up the wall on fuck knows what (we've still eaten well and drank plenty over lockdown) has made me realise I have to get a handle on it, and now being completely debt free for the first time in my adult life has actually been a great opportunity to do so.

[A Hat Like That]

Spent around a grand less each month.

Beer a fair chunk of it. Down to two meals a day, so there's that. Travel (usually a late night taxi back from the uni) - on my bike or on foot.

Which is nice.

Also, when you were only allowed one 'exercise' a day, I made the most of it. That's expanded into regular exercise for the first time since my early 30s, so I'm down from an XL/XXL into an L.

Which is nice.

And in the JQ, it has been far nicer than I thought it would be. People are keeping an eye out for each other. I think I've got to know a bunch of people far better than I did before. We've improvised socialising a little bit - last saturday was fake Digbeth Dining club for 3 of us while we watched the 1500 football. Cheaper, for a start.

Which, again, is nice.

[Emma Raducanu]

I've realised how much I hate other people (including you) and have absolutely loved having an excuse to not see people. Even getting a phone call from a mate, I'd just glance at my phone, see who it is and fuck it off.

I've always enjoyed escape to the country but could never understand why people would want to live there. Now I know. Absolutely love hearing waterfall, rivers, wind rustling the leaves on a tree, bird song.

I've thoroughly loved taking my daughter on country walks and to beaches we've never explored before and we'll take a good picnic with us and enjoy it in the tranquility of nature. We have funny conversations and now she recognises the mating call of a Linnet and has a comprehensive understanding of harnessing solar energy. Whereas before it was 12 hours of Cbbies and tins of spaghetti hoops.

We used to eat out each weekend in bog standard pubs and sometimes meet people for a flat white in a hip coffee house. Fuck off. I'm never eating smashed avo with fermented malt granola again. It's pack up a bag, fill a flask and get out there. No more skinny jeans, just me in my baggy pants without a haircut in 3 months.

[Gregory Torso]

I've realised how much I hate other people (including you) and have absolutely loved having an excuse to not see people. Even getting a phone call from a mate, I'd just glance at my phone, see who it is and fuck it off.

I've always enjoyed escape to the country but could never understand why people would want to live there. Now I know. Absolutely love hearing waterfall, rivers, wind rustling the leaves on a tree, bird song.

I've thoroughly loved taking my daughter on country walks and to beaches we've never explored before and we'll take a good picnic with us and enjoy it in the tranquility of nature. We have funny conversations and now she recognises the mating call of a Linnet and has a comprehensive understanding of harnessing solar energy. Whereas before it was 12 hours of Cbbies and tins of spaghetti hoops.

Love it. I genuinely hope, wish we could have a lockdown each year. Time to spend with your loved ones, real time. Fuck the economy. Double fuck the government. Fuck jobs, businesses, school. Cannibal holocaust theme, Riz Ortolani. Lock down a city every month, rotate it nationwide. a month of bliss for everyone. Guilltones in the shadow of the Cenotaph.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

My whelk circus has been shuttered. 80 staff laid off. Got a lot of whelks with basically zero transferable skills. Nightmare.

[thenoise]

We used out at least twice per week. Just out of laziness and habit really. I dont want to go back to this - would rather have the money, I can cook better at home if I put the effort in and am organised enough. Which wasn't that hard once I was forced to.

Also, I'll probably be unemployed for a while, so plenty of time to work on my cooking skills!

[Sebastian Cobb]

We used out at least twice per week. Just out of laziness and habit really. I dont want to go back to this - would rather have the money, I can cook better at home if I put the effort in and am organised enough. Which wasn't that hard once I was forced to.

Also, I'll probably be unemployed for a while, so plenty of time to work on my cooking skills!

I've gone the other way. The faff of getting groceries has sapped my culinary ambition.

[Cloud]

Became a furry. Who needs a face covering when you're in a big fluffy suit.

[Blue Jam]

I've accidentally paid my overdraft off by completely unintentionally spending about £300 a month less than I usually do, so I'm determined to not use it again (although my spending is inevitably going to go up once I have transport costs again and start going back to pubs) and I've opened a savings account and set up a direct debit to save a set amount each month.

This, except I was paying off a bit of credit card debt. All gone now and now I'm putting the money I would usually use for the monthly payment into one of those 12-month savings accounts.

Think I'll try going out a bit less too, I've been a bit shocked by how much I've saved just by avoiding pubs and restaurants.

Might sack off professional salon haircuts. Paying £50 for "a bit off the ends" seems mental now I've tried cutting it myself and actually done alright with it. May as well get the most out of those expensive scissors I bought, especially as lots of salons will be whacking their prices up.

Not sure about keeping up the cycling to werk just yet. If I do manage I could sack off both the gym membership and the bus ridacard, but it's a faff and I'm still too scared to ride my bike on the roads. It'll be even scarier once it's dark and icy too. We shall see.

Will keep up the homebrewing. Again, paying 50p per pint makes a huge difference.

Mr Jam and I have been talking about buying a flat while they may briefly be a bit more affordable than before and we're trying to get a decent sized deposit together to get somewhere reasonably spacious and in good nick.

Then it will be time to get some dogs. Two Bedlington Terriers, plus an iFetch to keep both them and us amused.

[jobotic]

Last had a cigarette on March 9th. So that's mine.

Now we're open to the public again at work I can't just roll in whenever so need to start going to bed before midnight again.


Love Dolphinface's post.

[Sheffield Wednesday]

Me too. Always loved Dolphin Face, anyway, but that sums up why.

Since restrictions were lifted, I've turned down several social gatherings and I've kept up with calling people for a catch up intermittently. I miss my brothers and mates in other parts of the country and abroad but I've realised that I don't have any interest in going to get pissed with much of my social circle. My best mate lives round the corner so I'll pop round for a few beers in the garden once the weather is a bit better. Once a month via Zoom is honestly plenty for most, though. I feel really happy. Me and my wife have had a fuckin amazing time together, proper laugh most nights. I'd take another six months of this, easy.

[thenoise]

Love it. I genuinely hope, wish we could have a lockdown each year. Time to spend with your loved ones, real time. Fuck the economy. Double fuck the government. Fuck jobs, businesses, school. Cannibal holocaust theme, Riz Ortolani. Lock down a city every month, rotate it nationwide. a month of bliss for everyone. Guilltones in the shadow of the Cenotaph.

Now that I think about it, everyone taking turns having time off is a lot fairer than 30%+ unemployed. Perhaps now that middle class people are affected they might actually be a bit more willing to think about these kind of ideas.

[Puce Moment]

Yeah, if someone like me is able to have a three figure sum left in my account on pay-day then something I am doing is right, that I need to continue.

[JaDanketies]

Last had a cigarette on March 9th. So that's mine.

Congratulations! <3 <3 <3

[Icehaven]

Yeah, if someone like me is able to have a three figure sum left in my account on pay-day then something I am doing is right, that I need to continue.

Exactly! It's weird isn't it, makes you feel like a millionaire. Just try not to worry /obsess too much about where all that money's gone over the years and focus on saving it now, I'm trying not to think about the zillions I've wasted on bottles of pop and poundshop amusements.

[chveik]

Congratulations! <3 <3 <3

yeah well done jobo!

[jobotic]

Cheers all. Not been that hard. For years now I've only smoked when drinking (although I binged both) but I've had few nights in on the pop and it's not really been an issue. If I ever go to pub again though.....aagh now I want one (and there's still some in the house!).

[touchingcloth]

Exactly! It's weird isn't it, makes you feel like a millionaire. Just try not to worry /obsess too much about where all that money's gone over the years and focus on saving it now, I'm trying not to think about the zillions I've wasted on bottles of pop and poundshop amusements.

Yeah, just take the win, run with it and forget the past! We lost a four figure sum recently - 90% of our savings - when a dispute with a builder went against us in court, but rather than dwell on the loss I'm trying to focus on how quickly I can build up that pot again if I make certain sacrifices. I earn 27.5K gross, so not at all terrible but also far from amazing, but even with paying the mortgage and whatnot I can save HARD and get back what I lost in around a year's time, so I'm trying to think about the fact that a year of belt tightening isn't too terrible rather than dwelling on the fact that the money I lost was built up over much more than one year.

Maybe it would help to frame up your COVID savings in terms of something you want, like if you want a house deposit or a world cruise then divide the cost of that by how much you've been saving in recent weeks and it'll probably be a surprisingly short amount of time if you were to carry on the savings after lockdown, deducting commuting costs of course as for most of us that's the biggest saving of working from home (and even that is offset by increased gas/electric usage).

[Alberon]

With a cancelled holiday and semi-final tickets to Wimbledon refunded we've bought a shed.

[Pink Gregory]

I'd be absolutely racking up the savings (not furloughed but not full time either) were I not paying 2x rent because my partner's redundancy ran out, but what can you do.

Was doing a lot better in full lockdown because we had a routine, at the minute it's just come home around 3, spend most of the time in bed. 

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Now that I think about it, everyone taking turns having time off is a lot fairer than 30%+ unemployed. Perhaps now that middle class people are affected they might actually be a bit more willing to think about these kind of ideas.

I'd have honestly fucking loved to be furloughed for a bit. Some of my friends have been furloughed the entire time (cos they work for things like theatres and music venues) which is obviously bad but I know some people who've been furloughed for a month and then brought back and I thought...that sounds alright. Could deal with 80% of my pay if there's nowhere to go and I don't need a travelcard easy. Imagine the Football Manager you could get done in that time.

And yes, like the other people still working in here, I've also been having three figure sums left over in my bank account which is insane. Turns out shutting the pubs and cancelling the football was great for my personal finances, who'd have guessed.

[dissolute ocelot]

I think for me it's more the emptiness of sitting at home (sober) and thinking "What the fuck am I doing with my life? Counting off the weeks and months..." Which hopefully will lead to major changes, or at least minor ones.

[Dex Sawash]

At work, the thrill of adventure when I go to air up.someone's spare[nb]not a euphemism[/nb] (never know what you will find back there in the trunk/boot) is  replaced with dread. Don't really want to touch anyone's gear. I suppose in context of this thread, change is I am seeking new voyeuristic pleasures.

[Blinder Data]

We have a baby on the way so that's obviously driving various life choices. But our prospective new house has a spare room for me to work in because I don't expect I'll be back in the office before October and I'll probably be WFH at least 2-3 days a week in the future whatever happens. A garden was also a necessity as my wife has felt like a trapped creature in our current first floor one bedroom flat during the lockdown.

The house is much further out of the city than where we are now, which is surrounded by bars, restaurants and friends. But who needs access to all that when you can't make use any of them? Better to be surrounded by trees, innit.

Things might get back to "normal" eventually but if something like COVID-19 happens again, we'll be laughing at all you townies. Long live village life.

[Blue Jam]

Decided to sack off underwired bras. I've got friends who have joked about sacking off bras entirely while working from home, and while I never went that far I did start wearing sports bras because they were more comfortable, and then after a couple of months I noticed that all my bra marks had disappeared from my skin. Think I've found the solution to the "bras going bad" problem from off The IT Crowd- just ditch the wire. Another bonus is only paying about £15 a pop rather than £30- do a couple of wires really cost that much?

I have also discovered that plain black school socks are not just very cheap and VAT-free, but also very hardwearing. Gonna get all my socks from the school uniform sections of supermarkets from now on.

[Norton Canes]

My whelk circus has been shuttered. 80 staff laid off. Got a lot of whelks with basically zero transferable skills. Nightmare

If you're desperate for cash ask the government, you could abalone (have a loan)

[Pink Gregory]

£30 for titpants?  Thirty pounds quid!  That's just comical.

[Blue Jam]

titpants

Thanks PG, I had never heard that term before but that is what I shall call them from now on.

£30 or even £40 isn't unusual for a decent set of titpants, especially in larger cup sizes. A good set of titpants is a real feat of engineering and you really do get what you pay for. If there is a certain style you like you can usually find it new on Amazon for much less, but the one I liked has been discontinued and I can't go to a titpants shop and try some new ones on.

Seen that episode of The IT Crowd? Titpants can and do "go bad".

[flotemysost]

Might sack off professional salon haircuts. Paying £50 for "a bit off the ends" seems mental now I've tried cutting it myself and actually done alright with it. May as well get the most out of those expensive scissors I bought, especially as lots of salons will be whacking their prices up.

Ditto, I've only attempted one DIY haircut since this started (back in May) but I was told it looked decent and it's grown out quite nicely, no awkward in-between phases, so hopefully it wasn't just beginner's luck. I do miss the camp Italian goth guy who I used to go to though, it was a really nice little independent salon and I'm sure the beauty industry generally could do with any support.

Can afford to rent on my own (as opposed to a flatshare) for the first time ever so that's a bit of a novelty, I don't think it'll be a lasting change but at least I can say I've given it a go.

And it's not exactly a major life change but I'm becoming more conscious of charitable causes that need support (god knows there's plenty at the moment) and am making more of an active effort to make regular donations (especially now I'm fortunate enough to have a bit of spare cash every month), sign petitions, send letters etc.

Apart from that I don't really want anything in my current situation to continue. I'm genuinely happy some people are thriving in this situation, or at least are able to find pockets of joy and make lasting positive changes, but aside from being aware of how massively I've lucked out with my work and finances and physical health, I basically feel shit most of the time and desperately just want to go back to my old life.

I'm not ashamed to say I really fucking miss the stuff people are scoffing about[nb]not here especially, just in general. Made the mistake of reading some smug comments on CiF earlier and stupidly just wanted to cry my eyes out[/nb] - cafes and pubs and meeting people and going to gigs and generally feeling alive. I've never been a homebody and while I'm really enjoying having more time to go for walks and explore outdoors, not having that vital fizz of possibility that existed before is really draining.