How has Covid affected your finances?

As a company director I haven’t been entitled to any financial help from the government.
However I wanted to gradually cut down anyway, maybe not quite as speedily as I have had to!
So I’m thousands out of pocket and like oopsadaisy our pension pot has been hit.
However I have the State pension, we aren’t doing much and I am now working a bit again.
We are so lucky to be at this stage of our life. 20 years, even 5 the outlook would have been very different. I’m so sorry for Those whose jobs have gone and are having to go to food banks and negotiate with mortgage providers and landlords. It must be so scary.

Our Pension Pot has certainly taken a hit.
But we’ve saved by not going on any holidays.

We’ve not spent as much this last 7 months so we’ve happily donated a good deal more to people/some family/charities as to be honest we feel very grateful as pensioners that with regular money dropping into our banks we have been shielded from a lot of anxiety some are sadly experiencing.

We haven't had a holiday, meals out, theatre, concert or cinema tickets - much like so many others I expect. Our petrol bill is negligible as no days out or visiting, so we have found that we are a little better off. I am mindful that some not on a fixed retirement income will have had a nightmare of late - several self employed friends are really struggling . My DC have saved on fares but spent more on food, games to occupy the children during lockdown, and have taken on a dog in one case.

I have earnt nothing since April. As s previous commenter said, until covid is under control and the NHS opens up fully, I will not earn a penny. My husband was furloughed for 8 weeks and although we were grateful for this, it was nowhere near what he usually earns. It was based on his basic wage. Although we have no mortgage to pay, we have fallen behind with other things and have lived off small savings. Covid has left us really in a pickle!

All that I saved and more by not eating out and shopping was eaten up by a big bill from the garage.

DS had a 140 mile a day commute, before COVID, now he is working from home with an occasional visit to work every couple of weeks. He expects this to last for at least another year, so he is feeling very happy with the savings he has made.

On the other hand he is a university lecturer and really wants to retun to live lectures, meetings with students and just being back on campus and feeling par tof university life.

Spent less this year as no holidays, visits to town or eating out. But probably spending more on food as prices have definitely risen. Also spent more on DGD this year. We will be better off in a years time when I can at last get a state pension. Husbands retired and his income is unaffected.

My daughter and SIL have had no income since March They had to close their business and, as she was only just self employed and hadn’t paid enough tax, she received nothing. As he has a state pension, he receives nothing. (It is classed as a benefit.)
We have been paying their rent, food and most household expenses since March. She is desperately trying to find a job but with no success yet. They are one of three million who slipped through the cracks.

Have you thought about heating bills for all the poor folks having to work from home over the winter

I've not spent nearly as much as usual. Makes me wonder what I must fritter away on meals out with friends etc. My friend was just saying yesterday (on the phone) that she's never felt so well off. Of course neither of us have expenses like mortgages or rents to pay. Younger people must be really up against it. SiL's business has suffered but he's been able to reconfigure things and thinks they'll be OK. It's not as good as he'd hoped for but, fingers crossed, they might be able to weather the storm.

Technically we should be better off as we have not been able to go for holidays, days out or have lunches out.

We are not better off though because we've been spending a lot on the house - decorating and catching up on jobs that needed doing. It would usually be a case of - shall we paint the house or go on holiday? The holiday always won so the house was looking a bit neglected!

Any extra I have from now on is being squirrelled away to visit my family in Canada when the covid restrictions are lifted.

My friends who both worked continuously through the lockdown said they have saved a fortune and the daughter of another friend, who worked from home, has managed to completely clear her quite substantial debts.

I have not earned a penny since February.
The nature of my business is such that until Covid is under control I will not work.
We are OK without my income as we have low outgoings and my husbands business is fine but it’s meaning we are more cautious.

I think this question will be answered differently as the winter wears on.

Those made redundant at the end of furlough, are going to find it difficult to afford their mortgage or rent. Mortgage owners and renters may begin to default on their payments. Loss of property means the market will be flooded with property meaning a housing price crash. Housing price crash will mean a banking crises.

Let joy be unbounded!

My whole family have been exceedingly fortunate and it hasn't affected us financially at all. Apart from being slightly better off.

One was bad, but the combination of the two will be a disaster for so many- including those who voted for it (well no-one voted for Covid, but ...)

Covid + Brexit = minus 55% so far- When we run out of options at the end of October, I estimate we will go down to minus 70% of income.

I spend what I save, on Ebay so I suppose it evens itself out in a way. What I haven't over-bought wasted on food that I've binned, I've bought other things instead.

I do not think it has really made any difference to me financially.