Are you doing your part for the economy?

[dez1978]

As a restaurant owner, we have been trying. But due to restrictions on buffets, and less business, I don't know that we will survive COVID. We've done everything we can to keep our managers paid. But with increased labor (having to have more staff to serve cafeteria style) and only about 50% of previous sales, it's not looking good.

As an essential employee (I have a job in the mental health field) life hasn't changed much for me. I still have to go to work daily and interact with the same number of ppl I did before. My kids never stopped going to daycare, I never stopped going to the store (no curbside pickup in my town). So now that things are opening back up, I'm going to take advantage of them and support as many local business as I can as long as I can afford to do so. Because I know thats the only way many businesses can survive.

Many of my fb "friends" post about how selfish it is to go out and do things. I think when you have been able to work from home (like most of them have, so their finances haven't changed) its easy to cast stones at those who want restrictions lifted or encourage ppl to go out. When you watch everything you have worked for for the last 15 years go down the drains in 6 months, it's different.

 

[RamblingMad]

I’m mostly saving and spending money on media to consume. I was never a big spender before this started. Now I’m spending even less.

 

[Hikergirl]

We've been eating out at local places that offer outdoor dining. I don't want to see any more close so I'm trying to do my part in supporting them. I'm not sure what we will do when the weather doesn't allow that, I'm not ready to eat indoors on a regular basis. I suppose we'll do take-out.
This past weekend was the first time I've stayed in a hotel since the Pandemic, and the first time I ate indoors. The hotel I had no problem with, but definitely wasn't comfortable in the restaurant.

I've always done alot more online shopping than in person so that hasn't changed too much.
I'm buying alot more on Etsy to support individuals though.

 

[Feralpeg]

We do fast food on a regular basis. I am paying for six different streaming services. Unfortunately, we live in an area that has been hit very hard because of the number of people in the hospitality industry. It's sad, but not a great deal more we can do. We won't be returning to the parks or be doing indoor dining for some time. While our totals are way down from their height, we've plateaued at between 2,000 to 3,000 new cases a day in Florida. We aren't out of the woods yet!

 

[okeydokey]

We do take out once a week, supporting local non-chain restaurants and we tip well.

I do miss movies, but I am not ready yet.

We rented a house in the mountains just for our family and did take out there and are doing it again later this month.

We have been accumulating savings in general, but we also had the house painted, renovated the bathroom and replaced our stove.

I think we are doing our part!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

restaurants: nope, too expensive

movie theater- last movie I saw in the theatre was Deadpool I, so no

tourism- definitely don't want to be anywhere others are, so no

airlines- heck no

things for the house- looking into Amazon's cash back CC options LOL

taxi/Uber/ Lyft- never, I only fill up my car every 2 months when it used to be 2x weekly

bars- never have, never will

 

[mousefan73]

We traveled twice this summer domestically. Bought a new bed.

I am starting to consciously not shop online. DS needed shoes. Normally would have bought online. We went into town. DD got some clothes.

we buy shamefully too much on Amazon. For school they needed some workbooks. Parents here have to procure them. I was just about to go online to Amazon and then I stopped and called our local book store chain. They had all but 2 in stock. I called afternoon and they ordered them and were in the store before noon next day . Faster than Amazon as mail comes later in the day. Granted I so had to leave my house. But getting out and walking in town is also good for ones mental health.

I would not hesitate going to the movie with the kids in our town. One of the employees there lives in our town And he said during the week you have maximum of 15 people in the entire theater. So no issue The only problem is there’s not a movie out there I want to see right now

 

[kdonnel]

I am back to as close to pre covid as possible.

Only difference at this point is I have to wear a mask when required and there are still some restaurants that have not reopened for dine in despite being allowed since June 12th.

 

[lovin'fl]

We've been doing our normal. We eat out a lot (or get carry out) and drink quite a bit (actually spending more at the wine shop, LOL). Never big movie goers so still not. Our original travel plans all got axed this year but we made other plans and will have 4 weeks vacay done by the end of the year. We rarely flew before and that is the same with no plans to fly. DH still has a pretty secure job so we haven't been as affected financially as many folks have been. We still buy home items (bought a lot this year because we moved into bigger house that needed more furnishings). Beauty salon, never been one to go often and don't do any extensive hair or skin treatments (don't do any). Get haircut every 8-10 months and that's about it. Every now and again I will get nails or toenails done. Maybe I could go do that again soon. Been thinking about it anyway as my nails are a mess lately.

Two things that have changed a bit in how we spend our money:
1) we have been doing more carry out including food delivery like Doordash
2) we tip well for carry out, even when we pick up

 

[Snowysmom]

We go to restaurants, do takeout sometimes, travel, and I am supporting Amazon, Kohls, and Land's End. We have been supporting our local restaurants. We have 5 grandkids to buy Christmas gifts for plus 2 DSs and 2 DDILs. We don't go to movie theaters or bars. We have managed to save a bit of money as we don't buy gas as much since we mostly work from home, we had some trips canceled and got refunds, and the replacement trips are not as expensive.

 

[godisney14]

Way, way down on hospitality, services, eating out, casual shopping (ie. clothes, decorations, etc).
A lot more grocery shopping at Costco, Amazon and home office tech items for work and kid’s school.

Net savings is higher. You never know what will happen with the economy in the next 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 months.

 

[Kestryl]

Down on pretty much everything except books, which I’ve been mostly buying from independent stores in the area.

We were trying to do take out a few times a week, but then a few of the restaurant owners started coming out saying they weren’t going to enforce capacity limits or mask wearing... even going as far to say it was a political hoax. So those places have lost my business forever.

 

[Kittyblue]

restaurants. About the same as before, but I tipped more than I normally would on take out when dine-in wasn't allowed

movie theater- I would if they were open. I've purchased a few new releases that would've been in theaters.

tourism- I’ve been traveling - Vegas, Ventura, Monterey, day trips. I'd be traveling more if more was open.

airlines- I had to cancel a trip but I normally don't fly much otherwise

things for the house- about the same

taxi/Uber/ Lyft- no, because I only take that to bars when I'll be out drinking

bars- no because they're closed. I'd love to go out with friends and listen to bands

I feel sorry for so many who have lost their jobs, but I'm not sure there's enough that the general public can do to support businesses when they aren't able to open to capacity or even at all. I have a few musician friends who are really hurting without any gigs, restaurants have limited capacity and probably have reduced staff/hours, heck even my friend who works in a hospital said they have been reducing everyone's hours; she said it's just recently starting to pick up again.

 

[nw6675]

Restaurants - We order delivery ALL the time and eat in a restaurant about twice a month. I think I know most of my area's GrubHub and Door Dash drivers by now :/

Movie theater - After terrible experiences locally pre-virus, this was already a thing of the past for us.

Tourism - It has reduced, but we've traveled to NC and Virginia Beach recently and have Great Wolf Lodge and Disney planned for Nov and Dec

Airlines - Of all the virus related changes, this is the one my husband says he absolutely won't do because of the current situation. So, we will be trekking 700+ miles by car to Disney this year.

Things for the house - we moved in May so between moving expenses, new furniture, new applicances, and best of all A TANKLESS WATER HEATER (highly recommend!!), we have contributed a LOT

Bars - wasn't on the agenda pre-virus and definitely not now

Personally, I LOVE LOVE LOVE delivery and contactless interactions/mobile ordering, etc. Amazon Prime Now, Instacart and Walmart Plus Grocery Delivery are my BFFs these days. GrubHub and Amazon Prime just showed up at my door at the same time....and I'm still in my jammies.

 

[GreatLakes]

We are spending a lot less on travel and eating out than we would have and don't really go to bars even in normal times. We are taking this opportunity to do some home improvements. We worked on our fence, painted the house, did a lot of landscape work to remove some remaining older stuff from a previous owner and replace it with just grass, and in the spring we plan to put a roof on the house.

We have increased the amount we put into our savings substantially because we don't know yet what the extent of the economic fallout will be and want to have more in easily accessible savings.

 

[martikus]

Restaurants doing take out twice a week. We won’t eat in a restaurant until at least 2021.

I refuse to travel and risk our health. So our usual 2-3 trips a year are no go until this is over or it’s clear to be around for years.

normal shopping.

we did pull trigger on bathroom remodel we needed as shower was falling apart. So glad we did as it required us being home a lot for workers and pre-pandemic we didn’t work at home

our crazy purchase was a pool. Will be finished in November. We are nuts.

of course right after we signed contract I got furloughed for 4 weeks. Ah well. So far just trying to go with it.

I am so worried about how many of these small businesses can survive.

 

[aprilchem]

No, not at all. We don't eat out, bars here are closed, and movie theaters were open but I just heard on the news that most of the ones in our area are closing this Thursday (and speculation is that they won't reopen). We don't do Lyft/Uber, haven't socialized with anyone outside of our household since March, and don't travel.

What are ARE doing is saving lots of money in case we have a job loss or one of us gets sick with COVID and can't work for a while. Neither of those seems likely right now, but you never know.

 

[Jennasis]

I am certainly not about to jeopardize my health and safety for the economy. I do what I am comfortable doing, which is far far less than what we were doing before Covid.

We get takeout and bring it home. There is a whole dance we do about transferring food from take out containers, and even wiping down drink cups and such. Have not eaten out at a restaurant since March.

We have gone on vacation, but not flown. I have family out of state I haven't seen since last year and can't get to due to the excessive car ride or quarantine restrictions and no WAY am I getting on a plane right now. The vacation we did take was a delightful socially distant affair where we avoided everyone like...well...the plague.

Movie theaters are a total no go. Frankly they were a non starter before Covid. I'm so tired of people rudely talking during the shows or bringing crying babies, THE WORLD IS NOT YOUR LIVING ROOM...and I am not about to get shot, stabbed or punched shushing someone.

We continue to buy things needed for the farm and have done some home improvements. New kitchen cabinets, new hay storage trailers, upgrades around the farm, tree removal, fence repair, 1000 bales of hay for winter and on and on.

 

[superme80]

I forgot I got my hair cut and my eyebrows done. It was heavenly! I get my hair done ever 2-3 years and my eyebrows were a single hot mess. I love having 2!!!

 

[unrequited23]

I'm definitely spending a lot more on face masks than I was this time last year.