Has the pandemic changed any of your habits, hopefully for the good or perhaps for the worse?

[kdonnel]

My family was real bad about eating out. Several lunches and most dinners, every week. Since the pandemic started we have only been eating out on Friday's. At first as takeout which I despise since most cuisines do not takeout well. They arrive home cold and time consuming to re-plate and rewarm. I was looking forward to eating out!

Then some of the restaurants reopened for dine in and the check started arriving at the end of the meal.

Last night may have been the straw that broke the camels back. It was $76 to eat mediocre at best Italian food at Olive Garden. I wish there were more options open for dine in but despite being allowed to open for dine in for a month now, very few restaurants and virtually no fast food have opened.

I am hopeful that our eating out habit has changed.

Any habits that have changed for the better or worse for you?

 

[mousefan73]

I have mastered the art of going into a public bathroom without directly touching anything. It’s amazing what a few pieces of tissue or toilet paper can do. It has become a new habit.

 

[loves to dive]

We stopped using as much paper towels. I swear hubby would tear off one just because, he used them for everything. Now he only grabs one for a meal (I use cloth napkins but he says he is too messy for that). Now he uses the hand towel to dry his hands and the dishcloth to clean up after himself in the kitchen.

We didn't eat out a lot before, although we did go for fast food and bring it home maybe once a week and we stopped doing that for awhile. We have only started doing that every once in a while the last 3 weeks. We still haven't gone to a sit down restaurant but we really didn't do that but about once a month before and that was one Mexican favorite.

We also started buying groceries only once every 3 or 4 weeks, we have an upright freezer in our basement and a pretty large kitchen pantry. We found you can freeze just about everything and it's been nice to just go to the grocery store in the basement when we need anything. I'm pretty sure that will stick too, although those grocery trips have been to the tune of about $600.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Lockdown (ongoing!!!) has resulted in my wine cellar being depleted rather more rapidly than I would like but the bonus is that my young adult children now regularly take over the kitchen and cook supper.

 

[ford family]

One positive benefit to us has been the ability to give a wide berth to any weird or unsavoury characters without appearing judgemental.
And our city has a lot of such characters!

ford family

 

[tvguy]

My family was real bad about eating out. Several lunches and most dinners, every week. Since the pandemic started we have only been eating out on Friday's. At first as takeout which I despise since most cuisines do not takeout well. They arrive home cold and time consuming to re-plate and rewarm. I was looking forward to eating out!

Then some of the restaurants reopened for dine in and the check started arriving at the end of the meal.

Last night may have been the straw that broke the camels back. It was $76 to eat mediocre at best Italian food at Olive Garden. I wish there were more options open for dine in but despite being allowed to open for dine in for a month now, very few restaurants and virtually no fast food have opened.

I am hopeful that our eating out habit has changed.

Any habits that have changed for the better or worse for you?

We are the opposite. We always eat out Friday and Saturday night and we have shifted to pickup. It is amazing. I think we will be doing a lot more carry out after the pandemic is either over or reduced.. Our anniversary was last week, we did take out lobster tail. I could have all the wine I wanted at home with it for less money without having to worry about driving home. We did sushi last night. I have done liver and onions, and roast turkey, Italian (we have two great locally owned Italian restaurants within 2 miles of our house. My wife banned us from going to Olive Garden about 25 years ago) and of course burgers and pizza.

 

[JenBush]

I have gained the new habit of thoroughly washing my hands whenever I get home from the store or work. Of course I washed my hands pre-covid, but not as often as I do now. I'm also now in the habit of grabbing my mask along with my keys and phone when I leave my house.

 

[Heather07438]

My family was real bad about eating out. Several lunches and most dinners, every week. Since the pandemic started we have only been eating out on Friday's. At first as takeout which I despise since most cuisines do not takeout well. They arrive home cold and time consuming to re-plate and rewarm. I was looking forward to eating out!

Then some of the restaurants reopened for dine in and the check started arriving at the end of the meal.

Last night may have been the straw that broke the camels back. It was $76 to eat mediocre at best Italian food at Olive Garden. I wish there were more options open for dine in but despite being allowed to open for dine in for a month now, very few restaurants and virtually no fast food have opened.

I am hopeful that our eating out habit has changed.

Any habits that have changed for the better or worse for you?

^Yep. We occasionally eat or order out for variety, but mostly it's to celebrate something or meet up with people. $70 for a 'meh' meal feels like why bother.

We've been buying more and more household stuff online. It might cost a tad more but the convenience makes up for it.

 

[osufeth24]

Not really. Have always washed my hands after touching something in public spaces (like being at parks), always avoided touching the rails and things like that. At work, would always wipe down my station with colorx wipes/etc. I just do it even more often now.

 

[mom2aandj]

I used to bite my nails, which I always realized was a disgusting habit, but I just couldn’t seem to break myself of it. I haven’t put my fingers in my mouth since January so I am hopeful that habit is broken for good!

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Not really. I always did a lot of takeout because cooking for one person sucks and also I hate it. I’m not going out to restaurants with others as much but I don’t think that will be a forever change.

I previously kept a few wipes in my car for after getting gas because gas pumps are naaasty. Now I have all sorts of little organizers in my car to hold hand spray, gloves, masks, etc. I imagine that will stick as far as needed.

I’ve been going through paper towels like crazy. I tried clothes but they don’t dry fast enough and I don’t really want to keep up washing and storing 40 dish cloths. I also have zero towels bars in my house so nowhere to hang them (this was done on purpose as I’ve never re-used towels of any kind previously). Im struggling with this because it’s a lot of waste. I’m not a hyper green person but I try to make easy swaps and it’s just so much waste lately.

If I get this virus, I’ll get it through my eyeballs lol. I’m a face toucher, I’ve always been a face toucher and while I’m more conscious, I haven’t been able to stop. I rub my dang eyes constantly. I’m not wearing much makeup these days but my intricate eye looks maybe make an hour before my fingers have destroyed it completely

 

[Heather07438]

It's common in news to leave out facts or tilt the conversation. The best news sources try to at least offer the rebuttal.
Intentionally bent news is not new. This has always been a thing thru history. The Power of Persuasion.

Inventing facts is a different game. It should not be tolerated from any position.
It looks like the fearful idea of defamation and inciting riots is being fought with defamation and inciting riots in this case.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I was doing a great job going to the gym but the one I was going to closed permanently. And I am uncertain what the future of gyms will be at all.

I have been running a lot to at least get some sun, but I am going to need a new way to socialize!

 

[kdonnel]

I was doing a great job going to the gym but the one I was going to closed permanently. And I am uncertain what the future of gyms will be at all.

I have been running a lot to at least get some sun, but I am going to need a new way to socialize!

We had just started going to a fit body boot camp gym, had a routine, but that is no more. I have started back running though but that routine will probably be disrupted when work from home stops.

 

[Snowysmom]

We used to go to the gym 3 times a week. Now we walk around the neighborhood getting fresh air and I think a better workout for us. I also added a walking workout that is on comcast as well as some DVD workouts. We walk the dog too. Definitely getting more exercise and meeting neighbors too. When winter comes I may have to go back to the gym if they every open again in this state, MA. Tai Chi class starts outside in July.

We do takeout on Friday and Saturday. We are trying to help keep some of the local places in business. Tonight we are going to do patio dining at a local restaurant. So excited. It has been 3 months.

 

[GreatLakes]

The parks and trails around here have had way more runners, cyclists, and walkers. The neighborhoods right around me have had way more kids out just playing. I really hope societally we have learned the importance of outdoor exercise and everyone I see isn't back in front of screens in a few months.

I'm really hopeful the pandemic has taught us just how important health is so the next time a strong virus comes around we have a much better collective immune system and all of the controllable comorbidity is under control.

 

[Meriweather]

Minimally. We only used to go to a movie and lunch once a week......we don't do that anymore.
Vacations didn't happen, but things at home are pretty much the same.
We stay home a lot (but always did). Go to the grocery store and Home Depot and that is the same.
See the family....same as always (after the first two weeks)

 

[Nox]

It DEFINITELY kicked my buns over dining out!

I am absolutely ashamed to admit that we were spending 200-300 A WEEK dining out prior to this. There is NO WAY I am allowing us to fall back into that nonsense. I am still embarrassed by this realization.

Otherwise, no change. My dad was very vulnerable the last decade of his life, so I have practiced basic hygiene and infectious disease common sense for a long time.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I walk far more frequently and visit local parks- like mountain biking parks- now. I’ve really enjoyed having the time to get outside. We also spend a lot of time with the neighbors- outside and social distancing. I actually prefer that to the typical indoor socializing.

I don’t know that I can continue that, though, as things return to normal. With two active children and a full time job, the reason I didn’t walk or visit parks often was a lack of time and energy. I imagine that lack of time and energy will return when school restarts and the kids’ activities require us to spend our spare time there.