The outbreak of COVID-19 has not just forced American citizens to stay at home and practice social distancing but also every country across the globe to do the same. Although social distancing mandates are helping people to combat the spread of coronavirus, most people are simply struggling to be positive while their social lives are just destroyed.
Needless to mention, there are truly a number of benefits of working from home and practicing social distancing by not going out. How? It is actually saving a large chunk of money.
For people who have not checked their budget for months now, you will be really surprised to see your total savings. It may sound a bit stupid, but we all are actually saving a lot during this difficult time more than ever before. There are numerous areas where we are spending little to zero money.
Also Read: 5 Easy And Effective Ways To Start Saving Money
You may have no idea but you are literally saving on the following expenses:
Gas
This is the very first area where you are saving a lot. But the good thing is that whether a person is working remotely or going to work daily, both ways he or she is likely to save money on gas. Because the prices of fuel are lower now, the roads are less crowded and fewer American citizens are driving.
If you too feel that you are saving expenses on gas, then you should consider putting the saved amount into an emergency car fund. Save it today and tomorrow when everything becomes normal this emergency fund will help you to cover those hefty gas costs.
Restaurants
It has been more than 3 months that bars and restaurants in the U.S. have been shut down. Even delivery services are also stopped in many states. In this case, people who always went to bars/restaurants are not only saving their health but also a lot of cash. No matter if you ate just once a week and spent over $25 every time, now you are actually saving around $100 per month now. Isn’t that awesome?
Also Read: Simple Tips To Save Money On Food
Celebrations
From weddings to birthday parties, this global pandemic has canceled hundreds and thousands of celebrations. But there is a silver lining here! You just saved a large chunk of money that you would have spent on those gifts, commuting costs, and whatnot. And if you are the one who was supposed to give that party, then my friend, you saved even more!
Unnecessary Shopping
Shopping lovers are also cursing this time and year. People who waited for new trends just to visit shopping malls are now stuck inside their respective homes. If you are also one of them, just imagine how much money you will save by the end of this lockdown. And once those malls and shops open again, you can actually buy a lot of things than ever before.
However, we won’t encourage you to spend all your savings on those clothes, shoes, or whatsoever. You should utilize this time to examine what you actually want and after this lockdown, you should step out as a smart shopper.
Also Read: Never Pay For These Items With Your Credit Card
Memberships
Hopefully, if you had/have any membership you just cannot use it right now. From gyms to clubs, everyone has just frozen the memberships, and the organizations have even taken the liberty of automatically relinquishing every monthly due.
If you do not wish your membership to be waived, you should either pause your payment or cancel the membership at the earliest. Because there is no point in paying for things you cannot avail or use. On the other hand, you should consider putting that money somewhere more practical and useful.
Entertainment
This category specifically includes movie theaters, amusement parks, and numerous such attractive factors. But all of them are sadly closed now!
First thing first, stay positive and always remember this pandemic is not here to stay. It may take some while, however anytime soon you along with your family and friends will be able to go out and have fun at all the aforementioned places.
Meanwhile, you can spend less but at the same time enjoy various movies and web series on a number of streaming platforms. Believe us, spending on such platforms will be about half what a person will spend on a single movie ticket at the theaters. Also, you can use this option in the long run and use those savings to make your rescheduled plans even better.
We hope this blog helped you to see the brighter side of not going out!