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Sunday, April 19, 2020
Gotta watch my online spending
I just got my credit card statement, and the period it covers is the period in which I was confined at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. And I was a bit surprised how much I spent. I am among the privileged who still have 100% of their salary because they can work from home office, but I definitely shouldn't continue to spend money online at this rate.
Part of my spending was that I kind of started a new hobby, playing D&D on a virtual tabletop. So I bought a bunch of D&D books in Roll20 format, although I had already paid for the same books in the physical space and on D&D Beyond. A bit annoying, but at least it is a one-time purchase, the Roll20 subscription is not so expensive. The part I need to watch is online shopping for all sorts of things, physical and virtual. I ordered a lot of DVDs from Amazon. I bought games on different platforms, including expensive ones like Animal Crossing. And I spent money on virtual purchases in various mobile and online games, like World of Tanks.
In spite of being reasonably good at math, and having an interest in economics, I am not really good at personal finances. I don't balance my spending, budget, or record all my expenditures, like my father did. It just happens that my needs and wants usually cost less in a month than my income is, and so I have savings, which is a good thing (even if I obviously just lost a part of those savings to the stock market correction). I can afford a month of splurging, it is just that I recognize that it isn't a good idea.
The lockdown situation we now live in changes our needs and wants. In my case, which is probably in no way unique, the lockdown resulted in me spending more time in front of a computer looking for entertainment. All the time I used to spend commuting, on business travel, on holiday travel, or going out, is now spent at home. And that influences my spending habits. Online shopping is dangerous, especially for things that you get immediately, like a downloadable game; it triggers our instant gratification urges. I decided to tone it down now, because I don't think we will go back to the way it was anytime soon. There must be better ways to treat cabin fever!
Part of my spending was that I kind of started a new hobby, playing D&D on a virtual tabletop. So I bought a bunch of D&D books in Roll20 format, although I had already paid for the same books in the physical space and on D&D Beyond. A bit annoying, but at least it is a one-time purchase, the Roll20 subscription is not so expensive. The part I need to watch is online shopping for all sorts of things, physical and virtual. I ordered a lot of DVDs from Amazon. I bought games on different platforms, including expensive ones like Animal Crossing. And I spent money on virtual purchases in various mobile and online games, like World of Tanks.
In spite of being reasonably good at math, and having an interest in economics, I am not really good at personal finances. I don't balance my spending, budget, or record all my expenditures, like my father did. It just happens that my needs and wants usually cost less in a month than my income is, and so I have savings, which is a good thing (even if I obviously just lost a part of those savings to the stock market correction). I can afford a month of splurging, it is just that I recognize that it isn't a good idea.
The lockdown situation we now live in changes our needs and wants. In my case, which is probably in no way unique, the lockdown resulted in me spending more time in front of a computer looking for entertainment. All the time I used to spend commuting, on business travel, on holiday travel, or going out, is now spent at home. And that influences my spending habits. Online shopping is dangerous, especially for things that you get immediately, like a downloadable game; it triggers our instant gratification urges. I decided to tone it down now, because I don't think we will go back to the way it was anytime soon. There must be better ways to treat cabin fever!
- posted by Tobold @ 8:19 AM Permanent Link
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I also don't tally my income vs my outgoings because for many years I've spent less than I have coming in without having to think about it. I am fairly certain, though, that my spending overall has dropped in the last month. I already have enough entertainment in my house to last the rest of my natural life - books and comics and music and movies are all infinitely re-useable - well, until they physically wear out, anyway. I have more games than I have time to play them, even with the extra hours that come from not working and anyway I spend most of the day blogging, which costs nothing.
At the start of the lockdown I did begin to order some things online - household and garden items, physical stuff - but then I thought about it and realised how irresponsible that was so I cancelled it all. If I've managed the last quarter of a century without a garden bench I'm pretty sure I can manage a while longer.
At the start of the lockdown I did begin to order some things online - household and garden items, physical stuff - but then I thought about it and realised how irresponsible that was so I cancelled it all. If I've managed the last quarter of a century without a garden bench I'm pretty sure I can manage a while longer.
I write down every expense using this program.
https://www.alzex.com/download/free-accounting-software.html
I think I bought the pro version in the distant past. I don't write down every small detail like how much a loaf of bread cost during the last shopping trip. It goes mostly like this:
Groceries in that shop = 20 rubles
Medications = 20 rubles
Car mechanic's services = 70 rubles
Monthly Internet access = 20 rubles
And stuff like that. Every expense can be assigned a category and you can see how much you've spent on a given category over the specified period of time.
I wouldn't say it has limited my spending but I like reading these notes and see that I do spend rather lavishly on games, for instance.
https://www.alzex.com/download/free-accounting-software.html
I think I bought the pro version in the distant past. I don't write down every small detail like how much a loaf of bread cost during the last shopping trip. It goes mostly like this:
Groceries in that shop = 20 rubles
Medications = 20 rubles
Car mechanic's services = 70 rubles
Monthly Internet access = 20 rubles
And stuff like that. Every expense can be assigned a category and you can see how much you've spent on a given category over the specified period of time.
I wouldn't say it has limited my spending but I like reading these notes and see that I do spend rather lavishly on games, for instance.
We are spending a whole lot less on eating out and socialising so I kind of hoped (without having checked) that a bit of extra online spending would be ok. Maybe it's time to double check.
You know what? You've got no kids. You have no idea of how much your life is affected when the kids are grounded at home with you, 24h/24, without any chance to go outside, since March 3rd. I'd GLADLY trade my situation with your expenses ;-)
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