SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Coronavirus has turned a lot of things upside down in 2020, especially household budgets.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index, the cost of food is up by over 4% nationwide since last August with meat and dairy products showing the biggest increases. On the plus side, clothing has dropped nearly 6% and gas is down by almost 17%.
We asked you on Facebook how your spending habits have changed since the pandemic started.
Many of you, like Eileen, told us that you’re spending less on gas. “No need to drive anywhere but the grocery store once a week.”
Anne Marie's grocery bill is higher due to everyone being at home all day. She says, “It’s been eye-opening to see how much we save by staying home.”
Rachel says she doesn’t make impulse purchases anymore. She focuses on essentials and plans things out when she shops.
Many of you mentioned spending less money on dining out, including Clara, who says that when she does order out, she now tips more than she used to.
And a few of you are trying to spend more when you can, in order to help the economy and local businesses.
Along with grocery prices, energy bills got a lot of mentions in the comments we received. Sacramento resident JR Fujita works from home but says any savings on parking and gas are being eaten up in other ways.
“Since I’m at home all the time, my utility bills have been really high. I installed solar last year and even with that my utility bills are still pretty high since I’m running during peak hours, and the cost of groceries also have gone up.”
“Unfortunately, I think I’m still spending more. My utility bills are upwards of about twice the normal and it’s very noticeable, even though I’m staying at home and working from home.” Fujita thinks that summer heat and keeping his windows closed to block out smoke from wildfires has contributed to his larger bills.
Overall, Fujita says he's stayed disciplined when it comes to money since the pandemic started. “I manage my finances a lot more tightly. I’m not doing very much spending on luxury items, or things I really don’t need."
Got a money-saving tip you want to share? Text it to our Dollars and Sense team at 916-321-3310.