Are you coping financially?

[|tera|]

With everything going on the past year.
Are you coping financially, or has the VID and price increases hit your pocket?

Personality speaking, my finances have been stuffed before the VID. Mainly due to salary cuts across the board at my last employer. Stuck it out as long as I could.

I'm sincere in this post and not attempting to minify the suffering and cash strapped out there.

Are you coping with costs of food, fuel, rent etc? Or hasn't anything changed based on recent events?

Also. Are you doing anything to improve or supplement your income right now?

 

[TofuMofu]

I was barely coping before COVID hit, but since interest rates dropped and I don't need to travel to and from work anymore and managing my spending a lot better, I've been able to lower my debt massively and really feel much more comfortable now.

Hopefully will be able to pay off my debt soon, which would put me in a good space financially. Not planning on replacing my car just because I can either. Buying a new car every few years doesn't make sense if the car I have is perfectly fine.

 

[SeRpEnT]

Friggin hanging in there...
No salary increase since 2019.

Everything keeps going up. Schools. Groceries. Electricity and Municipal. Petrol. Etc Etc.
Had to reduce quality of grocery items... Where once I could buy the good brands now no-name brand will have to do. Chicken has replaced lamb on the braai. Jive has replaced Coke. Etc

Just force a smile and f0k voort...

 

[w1z4rd]

No.

 

[Sinbad]

My finances are pretty much ****ed.
Visa and quarantine costs this month alone are R110k.

 

[SeRpEnT]

I was barely coping before COVID hit, but since interest rates dropped and I don't need to travel to and from work anymore and managing my spending a lot better, I've been able to lower my debt massively and really feel much more comfortable now.

Hopefully will be able to pay off my debt soon, which would put me in a good space financially. Not planning on replacing my car just because I can either. Buying a new car every few years doesn't make sense if the car I have is perfectly fine.

Yeah this have been one of my saving graces. Lower rates and reduced travel costs from lock down and partial lockdown. Now working 50% at home (every 2nd day) and still saving a bit in petrol.
Dreading the day I have to go back to work fulltime. Petrol bill will soar again. Meh.

 

[Scooby_Doo]

Obviously poorer than before (and a lot poorer than 10 years ago in USD terms), but I have also lived well below my means so lifestyle wise nothing has changed.

 

[|tera|]

Friggin hanging in there...
No salary increase since 2019.

Everything keeps going up. Schools. Groceries. Electricity and Municipal. Petrol. Etc Etc.
Had to reduce quality of grocery items... Where once I could buy the good brands now no-name brand will have to do. Chicken has replaced lamb on the braai. Jive has replaced Coke. Etc

Just force a smile and f0k voort...

I'm living rent free with family at the moment. I appreciate their love and help.
It sucks to not have any money though.
I haven't bought groceries in 6 months.
I don't have any nice things in terms of food either. I receive my food for the day or a few days.

It sucks to be honest.
I can't even afford toiletries. Lol

 

[ReeceDBN031]

Nope.. this is a difficult time.

Even before it was tough, and I'm still at the office every day.. even after i had covid.. It sucks but apparently work from home is soon to come. So maybe it will get easier..?

 

[|tera|]

Nope.. this is a difficult time.

Even before it was tough, and I'm still at the office every day.. even after i had covid.. It sucks but apparently work from home is soon to come. So maybe it will get easier..?

That's my idea too.
I can work and do a lot this side to help out. I've done work for family and friends to receive a bit of income.
It's at a slow pace though.
It goes to buying smokes mainly.
Even my internet is paid for by family.

 

[saturnz]

yeah no

 

[Paul Kemp]

Coping but it hasn’t been easy to stay on top of it all even as a thrifty, simple living family with very little debt to speak of.
Winding down our affairs here hasn’t helped finances but I’m thankful for the time it has given me to get things sorted out.

 

[ReeceDBN031]

That's my idea too.
I can work and do a lot this side to help out. I've done work for family and friends to receive a bit of income.
It's at a slow pace though.
It goes to buying smokes mainly.
Even my internet is paid for by family.

Thats nice at least.. yea im lucky i have a mother who is so willing to help.. even with food.
i guess humanity is now called apon in this trying time.. either have it or you dont.

Luck of the draw they say

 

[|tera|]

Thats nice at least.. yea im lucky i have a mother who is so willing to help.. even with food.
i guess humanity is not called apon in this trying time.. either have it or you dont.

Luck of the draw they say

My mom is the same.
She's old now though and starting to become ill as older people sometimes do.

My dad passed away a few years ago.
It's great that I've got a system of support in a sense. I will never be able to feel good about asking for anything from someone else though.
It sucks. I've been on my own for years. So this is a major setback in my life.
Sad to see so many of us struggling to have the basics.

 

[ReeceDBN031]

My mom is the same.
She's old now though and starting to become ill as older people sometimes do.

My dad passed away a few years ago.
It's great that I've got a system of support in a sense. I will never be able to feel good about asking for anything from someone else though.
It sucks. I've been on my own for years. So this is a major setback in my life.
Sad to see so many of us struggling to have the basics.

Yes true true.. took my two ladies for lunch this month for first time .. in i dont even know how long.. Spur is so much more expensive than i remember LOL.
but it was great to get out and do something with my ladies.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Given the interest rate drops and not having to travel into the office every day, I have been able to shovel money towards my debt so my short term debt has pretty much been zero'd over the last year, thank fsck.

I am grateful in the extreme to have had that option available to me, but I still have cut back my lifestyle significantly to actually do that.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

I've been really lucky that covid had no real impact on my income so far.

I don't really have any money worries, looking to buy a house so that may change then

 

[ToxicBunny]

Yes true true.. took my two ladies for lunch this month for first time .. in i dont even know how long.. Spur is so much more expensive than i remember LOL.
but it was great to get out and do something with my ladies.

When you get to do something like that again, my honest suggestion is move slightly more "upmarket" to Hussar Grill or something like that, the 5 - 10% increase in price tag is well worth it for the 40% increase in quality of food and service.

 

[TofuMofu]

Yeah this have been one of my saving graces. Lower rates and reduced travel costs from lock down and partial lockdown. Now working 50% at home (every 2nd day) and still saving a bit in petrol.
Dreading the day I have to go back to work fulltime. Petrol bill will soar again. Meh.

Me too, I'm hoping they see that we don't need to be at the office permanently. Saves them money on renting office space and saves us money on traveling.

 

[Fulcrum29]

Yes and no. I am currently weighing my options. Business have taken a knock down in 2020, but it was mostly due to a decision I made in late 2019 which was impeded by the global pandemic reaction and I haven't recuperated since. I hope that April will prove to be restorative, and that business will start to pay where it is due.

I have other considerations at the moment.