My Post-Pandemic Budget is Here
How a few weeks of extra freedom is shedding light on what I truly value
I live in Toronto, home to what’s believed to be one of the world’s longest lockdown. Stores, restaurants and hair stylists shut their doors in the fall of 2020 and only started opening up again late June 2021.
Like many, I took full advantage of the forced austerity caused by a lack of choice. I saved money I used to spend on restaurants, hair cuts and clothes. But now those businesses are back. And so is the temptation to spend.
Take restaurants, for example. Last week I celebrated being fully vaccinated (I got my second shot two weeks ago, which means anitbodies are locked and loaded and ready to fight any exposure to the virus). I met up with a good friend who is also fully vaxxed and we enjoyed a glass of wine and some appetizers on a lovely patio.
After a 20% tip, my bill came to $80 — roughly what I spend on groceries in a given week.
The discretionary spending continued throughout the weekend. I visited my family for the first time since September, which meant a car rental and gas money. Grand total for this: $150.
I spent the day hiking with my sister and her family, where we stopped at a local brewery for a pint. $20.
The road trip interrupted my weekly grocery schedule and I’ve been out of milk since last Wednesday. Work and other responsibilities keep getting in the way, so for the past five days I’ve ordered breakfast at nearby coffee shops. That adds up to almost $100 — just for a handful of breakfasts.
I should be panicking. I’m a freelancer now, so money is coming in but it’s inconsistent. I need to watch every penny and labor over every money decision, right?
Wrong. Not for things like this.
I didn’t balk at the restaurant bill because the location, in-person conversation and luxury of not washing dishes after was worth the bloated bill. And I tipped 20% even in the before times. Server work hard and they share tips with all back-of-house so you need to factor this in too.
Visiting my family will be worth any travel costs. Renting a car for a weekend is still cheaper than keeping a car in the city. After a year-and-a-half of not hugging any family members, I’m delighted to now factor this into my monthly budget.
As for the daily breakfasts? Well, that’s just the cost of my time management right now. My freelance news schedule is all over the place and my business is new, so it needs constant attention and learning. I have a series of appointments to also factor into now that even more restrictions are lifted. Plus, the dog’s schedule throws everything out of whack. Sure I could have gone to pick up groceries after dinner. But Pearl was unbelievably restless, so a quick trip to the dog park saved a lot of headache for the rest of the evening, which I used to relax and decompress.
I’m willing to pay for convenience right now because after 16 months of limited choices, I’m making up for lost time.
So instead of asking myself if this fits my budget, I’m asking “what am I getting out of this purchase?” If the answer is convenience, joy, or self-improvement, then I think it’s worth it.
But also, I really need to pick up groceries today before this occasional convenience becomes a daily habit.
