A new normal on spending

The crisis may have changed your habits

Picture cruising your car deep into 2021 and never glancing in the rearview mirror. Vaccines, travel and a hope of normalcy are finally on the horizon.

With so much to look forward to in the future, it’s understandable to not want to look back.

But returning to typical day-to-day life will be a transition. And from a financial standpoint, you’ll want to assess your past budgeting behavior to prepare for more normal days ahead.

Last year’s spending didn’t look like 2019. And 2021 won’t look like either 2020 or 2019. But you’ll need this historical insight to inform your future spending, especially as you start reintroducing expenses that used to be ordinary, like concert tickets, plane tickets and so forth.

Some people’s spending decreased dramatically last year (either from necessity or choice). But others faced comparable expenses, says Molly Laughter, certified financial planner and founder of Laughter Financial LLC in Dallas.

Remember that jungle gym for the kids to play on in the backyard? Or the Xbox for long nights of playing video games? They may have been great ways to keep you occupied and comfortable at home, but now you’ll need to find a way to balance these newer expenses with your past spending on the activities you hope to return to.

Ever since COVID-19 became part of our vocabulary, there’s been talk that life would never return to normal. Laughter anticipates your future spending will be a “new normal.” Sure, you may introduce dinners out — and possibly even a trip — to the mix, but expect to continue paying for quarantine life staples like deliveries and at-home activities.

According to Vid Ponnapalli, CFP and owner of Unique Financial Advisors based in Holmdel, N.J., “There is going to be a paradigm shift with respect to how budgeting in the future will be compared to how it was pre-COVID.”

This new balance means you’ll need to play favorites with your finances. After all, you can’t keep up the amount you’ve been dropping on at-home entertainment and food deliveries while also upping the amount you spend on indoor dining and live shows. It just won’t all fit in the budget. Select the expenses you benefit from most.

Life hasn’t returned to normal by any means. But for many Americans, the prospect of getting a vaccine is mere weeks or months away. Use the time between now and then to prepare for what’s to come.

Whatever financial decisions you make, remember, whether we’re in a pandemic or not, the fundamentals of finances don’t go away. Spread your money between things you need, things you want and savings.

Your allocations may change, but “the name of the game is the same as it was before — budgeting, budgeting, budgeting,” Ponnapalli says.

Here’s to better days and better budgets ahead.

AP FILE FIGURING IT OUT: People’s spending habits during the coronavirus may change in some ways with a return to normalcy, but expect a few new additions to the family budget to stay there, such as deliveries and at-home activities.