It’s always a good idea to save, whether it’s for a new house or just for a rainy day, and if you’re fortunate enough to have not been financially impacted by the pandemic, you may have found it’s a lot easier to hold onto your cash while living in lockdown.

Thanks to a hold on holidays, cinema trips and evenings out, life has been a lot cheaper, and it’s been an eye-opening exercise in how much cash we can actually save if we adopt a more mindful approach.

Here are a few money lessons that you might be keen to continue in the future.

1. Buying in bulk

Generally speaking buying in bulk is cheaper, and this year, many of us swapped our mindless daily trips to the local supermarket in favour of a strategic ‘big shop’.

This meant meticulously meal planning for the weeks ahead, stocking up on store cupboard essentials and generally wasting less money on lunches, hot drinks and other grab-and-go options while out and about.

Not only is this more eco-friendly, but it also stops you frittering away your pay cheque on convenience foods.

2. Walking, running and cycling

If you’ve been working at home during the pandemic instead of commuting to work by public transport, you’ve probably already noticed your bank account looking a lot healthier.

Research by Lloyds Bank in 2019 found that UK workers spent an average of almost £800 (£795.72) annually on just getting to the office – which is money you could potentially pocket if you continued your lockdown walking, running or cycling routine and transformed it into your daily commute.

3. Going out less

All those trips to pubs and restaurants really add up, and while we’re not saying we won’t enjoy another night out ever again (frankly, we deserve some), we’ll definitely be more mindful of how much money we’re spending on those random nights out that left us broke for the rest of the month.

Nights in have become our new normal and we’ve come to love an empty schedule that allows for slow evenings on the sofa with a good book.

4. Getting wear out of your wardrobe

As we adjusted to life in isolation, many of us found ourselves going cold turkey on buying clothes. What’s the point of shopping for a new outfit if there’s nowhere to wear it?

We quickly found a new kind of joy in wearing the same pieces on rotation and rediscovering old gems in our wardrobe, with practical items getting the most wear.

All those expensive high heels, designer handbags and uncomfortable trend pieces suddenly feel way less appealing, and we can’t see ourselves going back to our old shopping habits anytime soon.

5. Making food from scratch

As well as changing the way we shop for food, many of us discovered a love for cooking while spending lots more time at home.

Making your food from scratch isn’t just healthier, it’s also a major money saver and often tastes better than the ready-made supermarket meals too.

6. Enjoying simple, inexpensive pleasures

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that you don’t need to spend money on pricey days out to enjoy spending quality time with your loved ones.

A happy night in can be had with a simple board game or a great movie, and we’ve really come to appreciate the things in life that don’t require lots of cash.

Coffee, a walk in the park and a hot shower are just some of the simple but cheap pleasures we’ve stopped taking for granted.

7. Spending less on grooming

Before lockdown, we’d spend a ridiculous amount of money on make-up, skincare and haircare.

Now that everyone we know has seen us rocking bed hair, no make-up and ratty clothes on Zoom, we feel way less pressure to leave the house looking perfect all the time.

We’ve completely overhauled our relationship with grooming products and it’s been much healthier for our mindset. Who needs layers of concealers, foundations and powders when you can rock your natural skin and save yourself time and money?