What the Past Year Has Taught Us About Spending Money
Bob Haegele Wed, March 10, 2021
Spending habits are always changing in the US and elsewhere, but the past year has forced us to take a closer look at how we spend money. Many of those habits were already there, bubbling below the surface, but the pandemic has caused them to bubble over.
Read: Calculating Your Stimulus Check: How Much (if Any) Will You Get?
While millions have suffered due to COVID-19, either directly or indirectly, there are still many financial lessons to be learned from this historic event. To gain insight into the specific lessons learned, we took input from several financial experts.
We’re Spending Less on Nonessentials
When it comes to spending money, people are highly sensitive to economic uncertainty. That has led to a reduction in spending on nonessential items. According to Mike Kinane, head of US Bankcards at TD Bank, “COVID-19 has forced Americans to reprioritize or adjust their spending habits, with 58% reducing spend on nonessential items, 43% canceling travel plans and 36% delaying larger purchases.”
We’re Beefing Up Savings
Maintaining an emergency fund is always important, but the past year has made us acutely aware of the need to have a safety net. The result is that more people are padding their savings.
Personal Capital conducted a survey that confirmed this. “Those we surveyed are taking steps to shore up their finances, with many wanting 2021 to be a year focused on regaining financial stability,” says Craig Birk, chief investment officer at Personal Capital. “70% of respondents want to put more into savings, 33% are more likely to work with financial professionals vs. 24% at the initial onset of the pandemic.”
In addition, it’s important to prioritize savings during the worst of times. “Focus on savings instead of return rate,” says Ivan Watanabe, managing partner, Opus Private Client LLC at Guardian Life Insurance. “During times of crisis, your savings rate is more important than your rate of return. People who have saved money and continue to save money are in a better position to weather the storm.”
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/past-taught-us-spending-money-160011710.html
HOLLY CELIANO: RV UPDATES! The Great Wealth Transfer & Latest Financial News | Oct 30, 2026
Chris Real World: 10-30-2026
In an insightful analysis by financial commentator Holly Celiano, recent industry developments illustrate how digital assets are no longer operating in isolation. Instead, they are steadily positioning themselves as vital components of a unified, highly efficient economic infrastructure.
This transition represents an evolutionary upgrade rather than a radical replacement of traditional systems, balancing regulatory responsibility with technological progress.
Rob Cunningham: The Global Release, Indebted to Enriched
10-3-2026
What if one day this fictional geopolitical thriller becomes a non-fictional reality?
THE GLOBAL RELEASE
from indebted to enriched
One coordinated release. Seven days of fallout.
At the same instant, designated custodians receive two words:
Basrah Heavy, Medium Crude Record Weekly Losses
2026-10-31 Shafaq News- Basrah Iraq’s Basrah crude grades ended the week down by around 0.15%, despite gains in the final trading session and rising global oil benchmarks.
Basrah Heavy crude climbed by $1.09, or 1.49%, in the final session to settle at $74.11 per barrel, but recorded a weekly loss of $0.10, or 0.13%, from $74.22 at the start of the week.
Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,
GLOBAL PAYMENTS RESET WATCH: BRICS PAYMENT SYSTEM GAINS ATTENTION AS COMMON CURRENCY REMAINS A DISTANT GOAL
A new policy report urges BRICS nations to advance cross-border payment cooperation and local-currency settlement, while acknowledging that creating a shared currency remains a much greater challenge.
It’s Hard To Reform A Country That No Longer Shares Values
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 30, 2026
On September 17, 1787, 81 year old Benjamin Franklin sat in a room in Philadelphia with a speech in his hand that he was too weak to deliver.
A fellow delegate read it to the Constitutional Convention for him.
Franklin had reservations about the draft Constitution. His speech admitted there were “several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve.”
Ariel: Iraq Sending the Budget Back for Recalculation
10-31-2026
Remuneration & Recalibration: Iraq Sending The Budget Back For Reconciliation/Recalculation
We Will Jump Right Into This Report
The Return-to-Sender No One Wants to Explain
The Ministry of Finance doesn’t send a budget back to the drawing board because the formatting needs tweaking. That document traveled all the way to the Council of Ministers the executive nerve center and then boomeranged straight back to the people who wrote it with what amounts to a sticky note reading “recalculate everything.”
KTFA:
Clare: The Minister of Transport discusses with Uber the company's entry into the Iraqi market.
10/30/2026 Baghdad /
Minister of Transport Wahab al-Hassani discussed with the CEO of Uber Middle East the company's desire to enter the Iraqi market under its original brand, and opportunities for exchanging expertise and experiences in the transportation sector.
According to a ministry statement, the company representative affirmed that "the security stability that Iraq is witnessing has been a primary incentive for moving towards the Iraqi market and offering its services there."
MilitiaMan & Crew: The New Trade Pipes: Why Everything You Know About Markets Is Wrong
10-30-2026
The Crew: Samson, PompeyPeter, Petra, Daytrader, Sunkissed, GIGI and Militia Man
No drama. No intrigue. No songs and dances. Just straight, factual news that I read and interpret to the best of my ability after being an avid Dinar investor and insanely obsessed Dinarian for over 15 years.
Follow MM on X == https://x.com/Slashn
Good Morning Dinar Recaps,
GLOBAL ENERGY RESET WATCH: STRAIT OF HORMUZ TANKER ATTACK RENEWS FEARS OF OIL SUPPLY DISRUPTION
A reported attack on a commercial tanker in one of the world's most important oil corridors is adding fresh pressure to energy markets already facing geopolitical uncertainty.
Al-Jubouri: Raising The Dollar Exchange Rate Doubles Agricultural Production Costs By 20%
The former member of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Water, Thaer al-Jubouri, confirmed on Friday that agricultural production costs in Iraq have increased by 15 to 20 percent following the rise in the dollar exchange rate, noting that this will place a heavy burden on farmers in the country.
Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,
GLOBAL PAYMENTS RESET WATCH: BIS EXAMINES THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL BANK MONEY IN A DIGITAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM
The Bank for International Settlements is examining how central banks can preserve trust in money as digital payments, tokenized deposits, stablecoins, and new financial platforms reshape the global payment system.
TNT:
Tishwash: Al-Fariji: The revenue generated from the change in the exchange rate does not represent a profit.
Crisis expert Ali Al-Fariji confirmed that the revenue generated from the increase in the dollar exchange rate against the dinar does not represent a net gain added to the state treasury.
Al-Fariji told Al-Maalouma that "raising the exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar in the local markets may provide quick liquidity, but it does not represent a financial reform in itself."
He added that "real reform lies in building a multi-source revenue system, recovering funds and assets, reducing waste, and transforming the economy from dependence on oil and dollar pricing to financial management that measures results and creates real and sustainable revenues for the state."
Rob Cunningham: The Liquidity Revolution
10-30-2026
THE LIQUIDITY REVOLUTION: WHAT’S IN IT FOR HUMANITY?
A world rich in assets should ask a profound question:
WHY IS FINANCING PRODUCTIVE WORK SO DIFFICULT?
A farmer owns land – but needs equipment.
A manufacturer owns assets – but needs working capital.
A community has builders, materials and willing workers – but needs financing.
Stern Drew: Russia Showcases New Payment Infrastructure using Blockchain
10-30-2026
Russia Has Officially Showcased A New Payment Infrastructure Using Blockchain To Ditch The Dollar
At the International Economic Forum, Putin had also dropped this absolute BOMBSHELL:
“Any country can at any moment be deprived of access to its legitimate assets, which are placed in dollars or euros, as well as to Western financial payment infrastructure.
KTFA
Saturday Night Video
FRANK26….10-31-26….PROSPERITY
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#