Does anyone else feel as though they're constantly wasting money?

[Kingoftheroad]

I'm so annoyed with myself. Feel as though money slips through my fingers.

Purchased a vintage 1940s dress recently, which was battered and bruised, however, it was cheap and I loved it.

Planned to wear it on Christmas Day, after I'd had repairs done and dress cleaned. Paid £35 to have lining added and some holes stitched. Dry cleaner advised to hand wash as chemicals would damage fabric.

Carefully, had washed, dress virtually fell apart. Lining is now hanging down lower than the dress. Repaired fabric as best I could, bought a new belt (that didn't suit) wore dress on Christmas Day and felt horrible in it.

So sick of myself, wardrobes full of stuff I buy and don't wear. People in charity shop are my best friends as I'm constantly donating. I've even got a 100 year old dressing table in my garage waiting to be up cycled don't know why I bought it as I don't even need it.

[Champagneformyrealfriends]

I made a list this morning of the shit I've bought this month that I've barely worn or used. It was an eye opener! Sorry about your dress op-what a let down!

[Paulat2112]

Up cycle the table and sell it on! :) do you have a budget? You need to make one and stick to it. Don't buy anything on the spot, go away and think about it for a few days. If you still need or want it then go back for it.

[Kingoftheroad]

Champagne- good to know I'm not alone - feeling so daft right now

Pat - great advice will def get on with doing a budget been spending like I've got a bottomless pit of cash

[Christmasmice]

Yes I feel I fritter money all the time. I'm consciously trying to stop. I only buy second hand clothes on eBay now and just sole a load of things on eBay and made a little back.
I've been kondoing my stuff recently and that has helped to a degree. But lots of room for improvement.

[Whatsername17]

A couple of years ago I decided to have a couple of months where I withdrew a chunk of money at the beginning of the month and then left my bank card at home. Bills/food came directly out of my account but 'top up' shops and anything I wanted came out of the cash - I think I gave myself a budget of £40 per week. I stuck to it and it really made me prioritise what I bought. After the first week it became easy to stick to and I saved loads of money in the two months that I did it. I'm about to go onto maternity leave so will be doing the same again. Last year our finances took a massive hit because I lost a baby in January and filled the hole with a new conservatory, a holiday abroad, redecorating the house and obviously Christmas is expensive. Then getting pregnant again meant I had baby things to buy. I'm quite annoyed at myself to be honest. I earn a good salary - both dh and I do, but I fritter money away like no tomorrow. We both need to tighten our belts. December's pay will be left in my account and I'll be withdrawing a chunk of cash and spending that instead. By March, despite being on maternity leave, my finances should be much healthier.

[PeachBellini123]

Whatersname - I've been on maternity leave for 2 weeks and it's amazing the money I've saved! Cut down massively on travel costs and buying lunchs/snacks/drinks.

I agree OP get a budget in place. But also think about why you spend. I realised for me there were times it was down to boredon/wanting to cheer myself up. I try and not impluse buy and think about things before I spend the cash now.

[CompleteDelete]

I don't mean to be negative (honestly) but to me frittering money is a psychological thing. I don't know but perhaps it's based in notions of self-worth and deserve-it. Not everyone seems to have it and those who do sometimes seem puzzled by why it happens and describe it in terms of being a very natural feeling at the time just as if it is according with some pattern of thinking. Just my 2 cents.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Write down every penny you spend for a month and face up to where the money is going. It's a real eye opener.

[Saukko]

I find buying clothes on Ebay to be a big waste of time. There are some brands I am confident in, as those items always turn up nice thanks to the quality of the brand. However, something from Topshop, a supermarket, most high street stores, probably hasn't survived the washing process and is going to arrive looking grim.

The cure is - don't bother.

Another is, stop wandering round the shops, and if you do, don't take your purse. Your shopping makes you miserable (piles of things you don't wear, you keep donating it) so start making changes to your routines to avoid doing it. I stopped going to the shops in my lunch hour, for example, and then gradually stopped going at all.

[GplanAddict]

Yes, I'm the same and I do think its a psychological state too. I work hard, earn a decent wage but my spending hasn't changed since I lived a london child free lifestyle and it needs to!

Feel so sorry for you about the vintage dress, thats really rubbish, especially as you put a lot of effort into it.

I really really resent some things I pay out for like insurance, our total insurance costs are £450pm and we have never needed to use it.

I saw someone on mn recommend squirrel, I'm going to look into that.

[devilinme]

Magazines, glossy ones , don't even read them, they clutter up the house, straight in recycling.

WHY?

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I found this book very thought provoking. It looks at the whole working hard to afford to buy stuff to reward ourselves for working hard dynamic.
www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Money-Life-Transforming-Relationship/dp/0143115766?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[ShowMePotatoSalad]

I'm going to do the Konmari method this year. I need to sort myself out big time.

[PeachBellini123]

Gplan- that's a lot. Have you tried shopping around or calling insurance company for a better deal?

[Want2bSupermum]

I've felt like we have frittered money away this year. DH is always spending a fortune on drink and buying meals for lunch. I decided to match him after getting fed up of being the boring one who has a packed lunch and my drinks everywhere. I've never been a coffee shop person and got into the Starbucks trap.

We have $40k for living costs including our housing which should be plenty. It isn't when your OH is drinking $15 of alcohol a day and you are both eating a $10 lunch 4 days a week. I have taken the excess cash out of our account and moved it to another bank so DH has a better sense of just how much money we are going through.

I'm very careful with money normally. Everything is planned out from clothing for my family to operating a meal plan. Cash in jars/envelopes is the best way I have found to control spending.

[christmasjolity]

You should probably have washed the dress before adding any lining. Lesson learned for next time though? Can you remove the living and reline? or shorten the lining?

Upcycling a 100 year old table means ruining it. It has lasted 100 years- you will paint white and in 3 years when out of trend it will be tipped. You love your 40s dress- imagine if someone in the 60s had cut it down to be a mini dress- it would have been ruined.

[Kingoftheroad]

Some great advice thanks so much I really do appreciate the support. Just makes me feel so down on myself and stupid. Def changing everything just spoken to DH about it. He thinks it's a great idea. Might set up an account and transfer every penny I thought of spending, just to see how it mounts up

[Kingoftheroad]

Christmas- you're right I wished the tailor had given me this advice. I also thought the same about the desk, should prob sell it on as not sure it will go in my house as house is modern with a few antiquey pieces - any advice?

[SapphireBird]

There's a lot about Money or Your Life online - no need to buy

I am planning to do something like this in the new year (my first ever resolution!). Health and finance.

We are moving in June, so I have 6 months to sort my life and save as much as possible.

I've been kondoing - seeing how much 'waste' I own has really helped curtail how much I buy. I have developed a Marks and Spencer food habit, though... Hence needing to sort my health out....

[junebirthdaygirl]

I do that wasting of money. I buy little things for my gd, books, magazines extra toiletries etc. I noticed l do it mostly when lm tired so it is a psychological thing. Even at Christmas, despite having lots of decorations l can't resist buying a few new ones. Then when l take out the old ones l'm shocked at how many l have. I think now my dc are older l find it difficult not to be buying bits for them so have to sit on my hands not to buy crap.

[SouthWestmom]

It's the dc for me - I've realised how much stuff they have - sky landers, dvds, clothes etc. My plan is to chuck it all out instead of endlessly buying storage and just stop buying things. I'm so fed up with mess.