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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Running out of cash before payday

107 replies

Buttonmoons · 09/11/2024 08:18

Is it just me, or does anyone else become short of money half way through the minth. My bills are paid and the fridge, freezer and cupboards are quite full, but it’s 2 weeks till payday and I’ve got £400 left. I really need to budget better!

aibu to be worrying about this?

OP posts:
FanofLeaves · 09/11/2024 08:43

saturdaychillout · 09/11/2024 08:39

I've got better at budgeting. One of the things I do is take out about £150 to £200 cash each month. I use this for going out with friends, hair cuts etc and any top up items between food shops. I put a small amount of money in a savings account each month which I can easily transfer to my main account if I need to. Then the main account is mainly used for food shops and bills

To be able to do this you have to have a spare £150-200 every month, which so many people don’t. That’s not about budgeting, that’s just not being able to magic up any disposable income.

DreamW3aver · 09/11/2024 08:43

I've heard on very good authority that you are the only person on here who has to budget every month, literally the only person, unique, or maybe just a bit tone deaf -:you choose

Cappuccinowithonesugarplease · 09/11/2024 08:40

400 isn't bad, I wish I had this left 2 weeks until payday. I'm on around 1000 a month but mortgage free. We have a week of beans on toast at the end of the month 🤣

saturdaychillout · 09/11/2024 08:39

I've got better at budgeting. One of the things I do is take out about £150 to £200 cash each month. I use this for going out with friends, hair cuts etc and any top up items between food shops. I put a small amount of money in a savings account each month which I can easily transfer to my main account if I need to. Then the main account is mainly used for food shops and bills

Cappuccinowithonesugarplease · 09/11/2024 08:38

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

Some people have no choice!
You sound very out of touch!

MummyDummyNow · 09/11/2024 08:38

I'd be overjoyed if all bills had been paid and I had that much left for two weeks!

DilemmaDelilah · 09/11/2024 08:34

When I was very poor my pay just about covered my overdraft (not spent on trips out or holidays, just rent, food, utilities etc) so I had properly run out of money even before the middle of the month. Even now we are comfortable for money, I put money in our savings at the beginning of the month and to have £400 left to spend in our current account in the middle of the month without needing to spend it on a big supermarket shop or direct debits seems quite a lot to me.

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 09/11/2024 08:34

This reply has been deleted

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lasagnelle · 09/11/2024 08:33

Skipsurvey · 09/11/2024 08:32

when does the car cost £2000 to fix?

My car didn't even cost £2000!

TheGoogleMum · 09/11/2024 08:33

We run out of money every month. To the poster who worries when they have less than 2000 - we have less than that after bills are paid, and we still need to eat and have ongoing costs like petrol!

TheWorminLabyrinth · 09/11/2024 08:32

Ha, some of us have less than ten quid to our name.

Skipsurvey · 09/11/2024 08:32

when does the car cost £2000 to fix?

lasagnelle · 09/11/2024 08:31

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

And yes it is precarious but that's life for most people unfortunately.

GrumpyCactus · 09/11/2024 08:31

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

Do you live under a rock or are you just on the wind up? Surely no one is this clueless...

Yes people up and down the country do exactly that spending their income on bills and food and essentials to live each month. If the car breaks they either can't fix it or the have to use credit cards.

FanofLeaves · 09/11/2024 08:31

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

Don’t be such a knob. Yes, of course they bloody do, because of the insane cost of living coupled with stagnant or low wages no longer making it very comfortable for people to live. Prices go up, wages stay the same, cost of housing far outstrips salaries. You don’t have to be Einstein to work out what effect that might have on vast swathes of people 🙄

OhshutupSimonyounobhead · 09/11/2024 08:30

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

Some people don't have the money to spend! Surely you must realise that??

DieStrassensindimmernass · 09/11/2024 08:30

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

You are aware that many people have much less than that in their account at the start of the month?
Was that supposed to be a humble brag?

lasagnelle · 09/11/2024 08:30

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

I'd move some into easy access savings and get it out as and when you need it. No one needs that much liquidity

Clarinet1 · 09/11/2024 08:29

Some of us have £3.61 to last a week and are over our overdraft limit.

DinosaurMunch · 09/11/2024 08:28

Seems very low to me. I get worried if there's less than £2000 in my current account. Do people really spend all their money each month? Seems very precarious. What happens if you need money for fixing the car or some other unforeseen expense?

Kangarude · 09/11/2024 08:26

OP must have been worried that not enough readers would know that she ‘only’ has £200 per week to spend, so started an AIBU thread 😂

Shinyandnew1 · 09/11/2024 08:24

lasagnelle · 09/11/2024 08:23

Why have you started two threads bragging about having £200 in cash a week?

This!

lasagnelle · 09/11/2024 08:23

Why have you started two threads bragging about having £200 in cash a week?

ilovesooty · 09/11/2024 08:23

Doesn't sound like running out of money to me either.