To think budgeting culture has become joyless?

That’s why you need a budget category called buffer- for all the things you hadn’t thought of!

As a nerdy accountant, my finances and spreadsheet are pretty complicated. Every penny is accounted for and I have a cashflow forecast for the next 10 years. I love it but I'm fully aware that this is not normal.

You are free to spend your disposable income on what you want, especially if you are not borrowing to get by. I find spending habits really interesting.

I rarely get a hot drink out of the house, mainly because I'm usually always at home and I have an excellent bean to cup coffee machine and prefer my own coffee and tea in big proper mugs to takeaway drinks. We only eat out/ get takeaways on birthdays.

We each have some spending / frittering money each month and I like to spend on beauty and hair treatments, DH has his hobbies.

I have a better range of teas/hot chocolate flavours in my tea cupboard (which is currently stuffed to the gills) than most cafes ever will. However I do make a pilgrimage to Starbucks when it's pumpkin spice season and ask for a pumpkin spice hot chocolate. 😋

Budgeting is joyless and soul destroying although some people do seem to really enjoy it. I do understand what you mean though, and honestly I can't understand why any one would even comment on what other people spend or don't spend. Seems rude

I agree, people saying that are deluded and out of touch with reality of modern cost of living, but that's nothing to do with the principles of budgeting, it's the person saying that about avodados being an out of touch dickhead!

I understand this - I think a lot of young people these days are told that the reason they can’t buy a house etc is because they buy things like avocado and hot drinks, so it’s a bit of a sore point for some!!

Me too! I have a huge TikTok shop order coming and I really couldn’t care less 😂

Sounds like us really. Being in control gives a really warm feeling inside, whether you're on minimum wage (or less) or are well paid. We've been both, and applied the same budgeting principles whether at times we've had money or times when we havn't. It's a good habit to get into. Especially in the longer term when you find you have the money to buy something really special (again different things at different times of your life), simply by long term saving/control. A couple of years ago, we bought a very expensive car outright, and we still smile when we see it as it's so special, having taken us several years to save for it and then several months of shopping around to find exactly what we wanted and could haggle to buy it at a good price! I know my DH felt the same when he bought his first "banger" for a couple of hundred quid back in the 80s when he first started working and saved a fiver per week in his "car fund" by walking/cycling to/from work instead of taking the bus!

Quite. And I'm not a high earner. But we have been overpaying the mortgage and saving since 2010 and been working (full time in DH's case) for 20 years. We don't have a fridge at work, so if I want to get a coffee once or twice a week to have at my desk I will! There's a brilliant one-man coffee van outside my office on a Tuesday and I'm sure he appreciates my weekly £3.50.

Try the coffee at Caffè Nero. Pretty good and their loyalty scheme is great. Also, have you heard of independent coffee shops, where the coffee is often excellent?

It’s possible to buy good coffee in coffee shops, several times a week, enjoy the experience AND save hard for other meaningful experiences.

I don't think anyone is saying not to spend money, more a matter of spending it wisely on things that actually matter and enhance your life. That will be different for everyone. I think the problem is that a lot of people waste money on things that don't actually enhance their lives and aren't worth the money, things they could easily do without or buy cheaper alternatives.

Yes, localism is vitally important, but that doesn't mean spending money on crap you don't need. I support local businesses by buying things that I value from them, using local restaurants, pubs, shops and other venues, but only when I actually need those things and will derive pleasure from them. I certainly won't buy something or attend an event that I don't need/want to just to support a business/organisation as that's nonsense. I won't be emotionally blackmailed into buying something I don't need - it's up to the business/organisation to provide things I do need - that's the way to keep a sustainable business going, not via artificial means.

My way of support is using local as opposed to online/national or a place in a different town/county for no obvious reason. I also support local businesses by offering discounts on my professional services to local clients so they can get their tax returns/accounts done cheaper than by them using a bigger firm or national firm in a bigger town/city.

This. You don’t get a vote on how others reach their financial goals.

Seconded, massively.
Buying a coffee every time you leave the house, is really not comparable with the horror that is alcoholism.

I consume just the amount I like thank you, tacky and proud 😂

Ha, I got called an “over consumer” the other day.

Sent from my brand new iPhone 17 pro max 🤣

IME it’s the opposite.

now I am on top of my finances, have clear goals & priorities, I am much more relaxed about my spending decisions. I don’t worry about being frivolous etc sometimes as I’ve planned for it in my budget.

I spend a lot less day to day as I have my eyes on long term financial goals.

It’s a shame that people see contributing to their local economy as ‘a waste’. I keep a budget, but I enjoy eating out, going to events and buying things I want so it’s part of my budget.

Good for you! I’m like this too. I hate money being frittered away - I’d rather have memorable treat with my kids.

I felt personally attacked the other day when someone commented about having a new phone being “tacky,” and how being on PAYG is far more budget friendly.

Sent from iPhone 17 😂

Of course, but there's a background of "cost of living crisis" and people complaining about never having enough money, but at the same time making very poor choices about what they spend their money on, and then making it everyone's else's problem/fault that they have an overdraft/huge credit card debts, can't afford car repair, can't afford food/presents, etc etc.

It’s insane. I can afford it so I don’t know why people are bothered 😂

That is typical, especially on here. Also the comments that are not really relevant. I mean, if someone posted about Tesco having half price lamb right now (is the only time I buy it), someone will pipe up and say it is fatty and bad for you... then you get the vegans joining in.

@Crumptes frequent take away coffees is a big city thing because people walk and use public transport, those of us who live rurally, driving to work tend to go straight to work reducing or eliminating temptation. I make cafetière coffee at home and bring to work in a thermos mug (I do t like milk anyway), buying a coffee would involve a detour of a mile or so

Yes, it is "a thing" that people have coffees daily and go out of their way to get them. One of my clients is a small/village bakery/pie shop, etc., and they have a regular stream of daily customers who drive for their regular coffee, typically parents after dropping kids off at school, tradesmen who drive from wherever they're working for their coffee fix, van/lorry drivers on regular routes/patches, and commuters who stop off on the way to work. Their till "z" reports show an average of 50-100 customers per day who only buy a hot drink (nothing else). Of course, they also have similar numbers of similar people who daily buy a hot drink and a breakfast bun or pie etc - average being a tenner per day - for just a bacon bun and coffee! Also see it in the convenience store, with tradesmen and van drivers ignoring the "meal deal for £3.75" and instead buying pies, coffees, crisps, choc bars, etc and spending an average of £10-£15 for their lunches. I honestly couldn't bring myself to spend that every day, it's £50-£75 per week - an enormous amount. They just don't seem to care, as presumably it all gets added to the overdraft or credit card, so becomes a problem for another day. If people are so blase about coffees and lunches, heaven knows what they waste on other things - probably don't shop around for grocery/shopping discounts/offers, don't shop around for utilities, car insurance, etc.

Does it matter? Spend your money on what you want and let other people spend, or save, theirs 🤷🏻‍♀️