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Original poster

How much "mad money" do you have?

185 replies

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 13:38

Assuming that you are comfortable-ish. I know there are plenty of people who dont have anything. This is for people who are fortunate enough to have some.

By "mad money" I mean "pocket money" or "selfish money" ie money that is set aside for you to blow on whatever you like and doesn't have to be accounted for.

And what do you spend it on?

I get £400 a month. It's meant for haurcits, clothes, nights out etc but I currently fritter it away on crap and then have no money to buy things I need (I need new trainers but spent it all so am currently wearing trainers that are worn and give me blisters).

Sadly I also ran up £3000 on my credit card (mostly non-essentials) so most of my £400 going forward will have to go towards paying that off next year. So I'll still be (relatively) broke!

OP posts:
WhippetsForever · 19/12/2025 17:24

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:21

I see. But people are assuming you are still planning your overspending because your question is literally asking what people fritter their mad money on.
Round in circles a bit.

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Glad it's not just me reading it that way!

OP: I get £400 mad money, but also £3000 debt from spending mad money, how much mad money do you get and what are your ideas for spending it?

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:23

MsWilmottsGhost · 19/12/2025 17:22

Yeah.. but are you buying new glasses because your prescription has changed enough that you need to? If you're just buying new ones because you want them that's also a also bad example.

Sorry, I'm also a glasses wearer 🤓

I think someone upthread said - the comfortably off got that way by not having a mad fund for random spending. 😂

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I dont even wear glasses. Maybe I'll get some anyway. 🤣

OP posts:
Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:22

Catwalking · 19/12/2025 17:20

a fair bit, but I leave it in premium bonds so I can’t go mad with it! 🤷‍♀️

I was looking into those and then thought "no, I cant afford them". 🤣

I might get some once Im in a better place for a bit of fun. I know they arent the wisest investment.

OP posts:
MsWilmottsGhost · 19/12/2025 17:22

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:10

Ok. Haircuts was a poor example as it isnt an essential. Maybe substitute hairdresser for glasses if I need them.

Edited
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Yeah.. but are you buying new glasses because your prescription has changed enough that you need to? If you're just buying new ones because you want them that's also a also bad example.

Sorry, I'm also a glasses wearer 🤓

I think someone upthread said - the comfortably off got that way by not having a mad fund for random spending. 😂

WhippetsForever · 19/12/2025 17:21

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:38

Jesus. The reading comprehension on this thread is on a par with my fiscal responsibility.

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My comprehension is okay thanks, I see you're planning on paying it off next year, which is good, but I don't understand how you ran up so much debt on non essentials when you had £400 to spend on non essentials??

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:21

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:17

As a response to yet somebody else telling ne to use the £400 to pay my cc which I literally said I was doing on the very first post.

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I see. But people are assuming you are still planning your overspending because your question is literally asking what people fritter their mad money on.
Round in circles a bit.

Catwalking · 19/12/2025 17:20

a fair bit, but I leave it in premium bonds so I can’t go mad with it! 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:17

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:14

Jesus. The reading comprehension on this thread is on a par with my fiscal responsibility.

I read this and assumed you meant people weren’t understanding your post…

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As a response to yet somebody else telling ne to use the £400 to pay my cc which I literally said I was doing on the very first post.

OP posts:
GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:14

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:06

Clearly enough people undetstand it because they are answering the question.

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Jesus. The reading comprehension on this thread is on a par with my fiscal responsibility.

I read this and assumed you meant people weren’t understanding your post…

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:10

MsWilmottsGhost · 19/12/2025 17:08

See I do it the other way round. Bills first, then savings, then I can spend what's left (if there is any).

Hairdresser haircuts for example, I would consider a luxury. A want not a need. They are very expensive, hundreds of pounds a year, which is fine... if you can afford it.

When I was very poor I just grew my hair long and trimmed it myself a couple of times a year. If it got dyed at all it was a box job. At the moment I'm fairly flush so I'm enjoying a haircut that needs frequent maintenance (cuts and colour), but if I was skint again, the hairdresser would be one of the first things to go. At least I would change my style/colour to something that didn't need to be refreshed very frequently.

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Ok. Haircuts was a poor example as it isnt an essential. Maybe substitute hairdresser for glasses if I need them.

OP posts:
MsWilmottsGhost · 19/12/2025 17:08

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 15:13

Yes, I think I thought it would help me budget but it clearly made me think £400 went further than it does! 🤣
The cc has upset/shocked me so once it's paid off next year, I'm going to properly work through what I need (eg hair cuts) and what I need to save.

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See I do it the other way round. Bills first, then savings, then I can spend what's left (if there is any).

Hairdresser haircuts for example, I would consider a luxury. A want not a need. They are very expensive, hundreds of pounds a year, which is fine... if you can afford it.

When I was very poor I just grew my hair long and trimmed it myself a couple of times a year. If it got dyed at all it was a box job. At the moment I'm fairly flush so I'm enjoying a haircut that needs frequent maintenance (cuts and colour), but if I was skint again, the hairdresser would be one of the first things to go. At least I would change my style/colour to something that didn't need to be refreshed very frequently.

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:07

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:05

Also, from your OP can I assume you aren’t working and your partner “gives” you this £400? I think if you were earning it yourself you wouldn’t be thinking of it in terms of money to fritter away. That might be the difference between you and some posters who have replied. Sorry if you have already mentioned this elsewhere. I haven’t read the whole thread as I am just on a work break.

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There is a little button that allows you to see all my posts if you cant be bothered to look for them.

OP posts:
Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:06

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:00

That you are surprised people are not understanding your post.

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Clearly enough people undetstand it because they are answering the question.

OP posts:
GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:05

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:58

And the the issue with that is...?

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Also, from your OP can I assume you aren’t working and your partner “gives” you this £400? I think if you were earning it yourself you wouldn’t be thinking of it in terms of money to fritter away. That might be the difference between you and some posters who have replied. Sorry if you have already mentioned this elsewhere. I haven’t read the whole thread as I am just on a work break.

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 17:05

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 16:59

I thought this was what most people do. Am surprised that people fritter anything away in this day and age. Maybe if I won the lottery I might fritter some of the winnings.

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I think in my case, I fritter because I see it as "frittering money" I guess.

Excluding the cc debt (which as I keep saying will be cleared next year and is inexcusible in my situation) I think I am trying to get out of the mindset of seeing it as "spending money" ie money to spend.

Everything else including family savings etc is accounted for so this money just sits there. It doesnt take many coffees or expensive nail polishes or hairdressing trips and take aways to blow through it.

OP posts:
Simonjt · 19/12/2025 17:02

On pay day £200 goes into both our personal accounts as spending money for the month.

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 17:00

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:58

And the the issue with that is...?

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That you are surprised people are not understanding your post.

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 16:59

mindutopia · 19/12/2025 16:55

I don’t really account for my money like that. But I guess I have about £1000 a month after paying into our joint account. Some of that I’ll spend on personal essentials (like my phone bill) or regular hobby costs (I have a horse who costs me £300 a month).

I’d say maybe £500 a month, but I don’t think of it as mad money for spending on fun or luxury things. Some months it might go to servicing my car. Some months I’ll put it towards a training course for work. Some months I might take a spontaneous trip to Spain. Some months it gets saved.

I thought this was what most people do. Am surprised that people fritter anything away in this day and age. Maybe if I won the lottery I might fritter some of the winnings.

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:58

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 16:57

So it’s unrelated to your situation (the majority of your original post) and you are just curious as to what comfortably off people spend surplus income on, even though you aren’t comfortably off or have a surplus as you are currently in debt?
OK

👍🏻

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And the the issue with that is...?

OP posts:
GardenMole · 19/12/2025 16:57

DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:49

Does it matter?

However, as I said above, I wanted to clarify that the question was for people who can afford it. Not people who are budgeting each £1.

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So it’s unrelated to your situation (the majority of your original post) and you are just curious as to what comfortably off people spend surplus income on, even though you aren’t comfortably off or have a surplus as you are currently in debt?
OK

👍🏻

mindutopia · 19/12/2025 16:55

I don’t really account for my money like that. But I guess I have about £1000 a month after paying into our joint account. Some of that I’ll spend on personal essentials (like my phone bill) or regular hobby costs (I have a horse who costs me £300 a month).

I’d say maybe £500 a month, but I don’t think of it as mad money for spending on fun or luxury things. Some months it might go to servicing my car. Some months I’ll put it towards a training course for work. Some months I might take a spontaneous trip to Spain. Some months it gets saved.

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:52

InveterateWineDrinker · 19/12/2025 16:50

I dont want to (and dont need to) be penniless for the year to only then go crazy when I have spending money again. That wont teach me how to budget.

You've been at pains throughout the thread to demonstrate that you already know how to budget. What you lack is any kind of self-control.

I've never said I dont know how to budget.

I have openly said I've frittered it away on crap.

OP posts:
Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:50

bleakmidwintering · 19/12/2025 16:48

You don’t have £400 spare op. That’s money that should be going into repayment. Post again when you’ve cleared that.

I am loosing the will to live over here.

OP posts:
InveterateWineDrinker · 19/12/2025 16:50

I dont want to (and dont need to) be penniless for the year to only then go crazy when I have spending money again. That wont teach me how to budget.

You've been at pains throughout the thread to demonstrate that you already know how to budget. What you lack is any kind of self-control.

Original poster
DecemberGoneWild · 19/12/2025 16:49

GardenMole · 19/12/2025 16:46

So what relevance has your question to your stated situation?

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Does it matter?

However, as I said above, I wanted to clarify that the question was for people who can afford it. Not people who are budgeting each £1.

OP posts:
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