Money just for your self per month

[brightyellowsunshine]

I am really truly awful with budgeting and am trying to get better, by taking out cash rather than mindless spending on my card!

I can't decide what is a reasonable amount to give myself per month.

I currently spend £70 a month on beauty treatments, £30 on my gym membership (which I use at least four times a week), maybe £10 a month on average on make up, I'm constantly buying clothes, and eat out quite a bit. These two things are my biggest spends that I need to get under control.

I would be grateful and interested to hear what others think is a reasonable amount for "personal spends" per month.

Thanks in advance x

2-250 I’d say.

I've never really thought about it. I don't use the gym or have beauty treatments. Eating out probably twice a month (DH pays for another 2) and a few clothes. I would say £100 would cover everything.

Surely it’s different for everyone because it depends what you can afford?

When we were on a super tight income support redundancy type budget I never used to spend anything except for maybe £3 on a bottle of face wash! I just didn’t get my hair cut or have beauty treatments or anything like that. You can run or walk for free, so no gym etc.

Now things are better for us we each give ourselves £250 each to spend as we wish but for me most of that goes on eating out / home stuff (as I love doing up the house) and a few beauty bits etc. I think it’s such a personal thing for each person.

I think if you cover your bills, set aside 10% saving, 10% investments, spend whatever's left over. I'd come at it from the opposite angle tbh. Work out what you have left after making sensible financial choices for your future and spend that guilt free!

It massively depends on your income and expenses, I’d say £110 a month on personal grooming / beauty stuff is reasonably high (to me now but not previously).

I budget around £30-£40 a month for beauty stuff (nails every month and the odd piece of make up - approx. £20 then my hair every 5-6 months is £110) I usually come under but certain months go over! Gym classes are £5.50 a week and essential so they never get cut. So mine must be around £65 a month roughly.

Socialising budget is £15-£50 a month but that includes my coffee socials. But I used to spend £30 a week easily socialising before DC. And spend £200 every 3 months on clothes, and nails every few weeks rather than sporadically now ... oh and the spa.... life before DC was luxurious 😂

Nursery fees are removing the luxuries for the next few years! And the option of savings!

What is reasonable depends on your earnings, outgoings and debts.

I wouldn’t dream of spending £110 on myself a month for beauty, gym &makeup and then adding on clothing and eating out. I doubt I spend that on myself in 3 months.

We eat out maybe twice a month, if I spend on clothing it is maybe 2 items over 3 months.

Any extra I have I would rather put towards overpaying the mortgage than on a frivolity. I would rather be mortgage free earlier than wear another new top but everyone’s happy is different.

If you can afford it with no problem then it isn’t an issue.

Thanks everyone for replies finding it really useful.

It's funny isn't it, as lots of you think that what I spend on my beauty treatments is a lot. In my social circle this is probably the minimum anyone spends.. no wonder none of us can progress to the next step on the property ladder.

At the moment I am thinking I will give myself £300 and am very lucky to be able to do that.

I don't spend anything on treatments but do have a central London hairdresser that isn't cheap.

Make up I rarely refresh, but I have an awful naice toiletries habit.

We rarely have takeaways or go out for dinner, but we do buy farm shop and Waitrose food.

I've no idea what I spend in a typical month. I haven't limited it since my student days tbh. I've never been particularly extravagant and always lived within my means so I haven't needed to.

Agree that what is reasonable for you depends entirely on what your incomings and essential outgoings are.

If you're aiming towards financial responsibility, all those things you mention come way down the list after basic bills, work travel, DC expenses if you have them, pension, any debt repayments, food, savings for annual and irregular expenses such as insurance, broken white goods or cars if you drive.

Savings in case of loss of income, or if you want to move house as you mention 'not being able to progress on the property ladder'.

Obviously, how much this matters depends on the suitability of your house for your family. Eg if you are a family of 4 with opposite sex teens in a 2 bed house, you have a lot more reason to need a bigger house than if you are a couple with no DCs in that same 2 bed house.

Basically you should be covering all your essentials as mentioned above and then what is left is what is a reasonable amount to spend on the things you mention, split 50/50 with your partner if you have one.

As far as beauty treatments go, I've no idea how anyone can be arsed to go for £70 worth of beauty treatments every month for a start. I probably have my eyebrows threaded once or twice a year, don't wear make up and just pick up basic moisturiser, face wash, shampoo etc in the supermarket.

But I spend what is probably a ridiculous amount on holidays, so it's swings and roundabouts.

Using cash to control what you spend might work, or you might want to try moving your £300 or whatever you decide on into a separate account, with no overdraft, to use on a 'when it's gone it's gone basis'. Something like Starling or Monzo offer such an account and it will categorise your spending so you know how much you spend on beauty, eating out, clothes etc without having to work it all out or write it down, which sounds a bit tedious.

Depends on incomings/outgoings or what your saving for. I have £100 a month for personal money. I don't spend any money on beauty type things, for me it goes on clothes occasionally, books, games, days out etc.

Ever since we got married, our income goes into a joint account, then we each got separate personal accounts which we jokingly call our ‘play money’ accounts. That pays for hair, beauty treatments, clothes etc for me, more motorbike stuff and games stuff for him! It was £50 a month when we got married 10 years ago! Budget has gone up a bit since then. It works well though, I like having a separate account so I can budget. If you sometimes struggle, it might work for you too, you can see exactly what you’re actually spending.

We have £20 fun money a week so 80-100 depending on how many Mondays in the month. It's not loads but it does the job and allows us to save.

I spend what I want, when I want. That said, I don’t do beauty treatments and neither do my friends except perhaps on holiday.
I have a small makeup bag with some combination foundation/moisturiser, some eyeshadow, some eyeliner, mascara and a couple of lipsticks. Last me years.
If I see a good work dress I tend to buy three or four in different colours but I don’t do that often. Most of my jackets and coats have been around a while. Non work clothes are not glamorous or particularly expensive just SeaSalt tunics and leggings with muck boots.
Meals out are paid by my husband (although it’s both of our monies really). Cinema and theatre tickets he’d pay for too. He does hotels. He does scent. He does flowers.
I buy myself books and sheet music but not much else.

Surely depends on your income? I could spend a grand or more, but don't. If I want something, I tend to buy it.

I buy a coffee every morning.

I top up my wardrobe (generally from Matalan) twice a year. e.g I have just ordered two pairs of jeans and a pair of pumps for the summer. After that, last years stuff can be pressed into service, ditto, stuff from three years ago. None of it expensive, all of it minded.

I buy one bottle of perfume a year.

Haircut every eight weeks.

Now the mortgage is gone we have in theory a disposable income of £1k a month, we are putting that towards repaying the kitchen and bathroom fund. A five year loan gone in fifteen months.

We have about £125 a month ‘disposable’ or spare cash between us so that is used for haircuts or take away or car repair or vets bill or similar so that is it

Depends on your income really. DH and I organise it so that everything that needs to be paid comes out of the joint account, savings, expenses etc go - and then we split the rest between us. We have about £300 each frittering money, which is ample.

I have set myself a budget eg £50 pm hair and beauty, £100 pm eating out, £50 pm clothes, no gym at the moment.

Some months I don’t spend anything but other months are expensive. That is what I can afford and try to stick to.

That sounds a lot to me on beauty treatment especially if you want to save to move house. I get my hair done once every 3 months - so equals £30 per month; no beauty treatment, probably £100 per month max on clothes/ shoes. I am a single mum with a large mortgage so that’s where my money goes.