How often do you spend money?

[surlycurly]

I was looking at my bank account today and realised how often I'm spending. It's a quick trip to the shops here, petrol there, a macdonalds or a trip through the car wash. I'm not particularly profligate but I do seem to use my debit card a LOT. It's maybe not every day but definitely every other day. How often do you have a spending day/ spending free day?

Everyday. Always need to go the shop for something.

We try to vaguely meal plan and shop ahead, as we work long days and prefer to know what we need to buy
That said, we often need top ups of basics, as I can’t seem to figure out shopping just once weekly
i don’t often spend money on myself, unless I need something
DD often needs something replacing that she’s outgrown

I spend an embarrassing amount of money at the moment - I think with being on maternity I don't have much to do so I wander around shops often and buy crap and spend a lot of time drinking in coffee shops and going out for lunches

Probably every day. Today was a present for a friend who’s had a baby, well present for the baby and some treats for my friend, then card, wrapping paper and postage.
tomorrow will give dd bus money and I’m going out for lunch.
I spend what I need to, when I need to spend it. It doesn’t really matter if that’s every day or if I think about it all on one day and allocate the money/buy what I need to at once - I’m still spending the same amount of money.

Today Nothing although weekly payment for milkman came out.
Yesterday Nothing
Sunday Tescos shop
Saturday Fruit and veg shop and a drink in the pub, some sugar from local shop.
Friday Nothing
Thursday A couple of bits from the supermarket I think.
Wednesday Coffee out when walking dog and a jumper from the charity shop.

I reckon I spend something 5/7 days, mostly bits of food and random things, but I will go through phases of much more 'fun' spending mostly clothes, hobby stuff... currently trying hard to save.

I used to spend very little during the working week but now I’m spending every day. Stuff like petrol, kids buses and school lunches etc. I wouldn’t say I’m spending frivolously though, just mundane stuff.

I usually have about 3 no spend days a week. I enjoy building my savings up, so i’m careful with my spending.

I've had a lot of extra money come in this month. I put a lot of it away but because it's come in on dribs and drabs, it's been hard to pin it all down. DD went to uni (halls) and I've spent an absolute fortune on her so seem to have missed how much I was spending at the same time. Normally I'm mega on top of it but I've had a wake up call today.

Haha yes I’ve spent an astonishing amount this last week getting dc to halls at uni!

I’m amazed at all of you who can go ages. We go through a load of milk and four pints of milk every single day. I’m never away from our shop but I use cash so I budget quite well. If I can physically see what I’ve got left I can reign it in

That was loaf of bread not load of milk

I am very mindful not to buy things daily. I got petrol on Friday, nothing Saturday, tube fare Sunday, nothing Monday. Today was food shopping for the week (until Saturday) £28. I take a coffee when I go out in the car so I don't stop for one. I don't do top up shops unless desperate. Parking is my most irritating frequent expenditure.

Today I've spent money 4 times:
Tube
Sandwich
Tube
Bits for tea

Yesterday was twice:
Milk run
Amazoned a present for a friend's leaving do later in the week

I'd say that was quite standard for me and I do appreciate that I'm in a privileged position.

Every day.

Most days I spend £0. 1-2 days a week I’ll buy food or fuel. But I have a strict budget which I stick to, and every penny is allocated. Necessary/entertainment spending is planned at the start of the month and allocated accordingly. I don’t eat out or buy coffee out and don't tend to spend on a whim.

I try to spend as little as possible. DDs go out on the same day every month, I try to avoid the supermarket so go every 7-10 days. Maybe a milk run mid week. Fuel every 3-4 weeks. So I'd say at least 50% no spending days.

I’ve just counted 65 transactions on cards since the start of the month. That’s two of us and including food and petrol but not bills. We definitely don’t have many if any no spend days!!

Most days.

Today was a couple of stitch holders.

God every single frigging day. I'm sick of it.

Today was paying the mechanic when picking up my car. Tomorrow will be lunch and a top up at Lidl

Thursday will be fuel and scouts uniform

I've really pared back in the unnecessary spends but even then the odd lunch or coffee worms it's way in. Also chip ins for various collections, charity, kids' haircuts, birthday presents, etc.

I can afford it but I'm sick of getting my card out allll the time.

Things that really help are: having a pile of snacks in the car for the kids.
A contigo flask.
Learning to say no.

I have a tiny fridge and seem to have to shop more often than I'd like. That said, there are now just two of us so it should be easier to organise. I do Amazon a lot, but that's for convenience for my job as much as anything. Jings this has been very interesting indeed. And not in a good way!

This is what I do. It really makes you think about what you're spending. I've also got one of those cash wallets for separate things. Well worth having.

Maybe real money would help. I had to go to four cash points before I managed to get a working one last week. And that was for the carwash. But perhaps it's worth the hassle if it stops the mindless spending.

Probably averaging 6 days a week.

Today it was tube fares, notebooks from Tiger and an Ocado delivery (weekly shop). I mostly shop online and it's so easy to order something without even thinking it's real money 🙃

Not including direct debits on the bills account, we usually try not to spend Mon - Wed. DH gets paid Thursday, anything left on Monday am gets stuck in the savings which we try not to touch until he gets paid again the following Thursday. Doesn’t work every week.
I get paid monthly and my salary covers all of the monthly bills, so we can use DHs weekly wage to pay for all the shopping, petrol, bus fares, school dinners and any other ad hoc spending weekly.

For me seeing it all listed out on my online bank is much more sobering than cash, which I've already spent in my mind as soon as it is withdrawn. Plus I know DH will see it so that keeps me driving past Starbucks after a rain soaked football training session!