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?

I would normally spend money on 4-6 days of the week. It would include commuting costs, the odd coffee or occasional lunch, when I didn't bring it from home. Plus the odd pint of milk, when we ran low and all the ad hoc expenses for the children, school trip money, mufti day, supplies for school projects. There is always something we need at home.....

I've been 100% working from home for the last year and I can go 3 days without spending.

Stop using your debit card and use cash ONLY. It's the best way to get a grip on your spending. Give yourself an allowance each week and that's all you get.

Most days. There’s always something. The bills go out in dribs and drabs over the month (wish they all went on the same day!) and I bet there’s 15 of them. Then with groceries, school dinners, petrol, health and the vets, it doesn’t take many incidentals to make it daily. And I’m flat broke, spending the bare minimum on myself, and just keeping a few extras for DD. In better times I just amazoned whatever I wanted on the slightest whim. And much as I miss those days, I probably did need a wake up call. I never used to want so much when I had to trek out and get it (although things were more stable for me in those days)

In September I have spent money on 7 of the last 20 days (excluding DD or SO). I definitely use to spend more frequently when I went into work five days a week. However, I think money management is about setting out a realistic budget (weekly or monthly) and trying to stick to it.

Not often Monday to Friday as I don't work anywhere near shops and work a long day. Having said that, I often have to transfer money to dcs for haircuts, lunches etc., and do order online. I thought I hadn't spent anything today but have transferred cash to ds2's bank account so I suppose I have.

With the exception of bill's i can go for a couple of weeks without spending anything. I make it a personal challenge to have no spend days. By no spend I mean no incidental spends on Amazon, McDonald's, clothes, car parks,pubs etc.

I find using cash really helps me to budget but it falls down a bit now as so many places are card only so I can't use cash and end up with extra spending that way. I wish I could use cash everywhere again, it is the only way I seem to be able to keep on top of things.

I spend more if I try to have no spend days. The moment I say ‘no McDonald’s’ or ‘no car wash today’ it’s all I can think about. Instead I’ll challenge myself to save money - can I use an app/loyalty card (our car wash has one), instead of a meal at McDonald’s do I just want a cheeseburger? If I need lunch out it’s cheaper to get the wrap of the day at kfc than it is to go to Lidl for a wrap because in Lidl I will buy more stuff.

I spend money almost every day but I’m trying to do it a lot more mindfully and spending less.

Every day I spend something . Even if I don't go to the shops or spend online there is a coffee wagon that comes to my office . I agree OP it's the incidental costs that really add up .

Something I find surprising on this thread is that people go to McDonald’s, use a car wash, buy a wrap for lunch from wherever. I would never do any of these things. I don’t have to think about not doing them, because it would never occur to me to do them in the first place.

I buy things as they wear out, I’m not bothered about new cosmetic or beauty products as I’m actually very allergic to them.

I am currently decorating and updating stuff in kitchen and sitting room. So I’m buying a lot but the rooms were last done a decade ago.

I buy decent quality stuff rarely. Go out to lunch every other week at a lovely little country pub that is a 30 min walk or to my fave small cafe.

I work somewhere that has a canteen where free tea, coffee, toast, cereals, soup, mug shots etc are provided...I have had a really tight month this month due to a cock up at HMRC....they took half my wages in income tax...I have a travel mug so use the canteen for free but am shocked at the amount of staff I see in the Costa next door paying through the nose for the same thing....I think its the little things daily that add up over the weeks and months and stop people saving money.

Like some others here, I can go all week without spending anything, then other weeks it seems to be nothing but spend.
I don't buy takeaway coffees or food out though.
This week I've spent nothing, but last week I had a vets bill for one of my dogs, that was all I spent although.

Pretty much every day. I frequently buy lunch plus snacks for the team at work. If I'm feeling lazy I may not cycle to work and buy a bus ticket. I buy food for home probably every other day.

I do try not to shop online too much because it's too easy. But the other day I got spooked by news stories and ended up buying water purification tablets 🙄That kind of thing.

Well that's scuppered have run out of coffee and DH used up the carrots making Sushi ! So I will be visiting a shop today

Something I find surprising on this thread is that people go to McDonald’s, use a car wash, buy a wrap for lunch from wherever. I would never do any of these things. I don’t have to think about not doing them, because it would never occur to me to do them in the first place
I'm the same.
The last time I spent anything was on Thursday when I paid for lunch out for me and my friend.
Most my bill's go out on the 26th of the month.so that is my biggest spend day.

Probably nearly every day but most days it isn't very much, the odd thing from Wilko or Amazon mainly apart from the weekly shop

I only use a cawash once every 8 weeks or so, simply because since having a stroke, I find it difficult to wash the car myself like I used to

I only use a cawash once every 8 weeks or so, simply because since having a stroke, I find it difficult to wash the car myself like I used to
No judgement from me!
People do what they need to what they helps them make life a little easier.

Probably 5 or 6 days a week.

Randomly, I get my car washed all the time as the tree outside my house covers it in sap and the wasps love it. I've nearly spent money three times today and caught myself!

I live in a rural area and work either from home or very close to my house, not passing any shops. So I only actually go into town to go to the supermarket and petrol station etc once a week on a weekday and usually once at a weekend as DC has sports class. Restaurants, takeaways, coffees etc we barely ever have as they aren’t convenient for us at all.

Amazon and other online stuff etc is a different matter and I’m definitely guilty of using that more than I should!

To me there quite a crucial difference between, say, going to the shop to buy milk because there is none at home, or filling the car up, than there is ad hoc visits to mcdonalds, treating yourself to things like a coffee, cake, magazine, new piece of clothing every week/month.

I would focus on the ones that can be changed not the necessities. Depending with whom you bank, my barclays app shows me where I spend my money the most and the amount I spend there which offers food for thought. I never buy things like coffee or tea out of the house and take a drink and snacks with me, do a capsule wardrobe and never add to it unless it's something I've planned to buy. I don't drive but we just wash the car ourselves. I'm just not in the habit of spending money for boredom or treating sake these days so don't, I don't think there's any other knack to it.

One thing I did notice when I was in the habit was that my pitfall was nipping into large shops (supermarkets, b&m etc) because I fancied a treat or was essentially bored after work and ending up filling a basket. The best way not to spend is not to browse, and that includes online. I unsubscribe from most retailers so I don't get any of the emails with sale notifications or 20% off today etc, it tempts people to go looking to buy something when they had no intentions of doing it before. If you actually want to make a considered purchase you can almost always find a code at the time.

I have massively cut down on things like Ebay and Amazon. Learning to live within my means and being a lot more careful.

I buy a coffee every afternoon as a little pick me up. That's pretty much it for me. A weekly online shop and petrol when I need it. I don't really spend anything else daily.