How much money do you spend a month on each of these things ?

[Beckywiththegoodnails]

Trying to work out why I feel so broke all the time
me and 3 teens.

How much do you spend on
food / supermarket - me £480-500 pcm (incl cleaning and toiletries)
Entertainment / eating out - I budget £350
Clothes for self? £70 -£100 for me (need a good work wardrobe regularly refreshed and put on a lot of weight)
clothes for kids? (£120 for 3 and they top up if want labels from pocket money/ selling old clothes etc)

annual Christmas?

annual birthdays?
(I need to work the above out)

thank you

£600-700 food per month for 2 adults and 2 teen boys. Eating out/ takeaways £250 pcm. Very little on clothes for me and DH. We both get new clothes at the beginning of summer and winter and mostly wear stuff we already own. Possibly £150 each in spring and autumn. If I need anything I get it. Kids get new clothes when they need it and some expensive clothes for Xmas.

2 adults, 1 tween and a dog
£500 a month on groceries (budgeting £125 a week) £100 online shop for fresh and nice bits, £25 in Aldi/Lidl/B&M on tins, pasta, cereal, cleaning products etc.
Clothing - average £100 a month for me and £50 a month for tween, DH buys nothing for himself and gets everything for xmas/birthday!
Xmas probably costs us £300-£500 (we host for 10 most years) excluding presents
Maybe £100 on entertainment average but some months nothing, we rarely eat out, go to the cinema etc.
However we spend a fortune on hobbies, at least £500 pcm between the 3 of us! So maybe that counts as entertainment?

food / supermarket - me, 2 DC (8/9) cat £350
Entertainment / eating out - £50
Clothes for self? £30
clothes for kids? I find this difficult to quantify. I'm very lucky to receive a lot if new/nearly new hand me downs. I dont buy monthly. I shouldn't think its even £20 a month each.

food / supermarket - £800 just food for me and DH (and feeding friends when they're over)
Entertainment / eating out - £800
Clothes for self? - don't buy monthly but probably spend £200 a year
clothes for kids? None, no kids

That’s a load of disposable cash to give teens each month. If they’re old enough to get a chunk of cash in their pocket to spend how they wish each month, they’re old enough to get a job to earn it.

This, far more productive than comparing yourself with others who have different income, outgoings, prioritises, family size, life stage etc etc.

Maximise your income

Review and question every cost. If you're paying full price for broadband, pay TV, more than £10 pp for mobile phones, have subscriptions you never watch, etc etc then you're throwing money away. On the other hand, be aware that some subscriptions can be outstanding value for money. Eg if you like going to the cinema, membership is often quite good value and you can go every day if you want to. Just take your own drinks and snacks.

Prioritise, be honest about needs and wants and if the spend is really worth it to you and remember that a pound spent on activity X is a pound that's not available for activity Y.

2 adults, dd16, dd20 is at uni in termtime.

Groceries c £600
Entertainment / eating out - we have Prime and Spotify, but never eat out other than birthdays. Probably £100 every 6 months.

Clothes for self? My weight is all over the place. Around £50 a month on Vinted. Did buy a jumper from Tesco at Christmas which was £22.

Clothes for kids? Dd20 buys her own. Dd16 essentials only, she buys the rest. Average £30 a month I guess.

Annual Christmas - c. £100 per child, similar for dh and I.

Annual birthdays - roughly £100 each again, plus prob £50 each child on stocking bits as dds still love them

£200 per month contribution to dd1 expenses, plus £260 per month on a mortgage which was almost entirely for the tuition fees not covered by student finance (she's at a specialist uni so fees are much more and ridiculously, they lend her much less. Will be worth it but crippling).

Hair - £60 every 6 weeks for colour (me)
Dh does his own, dd20 pays for hers, dd16 - £25 twice a year

Skincare etc - basics covered in groceries but I have a stock of good skincare products that I used to sell which I'm still working through

If you are feeling broke, £350 is a lot to spend on entertainment and eating out.

I got tired of spending 15 on a work lunch that wasn't amazing- bring my own nice food now. Takeaways- same - overpriced and underwhelming, so rarely have and don't miss. Get the teenagers to share the cooking.

I’m definitely going to assess this.
This month I’m going to a spa day and a bottomless brunch, total cost £100. Will need to buy lunch at the spa. I’ve also just spent £20 on my best friend’s birthday present and will buy some treats tomorrow to make a nice dinner for her which will come out of my “entertainment” budget not my supermarket budget. Add in a brunch or dinner with my partner and I’ve spent my share of entertainment budget. This doesn’t seem excessive to me - i have a full time high stress job and really cherish doing nice things at the weekends.

The rest of the entertainment budget is for the kids and does include buying random things like the revision books I mentioned, £50. I will keep an eye on this. Last month I spent all my budget as we went away for a weekend over half term.

Maybe it’s about feeling more broke than what I feel I deserve to be able to afford.

Now my kids are teens I have so much more time and energy after the tough small kids years to go out. My partner doesn’t live with me so we go on date nights. I’ve got to the top of my profession through really hard work and also often do have to work evenings and weekends also so I like to be able to spend on these little lifestyle luxuries. I also often think I’m a bloody (insert profession here) I should be able to do a bloody spa day.

rarely buy lunch at work - always have leftovers to take in which are tastier I think!

Me and one 6' teen boy, per month

Food, £220

Eating out/entertainment - £50 (we do free stuff, one weekly class, don't eat out) DS does stuff with school.

Clothes for me - £150. I've worked from home for 4.5 years, but have recently moved to a local in-office directorship. I have no office clothes at all so am having to build up a wardrobe gradually.

Clothes for DS - £30 - he isn't interested in labels so he has good basics that are replaced when he grows out of them.

Money has been tight for 6 years because DS goes to private school but he's in the lower sixth and I can see the end of fees.

😎

I do my own nails, brows etc. Haven't been to a spa since before DS was born. I do have a good haircut once every 6 weeks, my one luxury. My choice though, and I don't mind.

Just 2 adults

£300 groceries
£200 eating out/pub/ents
£25 clothes (£600 over the year for 2)

2 adults, 2 children

food / supermarket - £600 pcm (incl cleaning and toiletries but also buy pull ups for my autistic daughter with this and wet wipes)
Entertainment / eating out -400 pcm (don't eat out with kids, hardly spend money on entertainment)
Clothes for self? hardly anything! I use vinted and charity shops amd spend maybe £50 every 3-4 months.
clothes for kids? kids also wear vinted and 2nd hand-maybe £20 a month if you include uniform and shoes and worked out an average. I usually so a spring wardrobe in April and an autumn one in September and spend about 100 on those months.

annual Christmas? 1500 including food and drinks.

annual birthdays? 500 each, so 2k including me and my partner. Everyone gets spoiled on birthdays but I don't buy gifts all year round. Just xmas and birthdays!

2 adults and two older teens:

groceries/toiletries/food - £700
entertainment - £120
clothes -average £100 for all 4
birthdays/xmas £250 per month into the savings pot to cover everything

2 adults and teen DD (who gets an allowance)

Food shopping - £600-800, depending if I work in office or at home. That includes everything like food, toileteries, cleaning, alcohol

Eating out: £150 on average. We have some months we don't and some we go twice a month. Hardly any takeaways.

Hairdresser £45 for me every 5 weeks, £20 for DH, DD pays from her allowance

Clothes - £100/month on average. I buy more seasonal to add to a basic wardrobe of black trousers/skirts. DH buys when things fall apart.
DD - we buy school wardrobe (6th form), she got a decent stock when started and mainly needs things like tights/socks/vests. We may buy a larger item like coat or occassion dress. She pays for casual clothes herself.

Birthdays and Christmas vary a lot, can be anything from a tech devise to a book. DD normally gets around £150-200 unless she gets a tech update/replacement.

My biggest spend is histroy and books, I love reading and our library is not that great. I love going to lectures and exhibitions.

I forgot to add that includes 2 small dogs and a cat.

I cut my own hair and all the families hair including the dogs.

The entertainment also includes everything I need money for but I never go to coffee shops or spend money on anything we don't need. Entertainment is cheap because we tend to get disability discounts or do SEN activities with the kids. I have a seperate budget for trips and holidays which would include special nights out for me and partner sometimes. This budget is quite big but it depends if we need household stuff.

Your groceries sound quite a lot if there is no meat in there.

Your luxuries sound a lot too if you're trying to cut down. Eat out every week?!

And I know you say your appearance is important for work, but surely as long as you are clean, smart and dressed appropriately you don't need new clothes every month. Even the royal family re-wear items!

OP it’s impossible to compare / know what’s reasonable your spending is without the bigger picture, ie how healthy is your pension pot, how big is your mortgage, how much do you have in savings if you lost your job/ car packed up etc, are overpaying your mortgage. If you are in the upper tax bands you can save a fortune in tax by putting into your pension via salary sacrifice. If you are doing all these things, and you’ve still got loads of fun money to spend a month then of course enjoy it!

And OP, if you really do need new items every month - Vinted is your friend. Sell a few things you've been wearing, buy a few new ones.

Not really an answer to your question but i think "pots" are good for spending categories - I use Monzo but quite good to build up / ring fence money and track where it's going.

I’ve just put on so much weight 😭 due to being an emotional eater when I’m stressed (nasty divorce and work stress) and some health issues that I’ve needed to replace an entire work wardrobe. I initially made the mistake of buying cheap as I couldn’t accept that I was going to be fat for long so they don’t last long.

I do shop on Vinted a bit but don’t really like the hassle of having to resell and I struggle with what suits me in my new body shape.
I tried to sell some higher end stuff that no longer fits me but didn’t seem to sell very well so I’m hanging on to some in the hope I’ll lose the weight.

It could definitely be healthier! Wiped out my savings in divorce. Still have good amount of equity but a big mortgage (big house) and pension is ok.

I would like to save more but I do think I have to balance that with living a life with the things that make me happy.

Family of 5
food £600 per month
going out some months could be £100 some months could be £300-400 depending on what’s planned. We have NT and zoo memberships which cut costs down
Eating out / take away- rarely now out of choice but maybe £100 a month
clothes for myself - nothing some months maybe £100-200 some months when needed
clothes for children - depends if they’ve outgrown new season. Maybe £200-300 some months nothing others.
Christmas - approx budget 300-400 each depends what they want. Plus £300 Christmas food. Plus £300 Christmas activities. But we budget for Christmas monthly
birthdays - 300/400 each. But not a strict budget. Plus parties.
holidays - I save 400/500 a month but this is budgeted.
some months we pay less. Some months. But I try and budget for everything now as it’s easy to spend more money without realising.

3 adults and a cat
Food £500 pm
Eating out £200 pm
Take out hardly ever
Clothes as and when, retired now but always bought very few but good quality items. I hate shopping and always have

Main hobby is hiking, many local but with further afield just petrol money and
almost always take a pack up and flask. Sat this lunchtime looking over a river on a rock with not another soul for miles just DH and I. Was like this even when young and used to chuck the kids in a backpack. When working I had a cut and colour every month so was £100. Became allergic to hair dye, we cut each others hair in lockdown, DS is really good at it so he just trims mine and DH hair now. Get my eyebrows done a couple of times a year and tidy myself between appointments.

Food 550 for 3 adults
Entertainment and eating out 50 max
Clothes for me 20 to 30 just buy when I need something and have a work uniform provided
Christmas 35 saved each month
Birthdays 20 a month
Adult kids sort their own clothes and entertainment
Edited to add, main hobby is walking with flask and food taken