Oh my god, my spending.

[Parsol]

Oh my goodness

I went to check my online banking and I was shocked to see the funds.

I had a look at the history of spending over the past week and I am utterly shocked.

None of it is a scam.

I am just shocked that so many little things here and there all added up.

Over the past week I spent 715 pounds.

This is unreal.

I just wasn't expecting this.

There was a morning shopping in town last weekend. I have family home from abroad. I bought an online game for my niece. Then there was a pizza take away. A cash withdrawal. Then there was an electronic book. Then there was some online purchases. Then there was a banking charge. Groceries.

Goodness knows what else. I can't even look at it any more. I am just so so so shocked.

This is way out of control. I don't have a huge income.

I don't know what I am going to do this week.

I have the funds and I will likely get paid. However I don't want the money in my account to drop below a certain number.

I am absolutely shocked. That is all. It is just so so so so much.

How do I get a hold of this.

I will need to do an online grocery shop too at some stage.

I have a hair appointment booked for Saturday.

I will just have to stop eating out and having some drinks etc.

Is there an option on a banking app to put in a weekly spending cap perhaps.

This doesn't even include the 85 pounds purchase I put on my credit card.

I am going to have to eat noodles for a month to recoup some funds.

I’m glad you are still going to your hair appointment. You should always spend money on yourself every month if you can - even if it’s only a fiver - otherwise you are just existing and not living.

I bank with Starling and have the option to have different ‘spaces’ usually I’ll squirrel my disposable salary into a space and then release a set amount each week. I find it helps to to prevent any boom/bust over the month

You're shocked at your spending but would rather eat noodles for a month than cancel your hair appointment?

Your priorities are screwed up, let alone your spending

I would hazard a guess you didn't actually need about 95% of the crap stuff you bought, and even the stuff you did need (e.g. coursebook) could have been bought second hand or something for cheaper

Nobody is saying op shouldn't spend anything on herself at all, but if she'd carried on the way she'd spent in that one week, every week, that would be 574 "fivers" of personal spending per month.
Which is a bit excessive for most people

I suggest you get rid of your credit card, with a debit card you can only spend the money you have!

You should join the credit union too, so you can build up some savings, and have access to credit at a reasonable cost if you need it - but it's not immediate, like a credit card, so you'll be more deliberate with it eg a holiday, car repairs etc.

We use Monzo too and it’s been a game changer for us for all the same reasons you list. The only thing I’m not understanding are your round ups - how have you got £38 after only 6 days?! I just checked mine - we get on average between £1-2 a day depending on the number of transactions we make per day. It would take a full month for us to get up to £38!

@sonoonetoldyoulifewasgonnabethisway thanks for the link, I’ve been meaning to set up a Monzo account so have just got £10. Hope your reward comes through soon!

I have it set to the highest amount, i think it rounds up to the nearest £5

DH and I started writing down our expenditures. We had very similar OP huge amounts of spending and not a lot to show for it. £34 for a takeaway, ONE dinner for 2 people. Cost me less than £6 to feed my 2 younger kids. Eye watering. I've had to delete the Amazon/Ebay/Etsy/Vinted because it was all adding up, no more drive through coffee's either. I'm expecting DC3 so I for sure need to keep spending in with my poor excuse of a maternity package!

If you track use of credit cards it’s the best way to spend, all those points and cash backs add up. You just need to view it as a credit card and pay off the amount in full each month.

Do not buy anything unless it’s essential.

If you have a fringe then just get that cut. Hairdressers will often do that for free if you're a regular customer.

You had visitors/family visiting. Personally, I thinknthe spending was understandable and fairly reasonable, albeit gratuitous.

You could have cut back a bit, ie, the on-line game (treat for a child), the electronic book, the takeaway pizza (could have been done from the supermarket).

It adds up but as a treaty one off that yiu can afford, the lesson is to plan for it next time so you expect it.

Do a budget. You will find you have a lot more money than you think once you are aware of where your money goes and mindful about what you truly want to spend it on.

I use YNAB which has been finance-changing.

Surely your Mum is going to pay for her shopping?

I looked at the breakdown for the month and I was shocked I’d spent 350 on morning coffees, lunches at work, the odd take away and I spent 400 on groceries. I live alone

I can afford my hair appointment so I will stay with that.

wants to cut back on her spending but too vain to give up one hair appointment.

hair appointments can be in the hundreds...

box dye? Exactly the same result for far less...

Another vote for Monzo - it really helped me get things under control.

What a bully you are, saying that someone is vain for having a hair appointment? Cop on! And box dyes aren't recommended , why would you ruin a nice colour with a box dye. You obviously know nothing about hair..

Bye felicia.....

Use Vinted instead of Amazon. It's all on there.

If you don’t usually spend like this, then where does the money usually go? Do you usually save it? If so, and you have savings then I wouldn’t say it as a big deal.. however if you have no savings and you’re relying on your credit card, you have a bigger problem.

Im not sure I see the need for shock, you have visitors, you've been doing some things out of the ordinary so it costs a bit more. Just go back to normal once they've gone.

Calm down and enjoy life

If you can afford it which it sounds like you can, its just a different time at the moment

Ahhhhh! I didn’t even realise this was a thing - that totally explains it 😆