how much do you all spend on yourselves / keeping house each month?

[bonnie1981]

I've decided (partly due to pressure from DM and partly from own desire) to make more of an effort on myself, to look less scruffy, and on the house, also to look less scruffy. As DM says, I don't drink, smoke or go out to pubs/clubs so should spend money on myself.

I got a cut and dye done at a salon. It was much better than the botched scruffy looking DIY jobs I've done so far but it was £42. I'm feeling a bit "eeeeek" at the prospect of spending that every 2 months or thereabouts.

I like to get acrylics (because I bite my natural nails) and get my eyebrows waxed about every 2 months, by the same girl so that' £25

I try to use proper quality makeup, that's about £20 a month (one thing tends to need renewal each month)

and I spend between £50-£100 on clothes just for myself each month.

I've also gotten a cleaner which is £120 per month because i don't have time to clean and I want to make an effort in all areas really. Also have a gardener and window cleaner which is £60 per month.

And there's the dog groomer - £35 every 2 months

I'm just feeling a bit freaked out at how much I'm spending. never really bothered on myself before or on keeping my house nice (I work full time, out of house 12 hours a day and DH has two jobs so any spare time is spent together or with DD, not cleaning)

Really trying to make a bit more effort but it's costing a lot. I've cancelled my personal trainer as that was costing too much (and not making a difference)

Wondered how much you all spend on personal grooming, clothing, household cleaning etc? and what is your monthly income (sorry to be nosey, I just need reassurance I'm not unreasonable to spend all this)

This comes over as a stealth boast OP.

You have a total monthly income of £5K ( gross or net?) and are 'worried' about £42 every other month for a haircut?

Personally I'd ditch the cleaner and gardener but that's because I prefer to do my own and love my garden.

I have no idea what I spend on me. There is always enough in the pot and I certainly don't spend anything like my monthly income.

I spend £15 every two months on a DIY cut (they wet cut it, you dry it yourself...I hate other people 'doing' my hair). Don't dye my hair and won't until I start going grey and have to!

Make up - maybe a tenner a month. I don't wear much.

General skincare - £10 a month (moisturiser/toner)

Nails - £0. I do them myself. Maybe £10 every 6 months to replenish polishes etc. Eyebrows/waxing, the same.

I get the odd spray tan or fake lashes intermittently, just once every few months. Clothes again are intermittent and i'd struggle to put a monthly figure on it. Some months it's £0, others it could be £350. I tend to buy in bulk and go on a spree when I want or need to rather than spend X every month.

Hair I get a cut every 3-4 months for £40

No make up

Clothes - when I fancy something, no more than £50 a month probably more like £20 a month.

Footwear - one pair of sturdy work boots a year, one or two pairs of non work boots or shoes a year. Max £150 a year.

No nails - mine are usually in compost by 10am each day, if they start out relatively clean I am happy.

Cleaner - comes out of joint money so £28 a month each.

No fake tan, no spray, no waxing, I wouldn't let anyone near my garden it is MY work of art.

In fact looking at it I spend more on seeds and compost [most of which I donate to the charity I work for to sell] than on me and the house. Which is as it should be.

I spent very little when divorcing and trying to put a roof over head of DD and I with no support from exH - no nails- supermarket makeup and clothes infrequently and coloured my own hair. 8 years later I'm a high earner with a new DP who also earns well and contributes to the household costs. I happily treat myself monthly to
£80 hair - mobile cut and colour
£70 nails - mani and pedi
£30 make up
£300 clothes
£40 gym
£120 cleaner
£400 socialising
£300 on holidays / weekends away
I also spend about £3k a year on household projects
A lot of the grooming is about looking good ptofessionally. I've spent both very little and lots depending on my cloth, not a week goes by now that I don't think how lucky I am

Not that much on myself.

Clothes I only replace when they wear out and low end high street only. Maybe £20 month on average.

Makeup I use Barbara Daly Tesco foundation as its cheap and better than luxury ones I've tried. Rimmel mascara and other bits. Paint my own nails.

Use home hair dye kit and mum trims it a few times a year.

But we do pay for a cleaner £25 a week.

I don't feel like I go without though, we spend on several holidays a year, have a nice home, so I'm happy.

I spend £39 a month on my nails and £20 every 6weeks on eyebrows and bikini wax.

I've stopped spending on make up as I have so much of it! Dh and dm usually top up my clarins stash on birthdays and Christmas.

Our house is nice and we have all the stuff we need (we're trying to save for a new place so can't buy more stuff...). Have just spent £4.5k on a much needed new bathroom though!

It's not a stealth boast at all

as I said earlier we have a history of debt so spending money on myself/my house is something I'm not really used to doing. Plus I worry about what people think.

My MIL has just been and asked how I was getting on with my cleaner, exchanging looks with FIL the whole time (she used to have a cleaner so you'd think she'd be okay with it, but her other DIL is super clean doesn't work and she thinks the sun shines out other DILs arse)

You shouldn't worry what others think :(

Don't spend more on X because your MIL or your mother or MNers think you should or shouldn't. Budget what you can afford, talk it over with your DH. Only you two know how much this spending will make you happy. This is your joint decision alone.

I love the fact you'd be using your money to employ so give employment to other people :). What you plan to spend on yourself (makeup, hair & clothes) is quite modest compared to your income.

I love these sort of threads, they're so interesting!

We have about £1000 left each month after bills and food. Apart from a gardener (£40pcm) there aren't really any of the expenses listed here, we tend to get clothes for birthdays - I have just spent £40 on an outfit for a wedding, it was an eBay special though! Most of our spare cash goes on holidays, days out and meals out, but things feel a little tight at the moment as we are saving around £500 a month to do some work on the house.

We spend proportionately a high amount on insurances and savings - that to me is our biggest luxury as I can relax knowing the kids will be looked after. Me being a SAHM "costs" us a lot, too (as in, we'd be better off if I worked) but to us it's worth every penny.

It really doesn't matter what other people think or what other people spend OP.
If you enjoy spending some money on yourself and the house then do!

On your income with only one child and no childcare expenses you should easily be able to afford what you have described.

Hair - £25 twice a year so less than £5 a month
Toiletries & make up - £5 a month
Take aways - £15 a month
Going out - £40 a month
Clothes - £30 a month

Roughly £95 a month in total. That is more than I realised I spent on me. We spend a lot on holidays but they are a family expense.

Our monthly income is around 5k after tax. I spend almost nothing on my appearance, am still using some foundation i bought in sainsbury's 3 years ago and a sample mascara that is ancient ! I don't dye my hair or buy skincare. I don't buy clothes because i have enough and most of the time i'm in a work/guide uniform or gardening clothes. I'm just not really into all that palaver.

My personal spending money goes on gardening mainly

I think it depends on your long term goals OP.

With a net (?) income of £5K you must have a combined gross income of £75- !00K is, which is a long way from the UK average of £27K household income.

Not sure if that income is gross or net.

All I'd say is are you saving for a rainy day? We have a good income but we spend very carefully and save a lot because there are other things on our wish list that would be major purchases ( ie property.)

You sound a bit insecure with your accounting.

I also spend about £100 a month on riding lessons for myself. It's something I love something that has boosted my confidence no end and helps me to relax.

I allow myself about £200 a month "spends" so my riding lessons and nails as mentioned above come out of that. We're saving saving saving for a new house so that's the priority.

I know the riding is a luxury and would give it up if I had to. But for now...it makes me happy.

The things you pay for op, adds up to significantly more than the things on his list, which seem to be mainly personal things fir him. Do you really spend money like water, or do you just have more to pay out for?

I think tracking money is a good idea. I have seen an app recommended on other threads. Nobody has mentioned it yet.