To ask how much spare money you have a week and what do you spend it on?

[Gymsoundslikewine]

My finances need a makeover. Spending too much on crap and not saving enough.

I spend about £40-50 a week on unnecessary items, coffees, magazines, new clothes, make up etc.

So what's your spare money budget and what do you buy?

It really varies but as an average I'd say $350 a week (US). I transfer it to another account and earmark it for what is needed or we anticipate we are going to need (roof, house painting, etc.)

When those things are totally saved for I then will 'top up' various things: Xmas budget, summer fund (we spend so much more in summer than fall/winter I have a special fund to defray expenses), travel fund that we will use to check out prospective Universities for ds in a few years, etc.

OP you are frittering away £2500 a year on crap.

You must bevery wealthy.

I wouldn't describe myself as wealthy, fortunate but not wealthy.

We have about 500 currently spare a week after bills. The reason it is so high, is because we're currently living with my parents for 6 months whilst we save for a mortgage. Every spare penny we have goes into our savings. We did roughly spend about £60-£100 on stupid rubbish prior to this, such as McDonald's, soft play, coffees out etc x

speak It's always surprising to me how much people spend on 'stuff'. I've caught myself doing it and it's a really bad habit that creeps up on you. We are constantly bombarded with marketing that influences our spending. It's absolutely insane how much we all waste.

My big eye opener was my grandmother making me write down every single purchase for a week at a time. At the end of the week she checked to make sure I had accounted for all money spent. Then after 4-5 weeks of recording all purchases she started going through every item to ask if it was a need or want. Then out of my needs she asked if I got the best value. She really got me thinking and taught me how to manage money.

Just on another thread this week was the old topic of spending. You are not going to be able to save for a deposit by not drinking coffee out. You need to cut back on everything. That means no holidays, most clothes being second hand, walking or sharing a ride when you can, second hand toys for Christmas presents for your DC and being economical with your food. If you can move somewhere cheaper now while you rent its worth spending the money. We had 3DC in one bedroom while we saved to buy a bigger home and moved our DC to a cheaper daycare.

I think we’ve reached the point where we don’t need or want much ‘stuff’. Money that isn’t spent is saved knowing we’ll have weddings, a few more children’s houses to help with and hopefully a long retirement in a few years.

About £250 but that’s before nappies and good shop so probably really about £200 between DP and I?
We try to save £100 but we’re the same as you. Spend ridiculously and definitely need to make a change.

Movablefeast I agree.

I dislike "stuff". It's all a con, playing into the hands of the marketers and advertising guys.
The jimmy choos, the handbags, all the crap that people buy.

95% of my clothes and furniture are second hand, I love Aldi cosmetics, I drink tap water and take a cup of coffee I make at home when I go out.

I'm sure this will be shot down as a boast, but hey - the thread's here and it's hardly representative if everybody posts about living like church mice. I spend hundreds to thousands of pounds a month on a range of fripperies which improve my life no end and make me very very happy. This month I've bought myself a new road bike to replace my existing perfectly good road bike, a Vivienne Westwood coat, two bottles of rare single malt and a leather seat cover for my motorbike, among the usual coffees, books, clothes I don't need etc

No DC, not planning on having any, therefore no savings goal for the things most of my parent friends do (university, weddings etc) I have a good income and save enough to have a nice slush fund and to supplement my retirement but I'll be damned if I spend my life scrimping and feeling guilty at buying a coffee when out and die with a full bank account to be shared amongst various ungrateful grasping distant relatives.

The irony of Jimmy Choo shoes is that they are so uncomfortable. I had a pair bought as a gift from a friend. They were £395 new. I regret to this day that I didn't take them back and at least get a pair of shoes I could walk in. I had about £30 worth of compeed patches on my feet from all the blisters. I could have bought a pair of comfortable shoes for the £30!!!!

Friends of ours were shocked that I make oatmeal with water and that I water down full fat milk to make it semi-skimmed. For bread I never get it sliced at the store. I slice it myself and get at least another two slices out of it. I buy pork loin and slice it myself cutting it thinner so I get more than if I buy it precut.

Averagely I have about £200 a week spare money before I save any

I give myself 5 luxuries:

I set aside money every month for clothes and makeup then every few months i have a day out in town by myself to splash out a bit. Once something new is brought, something is sold and the money put into savings or i donate a bag to the charity shop.

Get my hair done every 6 weeks and nails every 3 and a facial every 8-12 weeks.

ComtesseDeSpair

I do not blame you at all. Good for you, I would be the same if in your boat. I do sway between thinking must get on the ladder, it is the epitome of adulthood, society says so, it's the wisest move etc etc and thinking we only live once and to enjoy my money

£300 per week left over after all bills, food, petrol, holidays etc. This is between me, dh and 3dcs. Sometimes feels like loads, other times just disappears if something needs replacing, family birthdays, days out etc.

Nothing, I never have anything spare. If I do, it is quickly gobbled up by additional ( but necessary) expenses usually related to my two teenage daughters.

Couldn’t agree more comtesse

The money left over - aside that that I put into savings - is probably around 250-300. This goes on meals out, drinks, clothes, make up, bits for my flat.

I used to have in the region on £18,000 per year spare money. It's rather a lot less now. I've just started working again having had 3 months off, and I've worked out I'll have about £350 a week. DP also has spare money. But instead of frittering it away I want to start saving.

So, I'm making a list of skincare and haircare products I can't live without and I'm going to buy in several of each, ignore special offers or temptation to try new products. No coffee or snacks on my way to work, no magazines, newspapers or junk food. I'm cancelling gym membership and I'm going to do food shop online so I can meal plan better.

I've got too many clothes and shoes, so I don't need to go shopping.

€250 pw. €100 of that goes on food, cat food, fuel, bit of savings, mobile top up, if needed. The other €150 is for clothes, gifts, cinema, and anything else that might crop up (vet, doc apt, evenings out - very, very rare). I save €1 coins regularly and put into savings account at end of month. My monthly savings are normally €75. I also have more money in another savings account. I also save €2 coins for moggie money. Now I'm on my own, I'm very conscious of having money behind me, just in case. I also put all 10, 20 & 50 cent coins in my car parking fund.

enough to spend on things that i like/make me happy. I am in a fortunate postion to be able to. When we didnt have children we spent more on ourselves (we like eating so restaurants were a huge chunk of this) now we have children most of my money goes on them.

We have maybe 50 quid a week left after paying everything. It tends to go on taxis to the doctors/appointments (I have a long term illness and am unable to work), treats for the kids every now and then, and sometimes we will save a couple of weeks spare cash up to take the kids to a play area or something. Once a month we will get a takeaway for us and stepkids who are with us every weekend. We keep little bits for if kids are invited to parties. And the rest goes on birthday gifts and xmas.

Anyone with a mortgage has no spare money its just a matter of juggling debt

about 80 on 'rubbish'

So what's your spare money budget and what do you buy?

If you set any budget you're going to spend it, and probably more.

Why set a budget at all? Why not just have a "zero" budget and try to avoid all unnecessary spending?

If you know you've, say £25 to spend, you'll spend it on crap whether you need to or not. You need a change of mindset. Whenever you feel an urge to spend, instead of comparing it to an imaginery budget, just ask yourself whether you really need to spend it? How would it enrich your life, if at all? What else could you spend it on? What could you save it to go towards?

I can spend literally nothing om non-essentials, no magazines, no coffees, no odd make up items, no bought sandwiches, no sweets, etc., from one week to another. Shopping for crap is just a habit. Like any other, you just need to break the habit.

I'd far rather save towards my "treats" and have something significant to remember/enjoy for the long term, rather than lots of irrelevant small things that just end up in the bin.