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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

People that say they are hopeless wth money ?

41 replies

LardLizard · 28/04/2018 15:03

How can you be so flippant as if to say oh your not good with money and never will be as if it doesn’t matter ?!

OP posts:
notWithoutFault · 28/04/2018 15:04

They're used to other people sorting out their problems.

flubdub · 28/04/2018 15:05

Well if they "never will be" then stressing about it won't make much difference, will it?

SoyDora · 28/04/2018 15:07

I’ve never heard anyone say they’re hopeless with money and never will be so it doesn’t matter.
I’ve had a few friends who were rubbish with money but have managed to train themselves to be better at budgeting.

Goingalonenow · 28/04/2018 15:07

I'm not hopeless with money. I just don't have enough to afford anything these days.

Cleanermaidcook · 28/04/2018 15:10

I'm pretty hopeless with money, i make sure my bills are paid but the rest seems to dissapear.i don't stress over it, life's too short and I certainly don't expect anyone else to sort it out for me!
When the money is all spent we just live on what's in the house, i always make sure the cupboards are stocked up when I get paid as I know I'll probably run out of money before my next wage.

Babyplaymat · 28/04/2018 15:15

I'm rubbish with money, as I have no willpower. I do my best though

ChelleDawg2020 · 28/04/2018 15:17

The issue is not with someone being "hopeless with money" - most of us aren't perfect at everything - but the assumption that they are unable to change. That is bullshit, everyone is capable of improving themselves. It's just a matter of accepting we have an imperfection and committing to improving it.

gamerwidow · 28/04/2018 15:26

People who are 'hopeless with money' are usually relying on other people to sort their mess out. It's selfish and lazy.

I don't have the luxury of being hopeless with money because there is no one who'll be balling me out if I get myself up shit creek.
My sister on the other hand is a disaster zone with money but she's never had to reap the consequences because I've always stepped in to save her. Too late to change her now but I wish I'd been harder on her when the stakes were lower. It would have saved me thousands of pounds.

KanielOutis · 28/04/2018 15:28

Debt is so easy to get into, but so difficult to get out of. It's never too late to change though. I went on a CAP course and learnt the basics of budgeting. Over a few years I turned it around and don't owe anyone anything other than the mortgage.

gillybeanz · 28/04/2018 15:39

They are either used to someone else sorting it out for them, or are going to fail the survival of the fittest test, probably not from a too intelligent gene pool, tbh.

SoyDora · 28/04/2018 15:53

I’m intrigued by your OP to be honest. Your wording suggests that everyone who says they’re hopeless with money also says that they never will be so it doesn’t matter. Surely you know that’s not the case? Some will be hopeless and expect others to bail them out. Some will be hopeless and have no one to bail them out, so they get into serious trouble. Some will be hopeless but do their best to budget and to learn how to manage money. Some will have been hopeless in the past but turned it around and sorted themselves out.

bringincrazyback · 28/04/2018 15:55

Just wanted to point out that various mental health issues can make it difficult for people to manage their finances.

HildaZelda · 28/04/2018 15:57

Because they know someone else will always sort it out for them. I have a bil like this. He's in his 50's and everyone else sorts out his financial mess for him. It's lead to rows between DH and I because he's bailed him out too many times.
People like this will never change.

MrPlow · 28/04/2018 15:59

I’m shit with money. I have mental health problems. I don’t drink or smoke and i have very cheap tastes.
I wasn’t raised in a household where money was short or we had to budget so i never learned.
But i’m trying to learn now, and i’m doing my damn best

Psycobabble · 28/04/2018 16:01

Yeh it's a cop out . Like I couldn't fritter my money easily on nice thing I want but don't need aswell.

I have to be good with money because my dc would suffer if I wasn't .

BlankTimes · 28/04/2018 16:04

This is one of the best things I've seen to help people see where their money evaporates.

www.stoozing.com/calculator/soa.php

gearandloathing · 28/04/2018 16:09

I'm hopeless with money but I always seem to get by ok. By which I mean that I don't get in terrible debt or find myself unable to pay essential bills.

The day I don't get by ok is the day I'll stop being hopeless with money.

Meanwhile, I may not be able to save up loads to pay for 'big' things but I can live with that.

idobelieveinfairies86 · 28/04/2018 16:18

Sorry disagree. I am terrible with money past paying the priorities (rent food, utilities etc) and once those are paid will spend money on "nice" things. That will never change because I will never be as rich as the lifestyle I had at 1 point and one that I enjoyed as a child. It will also never change because it doesnt need to. Its only money. And it DOESNT matter because I do not expect nor ask other people clean up my 'mess', (although what these messes are I don't know), my dh works hard for his wages and we will spend it how we wish.

These people who need bailing out? It isn't because theyre crap with money it's because they are assholes who think it's fine to spend their own and then every1 elses as well!

Psycobabble · 28/04/2018 16:23

ido
But your situation doesn't sound like being crap with money at all ?! Priorities sorted , spend disposable income how you please and don't rely on anyone else . That's just normal !

malificent7 · 28/04/2018 16:25

Judgy op much?? Are poor people shit with money or just rich people who overspend?

Mousefunky · 28/04/2018 17:16

I’m terrible with money because I grew up spoilt as my rich Disney dad’s only child. I was never taught the value of money or how to budget, money was just literally thrown at me and he never ever said no. When I left home at 16 and became financially independent I had no fucking idea what I was doing and still just wanted to spend thus I ended up with lots of debt.

I’m still not the best now but slightly better. Money management should be taught in schools.

MrsHathaway · 28/04/2018 17:56

I'm hopeless with money - despite being an intelligent and functional adult. I can do all manner of complicated arithmetic but as soon as you put a pound sign in there I just go completely blank. Money is after all an artificial construct and I've never fully got it.

In my case I basically never learned how to use money as a child. My parents did that "we'll just buy things when she needs them" thing that so many MNers recommend and I had a token amount of pocket money that didn't add up to anything even if I saved it for months and months - not much motivation there.

As an adult I married someone who's very organised with things like direct debits and credit cards that earn points. So I rely on him not to bail me out as in give handouts but to keep track of payment deadlines, insurance renewals and so on. Our bills and earnings are very predictable.

Left to my own devices, I don't spend money if I can help it. I know I'm hopeless at it so I don't allow myself to spend on any luxuries at all because that's easier than worrying about how much is left. For example, it took me several months to allow myself to buy the winter boots I really needed ... and it took me only ninety minutes to earn enough to pay for them because they weren't remotely expensive.

I'm good at many everyday things. But money ... I just can't.

BonnieF · 28/04/2018 18:05

It’s a cop out.

They can’t handle the adult responsibility of doing a proper budget and sticking to it.

idobelieveinfairies86 · 28/04/2018 19:15

@psycho hmm suppose it depends on ur definition of disposable income and priorities?

We don't have holidays or savings because we can't afford to. Christmas and birthday presents are always done the payday before (causing much stress). When I say I'm crap with money it's because I am.

Eg on a friday when dh gets paid i spend food shop £50, utilities £30, £80, council tax £20, car £40, dh £50, dds £30. Whatever is left whether it be £40 or £400, depending on the week, I will then spend every last penny on stuff (some would say crap we don't need). Sometimes that has meant scrapping to find trip money on a Monday (when the letter comes home) that needs to handed in by wednesday and pretty much every week, I will sit there without a penny Monday thinking, 'where the heck did all that go?'

I do make sure dd2 is money wise though so that she doesn't become 1 of these "oh some1 else will sort it out" people.

Juiceylucy09 · 28/04/2018 20:25

I think when times are hard and the bills, school stuff, clothes are constantly needed when you are already working full capacity you do feel hopeless with money.

You Rob Peter to pay Paul. It's easier to be sensible with money when you have more.