AIBU to ask how to cope when moving from weekly to monthly pay.

[SoSickOfCovid19]

DH starts a new job in a weeks time, he currently gets paid weekly new job will move us to monthly pay. Due to the dates of the change he will get his last weeks wage on 23/4/21, nothing in April from new job as they take first two weeks in hand, so won't be paid anything from then unti 31/5/21 where he will get a full months wage. We are a family of 5 and I stay home with the kids. How do people budget food costs? I currently spend £140 a week on food and would like to carry on weekly shopping as fridge freezer is no way big enough for a months worth. With things like clothes, shoes, toys etc for the dc do you wait until the week before next pay day then buy these things or do you buy as soon as you get paid.

Our big DDs all go out within a few days of payday, I move money into short term and long term savings, some into an account for DC spending and another for DC saving, I put the nursery fees into the tax free childcare account, put our personal spends in our personal accounts all on payday (sometimes the next day if I've been busy) and what's left in the joint account covers the few smaller bills that come out later in the month, groceries and general household expenses. If anything is left at the end of the month in that account that also goes into savings. I find moving savings at the beginning of the month better than waiting to see what you have left at the end, I'm more likely to spend it. Our pay dates both changed from 3rd Friday of the month to last working day of the month and all of my DD companies were completely fine to move dates when I explained.

Monthly can be difficult if you're not used to it as there's 4 months in the year that have 5 weeks in them so can be tricky to budget.