Do you spend money every day?

[Ace56]

Had this discussion recently with a friend. Excluding direct debits that come out of your account, do you spend money on something every day? This includes shopping online or in store, transport, petrol etc. I definitely do, if not every day then 6 days a week.

For example, yesterday I paid for my commute on the tube, then got a coffee on the way home and picked up some cat food. Today I’ll also spend on the tube, and am then going for a drink tonight with friends so will spend on that. Tomorrow I know I need to buy a birthday present. And on and on…

I suppose if you do a big shop on the weekend then you wouldn’t need to buy as much food during the week, but surely you’ll still need to pick up odds and ends? Just curious really.

I tend to have 2-3 NSD a week, usually on my WFH days!

Yep! I somehow spend money on something! I do a big shop at the weekend but inevitably run out of bread or milk, buy a coffee when I’m out or a cake or something. I have a 4.5 year old so always buying something/paying for a haircut, soft play, clip and climb, swimming, a random toy.. etc etc!

No , during the week I rarely leave the house these days

No. Shop once a week, fuel once a month if I need it (WFH)
So probably have about 20 or more NSD a month

From active spending, no it’s pretty rare. Maybe 2 days per week.

But there are various direct debits and regular spends that account for the rest so I don’t think I have less outgoings, more that it is planned in advance. E.g. gym subscription rather than paying each time, parking season pass, gousto box and weekly grocery delivery.

No. I live in the country and there aren't many shops nearby anyway. I do an online supermarket shop usually once a fortnight, and get a few extra groceries, wine etc. from local shops once or twice a week.

I buy a lot of stuff online (clothes, shoes, art materials, books, appliances etc) but certainly not every day.

No. I have no desire to spend money if I don't need anything and I have most things I need, so just replacing/replenishing stuff.

I am more free with spending on dcs than on myself.

No I don't spend every day. Food shop is two times a week. Petrol is once a month. Sports club I belong to is twice a week. Deliveroo is once a month. I'm struggling to think what else I have bought this week. Oh, some clothes for DC.

I don't need a lot. Minimalist and all that.

Surely though it’s far harder if you get the bus or train/tube to work as you are paying daily. I drive to work so have several non spend days every week, but that’s only because i have front loaded my commuting costs.

No. I get a weekly shop every Saturday and rarely need to top up between each shop and I fill the car up monthly (WFH 3 days, office 2 days). I haven’t spent anything since Saturday until this morning when I spent £2.20 on a school dinner for my 8 year old dd. Tomorrow I need to pick up some more potatoes but I can’t see I’ll need to spend anything else until Saturday again now unless I decide I want a bottle of wine after work on Friday but that’s not a definite.

Not every day but most days. I haven't spent any today but I did yesterday and will again tomorrow as I need to pick up some milk and toiletries.

Yes most days. I have a growing teen who eats non stop so tend to shop most days for fresh food and often tea is based around whatever yellow sticker bargains I find.

No, but i wfh so no temptation! Otherwise it would be tube (though I'm 60 so have a free oyster), latte and a sandwich for sure.
Today I had to go to the hospital with my daughter so parking, then we got chocolate croissants on the way back, a takeaway for dinner and I ordered scissors online. Tomorrow I won't go out so hopefully no money going out!

I tend to! Thankfully I WFH so I usually manage 2-3 no spend days a week. well, definitely not today when I finally ordered a kitchen aid chopper I've been dreaming of or yesterday when I ordered 2 dresses, and definitely not tomorrow when I'm paying for therapy.

Yes and it is a huge cost. I can't walk into a shop and buy just what I need I always buy more.

I tend not to. Yesterday I spent 3 quid but not today or Sunday or Monday. I suspect tomorrow will be a spend free day, unless I run out of milk. I tend to do a big shop, every so often, fill the freezer up and work from there. Unless I have a chocolate emergency, I try to have 1 spendy weekend and then live as frugally as possible in the week. Possibly a bit of a family failing, but as mine are grown, I don’t need school drinks money etc now.

Yes, I paid for parking at the hospital to visit DH, and bought three cups of coffee.

This is just a daft thing to compare about though. Of course I spend every day...I have a husband, three kids, and two cats. We're constantly running out of stuff! We do endless school and sports club runs so we use shed loads of petrol. We commute into work, so travel costs. The kids have school dinners...sometimes I top up at the start of the week, other times day to day. School photos come home...bought those. Just had a message that it's someone's 65th birthday at work, this is what you should contribute. My husband had a leaving meal for someone at his work yesterday. It's Easter next week so I went and bought eggs for the kids in the family today. My son came home last week and the sole had come off his shoes so I bought glue that day...and new shoes two days later when the glue didn't work. It never, ever ends. I imagine it's more easy to have no spend days if you're single and wfh! I work very very hard but my bank account is constantly leaking money!

No but I walk to work, take my own lunch and get free coffee.

No I don't, it probably works out to me spending 3 days out of every week, on average.

No. I buy quite a lot of stuff online, but nowhere near every day. I never spend money in actual shops on work days, as I drive straight to work, don't ever set foot outside of my workplace during the working day, and drive straight home, so no opportunity to go in a shop really.

Most days, yes. Probably 5 days a week on average. Not on anything fun or interesting though, usually milk/bread/vegetables.

I think it’s interesting to compare though. Not because one is better or worse, but just that they are different.

I don’t spend every day.

I have a husband, two kids, and other dependent adults.

We do endless school and sports club runs … but they are all local so we don’t use much petrol.

I commute into work… but work covers that cost.

The kids have pack lunches, ingredients for which are part of the weekly shop.

It's Easter next week so … I got eggs as part of the weekly shop.

etc

So overall I don’t think I spend any less that you, but I think I would find it stressful paying out every day rather than grouping the payments, which make it feel more controlled.

Oh I definitely do. Haven't even left the house today but I've bought kids books on amazon and ordered a takeaway.