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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Running out of cash before payday

107 replies

Buttonmoons · 09/11/2024 08:18

Is it just me, or does anyone else become short of money half way through the minth. My bills are paid and the fridge, freezer and cupboards are quite full, but it’s 2 weeks till payday and I’ve got £400 left. I really need to budget better!

aibu to be worrying about this?

OP posts:

OnNaturesCourse · 09/11/2024 18:19

Maria1979 · 09/11/2024 16:17

Well thank you for your input. Extremely valuable to all people struggling and who have lived hand to mouth there whole lives.

Show quote history

@Maria1979 what? It is ridiculous that the current situation means more and more people can't save, or run out of money before the end of the month. I'm in that boat so your comment and its undertone was uncalled for.

Jamspamandham · 09/11/2024 18:26

Normallynumb · 09/11/2024 18:11

Oh and I've never been able to get out of my overdraft for longer than 3 days

I took out a zero % interest on spending credit card, left my salary in my account to zero off the overdraft, used the card that month for my spending, cut it up and paid it off. Being out of my overdraft was such a mental lift and the 0% period was lengthy which meant payments could be small.

Daisy12Maisie · 09/11/2024 18:29

I have way less than that and I work full time and run a business on the side and have a lodger so I literally can't do any more to bring in more money!

Maria1979 · 09/11/2024 18:58

Oh I am so so sorry!!! I misread your comment as smug gloating from someone having 1972£ left and not being happy about it. I went back and saw it was 19,72£!!! That kind of makes a difference and I'm so sorry to have talked to you in such a vile way when you are actually one of the people I was trying to defend with my post.😳🤐🙏🌺

PlumViper · 09/11/2024 20:25

my error was overspending ect then trying to balance the books till payday

Cel77 · 09/11/2024 21:38

I usually hover between +£300 and - £400 every week as a supply teacher. I can't seem to shift that overdraft. £400 is ok for 2 weeks. For our family, it would pay for food /petrol and school expenses (lunches/snacks /clubs). I'd still have to be careful though so no outings or takeaways.

Winter2020 · 10/11/2024 10:50

Persianpaws · 09/11/2024 14:09

Then I wonder how worried you’d be if like some us on this thread with £19, £3.61 and my £37 would feel?!

My car has just failed it’s MOT despite just having work done and told it was fine, it’s only a few years old but I can’t afford the repairs so it’ll have to wait till next month, I’ll be walking everywhere.

I just needed a new fridge but luckily it was covered by appliance repair or I’d have been screwed.

I have no money for Christmas, I had a ceramic piggy bank I couldn’t open that I was using to save for Christmas, I’m going to have to smash that open to use the money for my car.
I’m also lucky my best friend bought me a winter coat or I’d have had to have gone without.

I had savings but with the cost of living I had to use them to live, now it’s an overdraft and credit cards.

This thread has made me so angry and not sure what it was meant to achieve?! £400 for two weeks sounds like plenty of money to me. There are some of us with so much less who haven’t felt the need to start TWO threads!

Show quote history

I think you are exactly proving OPs point that £400 isn’t enough for 2 weeks as well as peace of mind if your car breaks.

OP hasn’t mentioned Xmas savings so depending on the amount in your piggy bank you could have very similar amounts of money and you are proving that yes it is stressful.

Everyone that is saying that OPs £400 is £200 each week - that will land OP in the exact same situation next month. If possible it would be much better if OP could manage on £100 each week or less and have a little to put aside for that car repair or broken washing machine.

I hope things get better for you OP and everyone in tough times.

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