To not want to touch my money when I get paid?

[BluntLilacGuide]

I prefer to leave it in my account or even put it straight into savings without spending it right away. I find that if I start spending it too soon, I just feel like I’m wasting it. Does anyone else feel this way or am I overthinking it?

I don’t think this is revolutionary, it’s essentially step one in every guide of how to be reasonably good with money.

I spend the most on payday or the day before, because I store most ad hoc purchase up to make once I’m certain I know how much spare money I have left, and so the spending is funded by the previous month’s leftover pay.

It’s pretty basic common sense tbh.

(I really wish people would stop saying pay check. it’s cheque)

im the same, I put the bill money into the joint account then half of what’s left goes into savings and then be sensible with the rest. I use to spend as soon as I got paid but find this works better for me.

As soon as my wage comes in I transfer the whole amount to nursery 😭

So basically you think before you buy? That's not really anything with payday though, is it?

Sounds totally normal to me. Do most people you know rush to spend their money on payday?

Sure, it might sound simple but I think a lot of people don’t actually do it. For me, it’s not just ‘thinking before I buy,’ it’s about creating a buffer so I don’t immediately fall into spending just because the money’s there.

It’s more psychological than practical: if I wait a few days, I usually end up making better decisions and avoiding things I’d regret buying a week later. It’s not about being rigid - it’s about resettling my relationship with payday, which used to mean permission to spend instead of space to breathe.

I think I get what op means! Some people feel like they have to go out & splurge just because they have been paid! My ILs were like this when I first met DH. His DM said ‘we live like kings for a week then like paupers the rest of the month!’
They weren’t well off at all but as soon as they were paid she would go shopping for clothes, fancy food from M&S, wine etc. By week 3 she would be borrowing grom DH to buy bread & milk.

For some money burns a hole in their pocket & they will buy stuff just for the sake of spending! Also feel they have worked hard so deserve a payday treat. I call it ‘pay away day’ as all my bills come off then. I don’t have a desire to rush out & spend the rest ! I’m more likely to treat myself near the end of the month if I have spare cash just before I get paid again.

Yes it does make sense. For me I’m trying to be more mindful and really think about what I intend to buy. I am a single homeowner with zero support so it’s important I budget well. Because I live a simple life I assumed I wasn’t spending much but my savings struggled to accumulate. So recently I’ve started keeping a manual record of my outgoings. I’ve categorised my expenses in my A4 pad into things like food, travel, ongoing monthly outgoings, personal expenses etc. And I can tell you it’s been a real eye opener! I realised I was making impulse purchases here there and everywhere and couldn’t even remember them almost like I was doing it in a zombie state. I mean even a regular tea or coffee out is a minimum £3 so it really does add up over a month! Now before I spend I imagine myself having to write it up in my pad and how that’ll make me feel and it really does act like an accountable buffer of sorts. Also I know this may sound weird but I enjoy just losing myself in my accounts at the end of each month just giving myself a pat on the back as my spending has gone down a fair bit. I don’t deny myself anything but just the simple act of needing to be accountable to a budget recorder sort of just keeps you in check. I did try recording on an app but it’s just not the same as writing it up where it feels more ‘real’.

You haven’t met my daughter 😂

I don’t get it. It’s irrelevant when payday is as far as I’m concerned. The DDs and SOs are all a bit scattered throughout the month so it really doesn’t make any difference.

But being deliberate about when and how you spend is budgeting.