To think £120 a week is not enough to live on?

[FedUp120028]

So, following an abrupt change in circumstances after food, bills and clubs for the kids I have £120 p/w to live on. I have a 2yo and a 7yo.

This needs to cover treats, Christmas and social life, holiday fun (either a trip or activities) for the next year.

Is this doable, aibu to think it's not? It doesn't seem like much at all. Tips and a reality check please!

You don’t need me be saving over a thousand pounds a year to spend on Christmas. It seems that you place a lot of importance on spending lots on gifts which can be changed. You don’t need to spend stupid amounts and buy excessive amounts of unnecessary crap for birthdays and Christmas.

We manage on significantly less than that with four children, two of whom are teenagers.

Good god op, your title reads like it for essentials - ie food. Get a grip, you’re coming across as incredibly spoilt.

As you say it's after food, bills, and clubs I think it's plenty. Certainly a lot more than many people

OP, you can't possibly expect us to take you seriously. £120 per week after bills and clubs is not enough??? What the hell do you eat at your home ? Fucking gold bars?

I think AI is unaware of the COL crisis if it's suggesting these sorts of annual figures! After necessities, you have £120 per WEEK spare cash. That's a good position to be in. It is a good idea to put money aside into different savings pots each week/month though. Personally, I'd put more in the emergency fund than Christmas, but you just need to work out your priorities so that this sort of budget works for you. Keep an eye out for specials througout the year (Lidl often has excellent children's toys/colouring/books, but you have to buy it when you see it) and put things away for birthday/Christmas. Consider where/what you want to do on holiday and check whether booking in advance will be cheaper.

That’s a lot to me.

We have £400 in the “family spending account.” Thats what’s left after all bills petrol and food.

Its for every for the 5 of us, clothes, days out, saving for a holiday, extras the children need for school, treats from the shop, birthdays and Christmas (we only buy for our children).

I mean, there are no luxuries, especially when school uniform and birthdays for 3 kids comes out of it, but it’s more than most people have.

😂😂😂

Birthday for small children
clothes that they need ( better if they are summer born!)
a book
a small toy
some sweets

save toward any big present for Christmas - bikes will be 100 to 200 new - less if you know someone handy as second hand will be fine

holiday 1500
Christmas 500 ( clothing here)
birthdays 200
emergency fund 2000 ( unless you already have enough for a new boiler in savings)

Leaves 40 a week ( more if you have a boiler fund)

That’s one family swim a week and then one other activity for each kid and save the rest towards a bigger treat/ parent treat ( round here you would have enough for a weekly treat but costs do vary around the country )

kids that age don’t need loads of activities although the parents sometime want the downtime

Well this year I spent quite bit on my partners birthday but no, I haven't said £100 each for the kids.

The kids get £300 each then he gets £180 including a nice meal out.

If it’s expendable (ie what’s left when bills are all paid) then it’s fine.

As I’ve previously said on this thread. You spend far too much on presents and place too much value on material items.

This spending on gifts is excessive.

£300 for a 2 year old!?

Agreed that’s absolutely loads. Even if it included paying for food it would be doable, but tight.

If you’ve been used to having loads of spare money you probably have lots of things you could sell.
£120 is fine. Your children are not at the most expensive age.

I have always bought them second hand stuff. charity shops have amazing bargains, so do car boots. When they are as little as yours, they hardly need anything. My teenager still get loads of secondhand stuff and never have complained.
Yeah

3rd birthday

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/mala-easel-softwood-30488966/

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/mala-drawing-paper-roll-70461088/

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/mala-chalks-mixed-colours-70193321/

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/mala-wax-crayon-mixed-colours-00455547/

£28.75, leaving you £71.25 for party food and cake.

Unless you are dinning out every week it's fine. You can do mini mornings at the cinema for £2.49 but your youngest may find it too much to sit all that time anyway.

You spend £300 on a 2 year old that will quite happily play with a cardboard box, are you insane?!
My 2 year old has a birthday very close to Christmas, he's getting a original style toniebox and couple of stories. He'll then get some garden toys in the summer. He's 2, he doesn't need stuff, he needs our time, love and attention!

This. Over £400 pm. Don’t be daft.

I’m currently off sick going through cancer treatment and have been for a year. I get ESA at £360 a month, like total. That’s it. All the money I have in a month is £360. Unable to work. Not able to claim UC. 🤷🏻‍♀️ £120 a week play money sounds lush.

£300! Of money is tight you can easily cut that down. We don’t need to budget but only spent around £50 on my 5 year old dd this year for her birthday. She just didn’t need much and isn’t being brought up to expect loads of presents for each occasion. We bought some games and books from charity shops and a couple of things she asked for. She was very happy, and got more presents from family and friends.

Sending love, it’s tough. X

Omg seriously, you think spending £100 on a kid's birthday is tight?

@FedUp120028
This is a far more sensible split of your money than the budget set by AI. You are allocating far too much on presents for Christmas and birthdays.