Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be shocked at how few people know how to budget?

163 replies

Coldtits · 02/02/2009 21:39

I see it all the time, both online and in real life - people who don't use their common sense to save their pounds. Or who have so little faith in their own judgement and abilities that they live entirely on prepackaged, pre weighed, precooked food.

I watched one of my friends buy some ready chopped chicken breast and a jar or tomato pasta sauce. Now, I KNOW she's on a budget, and I mentioned that it would be just as nice to get some thighs aand chop them, and use a tin of tomatoes and some garlic and salt and pepper, and would probably cost much less than the nearly £6 she was intending to spend.

"Oh no," she said. "You know I can't cook."

This was not a time saving exercise. We've known each other since childhood (before I get accused of not knowing the situation) and she was cooking dinner for herself and her boyfriend - day off, no kids.

I know she's not thick! I don't get it.

OP posts:
HerBeatitudeLittleBella · 02/02/2009 21:40

Ah. Disempowered consumers, that's what we are.

RealityIsMyOnlyValentine · 02/02/2009 21:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

HecateQueenOfGhosts · 02/02/2009 21:44

I know! I was gobsmacked the other day when I learned that someone had no idea what was coming in and going out and was getting in a right mess!

I mean, I may be a bit too far the other way, with my spreadsheet of monthly cashflow forecast, each month on a separate sheet and broken down further into weeks, with monthly totals at end, and the workbook covering up to Dec 2009 but feck me if it's not stupid as hell to not have a clue what your money's like!!

RealityIsMyOnlyValentine · 02/02/2009 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

CharleeheartsherChains · 02/02/2009 21:49

I think you really have to live a aituation to be completley able to judge it.

For instance :-

I now panic when i only have £60 in my bank as i did Sunday knowing it would be a week before any money came in the bank.

I think back 2 1/2 years ago and i would have killed for £60, i used to do a shop that lasted nearly a week on £11! I would walk to Tesco and stock up on Pasta and tinned toms and various bits and make it last.

I had to give myself a good talking to on Sunday as i knew i was being stupid and panicking about something that wasn't that bad i walked to Tesco and did what i used to do, i brought very little but stuff i knew i could make a few meals out of, quite easily.

My sister lives on £40 a week and is constantly round my house in tears becuase she can't live very well, yet every Tuesday she buys Heat magaizine, ditto my eldest sister who is the same yet has 4 loans and a huge catalouge bill that is getting bigger by the day,

It should be taught in schools, budgeting and maiking the most of what you have imho.

HerBeatitudeLittleBella · 02/02/2009 21:49

I know a woman who doesn't know a) how much her DH earns and b) how much her mortgage is.

He gives her £300 a month for food and household goods and then complains that she's not handling his money competently.

It's 2009. Ho hum.

CatchaStar · 02/02/2009 21:50

I remember the self same thing whilst I was at uni. My flatmates (poor, no money, typical students) would buy this pre cooked crappy food and spend a fortune on it, instead of buying a few cheap ingredients and flinging them all in a pan together.

Apparently they couldn't cook

Even if I had money to spend on expensive food I don't think I would. I'm no cook, and I'm not great with money, but I do what I can.

My parents, despite being sensible people, can flit away money like nobody's business. I'd much rather buy slightly cheaper items and save the rest of the money for a holiday or something for dd tbh.

HerBeatitudeLittleBella · 02/02/2009 21:51

But Heat might be the one luxury she has.

And I think we're all entitled to one item of luxury, whether that be the monthly bottle of wine, the weekly bar of chocolate, the weekly crap sleb magazine, or whatever it is.

Otherwise budgeting would be dire...

HerBeatitudeLittleBella · 02/02/2009 21:52

The thing is about all this expensive ready meal stuff, is that even the good quality stuff, like M&S, is horrible. It doesn't actually taste as nice as anything you can make yourself.

TrinityRhino · 02/02/2009 21:54

one of my close friends buys ALOT of processed food every week and complains when her asda shop is 100 pounds plus

I go with her alot and the last time I had a fuller trolley than her for 74 pound something

CharleeheartsherChains · 02/02/2009 21:55

Ok so Heat can be her luxury £1.65 or whatever it is - fine. But what about her DP who refuses to eat anything that isn't a leading brand so her shopping money is spent on Hienz and Hovis rather than Tesco's own, oh and the Sushi he has to have on a Monday...............

Sorry its my bugbare, i hate people whinging about money when thwy then go and spend what little they have on things they don't need!

(Sorry rant over)

Mimia · 02/02/2009 21:56

YANBU, I am astounded by this myself. These are two of the things on my list to make sure I teach DD - How to cook some basic meals from scratch and how to budget.

Poppycake · 02/02/2009 21:56

Hecate - snap! I love it to know exactly.

It's true budgeting is boring, but being in debt is rather too interesting. If not stressful.

Also those bottle ragu things tend to taste a bit rank, I think. Why pay for extra salt and MSG?

RealityIsMyOnlyValentine · 02/02/2009 21:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

wickedfreshwaterpearls · 02/02/2009 21:57

lol hecate we have those spreadsheets.

wotulookinat · 02/02/2009 21:59

I can't budget and I can't cook. I'm a bit useless really.

CharleeheartsherChains · 02/02/2009 22:00

I thank the lord everyday that i have a huge intest in cooking and can therfor go into my cupboard and knock up a healthy, tasty meal in minutes.
It was the best thing i have done with my time and my children will not be leaving home without knowing how to make simple meals, dp is currently learing to cook as he was brought up on either fish fingers or mini pizzas with chips and beans. [boak]

CharleeheartsherChains · 02/02/2009 22:01

Wotulookinat - if you can read a cookbook you can cook, trust me........

scrooged · 02/02/2009 22:01

I know nothing about how to budget. We didn't have alot of food (or anything) as a child, now I'm earning I tend to spend it . My dad did all the cooking, he'd buy a huge bag of potatoes so we'd have chips almost every day. I have no idea how to cook things from scratch, I don't know how to make sauces and have had to teach myself the basics. I expect alot of people are in the same boat.

CharleeheartsherChains · 02/02/2009 22:01

Sorry that wasn't ment to come across as horrible.

Nighbynight · 02/02/2009 22:02

Ready-made food is just leftovers in a posh pack.

badgermonkey · 02/02/2009 22:03

I love my spreadsheets. When I tell people about them, they usually mock gently, then when I say how much peace they bring me (it's so soothing to look at my finances all orderly, laid out in black and white) they get a bit wistful and say they wish they had spreadsheets too.

Nighbynight · 02/02/2009 22:03

Ready-made food is just leftovers in a posh pack.

harleyd · 02/02/2009 22:04

i have no idea how to budget, and i need to start

Nighbynight · 02/02/2009 22:04

thats what happens when you mumsnet between helping your child with his homework