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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

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Original poster

how much 'treat money' do you have each month?

74 replies

nearlyfinisheduni · 12/03/2014 20:12

I am trying to pay off my debt by the end of the year which leaves me with not a lot each month for 'treats.' I want to know if this is a good amount to still have some fun as I'd really like everything paid off asap.

OP posts:

Turquoisetamborine · 13/05/2014 20:25

We have about £650 each but have to buy groceries, petrol and other essentials like clothes, haircuts out of this. I probably have about £350 to spend on socialising, vitamins, beauty treatments, clothes, eating out.

It doesn't seem like enough but I know it's loads.

Rochiana54 · 15/05/2014 10:04

Turqoise £350! Do you spend it all?

I have £50 to cover hair, make up, socialising, clothes. I colour my own hair, buy decent foundation that lasts months and skimp on mascara/lippy/blusher, do not really go out, buy the odd top a month.

I am losing weight and now trying to maintain as I cannot afford to buy a new wardrobe in the next size down.

Turquoisetamborine · 15/05/2014 22:38

Rochiana yes it all gets spent. We are going through ivf though so I'm on tons of expensive vitamins, paying for acupuncture etc. I'd rather fritter it though.

DramaQueenofHighCs · 15/05/2014 22:47

Maybe about £30-40 a month. A little more in the months we don't have any birthdays/anniversaries etc. and a little less in school holidays. Though if going to my band and amateur dramatics counts as 'treat' then budget in that as an extra £50 a month! (I don't count that as a treat personally, especially as my doctor told me not to give them up as they help my depression. I find my music essential for my sanity!)

I've just blown half my treat money for this month on new cosmetics!

BackforGood · 15/05/2014 22:48

Great post by Technical on P2

As everyone else is saying though - it depends on your income, and also what you consider to be 'a treat'.
When the dc were little, money was very tight so we had to give it a lot of thought before buying the smallest 'treat' - so a 'treat' became something like an uninterrupted hot bath - these things are all relative
However, if I had debt , then I wouldn't want to "waste" money on things I didn't need, until I had got rid of that debt. That said, I'm very debt averse - I take the point about if it is a long term debt to be paid off, then it could be miserable to never have any treats

rpitchfo · 16/05/2014 12:11

after all direct debits (some of which people include as treats i suppose) and things taken off that keep me alive like food etc i probably have around £1500.

Rochiana54 · 16/05/2014 12:28

Turquoise Hope you have some good news soon!

fuzzpig · 16/05/2014 12:49

DH and I each have £20 a month for frivolities, so stuff like DVDs, board games, apps, music etc. This works really well for us as it's enough to feel like a treat (and we don't feel deprived) without worrying about overspending.

Clothes are irrelevant as neither of us like buying them, so it's really only if we need something replacing. DH has his haircut when necessary (just a cheap thing, definitely wouldn't class it as a treat, it needs to be tidy for work) and I cut my own. Don't do makeup or manicures etc.

Our other treat is food and we don't really budget for that. We don't go out a lot but will have the odd takeaway or cheap meal out (especially now we get clubcard vouchers) and occasionally go to the cinema etc and don't really worry about it, but I think that's because we are naturally homebodies so it's not like we want to be going out every weekend etc.

Turquoisetamborine · 16/05/2014 15:08

Thanks Rochiana!! Looking forward to spending my frivolous money on baby stuff in the near future hopefully.

Oly4 · 18/05/2014 07:42

Yes, fingers crossed for you turquoise
Myself and DH have £550 each for spending on what we like. I realise this is a huge amount and I was in a much poorer situation a few years ago.
I spend most of mine on clothes I love, eating out and saving towards holidays. I try to limit frivolous stuff like coffees out to spend on 'bigger' stuff. I do spend a lot on clothes and have bought better brands/quality in recent years... white company/mint velvet etc

I am aware our cash flow could change at any time but we do also have savings

bidibidi · 18/05/2014 07:54

What I spend, pcm:

Entertainment: Less than £5
Clothes: £15 or so, including clothes.
Toiletries: £3 or so?
Haircuts: nothing, I never have time to get a haircut & don't like the result when I do get them.
Cafes: only with DC, anyway, so maybe this is in activity budget.

Charlieboo30 · 18/05/2014 07:56

Between £250 and £300 'spare' money each month. This is to pay for meals out, coffee etc. I'm rubbish with it though and have no savings. Live in my overdraft but do pay £100 a month off a credit card. Have no savings - determined to put the £100 aside once I've paid off the credit card.

It's funny how you live to your means though. I changed jobs six months ago and now earn almost double what I did. Thought I'd have loads spare bit hardly notice it now. Can't imagine having £1000 though!

deepinthewoods · 18/05/2014 08:04

I don't really like wasting money on rubbish. I save what we don't spend towrds the future, kids University fund etc.

fuchsiafalling · 18/05/2014 12:27

I'm doing some courses which although lead to qualifications, they aren't work-orientated but to follow my interests, so some would consider them as treats/hobbies. If I include that then I'm spending over £350 a month just on those. Probably spend about £300 a month on top of that on other non-essentials - eating out, clothes, entertainment (we spend quite a bit on theatre/gigs), beauty/hair products. I don't spend much on socialising though as my courses keep me so busy I don't have time to go out much!

KinkyDorito · 19/05/2014 07:06

I'm interested - for people with very large disposable incomes every month, are you mortgage free? When I finally get shot of my debt albatross, that's the next thing I will be doing. After my bills and savings pots, DH and I will have a decent chunk left, but I will be keeping disposable to a 100 or so, setting up a holiday savings account, then putting the rest on the mortgage. It's amazing how much of a difference even an extra couple of hundred a month can make to the overall interest you will pay and the length of the loan.

Once the mortgage is gone, then the fun really starts!

Oly4 · 19/05/2014 20:40

We're not mortgage free though we do intend to start overpaying a small amount each month. We take the view that life is for living and we want to enjoy as much as a family while we can and while the children are young.
My DH lost his mother when she was on her early 50s and there was so much she had wanted to do but they were always saving for something or other. She was heartbroken to lay there dying ruining of all the travelling she could have done/ all the outings they could have had as a family. Even things she could have done to the house that would
Have given her pleasure. I think of it often.
I think balance is key if you are fortunate enough to have spare cash

Oly4 · 19/05/2014 20:40

Thinking not ruining

Preciousbane · 19/05/2014 21:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Turquoisetamborine · 19/05/2014 21:03

Oly4, I think that's very true. You shouldn't go mad and get into loads of debt but I'm not going to waste the younger years of our lives not living it and having a few pleasures. Our mortgage is £85k so hardly a fortune and we will have it paid off by the time I'm 50 if not before. We do have a few debts from work needing done to the house but most of that should be paid off by July this year.

KinkyDorito · 21/05/2014 17:12

I agree, I think you do need to have lots of nice experiences. We've had to hold back a lot whilst paying down debt, so I want to do far more than we currently do. However, our mortgage is quite a chunk and if I could get shot of it, our bills would be about 1/4 of our income, thus giving us so much more freedom. DH would like to go PT or even stop work. It would take such pressure off us.

My DD had cancer and I had to work all the way through her treatment as I couldn't afford not to work. That was very, very hard.

upthearsenal · 21/05/2014 19:34

I didn't know if I should write on this thread but here goes. . .
Between Dh and I we have £2500 per month 'spare'. . .maybe more when DH gets a bonus. I have a London rental property which is making silly money at the moment. DH has a good job. There are times when I moan about how much hard work the young DC are and how shattered I am. I should feel ashamed. Many people on this thread really are amazing.

Turquoisetamborine · 21/05/2014 20:54

Ooh what do you do with it upthearsenal? I would have lots of holidays.

We should have a similar amount spare from the year after next as our bills will equal my wage and we will live off H's wage. I can't wait.

Don't feel embarrassed. It's interesting the different circumstances we are all in.

Openup41 · 22/05/2014 21:07

Upthearsenal Wow! I am imagining right now what I would do with that - holidays, hairdressers, clothes and shoes from top end high st stores, nail salon, eating out at least once a week oh and savings of course!

KateSpade · 28/05/2014 10:30

Oh god, reading this thread makes me realise how much I need to sort my life out.

I work part time & earn around £800 PCM, all of which minus £50 is disposable income, I have £80 taken out of my wages as savings before it goes into my account, I get £217 p/w wtc which pays for nursery for DD. My parents pay for 90% of DDs things, nappies, food, clothes, toys

My dad said to me last week 'you have the life of Riley, you do' only now do I really realise how lucky I actually am, and how much I really need to sort my life out!

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