Am I tight?

[iloveyankeecandle]

I've never been rolling in money. But always been comfortable. Anyway, family of four, once all bills are paid and we've put money aside for savings (have about 10K) we're left with about £1000 a month for fuel, food, clothes, days out etc. but I have an issue with spending. I can't ever just think oh I need a new coat, I'll go and buy one. I'll research online what I want, and go through loads of different sites and see if I can find it cheaper or even second hand than pay full price. Then I normally end up not buying it. I wait to get my kids stuff until I know they'll be money off weekends. I look in the sales constantly. I rarely order stuff online so I don't have to pay for delivery. My husband says I'm tight. But I feel like I've gone from being careful to just being really really tight. I question every bit of spending now and I don't want to go on holiday as it just seems like such a waste of money. I don't know why I'm like this and to also change my attitude.

@Phineyj aah that's great. Thank you

Hope you get a desirable outcome op 💐

Sorry wrong thread 😱

I think I’m like this too OP. More so recently and I feel I’ve just woken up to what we have and where we’re spending it.

A lot of my spending habits come from my parents. We weren’t poor. But my mum has said we didn’t have money to spare and she was cautious. I’m like that now too. I really overthink my spending and hate feeling like I’ve wasted money. I never used to feel like this in my 20s.my mum still never treats herself or enjoys the money. I don’t want to feel like that so I do try to tell myself to lighten up sometimes. Life goes too quickly. Some things are worth spending money on.

Yes you sound very tight. UK holidays can be a bit of a trial sometimes, we always get NT or EH membership before we go so we can visit nice places without a massive spend but generally its quite hard to enjoy Uk holidays compared to going abroad.

not sure what to suggest, maybe have a look at your finances, think about what you want to take care of, eg 15% towards pensions, 5% towards kids savings, 10% family savings etc and once that plus bills is covered don’t worry about spending what is left. Life is too short, don’t turn into a Smaug, valuing money for its own sake rather than the experiences and freedom it can bring you and your family.

I'm going through this too right now. I just looked at all the little spending amounts when I did my tax return and was revolted at how much they added up to! C£4-500 a month of non essential crap we don't need. Giving in the DD on Robux weekly, little things from eBay, latest fad products... and I'd rather have a cushion in all bank accounts and never go below £5000 balance so that's what I'm doing now. Really second and third thinking if we really need it.

Savings/pension etc all sorted separately. I have two income streams current account and business account and I don't want to have to check their balances anymore over silly purchases.

Also feel like I've wasted a TON in the past, a lot of it lavish travel.

I'm a lone parent and the last time I spent £4K taking DDthen 3 now 6 to Greece at a 5* resort for a week I was completely exhausted and frazzled and happy to be home!

I think holidays can wait until she's more independent.

I guess it all depends on what you consider a need and a want and how much that compares to feeling financially secure and what that is to you.

I definitely shouldn't be having low balance ban in accounts and realised it was done to a lot of "stuff" sheep mentality spending!

I'm in the middle of this and also decorating and decluttering my home and realising how much "stuff" we have. Dad can't even play with her favourite toys she has that many she can't find them when the cleaner cleans up. I've labelled her playroom and bedroom and organised it all but it's too much.

Giving a lot to charity and she's doing a car boot sale but less is more for us now I think. She's so much happier having me spend 30 minutes playing with her with any old toy than being bought something new...

Maybe it's a mistake we make if we grow up in poverty ourselves and want to give them better?

Interesting, also age related I think as I'm now 40.