Overspending guilt

[KittenCatt]

I have overspent massively on things that I’ve wanted this month. I have even taken £150 out of my savings to pay for these things.

Needless to say, I feel so guilty about it.

Is there anything I can do to ease the guilt and to learn from my mistake?

It depends what you've overspent on. For example I've overspent on clothes in the sale ( although I did need new clothes for work). If however you have overspent just on trying to keep afloat with essential bills and food, then it's not so easy to stop. I may freeze my credit card. I don't have spending sprees very often, but when I do I can go too far !

Sorry I've just seen you said " on things you want" so I'm assuming non essentials?

Can you send any of it back?

is there anything I can do to ease the guilt and to learn from my mistake?

Yes, as long as you make the effort. You need to go on a 'no spend' until you've paid that £150 back to your savings. By 'no spend' I mean only buying essentials - no luxuries, no take-away food, no clothes that you like the look of.

Once you have repaid the £150, set yourself a monthly budget for non-essential spending and make sure you stick to it.

Thank you all.

I made a mistake, and it turns out I actually overspent by £245!!

I bought “stuff” like skincare, make-up, ABBA Voyage tickets and transport to London and back.

I’ll definitely be doing no-spend until I’ll raise the money.

@wtfisgoingonhere21 A lot of what I bought is skincare and make-up, so I can’t return those.

But I sent two pieces of jewellery back yesterday - so I have £67.50 coming back to me 😊

Why can’t you return the make up? Have you used it already?

I actually wouldn’t look for ways to ease the guilt - the guilt is actually just your common sense helping you out! Embrace the guilt!

I’m almost certain that we can’t return make-up in the UK, I’m prepared to be wrong though

That’s a good point, thank you!

Going forward can you review your budget and work out how much you need for bills, food, essential travel, any annual and irregular expenses you need to put money aside for, savings for other long term essentials like pension, car replacement or emergency fund, then what's left pay into a separate account that is your spending account.

You can spend money in your spending account guilt free, but when it's gone it's gone until next month. If you want anything that's more expensive, you need to save for it out of this money.

If it's causing you anxiety, it may help in future to create a budget and track it in an app or spreadsheet.

If you had it and spent it on things that make you happy then don’t regret it!

my uncle is loaded and has a huge bank balance and every hates him and he is miserable.

I think there is a balance and you need to enjoy things sometimes while you can.