How much do you budget/spend on “fun money” per month?

[Coffeecoffeeinmytummy]

DH and I are always overspending on this category. I think it should be enough and yet somehow it never is.

We have 2 DC age 4 and 2. We have a funny arrangement with childcare/preschool/work shifts meaning that there are only two days a week when they’re both in childcare. 3 weekdays at least one child is with one of us, and then we’re all off together at the weekends. I mention this because I think it’s the extra spending on our week day days off that’s really adding up.

I budget £475 per month and that is meant to cover pretty much all “unnecessary” ie luxury day to day spending such as —Eating out either as a family or individually eg if DH or I go out for drinks or a meal with friends. We maybe do this as a family once a month and maybe once a month each separately for me and DH. Roughly £120 total?
-Days out, not including fuel but any other costs incurred like entry, train or bus fare, extra food or snacks
-Activities or random stuff with the kids that aren’t a regular class ie DD does a weekly dance class and this is paid by termly direct debit so it’s not in this budget but if we take them swimming, or go to a cafe or buy ice creams at the park it would come from this pot
-Any non-supermarket food eg if we pick up a meal deal for lunch. Or general random shop spending like getting kids a magazine or buying craft stuff
-Me occasionally getting my nails done £30 once a month average
-DH random spending on wanky craft beers or Apple Music. This is maybe £50 a month.

Doesn't include holidays. It feels like a healthy budget to have but we are frittering it away and it seems to mainly be on coffees, parking, bits and pieces that are only a few pounds at a time but are quickly adding up. Interested to know what others spend. I know it depends a lot on income - that goes without saying - and we are lucky we can afford this currently but we need to cut back.

ASC does make it difficult, do you get the DLA? I don't think it is means tested and is there to make things a bit easier.

www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/rates

You could possibly go for lower rate care , depending on your child's needs. Not loads but would help a bit, you would also get a carers card which allows free adult entry to a lot of places.

That's a good point. My nephew has autism and gets DLA. Our council does a card that costs a small annual fee but allows free or very discounted entry to most council run sports and leisure facilities like animal attractions, museums, swimming pools etc for him and a carer so makes that sort of day out much more affordable for them.

@Dyslexicwonder thank you, we do have a local council card but it doesn’t really get you much at all unfortunately. Very few places sign up to it and when they do it tends to be literally £1-2 off at most. However I hadn’t thought about DLA. I don’t know if she’s qualify as she’s at mainstream preschool however her autism is actually the reason we are reducing our working hours as she’s due to start school in sept and we don’t think she’ll cope with after school club. I suppose it can’t hurt to apply!

We are the same OP. Like many have said it’s the coffees and food that is adding up. I need to get lunch out on a Saturday with my two between their activities and it was costing £30 a go from Pret. Making and bringing essentially the same stuff with us costs under a tenner. It will be easier as the weather improves to have picnics and do more stuff out and about.

"Car picnics" are always an option too.

PM me if you like I have some experience of this.

A friend of mine gets DLA for her DS who is autistic but in mainstream education.

As you said, some of this is weather dependent. After the winter, it can be easy to be out if the habit of taking food and drinks….so get back into it quickly.

Do you buy drinks for kids in cafes? I always used to buy a coffee for myself and kids just had their water bottles.

Even in winter, can you take some food with you and eat in before you go into cafe, so once you’re in, it’s not a full lunch you need to buy. Cakes to be shared between two etc.

And yes to either making a coffee before you go out and taking it in reusable cup, or flask. Definitely yes to lots of snacks and drinks in bag all the time, so there’s no need to nip into cafes because someone suddenly is hungry.

Yes to timing the outings. Early lunch at home then going out, or morning out with snacks from bag and then back for slightly later than normal lunch.

Meeting friends in play parks. You can often still get a takeaway coffee if you want to, but no need to buy anything for kids as you can have snack or treats in bag.

You could set some limits - 2 takeaway coffees per adult per week. Only 1 lunch in a cafe. Whatever feels right to you, but quite simply some boundaries so you have to think more carefully before going out, about if this is a day to take a packed lunch.

And I’d also say, don’t always be trying to extend the time out. Getti g out is great, but eating and drinking of any description is goi g to be expensive if it’s nearly every day. Accept being at home for a bit longer and especially around meal times.

It is easier as it warms up.

We have about £200 pm each as our own spending money. Mine covers my hair, waxes, lashes and brows and other bits for me to treat myself with, DH spends his on his gadgets and tech stuff, he saves his and blows it on graphics cards etc. Family days out and meals come from joint account but we don't do this often.

Fun money? Oh yeah I remember I had that in the days before the supermarket and the utility bills took it all.

We budget £500 a month, family of 4. Sometimes go over! But track expenses where I can to make sure that budget is sufficient.