How much money goes into the "family pot" each month and how much do you get to spend on yourself?

[Belikeyou]

We can't afford a family holiday abroad because we only save around 200 per month in the family pot- kids shoes/clothes etc come out of this too. Christmas is saved for separately.

DH is adamant that we each have 300 per month purely for ourselves to spend on whatever we like.

He uses his for hobbies and the odd long weekend abroad trip with his mates.

I use mine for clothes for myself, hair appointments, the odd evening out with friends and alternative therapies, mobile phone, union fees etc

I've told DH I think it's selfish that more money goes to us as individuals than into the family pot. He says we don't have enough individual disposable money.

What do others think?

How do other people balance their family disposable income and individual spending money?

Do people actually buy clothes EVERY month!!?? Good god what a waste...I have bought one jumper and one pair of jeans so far this year!!

Did you think shopping centres existed to supply the UK population with their requisite five items of clothes per year whoswhoswho?

I should have also said in my post that it depends how often your DH goes away with his friends and how much he spends. If a few times a year where that cost (and you lowering your spends by the same amount) could mean you can afford a family holiday, then I would prioritise a family holiday over weekends away with friends.

Sorry for my previous essay!

We each have a personal account and put £200 each in every month for things so we can buy things for ourselves. All regular expenditure comes out of joint income account and for any big projects we transfer the amounts we need for that from a separate joint saving account. It's easier to keep tabs on the 'extras' and try to avoid overspending.

@NoHardSell of course not...BUT buying clothing EVERY month is not necessary really. I will usually do a shopping spree every couple of years . I just think buying clothing every month for the sake of it is wasteful and not necessary to be honest. Surely that's just buying because you have assigned money for it...not because you need it! No wonder some people are broke!

We each keep £500 - it covers our commuting fees, mobile phone bill, union fees, gym membership and clothes etc. (Actually DH keeps slightly more than that because his commuting fees were more than mine). I transfer £1100 into the joint account, DH a lot more. Everything then comes out of the joint account

@whoswhoswho well obviously if you're broke you shouldn't be going on a shopping spree every month, but once the essentials of bills etc are paid for, surely buying clothes (if that's what you're into) is no different to paying for holidays or meals out, it's all what the person prioritises?

My sister thinks we go out for dinner and drinks loads, because she never does - they socialise at people's houses. She does however sink about £100 a month on New Look, Topshop etc whereas I buy maybe £75 worth of clothes a quarter - one well made dress or pair of shoes usually. It's relative...

Before my now dh moved in I was a single mum and had 2 accounts - one for my wages and one for my tax credits. My wages covered the bills with no money left over and I lived off tax credits. When he moved in there was no point adding him to an account where money went in stayed there a week then all went out it was pointless. So I kept that account with just my name on and I was added to his account. So his wages are just treated as joint money , we have a direct debit set up out of that for savings. Neither of us overspend. When we save for a holiday we make cutbacks as soon as it's booked and pay it off every month.

We don't really have a family savings pot for holidays and stuff. We would book it on the credit card then dp would pay it off next month before moving the rest in to the joint account, which we use for all bills etc. We each also transfer £100 a week to ourselves for our own spending, stuff for DD, and each contribute a bit of that to the food shop. Big expenses generally go on amex.

@whoswhoswho - Surely that's just buying because you have assigned money for it...not because you need it! No wonder some people are broke!

I may not need it but I want it.
Luxury money is just that.... for luxuries such as clothing you want
It’s no ones business I have over 60 pairs of shoes or tons of clothing.

@whoswhoswho There isn't a month that goes by one of us won't need some clothing. I tend to look out for DC clothes in sales so would easily buy each month.
I'm buying weekly with lockdown.
In my defence I was poor for a long time I needed to restock clothes

We have one joint account that both our wages go into and all spending comes out from. Neither of us have any other accounts.

We are a family unit and both understand what is a reasonable amount to spend on ourselves, which by and large is very little indeed. If either one of us wants to spend more than say about £100 on ourselves, we would let the other know out of courtesy.