Another dosh question

Not really, some months a lot more than others, we start every month with the intention of not spending anything and don't do too badly. I'm happy to part with a few pounds though for the sake of spending quality time with friends & family. We'll also treat ourselves to some new clothes every so often if we see something we really like and know we'll wear, or if it's needed.

With a sky+ box we could spend every evening and weekend holed up at home if we wanted so I consider our indulgance in our tv packages to be fully worth it as it saves us on cinema etc.

We spend more since having our youngest, but obviously that's a given.

Although we try to buy his stuff out of our "treat" money. So money we would have spent on nights out go on nappies and formula, rather than it coming from the normal household budget.

Even now H has got his lovely new payrise, we're still aiming to cut down, in an effort to save for a bigger house.

I allow myself £200 a month spends and it goes every single month. Mostly on going out and clothes. Ive been spending more than average on clothes recently because very few of my normal clothes fit me anymore.

My *free* cash varies depending on bills each month but can vary from £50 - £200.

Most of it this year has gone on social occasions so far - weddings, hen parties, nights out with the girls!

My spending money budget is £250 a month and it goes every month without fail !

Although this year I have started putting any odd £1 and £2 coins in to one of the savings cans you can't open, but it is not that full unfortunately !

Not really. Once I've paid bills, loan, petrol, credit card & phone, I'm left with about £150 and almost £100 of that goes on petrol!

This is why I never go out and buy most things in sales/from eBay, not that there's anything wrong with that of course.

After everything is paid for, and I mean everything, including petrol, I have around £100. It doesn't go very far I find!

I remember those days! I was living at home though.

I spent very little a month on myself after bills etc when I was working, Hair done once every 8 weeks ish and maybe a night a month outsocialising with a friend (but usually eating where every there was an offer) H and I rarely eat out maybe once every 6 weeks but it depends on what we are up to and I am rubbish at buying myself treats, so even clothes shopping was only every few months when I needed things. ( I am so rubbish at having treats I have turned down the offer from H to buy me gifts on days out most recetly a fossil watch because I didn't need it and it wasn't my birthday christmas etc! I a little bit regret this now)!

Now I am not working I spend even less as I don't want to eat into my savings (which are the deposit for our next house extra handy when we may still loose money on our current home).

that said I am not completely stingy, when H an I eat out we often go somewhere nice and spend a bit more as we don't go often, and when I was working I would buy clothes I wanted as opposed to going for the most cost effective option, I am just not good at buyig yself things. I count my gym membership as a treat!

I've never had so much disposable income as when I lived at home. I worked two jobs, paid (loads) of rent (compared to my friends) but seemed to have loads of cash. Those were the days!

It makes me sick thinking of how much money I spent drank in those days!

After bills we end up spending around £500 a month on other bits and crap. I would love some tips to cut back!

Houds, I hear ya!

I think this calls for a thread!

This is the first time in years we have had disposable income, weve always just scraped by each month before. Were desperate to start saving so we can buy a house instead of renting but something always comes up. last month and this month was all spent on our car, the two months before was on a new sofa as the old one was well and truely dead! this payday (and prob next one too) we will hopefuly spend it on a honeymoon at last ....then to save!

I've managed to cut £50 off of our weekly grocery shop (saving of £2600ish per year!) by planning the meals properly (as much as I can with M's stupid not-knowing-what-bloody-country-he's-going-to-be-in-yet-alone-knowing-what-day-he'll-be-home-job) and cooking in bulk (2 spag bol's instead of one for instance) and freezing the spare in individual portions (foil containers from the £1 shop) so that if M does make an appearance I just have to pop one of those in the oven, and it does for me when I don't fancy eating at the same time as Little T