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How are you with money?
andy614
Posts: 45,259 Forum Member
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Tight? Spent out by the end of payday? A saver?
Me i'm in the 'tight' category. Not with other people, i think i'm generous when it comes to buying things or paying for others. With myself though, unless i literally NEED something, i can't bear to part with any cash. Even when i do need to get something, i will spend ages trying to get the best deal or a way to pay less. I also feel really annoyed every time i pay money out.:o
It does mean that i've managed to save, which is important, at the moment i'm very lucky with my circumstances and stuff, so it feels very important i'm tight and save whilst i have the opportunity and lucky enough to be able to do that.
Are any of you the same or can't you wait to hit the shops or treat yourself when you get the chance?
Me i'm in the 'tight' category. Not with other people, i think i'm generous when it comes to buying things or paying for others. With myself though, unless i literally NEED something, i can't bear to part with any cash. Even when i do need to get something, i will spend ages trying to get the best deal or a way to pay less. I also feel really annoyed every time i pay money out.:o
It does mean that i've managed to save, which is important, at the moment i'm very lucky with my circumstances and stuff, so it feels very important i'm tight and save whilst i have the opportunity and lucky enough to be able to do that.
Are any of you the same or can't you wait to hit the shops or treat yourself when you get the chance?
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I do pay in to a pension and participate in a share save scheme so I don't feel so bad about enjoying what I have.
What are you saving for and will you be able to bring yourself to spend the money?
I couldn't do that, i honestly think even if i won the lottery id be the same. I'd hate to part with every penny and always try and go for the cheapest option!:o
It's ludicrous really, you work to live not live to work,
I;m not really saving for anything, i guess i'm just saving so i have something if i need it. You never know when you will get in a bad situation and some savings would be a lifesaver.
In those circumstances then i'd obviously have no issue using any money i have saved.
Although my three kids seem to be able to be able to spend at a much quicker pace than I could hope to spend on myself these days.
I learned how to budget a few years ago and it totally changed my life.
Online banking really helps too.I have 20 e-saving accounts attached to my main current account(one for every outgoing I can think of).On payday,I seperate my money into these accounts and know what I have to spend throughout the month.
It really really works for me.
i will impulse buy and often buy crap i dont need/want
i always pay n bills n stuff so its all good
20?!! I don't know what I have in my one. I would be lost with that many!
I have no mortgage and no debt and only buy what I can afford. If I can't pay for something in cash- I don't get it. But I didn't fall into the credit trap many did due to the "I want it now" culture.
I don't go for so-called big brands very often, and never in clothes; having worked in the clothing industry for a while I learned that the premium clothing brands (you know who they are) have their products made in the same ways in the same places by the same people as the unbranded products. That saves a fortune.
As a rule if I'm with a group, I always buy the first round.
They are just small piggy bank accounts attached to my main account.I don't know about other banks but Nationwide let you open as many as you want.
I give then names such as Mortgage,petrol,holiday,shopping,dentist electricity,water etc etc and swop the money back to the main account throughout the month when I need it.
Easy way of keeping track of your spending.
That ALWAYS costs money.
Not always tight, but I know exactly how much I've got at any given moment, as well as how much I can afford to spend, and on what.
As a result, I've never had any problem managing money.
But as long as you are putting more money in than you take out it will accumulate, all you are missing out on is the "free" money from the banks in the form of interest.
It should be when you get to the stage of taking out more than you put in you start to worry more.
I save (or can) at least half a months salary and know when i want to spend my money: Nights out, Videogames, shopping, incoming bills. Also, never spend more than i have to just because i know more moeny is incoming.
I aslo don't have any credit cards because i simply don't like debt.
Managing money is easy when you live within your means.
We have saved enough to allow me to have 14 months off on maternity leave (SMP, so I was only paid statutory amount for 9 months and the rest has all been unpaid)
I am what I would class as a "false economiser" though. I scour ebay for bargains and they end up being tat so I rebuy the 'proper' version.
A few recent examples are a rain coat £4.99 (I many have well bought a roll of black bags), a winter scarf £2.00 from China (pretty but barely covers my neck and will fall apart in the wash) and some corner safety things for the table £2.99 (baby peeled them off within about 90 seconds)
I never seem to learn though and I fritter a fair bit away on ebay. My current fad is clip-on earrings !!!!
Also I go to the shops at some point most days so I am not as economical with the food shopping as I could be.
However we've not gone without, granted I haven't bought much for myself, but baby has all he needs.
We have a Crimbo pot on the go that will cover tree, food and drink and then from December I am back to a full salary so the plan is to move and replenish savings.
I've used about £4k savings and will need to pay off £2k credit card but we have no other debts...
Wish I'd been more sensible a few years ago though when I had more money coming in - I could've paid a lot of my mortgage off by now. I seriously regret not doing that.