How much do you live on per month?

Aesop

Lucy1010 wrote: »

WOW, how cool is that?! I am really pleased that my topic is chat of the week!

It is fantastic that you lovely people are continuing to share your monthly budgets

mineallmine wrote: »

Heard about this thread on the weekly email.

it's quite far down the e-mail, under Forum Tips
Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: How much do you live on?

CompBunny

Congrats on making the weekly email!!:T:T:T:beer::j:j:j

Some of you guys are seriously amazing the distance you can make money stretch! I thought we were doing well, but wow...

I love this forum, everywhere you look there are people to admire for so many different reasons!

Lucy1010

OK so going back to an earlier post of mine re: having birthday lunches to attend but not having enough in my new budget...

It feels REALLY embarrassing to speak up when the bill arrives and it is split between so many of you and you end up paying £10 more than you ate. No one else seems to care but I find it very hard to say "Oh but mine only cost £10.00" when everyone else is quite happily putting £20 each on the table to split the total cost

I am so tempted not to go so that I don't have to put myself in that position. OR I could just order something a little more expensive and get value for my money but then again the bill could be much higher and I will still end up paying more

Why aren't people understanding enough to ask what everyone had and total it up that way instead of just splitting the bill equally ....:(

sutters

I think you would expect to pay £20 if you went out for an evening meal but for lunch, it seems a bit much. At my work, we put in about £1 each when it is somebody's birthday and then they get a present which is nice. I can see how the lunches would be embarassing for you. I would be too.

sutters

Oh well done about the smoking too. That must have been hard. I have never smoked (well a week when I was a teenager) but I believe it helps with stress. I have wine instead.

Lucy1010

sutters wrote: »

I think you would expect to pay £20 if you went out for an evening meal but for lunch, it seems a bit much. At my work, we put in about £1 each when it is somebody's birthday and then they get a present which is nice. I can see how the lunches would be embarassing for you. I would be too.

Yes only lunch! I have deliberately suggested birthday lunches because in the past going out for evening birthday meals have cost around £50-£60 each with wine included.... What am I supposed to say? I only had 1 glass of wine? Or ... I didn't have a dessert... I know some may say you should just say it but until you are in that position you'll know how it feels

P.S Birthday present is extra... £10.00 per person between a group of 5. It's always been that way and no one has ever said "I can't afford it"

sutters

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Yes only lunch! I have deliberately suggested birthday lunches because in the past going out for evening birthday meals have cost around £50-£60 each with wine included.... What am I supposed to say? I only had 1 glass of wine? Or ... I didn't have a dessert... I know some may say you should just say it but until you are in that position you'll know how it feels

P.S Birthday present is extra... £10.00 per person between a group of 5. It's always been that way and no one has ever said "I can't afford it"

What a nightmare!:eek:

geordie_ben

Lucy1010 wrote: »

OK so going back to an earlier post of mine re: having birthday lunches to attend but not having enough in my new budget...

It feels REALLY embarrassing to speak up when the bill arrives and it is split between so many of you and you end up paying £10 more than you ate. No one else seems to care but I find it very hard to say "Oh but mine only cost £10.00" when everyone else is quite happily putting £20 each on the table to split the total cost

I am so tempted not to go so that I don't have to put myself in that position. OR I could just order something a little more expensive and get value for my money but then again the bill could be much higher and I will still end up paying more

Why aren't people understanding enough to ask what everyone had and total it up that way instead of just splitting the bill equally ....:(

I've always had this dilemma, i HATE just splitting the bill as you always get some greedy so and so thats had a starter, main, dessert and a bottle of wine to themselves, when I've just had a main.

I'd say speak up. I've always found people dont actually mind as much as you think they would about letting people pay for what they've had

bluebag

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Yes only lunch! I have deliberately suggested birthday lunches because in the past going out for evening birthday meals have cost around £50-£60 each with wine included.... What am I supposed to say? I only had 1 glass of wine? Or ... I didn't have a dessert... I know some may say you should just say it but until you are in that position you'll know how it feels

P.S Birthday present is extra... £10.00 per person between a group of 5. It's always been that way and no one has ever said "I can't afford it"

Not much you can do really, except not go. It's dear do though and I wouldn't mind betting that there is more than just you taking a deep breath.

Personally, I would pick the lunches I wanted to go to and allow a bit more money but go less often IYSWIM. Then just go and have what you want to eat and enjoy it.

As you will have to miss some of the do's this way, it may be nice to send a personal card with a nice message so they don't take the hump.

Lucy1010

geordie_ben wrote: »

I've always had this dilemma, i HATE just splitting the bill as you always get some greedy so and so thats had a starter, main, dessert and a bottle of wine to themselves, when I've just had a main.

I'd say speak up. I've always found people dont actually mind as much as you think they would about letting people pay for what they've had

Hi GeordieB....

Ahhh but that's the problem you see, I remember my ex's friends complaining about people that said "I didn't have a dessert" and laughing about it... it kinda makes you paranoid!