income less than outgoings!

weegie_2

Me and hubbie have agreed not to buy anything for christmas this year as we are well and truly skint (and we would rather the kids had a good one!). I'd be mad if hubbie spent £150 on me if he couldn't afford it. and your boyf should understand that.

For my xmas night out I'm wearing a dress I've worn before and just changing my accessories so that it jazzes it up a bit. I'm sure you could have something in your wardrobe that you could update or just buy one thing to go with an older item of clothing.

For your friend's birthday I'd buy her £10 of lottery tickets - that'd be a cheap gift. For drink money, cut down. I can go out (and in fact will be going out this Friday) and can have a great night drinking for under £20. (and I hear my friends telling me they take about £80 out for a night out! madness!) Water is free - drink that between drinks.

And as I work at a university, isn't a student loan for helping you with your study and not for buying boyf a phone?

Sorry - I know this is probably not what you would like to hear - but the £150 on the boyf is madness.....

newlywed

If you and your bf limit your present cost to each other then he can afford to buy it himself!!!

jcr16

i can fully understand wanting to buy your other half something he really wants . and i know how when u love someone it is really wonderful to treat them. but hey if he knows he is getting it then i would personally ask him to wait. explain that u do want to buy it for him, but your money isn't rubber and it just won't stretch. or if you spend the same on each other , then tell him to buy the phone himself and then u can spend the 150 on what u want to ofr yourself. it is as broad as it is long.

i hope u are able to sort it out. many a time hubby and i have only bought token gifts for each other.

iceicebaby

I agree, tell the boyf you cant afford 150 quid and wear something you already have to go out.

If boyf dont like it then its hard lines really. If you dont have it then he simply just cant have it.

Penelope_Penguin

Hi, Katrina! I can only echo what everyone else has said. If your BF insists that you spend £150 on him, when your monthly income is only about 4 times this, then a relationship reassessment is required.

I know that this must sound harsh, but I work in Money Advice, and see how miserable people become getting into debt. Your BF may love the phone for a few weeks, but you'll end up "paying for it" possibly metaphorically and literally for a lot longer.

Hugs to you, Penny. x

Katrina-trying_to_save!?!

awk my bf would prob spend more on me!! id be happy if i could buy the phone, it wouldnt annoy me if i had the money which i shoulda bought last mth! i dunno what to do, i cnt not get a new outfit because ive wore everything and it wudnt be the same!!! i know im terrible with money

Heth_2

Don't buy a new outfit, you can't afford to. And don't buy your boyfriend the phone as you can't afford it, from what you've said he sounds like a spoilt child.

Nuclear_Tom

Have you spoken to your bf about your situation? If not I suggest a nice sit down and cuddle on the sofa and have a good natter about it. Odds on that if he is worth is mustard then you will come away from it not needing to spend £150 on his present.

I am extremely skint this Christmas, and am only buying very close family and friends gifts. My gf and me have promised each other not to spend more than £50 on each other. My family are only getting token gifts, or "I'll wash and polish your car" vouchers etc. As for my gf, its actually quite fun to find thoughtful ways of spending less money. It makes you think a bit more, and there's still plenty of scope to get something special.

lynzpower

Katrina-trying_to_save!?! wrote:

awk my bf would prob spend more on me!! id be happy if i could buy the phone, it wouldnt annoy me if i had the money which i shoulda bought last mth! i dunno what to do, i cnt not get a new outfit because ive wore everything and it wudnt be the same!!! i know im terrible with money

I respond you cant actually have a new outfit- as you have no money with which to do it.

I think you should read again what Penelope Penguin has written. She has written it more eloquently than I ever could.

You write "im terrible with money" thats because you are spending on things you dont NEED you only want, and you are spending this from your debts.

I have only just paid off my student loans 10 years after graduating, please be very careful running up extra debt- it does take a long time to pay back- and miserable time at that. Student loans are designed for books, and keeping you afloat, not party dresses and phones for OH.

I beg you think about what you are doing, and hopefully you wont end up in the tremendous mess I have being almost 30 and still paying off things that I bought when I was 19

Penelope_Penguin

Katrina-trying_to_save!?! wrote:

how oh how am i gunna do all this???? please help!!! but i dnt reckon ne1 could!!

Quite true! There's only one person who can, and that's you. Straight talking from the Penguin now: don't buy the phone (if he really cares for you he'll be happy with your company for Christmas, and no expensive gift ); wear an outfit you've worn before, but jazz it up with a few well chosen accessories, and maybe a new lippy; do something nice, but cheap or free for your friend's birthday.

Then start to really try to live up to your signature.

Penny. x