Why do I Always Feel Like I Have No Money!!

skintas_2

do you use reward cards nectar or tesco, get these with your petrol, gas/electric, shoppping, as they say every little helps

TurnaroundSue

katecheshire wrote:

Your SOA looks pretty reasonable - it doesn't look as if you're are paying too much for your services etc and it makes sense to over pay the mortgage as you can afford it. BUT you have nothing down for:
holidays
clothes for all of you
haircuts
pocket money for kids
kids' activities

as chevalier suggests, do a spending diary for a couple of months so you can see where your money is going - it's obviously going somewhere;)
I started doing one this month and it has been a great help. The fact that you know you are going to have to write it down makes you think before you spend!!

The £150 we put aside each month tends to go on the annual holiday, but as for the rest, well that comes out of the disposable money. I think a spending diary is most probably the answer - thanks very muchley!! :T

TurnaroundSue

skintas wrote:

do you use reward cards nectar or tesco, get these with your petrol, gas/electric, shoppping, as they say every little helps

We have nectar card, but dont use that very often as we dont tend to shop in the shops that use it. Have Tesco Clubcard, so get lots of points on that, and thanks from the other forums on this wonderful site I have learnt today how to get more points :T

Am with SWALEC and have just changed back to them (dont think they do any incentives, but have changed too many times to change again!!)

I have also joined quidco and do pigsback (had my first £10 voucher this week, which I'm putting towards the annual holiday)

Sea78

Remember that if you get any vouchers through for nectar/tesco that you won't use to ebay those - have just sold pampers easy up pants 150 points voucher (with my name on) for £1.11 + 50p postage. A tiny amount, but all adds up!

sea xx

CFC

You have about £900 left a month after what you have listed. which is a lot of money. I do think keeping a spending diary would be helpful to you.

Just to check, though, how much of a positive balance do you have in your current account? It's just in the sense of - do you feel you never have any money, but there's actually plenty left at the end of the month, or do you actually not have any money, as in there's none left in the bank at the end of the month?

lynzpower

Do you really spend 1200 on Xmas :eek:

I dont know who you buy for, how you run it, but I would say cripes thats LOADS. Definately buy presents all year round when you see the bargains- eg cheap clothes in sales, bargain videos/dvds etc ( 99p stores has some cracking gear as does home & bargains if you have that nearby, next & M&S clearances for kids clothes etc)

Id aso be tempted to, when you put money away, put it either in a v high yeilding account, or premium bonds- you never know yourluck & you can cash them in easily

TurnaroundSue

CFC wrote:

You have about £900 left a month after what you have listed. which is a lot of money. I do think keeping a spending diary would be helpful to you.

Just to check, though, how much of a positive balance do you have in your current account? It's just in the sense of - do you feel you never have any money, but there's actually plenty left at the end of the month, or do you actually not have any money, as in there's none left in the bank at the end of the month?

Unfortunately it is the latter of the two CFC - we don't have any money left and are normally overdrawn by around £200 as well :eek: I agree £900 is alot of money to have disposable each month, and that is my point. I should be able to manage on that.

I have started the 'Give up Money for Lent' challenge and am doing well there - 4/4 days no spend so far

I will start a spending diary today - although don't intend to spend under aforementioned challenge so most probably no need as yet. However, this spending diary has got me to thinking of things I spend that I take out of the disposable income each month

1) My son's has extra english tuition which is £24 per week - total £96/£120 pm
2) Dinner money is £17.50 pw - total £70/£87.50 pm

So there's £166/£207.50pm gone before I even know it!!! I think will start putting these aside in my 'bill' account also so I have a truer picture of my 'disposable' income

Thanks every one - this is brill and enabling me to focus so much more :A

seven-day-weekend

I think you cut cut your Christmas budget by half.

TurnaroundSue

lynzpower wrote:

Do you really spend 1200 on Xmas :eek:

I dont know who you buy for, how you run it, but I would say cripes thats LOADS. Definately buy presents all year round when you see the bargains- eg cheap clothes in sales, bargain videos/dvds etc ( 99p stores has some cracking gear as does home & bargains if you have that nearby, next & M&S clearances for kids clothes etc)

Id aso be tempted to, when you put money away, put it either in a v high yeilding account, or premium bonds- you never know yourluck & you can cash them in easily

Hi Lynzpower - believe it or not, I do spend that much on xmas which is absolutely ridiculous and I am not one of these parents who really spoils their kids and gets them everything they want

I most probably spend around £400 on the kids - I spend around £200 on each lot of parents. My mum is really good to us all year round so feel that I should recipricate and get her a really nice pressie (although IL's do b***er all and they still get the same spent on them :mad: ) and adding up all my nieces and nephews, aunts I buy for and food (although don't really go over the top there either!!) then it all seems to go - oh yes, also include any xmas doos in that figure too

I used to buy presents all year around, but stopped doing that so I think I will go back again to that method and do that this year - will do that for birthdays also. Hopefully by the time xmas comes I will have all the presents, will be more focused and strict with my spending and even have some left over

I just love this site and you all - thank you, thank you, thank you :A

lynzpower

1) My son's has extra english tuition which is £24 per week - total £96/£120 pm
2) Dinner money is £17.50 pw - total £70/£87.50 pm

Do you HAVE to spend that much on dinner money per week :eek: put it this way me & OH spend 25 per week on the 2 of us for ALL our meals ( we eat darn well too!) Couldnt your son have packups instead? and maybe a cooked meal once or twice a week even?