Are you more well off than you say you are?

nyc_451

I've noticed that I am more liked by my so called friends when they think I'm in a debt... So I got into habit of moaning how I've spent my last bit of cash and now relying on credit cards, and how expensive it is to use them as I only have the ones with high apr, and how nasty vanquis is for increasing my credit limit because they see I can't repay it.......and they do believe it. Well, I'll better lie than see their jealous faces.

davenport151

Ah but Jay83 - do your friends save? I'm guessing not.

Yes I do tend to say i'm broke/skint/brassic. Yes I have put money aside but that is exactly what its for. When the 'fun' money has gone thats it.
I get a buzz out of the things I can do for free.
You have a good attitude towards money. Not easily learnt.

Would your friends be up for a rota of cooked meals with each person taking a turn rather than going out or is that not practical?

bargainbetty

My close friends have an idea of my earnings, but they don't know what my savings are. That is my business. I've been in the position before where a request for a loan from someone followed their discovery of my savings within a week. I felt awkward refusing, but it was taking the mickey on their part. Now, I keep that private!

EmmiH

For me, my saved money doesn't exist - it goes into my savings account and ceases to be and it will stay that way until I've bought my house!

So I do say I'm broke, but until the money becomes real again I sort of feel like it's the truth... If that makes sense!

mandatory

EmmiH wrote: »

For me, my saved money doesn't exist - it goes into my savings account and ceases to be and it will stay that way until I've bought my house!

So I do say I'm broke, but until the money becomes real again I sort of feel like it's the truth... If that makes sense!

I do exactly the same thing... I don't intend to use that money until it's time to buy the house/flat, therefore I don't include it when working out everyday spending. By telling my friends I don't have any money then I'm less likely to go out and spend loads, I'd rather watch my deposit grow and improve my attitude towards money. I'm allocating myself a bit more spending money once I've put some away for my deposit so I'm not so tight these days.

LairyMary

EmmiH wrote: »

For me, my saved money doesn't exist - it goes into my savings account and ceases to be and it will stay that way until I've bought my house!

So I do say I'm broke, but until the money becomes real again I sort of feel like it's the truth... If that makes sense!

I'm exactly the same! A set amount goes into my savings account as soon as I get paid and that's that - it's no longer disposable income!

New_Bride

Am I more well off than I say I am?

As others here have said, in a way yes - I don't live beyond my means and save a lot of my money. Once it goes into my savings account that's it, gone.

So I go by whatever amount of disposable I have left and I usually will end up joining in if a friend starts complaining about how broke they are, even though technically I have money there in savings.

Two of my very close friends are the same as me and we all understand that when we say "I'm broke" we're referring to disposable income and not whatever's left in savings.

I don't actually find myself talking that much about money (with close friends or otherwise), but when it does come up I always refer to my remaining money (after savings and bills).

Dragonista

If I spend more than my income in a month, even though I have a buffer, I will say and act as though I have no money. This month was especially pricey because we went on holiday, and I freaked out I'd gone into my buffer (even though it was by a fraction of our total holiday budget). That's what it's there for I guess, but June will be tight (choice, not necessity, I want my buffer back!).

Like others, I have a regular savings plan which I'm committed to, I can't access it so I don't count it.

andrea_louise

Of course. Disposable income is just that, disposable.

It was payday for me today. Yay, money transferred to the mortgage account, overpayment on the mortgage transferred out, money for bills transferred to the bill account, visa bill paid off (in full) and money transferred to my regular saver.

I have under £272 left as disposable income, it's only to feed 3, and I have a tank full of diesel. But once that's gone. It's gone, there is no dipping into savings or emergency funds.

A friend said today, my budget is totally unrealistic. We were in tesco this afternoon, she did a top up shop and spent £100. Still a family of 3. I spent £22 and apart from milk and bread, on Tuesday to top up, that will be it for the week!

tattycath

I say I can't afford it on several occasions when they arise. I always used to spend all my wages and didn't save at all. Now I've prioritised and I save regularly so I don't count my savings as available cash unless I'm using it for something we've been saving for or if there's an unexpected emergency.