Need help with my budget :)

katy_ann

Hey guys, Ive been a bit AWOL lately, working so much overtime! Im shattered! I just really need some solid help with my budget.

Ive got a spreadsheet that shows where my money goes each month for essentials eg, bills and rent and then I have £50 a month for myself, so around about £10 a week to do whatever i want with.

However I end up spending about £40 of my "personal" money within a week after being paid and then end up picking an extra £50/£60, maybe more, out of my savings each month, so im getting no where!

Im 24 years old, single and I just hate not being able to do what my friends are doing. I know its my stupid fault for getting into debt in the first place. But I just need to be able to control myself!

CH27

Are you saving each month?

katy_ann

Yeah I put £40 a month away for car bits like mot/service/tax etc x

Idiophreak

Do you actually have any other way the thing can work?

An unrealistic budget is little more use than no budget at all...if you can, give yourself more spending money each month and accept that your debt free date will slip back a little. There's nothing wrong with wanting some kind of quality of life whilst repaying the debt.

If, however, you've no other money to spare, you just have to suck it up. Spend less, it won't be forever. Find free stuff to do or cheaper options...friends wanna go to the pub? Invite them round and get some beers in instead. They want to watch a film? Do a movie night.

Ask for cash for Christmas and Birthdays, make sure you're getting all the clubcard points, cashback, nectar etc you can and try and make a few quid online - which I can see you're doing.

...and, of course, keep a spending diary - so you can keep track of exactly what you're spending your money on.