Whats left over???

wilkster5

Ok so i have seen the threads of how total debt versus salary etc .. what may be interesting is what do us DFW's actually have left in our pockets on average after all our debts/mortgage/bills etc are paid.

I only have around £100 pm to spend on socialising/clothes/days out etc.

It's getting me down, although i know its my own fault. I am trying hard to clear my debt, but just wondering if i'm trying too hard and burning myself out. Soemtimes I think pay less to debt enjoy life a bit better, then i think the sooner its gone sooner I can get on with enjoying life. Anyone feel the same. Does everyone else manage on this kind of money per month???

98jdougl

I'm quite lucky, because my debts aren't horrendous and I've taken a second job to cover my 'spendaholic' desires so after bills, rent, savings I have about 750 left a month

wydsiwyrg

In all honesty you don't have that. You should be using that to pay up more of your debts. They amount you are accruing in interest will kill any enjoyment you'll feel now; I'm afraid!

On the plus side - that's a great figure to be left with after you've paid all your debts. I bought the first new clothes I bought since I got married 1.5 years ago, at Christmas. Cost me £30 Maybe look at spending more time socialising in environments that require no money spend. You'll pick up better friends too!!

HTH.

immoral_angeluk

Although we have money left after bills, min payments etc, anything leftover all goes on debt. So we don't really have anything spare...

OliveOyl_2

I think you are revealing how you got into debt
£100 per month on socialising and entertainment seems a generous amount to me (nowadays anyway )

Someone said to me, "why do we work so hard 48 weeks of the year to buy & maintain our home and then the moment we have some holiday we try and get as far away from it as possible?" This was enough for me to change my mindset. Now I can think of nothing nicer after work, in the evening than spending time in my own home, curled up in front of a warm TV - sad really!

Having said that I'm out 3 evenings a week with my hobby which is Amateur Dramatics That costs me £20 per year membership and 20p a gathering for coffee

98jdougl

My debts are catalogues and I pay off the full amount every month so there isn't really much more I can throw at it to be honest and my overdraft is interest free so I don't acrue any extra itnerest on it

Also: do spend a lot of my socialising time doing it 'free'
I get free cinema entry, free bowling, half price in certain restaurants, free gym membership and free nightclub entry and drinks promotions through my job :P

98jdougl

you are best to stick the the £100 a month imho, think how much better you wil lfeel at the end than if it had taken another x years to clear your debt

debrag

I have £435.50- £485.50 left for food, travel, tuition. Anything left going away for emergencies and then goes on the debts at the end of the year.
435.5
435.5

LuciferTDark

Nothing left at all for socialising as it should be when you've got debts that need paying.

always_amazed

Hey!

£100 doesn't need to be 'only' £100!!!

I didn't GET this till recently; and it happened like this.. (cue misty foggy flashback)...
....I was recently really ill and couldn't go out at all. When I did, I couldn't really be bothered drinking and stuff (didn't want the poison! I'm back now though!).
On my first night out with friends, (sober), I realised many people were paying for rounds of drinks on CCs. One went to the cash machine and came back with £100: he'd said earlier that day that the machine had eaten his cashcard; so he must have used his CC! (he doesn't have a cashline card).
Yes, they are a great bunch to go out with; are known as party people, but I don't think it's worth it now.
The I realised, 'What are they doing?!? They are going to be paying for this night at the pub when they are forty years old!!!' I swiftly left. Cue similar lightbulbs with mates buying designer handbags.


So then I realised I'd spend within my means on clothes and socialising. My amount is lower than £100 per month, and I still have a super party life

xxxx

wilkster5

ok i maybe wrote that wrong, I dont have just for booze, i mean for everything like well booze, odd take away, magazine, odd lunch out, this money soon goes...£100 my mates spend that a night in Edinburgh going out..its not the cheapest place to live!