Do you stick to a weekly budget?

Wanderer2010

Do you record or plan for your weekly expenses and spend according to it, i.e do you put aside X amount for rent and bills and the rest for food or are you more casual and once the rent is paid just take it as it comes with regards food and entertainment etc? I personally have found that if you plan a bit, you can have more control of your finances..

snubbleste

Yes.
I'm atypical.

Kylo Ren

Monday-Thursday I allocate myself €50 for food and bills.

Friday-Sunday I allocate myself €400 for coke and hookers.

El Guapo!

I'm terrible with money.
I get it........I spend it...........I complain that I have no money.
It's a vicious cycle.

mikom

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Do you stick to a weekly budget?

Yep.
Every Monday I slash the carers respite allowance.

shedweller

We have a set menu every week and its not flash i can tell you. Everything else goes on bills (electricity,heating,phone,insurance etc.)which dont change a whole lot thankfully. Theres savings too but we are constantly having to dip into them to pay for random stuff like repairs etc.
We float along but it gets tight if some random breakdowns happen. Which reminds me, the shower needed to be turned almost right up to get heat out last night. Great timing eh?!

Rodin

I make sure the bills are paid, then spend whatever's left.

Where To

I live irresponsibly beyond my means.

mike65

Yep, to within a few euro. Is it boring? YES!

galwayrush

Some weeks i don't get paid, others feck all and some weeks, i do ok. I can only budget on what i have in my pocket.

mfceiling

Yep........bout tree fiddy every week

jester77

I have an account for all my bills, I just transfer over to it every month after I get paid. Then I go nuts on whats left.













sick of eating nuts every day!

monkeysnapper

I get paid monthly so I have to make sure I spend as little as possable for 3 quarters of the month , then the last week I pay as much of the bills as possable, if there's money left I ussually go out and buy something like a crown, or a fur coat,

girl in the striped socks

I find its easier to shop day to day. Doesn't work for everyone due to time constraints but if you can do this then it's well worth it because you end up saving a fortune.
Usually I stock up on butter, tinned goods, pasta, rice, cereals, cleaning products etc once a month.

tomthetank

I try to, then I get distracted by things like sweets and cake and clothes and end up doubling it

confuseddotcom

Personally isn't a case of having it to budget lol. Most of it goes on bills and things so s.f.a. is left-over. But actually this Thread has made think maybe I could/should look into getting everything taken out in/near the same date or something like that and maybe I might be able to budget someways better-off. I might look into that.

Plus with Jobseeker's getting paid into the post office and then having to sort out banking after that for the few different things then. It would be much more convenient for it to be put straight into the bank. I know it's to prevent fraudulent Social Welfare Activities but that could be dealt with by me showing up in person every week or something if it were to be put straight into bank account. Also, in a way, a lot of money is being lost in a sense or under-utilized in my opinion, because you can't withdraw a fiver from an A.T.M., so say for things that come to .99 or a couple of euros it needs to be covered by a fiver really. So if something came to 16.99 you would need to put in / allow 20 quid for it, but the sad thing is, that difference of 3.01 would be worth a lot to me, somebody on low money. How sad is that?!

I was sorting out my Bills there one day a few weeks ago, and I was short exactly 50 euro, I must have gone over everything about 12 times I'd say, but I just thought it was my calculations that were out by 50 and it was just a case of keep going through everything and I'll find the adding-up mistake eventually whatever I had added up wrong! But it was just heart-wrenching, 'cuz it was a panic-moment, what if I didn't just didn't count in 50 somewhere and now I don't have it! :pac: But the bills still have to paid regardless of whether or not I didn't add in 50 somewhere that I should have!! As it turned out I did find a €50 note that I had put away somewhere between trying to share the money around and swapping and chopping and changing!! :rolleyes: Crisis averted! But I'd say I was upset for a full day after it!! It just made me realize how tough things are!

I don't have a freezer, just an ice-box in the fridge, which doesn't fit shag-all, so I can't really store frozen foods. Being able to buy stuff and store them would be saving money in a way plus the Supermarkets can be reasonably priced too, where-as necessary infrequent odd-day-here-and-there mad dashes to Convenience Stores and Forecourts would charge sky-high for groceries. I would like to have a fridge-freezer if I could.

_Kaiser_

Get paid.. within 10 mins about 70% of it is gone, having paid rent, loan/cc, bills etc

Anything left after that is mine though Well.. not really - usually there's some other unexpected bill to squeeze me dry

Quester

^^^^^ confuseddotcom, we are in the same boat.

i plan as far as i have a set amount i fire into the account every week for the rent, internets, and pay 10 euro into the esb kitty. everything else has to be covered by whats in the purse, sofa, that forgotten pair of summer pants in the back of the wardrobe.

I manage. I know what i can do, and if there is something coming up, i need NEED 2-3 months planning on it, to have everything accounted for. Spur of the moment buys are limited to under a twenty every now and again. today, one strip of tinsel, and some candles from the pound shop, and I'm looking at them with a twinge of guilt.

michellie

Yes, i have to to make sure the bills are paid and to make sure I can buy myself something nice every now and again.

I get paid every fortnight and immediately transfer money into my bill/mortgage account and split the rest of my money in half, ill put away half for the 2nd week and won't touch it until the following Friday, I only work part time so I get paid x&o's each week too, that normally goes on food for the week and I do put money away into 2 separate accounts for Xmas and another for emergencies/occasions I need it for.

Max Power

Nope, I earn good money but it's never enough.

Queen-Mise

The bills are on standing order and I spend what is left. Although not quite that neat though - some months there is more or none left over - things like car tax, TV license, winter fuel don't really work on standing order.

So my philosophy at the moment is kinda working the other way - a small bit of money for treats each month and the rest goes on bills.


Although I am really fcuking annoyed at the moment - we had a wholesalers here that had a shop and sold to the public. It was really reasonable for some stuff - local businesses complained to the council and now have made the wholesaler stop. So my new philosophy is fcuk local businesses. I think I shall deliberately shop in english and american stores now.

/Rant over.

Barry Barry

i don't have any money to budget

whatswhat

Just wish I could earn it as fast as I spend it.:)

barbiegirl

I'm paid monthly and my bills come out direct debit at the beginning of the month. Then I take a set amount out per week and that is my budget that I try to live on. I generally know what else is coming up li,e car tax etc. And take that into account a the beginning of the month too. I generally have a little extra left and if I'm really good a nice bit extra at the end of the month to save towards big stuff, like hols, double glazing, car insurance etc. It's tight but overall I work hard and we are currently OK. I've halved my weekly budget over the past 4 years to keep pace with the cost off living.
You can only spend what you have

Cookie_Monster

yep. fortnightly budget based on pay interval.

41% to savings
38% to bills / rent / mortgage
the rest gets spent or pays back Visa if there was anything left on it from previous fortnight

Q_ueeny

I get paid monthly and still 7 years on I'm broke the last week and just have enough diesel to get to work sometimes!!

All my direct debits/standing orders are the day after I get paid like rent, bills, loans and insurance. I have a transfer to another account for savings but I usually end up spending this again towards the end of the month.

I then try to split the rest then for the 4 weeks for living/food/cigs/diesel/social. Some more one week to another depending on what's going on.

I like budgeting , even tho I'm not very good at it! I like to sit down and write out what's going in and out ect.

RidleyRider

I think everyone has to live by a budget and not splash out as much money as they want, unless they've been saving and dip in.

SafeSurfer

No, I spend freely even when I couldn't afford it.

sethasaurus

People SAY they can't save and that is what makes it so.

"Oh but I just don't have enough once the bills are paid".
Are you going for a pint? Are you smoking? Can you cut down on something?
Do you really need all the crap in the stores to make your life happy?

Do you go to work and spend half your wages on transport, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, a pint after work? Just one more?
Do you need another income? The more we get, the more we spend. If you're broke with one job, you'll be broke with two.

The best approach is:
Income - Savings = Expenses

If you can't save 20 euro, save 10, or 5. Be a grown-up -don't spend it. Savings is not 'spending money'.
You don't have to have a target to save for but It's damn handy when you get toothache or a flat tire or need repairs done at home or on the car.

Do a utility reading today and tomorrow at the same time.
( Elec/Gas reading1 - Elec/Gas reading 2 ) x cost x 62days = your next bill, given same usage habits.
(Current cost is approx 72c per unit for gas and 22c per unit for elec).
Put the right amount away every week and pay the bill as soon as it comes in. The utility companies will call to your door and offer you discounts because you pay on time.

Use your tesco vouchers as 2-for-1 credit on your bills.

Divide your monthly rent by 4 (instead of 4.35) and put that amount in an envelope each week. Pay your rent on time.
In one year you have one month's rent to spend/save.

That's what i do anyway..

Teebor15

People SAY they can't save and that is what makes it so.

"Oh but I just don't have enough once the bills are paid".
Are you going for a pint? Are you smoking? Can you cut down on something?
Do you really need all the crap in the stores to make your life happy?

Do you go to work and spend half your wages on transport, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, a pint after work? Just one more?
Do you need another income? The more we get, the more we spend. If you're broke with one job, you'll be broke with two.

The best approach is:
Income - Savings = Expenses

If you can't save 20 euro, save 10, or 5. Be a grown-up -don't spend it. Savings is not 'spending money'.
You don't have to have a target to save for but It's damn handy when you get toothache or a flat tire or need repairs done at home or on the car.

Do a utility reading today and tomorrow at the same time.
( Elec/Gas reading1 - Elec/Gas reading 2 ) x cost x 62days = your next bill, given same usage habits.
(Current cost is approx 72c per unit for gas and 22c per unit for elec).
Put the right amount away every week and pay the bill as soon as it comes in. The utility companies will call to your door and offer you discounts because you pay on time.

Use your tesco vouchers as 2-for-1 credit on your bills.

Divide your monthly rent by 4 (instead of 4.35) and put that amount in an envelope each week. Pay your rent on time.
In one year you have one month's rent to spend/save.

That's what i do anyway..

You're great!

pow wow

Nope. It's there to be spent and once it's gone it's gone.

CruelCoin

Nope.

iwantsits ibuysits iuseits.

MurdyWurdy

Nope, I pay my bills, put some in savings and spend what's left. There's usually money left over at the end of the month as well which we either use to buy something for the house/a treat or put in savings.

I only recently returned to live in Ireland, when I lived overseas I had to watch my budget really carefully and we never had money left over. We're much better off here, which people find quite shocking when I tell them.

keithclancy

I budget money to go into the savings, pay all the bills and then spend the rest on beer :P

Manchegan

Wouldn't it be great if there were, oh I dunno, a Money management forum?

Mint Sauce

Not yet, but might have to soon.

Just got first pay slip since the Governments Budget.

:mad:

Im_That_Girl

I try to plan ahead but I don't have enough money coming in to pay for everything - I always end up having to eat cornflakes for dinner 2 or 3 times a week. I've already gotten rid of the non-essential items btw.

annascott

No. I have a salary and spend freely for three out of four weeks each month...

jessiejam

shedweller wrote: »

We have a set menu every week and its not flash i can tell you. Everything else goes on bills (electricity,heating,phone,insurance etc.)which dont change a whole lot thankfully. Theres savings too but we are constantly having to dip into them to pay for random stuff like repairs etc.
We float along but it gets tight if some random breakdowns happen. Which reminds me, the shower needed to be turned almost right up to get heat out last night. Great timing eh?!

Check the filter. Same thing happened us a while back and thats all it was.

sethasaurus

Im_That_Girl wrote: »

I try to plan ahead but I don't have enough money coming in to pay for everything - I always end up having to eat cornflakes for dinner 2 or 3 times a week. I've already gotten rid of the non-essential items btw.

http://sethasaurus.x10.mx/JC-sm.jpg

Heard of pasta? rice? potatoes? beans? If you'd rather eat cornflakes, that's your choice, but puh-lease...
Look for a recipe for rubber chicken.
There are so many alternatives. The secret is sauces and seasonings.
12 chicken legs from Tesco is about 3 euro. A bag of rice 1.30.
You can buy a 2kg bag of rice for 5 euro or buy another brand for 10 euro.
It only takes a little brainpower to figure it out!