How much money for living?

fits

I am trying to save at the moment without compromising too much on quality of life. I am wondering how much do you think is a reasonable amount to live on per month after all the fixed bills (rent, health insurance etc) are paid.

Basically how much money would you reasonably need for food, clothes, eating out, haircuts, leisure etc per month?

Totally depends on your income and circumstances tbh
I would like to more than I have but I spend a lot on music fees language fees exam fees classes etc so those are my priority atm and the rest is 'as little as possible', nice dinners and things notwithstanding

fits

Is 1000 euro an awful lot? For everything, food, clothes, occasional medical appointments, leisure etc. (flights home)

spurious

fits wrote: »

Is 1000 euro an awful lot? For everything, food, clothes, occasional medical appointments, leisure etc. (flights home)

I could quite easily live on less than that and did for a couple of years while on a career break.
A car would eat into your money, so if you don't have one, it's quite possible I think. Aldi and LIDL are your friends.

fits

I know I 'could' live on less. I don't want to scrape the bottom of the barrel either. Eating out or having friends over is a major part of my social life, so while its expensive, I'd go mad if I gave it up.

I don't have car. I walk to work. I literally have no expenses other than rent and utilities (which are tiny).

Siuin

Well, as a student I manage to live on 450e for accommodation per month + 50e for food per week (buy in bulk, go vegetarian more often, shop in aldi and go for simple nutritious food like rice and porridge), 10e transport per week (2 return buses to the city twice a week), I give myself haircuts (trim the ends- it's not hard!) and would only spend about 15e per week on entertainment (plenty cheap/free alternatives)

The Big Red Button

fits wrote: »

Is 1000 euro an awful lot? For everything, food, clothes, occasional medical appointments, leisure etc. (flights home)

That seems like a LOT!!!

Well, flights 'home' would very much depend on where you'd be flying to and how often?

Also, you'd have to specify where exactly you're living (cost of living in Dublin will generally be more than elsewhere in Ireland.)

Also you say in the OP that we're assuming rent is paid - what about bills etc? How about travel costs for work etc, are we including/excluding these? Do you have a car (this was always my biggest financial drain!)

If I were to exclude rent, bills, travel, car costs. I could realistically live on €30-€40 a week, so that's about €130-€170 a month. In reality, I spend waaaay way way more than that, but I reckon that's what I could live on, if I had to.

fits

Fluffy Bunny Rabid wrote: »

I could realistically live on €30-€40 a week, so that's about €130-€170 a month. .

Realistically? I don't think that's realistic at all.

Including food, prescriptions, trips to doctor, haircuts?

Like I said I don't want scrape the barrel.

I want to live well, but not too well and save some money.

Flights home cost about 300 euro every couple of months.

Siuin

fits wrote: »

Realistically? I don't think that's realistic at all.

Including food, prescriptions, trips to doctor, haircuts?

Like I said I don't want scrape the barrel.

I want to live well, but not too well and save some money.

Flights home cost about 300 euro every couple of months.

Well you need to factor in your own extras to suit your budget- not everyone will be getting prescriptions and having trips to the doctor.

The Big Red Button

fits wrote: »

Realistically? I don't think that's realistic at all.

Including food, prescriptions, trips to doctor, haircuts?

Like I said I don't want scrape the barrel.

I want to live well, but not too well and save some money.

Flights home cost about 300 euro every couple of months.

As I said, flights to wherever 'home' is are going to be separate!

Food would be the bulk of the figure I mentioned.

Prescriptions? Most people budget for these. I have no prescriptions, so why would I include them.

Trips to doctor? Hardly a regular thing. I wouldn't include these costs in a monthly budget; I'd be more inclined to have an 'emergency' fund set aside for these things, if necessary.

Haircuts? Honestly, if I was down to scraps, it's something I'd do without, or ask friends to do, so it's not something I'd budget for. It's a nice luxury, that I enjoy (and I do get my hair cut every 4-6 weeks. It's a luxury, though, not an essential.)

Honestly you need to make your OP a lot clearer. I'm not sure what you're looking for?!

closifer

I think there are very few people in ireland right now who have 1000 left over at the end of each month after paying bills etc. That is a massive sum for just leisure activities and luxuries!! I am working full-time and I actually got paid today so I am just doing up my budget. I have paid all the dreaded bills and I have 500 left. I also get my hair done - usually costs about 100 every 2 months. Spend about 40 per week on food and 15 on petrol.

If you have 1000 per month and no car - you are in an extraordinarily lucky position!

lazygal

There's no way to answer this question. For some people a car is a necessity. At my stage of life with a small baby its a top priority as public transport can be unreliable and for weekly shopping I can't do without it. I happily survived a long time on my own without it. For convenience I shop in Superquinn. I could save a few bob going to Lidl but I can't get everything I need there so I'm happy to spend a bit more on groceries. Social life has changed from nights out once or twice a weekend to dinners in people's houses, designated drivers - definitely spend way less on this. Clothes, again when I was fancy free I spent a lot on clothes, not half as much now.

Draw up a list of your priorities - yours, not anyone elses - and try to see where money can be saved to pay for them. I'd recommend keeping a spending diary for a couple of weeks, see exactly where your money goes and where its being wasted.

I wouldn't be calling rice nutritious!!

Yeah OP if you do want to cut back, the only thing is to keep a spending diary. As you can see already, it varies a lot for different people

fits

That is a massive sum for just leisure activities and luxuries!! I

![/Quote]

jes did anyone read my op? Its for food as well, basically all expenses besides rent and health insurance etc.

it was obviously a stupid idea to start this thread.

I know im lucky to be quite comfortable. seems anyone will get shot down for admitting to it.

closifer

fits wrote: »

That is a massive sum for just leisure activities and luxuries!! I

!

jes did anyone read my op? Its for food as well, basically all expenses besides rent and health insurance etc.

it was obviously a stupid idea to start this thread.

I know im lucky to be quite comfortable. seems anyone will get shot down for admitting to it.[/QUOTE]


Fits I wasnt shooting you down at all! You asked if "1000 euro is an awful lot". Im simply saying that by todays standards - it probably is!!If you have it - enjoy it! Only you can know how much you need to live - it obviously varies according to lifestyle. I have had times when I had nearly 1500 a month to live on and times when I got by on about 250! Its sort of a "how long is a piece of string" question because it depends on a persons lifestyle, circumstances and the amount they are willing to sacrifice.

tomboylady

By the time I get my salary, and pay my rent, ESB, phone/internet bills, college fees, etc I usually have between €50-€100 left. I shop in Lidl/Aldi, don't go out very often (maybe once every 4-6 weeks), a big treat is a trip to the cinema. I adore going to the theatre so if there's something coming up that I want to see I'll try to save as much as I can so that I can afford a ticket.

During the summer months I can usually pick up a a little freelance work so I might treat myself to a few nights out, but for the most part it gets saved for things like Christmas presents, birthdays, etc.

username123

fits wrote: »

Basically how much money would you reasonably need for food, clothes, eating out, haircuts, leisure etc per month?

Why dont you keep a spending diary for a couple of months to see how much life costs you? Then you can decide what could be cut back, and realistically how much you absolutely need to maintain a certain quality of life.

fits

^ I suppose I should.
I know exactly what my fixed costs are going out every month but other spending varies a lot. I travel a lot with work and then travel home to Ireland a good bit as well so it does very an awful lot. If I set a (doable) limit I might have a better chance of saving more.

ilovesleep

Siuin wrote: »

Well, as a student I manage to live on 450e for accommodation per month + 50e for food per week (buy in bulk, go vegetarian more often, shop in aldi and go for simple nutritious food like rice and porridge), 10e transport per week (2 return buses to the city twice a week), I give myself haircuts (trim the ends- it's not hard!) and would only spend about 15e per week on entertainment (plenty cheap/free alternatives)

How do you trim your own hair? How would you do the back? And on your own and all? It's just I'd love to save on this expense. By right I should be getting my hair trimmed every 10 weeks, but I don't. I go maybe about twice a year and my hair is a messed. I priced the student hairdressing college and it's 20 euro

Siuin

ilovesleep wrote: »

How do you trim your own hair? How would you do the back? And on your own and all? It's just I'd love to save on this expense. By right I should be getting my hair trimmed every 10 weeks, but I don't. I go maybe about twice a year and my hair is a messed. I priced the student hairdressing college and it's 20 euro

I've very long hair which is kinda layered (so not necessarily a blunt straight end) so basically I pull it evenly at both sides and snip an inch off the ends- it's pretty handy! I've had a few compliments in the past on my haircuts, which is kinda funny :P

Also, for people out there who have light coloured brows and get them tinted regularly, I'd highly recommend investing in Clairol's Nice 'n Easy Root Touch-Up kit, some cotton buds and vaseline- you can do them yourself for a fraction of what you'd pay in a salon

fits

fits wrote: »

Is 1000 euro an awful lot? For everything, food, clothes, occasional medical appointments, leisure etc. (flights home)

Yes, for most people, it would be. I've had times when I've had to live on that with the rent and bills included. I've also had times (not for long, I might add!) when I did have 1000 euros of disposable income and managed to fritter it away on clothes and weekends away.

It really depends what YOU consider 'scraping the barrel'. For some women, that might mean no weekly manicures. For others it might mean eating meat-free dinners a few days a week. Everyone has different standards and different things they compromise on.

I'm starting a new freelance career, so have no choice but to live on a pittance. I only have about 200 euro per month left after essentials at the moment (my yearly holiday is already paid for). That means no beauty salon, no haircuts (growing out my hair long so only need a trim 2-3 times a year), dying my own hair with henna, no buying new make-up/clothes/shoes, going out for a coffee or pint instead of a full-on dinner, doing hobbies which don't cost anything (meeting people to practise my languages, running in the park etc). Honestly, it's really not that bad. I'm happy enough. And I don't even have the benefit of knowing I'm only doing this to put money aside for something big. I couldn't do this for years, but it's fine for now. Just depends on what you're used to and what your expectations are.

The Corinthian

If €1,000 per month is too much, it's not by much.

Unless you're fond of horse offcuts, your shopping bill will be higher than the rock bottom required to survive - without getting into all that organic nonsense. Lidl and Aldi are good, but I'd advise you buy different things in different places.

Socializing depends a lot on where you go and how often; most seem to go for one or two pints one or two times per week and then one 'major' night out (how 'major' is open to debate). If you're doing more than that then you probably should scale back and even if you're at that level, there's no harm cutting one minor trip out a week (or every two weeks).

Of course, no one lives by bread (and beer) alone, and you'll get 'exceptional' expenses that crop up from time to time, but not every week. Buying clothes, haircuts/dressers, doctors/prescriptions (prescriptions you take all the time, I'd factor as normal shopping) and holidays.

One way gauging this is draw up a list of all of them, ask yourself how much you got to them or use them per year, tot up the cost and divide by twelve. Then round it up.

I suspect between €800 to €1,000 per month, after bills would be what you're looking at. If you save nothing on this, or cannot afford it, go back and see where you can make cuts.

Hope this helps.

fits

Thank you! I was beginning to wonder if I was living on a different planet ITs not exactly scraping by, but not a huge amount either.

undecided

I wouldnt have that to spend on my whole family (2 adults, 12 yo & 9 yo). we spend approx 100 pw on food, approx 70 for saving/ leisure and utilities approx 200 pm.....so yes you will have a very good standard of living.

undecided

I wouldnt have that to spend on my whole family (2 adults, 12 yo & 9 yo). we spend approx 100 pw on food, approx 70 for saving/ leisure and utilities approx 200 pm.....so yes you will have a very good standard of living.

The Corinthian

undecided wrote: »

I wouldnt have that to spend on my whole family (2 adults, 12 yo & 9 yo). we spend approx 100 pw on food, approx 70 for saving/ leisure and utilities approx 200 pm.....so yes you will have a very good standard of living.

That's not her problem though. She apparently does earn above the average and is asking how best to save something without impacting too much on her standard of living, not that she needs to budget just to make ends meet. So when responding you ultimately have to take into account her financial situation, not yours.

The Corinthian

The Corinthian wrote: »

If €1,000 per month is too much, it's not by much.

Unless you're fond of horse offcuts, your shopping bill will be higher than the rock bottom required to survive - without getting into all that organic nonsense. Lidl and Aldi are good, but I'd advise you buy different things in different places.

Socializing depends a lot on where you go and how often; most seem to go for one or two pints one or two times per week and then one 'major' night out (how 'major' is open to debate). If you're doing more than that then you probably should scale back and even if you're at that level, there's no harm cutting one minor trip out a week (or every two weeks).

Of course, no one lives by bread (and beer) alone, and you'll get 'exceptional' expenses that crop up from time to time, but not every week. Buying clothes, haircuts/dressers, doctors/prescriptions (prescriptions you take all the time, I'd factor as normal shopping) and holidays.

One way gauging this is draw up a list of all of them, ask yourself how much you got to them or use them per year, tot up the cost and divide by twelve. Then round it up.

I suspect between €800 to €1,000 per month, after bills would be what you're looking at. If you save nothing on this, or cannot afford it, go back and see where you can make cuts.

Hope this helps.

I'd have thought 1000 euro of disposable income for a single adult would be enough by anyone's standards, unless they weren't even trying to be careful with money. When I first started working at 22 (at the tail end of the 'good times' and blissfully oblivious to what was about to happen to the economy), I didn't bother saving anything and pretty much bought everything I wanted, within reason. Clothes, shoes, dinners out, midweek pints at 6 euro each, taxis home instead of walking, shopping in Dunnes, flights to see family in England once a month, weekends away. Frittering it away without trying to save for anything big, but it was still more than enough.

It's impossible to advise OP without knowing what she's actually earning and where she actually lives. If she's on a salary similar to that of my ex-colleagues in the European Commission in Brussels (4-5 grand a month take home pay in a city with relatively low rents and cheap transport), then 1000 a month to live on is reasonable. If she's on anything like the average salary in Ireland, then she's being too extravagant. It's all relative.

Stheno

Going by what you've posted, I'd estimate the following for your spending per month:

Food €300 (50 per week for you, and an extra 80 or so for say two dinner parties?)
Eating out €200 (once a week at fifty per meal)
Meeting friends for drinks €100 (once a week at 25 per meetup)
Flights €150
Haircut €50 (assuming you get it cut/coloured every ten weeks @ €150 a time)
Clothes €50 (covering clothes/shoes/drycleaning)
Cosmetics €25
Not including doctors, prescriptions or any other hobbies/leisure activities you do, that brings you up to €875 per month (probably closer to €925 given that I've worked on the basis of four weeks rather than a month as I'm being lazy)

So on that basis, I don't think €1000 is too much, it's a very nice standard of living to have

One thing I do is just use a spreadsheet to put in all of my "fixed" expenses then put in figures for non fixed expenses such as the above, contingency (like stuff such as doctors etc, or include those if they are regular)

Then I total that up, put in my income, and use that to estimate what I can save. When I started doing that I tracked it, and now have the savings in as a "fixed" expense so it too goes out at the beginning of the month and I'm then left with my "allowance" for the month so to speak

movingsucks

lazygal wrote: »

There's no way to answer this question. For some people a car is a necessity. At my stage of life with a small baby its a top priority as public transport can be unreliable and for weekly shopping I can't do without it. I happily survived a long time on my own without it. For convenience I shop in Superquinn. I could save a few bob going to Lidl but I can't get everything I need there so I'm happy to spend a bit more on groceries.

Hope this isn't too off topic but Superquinn deliver and you can shop online as do Tesco. It costs about five euro extra but I found it great when I had no car and a small baby, and for even when I got the car but was so knackered I didn't feel safe driving

pwurple

movingsucks wrote: »

Hope this isn't too off topic but Superquinn deliver and you can shop online as do Tesco. It costs about five euro extra but I found it great when I had no car and a small baby, and for even when I got the car but was so knackered I didn't feel safe driving

Supervalu do that too. They have a shopping app.

On the disposable income, if it helps, the bank expects you have 1000 per adult, and 500 per child left over after mortgage and any other loans each month for a mortgage application. So apparantly it's the going rate.

Queen-Mise

I'd look at this another way OP -

Essentials - Mortgage/Rent, Utilities, Travel to Work, Food, Doctor (prescriptions) etc
Separate this out from your spending money to live on a month.

Non-Essentials - Flights home (maybe, this is a rough idea), leisure,

Luxuries - Eating out, Theatre, etc

Some things like food & clothes will go into Essentials and Luxuries i.e. your milk is essential & your Haagen Daz is a luxury:D The same for clothes.

So when saying your figure of 1000 - it is not a fair question to ask us is it enough for you to live on as we have no idea what your essentials are costing and some of the things you mentioned are classed as essentials.

So look again at your costs and break it down (doesn't have to be down to the penny - but to give you a rough idea).

If you are talking about saving - I would start with innocuous amount to come out on your pay day. If that is ok for a month or two - then push it up 25 & then up again. Don't decide you are going to save 200 a month and then have nothing to live on for two weeks.

Queen-Mise

pwurple wrote: »

On the disposable income, if it helps, the bank expects you have 1000 per adult, and 500 per child left over after mortgage and any other loans each month for a mortgage application.

How do you know that? We are a long way under that after paying the mortgage.

Stheno

Queen-Mise wrote: »

How do you know that? We are a long way under that after paying the mortgage.

Another guideline is that they stress test you to make sure your mortgage will never be more than 40% of your income.

fits

Why are people assuming doc appointments are regular expense? They're not in my case but I've been hit with them this month.

I was just curious really as to what people set aside as their allowance. But this thread hasn't really been enlightening.

My salary shouldn't really be that relevant, as I have plenty but want to limit what i spend. cost of living is the same as in Ireland.

Oh and flights home are essential:D

fits

fits wrote: »

Why are people assuming doc appointments are regular expense? They're not in my case but I've been hit with them this month.

I was just curious really as to what people set aside as their allowance. But this thread hasn't really been enlightening.

My salary shouldn't really be that relevant, as I have plenty but want to limit what i spend. cost of living is the same as in Ireland.

Oh and flights home are essential:D

So you might as well have started a thread entitled 'How long is a piece of string?' How on earth are a bunch of strangers on the internet supposed to know how much you can limit what you spend and what you're willing to compromise on and how often you go to the bloody doctor? People are assuming doctors appointments are a regular expense because that's the impression YOU gave. What does it matter how much other people spend if they have different needs to you and are on a different salary? Everyone sets aside a different amount for an 'allowance' because people have very different incomings and outgoings. I told you that if I were trying to cut back, I certainly wouldn't be spending anywhere near a grand a month, but apparently that's not 'enlightening'.

Only you know what you earn, how much you're currently spending, how much you need to save and what you can cut back on to save it. This is the kind of thing most people are able to work out on their own, OP.

The mind boggles. Really.

username123

fits wrote: »

Why are people assuming doc appointments are regular expense? They're not in my case but I've been hit with them this month.

Because you listed "occasional medical appointments" in your second post, giving the impression its a regular expense for you.

fits wrote: »

I was just curious really as to what people set aside as their allowance. But this thread hasn't really been enlightening.

This is simply a silly question. Different people have different priorities. I set aside a few grand a year for privately funded 3rd level education, nothing for hairdressers and last year and unusual dental cost me 2k.

Perhaps a more enlightening answer for you is how people manage a monthly salary. I manage it by paying the mortgage and bills first, then setting aside an amount for savings, then living on what is left. Time has shown me what I need to live on. If I have a big unexpected expense (like dental) I take it from savings. I dont go near savings for frivolous matters, I just stay in or drive to a social event and have a 7up.

But I know plenty of people who prioritise it differently, pay mortgage/rent and bills, live for the month, and save whats left - if anything. Ive never been able to live like that, savings are as important an 'expense' to me as any bill is.

fits wrote: »

My salary shouldn't really be that relevant, as I have plenty but want to limit what i spend. cost of living is the same as in Ireland.

Your salary isnt relevant, but only you can put together a spreadsheet of incomings and outgoings and decide what is essential IN YOUR LIFE and what is not.

clairefontaine

Your question and what information you offer is too vague for anyone to give you an answer.

username123

clairefontaine wrote: »

Your question and what information you offer is too vague for anyone to give you an answer.

Its also purely subjective. The OP could state they need 300 euro a month for socialising and I could state I only need 30 euro a month for socialising. People have different needs.

fits

username123 wrote: »

Its also purely subjective. The OP could state they need 300 euro a month for socialising and I could state I only need 30 euro a month for socialising. People have different needs.

I was interested in what different people have or think is reasonable for living.

I don't think some of the responses in this thread are warranted and asked mods to close thread.

The Corinthian

fits wrote: »

I was interested in what different people have or think is reasonable for living.

And as you saw, there's a lot of very different answers out there as different people earn different amounts and are in different circumstances or points in their lives and careers. For some, when they have less to spend, this can lead to resentment, which is why I think you got some of the answers you got.

I've used a spreadsheet to budget, since 1996, and I've found this to be a good way to guage what I spend, what I spend it on and how much I really need.

It began simply enough, as a one sheet workbook - although over the years it's become a bit of a monster - but the basic model hasn't changed.

Each row is a week, which is composed of income, expenditure (split into Sunday - Thursday, Friday - Saturday and Miscellaneous), a running total against total money on hand and finally a comments section. Miscellaneous represents things like rent, bills and unusual expenditure (such as a doctor or significant purchase, like a PC). The daily expenditure is split into two columns because historically I would have socialized on weekends, so the 'Friday - Saturday' entry would have given me a good idea of what I spent in this regard. The comments section would have noted what any unusual expenditure would have been.

All amounts were rounded up to the nearest £5, or later €5 - it's not supposed to be an accurate account, after all, only an estimate for the purposes of budgeting.

Anyhow, however you structure it, over the course of a few months it becomes a very useful guide of how you spend your money. You begin to see what budget actually does work for you and, if necessary, where you can economize. It also, importantly will show you if you're living beyond your means, as many do, as the running total of your assets will go into negative down the sheet if you are.

It's not for everyone, but as I said, I've been using this approach for many years and have found it to be invaluable.

Hope this helps.

fits

I must start doing this. I expect it will be interesting at least.

To clarify I have always paid bills and saved an amount at beginning of the month but recently moved country which interrupted the process somewhat. I have yet to get back to a routine as still adjusting. Not having to spend money on diesel for one is a huge saving. It was 400 euro a month before...

KamiKazeKitten

The Corinthian wrote: »

And as you saw, there's a lot of very different answers out there as different people earn different amounts and are in different circumstances or points in their lives and careers. For some, when they have less to spend, this can lead to resentment, which is why I think you got some of the answers you got.

I'd have to disagree here, I think people have been helpful as much as they can. Stating how much disposable income they have themselves and then offering tips to the OP isn't resentment imo.

OP - I don't really know what you wanted to get out of this thread, to be honest. It's just too vague to ask a bunch of strangers on the internet for tips on how to save money, when they don't know you or anything about you. Unless they have something concrete to work with it's damn near impossible. It just depends so much on your income and lifestyle.
Never mind the fact that when they offered tips you got defensive.

Anyway, there are no tips I can offer you because I know feck all about you - but I second the idea of a spreadsheet to look at your expenses. Hope you get settled into the new country too.

edit: rereading this, if it sounds bítchy it's not meant to be, but I'm just...baffled tbh.

The Corinthian

The Corinthian wrote: »

And as you saw, there's a lot of very different answers out there as different people earn different amounts and are in different circumstances or points in their lives and careers. For some, when they have less to spend, this can lead to resentment, which is why I think you got some of the answers you got.

I don't see any resentment from anyone. I just find it rude when I give someone advice and it's thrown back in my face, especially when the OP was so vague in the first place.

I think OP is missing the entire point which is that 'essentials' are different for everyone. You only have to look at the thread to see that. Even regardless of salary, some may spend 900 euro on 'essentials', someone else 100. I personally consider 'essentials' as food, water, transport and little else, but not everyone would agree. Also, everyone has different priorities. My friend thinks I'm mental spending 300 quid on flights when I don't have a smartphone/tablet. I think she's mental spending 300 quid on a piece of plastic when she could be travelling, expanding her horizons etc. Some women would spend their last 150 euro on getting their hair professionally coloured. I'd rather spend money on a nice meal. It's a really personal thing.

The Corinthian

KamiKazeKitten wrote: »

I'd have to disagree here, I think people have been helpful as much as they can. Stating how much disposable income they have themselves and then offering tips to the OP isn't resentment imo.

I agree that many have been very helpful, but you can hardly deny that comments like...

"I wouldnt have that to spend on my whole family"

"I think there are very few people in ireland right now who have 1000 left over at the end of each month after paying bills etc. That is a massive sum for just leisure activities and luxuries!!"

...are a bit judgemental, with the post representing the former comment screaming out resentment (at least in my eyes).

This is not to say that most people have been anything but helpful and that ultimately it's impossible to really answer her question and that she's probably better off judging for herself using something like a spreadsheet, but I do think some of the responses she got were a little harsh.

endofrainbow

I would love to afford to get my hair done every month.....but hey, different strokes...

The Corinthian

The Corinthian wrote: »

I agree that many have been very helpful, but you can hardly deny that comments like...

"I wouldnt have that to spend on my whole family"

"I think there are very few people in ireland right now who have 1000 left over at the end of each month after paying bills etc. That is a massive sum for just leisure activities and luxuries!!"

...are a bit judgemental, with the post representing the former comment screaming out resentment (at least in my eyes).

This is not to say that most people have been anything but helpful and that ultimately it's impossible to really answer her question and that she's probably better off judging for herself using something like a spreadsheet, but I do think some of the responses she got were a little harsh.

I think it's pretty tactless to state that you have 'plenty' of money and imply that 1000 euro is pocket change in times like these. I wouldn't begrudge anyone their salary, but I think it's a bit tacky to throw it in people's faces, especially on a thread about budgeting. Asking how to cut back and then basically saying 'ah but I don't NEED to cut back because I'm really well off'. I don't think some of those responses were entirely unjustified. I did even wonder myself if OP was here to boast about her wealth, because she didn't seem interested in hearing what the rest of us do or taking on any advice. Weird thread.

The Corinthian

Azariah Odd Underdog wrote: »

I think it's pretty tactless to state that you have 'plenty' of money and imply that 1000 euro is pocket change in times like these.

Perhaps so, but I came to the conclusion long ago, that it's a bad idea to suggest you've 'plenty' of money in Ireland in times of any kind.

The Corinthian

The Corinthian wrote: »

Perhaps so, but I came to the conclusion long ago, that it's a bad idea to suggest you've 'plenty' of money in Ireland in times of any kind.

Ireland or anywhere. It's not terribly good manners to tell people how rich you are, particularly when you know you're talking to people with a lot less who are struggling. That's how I was brought up, anyway.

The_Morrigan

OP I use an application called Ace Money (on my desktop) and Ace Money Receipts (on my phone).

It allows me to put in my scheduled fixed expenses (Mortgage, insurance etc) as well as my fixed income (salary) and it projects your spending over the year. You can put in future dated expenses also, so you can account for anything cropping up in the future and cut back in the weeks running up to that event.
You can have multiple accounts too, so you could schedule in a transfer from your current account to your savings and then see if that would impact your budget over six months.

As I use the receipts app on my phone, I keep a track of all my day to day spending, which I must say has been an eye opener of late and made me change my ways a lot. In the last two months I've budgeted quite severely living on 60 euro a week outside of my fixed expenses and I've been able to buy a new spinning bike and a new tablet from the money left over.

The Corinthian

Azariah Odd Underdog wrote: »

Ireland or anywhere.

Sorry, but it really depends on where and some countries I've lived in have no such problems if one were to go online and seek advice as the OP did. We Irish didn't get our reputation for begrudgery for nothing, after all.

Edit: anyhow, this side debate isn't helping the OP all that much, so I'll bow out for the time being.

Jogathon

I try to live on €200 per week, or €800 per month. All bills eg mortgage, ESB, car insurance etc, savings are not part of that amount. Out of that €200 I have to buy food (I am a good cook and can live thriftily), diesel, and then everything left over is fun money for hair and make-up, meals out, clubbing and taxi's etc.