How much do you allocate to "blow money"

**missmanny** · 08-17-2008, 10:49 PM

he he, it always makes me feel a bit funny to call this "blow money" I feel like a am a drug dealer or something.

I was interested to see what people allocate to them selves as dicretionary money.

I posted on another thread that mine was well over $200 a month but this seemed excessive compared to others?

What do you allocate yourself every month in dicretionery money?

Maybe I am over the top and need to cut back?

**Wendy99** · 08-17-2008, 11:28 PM

I voted less than $50, because we allocate $50 even per month for blow money. I have yet to fully put this in actions as our budget commences in September (when the world turns back to normal - August has been a killer) .. but that is what we are hoping. If we find we need more, we will lower the entertainment budget which is currently $80 a month, but I think we should be fine at the $50 .. I get $30 a month and dh gets $20 a month.

**dcompton** · 08-17-2008, 11:40 PM

I usually get $20-25 cash around the beginning of the month, but will get a bit more if I need it. Some months that's plenty, some months I may take a bit more. For the most part, it's used for eating out. My work schedule makes it much, much easier to pick up something on the way in on Sunday.

**elphie** · 08-17-2008, 11:42 PM

I voted more than $200 but this includes everything that is not a line item in our budget; wether its haircuts, makeup, or a new kitchen gadget it must be taken from the misc. fund. I get $20 per week, dh gets $40 because he actually goes out into the world everyday.

I hardly ever spend my full amount but have it stashed for a rainy day so I can splurge on drinks out with a friend a facial, or a movie once in a while.

**missmanny** · 08-17-2008, 11:54 PM

elphie, I think that I come into this category.

My discretionery money accounts for everything that may pop up every month. including lunch or drinks or stationery etc.

pretty much I have my budget and my savings and snowball are on there as well as all of my fixed expenses and then the blow money is for absolutely everything else including credit for my mobile phone.

this makes me feel a little bit better.

**ladykemma2** · 08-18-2008, 07:28 AM

my pocket money includes clothing. 200 per month (really 100 per two weeks) . i put clothing here, because i tend to find clearance sales .

i teach science so a good deal of that pocket monet goes for "I forgots" I forgot calcium chloride (runs to home depot) I forgot copper (runs to home depot) I forgot alcohol (runs to the pharmacy or liquor store) i forgot ...

**Darlene** · 08-18-2008, 07:46 AM

I voted for less than $20. Hubby goes to work and brings his lunch so he spends no extra money. Usually the only time I leave the house is g shopping and appointments and I don't buy extras then.

**Greebo** · 08-18-2008, 09:02 AM

$30/wk for each of us works out to $240/month

Wow, that's a lot when I look at it like that...

**Jayne** · 08-18-2008, 09:42 AM

We haven't gotten that far in our budget....can't seem to get it right...I think we are Dave Ramsey faliures....

**elphie** · 08-18-2008, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Greebo

$30/wk for each of us works out to $240/month

Wow, that's a lot when I look at it like that...

I know what you mean... $60 a week sounded way better than $240 a month for me too. But, I figure this works for us so why mess with it.

**tbs727** · 08-18-2008, 09:57 AM

We budget $200 for both of us. We often use this for eating dinner out and clothes as well, although we SHOULD be budgeting those separately.

**The Muse** · 08-18-2008, 10:14 AM

I don't bother to formally allocate, though it's well under $50 most months.

**dancar3** · 08-18-2008, 11:06 AM

Our budget recently has been pretty tight so the extra few hundred we had each month went to to our debt snowball. Now that dh has gotten a raise and is working overtime as well, we think we're going to give ourselves $20/month. We've been on this plan since February and haven't missed any money for ourselves at all. I still think it mightl be nice to just have some fun money to kinda reward ourselves even though I don't think I'll be spending all of mine.....of course I say that now!

**mateosbaby** · 08-18-2008, 11:26 AM

I budget $10 a month for each of us. It's not much, and I can't even hardly buy scrapbooking adhesive on that, but it works. We very rarely even spend it. It's more like an extra $20 in case something else comes up that we didn't budget for.

BTW, if you're doing a budget using Dave Ramsey's budget worksheet, toiletries, cosmetics, hair care (including hair cuts), clothing, and miscellaneous (which I use for paper towels, TP, ziploc baggies, stamps and envelopes, and other household things that a trip to Target or Walmart warrants) is all on there. It shouldn't have to get put under blow money. I guess I don't know why people put that under the blow money category instead of budgeting for basic needs like that. My blow money is used for scrapping stuff. Husband's rarely gets used, but when it does, it's usually for something for his Blackberry or the computer. Dining out also gets budgeted, I never use my blow money for that.

Anyway, that's my .02.

**McD** · 08-18-2008, 12:00 PM

DH and I each get 20$ a week. It's not much, but everything else is budgeted for. I set 10$ of mine aside every week. Not really sure what I am saving for, but I know DH is wanting an XBOX 360 for Christmas. We have a Christmas Club account and we'll each get 150$ out of that to spend on each other...so I may be using some of my stash to add to that. In the meantime, the 10$ I don't stash is used just for me.

Wesley is too young yet for fun money, although he doesn't seem to think so. He came up to me Saturday with a squirt gun and said, "Give me onehundwedfweedowwars pweese." When I said no, he shot me with the squirt gun.