Strategies for allowance/discretionary spending - ideas please!

**wanna_homestead** · 09-02-2009, 02:52 PM

I am having trouble in my frugal lifestyle lately, and knew this was the place to post for advice.

I am finding that what I do is to go whole hog for a couple months, and not really buy myself much, and then suddenly one day I'll just haul off and buy everything I've wanted over the last several weeks but wasn't buying due to being "frugal" - clothes, books, stuff for the kids, etc. I'm realizing this yo-yo cycle isn't getting me and my family anywhere. I realize also that our budget (a work in progress) needs to have amounts for discretionary, or "fun" spending - books, videos/books for the kids, school supplies, clothing (a biggie with three children to keep clothed and shod, although I have discovered Goodwill lately) and crafts (another biggie for me - I sew a little and scrapbook). My DH and I can't come up with suitable amounts for these categories. I know I spend too much on them and want to cut back, while also avoiding the "save save save save SPEND save save save save SPEND" cycle.

Does this make sense?

Anyway, I'm very interested in hearing how you arrived at budget amounts for these categories. Do you have a lump sum allowance for these unnecessary-to-our-survival-but-still-nice things?

I'm considering asking DH if we can just do an allowance for me each month, since I do the bulk of the household shopping. If I were to go this route, what is a reasonable amount (not including groceries, that's a whole 'nother beast)?

I know every situation is different. Just looking for ideas.

Thanks!

**jas** · 09-02-2009, 05:47 PM

for starters what does your budget look like. How much is left over after everything is paid? What would come out of this fund? Just your fun money or fun, clothes, shoes ect...

**wanna_homestead** · 09-02-2009, 10:07 PM

Fun, clothes, shoes, etc...I guess I'm looking to see how much others spend in these categories, or if people have luck lumping them into one allowance to spend as the needs arise.

I honestly don't know how much is left after our bills are paid. (Big help, huh?) It's enough, but I want to save more of it.

Thanks....

**Wendy99** · 09-02-2009, 10:26 PM

what you spend though depends on what you have ? maybe draft out a budget and kind of figure out what you have left etc go from there ...

**wanna_homestead** · 09-02-2009, 10:49 PM

Maybe I'm expressing the question wrong...what I'm asking is, how did others arrive at the amount they spend on say, clothing?

My DH is in charge of our budget but he's buried at work lately so I'm not going to bug him to get me amounts...we're behind at updating our spreadsheet. We've had an eventful summer and got very behind. So, we're starting over in September. Our "budget" though really is just our tracking system - no set amounts "budgeted" yet. We're in the early stages of the whole process, just kind of seeing what we spend now so we can cut back a bit where possible.

I was just looking for a starting point, since we've not tracked all summer but I want to get going with *something*.

**firefly615** · 09-03-2009, 12:40 AM

While I don't really have an answer to your "amounts" question, I'll tell you what I do when I get the urge to spend spend spend. I hit a couple of garage sales! I give myself a certain amount in cash, say $20. Then off I go. I look for books particularly. Sometimes the kids go with me in search of toys and things they would like. You'd be amazed what toys you can get for a couple of dollars!

I usually don't stay out too long but I feel like I've had a little shopping fix. I rarely even spend all my cash. I very often come home with books, mags, and a goody or two and I feel excited about my treasures rather than guilty about overspending.

Sorry if this is not exactly an answer to your question, but it's something that helps me get over the feeling of deprivation.

**frugalfranny** · 09-03-2009, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by wanna_homestead

I honestly don't know how much is left after our bills are paid.
Thanks....

Then how do you know if you can even afford clothes?

You need to work on the 'total budget'...and know how much is left for other things after the bills are paid.....before doing a break down........

Good luck.....

**sunshine** · 09-03-2009, 09:40 AM

Look back at your past few months or past year and see how much you've spent on those items. Then figure your allowance/budgeted amount from that.

For us, dh-me (nurse, wearing scrubs, special shoes, support hose)- dd, college student, dance teacher (leotards, tights) and works at a nursing home (scrubs, special shoes). . . our clothing allowance is $30/month.

School/home paper supplies - envelopes, stamps, pens, etc. Budgeted amount is $10/month

Then we each get $40/month for blow money that doesn't have to be accounted for anywhere in the budget -- things like office gifts, books, magazines, eating out, are included in this.

**Wendy99** · 09-03-2009, 09:57 AM

I still stick with my first post you need to have a budget before you can figure this out ... you may be spending money that is otherwise needed ...

**NewLeaf** · 09-03-2009, 10:01 AM

I wait until all bills are paid ea. payday, grocery budget money has been put in my envelope and kids school costs(lunch,icecream, field trips) have been paid. When I am sure all the necessaries are paid for then I look at what is left and take into account gas money needed. Then I ask my self what ONE thing I need or would like , is there any clothes or shoes my kids or dh need. If I have the money left over I buy the most needed/important thing. If I then have money left a couple of days before a payday, that might be my "fun money" for crafts, lunch out or what ever.
I hope that helps.

**Greebo** · 09-03-2009, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Wendy99

I still stick with my first post you need to have a budget before you can figure this out ... you may be spending money that is otherwise needed ...

I agree with Wendy

**Greebo** · 09-03-2009, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by wanna_homestead

I was just looking for a starting point, since we've not tracked all summer but I want to get going with *something*.

We started with the essentials.

We made a list of everything we HAVE to spend each month. Mortgage, food, clothing (essential not extra), transportation, utilities were first on the list. Everything else came after - debt payments, other bills (netflix, audible, etc.).

Then we went down that list and started with our income at the top, and by each line item on our list we deducted what we had to spend from what we had coming in.

When we got to the bottom of the list, we started adding new categories - we added a books/media fund, and we thought about how much we currently spent and how much was reasonable.

Then we got to our debt snowball (last), saw how much wasn't going to it, and went back down the list and cut numbers, a lot.

Do not start planning your budget with the extras - start your budget with the essentials, then give yourself a LITTLE money in each "extra" so you can do some shopping, so you can avoid the binge spending cycle.

**forHISglory** · 09-03-2009, 10:31 AM

When we were at our most frugal point, we spent NOTHING on entertainment, but devised our own ways of having fun that cost nothing... not even gas. Our hobbies got put on the back burner during this time. We also decided that our food budget could be cut to the bone. The essentials for us were: tithe, mortgage, utilities. We had a short loan for the truck, but no other bills. We put a moratorium on any new clothes. This might sound weird, but we squirreled away a few bucks each month into savings, just to make sure we kept the savings habit. This lifestyle lasted about a year (until our circumstances changed), and then we slowly added back what we had taken away.

It's different strokes for different folks, but this is what we had to do to make it through a rough spot.

**shoiji** · 09-03-2009, 02:19 PM

I budget x amount each month that can be used to spend however I want to. This is after knowing all bills will be paid, food, pet, doctors, meds, are covered.

You really do need to go over your monthly budget.

**wanna_homestead** · 09-03-2009, 04:27 PM

Thanks, everyone! I really don't think I'd have luck with trying to recreate the past year's clothing expense, so I'll just have to start from scratch. I guess I'll just come up with some arbitrary amount.

I agree we need to get the budget hammered out. I already realized this.

Was just looking for help in these "extras" type categories. I have no idea how much most people spend on clothes each month. I would venture a guess that I spend around $100 a month for all of us, but not sure. Most of this is at Goodwill. I've also spent more lately due to growth spurts and me trying to get my wardrobe built up after some style changes as I've hit my old age (30s) and have realized some things are just too young on me.

Thanks for the input.