Budgeting

Sh3rlock

Sh3rlock

Sh3rlock

Soldato
Joined
20 Nov 2006
Posts
6,928
Well im off on Holiday to America in October and i want to save as much money as possible. Ive paid for the holiday itself but ive never been before so i want to take as much spending money as i can.

Just out of interest, how much money per week can some of you get by on ?
 
I can 'get by on' £100 a week. But I really, really, really wouldn't like to! I don't think I'd be eating or using utilities!

More realistic amount would be £0.8-1k, including food, bills, travel, rent etc.
 
When everything has gone out in a month (that I have no say in it going out - bills, loans, utilities) I have 20 quid a week to spend on petrol and food.
Needless to say I am therefore in debt but theres not a lot I can do about it.
 
Well to put you in the picture, after tax and a chunk of my money being transfered to an ISA im left with £1500 for myself.

£300 of this goes straight to rent, £105 to my loan and £43 car insurance.

But like i said before, i want to save as much as possible but not struggle to get by.
 
Damien. said:
Well to put you in the picture, after tax and a chunk of my money being transfered to an ISA im left with £1500 for myself.

£300 of this goes straight to rent, £105 to my loan and £43 car insurance.

But like i said before, i want to save as much as possible but not struggle to get by.
Click to expand...
It sounds as though you could save £500 pcm then...? That's a lot.
 
£500 a month is a huge amount to "get by on" if you don't have to take bills etc out of it.

My partner and I manage on about £150-£200, and sure we have to make a few sacrifices, but we can still afford to treat ourselves occasionally
 
get by on holiday or at home? (generally much less at home)

Holiday i got by with Mrs (who lives out there at the mo) with about £1500 for a month, i could have squeezed tighter but had no need to, we didn't eat out every night but it was enoug hto go do/see things and have a great time.

Home (when i lived with parents) i used to get by on about £100-150 a week with a few direct debits etc.

Don't know your spending habbits or requirements but saving £500 a month gives you about £1k nothing to sneeze at.
 
If you buy lunch everyday etc, try and buy stuff from the sueprmarkets to keep you going while at work.

I used to spend about £5 a day on food drink etc while at work, now I spend about £6 a week for food/drink to take work. which has saved me a little bit. They are lots of ways and things you can do. try and work out what you spending money on, where you dont need to.

Shame my car milks the petrol though :(

But you have about £500 left PCM, so try budget yourself to put away £400 a month
 
Ethics said:
get by on holiday or at home? (generally much less at home)

Holiday i got by with Mrs (who lives out there at the mo) with about £1500 for a month, i could have squeezed tighter but had no need to, we didn't eat out every night but it was enoug hto go do/see things and have a great time.

Home (when i lived with parents) i used to get by on about £100-150 a week with a few direct debits etc.

Don't know your spending habbits or requirements but saving £500 a month gives you about £1k nothing to sneeze at.
Click to expand...

£500 a month to get by at home per month.

I got 3 more pay days before i go too.
 
Damien. said:
£500 a month to get by at home per month.

I got 3 more pay days before i go too.
Click to expand...

You sound all set then, for 1 person that should be ample. I see it getting twice as much for your money since most things there are similarily priced as here, but there's usually $2 to the £ so you get double :)
 
Damien. said:
3 Weeks to Miami.
Click to expand...

So say you can save £400 a month until then, thats £1200 and will give you $2378.64 Spendo :D

Which sounds plenty to me. :)


Or if you can save £500 a month, that will give you about $2973.30.

(obviously some places might offer a slightly less rate, but will defo be in them regions, Im just using the rates we have for this month at work.)
 
Mull3t said:
So say you can save £400 a month until then, thats £1200 and will give you $2378.64 Spendo :D

Which sounds plenty to me. :)


Or if you can save £500 a month, that will give you about $2973.30.

(obviously some places might offer a slightly less rate, but will defo be in them regions, Im just using the rates we have for this month at work.)
Click to expand...

Was in post office yesterday doing a moneygram and the rate was 2.0 something if buying it, and 1.8 something if selling!!!

Be careful if you end up buying a lot of consumer goods to bring back, they'll try slap you with duty tax, probably better to get shipped back as gifts, look into it before you go if you expect you may do this.
 
Ethics said:
Was in post office yesterday doing a moneygram and the rate was 2.0 something if buying it, and 1.8 something if selling!!!

Be careful if you end up buying a lot of consumer goods to bring back, they'll try slap you with duty tax, probably better to get shipped back as gifts, look into it before you go if you expect you may do this.
Click to expand...

even better if 2.xx

I seen it a few weeks back in First Choice and it was 2.12 to the £.
 
Mull3t said:
even better if 2.xx

I seen it a few weeks back in First Choice and it was 2.12 to the £.
Click to expand...

Ive got a Fair FX card, they usually promise the best exchange rate.

Only thing is they arent a credit card so dont offer interest. So i am leaving my money in my account until last minute then dropping it across.
 
Ethics said:
the rate was 2.0 something if buying it, and 1.8 something if selling!!!
Click to expand...


I wasn't unless you were buying £1000+, it was 1.92 iirc :p

and the give you less for changing it back because they are business.

The best high street rates i have come across are m&s and AMEX, but the travelex website usually comes out on top, purley for the fact that they supply most of the high street.
 
**AFTER** All my bills (I'm paid monthly / All bills out at beginning of the month) I give myself £400 a month (i've just bought a car, saving again now) and if i'm careful that does me fine. However I generally go out a lot and end up going over that £400..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom