How much do you spend per month on luxuries?

Hi all,

I'm wondering what a normal amount to spend per month on luxuries (clothes, eating out - including buying lunch rather than making your own, gym membership etc)?

I have just started working but am living at home. My commute expense is ridiculous, so despite having little actual living costs, I want to cut down on luxuries so I can save more. Now that I'm working I feel as though I'm more reckless with buying luxuries (not extortionate by any means but I could be more strict, and I don't mind e.g. hardly ever buying new clothes or eating out).

And does anyone have tips to cut down whilst also having a social life or good quality of life?

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Reply 1

Kevin De Bruyne

Original post by roflcakes1

I almost never buy clothes... apart from the odd bit of fancy dress but I wouldn't describe that as normal...

Annoyingly my eating out habits vary.. could go a whole week living on leftover food for lunch from the previous dinner, or have a pizza takeaway and some lunch that I can grab... I find hat only carrying enough money to buy a snack at best helps :lol:

I'm guessing cycling isn't an options, it sounds like a long train journey

Reply 2

niteninja1

Maybe a £10 for clothes and things.
On top of that I spend 4.50£ a week on half a pizza for movie night at my uni flat

Reply 3

Reality Check

Original post by roflcakes1

There is no 'normal' amount - what one person thinks extravagant would be parsimonious to another.

Reply 4

hatonfire

Last summer I spent £500/month on drugs and £2000/month on women. Does that count as a luxury? :P

Reply 5

Rakas21

I aim to limit my general spending to £100 per month.

Reply 6

freedom

Original post by roflcakes1

people work to spend money and enjoy life. I woudnt worry about it, and just spend and eat out with your friends.

Obvs do not get into debt you cannot afford to pay off

Reply 7

That Bearded Man

I aim for a weekly food budget of about £15, I add maybe £20 a month for nights out, averaging maybe one a month. £10 a week travelling. All in all I am trying to spend no more than £100 a month.

I do not buy clothes.
Gym membership, cinema etc. comes out of my night out budget.

Reply 8

Tanqueray91

Original post by That Bearded Man

Out of interest, why would you put gym membership in the night out budget? If you're adding £20 per month for nights out, and know that a gym membership each month, is just for example, £10 a month, why not just budget it that way...?

Reply 9

That Bearded Man

Original post by mobbsy91

As in, it depends on how long I'll realistically be up, then if I decide I'll use it, I'll get my month for £12.50 and that means that I'll just spend less on night outs

Reply 10

Tanqueray91

Original post by That Bearded Man

As in, it depends on how long I'll realistically be up, then if I decide I'll use it, I'll get my month for £12.50 and that means that I'll just spend less on night outs

Ohh I see! Double benefit then by cutting down on the nights out :biggrin:

Yeh, my membership at the moment I've frozen because when I couple the monthly cost of £17 on top of the driving to get there with it being over 4 miles away, going about 4-5 times a week, it'd be costing me about £35-40...

I think I'm going to switch to *free* running and cycling outside... also way more interesting than standing on a treadmill xD

Reply 11

That Bearded Man

Original post by mobbsy91

Ohh I see! Double benefit then by cutting down on the nights out :biggrin:

I don't agree tbh, I'm about half an hour walk away but I love the gym

Reply 12

claireestelle

£50 of you include food I don't need to be buying and when I forget to take a packed lunch to work.

Reply 13

Punkrockfan

Quite a lot. Gym membership is £20, then going out for a fancy meal (around £25/week). And I buy clothes frequently, etc. Gig tickets are also a big expense. I easily spend £300+ a month.

But thats fine because my parents give me quite a bit, and I make around £450 a month so I spend and still save quite a lot.

Oh and I live with my parents so expenses like electricty, water and rent are not applicable.

Reply 14

Nirvana1989-1994

Too much money.

I love spending my parents' money. :h:

Jk, I have my own job.

Reply 15

habeas.corpus

£200- £500 per month. Mostly on eating out and cosmetics/ clothes.

Reply 16

jkls92

Very approximately, on average, 200-250 on eating out, 350 clothes, don't go to the gym but tennis is about 90, then there are nights out, alcohol, books, gadgets...
But, since it looks like I'm somehow not heading towards bankruptcy, I evidently manage to balance it (e.g. this month I spent much more on clothes but nearly nothing on drinks/eating out, last month I spent on a gadget but not on clothes, month before I overspent on dining, clubs and drinks but not much on the rest, etc.).

Tip if you want to get into clothing. Buy well, buy once. Not sure about a piece of clothing? 80% of the time you won't be satisfied. Never, ever buy a "meh" one, whatever the price/function/need. You will end up spending overall more and being less content with your look. I have dozens of shirts, but among them I am totally satisfied only by a small percentage, maybe 7, probably less. Had I been wise and bought only great shirts I would be better off.

Either you are truly lucky or you can't see what's wrong with them. There is always that new fashion, that new trend or new style that I want to try as I grow up, and that colour or fit or piece I lack... it's a struggle.

Looks exciting! I'm joking, love books too, they can (and should) fill people's life much more than wagons of other superficial stuff.