Budgeting for yourself

NancyT

Hello Ladies:

I am looking for insight on how to manage upkeep/maintenance on your beauty and fashion regime. Do you set aside a certain amount of money, spend a certain percentage of your pay, or have any other ways to manage this?

I'm specifically interested in those who are SAHMs or work part time. I work part time but can never seem to put ANYTHING aside for haircuts or clothes!

Come this fall, money will be even tighter since my son is starting university.

How do you manage? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

12 years ago

Off Topic

9 replies

Latest reply was from peekaboo

Elly

Veteran

This is a topic that interests me too, although I do think it has been discussed quite a bit in the regular forum earlier in the year because there was a guest Blog post by a forum member on budgeting for wardrobe/fashion.

I don't exactly work part-time, but I do contract work. I'm often working more than 40 hours a week, but then have gaps between contracts. Depending on the year, I guess it works out on average to less-than full-time and it definitely affects my budget.

I don't have a huge problem putting money away, so much as justifying "spending it on myself" or on clothing/grooming when I fear I am going to need it for something else in the future (i.e. being in deficit between jobs) or could spend it on something else (rarely get to travel for enjoyment, dinner or activity with the SO or friends, gifts, paying of medical bills, education, savings, hobbies).

Not saying that this is the case for you, but I often see friends who work part time or make less than their partners taking basics like haircuts and replenishing tee shirts out of their own money or their "fun budget" while the hubby wouldn't dream of spending his fun money on haircuts and pays for those out of the household budget.

One way I deal with overcoming this is to have friends and family give me giftcards for haircuts, beauty supply stores I frequent, and my favorite stores for holidays, ect. That way the money is earmarked.

12 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I work sporadically. Right now I'm doing 2 jobs, but in a week I will be moving and likely have no job for a few months, maybe a year. My BF and I share money, no separate accounts. At first I felt like I needed to squirrel away mad money and buy cheap things here and there. Finally, after like the 3rd move of me leaving my job behind, I decided on a clothing budget for me. Around $100 a month, give or take. It's been much smoother sailing ever since

12 years ago

MsMary

Veteran

Haircuts and clothing are normal household expenses and should, in my view, come out of the household budget.

One good way to budget for anything is to figure out how much you've spent in the past and budget that amount, or an adjusted figure based on that amount (up or down, depending on what's appropriate for you and your family), going forward.

12 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

What MK said

12 years ago

ManidipaM

Veteran

Very sound advice from Mary.

I suspect for many of us it isn't making the budget that's hard so much as spending it without guilt or desperation, as Elly outlined.

I work on contracts and freelance assignments too. So I understand about the irregular and unpredictable income.

However, what has worked better for me than spending when there is more, abstaining when there isn't is Mo's approach. The household expenditure, including everyone's fun money, is part of one shared financial system in our family. Our assigned amounts are a set amount like Mo's, calculated originally as 5% of our ballpark income per month. But since we had hobbled ourselves a good while in previous years to put more towards buying a house and a couple of other investments, we do agree that there will be emergency replacements for a couple of years---just as you would if your food processor broke, say.

After all, clothes are not just fun but necessities as well, on par with running water and electricity, yes? How can we NOT budget for it?

12 years ago

Elly

Veteran

I think Mandipa, Mo, and Mary all make good points. If you are sharing finances with someone else, clothing and other expenditures should come out of a shared budget to a certain extent with only "fashion" play coming out of a "fun" budget.

That isn't the case for me (the SO and I don't share finances) so I have to budget independently.

12 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

I am mum who works part time:) We have a firm budget (with room to move). My hair cuts and colour come out of our general budget. Otherwise I have a budgeted amount on fortnightly basis and that is my spending money for beauty products and clothing. It works well for me.

12 years ago

Hil

(website)

Veteran

I work half day and DH and I keep separate bank accounts. He pays for the bulk of the household expenses and I take on a couple... what's left over after I have paid my bit is my spending money for the month, but it's not a lot... really! My monthly salary pays for things like hair and beauty products and the family monthly shopping budget pays for the general toiletry items.

What I do is when I do extra work, like my doula work or freelance art work, the money I get from that goes into a little squirrel fund and I use that to pay for my wardrobe and other niceties. I made a decision to do this at the beginning of this year because I felt like I had absolutely no cash to spend on nice clothes and so far it's working for me.

12 years ago

peekaboo

Active Member

DH and I negotiated a set amount per month that I can spend on clothes/shoes. I don't usually spend much on makeup or hair products so those just come out of our normal expenses. DH doesn't spend money on himself except when forced to so doesn't need a budget :-/

I sometimes negotiate for an increase based on saving money elsewhere (e.g. if I go to the gym 6x/month for 3 months straight, we get a month free, so I can apply the cost of the gym membership to my shopping budget).

It sounds sort of paternalistic, but it's actually good for me to have to stick to a number or else I can get a little out of control.

12 years ago

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