Living on a budget

This post is a bit of a ramble, so apologies. It's also a bit personal, so some of you may find it incredibly boring. Feel free to skip this one.

I went through a stage a few years ago where I rarely spent money. I bought the cheapest food I could get, I didn't go out, I didn't buy luxuries. It wasn't because I was trying to be cheap, but more because I was happy that way. There wasn't really anything I wanted to spend money on, and it suited me.

Part of that was because I was used to not having a lot of money at that point. Going from student to working parent was a switch that took a lot of getting used to, and initially it was easier to hold on to the student-focused financial mindset.

Unfortunately, I no longer seem to have that. I have been overspending the last few months, and have found myself living on the last dregs of my paycheck more than a couple times. It's entirely my own fault - I adapted to having money to spend on stuff a little too well, and now I'm having to readjust again.

With that in mind, and also with the knowledge that we have a few things planned for this year which will require me to have some funds to spare, I'm giving myself a challenge. I'm giving myself a budget of £50 to last me from this paycheck to the next, intended to be used for my own personal expenses.

To some, that may sound like a lot. To others, that may seem like a pitance.* For me, it's going to be difficult - it's going to feel like being a student again. That £50 has to pay for any food I have on work days (four days a week), any bus fares (if for whatever reason I can't cycle or walk), and any days or nights out. All that considered, I am going to have to be very careful I don't use it on something frivolous.

There are a few things I'm not including, though. I have two hospital appointments this month, and transport to those is not going to be cheap. There has already been a day where I had to take the bus because of childcare issues, and I couldn't avoid it, so that has also not been included. Similar incidents, where I quite simply can't afford it in my budget or can't avoid it, will be left out of the budget.

So, now that I've chattered on about this, I can happily say that I am currently four days into my 4 week budget, and I'm down to £46. Fingers crossed I can make this work.

*I have no idea if I'm using this work correctly, or if I've even spelled it right. I'm running with it anyway.