How Much Money do you Spend on Yourself per Month?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope y’all who don’t buy new clothes don’t work out much. Old workout clothes are gross.

There's this amazing new technology called a washing machine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the money forum brings out the most extreme posters - the wealthiest, who spend the least. Maybe that's just who responds. I guess it's like asking people on the diet forum what they eat for lunch - two leaves of spinach and a glass of water.

OP - I think you'd get different answers if you posted in the beauty forum.

I was going to post but I would be a major outlier from the rest of the people in this post. I just spent $290 getting my hair cut and colored (with tip) on Saturday, so I spent in 3 hours what people are spending in 12 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP since you mentioned makeup and nails, I'm guessing you can't get away with $20/month. I'm going to assume you don't color your hair or have a short hairstyle that needs frequent cuts. It should be more like $70/month if you want to include all clothes, shoes, hair cuts, hair and skin products, makeup and nails. This would be just for you, not any family members.

To answer your question, my number is lower than that, but higher than $20.

This is the PP who spends a few hundred a month - I am as genuinely amazed by the people who say they spend less than $100 per month on clothes and personal goods, as I am by the people who claim to be 32 years old with $4 million in savings.

What do you generally wear? Was there a time in your life you spent more, and those clothes have held up enough you never, ever need to replace them? Do your shoes never wear out? Do you never need to buy shampoo? Do you never get your hair cut? How exactly do you end up spending $20 or $70 per month, every month? Can you break that down for me?

NP, but I'm in that ballpark.

I spent years building up a high quality wardrobe, mostly consignment or thrift store. You can find cashmere in thrift stores -- you just have to wait for it. Same for a couple of merino wool coats. I splurged on high quality shoes. I take care of them, and they last forever. I also splurged on bras. I buy department store stockings and underwear, unless it's lingerie.

I wear sunscreen religiously and have never tanned or smoked, so my skin is in decent condition. I wear drugstore BB cream, a light lip gloss, and soft eyeliner. Do my own manicures and pedicures, nothing fancy -- just well groomed with a little polish. My hairstyle is low maintenance, and I take care of that myself, too.

There's just not that much I need to buy. My wardrobe is extensive enough now that I have drawers of accessories to mix it up a bit. Every now and then I might buy something new, but 99.9% of the time I'd rather pull back into rotation something that I already love.

I'm the PP you are responding to. I also mostly buy wool or cashmere at consignment stores - and, sure, coats last for years. But what about t-shirts, underwear, shorts, pants to wear while walking the dog, shoes to wear for walking the dog, shoes to wear to go out to the museum on the weekend, etc? You never need new jeans or new sweatshirts? I'm talking about the sorts of clothes you wear for doing regular life things, that don't last forever - you don't replace those? Or if you do it comes to no more than $50 per month? Does that mean you save up for two months for new sneakers?

We get free t-shirts all the time. I haven’t had to buy one in decades.
I wear my walking sneakers to walk the dog and to exercise. I buy new ones about every three or four months.
I wear my walking sneakers to go to walk around a city or a museum.
My jeans last for many years- I dont need more than 2 or 3 at a time. They are not expensive
I have college kids, we get sweatshirts from them for Christmas.
I usually wear jeans or longer shorts and polos. They last for years. About every other year I end up refreshing my polos and shorts or jeans from Lands End when they have 40% sales. I also shop at Tallbot’s for nicer things when they have steep sales or go to the warehouse in Springfield- maybe once or twice a year.
I don’t have a budget for clothes, I just buy what I need when I need it.
I get underwear about once a year. Same for bras. I prefer granny underwear (Jockey) and have a preferred bra that is about $25.

Most of my clothes last many years, so I just replace when needed.

[Anonymous]

I think posting on the money forum is a mistake if you want a realistic look, but a good idea if you want a frugal snapshot.

I'll give you my realistic take - we are not frugal, but not extravagant.

Nails etc: $175/ year. I don't get manicures, but get pedicures once a month in the summer at roughly $50 each including tax and tip. I do buy nail polishes and remover etc and will do a manicure myself or touch up polish on toes.

Shoes: $750/year. I buy sandals, a couple of dress shoes, some fun shoes, and usually pair of sneakers a year. Always buy mid price brands on sale (so usually no more than $75/shoe, usually less). Obviously I could cut here - easily cut and half and not be deprived.

Clothes: ~$2500/year. I tend to buy from a small number of stores, and so track this via store credit cards. I tend to buy stuff on sale that updates my wardrobe, usually end of summer sales (which start in July, the middle of summer!) and end of winter sales (which again are in January, right when winter is really kicking in!). I have a lot of clothes, and I rarely wear all of them, so I could cut this substantially.

Hair: ~1000 - cut and color at $170 (including tips) 5-6 times per year ( need to spend more here, but it's such a drag to get there every 8 weeks, I usually stretch it to 10 or so, but the grays are really showing!).

Beauty - not a ton here. I wear department store brands ad buy replacements for things maybe every 6 months? Not a heavy make up wearer. Maybe $400/year? special lotions and soaps, face creams, eye creams, eye shadow, eye liner, lip sticks and gloss, face powder, and that's it.

Other beauty stuff - shampoo, conditioner, razors, etc etc just comes out of household expenses. I don't buy anything fancy.

[Anonymous]

I’m not frugal at all, but I just don’t care about clothes/shoes/makeup/bags/etc.

I get a pedicure 1x/month during sandal season. $40 with tip x 6 months =$240
No hair color.
One haircut/year: $75+ tip.
One pair of sneakers, I buy them at the NB outlet. $50.
I work from home so I only keep one suit for when I have to go to a business meeting, conference, or speak at an event.
Jeans last forever, I’m wearing a pair from 2004 today.
I buy socks and underwear from Costco in bulk. $20 a year.
2 new bras per year at $150 total.
Lotion, shampoo, soap, that stuff is all communal in my house.
I buy a cheap drugstore tube of mascara twice a year and maybe wear it 10 times all year.

So let’s round up and say on average $600/year.

I spend a lot of money on good wine and eating out, not so much on fashion and beauty.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea, but some people are impressive in their budgets. I get my hair colored every 6 weeks and it's at least $200 a visit.

[Anonymous]

Not a lot. I get my hair cut about 3x a year ($23 inc tip per trip). Hair doesn’t need or get colored.

Pedicures about 4x a year (35 per trip)

Clothes and shoes are from thrift stores, and on sale on top of thrift store items (maybe $5 a month on avg)

Makeup is from drugstore and I have a ton from a drugstore that was going out of business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the money forum brings out the most extreme posters - the wealthiest, who spend the least. Maybe that's just who responds. I guess it's like asking people on the diet forum what they eat for lunch - two leaves of spinach and a glass of water.

OP - I think you'd get different answers if you posted in the beauty forum.

I was going to post but I would be a major outlier from the rest of the people in this post. I just spent $290 getting my hair cut and colored (with tip) on Saturday, so I spent in 3 hours what people are spending in 12 months.

+1

I’m pretty impressed by how long people’s clothes hold up. My DH hates buying clothes and wears clothes until they are tattered and he still spends more on clothes than the ladies on here report.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the money forum brings out the most extreme posters - the wealthiest, who spend the least. Maybe that's just who responds. I guess it's like asking people on the diet forum what they eat for lunch - two leaves of spinach and a glass of water.

OP - I think you'd get different answers if you posted in the beauty forum.

I was going to post but I would be a major outlier from the rest of the people in this post. I just spent $290 getting my hair cut and colored (with tip) on Saturday, so I spent in 3 hours what people are spending in 12 months.

+1

I’m pretty impressed by how long people’s clothes hold up. My DH hates buying clothes and wears clothes until they are tattered and he still spends more on clothes than the ladies on here report.

Why is everyone ignoring that the OP is on a tight budget and looking for input from others who are also on a tight budget?!
Your budget is irrelevant. And our desires for new clothes are irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Maybe $300/year on cut and highlights and $200/year on clothing. <$100/year on makeup, $0 on nails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the money forum brings out the most extreme posters - the wealthiest, who spend the least. Maybe that's just who responds. I guess it's like asking people on the diet forum what they eat for lunch - two leaves of spinach and a glass of water.

OP - I think you'd get different answers if you posted in the beauty forum.

I was going to post but I would be a major outlier from the rest of the people in this post. I just spent $290 getting my hair cut and colored (with tip) on Saturday, so I spent in 3 hours what people are spending in 12 months.

+1

I’m pretty impressed by how long people’s clothes hold up. My DH hates buying clothes and wears clothes until they are tattered and he still spends more on clothes than the ladies on here report.

Mine, too. He spends at least $1k per year - prbly a bit more than that - and it's not some extravagant thing. He gets some pants, ts, button downs, shorts, a couple pairs of new shoes to replace those that are looking grotty. He needed a new coat this year because his old one was really no longer presentable. I'm not even counting the years when he needs a new suit.

Those who don't spend much at all, ever - what do you do for work? Do you need to look any particular way for your job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the money forum brings out the most extreme posters - the wealthiest, who spend the least. Maybe that's just who responds. I guess it's like asking people on the diet forum what they eat for lunch - two leaves of spinach and a glass of water.

OP - I think you'd get different answers if you posted in the beauty forum.

I was going to post but I would be a major outlier from the rest of the people in this post. I just spent $290 getting my hair cut and colored (with tip) on Saturday, so I spent in 3 hours what people are spending in 12 months.

+1

I’m pretty impressed by how long people’s clothes hold up. My DH hates buying clothes and wears clothes until they are tattered and he still spends more on clothes than the ladies on here report.

Why is everyone ignoring that the OP is on a tight budget and looking for input from others who are also on a tight budget?!
Your budget is irrelevant. And our desires for new clothes are irrelevant.

That's true. I guess we don't know what "tight" means exactly or what OP needs ("needs" or actually needs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the people who don’t spend a lot, do big events like weddings where you are in the wedding party throw your budget? Or big events in general?

Yes because that is when I have to buy makeup lol.

I don't need any more special occasion dresses. I have a couple beautiful ones and I love them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the people who don’t spend a lot, do big events like weddings where you are in the wedding party throw your budget? Or big events in general?

Yes because that is when I have to buy makeup lol.

I don't need any more special occasion dresses. I have a couple beautiful ones and I love them.

My friends are all long married. We have to go to a wedding this summer (family) and it will be the first one we have attended since....2014. And I’ll probably wear the same dress I wore to that one, which I have also worn to mostly all weddings except the ones I was in since I bought it in 2007.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Those who don't spend much at all, ever - what do you do for work? Do you need to look any particular way for your job?

I'm a physician -- a pediatrician. I wear scrubs for inpatient coverage and in clinic, I wear long skirts or pants with long-sleeved blouses or sweaters. In the summer, I wear light cardigans with sleeveless shells.

Hair in a ponytail, bun, or crown braids works fine. Light makeup is fine. It's a special sort of environment.