Blow Money

[Annie M.]

Do you ladies set aside some blow money, and how much?

Do you have a set amount, or does the amount vary  based on the expenses/income for that month?
Do you get/give it every pay period, once a month, etc? Just wondering what other people do

For those not familiar with the term 'blow money,' here's a definition from lbeeandthemoneytree.com:

"SO WHAT’S THE BLOW MONEY FOR?

It could be anything really! Drinks with friends, going out to lunch, that lipstick you’ve been eyeing — blow money should be spent on whatever makes you feel good and normal. This small freedom can prevent you from ricocheting back into charging up your credit cards like the end of the world is near."


In other words, it's an allowance that you give yourself to spend on unnecessary things.

In my case, I give myself P1,000 a week to spend as I please -- nagagastos ko sa maliliit na bagay like coffee dates with friends or mga anik-anik like bag organizers sa Beabi (LOL--feeding my OCD). Minsan naiipon kasi wala akong gastos, so I add it to my travel fund.

I find that having this amount to spend for frivolous things prevents me from feeling deprived and suddenly splurging. Sabi sa Dave Ramsey website:

"One of the biggest reasons why having “blow money” works is because it allows you to strategically deviate from savings and investing with minimal (if any) harm to your overall goals."

Kayo?

[beachpatrol]

I have this also, para maenjoy ko naman ang pera ko. I use it for dates, eating out, treating the family, shopping! No specific amount eh basta kung ano matira pag nabawas na ang savings sa sweldo ko.

[imeego]

Im a full time mom so wala akong income..but hubby sets aside a specific amount (5k) every weekend, i guess this is considered a blow money..he gives it to me every saturday when we go out and we use it for eating out, or para bumili ng something for the kids or for myself..

[Madness]

Ako din, i set  aside 1,000 per weekend kung normal na weekend lang. Tipong wala naman lakad talaga tapos nagkayayaan lang for coffee or milk tea or even movie.

[Annie M.]

Thanks for sharing, mga sis!

Si Gretchen Barretto daw may allowance na P1 million a month. Narinig ko lang yun somewhere, chismis. She probably gets more. Sarap ng buhay! I wonder anong binibili nya.

[mebpa]

I'll try to have this fund para I won't feel deprived kaka-save. Good idea den TS yun pandagdag sa travel fund pag hindi nagastos. ok na saken 1k a month for this. maybe i'll have extra 10k or half of that by the end of the year. at least covered na yun minsan ice cream or pizza namen ni hubby para hindi na den kasama sa grocery/food bill/fund.

[Angelite]

Yes, i set aside money for shopping. Sumasaya ako sa shopping. Mas stressed, mas magastos.

[17glut]

does it have to be really called "blow money?" pwede namang extra expenses na lang or allowance or splurge... 

anyway, I used to have this pero being brought up by a frugal set of parents, hindi ko rin maafford na magalaw. Pero the older I got, mas nakaka-konsensya ako on impulse buys, pinaka-luho ko na lang siguro is small groceries for myself like noodles, delata and snacks that I keep for my personal stash, kasama na rin pala pangyosi 

[mooncake and leaves]

No blow money either. I'm not very detailed. I tried pero detailed na kasi ako sa work so my personal life, I just stopped worrying about. Basta I save half of my salary for general savings and live as frugally as possible. I buy what I need, when I need it. My travel fund is intact din. I don't feel deprived naman. I guess talaga lang eventually, like what was mentioned above, tatamarin ka din talaga for useless things.

[melodymedley]

I used to have a "whatever fund". I removed it from my budget around three years ago. I realized na hindi ko naman nagagastos, or nagagastos sa mga useless stuff. Useless knick knacks, cutesy impulse-bought shoes, clothes and accessories end up being "dust collectors". When I purged my closet, aba, I realized I didn't need to own so much stuff.

If I want to "splurge" on coffee, movie or a nice resto, dun sya sa "allowance" ko papasok. For me, kapag hindi sya classified as "whatever fund", hindi ko nagagastos. Nung meron kasi akong budget for whatevers, naiisip ko: "ah, may whatever fund pa ako kaya pwede ko gamitin for this".

Ngayon, specific ang pinupuntahan ng expenses ko. I don't allot an X amount of money to be spent frivolous things. I put my money where I want it to be. I feel that I have more command over my money now vs. when I had a "whatever fund".

[Evolet027]

Yes I have this, dati naka budget sa 5k per sweldo, pero ngayon ni limit ko sa 3k per sweldo, because of that 12month / 52 weeks challenge thing. Can't help din talaga mag shopping every payday, feeling ko I have to reward my self.

itong blow money ko, after sweldo, bawas na automatic yung para sa savings, bills, groceries and allowance for the next sweldo. minsan, pag di ko sya nagagastos, hinuhulog ko pa rin sa 12month challege jar ko. to date, sobra sobra yung amount na dapat meron ako at this point base sa 12month challege. so more savings, pero nakapag shopping pa rin ako, so happy me.

[friendlyneighbor]

Yes, we have 5k budget every month for eating out, watch movies, anything we want to do basta it is within the budget.

[killbill]

No budget. As long as yung nagagastos ko won't take food off my table or ma cocompromise yung mga importanteng gastusin, go lang.

[j.adore]

Whatever is left after savings, investment, and expenses, we'll spend on things or experiences.
Sometimes we're unable to spend everything so it goes to savings na lang.

[angelholics]

i have 5k every month to spend on whatever i like.. pero pag legally married na i guess i will be living in allowance hehe.. mas magaling sya mag budget e

[28Leslie]

i have 1k per payday para sa kung ano ano.
usually hindi ko agad nagagastos so tinatago ko lang sa office table ko.
pag kailangan gumala or i want to splurge pang treat sa team, may budget. hehe!

[sarsingkit]

I used to have this but I always have this urge na gastusin lahat. Mababa EQ ko. Hehe. So ngayon, I don't set aside money for that anymore. All activities like eat out, movie, coffee with friends, I use my allowance. With things, I schedule my purchases. I also have luxuries of course, like make up, shoes, high end skin care - you know all the girly stuff but I buy them on schedule as well and only when I need them. As I get older, I learned to have more patience. I don't reward myself anymore with instant gratification or just because I feel like it or pagod ako sa office. If I want/need something kinda pricey, I really save up for it.

Sidestory: When my husband got promoted, he did not reward himself. Life just went on. This is too much kakuriputan naman. Hehe. But I urged him persistently that he buy something. Sabi nya pag nareceive na daw first paycheck with the promotion pay grade.

[Annie M.]

Sidestory: When my husband got promoted, he did not reward himself. Life just went on.

Nakakabilib yung ganyang mga tao. I am trying to be this mature about money, too. Dati when something like a promotion happens, I feel the need to buy something that will symbolize that success eh--like a watch, new shoes, etc. Tapos after a few days, parang may buyer's remorse. So ngayon hindi na, though I am tempted pa rin.

[lonelymiss28]

$400-$600, mostly ginagastos ko sa online shopping, kain sa labas.

[summersong]

I call it my personal leisure stash.

Dito ko inilalaan ang expenses na hindi kasali sa requisite monthlies like utilities, groceries, gas, or investments. It's also separate from travel, savings, family allowance, emergency funds, etc. Hindi naman ako maluho kaya madalas lumalaki ang naiipon dito, but for some unexpected gastos like coffee dates, birthday gifts or the occasional spa or nail salon date, even for short classes or seminars, I get funds from here. We all have to pamper ourselves from time to time or at least learn something new.