How Much Do You Budget for Your Weekly Spend?

elliot91 on 04/04/2016 - 16:42
Last edited 05/04/2016 - 08:03

Hi all,
Just trying to get a benchmark of what the average person spends on food/living/miscellaneous expenses. I am 24, live in the heart of the city and usually spend about $300 a week on living expenses. Which seems excessive as I don't drive,however I usually go out once or twice on the weekend which accounts for about 60-75% of my spending. I usually eat out once, sometimes twice a week. I bring my own lunch to work and only really drink 7/11 coffee

EDIT: this does not include rent, bills etc. Only food, drinks, offhand purchases, entertainment etc

Poll Options

  • 17
    Under $100 a week
  • 8
    Under $200 a week
  • 2
    Under $300 a week
  • 1
    Under $400 a week
  • 1
    Under $500 a week
  • 9
    Over $500 a week
Food & Grocery

Comments

  • CyberMurning on 04/04/2016 - 16:44
    +4

    unlimited budget. if very very very very very good deals come up at ozb i will keep buying.

  • miarn on 04/04/2016 - 17:03
    +1

    What are you including? Bills? Rent?

    • the-mal on 04/04/2016 - 17:21
      +1

      Yep, we need to understand whether you include the "unavoidables" in your living expenses. Eg:

      • Food
      • Bills
      • Rent
      • Insurance
      • Travel (to and from work)

      Are you talking about the whole shebang or just entertainment expenses (eg going out / weekend / booze - the "avoidables)?

    • elliot91 on 05/04/2016 - 08:25

      Sorry, clarified that

  • humdingaling on 04/04/2016 - 17:06
    +1

    define "living" expenses

  • Findo on 04/04/2016 - 17:33

    I spend around $1600 a month. I don't pay for rent or food or my car (servicing costs + insurance). That money just goes towards useless purchases, eating out, petrol and maybe about $300-400 worth of savings.

  • ednamekin on 04/04/2016 - 17:55

    If I'm getting this right, the $300/week excludes rent and utilities. I'm at the same level as you - $300 budgeted which disappears into god knows what

  • cDNA on 04/04/2016 - 18:10

    About $2000 a week. Gotta buy food when I'm overseas, dry cleaning, and pay for transport. Utilities in Australia isn't that expensive since I don't have a landline and I'm not home for a lot of the time.

  • sa5ha on 04/04/2016 - 18:50

    Approximately $100 to $150 a week I would estimate between groceries, work lunches, miscellaneous little purchases and the odd meal out with my partner. Some weeks would be higher depending on what social stuff is going on though.

    This doesn't include unavoidable/recurrent things like rent, utilities, phone/internet bill, transport expenses.

  • rgr on 04/04/2016 - 19:22

    $123 a week for PT, lunch food, utilities, no rent, phone data

  • Cluelessness11 on 04/04/2016 - 19:27

    I'm 23, working full time and below spending does not include rent/bills/petrol/insurance etc etc.

    Weekdays
    Coffee - $40 - 1 coffee a day sometimes 2, always with an extra shot.
    Breakfast/Lunch - ~$100 - 5 lunches and maybe 2 or 3 breakfasts.
    Dinner - ~$75 - 3-4 dinners

    Weekends
    Entertainment:~$150 - alcohol, going out movies etc
    Food: ~$150-200 - 1x Fine dining meal & casual lunch/brunch or whatever

    Yep….I have no savings :(

    • Banana on 04/04/2016 - 21:34
      +2

      Buy a coffee machine!

  • mskeggs on 04/04/2016 - 20:08

    I'm in my forties with 4 kids at home and a small mortgage, but $300 a week wouldn't even cover that housing cost.
    So well over $500 a week, in fact, well over $1000 a week.
    And for the other things you mention, we do drive, two old cars, we don't usually eat out or get take away. I take my lunch to work as does my partner and kids.

  • bobbified on 04/04/2016 - 20:20

    I've tried so hard to budget about $300-$400 each week to spend freely on food etc and I'm usually okay most of the week. But come Friday or Saturday night if I end up in a a club, there's little chance of escaping without an instant doubling of that budget.

    And let's not get started about taking girls out… dinner is usually around $100 (for two) for something half decent and the drinks bill can easily double that.

    • CheapskateQueen on 07/04/2016 - 09:10

      Ah yes all the money blown on bars and clubs and drunken trashy nights. It's kinda crazy when you think about the absurd amount we can blow in a night. But that's a phase of life that's there to enjoy in the moment and then cringe and slightly regret many years later lol

  • Banana on 04/04/2016 - 21:41

    I live at home so I don't have to pay for rent, but I do contribute to utilities.

    PT- $31.2
    Petrol - $25
    Internet -$22.5
    Phone - $7.5
    Eat out - $30 (once + misc snacks)
    Grocery for the family - $70
    Misc purchases - $30

    ~$186.2

    So thankful that I don't have to pay for rent!

  • Baysew on 05/04/2016 - 09:00

    I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.

    George Best

  • Looking4Bargians on 05/04/2016 - 12:04

    Include all.. i mean all expenses ….$1500 per week.

  • ant meal on 25/04/2016 - 11:04

    At the beginning of a new year, I write down how much I know I'll have to pay out for things like rates, utilities, insurance, food, petrol & co. and add 10% to the total. Then divide the total by 12 months and that gives me the amount I need to put away and not touch each week. When payday comes around I put away the amount so I never get any nasty surprises. Anything left over goes to entertainment, clothes, and sundries.

    This has worked for me for many years and ensures that I'm never not able to pay my bills. If there's not enough over in months that have five weeks. then I forego clothes and entertainment.

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