Sarah blogged on (which is nothing AT ALL like blabbing on) in my comment section under Bank Runs at 'Saturday Night & I Ain't Got No Money' saying that she also gave herself an allowance, but that it went for food, clothing, and gas. She wanted to know what mine covered.

My allowance used to work as hard as Sarah's, but not any more. I just have those items budgeted out elsewhere in either the family books or my own.



Nowdays, my allowance is just walking around money - gum, candy bar, pop, the weekly lunch splurge. This little drive thru lunch is my only vice at the moment but as a busy Mom it's the one thing I consistently do FOR ME and me alone. Even so, I've limited the amount for that to $2.50 and no more!

I do cover personal care items from the allowance at times - others not. Let's say makeup or vitamins. Sometimes those go in under the food budget when it's fat and happy and other times when I just want somethinnnnngggggggg (whine) and the money's not elsewhere I'll take it from my allowance.

Lots of times these days the budget doesn't allow much of anything for me to have an allowance even (OUCH!!), but we are in transition right now from one stream of income that is drying up and another stream beginning.

It'll pass.

Our two main priorities at the moment are investing for 1)The Hubster's retirement and 2)paying mortgage off early.

We could cut back on those ret. investments if we wanted to allow more blow money, but we need to make up for the pension that disappeared and IN A HURRY, so tight it shall remain for now.

We have little room for error and a small window of opportunity. Those with a longer time line can afford a small amount of elasticity that we can't.

I think Sarah's system works if you work it right.

I used to do it similarly. With one pot for so many items I'd often overspend on items such as food and gas and then would come up short in gifts and clothing which is the Big Four that I used to cover under allowance.

My gasoline budget is 'iffy' right now. Sometimes my truck stays parked for long periods of time. I am going places it's just that I tag along with the boys in one of their vehichles and on their gas dollars to get my little errands done.

Some months there is more in the gas budget than others. Those gasoline prices really squeezed it for us recently.

The Hubster gets a larger allowance than me of $20 a week. This covers his blow money and ciggies. Working in an office he often needs the blow portion for the occasional office party, etc. His clothes, gasoline and lunches are covered elsewhere in the family budget.

This way smooths things out for me and it works for us. YMMV!