What's your approach to money?

Not hard, just practical. When you are grieving, the last thing you need is anxiety about finances. I think the last loving thing you can do is to make sure your affairs are in good order. That goes for wives as well as husbands, of course.

And mothers! Mine are all in order and dd knows all!

Well she can be a know all anyway!

Pound foolish and penny wise I'm afraid.

if you look after the pennies, the pounds take care of themselves!

Wise words, Greatnan. When my dear DIL lost her father 10 years ago, it turned out that her mother couldn't even write a cheque and hadn't a clue about household finances. She was then a millstone round the poor girl's next for at least 2 or 3 years, phoning in tears every time a bill arrived or a form to be filled in.

I am also a spreadsheet person and track money carefully. I live frugally so that I can afford to travel a bit and enjoy my hobbies. I know that if I keep dipping into my savings sooner or later I will have to sell my house and downshift, but what the heck? Sometimes I think it would be great to know exactly how many years we have left, althouhg I know there's a downside to that.

as i'm close to picking up my pension yet still working as a full-time singer/musician,I have to be careful with my money especially as it's getting harder now to find work as younger singers are now having to perform in care-homes due to the closure of social clubs and pubs.

DH & I had no money really when first together (I was a student he was a new teacher) so not able to splurge or save..just got by and bought second hand/ used hand me downs etc etc. Cut according to our cloth! This was pretty much the pattern until kids left home!

We are in a more comfortable position now but never got into the habit of financial planning as we had so little to plan with! I know what the fixed outgoings are and what is left to spend /save for treats and that's what I do!!

We have a folder and everything is listed in it in case we are wiped out together and DDs have to sort out our(my) tangled accounts/ investments. I am also keeping up a disk of where everything is in case of need. It doesn't take much time if you have a short cut on the desktop and then every so often burn a disk if that is the right terminology

What's my approach to money?

Well, I rarely get to approach much of it!!

How do I manage money? I'm from Yorkshire. Nuff said.

Haphazard is probably the mot juste, although I do keep detailed records neatly filed simply because I am self-employed.

As for money's approach to me – the mot juste in that case would be infrequent.

I'm a spendthrift. But then I've worked hard all my life, I've provided for my children and my older age! Why shouldn't I have some fun before my arthritis gets so bad I'm either housebound or in a home?

Good for you jeni We've earned the right to start thinking and doing what we want after all the years of looking after children and bosses!

We never had much money when I was a child and that has been the story of my life. Now, in retirement, we are really struggling due to keeping our D, SIL and 3GC. They live with us and apart from their food they pay nothing. I had hoped now we would be able to have a 'comfortable' life but it isn't to be.

This last week I threw my toys out of the pram and insisted on some new clothes that actually fit me. All in the sales and all with 70% off the price so not the big spender league but new and I am happy A pair of trousers and three tops that was all. I saw stuff I would so love to have but no chance.

I also picked up a booklet of concerts etc in our area and there are some concerts I really want to go to most are free but two cost only €5 and even less or the disabled Wow I thought thats not bad. Now got a promise from my OH that I can go and see a youth orchestra from Gateshead I think it is in the Cathedral.

You must be a saint!

Burgundy, I hope you get more gratitude than I did!

Quite right jeni.
And you are not going into a home. You will find a nice person to look after you in your OWN home.
Provided you will not be too choosey.......................

I have always taken care of the family finances. We have never been in credit card debt. I'm the one who has asked the gas company for a discount, and got it. I organised to have a water meter fitter. DH just can't be bothered with any of that stuff. If I see something I like, I buy it, but I don't like clothes shopping per se. My overspending is on food. I like good quality, healthy food, and I think we spend quite a lot, although I buy 3 for 2s and other bargains. I REALLY try not to buy things that I won't use just because they're on offer.
If I go first, don't know what DH would do, have tried to talk about it but his eyes glaze over and I can tell he's thinking about golf.

I've always been careful with money though these days I do go a little mad on ebay from time to time - I like a bargain. When I was small I had a blue plastic piggy bank that raised it's pink hat when coins were pushed into the slot on its back [the colours could have been the other way round!]. Every week I'd count up the contents and occasionally I'd spend a little of it but I was always worried I'd be left with nothing and nowadays I check my bank statements very carefully and make sure I have enough to see me through the following month.

Griindos, it's the same here, in our house! DH has no interest whatsoever. I deal with all the finances, and he knows where the paperwork is for everything, but understands nothing about it! Should I go before him, my daughter will have to take over, I think!

Apart from the mortgage, we've always had an 'if you can't afford it, don't buy it' attitude. The fact that we can buy something outright is much more satisfying and sometimes we can negotiate a price reduction too.

golden you made me think about my 2 yr old GS who loves money but doesn't really understand it. He has a proper piggy bank and loves to get the money out and put it back in. If I give him a coin it goes straight in. A couple of weeks ago they went out and my DS gave him 50p. He went off to play with other children and came back without it but instead had £1, must have swapped! I think he could go far.

They have gone on holiday today and I sent him some pocket money so I look forward to hearing how he got on with it.

Mr soop and I have just sufficient money [providing we earn our spending money for treats by doing domestic work.] We've worked at "the big house" and also for a friend who runs a guest house. I paint wee portraits for those I like, and in return, I earn a donation to our wee man's travel fund box. Mr soop makes cards from images of our own artwork. We sell a few in local shops. We'll NEVER be wealthy...but to be perfectly honest, as long as we're able to put a little aside to visit family, we are two HAPPY bunnies!

I have always been a splurger..think it goes back to having a fairly poor childhood and rarely having any money,so that when I did get some I enjoyed 'treating' myself..Sadly in my life I have always responded to difficulties by 'treating' myself...which was fine until divorce left me a single parent in debt...now living on benefit, looking for work, meal planning and budgeting like mad..hate not being able to 'treat'my daughter....

Love it AlisonMA! He sounds a real asset