May was one of my busiest months this year, but I was determined not to go too overboard when it came to my spending. Sure, I wanted to treat myself, but I tried to do it on day trips, rather than sporadic spending throughout the month and mindless online shopping frequently. Here’s a look at my May 2025 spending diaries.
CLOTHING
BUDGET = £300.00, SPENT = £265.65
Starting off strongly! I knew I had a few out-of-town day trips in May, which means more shopping options than in Hull. However, I made three online shopping hauls and three in-person. I’m returning a few bits, but most of my items were practical purchases. I bought my favourite M&S underwear, I stocked up on M&S vests, and I bought four more bra tops from Uniqlo. None of it was necessarily a need, but I did need to pad out my summer wardrobe!
COFFEE SHOPS
BUDGET = £70.00, SPENT = £55.80
I budget myself £5 per visit and two per day trip as well as a couple of extra trips per month. However, I didn’t go on any extra trips, which brought the budget down. £15 is actually gift cards, as Top Cashback had a couple of offers on. I got back £5.33 in cashback, which is a great deal!
EATING OUT
BUDGET = £75.00, SPENT = £48.97
Again, I gave myself a healthier budget in the eating out category because of all the day trips. However, instead of restaurants, I went for fast food. I did go to Taco Bell three times when out of town, oops! I have the app, so I do collect points, though! It’s rare that I have fast food when I’m in Hull, so it was a nice change. Unfortunately, it was far too much salt, and my body was a mess every day afterwards!
LOCAL TRANSPORT
BUDGET = £30.00, SPENT = £19.50
Like previous categories, I give myself a bus/tram budget as I always get the bus back after a day trip. I also went to Sheffield twice, so I got on the tram both times. I thought paying £3.00 for a bus ticket was expensive in Hull, but £3.30 for a single ticket is insane!
BEAUTY APPOINTMENTS
BUDGET = £25.00, SPENT = £25.00
Just the one nail appointment this month. I went for a bright pink shade, which is very strange for me! However, I was feeling something bright and summery because the weather has been improving!
HEALTH + BEAUTY
BUDGET = £120.00, SPENT = £105.36
This is a category that I’m desperate to cut down on because these Boots and Superdrug hauls are killing my budget! I did spend £25 in Kiko Milano on a trip to Meadowhall, but the rest was spent in the above two shops. Whilst I do make use of the recycling scheme (take in five empties, spend £10 and get 500 points), I don’t have any more room to store beauty products! I’m restarting Project Pan, and only buying an item when I run out of it!
STATIONERY
BUDGET = £30.00, SPENT = £48.45
This was an oops category, but it’s because I discovered a new stationery shop. It’s called Fabulous Planning, and it’s in Leeds Corn Exchange. I didn’t plan on spending £32 in the shop, but they had some amazing offers on! I also went into Flying Tiger twice, but we don’t have one in Hull!
THEATRE TICKETS
BUDGET = £50.00, SPENT = £89.65
This is a category that I need to start pre-planning! It covers four tickets, two programmes, and a drink in one of the theatres. For £90, I don’t think that’s too bad! However, I know June is going to be a bigger spend, as theatres are releasing tickets for 2026 already, and I have to book early for the cheaper tickets.
TRAINS
BUDGET = £120.00, SPENT = £77.20
I budgeted £120 for all of my June train tickets, but for some reason, it was much cheaper than I’d thought. £15 of this was buying a cheaper ticket on the day in Sheffield after leaving the theatre early (the show was just bad). Because I don’t have any day trip plans in July or August, I won’t spend anything on trains in June.
FUTURE TRAVEL
BUDGET = £50.00, SPENT = £221.45
Once again, these things crop up, and nowadays, you only get a couple of days to plan! This counts for three concert tickets (Maren Morris, Scouting for Girls, and Remember Monday), and two one-night hotel stays for the last two. I’d already booked a hotel for the first concert at the end of April. Solo concert trips are one of my favourite activities, so it’s a worthwhile investment for me.
AMAZON
BUDGET = £30.00, SPENT = £24.83
Personally, I think my Amazon spending is back under control. In May, I needed to stock up on two sets of tablets, and that was it. I’m trying to spend less on Amazon, but it’s cheaper to buy the tablets from there, rather than from the brand directly.
BUSINESS ONE-OFFS
BUDGET = £29.98, SPENT = £29.98
This was renewing both my business and blog website domains. I’m with Lyrical Host for both my monthly hosting at £23.99, and I moved my domains over there from GoDaddy a couple of years ago. They also have amazing customer service, so I highly recommend them.
MISCELLANEOUS
BUDGET = £50.00, SPENT = £0
This is my buffer category for all those random purchases, so I was happy not to spend anything on miscellaneous in May! Gold star for me for my May 2025 spending diaries!
TOTAL BUDGET = £979.98, TOTAL SPENT = £1011.84
£31.86 OVER BUDGET
I’m pleasantly surprised with my May 2025 spending diaries. Whilst I was over budget, it wasn’t by as much as in previous months! If I remove my future travel spending (hotels and concert tickets), I’m way under at just £790.39. Do I take that as a massive win? Absolutely!
I’ll be sharing these spending diaries every single month. Previously, I shared them on my money blog, but I’m trying to move everything into one space as it’s easier to maintain! If you enjoyed this post about my May 2025 spending diaries, you can find my other money blog posts here.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok too! I’ve started posting more in June, so I’m hoping I can stick to it. Please help to keep me accountable!
