September was a heavy spending month, but I did budget for that mostly. You’ll be able to see that I went over budget in some categories, but it was mostly due to spontaneous spending! Here’s my September 2025 spending diaries.
CLOTHING
BUDGET = £100, SPENT = £187.60
After being good for a few months with clothes shopping, I had a bit of a splurge in September. It consists of four separate shops: two at M&S, one at Peacocks and a McFly T-shirt at their Busted v McFly show. For less than £200, I got two jackets, two sets of pyjamas, two bras, five pairs of socks, three pairs of knickers, a pair of trainers and a McFly tee. I’m planning on returning one of the bras though. However, I do have two more hauls on the way from Uniqlo and Peacocks again, as I need some more footwear and trousers!
COFFEE SHOPS
BUDGET = £75.00, SPENT = £68.00
Instead of paying for my purchase every visit, I’ve taken to buying gift cards in advance from Jam Doughnut. That way, I’m getting cashback for a planned spend anyway! In fact, £45 of this is for three gift cards. I’d love to cut back completely on this, but for spending time out of town, I’m okay with this figure.
EATING OUT
BUDGET = £100, SPENT = £114.26
Again, for eight meals, this isn’t too bad a figure! However, £25+ for a Nando’s now is a disgrace. That’s the main reason I enjoy going to Meadowhall, because of the food court! Give me Taco Bell, Pizza Hut Express or KFC all day long over a restaurant meal for double or triple the price!
LOCAL TRANSPORT
BUDGET = £30.00, SPENT = £18.50
An average journey is £3, so this works out well for me. Half of it was spent out of town when in Sheffield mostly. However, my new job starts this week and I’ll have to get the train to the store location. It can cost up to £10 a day for a return, meaning my budget will be increasing.
GROCERIES
BUDGET = £30.00, SPENT = £17.13
This again was much lower than I thought it would be, but it helps when you take extra snacks with you when you travel! Also, eating bigger meals means less snacking too. However, Meadowhall means a visit to Sweet Tradition, because we don’t really have any sweet shops in Hull.
BOOKS
BUDGET = £20.00, SPENT = £29.98
£10 over budget isn’t a great deal, but there was just so many good new releases out in September! I headed to The Works on more than one occasion, but I’m okay with that for now!
BEAUTY APPOINTMENTS
BUDGET = £75, SPENT = £68.50
These were two nail appointments and a haircut, which I’m lucky is very reasonably priced. I get my nails done every three weeks and a haircut once a quarter. If it were more expensive, I definitely wouldn’t get my nails done as often!
HEALTH + BEAUTY
BUDGET = £30.00, SPENT = £20.02
I’m trying to reduce my spending in this category as I’m doing Project Pan. However, I needed some micellar water, and to replace my Nyx eyeshadow primer. I didn’t shop in Boots once in September, but now I’m just collating empties for their recycling scheme. Currently, I’ve got around 60 to take in!
STATIONERY
BUDGET = £0, SPENT = £46.50
A massive oops, but Flying Tiger got me! Because I don’t visit too often, I stock up on stationery when I do visit. However, I didn’t expect to go three times in one month. I’m also prepping for 2026, but will purchase a Busy B haul in November, as they always have a Black Friday deal.
THEATRE TICKETS
BUDGET = £5.00, SPENT = £45.95
This is for two tickets for next year: The Sound of Music in Leeds and Waitress in Manchester, along with a programme from my visit to Sheffield to see Tina the Musical. October will be ticket-heavy as I have a bunch of things to book for 2026 when the tickets go up for sale!
TRAINS
BUDGET = £100.00, SPENT = £129.90
Again, this seems like a lot, but I’ve got multiple trips out of this. Four of these tickets were for our Sheffield/Leeds trips to see Busted v McFly, as well as buying tickets for October/November’s excursions. This is my main splurge in life, so theatre/travel is my fun!
HOTELS
BUDGET = £260.00, SPENT = £260.00
Two nights in a Premier Inn is extortionate for this amount, but for concerts, I love convenience i.e. close to the venue! However, I can’t complain, because they’re also decent rooms. Clean enough, free Wifi, and spacious enough for two people. Why pay over the odds when all you’ll be doing is sleeping and getting ready?
AMAZON
BUDGET = £20.00, SPENT = £0
I thought I’d run out of two of my supplements in September. However, I was pretty slack in taking them, so I’ll be purchasing them in October instead.
MISCELLANEOUS
BUDGET = £100.00, SPENT = £118.99
Half of this was spent on getting England tickets for next year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup, along with purchasing a bundle of Odeon Cinema tickets. I also treat myself to a new book trolley from Hobbycraft, because I need the extra space!
CONCERT TICKETS
BUDGET = £15.00, SPENT = £10.50
This wasn’t on concert tickets, but it did go on three bottles of water. Daylight robbery, but this girl needs to stay hydrated. Considering I’ve had a cold for over a week since returning, I’d say I wasn’t hydrated enough!
TOTAL BUDGET = £980.00, TOTAL SPENT = £1135.83
£155.83 OVER BUDGET
And that’s a wrap on my September 2025 spending diaries. We’re only a few days into October, and I’m already halfway through spending my budget! I need to rein in my spending, because despite starting a new job this week, it’s only for twelve hours a week.
If you enjoyed this post all about my September 2025 spending diaries, you can find my other money content here. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok too.
