Hello guys and girls!
I’ve started a blog over on my website samsaid.org.uk about all things money related, and my first is about Monzo… obviously.
If you want to have a read, check it out below 
http://samsaid.org.uk/how-monzo-bank-could-help-you-out-of-debt/
Cheers!
Does committed spending actually stop you spending your money?
Actually very curious about that too. I’ve set up a 3 committed spends this month, curious to see if my money is actually ring-fenced for these bills or not.
Your money is not ring-fenced at the moment, you could spend it.
However Monzo are looking into creating a commited spending pot which would ring-fence it. This isn’t available yet.
So long as you don’t cancel down any standing orders or direct debits, then yes in effect it stops you from spending that money. It’s one of many reasons why I like it so much because I don’t have to think too much about what money I have to keep aside each month. Apart from the likes of grocery shopping etc. because that’s a variable spend.
That’s true, it’s only once the first direct debit amount has been taken that Monzo will begin ring-fencing the money every month. Standing Orders are ring-fenced straight away though because you’ve already had to put in the amount to pay each month.
I’m looking forward to the Committed Spending pot coming though for things that vary each month like my food shop 
So I’m still confused. Does it stop you spending it in the current incarnation without the committed spending pot(which isn’t available yet)that was mentioned?
Yes it still prevents you from spending money as it currently stands with what Monzo have in place at the moment.
The Committed Spending pot Monzo are looking into will likely allow you to set your own type of Committed Spending for things like your food shopping, fuel etc. where it varies each month. But as it stands currently, Monzo will prevent you from spending money that you pay out every month on a standing order or a direct debit for things like your rent/mortgage payments, utility bills etc. so you don’t have to worry about having to put that aside each month yourself.
Sorry but this just isn’t true - the summary figure shows what’s left to spend after committed spending but there’s no mechanism to stop you from spending over this. The transaction would still go through.
That’s funny because my card declined once when I technically had money available to spend if you take into account the committed spending on the basis there wasn’t enough to cover the transaction.
Can you confirm your experience please so I can at least look into it further and make the necessary amendments if necessary?
Thanks
Also, there’s a “Spending Budgets” section that has a mechanism to stop you from spending more than what you set as the maximum. It even says in the wording “aside from your committed spending” as if to say you cannot spend over what’s already been set aside for bills etc.
The summary figure only shows how much you have left, it doesn’t ring fence it in any way. If you want to spend over your summary amount you can. It will just show as red and tell you how much under your summary amount you are.
These just set budget figures so you can keep track. They do not stop you from actually spending that money.
Not until a commited spending pot is fully implemented at least.
Although I’m not denying what you’re saying (because without your feedback I can only go off my own and those I know who experience the same) my card declined previously because I didn’t have enough available, and Monzo basically stopped me from dipping into the Committed Spending I had set aside already as if it was ring-fenced.
If you have an overdraft, this will obviously take you below zero and go into your overdraft. Could this be what you have and what’s happened at all?
The only way Monzo currently denies a purchase if you actually have funds is if your money is in a pot.
Your summary page is currently an ‘advisory’ page, it does not stop you overspending.
I experience this monthly as I usually go over my budget set in the summary. It then turns red and warns me I’m over budget.
So in effect it goes into an unarranged overdraft then because the money will still be taken regardless, e.g. it’ll take the money from your committed spending first and then when that bill is due and you still don’t have enough in your account, it’ll subsequently go into an unarranged overdraft?
Here’s the highest voted for feature on the forum currently. It’s for a commited spending pot that would ring fence the money, similar to what you’re describing here.
This feature is currently not implemented.
Let’s say for example I have £1000 in my account. £600 of that is for my commited spending and Monzo tells me this. That leaves £400 spare money in my summary that I can spend. If I spend £500 Monzo will warn me that I won’t have enough for my commited spending but it DID NOT stop me spending that amount.
I could spend the whole £1000 if I wanted and then all my bills would be declined.
Yes I understood what you were saying in the first place, the question I asked was whether this would subsequently go into an unarranged overdraft at any point if, what was supposed to set aside in your committed spending, is still taken despite spending that money beforehand?
Thanks for explaining all of this by the way. I think some things may be unclear due to some I know, as well as myself, experiencing a difference to what you have where it declines despite there being enough money in the account in the committed spending section.
This enables me to update my post so it properly reflects the facts 
You have a £20 unarranged overdraft as standard. Any further overdraft would need a credit check.
The only thing I can think of if you are experiencing a different outcome is that you are on some type of A/B test?