How to fall in love with saving money

cathybird · 28 January 2014 at 4:42PM

well the good news is, with the work bonus I should be able to squirrel away at least £1,500 this month (hope I haven't done my sums wrong). So savings plans off to a flying start this year.

I'm taking two of my three planned trips for this year in Feb (winter season - it's cheaper) but am going to deploy various tricks to try to keep them relatively cheap.

cathybird · 28 January 2014 at 9:55PM

atush, are you in Scotland, btw? ... I love the Hebrides. Last there in 2010. Gorgeous part of the world.

Have set up an incredibly basic spreadsheet to keep track of my savings ... I can see this could become addictive.

I scored a free lunch from work today because there were free sandwiches going with a talk. So, that's a few pennies saved.

It's early days yet but really does feel as though I have made a turnaround when it comes to the savings mentality.

cathybird · 28 January 2014 at 10:06PM

Lomcevak: going for another run tomorrow ... this time hope to get a better running time

Do keep saying how you're going - while the idea I could run anywhere near as far as you seems impossible at the moment, it does inspire me to keep running myself

cathybird · 29 January 2014 at 10:07AM

Alas, no exercise for me this morning ... woke up too late. It will have to be tomorrow. Bit of a grim morning for running anyway (coincidentally - I would not have let that stop me).

I am going to cancel the work gym membership today though.

Lomcevak · 29 January 2014 at 9:41PM

cathybird wrote: »

Lomcevak: going for another run tomorrow ... this time hope to get a better running time Do keep saying how you're going - while the idea I could run anywhere near as far as you seems impossible at the moment, it does inspire me to keep running myself

Well done, i'm bogged down in another busy week at work and haven't managed to get out for a few days - no streetlights here so can't really run after dark.

Another 17 miler to look forward too this weekend though, it's an odd distance - a long way, but in the marathon there's still 9 miles to go after that. It's the start of the bit I found hard last year, once you hit 23 miles the end's in sight (literally, at Brighton) but 17-23 is a stretch Brighton call the 'road to hell' and psychologically it's hard work. So i'm aiming to get several runs in between 17 and 22 miles over the next six weeks, if I can be ok at 21 miles then I know i'll make the rest fairly comfortably on the big day.

It's all a long way, but just a case of building up to it - I think three years ago i'd hardly run further than 5k, 18 months ago i'd still only done 10k a handful of times, and this time last year i'd only run a half marathon distance once. Then just built up from 10 miles to 22 in February and March last year prior to the marathon in April, just increased the run 2 miles each weekend with plenty of stretching and walking to keep me going. Have kept up the miles reasonably well since though so in a much better place than last year

cathybird · 30 January 2014 at 10:12AM

Lomcevak wrote: »

Well done, i'm bogged down in another busy week at work and haven't managed to get out for a few days - no streetlights here so can't really run after dark.

Another 17 miler to look forward too this weekend though, it's an odd distance - a long way, but in the marathon there's still 9 miles to go after that. It's the start of the bit I found hard last year, once you hit 23 miles the end's in sight (literally, at Brighton) but 17-23 is a stretch Brighton call the 'road to hell' and psychologically it's hard work. So i'm aiming to get several runs in between 17 and 22 miles over the next six weeks, if I can be ok at 21 miles then I know i'll make the rest fairly comfortably on the big day.

It's all a long way, but just a case of building up to it - I think three years ago i'd hardly run further than 5k, 18 months ago i'd still only done 10k a handful of times, and this time last year i'd only run a half marathon distance once. Then just built up from 10 miles to 22 in February and March last year prior to the marathon in April, just increased the run 2 miles each weekend with plenty of stretching and walking to keep me going. Have kept up the miles reasonably well since though so in a much better place than last year

No streetlights? Blimey. Sounds dangerous, in fact (to run, that is).

It is a case of building up to it, also of finding the time, I suppose - I slept badly last night so struggled to get up this morning, and now don't have enough time to do any exercise before I go to work, which is frustrating. Even a small amount of exercise makes one feel better and I've also always held that the best way to cope with the long British winter is to be outside some of the time - I have an allotment and usually manage to do quite a bit of work on it during the winter. It really helps, because you can see the green shoots coming up and spring arriving much earlier than people who huddle indoors for the first four months of the year. Running is the same, I'm quite sure - it makes the winter feel shorter.

Cherryjack · 30 January 2014 at 10:20PM

Hi everyone , this is my link for my Diary

hope it works

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4868002&highlight=

cathybird · 30 January 2014 at 11:06PM

Thanks Cherryjack - looking forward to reading it.

atush · 30 January 2014 at 11:19PM

cathybird wrote: »

well the good news is, with the work bonus I should be able to squirrel away at least £1,500 this month (hope I haven't done my sums wrong). So savings plans off to a flying start this year.

I'm taking two of my three planned trips for this year in Feb (winter season - it's cheaper) but am going to deploy various tricks to try to keep them relatively cheap.

you are going to smash your target for 2014. it isn't even Feb yet and you are into March's bit!!

And no, not Scotland lol.

I have to admit, I did book the family hols yesterday. But I did use the BA sale, and a cashback CC and topcashback.

With the twins at uni, and expected to find a summer job, it is the only time for a family holiday this year.

cathybird · 31 January 2014 at 12:04AM

atush wrote: »

you are going to smash your target for 2014. it isn't even Feb yet and you are into March's bit!!

Hope so

I've got months with much bigger bills coming up but it is off to a good start.

And no, not Scotland lol.

Sorry, just guessing

When you said "islands" I straight away thought of Scotland.

I have to admit, I did book the family hols yesterday. But I did use the BA sale, and a cashback CC and topcashback.

With the twins at uni, and expected to find a summer job, it is the only time for a family holiday this year.

Any trips I take are going to be in winter and I will use topcashback and find the cheapest prices I can. Also I have a travel budget now, which I never had before. Weirdly, it doesn't seem to be making too much of a dent in the savings!

Anyway, I hope you have a fabulous family holiday, atush, and well done on getting what sounds like a bargain.

How to fall in love with saving money

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