"Sealed pot Challenge" ~ 9

Hello yet again dedicated MSE Sealed Pot Savers! We're off once more with another Sealed Pot Challenge No 9. We've had 8 very successful money-saving years, but it's all purely through the determined saving of you all - many thanks to you amazing folk who have made SPC what it is!!

For all newcomers - a really huge heartfelt welcome! We're a terrific bunch who just adore greeting more members to the flock. Please read through the whole of this post and you'll be aware of why SPC is so special. You all settle in straight away and become part of our saving family! :grinheart

The idea is to save as much as possible throughout the following year until just before Christmas - which this year will be to open our pots on Thursday the 3rd November 2016. We save it in pots that we've pre-sealed to stop us being tempted to open them. Any spare cash can be put away, every day/week/month, whatever is best for you. If you have change left over after you've been shopping - pop it in the pot! After all why not! However small the change...the likelihood is that it won't be missed, and might otherwise have been wasted!

Most of us put the difference in that we've been saved on special offers etc, it's all saved at the shop so it makes sense to save it in the pot to mount up!

Below are the basics for making your pot and sealing.

Firstly: Get yourself a pot, and remember - it doesn't need to cost much - if anything. If money's tight then use any pot for now, i.e. A sweet tin, coffee jar..extremely MSE!! Next - seal it with sellotape and be sure to make a slit in the lid, big enough for a 50p to go in, that way all coins will fit in. Later on, if you wish, you can always take advantage of finding a cheap pot in the sales after Christmas, or put one you fancy on your Christmas list! You can always buy ready sealed tins from reasonably priced shops! They're usually about a POUND from a £ store!!

It can also be interesting and challenging to make yourself a Paper Mache pig (or any animal) etc by using Frugaldom's recipe by clicking here then going to Post No. 597 or by going to a totally separate thread papier mache animal here. Many thanks to Frugaldom.

After selecting your pot, seal round the lid with sellotape or superglue if necessary. Again, be sure to make a slit in the top that is the right size for a 50p to go in! NB. If you make a Paper Mache pot you will need to "operate" on it at the end of each challenge! Still, you can always have the pleasure of making a new one towards the end of the year, or getting the kiddies involved - if you're the daring type! The mind could run riot with what to model!

Anyone wanting to show a picture of their pot on the thread, here are directions by jakes-mum: "Go to www.photobucket.com and create an account, click the orange 'upload' button at the top and select your picture from your computer. Once uploaded, select the picture and click 'edit' then 'resize' change the first size number to 400 and click save. On the right hand side click the link next to 'direct', come back here and click the little picture of the mountain above the reply box, delete out the http and right hand click, select paste and your link should get pasted in. When you post your reply your pic should be there and not absolutely massive". Many thanks, jakes-mum, you are a gem!

Terrimundi pots are available in many shops and on-line, they're very attractive and another ready sealed way to save, and though the manufacturers and retailers would have you believe differently, you DO NOT need to smash them to remove your cash!! I've used mine for 8 years...and at the end of each year's (since 2009 when I graduated from a carton!) challenge, hubby and I have a whale of a time, doing things the 'old' way by tilting the pot and using a knife! Though, a few years ago DH bought a 12" steel ruler in from the shed which is thin and broad and perfect for the job. So be assured that, so long as you go carefully, you CAN use them again and again....unless you drop the darned things!! :undecided They are costly though, but this is where your Christmas list comes in handy!

Regarding the Sealed Cans many of you use:Apparently the best way to open the sealed tins is, rather than using a tin opener, squeeze the side of the tin, where the seam meets and you can pop the seal and tip the money out that way.

The term roadkill = any money found on pavements, parks etc; even in car parks or on shop floors etc.

NB. A few notes of interest.

1/ Any money given as a gift (other than Birthdays, Christmas etc) i.e.. Inherited can not be included as savings. Likewise any money put directly into the bank cannot be counted as savings with SPC. Money from small second jobs is ok, such as cleaning for Mrs Bloggs down the road/ taking in ironing, a part-time job or anything similar is ok to be saved. Any savings saved via Christmas Clubs can also be used in your SPC Totals, it's another way of saving for Christmas after all. Money received from cashback sites such as Quidco, topcashback etc can be included in your pots. Likewise, any money made from sales on E-Bay, Facebook or similar can be saved.

Also it's possible to include any other savings from MSE Challenges with your SPC Totals i.e. the £2 Challenge as, apparently they aren't put down on the challenge threads themselves. If you're unsure, please ask on the thread, and remember - there's no so thing as a stupid question!

Second incomes can come in many varied and very lucrative guises and anything such as that would be unfair to other members. Mostly the SPC is a challenge to see how much we can save during the year...mostly it's relatively small amounts which are saved from wages, housekeeping, good budgeting etc. Remunerations via the letting of second homes cannot be included in the SPC.

2/ Whenever you're in the dilemma of "ooh should I buy that?" If you don't need it, but just want it - leave it there and pot the cash instead, you'll be much more satisfied with the accomplishment, pleased with your self-discipline too. All too often, if I go back a second time I find I didn't even like whatever it was anyway.

3/ You can ask me to put a Target on for you to try to meet (it goes alongside your name and number on the 2nd and 3rd posts below) but it's not necessary. If you do set one, but are unable to meet it, it doesn't matter at all, at least you will have tried! A few people keep account of all they save, but most of us count what we save daily or weekly, then put it on the thread to help encourage others then we pot it and forget about it and ....wait for the surprise at the end of the year! If you're hoping for a particular amount, but still want a surprise at the end of the saving year, work out what amount you'd like and what's needed per week to achieve it - save that amount weekly/monthly as well as still putting your bits of change in without holding the amounts in your head - you're bound to come out on top that way and still get a surprise!

Please don't worry about the amounts others save! There are such differences with jobs, wages, commitments etc so some naturally find large sums easy to save, while others of us don't. However, it's the pleasure that counts - so be happy with yours, proud too!

4/ Mainly SPC is a challenge to see how much we can save in a year for Christmas 2016. However, over the last 8 years we've had some members who needed theirs throughout the year for bills, and personally I'd far sooner they take the cash out for that than pay more interest or...miss a due date! You can always start again, even if it's getting later in the year, you can even include what you needed to take out, after all, you will have saved it. Whatever you need to do, don't worry about it - be happy and proud you have saved!

5/ If you wish to save for something special, a holiday, wedding etc then please do so, just please remember to declare it on November 3rd. The most important thing, is that you are saving ...and hopefully not tempted to take it out unnecessarily. If anyone has any other queries, then please sing out...though not too loudly.....you might shatter your pot/s!

6/ At the end of the year (or when we've saved for what we wish) count up all your money saved and declare your Total either by waiting until the declaration date - or (if you've needed your cash for other things - by putting your Total on your MSE signature to remind you to include it in your full Total; that particularly applies to those using their money for holidays etc, but PLEASE remember to return to the thread on the 3rd November to declare those Totals to me. Some members prefer not to keep too much money in the house and count theirs up every now and then to bank it, in which case they always pop the amount banked on their MSE signatures.

7/ DO KEEP YOUR POT or POTS SAFE!! If you hide it, be sure to remember where you put it as it wouldn't be the first time that members have forgotten where they've hidden it! :undecided

8/ "Holding Pots": To anyone concerned about putting money into their pot...then possibly needing it later in the week/month: Why not use an unsealed pot or purse as a "holding pot" and pop the money in there first each day/week/month - then, if it's not needed (for car parking costs, little Johnnies school trip etc) - put it in your Sealed pot so it stays put. Do that each week and it'll save you taking money from the bank. Discipline yourself to only take what's needed though!

9/ "Where to take bags of cash at the end of the year?": With regards to this all important question, here's vital help from girlatplay: "I bank with Bank of Scotland and they accept as many change bags as you have, as long as you take them to the business banking counter." That is so handy for members to know, many thanks to GAP. This also applies to the Halifax Westie tells me, thanks so much for that, Westie. I suspect most banks/building societies are the same if truth be known.

10/ Members who do not return by the end of November (please note the closing date for 2016 is 3rd November) will sadly now lose their numbers as, many people who sign up to the challenge then don't bother returning! To be fair, I think a lot get swept up in the excitement of it all, but then, for one reason of another, can't or don't wish to keep it up, but that then leaves me with a long list of non savers on the list which makes things very difficult over time. Sorry folks, but any saving members won't be at all worried about this - but if those 'defaulting' (bad word, but...!) members remember then - come on back and ask for another number, they will always be be more than welcome!

On the 2 posts below is a list of members and their numbers, always display yours on your signatures please, that makes life so much easier for me and my DH when counting up all of our Totals. In December (before if we're lucky and have most members return to declare their savings) I put a Grand Total on of ALL that we members have collected, what a terrific sight that is! :grinheart Please declare yours savings ASAP on or close to the 3rd November, many thanks.

Just a quiet word of warning to all those in the Cambridge area - forget ever thinking of looking for roadkill there as jakes-mum will even tackle you the ground to get to it first! Think I'm joking??

Once again, we've just had another truly fantastic year, let's keep it up and see what we can achieve this year. Good luck everyone and save well!!

PLEASE take note everyone Thursday 3rd November is the closing date for 2016, the day we declare what we've saved on the thread. Please, kindly declare your monies saved within 2 weeks of the 3rd, thank you kindly.

The starting date for the next thread SPC 10 (for the year 2017) will be Friday 4th November 2016. Yes, the following day!

Anyone wishing to join us please post on the thread to ask and I'll give you a number so you can join in the fun......and please do note that...no matter what time of year ....