Keep me on track to save!

*Vikki*

Thanks for the info, wow thats well worth it £400! Can't believe no one I know, knows about that site! So the sites all above board, and what I purchase on there would be the same as if I was going through the actual company? Just sounds all too good to be true! How do they make any money out of it..

*Vikki*

I've changed the title to my thread, I joined quidco and will be buying my AA breakdown cover thorough them to get £45 cash back in 2 to 3 months. Ive been really good so far, no spending. I have made £115 on ebay too

*Vikki*

Hmm given myself a headache doing this, I decided to write down on paper all my bills I have coming up and stuff, a budget for spending and saving. I am left thinking, am I not going to have much of a life? Restricting my money like this.

Its going to be hard!:rolleyes:

I have felt like this before and then given up, normally resulting in spending something awhile later. I don't want to do ether this time. This is basing it also that I don't have anything go wrong in my life, big bills for the car or me wanting to purchase something, even as small as a new sat nav! I can't on this budget, ghrr. I would like a cap though or veneer on one of my teeth so that might cost a bit, I'll be talking to the dentist on Thursday asking if I can have it. Thats not included in my budget!:rolleyes: I also still have my want it now attitude with that and not save for it:rolleyes:

If only I earned more, I think it would be a lot easier! I'd be happy with £1200 a month, that would be wicked.:cool: This wage was okay when I didn't have a car, not now. Anyway enough of dreaming:rolleyes: Here is what I wrote down, hope it makes sense. Please feel free to comment on it, (I have made big cut backs on the X mas/Birthdays)

Bills inc Birthdays/Christmas 09 and Holiday

£100 AA Breakdown cover due 31.01.09
£400 car insurance due 01.06.09 (Modified cover, should be less this yr)
£150 car tax due 01.07.09
£300 MINI TLC due 01.12.09 (servicing for another 3yrs, plan to keep car)
£860 owe on loan for laptop, 0% to 01.12.09
£200 Birthdays for 5 people
£200 Christmas 09 due 01.12.09
£350 Holiday due 01.05.09

Grand total = £2'570 divide by 12 months = £215 PCM to save for it all.

So on a month by month basis...


£923 net wage paid per month
-£180 rent to parents
-£10 pay as you go Orange phone
-£60 car petrol (should be less some months, just a guess that amount? should cover it though)
-£60 for my pack lunches for work (I want to eat 5 a day and be more healthy and parents don't ever seam to get these foods. This will be some Big Eat style soups for veg etc, tinned fruit, Pint of milk a day, Shredded Wheat, Weetabix, Fruit juice and yogurts)
-£215 towards bills savings
-£250 long term savings (£50 going in to Premium Bonds)
=£150 for ME! To include the following.. Clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, when needed, not WANT! Clinique makeup/skin care, other essentials, meals out, tickets for events, easter, mothers day, farthers day etc and any left if any!! To save:eek:

Well what do you guys to think to all that lot? I should then save £3000 for the whole year. I wish it could be more, especially when I look at the savers thread, so I got a bit disheartened but only way that will be is if I got a better paid job. Live in hope:rolleyes:

I have the following accounts opened..

I have a HSBC credit card at £2500 limit (I asked for 1k only but they upped it:rolleyes: after a year, I blame creditors too for all this debt in the UK!)

I have my bank account with HSBC with a £100 overdraft, also attached to that is an ISA account which is a 'cash isa' I think. It was a good rate when I took it out, its now dropped to only 2%:rolleyes: Should I change it?

I have also a normal kinda savings account which I think gets taxed on it, and not much interest to be incurred on it.

I am going to put £50 a month of my savings in to premium bonds, is this a good move?

I don't know where to pop my £215 bills money in to though? I was thinking in to the normal HSBC current account trouble is I think I get taxed on it?

Thanks for reading peeps, sorry probably bored you:o

theoretica

ISAa are generally the best place to start saving as they are tax free and you can only put a certain amount (£3600 at the moment) in each year- but they keep the tax free status. If you take money out you can not get that tax free status back which might motivate you not to spend the money. The best rate at the moment is 3.6% (see the ISA article).

I have a couple of habits which may help cut your spending down.
If something randomly catches my eye I very seldom buy it immediately- if I still want it the next week it is usually still there, or cheaper on ebay.
If I get the urge to just shop I will set myself an aim - I might try to find my brother's birthday present months early or only permit myself to spend £10 unplanned so I have to look in lots of shops before going back to whatever caught my eye -or deciding nothing is worth going back for.

xsarahahax

Vikki i am 22 and just started saving, for a flat with my boyfriend. I so badly wish when I started working at 18 I put abit aside each month, as I have literally wasted thoundands and thousands of pounds on clothes,shoes etc..

So lets save together and motivate each other :-)
xx

*Vikki*

Thanks for your tips theoretica I will use them they are great

xsarahahax, I am just the same wished I saved at 16 when I started work Would be a lot easier now! I too have wasted my money on the same things

Yes I am up for that, great idea! Thanks

I popped £9.00 something in to my money box today too

skintbuthappy81

WOW *Vikki* you really are a different lady :j It is good to see that you have started saving and you now understand the reasons to save. Just keep putting that loose change into your box it soon adds up. If I go shopping and come back with lots of change I put it all in, in my mind if it's not in my purse I can't spend it.

*Vikki*

An update. Well have I changed near on 4 months later? In short no.

I have spent another 1k on my car:rolleyes: mods to be fitted this weekend.

Still owe £860 on the laptop.

I will be starting a new job that I have been wanting for ages. A complete change.

The wage will be going from 14k to 22k a year.

Now because of this I am yearning to get another car to keep mine nice, free from dings, dangs etc from other drivers and racking up the miles on it.

I have my doubts though as its going to mean more debt:rolleyes: more expense.


What I am after is a smart car, I would be looking to purchase it when I get a start date for the job. Trying to think of all the negatives though and reasons not to get a second car though at the moment as I have been sold on the idea for awhile now.

I did set up a premium bond account and have £250 in that, big deal though:rolleyes:

*Vikki*

Well I have got myself back on track! And I paid off the laptop and my credit card only owes £200 now which is being paid off the end of this month. I will then have £400 saved for my bills for the rest of this year.

*Vikki*

Well still waiting on my new job! But I have gained a bit more control in recent months. I have managed to save £1005 and haven't owed money in awhile now. Starting to enjoy saving a little