save instead of spend diary

miemie

Hi
After many years of spending and being in debt (since i was 18 and got first credit card) i am now debt free and want to save, i know its not the best time to save with the way interest rates are, but i am going to save as i think after 12 years of being in debt i need to grow up and be responsible especially as i have 2 children and a mortgage (oh and hubby).

I have had a really good week, i won £100 on a bingo scratch card, basically i do the free scratchcard thing everyday and had this urge 1 morning after i had won 10p to have another go i umed and ared about it thought sod it its £1 and it was'nt my money to start with and i won £100,
withdrew it straight away and waiting for it to hit my account, £10 free scratchcard money has also gone into my account today need to transfer to savings account.

I currently have £171 insavings account, i have saved this over April, i am going to aim for £200 a month.

Going to go food shopping today i will withdraw £50 to last the week,this should be more than enough as we have quite a lot in and only need fresh fruit, veg and bits for lunch boxes.

miemie

the_annoyed_customer

Since you are trying to save money each month, maybe the best option for you is regular savings accounts which pay up to 6% Abbey and Barclays you can pay in as little as £25 to £250. But in your total you say you saved £170 last month so you can't put the maxium in. So I subtracted the £50 shopping from the total and predict at you can easily save £120 a month which is £1440 a year! And the year after you maybe able to put it into a different account or save more on regular savings as you will have more money to play with and you will know roughly how much you save a month

miemie

Thanks annoyed i will look into it
Still have £171 as did'nt take shopping money out of my savings account but out of my current account. I have everything wages, child benefit, survey money, quidco etc paid into current account, then any money from surveys or quidco i transfer straight into savings account and i'm going to check my account the day before wages, tax credits or child benefit goes in anything that is in account will get transfered over to savings.
I don't have a joint account with hubby, basically he pays all bills i pay for groceries, school dinners haircuts, clothes for me and kids, treats that sort of thing
Gosh hope that makes sense.
miemie

miemie

Went to sainsbury this morning spent £31.88, bit more than i wanted to spend but thats what happens when you take a 6 yr old with you she did'nt ask for sweets no she wanted blueberries at 2.99 a punnet and raspberries and strawberries and i could'nt say no when she was asking for nice healthy things so thats dessert tonignt sorted,so i'm left with £18.12 for the rest of the week which i don't think i will need to use, not going anywhere until Tuesday have everything i need in but might treat myself to a bottle of wine since its the weekend

miemie

Morning
Have done free scratchcards this morning and won 10p and 25p this has taken me over £10 with L so have withdrawn it,, will probably recieve that towards the end of the week and will transfer straight into savings account.
Really need to sort the garden out and plant some flowers but don't want to spend any money, wonder where the chepest place is for bedding plants.

have a good weekend miemie

cocalls

Found your diary-great start so far-are you brave enough to put a SOA up?
re bedding plants waste of money if you ask me-they only last a yr, buy herbs so you can use them. Are there any jumble sales etc on today nr you they do cheap plants. Do you know anyone who grows mint, just take a branch stick it in water until you have roots then plant it(in a pot in the ground and it spreds) and hey presto free herbs to use in anything. (cous cous, on pots, with peas mint tea, mint sauce,etc)

pandora205

Well done for making the move from debt to savings. It's encouraging how soon it mounts up.

Just a couple of thoughts reading your posts. 1. Sainsburys is an expensive place to shop in comparison with the budget supermarkets. I swapped from Tesco to Aldi, and local market for fruit and veb, with back up from Costco for bulk shopping. We now eat better for less. Are you cooking from scratch? It's amazing how much better it is and how it saves money. 2. Why not grow strawberries (Lidls have plants in stock just now for a very reasonable amount. They also have fruit bushes - I bought a blackcurrent and a gooseberry bush yesterday.)

Good luck - shopping economically can become addictive!

the_annoyed_customer

pandora205 wrote: »

1. Sainsburys is an expensive place to shop in comparison with the budget supermarkets.

I agree in part here but it would be wise to look out for deals on different things as sometimes sainsburys will be cheaper or the same price as Lidils. On other occassions without deals on, one may find sainburys cheaper than lidils. But genrally in budget supermarkets they have bigger packets etc and therefore two packets in a big supermarket is needed to a budget supermarket and often it works out cheaper in a budget supermarket. Eg lidils boil in the bag rice 8 bags is cheaper than buying 2 boxes of 4 from sainsburys

miemie

Agree and do shop in aldi and lidl as well but they are in a different part of town and as i was already needing to go to the area sainsburys is in seemed silly to waste petrol and time as i was right on the doorstep of sainsburys. I have also planted strawberries but they are not ready to pick yet and im sick to death of apples and bananas.
Yes i cook from scratch actually trained as a chef when i left school so there is no excuse for me, but went into childcare when i had my children, hours are much friendlier.

miemie

Morning.
scratchcards are done 10p and 25p win, no surveys in inbox very slow this weekend for those wonder if its because its bank holiday.

Hoping weather will brighten up its very overcast and has been raining, i want the kiddies outside so i can do some housework as i'm at work all day tommorrow.

I will have a no spend day today, as i don't need anything and i,m sure were not going anywhere unless other half has different ideas when he gets up.

Hope everyone has a good bank holiday monday miemie

miemie

Oh yes just in case anyone is interested(probably not) but im really fussy about what tea i drink and it has to be Twinnings everyday the one in the yellow box, anyway after reading something on MSE about sains burys red label being good i thought ok i will give it a go, i've tried it this morning on my second cup and it's fantastic thats me converted and i'm going to save money yeah, i have £10 in necter points maybe i should stock up.