How much can you save?

gelato_cat

I've saved 10% of my annual discretionary income this month - but this was helped by the fact that I had a tax refund at the end of January, so I don't expect February to be the same.

Having said that, Feb is a short month so I don't have as many days to spend my money and I'm less than two weeks away from my next pay cheque, so you never know.

Suze

gelato_cat

Use your discretionary income (ie disposable minus regular essential outgoings).

Suze

EagerLearner wrote:

Confused as to what amount to place in the big yellow box re net income/disposable income? I have put what I have left in my pocket when all the bills are paid. Is that correct? Or should I be putting in my monthly net income?

gelato_cat

I think I could spend less on:

- gas and electricity so am looking to switch this weekend. I also have my computer on every day and have the heating on every night at the moment, but it's one of the luxuries I allow myself!
- food, as I sometimes buy too much fruit and veg and it goes off
- toiletries - I don't buy super-expensive stuff but I like Pears soap and could get four bars of the cheap stuff for the price of one bar of Pears! I usually buy it when it's on special offer, but it's still more expensive than the cheap stuff
- I should really switch credit cards to get better cashback and sometimes I forget to use cashback sites when buying stuff
- I have a bus pass and could take it back for a refund and walk everywhere, but as it's for a year it's quite heavily discounted, plus when it's freezing I'd rather take the bus, so I reckon giving it up wouldn't really do me many favours. Plus I am thinking of buying a car as a treat to myself anyway after having used the bus forever!

Other than that, I can't really see where else I could cut back!

Suze

cookie9 wrote:

Out of interest where do you think you waste money? I was horrified to find out how much I used to spend on magazines in a month and now subscribe to just one a month. Tip - if you buy the same magazine every month subscribe to it as you will generally get a discount and/or a gift for subscribing. Anyone else have any tips?

Angelselondon

We advertise in most magazines so I get all of them: Vogue, Red, Good Housekeeping, GQ, Eve, Company, Cosmo, Heat, Esquire. If you buy advertising with a magazine house you always get the publication free. I order in 4 of each magazine making sure I have my own personal copy to flick through before putting it out on our magazine rack for the whole department to look at.

As we now advertise Financal products, I should really get Moneywise / Money Observer. I might do this next week and cancel my subscription.

The only downside to working in the Advertising / Marketing and PR industry is that when you go on holiday, Magazines in airports are not so inviting, they remind you of work!!! :rolleyes:

Suzey wrote:

What kind of mags have you found this works with? I only get work-related ones (marketing and IT) but have never tried with anything else!

Suze

gelato_cat

Ah OK, I work in IT so we don't advertise in any of those! I get IT Week, Computing, Computer Weekly, Government Computing... are you asleep yet?

Suze

Angelselondon wrote:

We advertise in most magazines so I get all of them: Vogue, Red, Good Housekeeping, GQ, Eve, Company, Cosmo, Heat, Esquire. If you buy advertising with a magazine house you always get the publication free. I order in 4 of each magazine making sure I have my own personal copy to flick through before putting it out on our magazine rack for the whole department to look at.

As we now advertise Financal products, I should really get Moneywise / Money Observer. I might do this next week and cancel my subscription.

The only downside to working in the Advertising / Marketing and PR industry is that when you go on holiday, Magazines in airports are not so inviting, they remind you of work!!! :rolleyes:

Angelselondon

ooo, Government Computing, almost as riverting as Retail Week! :rotfl:

Suzey wrote:

Ah OK, I work in IT so we don't advertise in any of those! I get IT Week, Computing, Computer Weekly, Government Computing... are you asleep yet?

Suze

gelato_cat

Tell you what we get (not sure WHY we get it, but hey) that's more interesting than it sounds - Personnel Management. It's more for line managers than personnel managers and has some useful bits and pieces in it.

Oh my God, I don't think there's any doubt now that I'm a corporate slave!!!

Suze

Angelselondon wrote:

ooo, Government Computing, almost as riverting as Retail Week! :rotfl:

BLUESUNSHINE_2

Well ive just totted it up and after giving up smoking 26 days ago ive saved about £130

EagerLearner

Well done Bluesunshine! Make sure you save the cash so you keep motivated and 'see' the savings piling up!

jamtart6

Suze - get on the Boots thread for toiletires and makeup!! Also combined with the pigsback site (where you can earn free Boots vouchers easily!) means you only ever spend free boots vouchers in the shop, earn loads of points. My card had £17 on before I read that thread...its now proudly got £45 on it and I have got LOADS of stuff for relatively little in money (but its not even money its free vouchers!!wahoo!)


Im going to work out today how well I did in January! - i got paid this month (big pay every quarter from job 1 and little pay every month from job 2 too)