The 'Save £12k in 2012' thread!

Baking_Mad

Desperate_Housewife wrote: »

We've got 2 kids and both work part time, Oh in his 50s and I'm in my 40s. I dont think we'll save this amount of money but as I said before in this thread, I thought that about the mortgage free in 3 challenge but joined it anyway. 3 years later I had by some miracle paid off our mortgage as the challenge itself put saving at the top of the list.

Also the encouragement you get from likeminded people on the challenge all striving for the same goal is great. You cant always talk about this in everyday life as people have their own agendas and some can be judgemental. I had nasty comments from people asking why I wanted to pay off my mortgage (because I wanted to live rent free and for us both to work part time and spend more time with the kids) and relative actually laughing at us for shopping at aldi! Needless to say we have the last laugh as we have achieved what we set out to do and they are still squandering money and moaning that they are skint.

My advice is to go for it, if you dont achieve your goal it doesnt matter because you will have more than if you didnt do it.

As for saving money I always recommend 'The Tightwad Gazette' by Amy Daczyn. I bought a copy and it was an eye opener, over 1000 pages of thrifty tips it paid for itself many times over.

Good luck and come and join in the fun!

Hello again,

I've had a quick look on Amazon and not sure which one to get as there are 3 books, the 3rd one is the complete Gazette but has got a few mixed reviews... Also some people say that the book doesn't relate to british reader as it was written for american market?

Thanks again

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

alionaear wrote: »

Hello again,

I've had a quick look on Amazon and not sure which one to get as there are 3 books, the 3rd one is the complete Gazette but has got a few mixed reviews... Also some people say that the book doesn't relate to british reader as it was written for american market?

Thanks again

I got the complete collection and yes, some of the book is American, the recipes are measured in cups, but it is the outlook of the writer and practical tips that I like. I have found it very useful, unfortunately it was not available from my library but you could try yours to see if they have it.

natnat13

alionaear wrote: »

Hello again,

I've had a quick look on Amazon and not sure which one to get as there are 3 books, the 3rd one is the complete Gazette but has got a few mixed reviews... Also some people say that the book doesn't relate to british reader as it was written for american market?

Thanks again

Have a look in your library or even charity shops, there are lots of good frugal living / money saving books. This blog is good to:
frugalincornwall.blogspot.com
That's not a direct link but google should find it!
(for MSE rules, blog is nothing to do with me, I just like reading it!!)

XSpender

Morning All

Not long to go now until the challenge starts. I am poorly in bed so have organised my standing orders to come out of my January pay ready for the start of the challenge. My sealed pots are all set up and I am struggling with the temptation of starting to feed them with the coins from my purse.

We both work FT and have an almost 20 month old DS and pay quite a chunk of money in childcare, would be even more if DMIL and DFIL didn't have him 3 days a week.

I recommend a good read through the Old Style thread for lots of hints and tips on cutting down spending/:money:tips:)

XS

wilbur

Good morning,

I have 9hrs o/t from the 22nd dec. so that will be added the end of Jan.

I'm married with 2 kids 10 and 6, youngest is on the A.S.D spectrum. I'm the only one working, although the good lady stays at home she runs the household sorts out all the youngest ones needs, so you could say she's the hardest worker. (i do my bit as well:)). Mines the main income, we do get help with the D.l.a. but things are tight.

It's a case of saving as much as i can, i'm lucky at work theres plenty of scope to do o/t, also the good lady is looking for some part-time work. What ever we save will go to pay of our debt. I'm looking forward to this challange.

Happy saving, and a frugal new year.:beer:

Buffythedebtslayer

I am SO excited.

Feel a bit sick but I suspect that is the scrambled eggs......

any how I do think 12,000 is a bit steep but oooooooo what the heck. I found 6.50 in my green Met account so you know only 11993.5 left to find..........:)

oh dear.....

I also have to pay off the credit card first.

Motivation is the important thing tho? The more I save the more likely it is I can jack in my job(and get another one obviously)............or buy a house.

so hopefully that will get me going when I am stuck in Feburary with nothing to do and no money to do it with!

xx

Jaxx_uk

Hi. Can I join this challenge please? Im starting a whole range of challenges for 2012 and want to do as much as I can to save money

Jaxx

Baking_Mad

Hello everybody, thanks again for the ideas and encouragement.

We've made a decision and would like to join the challenge for 6K please.

So excited, can't wait to get started. Good luck to you all!

Poster_girl

Thought that the Stantander Preferred Current Account would be good to open for the start of this challenge because of the 5% interest rate (up to £2500) and the £100, but they have turned me down! Arrrggg!!! So annoying.

Need to come up with a new plan now.

MoneySaverLog

Don't think of it that they turned you down... Think of it as though you had a lucky escape :-)