Ruby's Stop Spending and Start Saving for 2013 and Beyond!

ruby_eskimo

Hi everyone, so I'm resurrecting my 'Stop Spending and Start Saving' thread for the new year (and beyond!)

I think 2012 was a hard year for everyone (and it's still not over yet!) and 2013 needs to be the year I knuckle down and get a grip of things. 2012 was a year of change; I got a new job and ended up moving in with the OH so money is a little bit tighter than it was. Yet I still managed to save a little bit towards a house deposit and the wedding fund.

I really need to reign in my spending. I wouldn't say I'm a shopaholic but I could definitely be a bit more frugal with my spending. So this is the thread where I'll keep a track of my spending you can all moan at me to save more!

Goals and aims are in the second post!

ruby_eskimo

Goals for 2013

- Save at least £3,000 towards the wedding: £1,190/£6,000
- Save £200 in the VSP towards Christmas next year: £38.49/£200
- Have at least 100 NSD's: 0/100

Non-money related:

- Lose some more weight: 0/14lbs
- Take up a new crafting hobby (crochet anyone?)
- Take part in Project 365 (and post the photos to Flickr)

Tete_en_l'Air

Best of luck Ruby and definitely take up the crochet (although beware that you'll spend loads of money on wool!) What does VSP stand for? x

ruby_eskimo

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Best of luck Ruby and definitely take up the crochet (although beware that you'll spend loads of money on wool!) What does VSP stand for? x

At least I'll have pretty things to look at that way!

VSP is Virtual Sealed Pot; you just round down your current account every week and save the little bits in a savings account. Managed to save quite a bit last year but needed to raid it for various things, where as this year I am determined to have something left over for Christmas 2013.

Woke up to some good news; I ordered my dad some Lego for Christmas (don't ask) and the delivery driver just threw the box at my front door at about 8:30pm last night. If I had been in the flat on y own, there is no way I would have one anywhere near the door to see what it was! Anyway, I emailed Lego to say that maybe they need a new delivery company because even though nothing was damaged it was shoddy customer service. This morning they've emailed me to say they are going to refund my entire order! :T

Heading off home to the parents today as I'm not going to be able to see them much over Christmas.

Cinny91

Found you!! Love the sound of all your goals and targets, I'm 110% sure you'll be able to do it I'm here for support if you ever need it!

Think I might need to steal the Christmas pot idea in the NY. Always seems to creep up on you!

That's great CS from Lego (if you, you know, black out the delivery!) will you be using the refunded money for a savings pot or using it to double your Dad's presents?

ruby_eskimo

Think I might chuck the refund in the savings for now Cinny.

Went Christmas shopping with the OH today. Only got to get a little something more for my mum and get him a shirt or something and then we're done! I think this is the earliest I've ever finished the Christmas shopping, I am usually running around on Christmas Eve with the other mad people trying to get something decent together.

My very first credit card arrived in the post yesterday. I am so scared of using it as I always said I would never have one; if I wanted something bad enough I would save up for it. But I just can't afford to pay for my car's service and MOT this week and the car insurance renewal in March. I've realised that I am actually earning less in my new job than I was in my previous job, and my new job is 2 bands higher! I miss the weekend and night enhancements, they really do make a difference!

ruby_eskimo

Well good job I actually got that credit card, car cost £234 for MOT and service and still needs new brake pads and a new tyre! That will have to wait till I get back to Surrey this afternoon.

I did treat myself to a couple of dresses in Primark and H+M last night in the sale. And that's going to be all the new clothes for a while! Still need to get something more for my mum and OH for Christmas. They are just so difficult to shop for!

Cinny91

Crikey, I think I'd cry if that was my MOT - that's half of what my car is worth! Be an idea to look around for the tyre though, my OH managed to get his replaced for about half of what the first garage quoted him last Summer

H&M sales are always too good to pass up on, I don't blame you! Any progress on presents for your Mum and OH?

ruby_eskimo

First day back at work and I've come back to a s**t storm it seems. Been blamed for something that happened last week that has absolutely nothing to do with me! A colleague messed up and now they are saying it was my fault. Said colleague isn't in today so I can't confront him about it either. But on the plus side my other colleague who is also off this week did send me an email before he went telling me to not have a melt down, relax and to call him at home if anything unexpected came up, which was nice.

Oh the MOT was fine Cinny, £50 for that, but it was the service (which it needed) and repairing my handbrake (because the travel was too high, although now I can just about apply it properly, it only comes up a couple of inches now!) which added to the cost. Got tomorrow and Wednesday off to try and sort the tyre and brake pads out.

I'm going to drag myself back to the fun world of spreadsheets now. Think I might be here till gone 6 just trying to get everything done that absolutely needs to be done today. I just wish we were paid overtime rather than getting time back in lieu

Tete_en_l'Air

Augh Ruby, that's rubbish about work but try not to stress about it too much. Same here re. overtime - I have so much flexi saved up and never any time to use it because I'm so busy!

I see what you mean by VSP now, I have one called my 'loose change pot' but it's been siting there with about 3p in it for a couple of years. Maybe I'll resurrect it in the new year!

ruby_eskimo

Thanks Tete. It wasn't helped that my colleague wasn't in so I couldn't talk through the problem with him rather than hearing the second hand news from someone who didn't understand. It's all been cleared up now though.

Pay day today and I managed to move some money around so that I could pay half the balance off my credit card. I've managed to build an £84 saving into my budget every month for car stuff so I won't be forced to resort to the credit card again!

Ordered a shirt and jumper from Topman for the OH. He wanted clothes and I feel a bit bad just getting him that and a new wallet but I don't honestly know what else to get him! Only have my mum left to buy for and I think I might get her that micro pedi thing, if it's suitable for diabetics. Will go and have a look in Boots on my way home from work.