How to fall in love with saving money

cathybird

Thanks, JoJoC I'm pretty pleased. I feel it's a hopeful sign, as long as I can continue the way I've begun. And I couldn't agree with you more about food as a topic.

btw, think I saw you said elsewhere that you have to save up £20,000 to move house? It seems like a lot but you come across as very determined to do it and I reckon you will probably be surprised by how soon the pot grows big enough. I'm guessing having said that it will probably be a couple of years but that sounds like a longer space of time than it really is, if that makes sense. The months really fly by, you know? ...

atush

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Haha, same here! I only need to lose 1st but I have a weakness for chocolate hobnobs My overall diet has improved as I am starting to eat cleaner, but its the snacks which muck it all up for me!

I guess it will be really really bad if i tell you i found choc hob nob Cake bars in Tesco today. I did buy a pack for the boys who love the milk choc hob nobs. I prefer the plain choc ones, so don't buy them very often so then i dont eat them.

I am still slowly going thru my xmas and bday chocs.

cathybird

Lomcevak wrote: »

Well done Cathy, we (Mrs. L and myself) used ours to the full for the first time this year, it's a nice mini-milestone.

I'm still stuck with my finger hovering over the SIPP buy button, I have £3k ready to go now and then £750 a month after that (plus another £250 me/£500 matched into a separate work scheme). So initially it's very small beer, but grows quite quickly over time. Most of the discussion recently has been about much larger amounts where fixed-fee becomes strongly preferable, so i'm still trying to piece together the best options for me. Think possibly Fidelity for a couple of years (percentage fee, no exit fee) then move once fixed-fee becomes cost-effective, but keep going round in circles

Thanks Lomcevak, yes I'm pleased Congrats to you and Mrs L too on the same milestone.

Re the SIPP, Fidelity sounds like a good bet if they haven't got any exit fees? Not that I'm a great expert but I went for Charles Stanley on the S&S Isa for the same reason, the (low) percentage fee, which makes it a good choice for a smallish portfolio - however, I will be looking for a fixed-fee provider as soon as it gets above a certain point. Unless CS change their terms in the meantime, which I suppose they might perhaps do, given the way charges are shifting at the moment. £750 a month seems a very decent amount - that will add up into a sizeable pension pot over 20 or so years, especially added to the work pension, surely? ...

cathybird

atush wrote: »

I am still slowly going thru my xmas and bday chocs.

ha ha, atush, that to me shows superhuman self-control

WantToBeSE

atush wrote: »

I guess it will be really really bad if i tell you i found choc hob nob Cake bars in Tesco today. I did buy a pack for the boys who love the milk choc hob nobs. I prefer the plain choc ones, so don't buy them very often so then i dont eat them.

I am still slowly going thru my xmas and bday chocs.

I am totally not reading that...I don't need another reason to eat any type of chocolate honob inspired treats

atush

cathybird wrote: »

Meanwhile the end of the tax year approaches and this year I think for the first time ever I'm going to use the full Isa allowance. Yay! Thanks to MSE, obviously.

Full cash, full S&S or both?

And if you guys talk about other stuff I am not interested in, I don't care. I read it but just don't post lol.

I like travel, food, books, and movies among other things.

cathybird

Must confess I've never eaten a chocolate hobnob that I know of and by the sounds of it it's probably something I'd better avoid! :eek: They sound rather addictive.

WantToBeSE

cathybird wrote: »

Must confess I've never eaten a chocolate hobnob that I know of and by the sounds of it it's probably something I'd better avoid! :eek: They sound rather addictive.

Whaaaat??? :eek: :eek: :eek: Oh Cathy, you are missing a real treat On the other hand, maybe its a good thing, don't even try 1, they are sooo nice!!

Well done on saving so well Cathy, you must be really pleased to have a full ISA

cathybird

atush wrote: »

Full cash, full S&S or both?

And if you guys talk about other stuff I am not interested in, I don't care. I read it but just don't post lol.

I like travel, food, books, and movies among other things.

I've put some into cash and some into the S&S Isa - slightly more into the S&S Isa. I want to keep a fair amount in cash though for the moment just for the sake of it, really. Next year the full allowance will probably all go into the S&S Isa.

Travel, food, books and movies, yes to all of those

cathybird

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Whaaaat??? :eek: :eek: :eek: Oh Cathy, you are missing a real treat On the other hand, maybe its a good thing, don't even try 1, they are sooo nice!!

Well done on saving so well Cathy, you must be really pleased to have a full ISA

ha ha, maybe I had better try them then but not quite yet - trying to lose 5kg so off chocolate altogether till I have done that. :A

Yes I am pleased, thanks. Going to try for the same every year from now on hopefully.