How to fall in love with saving money

cathybird

JIL, sounds yum - I love asparagus soup, too. Lucky you, having the farmer nearby - nothing beats absolutely fresh asparagus.

Anyway, morning all - I hope this grey April morning finds everyone well. It's nearly the end of April and I feel as though I haven't exactly made superhuman efforts to save this month, even though it's nearly time to declare on the £12,000 in 2014 challenge.

In a way the whole point of this diary was the point I have reached now, after the first few months of mad enthusiasm when I make great efforts and succeed in stashing away quite a bit of money (just as I succeeded in paying off lots of debt back when I first joined, back in about 2007 or thereabouts). But then the enthusiasm wanes and you fall out of love with the idea and it all gets a bit boring, and your savings efforts take one or two knocks from unexpected expenses, and other things start popping their heads up and demanding attention. That's the point where I needed this diary, to make myself keep at it, and not lose focus.

So I am glad people have stuck with me thus far. This is the point where I could easily slip back into old habits if no one was paying attention to what I was doing, but because I'm hanging around on the MSE website, I feel an obligation to keep trying. Moreover, I am really hoping to find a way to re-enthuse myself. So, hang in there with me I am definitely determined to do one thing - save £12,000 this year, or do my best, anyway. So that's one goal I've hung on to.

Shortie

Hi cathybird, I'm in that mindset at the moment, where I'm almost a tad 'bored' of saving - that sounds awful doesn't it? Hopefully we can all bustle each other along and get ourselves back into the flow when we slow down a bit?

Part of me thinks that a month's break can be good every now and then to prevent burn out. But this time I'm not getting back into the saving mindset.

I need a serious kick up the rear

JoJoC

If only we could send virtual enthusiasm/ kicks up the backside!

I definitely need one after a really expensive and disheartening month. I feel quite motivated just now after 3 weeks of having none so I'll try to share it with you.

For me, bring able to draw a line under the expensive weeks and make a small deposit into my savings kick started me into wanting to see it grow more.

I'm still not being as frugal as I could be, but I'm getting there!

Keep going people! You'll find your mojo again, just keep talking in here and you'll find it.

JoJoC

Ps. Sorry, but I only get a chance to come on here on my phone and my autocorrect is a !!!!!!. In real life, my attention to detail is much better, I promise!

Lomcevak

I'm having an accidental motivation boost at the moment. ISA rates are disappointing, so I followed the MSE herd and went on a high-interest current account rampage at the weekend. After opening and filling assorted TSB, Lloyds, and Nationwide 4-5% accounts, a new regular saver, and a couple of Tesco DD feeder accounts (14 in total - I got a bit carried away!) our day-to-day current accounts are painfully low - so low, in fact, that next month is a careful set of chess moves to make sure money's in the right place for all our outgoings are funded until we have both been paid next month. No big deal, but fiddly. And we have to hope nothing big crops up, as that would derail everything (although obviously we could move some money back again to plug the gap, but that would feel a bit of a failure if I do all the work to set the current account shuffle up and then have to immediately capitulate )

Then today it struck me is that this is exactly what our financial lives used to be like all the time until our lightbulb moment a couple of years ago. We always lived like this, we never missed a payment but were constantly juggling money into the right place at the last minute. And, wow, i'd forgotten how rubbish that was

Shortie

JoJoC wrote: »

If only we could send virtual enthusiasm/ kicks up the backside!

I definitely need one after a really expensive and disheartening month. I feel quite motivated just now after 3 weeks of having none so I'll try to share it with you.

For me, bring able to draw a line under the expensive weeks and make a small deposit into my savings kick started me into wanting to see it grow more.

I'm still not being as frugal as I could be, but I'm getting there!

Keep going people! You'll find your mojo again, just keep talking in here and you'll find it.

Thanks for the motivation boost JoJoC, and I can second the 'small kick start savings' idea. I made a few small transfers today at lunchtime - money I'd put aside this month for DS2'a savings account but the payment is starting next month now, Mr Shortie cashed in the coppers and that was transfered over, and I made a small sweep of my 'mule' account and moved a fiver over to savings. In all pretty small compared to what we need to save in total but I'm glad to be saving and am hoping the 'glowing feeling' sticks

cathybird

hi all!! Shortie, I agree with you about breaks, but I suspect if I took a month I wouldn't go back to the savings habit. As tempting as it sounds. Maybe treats every now and then? ... But you've got that glowing feeling from today, so you sound poised to get back on track anyway, by the sound of it

JoJoC, I agree with you about the "small kick start savings" too - in fact I must just make a note to focus on what I can do now at the end of April, something small, and that will hopefully do the trick. Sorry to hear about your expensive and disheartening month, by the way - I hope May will be better? One thing I do know, your cheery comments always help me and make me feel motivated to save, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that, so even if your own month has been hard, you're making it easier for others.

Lomcevak, that's a good thing to remember, that "this is what it used to be like", and I should try to remember it too - the bad times, which in fact weren't so long ago. Good move on the accounts, by the way - I think I've opened most of the recent crop of current accounts with reasonable rates and they are way ahead of the Isa. The chess moves do sound like a bit of a pain but at least you know you've got the cash to fall back on if you have to. Which I hope you won't.

JoJoC

That's really sweet of you to say Cathy- I sometimes feel like I only comment with complaints or moans so it's nice to know I can help now and again

Online community spirit is good for the soul

I'm hoping that May will be better for us too. It's husband's birthday in two weeks so I'll need to get him a little something to open, but other than that, it's full steam ahead on the savings!

Must go to sleep...

JIL

Cathy I came to confess that my interest was/is waning. Glad I'm not the only one who needs some motivation. Its payday in a couple of hours. There's a lot needs paying out this month and I may even have to raid the savings as well. And there's the holiday.
On a positive I renewed my car insurance through TCB. Today I got £60 cash back. That means my net cost for fully comp for the year was £106. I am really pleased with that.
I have a short caravan break booked for the end of may in Dorset. Self catering so looking forward to that.
Keep saving.

JoJoC

Hey JIL, you're not alone, as you've probably read! It seems like we're all struggling a bit.

Maybe it's the four month savings itch?

Well done on getting your cash back on your insurance! I can only ever dream of having insurance that low. My husband and I are still mid-late 20s so our premiums are still quite high. About 5 times your net cost!

Hope everyone is in for a lovely day!