How to fall in love with saving money

Eco_Miser

Congratulations Cathy. I guess that means we can't deport you now
Not that we'd want to.

meanwhile, I've just had to spend £250 on a new washing machine (I know there are cheaper, but I want one that leaves the clothes damp, not soaking wet). Fortunately, I've got the cash, so the only pain is the emotional one of having to part with my hard-earned money.

cathybird

Thanks atush and Eco Miser Yep can't get rid of me now Next step is to apply for a passport but that will have to wait till end of June as in the meantime my dad is visiting from Oz and we're going to Norway for a few days, so I will need my Oz passport to travel and thus cannot send it to the passport office to act as identification.

Eco Miser, what brand washing machine did you get? ... I had a Zanussi for years, that seemed a pretty good brand - nothing ever went wrong with it, whereas I do have friends whose washing machines always seem to be breaking down.

atush, it's not cold here but it is very wet, almost feels like heating weather. I should probably think about getting to Tesco to buy food myself.

cathybird

In May, June, July I've got to save about £3,400. I reckon I can pretty easily save £600 a month, but if I get big bills, which I will in June (home insurance for starters, plus trip with Dad) then I will struggle. So how am I going to do it, is the question? ...

Lomcevak

Well done Cathy

I've been buried under work for the last couple of weeks, so haven't been on MSE much. I've inherited a project in crisis and i'm supposed to be turning things around, slowly making progress but very much an exhausting, stressful day-to-day battle. On the plus side I guess it doesn't leave much time to spend money so i'm having a very good savings month

Just when I could really use a relaxing three-day weekend the whole family seems to be descending on us, so it'll be non-stop cooking and cleaning , but then next weekend we have a three-day break in Italy which will be a nice chance to get away and recharge the batteries. Counting down the hours

organic_wanabe

Congratulations Cathy. Hope your 'dry' period is now over so that you can celebrate. I have every confidence in you reaching your savings target. If you think you might struggle then it is maybe time to get back onto Ebay/Amazon selling and also setting up your 'allotment produce' sales stall! I have two bikes which I should really list on Gumtree. So far I have managed to sell a roofbox for £70 (in great condition but had been sitting unused in the garage for 10 years) and a Samsung notebook for £90.

JoJoC

Wow Cathy, that's some savings target for the next few months!! I hope you find a solution to push closer to your target.

Ecomiser, sorry you had to fork out on a washing machine but on the plus side, at least you shouldn't need to worry about having to replace for a good few years!!

Congrats on the citizenship too Cathy!

I had a nice day out with my mum and son today and my mum bought me a lovely new notebook and a new book- save with Jamie, by Jamie Oliver.

Now that my son is asleep, I'm sitting with a cup of tea to read through some of it. Need to write my meal plan too so that I can do my shopping tomorrow.

Eco_Miser

cathybird wrote: »

Eco Miser, what brand washing machine did you get? ... I had a Zanussi for years, that seemed a pretty good brand - nothing ever went wrong with it, whereas I do have friends whose washing machines always seem to be breaking down.

It's Hoover - made in Italy.

Having spent a day trawling the internet and getting all confused over the options available, I went into my local white goods shop with high spin speed as my priority: he could do next morning delivery for this model, nominally £20 more than a similar Zanussi in Curry's, but I also got a discount equivalent to the call-out charge I'd paid for them declaring my old machine unrepairable.
Also I'd rather support the local trader.

cathybird

hi all! Lovely day today, if a bit chilly (well, for May) Lomcevak, many thanks Is all this hard work part of the promotion they've given you? .... It's quite a nice thing to be given a project in crisis since it shows they think you can handle it - even if it is also a bit of a pain to nurse it back to health. Enjoy your trip to Italy though, sounds well-deserved

organic wanabe, thanks - my dry period is over on Thursday, and I am quite looking forward to it, although I have enjoyed how well I have felt so much that I am very unlikely to go back - I want to live largely booze-free from now in, in fact, except for the odd glass of wine or champagne cocktail out socially. The savings target really ought to be possible if I use my brain. I should in fact get more into selling stuff on eBay, or indeed Gumtree - it's probably the only way in which I will meet my target at this point, since June will be an expensive month.

JoJoC, thanks also Do let me know how you find the Jamie Oliver book - I eyed it in a bookshop not so long ago, though goodness knows I don't need any more cookbooks. I lose track of the ones I have - I saw one the other day, thought, "I'd love to get that," then thought, "Don't I have that already?" and sure enough I did. Enough said I'm having a friend over for lunch this Fri though, looking forward to cooking a slap-up meal again.

Eco Miser, I agree with you about supporting local traders - I wouldn't be surprised if there was a big backlash against the Amazons of this world at some point. People like their convenience but they don't like organisations that throw their weight around and don't pay tax. Hoover are pretty good btw - we had a Hoover washing machine when I was growing up, it's still going as far as I know!

atush

My last washing machine lasted over 20 years. I c ould have fixed it yet again, but decided to replace. I bought an LG that cost me more than twice the above machine. But i didn't mind as I got 10 months interest free credit, plus it takes 11Kg loads and spins at 1400.

And it looks like a spacecraft escape pod lol

I still have the 20+ year tumble dryer that came as a matching pair with the old washer. This one seems on it's last legs but I was hoping to try to try for 25 years (it is 23 at the moment).

yesterday was cold and wet again, so we went out for a pub lunch (something we dont generally do). I did NOt put the heating on again once we got home (I wanted to) but did put a jacket on lol

Eco_Miser

cathybird wrote: »

Hoover are pretty good btw - we had a Hoover washing machine when I was growing up, it's still going as far as I know!

The dead one was also a Hoover - no more than 15 years old, probably a good deal less, but I would need to find the receipt, or guarantee, or the purchase entry in my accounts to be any more accurate.