How to fall in love with saving money

cathybird

gallygirl wrote: »

Not really. If you were truly crap they'd have been bills :rotfl:.

ha ha, gallygirl - hadn't thought of that :rotfl:

cathybird

big_questions wrote: »

Cathybird,
I've had moneysaving periods of my life, and fritter-it-away periods (never too serious, but taken eye off the ball). The BIGGEST single thing that helped me get the habit of being fully money conscious and start saving was to move my current account, savings acct and credit card all to the same bank, so i could see them all online at a glance. Once i could see all the basics together it made it more real.

Yes, me too - I have been very concientious about it before but then, as you say, took my eye off the ball.

I can see that would work really well but the only thing is that I don't want to move my current account since I like the bank I have it with. Unfortunately the rate they offer on their ISA is crap Also, I suspect it helps me to move the money AWAY from my current account, since if I can see it there or close by I think it's there for the spending. But otherwise, I see your point.

cathybird

Anyway, have sorted out a new Virgin Isa (using MSE as a guide obviously , have deposited the cheques, and transferred the amount. I said earlier I was going to list the accounts I have but I'm not going to do that, I think - no point - will list the current amount of savings I have in my signature though - it's not terrible I suppose, not fantastic either.

gallygirl

cathybird wrote: »

Yes, me too - I have been very concientious about it before but then, as you say, took my eye off the ball.

I can see that would work really well but the only thing is that I don't want to move my current account since I like the bank I have it with. Unfortunately the rate they offer on their ISA is crap Also, I suspect it helps me to move the money AWAY from my current account, since if I can see it there or close by I think it's there for the spending. But otherwise, I see your point.

If you go onto First Direct's site look for Internet Banking Plus. You can link all your accounts so they are all visible, regardless of who they are with and whether or not you are a FD customer. Even better, you can also put credit cards and online mortgage accounts and it totals the credits and debits and gives your net worth (or lack of ). 1 easy log-in then press update all :T.

cathybird

Has anyone seen that quite cool "net worth" table that J Money at budgetsaresexy.com runs every month? It shows his total worth and he can also calculate the monthly percentage gains. Anyone know where I might find a table that will do that that I can use on Excel? ...

cathybird

gallygirl wrote: »

If you go onto First Direct's site look for Internet Banking Plus. You can link all your accounts so they are all visible, regardless of who they are with and whether or not you are a FD customer. Even better, you can also put credit cards and online mortgage accounts and it totals the credits and debits and gives your net worth (or lack of ). 1 easy log-in then press update all :T.

gallygirl, that's incredibly useful - many many thanks.

cathybird

The point Eco Miser raises is a really interesting one. My big downfalls are food and books. I love food. I think what I need to think about is a sort of "sustainable minimum", an amount that lets me eat in a way that won't make me feel deprived and that I will therefore stick to. If I try to get by on the lowest possible total I won't stick to it. I know I won't

cathybird

I should add ... in case anyone thinks WFF you've got savings already, what are you talking about, it was a lump sum I got a short while ago that I have been frittering away. I have added it so I can get it firmly through my brain that it is not to be spent. I need to add to it, not subtract from it.

matttye

For me it's easy, I just like seeing my balance grow.

jimjames

cathybird wrote: »

The point Eco Miser raises is a really interesting one. My big downfalls are food and books. I love food. I think what I need to think about is a sort of "sustainable minimum", an amount that lets me eat in a way that won't make me feel deprived and that I will therefore stick to. If I try to get by on the lowest possible total I won't stick to it. I know I won't

Spending on food is fine - just make sure you don't waste it as per the headlines today. If every household on average wastes £700 of food per year there must be some exceptionally wasteful households as ours is pretty close to zero.

One thing to remember is that you are already doing better than the majority of people in UK when 28% have no savings or under £250 and two thirds have under £1000.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/feb/25/millions-britons-without-future-savings