How to fall in love with saving money

cathybird

It is good for you though .... as long as you don't mind frequent visits to the loo

Did you have a good Christmas, atush? ...

Eco_Miser

cathybird wrote: »

Eco Miser, I am full of admiration at the way you can live on so little - I wish I had half of your resolve.

It's not resolve, it's habit. While I've never been broke, I've had extended periods where my essential expenditure exceeded my income. That reinforced my frugality.

cathybird wrote: »

Striking a slightly sombre note here but my mother saved religiously all her life and though we had holidays while I was growing up (visiting the rellies - quite clearly in retrospect dirt cheap, though fun at the time), she and my dad spent very little and enjoyed very few "treats". They were just gearing up for their first big trip overseas to Europe, around the time my dad retired, when she was diagnosed with cancer and very shortly after that she died.

That's sad.

The year before I was born, my parents rode a motor-cycle from here to Naples and Venice and various other places my father had visited a few years earlier with the D-Day Dodgers. It was twenty years or more before they went abroad again, but they'd had their big adventure.
Like you I had lots of holidays with relatives conveniently spread over GB, but also in a tent in various farmers' fields well away from the rellies; not to mention regular days out all along the Yorkshire coast and on the Yorkshire Moors. This while buying a house, and running a car on a single, not particulrly good wage. I learnt to enjoy the free stuff, and the little treats, like an ice-cream. or a cinema visit.

In retrospect, Dad put all his spare money into things for the whole family, instead of going smoking and drinking down the pub or club, as so many men of his generation did.

cathybird wrote: »

So I hope you are treating yourself this festive season, Eco Miser "Because you're worth it"

I am: four types of filled chocolate, fruit jelly slices, turkish delight, shortbread, dates, mince pies, and cashews have been sitting on the table next to me over the holidays, being wantonly consumed as the fancy takes me. :j I'll be getting more holiday treats as the shops sell off their excess stock cheap.:beer:

Eco_Miser

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Cathy- i have decided to have a dry January and drink lots of water instead. I read an article that someone posted on this site about a woman who improved her skin loads when she drank the recommended 2lts a day of water. So i am giving that a go.

Remember that 2 litres includes the water content of your tea, coffee, milk, fruit juce, and even alcoholic beverages, as well as plain water. Of course, if you were me, 95% of your liquid intake would be chilled tap water anyway.

WantToBeSE wrote: »

My £700 is still intact. I am very proud that i got through C'mas without touching it. I wasn't really all that tempted either.

Strange but true: Once money has been locked away for a while, you sort of forget that it's there as a source of spending money.

cathybird

Eco_Miser wrote: »

It's not resolve, it's habit. While I've never been broke, I've had extended periods where my essential expenditure exceeded my income. That reinforced my frugality.

You come across to me as having great strength of mind, but there it is. If it's habit, it's a habit I need to develop

The year before I was born, my parents rode a motor-cycle from here to Naples and Venice and various other places my father had visited a few years earlier with the D-Day Dodgers. It was twenty years or more before they went abroad again, but they'd had their big adventure.

Oh what fun!! That must have been huge fun. Did they travel up the Amalfi coast? Absolutely gorgeous. As big adventures go, that's a good one. You're making me wish I could ride a motorbike now. In fact (curiously) my Dad did ride one in his younger days, but gave up after he had a family.

In retrospect, Dad put all his spare money into things for the whole family, instead of going smoking and drinking down the pub or club, as so many men of his generation did.

Mine too. You tend to take it for granted when you're younger. My dad's vices have never included smoking or drinking - over time, two very expensive habits.

I am: four types of filled chocolate, fruit jelly slices, turkish delight, shortbread, dates, mince pies, and cashews have been sitting on the table next to me over the holidays, being wantonly consumed as the fancy takes me. :j I'll be getting more holiday treats as the shops sell off their excess stock cheap.:beer:

Yum!! I have got some very nice mince pies and some pudding in addition to the fudge ... plus some choccy, but then I've always got that in the cupboard I was about to say that's a relatively cheap vice, but perhaps it isn't - I wonder what my choccy habit is costing me? Must try to work it out.

It is sad about my mum. Australia is a hell of a long way from anywhere and I think her and my dad's generation weren't used to the idea that they could travel outside it very easily. That is where people in the UK have got a huge advantage, in that the continent has always loomed large as an easy place to get to. I wish she had been able to travel to Europe at least once. My dad has been over here a few times since she died, but it always makes me think every time he travels that she would have loved it.

atush

cathybird wrote: »

It is good for you though .... as long as you don't mind frequent visits to the loo

Did you have a good Christmas, atush? ...

Had a good xmas, and still eating turkey lol. I have some really great recipes from Peking turkey wraps, to Kentucky Hot Browns (sliced turkey on doorstop toast with cheese and gravy) to turkey leek pie and turkey noodle soup lol.

Now making roast rib of beef tonight as I have on going off to London NYE, and New years day (when we normally do the beef) we will do duck of some sort (unless i can find a left over goose). NYE will be a combo of canapes from M&S and home made.

Working my way thru that cheap (but very nice) wine one glass at at time. I have found if I pace myself at one per hour, I don't get drunk lol.

cathybird

atush wrote: »

Had a good xmas, and still eating turkey lol. I have some really great recipes from Peking turkey wraps, to Kentucky Hot Browns (sliced turkey on doorstop toast with cheese and gravy) to turkey leek pie and turkey noodle soup lol.

Now making roast rib of beef tonight as I have on going off to London NYE, and New years day (when we normally do the beef) we will do duck of some sort (unless i can find a left over goose). NYE will be a combo of canapes from M&S and home made.

Working my way thru that cheap (but very nice) wine one glass at at time. I have found if I pace myself at one per hour, I don't get drunk lol.

Yes I still have some pork left over ... not very much :rotfl: I was thinking it might go in the freezer and make some nice pork meatballs in Jan but am not at all sure it is going to last that long.

I have got loads of wine left too. I must say a glass of wine in the cold months is a very fine thing.

atush

I like cold roast pork in sandwiches, although not everyone does.

Try left over pork reheated with satay sauce (even good in a hot sandwich)?

and cashews have been sitting on the table next to me over the holidays,

Gotta have a look at M&S. They won't be there long (think they are holiday supply) but the Balsamic Cashews are to DIE for!! Very good as savoury salad topping too.

mark55man

Just posting to join in this thread which I shall read over next day or two. Have had a good news year and finally got into a good place savings wise and want to maximise it before the next bad news year comes along (won't be long but hopefully not 2014)

cathybird

hi mark88man and welcome Merry Christmas too. I do hope this thread can help you even in a small way with inspiration where saving money is concerned - it certainly does that for me.

7_week_wonder

Good afternoon,

Please can I tag along for the ride in 2014? I've been lurking and reading for a wee while and am convinced that Cathybird and I are twins separated at birth! We're similar ages and I too had some investments from some years ago. I then had a change of career, which meant several years on a low income, and it's only really since October I've been in a position to save seriously again. I've been reading through Tim Hales Smarter Investing and I like what I've read - though I am getting myself in a complete knot trying to work out which combinations of funds and platforms are best value! I must take the plunge and get round to putting this year's ISA allowance into an S&S ISA before the (financial) year end.

Anyway, enough about me, I love reading the banter on this thread and hope I'll be able to join in.