How to fall in love with saving money

cathybird

Thanks, atush.

00ec25: I can only repeat that this is my savings diary and I'd prefer that those who commented here did so with respect.

cathybird

Well, I've got an expensive few weeks coming up - I have got a carpenter doing some work on the house this Friday and an electrician doing further work in the next couple of weeks. Plus there's another big bill early in March sometime. So I may not be able to move much into savings in the next four weeks. I will squirrel away as much as I can, it goes without saying.

I have some time off from work coming up too and am very much looking forward to that. My allotment needs some TLC - I have been neglecting it since October.

JoJoC

Sounds like you have an expensive few weeks coming up Cathy!

As I've seen many times in here though, the fact that you've got savings means that you're not having to get into debt to pay for these kinds of things so it's all good

As long as you can put something away, that should keep your motivation high.

NSD for me- hooray!

cathybird

JoJoC wrote: »

Sounds like you have an expensive few weeks coming up Cathy!

As I've seen many times in here though, the fact that you've got savings means that you're not having to get into debt to pay for these kinds of things so it's all good

As long as you can put something away, that should keep your motivation high.

NSD for me- hooray!

Yay for the NSD, well done Yes, I do feel much better for having some savings in the bank, more than enough to cover the expenses, and I will certainly put something away towards my savings goals this month too. So, you're right, JoJoC, it's all good

Fanmail

I was in this position until about 4 years ago. I'd never even given a thought to savings until I met a man who was in the habit and slowly (with alot of sulking from me I might add) the habit wore off on me. I didn't really have any huge debts (only about £1,500 on a credit card) but I didn't have anything put by for a rainy day and lived hand to mouth - I never had anything left at the end of the month and more often than not ate into my overdraft time after time. I'd never been in the habit of spending money for the sake of it, but just never really seemed to be on top of it. The hardest thing I found is just GETTING STARTED! - because a significant amount of money takes time to accumulate, it just seems such a bore. I freely admit I resented it and found it no fun at all for a very long time. One major thing actually changed my ability to save more - I had a horse, which was a huge drain on my finances, but after a bad accident, I sold him. This freed up alot more cash, which meant my savings built much more quickly. Other things that help are: I've also never been an enthusiastic consumer of things like Costa or Starbucks coffee, or bought supermarket sandwiches for lunch - if you buy a lunch every day over the course of a week it really adds up. I'm amazed at how much colleagues spend on things like this. I also make almost all of my own food fro scratch - I grew up in a family of excellent cooks so can make something good out of few ingredients. We eat simply, don't eat much meat, we have a little veg patch, I make my own bread, we have a couple of chickens. We get books from the library rather than buying them, we buy veg from our local market which is loads cheaper.

Over four years I've managed to save about £20,000, which I am still amazed at. I suppose the key, as everyone says, is to try to discipline yourself and live within your means, but for some people it's alot harder than it sounds, particularly if you don't earn a big wage. Really the only thing that keeps me saving is seeing it grow now I have a decent amount accumulated - it does become quite addictive, honestly!

cathybird

hi Fanmail and thanks. It does sound as though we have a lot in common. I've never kept a horse though and I believe they are hugely expensive - I have a cousin who used to keep them and said it was like having a mortgage. Beautiful things though, horses. I haven't bought the "daily coffee" for many a long year - it helps that I don't drink that much of it. Agreed with you on the lunches and it is one of the things I have given up. Maybe I should take up borrowing from the library too - that's still a step I haven't quite arrived at. I admit I do like having loads of books around me.

It's very heartening that you found starting the hardest thing because it suggests I'm over the hardest bit already. Yay!

atush

Well cathy,

My book spend this month will be small. Not because I have no new books but because I asked for 2 hardbacks fromt he OH for my Bday a few weeks back (and one came yesterday -Yeah!!

And because my son with the good graduate job gave me 40 quid amazon token. What a great gift for me lol. It is kind of weird getting real gifts from him now, as I only got pocket money stuff when he was younger lol.

Otherwise my spend might have approached yours lol.

As for Fanmail, starting saving is always the hardest. When we did, we were saving only something like 50-100 a month (apart from my OH's pension). And it has built from there. Int he early days I didn't pore over the statements, but after a few years go by (esp if you save in equitites like we did) they soon ramp up and the envelope is torn open lol.

cathybird

atush, two hardbooks and a 40 quid Amazon token would be my idea of bliss.

I do think it will be useful for me to keep track of what I spend on books here though ... maybe that in itself will persuade me to use the library more often.

Well, as of today I have two weeks off work, and am looking forward to a little work at the allotment and the chance to save a little money by staying home.

WantToBeSE

Hiya Cathy
Just looked at your signature and your savings are going well! Just over £2.5K, well done

I definitely can relate to 'Starting saving is the hardest thing'. Now that I have started, it feels easier to carry on. Of course, my savings pot will be depleted by£1K on Sunday, so i'll have to start from £400 again...yikes that sounds scary! However, I definitely now have the savings bug.
This thread, and my Savings diary, have been the main reasons behind the change in attitude towards savings I think. Its so much easier when there are others doing the same thing, or further ahead in their savings journey than I am.

Anyway, another £150 added to my savings pot today, I will update my total later, think its about £1400.

atush

Well, we don't really have much of a library. tiny one in nearest town, but I don't live in town so dont think I can join (and last time i checked they didn't have much I wanted to read lol).