How to fall in love with saving money

RevolvingDoor

:T Co-op are really nice aren't they. I only have about £17 in my Co-op account though.:D

cathybird

They were amazingly lovely! I felt like telling them I'd open an account with them on the spot.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Evening cathybird, we've asked our twitter followers to help you out too

https://twitter.com/MSE_Forum

Mrs_Z

Hi and welcome on board Cathybird! Sounds like you've had your 'lightbulb moment'!

I would also recommend visiting the Debtfree Wannabee and Mortgage Free Wannabee boards in the forum, you'll find some amazing tips and you'll find that everyone has their personal challenge to better their finances whatever the goal!

I've always been more of a saver than spender and what works for me is

a) pay all bills for the month on payday
b) put aside (savings) little something - I like a round figure so £50, £500, £1,500 - whatever you think you can fairly easily manage each month. This must go on a separate account and can not be touched under any circumstances
c) divide the rest by a number of weeks in the month (4 or 5) and that's your weekly spend - and again you must stick to it. So if you run out middle of the week, then you have to go without until your next weekly payday (mine is Friday).

This all came about when I used to get paid weekly and then went into a monthly pay - I had trouble making the money last... this way it does or at worst, it's only a couple of days until the next payday....

Then you don't need to feel guilty spending your money as you've already put something aside.

cathybird

Gosh Andrea, very kind!! Wasn't expecting that, in fact didn't realise there was such a huge Twitter following! Thanks :rotfl:

cathybird

Thanks Mrs Z I used to hang out on MSE quite a lot a few years ago, when I had credit card debt, at which point the debt-free wannabe threads were incredibly helpful. Now I'm shot of the debt but back here in the hope I can start saving proper amounts of money. The thing is, I can be disciplined for a while, but I've never managed to bring about permanent change in myself, and that's what I'd like to do. Anyway, I've made a start, and will see where it goes from here.

Eco_Miser

cathybird wrote: »

Eco Miser, since you're there, what are your tips for living on a tiny food budget, as you do? ... Can you point me in the direction of a thread where you've talked about it? I'm sure there are plenty of others on MSE who do too and I plan to have a look round the forums to see how people do it but thought I'd ask you, since you're there.

Sorry Cathybird, I don't think I've posted anything about my food budget before.

The primary saver is that I live within easy walking distance of a major supermarket, so I can buy every day if needed:), and go at the right time to get the last mark-down on sell-by about-to-expire foodstuffs (it takes several trips, and careful observation to find out when the mark-downs happen. Oh, here's a thread from two years ago ) I don't think I've paid full price for bread or years, often the more interesting speciality breads. Likewise, cooked meats, cheeses, dips and weird exotic fruits - I'll try almost anything once, if it's cheap enough.

Then there's experimental lines that didn't do well, left-over seasonal lines (often still a year before use-by date); all get sold off cheap, consider grabbing as many as you can carry, and come back again tomorrow. Do the same with the regular promotional offerings. I bought enough of my regular cereal during one promotion to last me until the next one. The was a huge pile of boxes in the spare room:).

I buy milk in a four-pint bottle for £1 - it's considerably cheaper than smaller sizes, and the six-pinter is just too big.

Of course, I tried Martin's down-shift challenge, but I'd already found my level, mostly value-, and own-brand, but there are some value foods I wouldn't touch.

I suppose it helps that I actually like chilled tap water to drink, don't like alcohol, or tea, and can take or leave coffee, rarely eat biscuits or chocolate, and usually have just two meals a day.

I'm retired now, but I aways took packed lunches to work - or the ingredients thereof: half a sliced loaf and a jar/tub/pack of some sort of sandwich filler would often last in my desk drawer for the four days I worked per week.

No takeaways, no cafe or restaurant meals except on special occasions - or if I feel like having one.:D

I do have regular little treats, like an ice-cream after my Sunday walk, coffee and toasted teacake (and chat with friends) at a coffee morning

I have an unopened packet of Oreos in the store cupboard, and a chocolate bar in the fridge - they've been there for ages, but knowing they're there means I don't get cravings.

Talking of chocolate and biscuits, maybe a little thank-you for the staff at Britannia?

gallygirl

Eco_Miser wrote: »

I have an unopened packet of Oreos in the store cupboard, and a chocolate bar in the fridge - they've been there for ages, but knowing they're there means I don't get cravings.

That's the type of thing that stops my cravings as well :T cos I eat them

Ken68

As I read on here somewhere, it's all about changing ways rather than giving up something. Just need to get over that initial resistance .

cathybird

Thanks, Eco Miser. I'll have a look at the links you have provided. I do live within walking distance of a Tesco so could check out when they mark things down. I pretty much never have takeaways either - the only circumstance in which I will order one is if I'm recovering from the flu or some other illness and have no energy to cook and no appetite for anything in the kitchen. So that's about once a year, if that. Do you have a large freezer? I ask because you seem to buy a lot of milk