The "Save 12k in 2015' Thread!

Wentthedaywell?

TheGlobe wrote: »

I too often go with the attitude that 'it's only £5' or 'it's only £10', but they all mount up and put a real hurdle in front of trying to save any decent amounts of money.

I always find that it's not the big purchases - new telly, fridge etc - that add up over the year, it's the lots of little ones trickling out that's the problem for me.

A fiver for a magazine (full of adverts), £3 takeaway coffee (get a cafetiere for work), sandwich for lunch (take a packed one, nicer anyway) really add up over the weeks/months. It's surprising how much I save by not spending on these and I really don't miss them.

jacci45

No 143 reporting.....Good March as I got a work bonus!

So declaring 1078.00, I will update the sheet, can you please change my amount for this year to £7000 as Im on a roll at the mo!

lalman

I had more than a ludicrous month in terms of savings... wait for it.... £7267.81.... boom!


So how did I achieve this? Well as you may have read above I got made redundant, so got my final salary from my last company - gave up my flat that I was renting in the thought process that 'I don't have a job... I need to save even more dosh'... and then I got another job within 2 weeks and they paid me 2 weeks in advance as well.. + a friend owed me money that I wrote off (1700) so... yeah... unlikely to ever be net that much better off in a month but it feels great lol. I have spent more money this month too, around £1140 total (including phone bill and petrol)... but that's not massive in the grand scheme of it. I do have £250 of expenses to claim back from work related to petrol....


On a side note, I got engaged on the weekend! - I am growing up finally and so need to buy a ring. How much do you need to spend on them? Anyone got any suggestions on how to get one cheaper? My partner isn't as frugal as me but I have asked her to read the millionaire next door and rich dad poor dad lol.


On another side note, I exchanged on my second flat on Friday too - which is prelet till September 2016 and generates me 200 equity a month and 130 cash so long term my results will get slightly better.


Been a great month! - touch wood it continues!


I am re mortgaging my first flat and increasing the payments by 60 quid a month so I only generate 10 quid 'cashflow' a month... the rate of interest has dropped from 2.99 to 2.39% so I was able to decrease the term from 22 years to 17... I feel long term that's the right strategy to have even though it means less money in my pocket now.


Marriage does mean that my strategy of buying more flats will have to be delayed by 6 months to a year as I need to accumulate cash for normal stuff that normal people do... like have a home and pay for a honeymoon etc.

[Deleted User]

Well done Lalman what a brilliant amount to go to savings! And huge congratulations on getting engaged.

I got my PPI reclaim money through today so I have put £3000 of it into savings. This will take me to £25k across 2 ISAs so very happy with that. I have kept back £200 from the payment which may be saved too but OH will want something to spend. Maybe I should get him to read Millionaire next door too -doubt he would though! I have a range of books like Alvin Hall's 'What not to spend' and Clayson's 'Richest Man in Babylon' to 'The Complete Tightwad Gazette' and 'Millionaire next door' and he has zero interest in any of them. Nutter that I am I re-read them regularly.

It is payday tomorrow and I will add my regular savings from that before I declare my final amount.

TheBunting

Good to see people posting strong results for this month, many actually asking for their target increased! I've rode the storm and finally making some savings with my weekly pays. Last one this Friday for March then I will post my monthly total. Keep it up guys!

yorpington

Congrats lalman!!

As for the ring...it's really up to you and your fiancee to decide, I don't think there's any set amount. Tradition used to say one month's salary I think, but mine cost about £300 and I absolutely love it. Wouldn't swap it for the biggest Tiffany rock in the world! Main thing is she's happy to wear it for the rest of her life :happylove

slowlyfading

TheGlobe wrote: »

I'd like to read about it, where would I find it?

If you click onto my profile here, there's a link to my blog there

slowlyfading

LiveSimply wrote: »

On the spreadsheet, what does the red, yellow and orange indicate?

They change when you reach a certain %

slowlyfading

Spreadsheet updated

boglehead

Lalman , congrats!

As for the ring, think of it as something you only buy once, and although you don't want to break the bank on it, you don't want to be too cheap, as it stays in the family afterwards. A month salary can get you something quite credible if you go through a private jeweller, with the right stone certification. Based on how flexible you/she is on the 4Cs, you can stretch your money quite far.

I got engaged 2 yrs ago, and the ring at the time felt like a frivolous spend, but seeing the look on her face when i proposed, and seeing it on her hand everyday since then, makes me feel so happy i didn't got too cheap. I wouldn't change a thing.

You don't want to be reminded of that decision for the next 30 years, especially since it sounds like you have a fairly bright and financially secured future.

My 2cents