too skint to start saving?

Lynplatinum

Hiya
Ummm - you ladies have given me somat to think about!!! I joined the local library here (I've just moved for those that don't know) cos the Council's One Stop shop was there and i needed recycling bags. I have loads of books in the house to read (CS + donations from friends) but I hope to use the library and you are quite correct - use it or loose it! I will factor it into my weekly routine as part of the 'walkies' that I am trying to do each day! Thanks for the inspiration!
Nite all

GreyQueen

Banks will still take the present (non-polymer) notes in after May next year. Heck, they still take £1 notes last circualted in the 1980s in and will give you £1 coins instead. You can take in old pre-decimal currency, too. Really old banknotes may well have a value to collectors considerably higher than their face value, but much depends on conditon. An old white fiver from the predecimal era can sell for £40 quite easily in good nick, so it would be foolish to pay one of those into your bank at face value without consulting a banknote collector.

What will happen is that banks will stop giving the old notes out by sending them to BofE for destruction and they will gradually disappear from circulation until the point where shop-keepers won't accept them. So, advice about keeping an eye on cash-stashes if the notes have been updated is basically sound, as you wouldn't want your notes to be rejected at the shops. Particularly if you'd raided the cash-stash because of a crisis with the bank(s) being unavailable.

I keep about £50 in fivers at home and will be swopping them for the polymers as soon as I get them in my change, until they've all swopped over. We will also be acquiring new £1 coins, the twelve-sided ones, so those will neeed to be changed out, also.

ALIBOBSY

Dill wrote: »

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or on the DFW board, but as it doesn't really concern debt I thought I'd see what the the Old Stylers think


Having just had an appliance break (beyond repair) and not having any money at the moment to replace it, I said to OH today I'm determined to start saving, even if it's just £10 a month in case this happens again. He said we haven't got enough money for saving, and that when he tries, the savings always get dipped into. Same happens with me, really.


However, after lugging my laundry to the launderette only to find it's shut on Sunday :mad: I am determined to do my best not to let this happen again.


So my question to you lovely people is: were you always able to save, regardless of how small your income was/is, or did you only manage to start saving when you'd got a bit more money behind you? Do you have any tips or advice?

Thanks.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!
[purplesignup][/purplesignup]

Plenty of good ideas re saving on here and about picking what works best for you. But are you absolutely sure you can't fix the machine? We were in the its broke buy a new one mentality a few years ago until we had kids, followed by periods of very low income. OH and I have managed to fix any number of breakdowns by using you tube videos and some common sense, parts are easily available online.

We also have locally a small business who get appliances cheap, usually returns to the big stores/manufacturers and they fix them/ensure they work and sell them really cheap. Can get a washing machine from them for around £100-£150. You may have something like this nearby.

Also try local selling pages for second hand to put you on for now or even freegle.


Ali xx

just_trying

Why not join the sealed pot challenge or do it yourself. It normally starts about November and you save what you want even if it's 50p a week for a year. Though if you need it before that's okay. You can join anytime.

It doesn't matter how much you're saving, you're saving something and it soon adds up.

jackyann

JackieO wrote: »

Culpepper do you go to the Heart foundation shop in Maidstone its brilliant and I have had some smashing bargains there.Great place to get spare duvet and pillowcase sets at a reasonable price as well as pots and pans if you are setting up home I got my DGS some bits there for when he went off to Uni two years ago

Some years ago, I spent a night at a chambre d'hote in deepest Provence. I admired the beautiful "typical" curtains and bedlinen, then a bit later thought there was something slightly familiar about them. I realised that Madme had mixed & matched some white linens and a Laura Ashley print.
When I commented to her, she showed me the other rooms. She bought all of her bed linen, curtains, decorative linens etc. from British charity shops - which she visited when moonlighting as a helper at a language school.

ALIBOBSY

We love charity shops here, the kids can go in and pick up toys/kids costumes/books/dvds for next to nothing and then we can send toys back to the stores later on lol.

Recently went into a store with the girls and they were having a sale on kids clothes all 25p a pop, girls got some lovely items to make a couple of outfits each for very little, love the fact its also keeping stuff out of landfill and supporting charities.

I am also terribly clumsy and CS's always have plenty of mugs and glasses for cheap prices. A great way to get a retail fix, get stuff you need cheaply whilst helping the planet and charities, whats not to love .

Ali x

Lynplatinum

Hiya all

I agree with ALIBOBSY - much of my china and cutlery comes from either charity shops or friends giving stuff away! I have them all trained now to ask if Lyn would like it before they get rid of something!! :j

However, to those new to this pursuit - it helps to go with a mental list. So on mine at the moment is: new side plates - preferably white or blue; new hippy skirt - last one died after 20 years faithful service; pots to stand plants in.

In my 'dangerous' list i.e. the list of things I already have too many of which are cluttering up my house are: books; jewelry; ornaments; nail varnish; vases.

Even if it is a bargain - still use Martin's mantra :money: 'Do I need it? Will I use it?'
Take care y'all

Dill

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Plenty of good ideas re saving on here and about picking what works best for you. But are you absolutely sure you can't fix the machine?

The replacement drum unit would have cost almost as much if not as much as a new machine. It was beyond economical repair

just_trying wrote: »

Why not join the sealed pot challenge or do it yourself. It normally starts about November and you save what you want even if it's 50p a week for a year. Though if you need it before that's okay. You can join anytime.

It doesn't matter how much you're saving, you're saving something and it soon adds up.

Since starting this thread I've got two lots of savings going: one is a £2 coin tin which I'm using to save up for a passport (about £70)

The other is the money I'm putting aside each month for appliance repairs/replacement. OH is paying the new machine off in monthly instalments and I'm putting the same amount of money in a savings account each month.

Lynplatinum

just a quick hi to say that Hippy Skirt is now off list found one at this Fab Steam Fair I went to - they also had a car boot bit and so picked up lovely purple and blue Hippy skirt for £2.50!!! yea!
Well done Dill for starting savings pots!
My centuary saver is back going again after my move!! It amazing how it mounts up!!