My Thrifty Ways to Save Money

purpleybat

do metro bank charge for changing coin to notes if you're not a customer? I was told ages ago they don't but don't know about now

lessonlearned

A few weeks ago I had a car crash and wrote off My car. I'm ok just a bit of whiplash.

Anyway I have decided not to replace my car just yet but to see how I go. I live with my son, a good central location with lots of good public transport and we are trying car sharing. I have a free bus pass, a senior railcard and a taxi into town is about £5 if I'm feeling lazy.

I reckon that I can save a small fortune. Anyway I'm going to see how it goes. I can always change my mind if I miss having my own car.

So for now my son and I do a "big shop" at Aldis roughly every three weeks. The rest of the time I shop locally - "like a Frenchwoman";) - buying milk and fresh produce as and when I need it.

I have definitely saved money both by not running a car but also by shopping differently. When I had the car it was just too easy to call into to a supermarket and load up the trolley. Now I have to think and plan.

I'm spending less and I'm even walking more. :rotfl:

moneyistooshorttomention

Just as well LL not to replace the car yet. From what I recall = you live in a city.

I couldnt/cant understand why most people back in my Home City seemed to be so intent on having a car - considering what the public transport there is like. It was really only Sundays and Bank Holidays (where it was less frequent) or if someone wanted a "pleasure outing" to some countryside not accessible by bus that I could actually see any need for anyone doing so.

Add a pensioners buspass on top of that and the freedom to go out weekdays - so it wouldnt matter that it was more restricted on a Sunday then all the more so. It's a nuisance on a Sunday not having any buses - but I basically work around the fact that Welsh Sundays (at least in the sticks) are so quiet - and designate that as a day when I do things like housework/general catching-up/etc if there's nothing going on a taxi distance away. For shorter distances - taxi it is for Sundays.

It's harder where I am now (ie much worse public transport) - but finances dictate I can't afford a car. So I bought my house a walking distance from the more "local" facilities I require and bus stops to bigger towns. So - I'm "back of beyond" - but not "back of back of" so to say and it's still possible to manage without a car.

greyfox

purpleybat wrote: »

do metro bank charge for changing coin to notes if you're not a customer? I was told ages ago they don't but don't know about now

No, they don't. They have a coin counting machine which produces a receipt which you can exchange for cash. Plus (if you can stand the excitement!) you can claim a prize if you guess the amount within £1. (We have quite a collection of spectacle cloths now!) I'm not sure that I would have the chutzpah to claim one of these if I didn't have an account with them, though.

However, the machines aren't always 100% accurate. There was an article in the FT about this, though when they tested machines in several branches most of the errors were in the customer's favour. (The reverse had been the case for equivalent machines in the USA.) The article is here http://ftalphaville.ft.com/2016/06/02/2164179/the-metro-bank-coin-caper/

meanmarie

I dont understand how anyone living in London feels that they need a car for everyday travel......my daughter in Highbury is in some kind of "club" whereby to pay a contribution and can then rent a car whenever you like....I think that its a great idea.....havent a clue what costs.

Marie

Florence_J

I live in a big city and neither my OH or I drive. We manage absolutely fine without a car. Yes it would be convenient, but I would hate to become one of those people who drives to the corner shop five minutes by foot away. If somewhere is less than 45 minutes walking distance away then I will only get public transport if I am running late or if the weather is awful. There is a bus that goes to all the places i need to get to and it practically stops outside my house so I couldn't ask for better options.

VfM4meplse

meanmarie wrote: »

I dont understand how anyone living in London feels that they need a car for everyday travel......my daughter in Highbury is in some kind of "club" whereby to pay a contribution and can then rent a car whenever you like....I think that its a great idea.....havent a clue what costs.

Marie

Probably Zipcar or Enterprise.

When I wrote my car off many years ago I went without for 2 years. Living close to good public transport links helped, as did a generous brother who lived close by and gave me free reign of his vehicle. Even if he had not, the cab costs would have mounted to far less than the annual running costs of a vehicle.

purpleybat

greyfox wrote: »

No, they don't. They have a coin counting machine which produces a receipt which you can exchange for cash. Plus (if you can stand the excitement!) you can claim a prize if you guess the amount within £1. (We have quite a collection of spectacle cloths now!) I'm not sure that I would have the chutzpah to claim one of these if I didn't have an account with them, though.

However, the machines aren't always 100% accurate. There was an article in the FT about this, though when they tested machines in several branches most of the errors were in the customer's favour. (The reverse had been the case for equivalent machines in the USA.) The article is here http://ftalphaville.ft.com/2016/06/02/2164179/the-metro-bank-coin-caper/

so I'm probably wise totting up my coins before I go? do you know if I can complain if its wrong? I don't like them keeping £5 of my hard saved cash but I can see it'd be really hard to prove.

I_Love_comps

Morning Everyone. Welcome to all newcomers.

I had an NSD yesterday and hopefully another one today.

purbleybat - When I exchange my change, it is for euros to go on holiday with and I am lucky enough to have a large T's which also has an exchange bureau in it so we just bag up the money into the correct change bags and do a direct swap.
I would anyone to take a percentage of my hard saved change. I would rather bag the change up and take it too the Building Society I am in. All the coin machines locally I am sure used to charge for changing your small change into cash.


I do not drive - I have passed my test but never owned my own car. My OH drives as he it needs a car for work. I can walk to work and walk to the shops etc.

Have a good day.


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£2 savers Club No 96 Total £4
5p savers Club No 1 Total 50p
50p savers Club No 13 Total £2.50

Caterina

We live in London. When my twins were 12 years old, our car, same age as them, broke down irreparably. At the time we were trying to live in an environmentally sensitive way but the car was our last bastion! We decided to put our money where our mouth was and not replace it, much to the kids' disgust LOL.

We lived happily car free for 12 years, using public transport wherever we went, only a handful of times renting a car, we were also members of zipcar but hardly used it at all so after a few years we dropped the membership.

Three and half years ago in synchronicity, DH's aunt in the north of England fell severely ill and he needed to visit her frequently, and I spotted a for sale sign on a Clio just around the corner, one careful lady owner, low mileage, very reasonable price. We bought it thinking of selling it on after the inevitable, and DH visited his dear auntie several times until she passed away.

As it happens, after careful reflection, we decided to keep the car, as it was really in good nick, very economical to run and tax. DS took his driving licence in it and I took a couple of free lessons from the AA (community lessons for older women returning to drive, brilliant) and started driving again.

Because of DH's job in transportation both of us have had a free London Oyster card, so we used the car very sparingly, but now DH is retiring due to ill health and soon this facility will be withdrawn. He is ok as over 60 and can get free travel, but I still have nearly a year to go to reach the magic age, so the car will be handy and probably will be used a bit more, also due to my hip arthritis that prevents me from walking long distances as I used to.

In conclusion: yes you can live really well without a car in London, but when you reach a certain age, a small and economical car, used sensibly, can be a real asset, can save you money and time and is handy for holidays and (God forbid) emergencies.

I will start posting more regularly on the OS threads again, in general, because now that we have to live on a pension instead of a salary, and I don't work other than a bit of babysitting, we really need to tighten the budget like never before!