Making savings before it's too late

kippers

One thing i have been doing over the last two months is saving whatever i dont spent when i go out.....for example i take my dad and step mum for a coffee once a week to get them out of the house and my dd comes too- i budget £20 but if i dont spend it all i put away what is left.

I do this every time i budget money on going out somewhere (eg hairdressers, a one off present for someone etc) and have a bit of money left and in a couple of months i have saved £110!!!!!!!.....so where did this money goto before? Its quite frigtening how much money goes into the 'black hole' without realising it :eek::eek::eek: im glad im being more careful now!

blackcatsx2

Kippers - that’s a really good idea, an incentive to stick to budget or come in under a budget. I have a habit of setting a budget for a gift and then going just a bit over because I seem to doubt that the gift will be enough. I need to be thoughtful about the budget, confident about the gift I’ve chosen and happy that the recipient will like it.
I think Kipper’s strategy will really help me to save my 10% this year.
Thank you!

moneyistooshorttomention

lessonlearned wrote: »

What kind of paint was used on your woodwork.

Since the introduction of low VOC paints I’ve noticed that gloss and satin wood paints don’t seem as robust as the old oil based paints. They do seem more prone to chipping.

I did a good paint job but I’ve noticed some of my skirting boards need touching up. I also have to redo the top of the stair rails and bannisters regularly. The new water based paints just don’t seem as hard wearing. The don’t seem to “cure” the same.

Dulux Satinwood - exactly the same (afaik) as I used in my last house (same make/same type/same colour). I can tell, for instance, that they havent sanded before they painted (all the bits in the paint and the roughness tells me that......). Been swopping and swopping and swopping decorators since moving here to try and find one like I had for my last house. Next one will be another swop and hope they will be "it".

Wednesday2000

I've looked at Roombas before and been put off by the price. I use my lightweight vacuum for downstairs and often get my husband to vacuum upstairs as the one we have up there is heavier. :DThey are both Vax.

I am aiming to overpay my mortgage again this year and start building up savings again too.

I also want to lose weight so I am going to be cutting down on the amount of food we buy. My husband cut out sugar in his coffee so that is one thing I have done recently, to cut out sugar in my tea.

I am going to start doing a meal plan after Christmas is over. I will write down the night before what we are having the next day to make sure nothing is wasted or thrown away.

frosty

bouicca21 wrote: »

I only use the tumble dryer for towels (makes them nice and fluffy). I find the rest dries really easily and quickly even indoors.

I dry mine on the radiator ,but leave them just a tiny bit damp and then finish them in the dryer to make them soft and fluffy.

Spendless

Reading all the comments about Roombas, makes me realise it isn't the cleaning that is time consuming in this house, so getting one wouldn't save time. It's the tidying up that takes time, so if anyone knows of a robot that does that I'd be grateful or failing that a good legal defence if I tie my families arms to a nearby lampost and only let them in for a couple of hours.

I'm joining this thread as though I work full time, I'm in a temporary agency job and no idea when it will end. Eldest is applying to Uni next year and will get min loan so we need to help pay his accommodation costs and youngest is a couple of years away from going to a sixth form out of area with expensive travel costs. Though we have savings to support all this I don't want to deplete them.

moneyistooshorttomention

Re Roomba vacuum cleaners - I think one might be a possibility.

I've checked out that Appliances Direct website and can see a photo of the recharging powerpoint bit that it returns itself to when it's finished work. But I am getting confused looking at that powerpoint - as it only seems to be a few inches up from the floor and looks more "continental" style.

The powerpoint I would have in mind for it would be 18" up from the floor (which I presume wouldnt be a problem) and is typical British style (ie a double socket with 3 "pins"). Does it need a non-typical socket - or was that just a bit of "laziness" on the website and they've gone and used a photo of it in a "continental" setting - when they should have swopped it to a British setting?

So - does the wire to the "pad" thing it parks itself on terminate in a British style 3 pin plug - or does it need an adaptor:cool:?

[Deleted User]

money, I have normal house sockets in my house. The cable is 27" long and it is a uk plug. The docking station just sits on the floor and plugs into the socket

LameWolf

Spendless wrote: »

Reading all the comments about Roombas, makes me realise it isn't the cleaning that is time consuming in this house, so getting one wouldn't save time. It's the tidying up that takes time, so if anyone knows of a robot that does that I'd be grateful or failing that a good legal defence if I tie my families arms to a nearby lampost and only let them in for a couple of hours.

Can you instil in them the Valli mantra? (Valli is a veritable inspiration over on the weekly Flylady thread, btw) "Don't put it DOWN, put it AWAY". Since I've got Mr LW to embrace this, I spend a lot less time tidying.

Re: Roomba - I'd love one, but I fear my canine guests would probably attack it.

[Deleted User]

money make sure to get one with rubber extractors, not the brushes. The rubber extractors are far better, I have the 880 model

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu7NNfqe46c