Ned Flanders (max Savings)

ned_flanders_4

I have saved a massive £6000 per year, When I first heard about this site I thought, it must be a load of rubbish, nobody can save the money doing just little things, and the few people who can must be shredding the contents of the wallets on a daily basis, I am smart, I am astute.
Then I read the book, everything changed:A

I went in work over X-mas 06 and worked out everything I was currently spending, I thought, thats not bad I am clearing £200 profit at the end of each month (although my bank statements said otherwise). But I persisted and looked into ways of saving money, I had always concidered myself to be good a finance's, I don't have dept, I can purchase anything I want from savings and I own my loverly car.

First I looked onto my mobile phone contract, it was very good £35 pm with loads of free calls and text, the only down side with it was I only send 10 texts per week and as for phone calls, If I spend 10 mins a year on a outgoing call, I would be very supprised!!. Reduced that to £20 pm straight away and decided at the end of the contract, I would just go for a "pay as you go". £180 py straight away. around £420 py when cancelled.

Paid of my finance on the mountain bike's, and my brother then contributed to that as I was also paying for his, £65 pm.

Mortgage, Changed that straight away to a special one where you can pay in as much as you like, probably not the best deal in the world, but I was happy, you have to do these things in "baby steps" £87 pm

Weekly shopping, reduced from £100 pm to £60 pm buy changing the foods I eat, I use to survive on expensive microwave dinners, I know survive on "White fish and chips" and custard creams and they taste loverly.

Changed my utilities, £16pw, £200 py, every little helps. still uming and aring about using the energy efficent bulbs, I may ask santa for some this year,

Car related stuff, I own my loverly Lexus IS200 se, great to drive, I havn't got a bad word to say about it, except I do less than £3000 miles per year and spend £1000 py on fuel, and a further £1000 on insurance, tax, service etc. So I have just partexchanged it for a Toyota Aygo, what a difference, all in this will cost me £600 py, thats a saving of £1400 py,

Also stopped purchasing dinners at work, a saving of £800 py, and I stopped carrying cash in my wallet, I was withdrawing £100 pm every month and I had nothing to show for it.

All in all using the demotivator, the finance checker and the book, I have managed to save a massive £6000 per year, and I am now pumping that money onto my mortgage, I am looking at paying it off in just 4-5 years, yet last year I had another 22 years to go.

The site is wonderfull, I have even suggested this site to other people, but they don't understand, they belive dept is acceptible, there is no reason to pay of your mortgage and you have to live for now as you might wake up dead tomorrow, the obvious downside with this philosophy is there is a chance, all be it remote that you could wake up tomorrow "alive", I am only 32 years old and I am pretty confident that I have woken up alive for the last 32 years and I am also confident that there is a chance that I may well last well into my 60-70 or maybe even longer, It may not be garanteed but there is a strong chance. I would like to know that my mortgage is paid, I have no depts, my pension is full of cash, my current account has a healthy reserve my savings account will last several years of moderate spending if all goes to wrong. That would be a nice place to be, especially when you see how some off these older people are living, at the very least I would like the the finest and most attractive nurse's money can buy.:D

All in all Hats Off to Martin Lewis and The Money Saving Team, If it was'nt for your Book and Website and the constant nagging from my Brother to take part in this life changing exercise, I would be just about breaking even at the end of each year and if the worse did come to the worse and I lost my job and struggled to get another one, I could-have lost everything (obviously could-have is not a guarantee) but a scary word all the same. :grouphug: Group Hug all around.

Thanks for Reading, Ned Flanders xxx

mikegould

"" Constant nagging from my Brother ""

I have on good information, that your brother is a well educated and very handsome guy, a man whose only crime in life is being the best thing since sliced bread !!!!

Well done anyway, as my first student, you’ve proven to me that !!!!!ing and nagging really does work....



Mike Gould

ned_flanders_4

Will these savings ever stop, I have been reading a few of these other people's stories and realissed I have forgotton to include my own mortgage savings, if I do manage to pay of mortgage of in 4-5 years instead of 21 years, I will save an estimated £20'000. i'm not trying to boast or anything, but I personally think we should all write to the MP's and get Martin Lewis a Knighthood, at the very least we should all give 5% of our gross saving to parliment in his name, and buy him at least a honour.;)

Ned Flanders,