Sort of debt-free but hope to be a super-scrimper in 2019

jwil

carbootcrazy wrote: »

I dread to think how many hands have handled 'loose' fruit bought from a market stall before I get to eat it:eek:. Then there's the wax on apples and the pesticide residue that might remain on it. Not on our own produce though as we don't use any kind of chemicals. I take hygiene short cuts in lots of areas:o but never with anything edible that we haven't grown ourselves.

I once read that the biggest contaminant on apples was hand cream _pale_ from everyone handling them. I've never been able to find that article again. I still don't wash fruit though.

Karmacat

£30 a year, absolutely!


I wash everything too, unless its something I peel, like onions.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Karmacat wrote: »

CBC, if I were you, I'd alter the savings setup, and start it later - by paying bills annually not monthly, you *are* making savings, after all. You forgot a bill, which is human, so you won't see the savings in your figures in a way, but they're real. You're not cancelling the saving to do something frivolous - these are necessary bills.

I agree with elizabethhull: "It would be a shame not to take advantage of the single payments when they will actually save you money". Go for it

I agree too that it makes sense to pay bills annually if you can afford to do so. Also I find there is something lovely about being able to say I don't have to pay that again for a whole year :T.

It does require a big shift in your thinking to have spare income for the first time in years, so there is no harm in thinking very carefully about things before you commit to anything.

Sayschezza

I worry that if I pay anything too far in advance they may go belly up and I have lost my money. Not likely with Plusnet I know but...

Karmacat

That's a good point, Saychezza - it's only viable if there's an industry specific insurance scheme or something.

MrsLottie

I have read all your diary and I think you are doing brilliantly ! I so get where you are going to and where you are coming from - thank you for sharing .

Lifeisforliving19

Re paying things annually. I decided I wanted to try that a while back, our House Ins and Greenflag are due in April and Car Ins in Feb. I started a small savings account and have been transferring money into it every week, in the hope that there will at least be enough money for one of them this year and then the extra I am saving by not paying monthly, will also go into the savings account, so next time, there might be enough for all of them....I'll let you know the outcome...hoping it works:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

MrsLottie wrote: »

I have read all your diary and I think you are doing brilliantly ! I so get where you are going to and where you are coming from - thank you for sharing .

Thank you so much for your kind words, MrsLottie:T


I hope you'll be a regular visitor to my diary:)

elizabethhull

Thank you for the link on HH's diary about possibly reclaiming bank charges. It looks like I don't qualify (shame!), but I would have at the time. They were iniquitous and a shocking waste of money. If you're not managing your money very well, paying exorbitant charges does NOT help you manage better - it makes things worse.
I didn't really expect to get anything back, and it's a long time ago, but it was at least worth looking into.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Lifeisforliving19 wrote: »

Re paying things annually. I decided I wanted to try that a while back, our House Ins and Greenflag are due in April and Car Ins in Feb. I started a small savings account and have been transferring money into it every week, in the hope that there will at least be enough money for one of them this year and then the extra I am saving by not paying monthly, will also go into the savings account, so next time, there might be enough for all of them....I'll let you know the outcome...hoping it works:rotfl:

This is what I did a few years ago, I think it took me about 4 years to get the following onto annual payments:
2x car insurance
Breakdown
House insurance
Council tax
Water rates
Work union fees
Co$tc0
Ynab
Amaz0n prim3
Telephone line rental
Car tax
I did pay insurances/service plans for appliances too, but now I 'self insure' (have a pot of money put to one side for repair & replacement of such goods)

I also 'oversave' into those annual pots mentioned above so when I pay one of them (for example I've just paid the car insurances for the next 12 months) I have enough in the pot incase the price has risen and/or have a little 'bonus' to redistribute. For example, my car insurance was £340 less than the amount is saved, so I put £40 into the mortgage overpayment and £300 towards some work on the house we've got coming up. I actually felt like I'd found £340 rather than spent £900 on insurance.