The "Save 12k in 2022" Thread!

enthusiasticsaver

geoffers4 said:

Hi everyone,  Reporting £1019.65 for September. Realistically this is the high point of my savings journey as I'm projecting quite a lot of holiday costs (and negative savings) over the next 3 months up to retirement from work in December.

This month saw extra costs for a lovely day out and pub meal our (grown up) boys, running shoes + other bits for the Great North Run (which I survived!), and the annual house insurance. The Vanguard S&S ISA also took a massive hit this month, thank goodness I view this as a long-term investment (10+ yrs) and don't report ups/downs in my monthly savings.

Just 8.5 more days in the office before FIRE - very wierd!

Happy saving everone.

Congratulations on your imminent retirement.  We retired at the age of 58 and thoroughly enjoy it but savings do take the inevitable hit due to more time to travel, go out and about but we figured that we saved for this and need to fit as much into life as time, money and health allow.  

Suffolk_lass

slowlyfading said:

Spreadsheet updated

I must admit, I usually love running this challenge but now my savings are at £0, it makes me feel a little sad. I hope I can get my budget to some place where I can save again; single, low income parent is a tough gig at the moment.

Stay with it @slowlyfading, it really will come back for you. All those good practices you have developed and have shared with others over the years will stand you in good stead. It is really tough right now across a lot of homes, and yours had had more upheaval than most. You know you must balance your savings aspirations with your new family life with your two small boys. While I'm sure that your parents (their grandparents) are keen to support you, you will want to maintain precious time in that new smaller dynamic and the boys will realise (later, probably) the strength you are showing, keeping it all together. A consequence of losing a major part of your household income is the reason, and while it makes you sad, it does not invalidate what you are doing in the long term.

There is lots of support for you here and do feel free to PM if you want anything more privately. x

Queen_of_the_Hive

slowlyfading said:

Spreadsheet updated

I must admit, I usually love running this challenge but now my savings are at £0, it makes me feel a little sad. I hope I can get my budget to some place where I can save again; single, low income parent is a tough gig at the moment.

Hi SF, I'm very much sailing in the same boat as you, just started the journey a little bit earlier. My numbers each month usually don't read that great, usually in the minus but behind the numbers is wins and a lot of progress in other ways. My kids are growing up to understand the value of money, they know that it doesn't grow on trees and to appreciate the smaller things. Its taken me 4 years but this summer I finally paid off a big debt from when I seperated in 2018 and everything spiralled out of control. Its been small, baby steps to get to this stage, the numbers are just a small part of us and I hope you can find a bit of peace in the process. You will get there, just hang in there.

If your are happy to share, would you mind posting the details of your you tube channel. I'd be interested in your hints and tips.

kev2009

Hi,

#003 declaring £500 for October.  Form has been submitted also.

Thanks

Kev

sonas_baby

slowlyfading said:

Spreadsheet updated

I must admit, I usually love running this challenge but now my savings are at £0, it makes me feel a little sad. I hope I can get my budget to some place where I can save again; single, low income parent is a tough gig at the moment.

From someone who's been there it's hard but it does get better. Your kids will always remember the smallest unexpected things you do together now, and your relationship with them will just grow stronger as time passes. You are doing great, just keep putting one foot infront of the other you'll get there.

No. 15 reporting £682 for September, form submitted. 

EeeJay

Hi everyone, I hope you're all bearing up in tough times.

I'm going through a bit of upheaval, having just started a new job with different pay dates. Although the uplift in salary should be good in the long run, my really big news is that we are expecting our first baby, which is wonderful but a bit of a financial disaster as I won't qualify for maternity pay from either my old or new employer and I emptied my savings at the beginning of this year to buy our house. 

I'll need to save as much as possible before the baby comes in March, as maternity allowance won't even cover my half of the mortgage. I think I'll need to take a much reduced maternity leave, but hopefully my lovely chap can take advantage of shared parental leave. I'm sure it will all be fine after a bit of a blip, but has felt very stressful over the past few weeks!

Anyway... for September I managed to save another £1150.

Suffolk_lass

Queen_of_the_Hive said:

slowlyfading said:

Spreadsheet updated

I must admit, I usually love running this challenge but now my savings are at £0, it makes me feel a little sad. I hope I can get my budget to some place where I can save again; single, low income parent is a tough gig at the moment.

Hi SF, I'm very much sailing in the same boat as you, just started the journey a little bit earlier. My numbers each month usually don't read that great, usually in the minus but behind the numbers is wins and a lot of progress in other ways. My kids are growing up to understand the value of money, they know that it doesn't grow on trees and to appreciate the smaller things. Its taken me 4 years but this summer I finally paid off a big debt from when I seperated in 2018 and everything spiralled out of control. Its been small, baby steps to get to this stage, the numbers are just a small part of us and I hope you can find a bit of peace in the process. You will get there, just hang in there.

If your are happy to share, would you mind posting the details of your you tube channel. I'd be interested in your hints and tips.

Queen_of_the_Hive  Not sure if SF is allowed to post her links but I am. She has a FB group here a no-spend challenge with plenty of chat and links to her you tube channel, her recently inactive (and with that she posted an update!) website is The Frugal Cottage and her YouTube channel is here.

She also has an Etsy site, maybe an Instagram and maybe a Patreon but I try not to do everything

candiii

#42 Added £143.01 in September; form has also been updated. Thank you 🙂

ispookie666

Its been a run of few months with not much savings but still kept trickling in.  Have had holiday, unexpected expenses and another holiday booked!  Updated till October. 
@slowfading @suffolk_lass and all others - Its great that we all share our ups and downs.  

SomersetSaverSue

Hello all, everyone is doing so well, what an inspiration you all are when it's all so challenging.

Thanks even more than usual to SF for continuing to run this challenge, especially when it's so hard for you. Hugs to SF and anyone else who needs it.

The good news is that I have under-reported for some of the months this year, and rather than ask SF to do 9 updates, I've fudged my numbers for August and September so that the total for the year overall is correct.

Therefore,  number 56 reporting £1,438.14 and £1,780.71 - forms duly submitted.

The bad news is that going forward I am uncertain if I am able to save anything except for what I'm putting into an ISA and my works pension. I will probably need to dip into my savings although I may rob Peter to pay Paul!  As I was unexpectedly (and without warning) paid less than full pay at the end of September, most of my planned savings for October will have to be reversed.  The impact of my stroke has been worse than I thought from a cognitive perspective, which means I am on reduced hours at work as I'm not able to work full time and this may reduce further.  I possibly also had a 2nd stroke recently which probably puts my recovery back even further. Silver lining - I have some savings to dip into; it's raining!!

Further silver lining - I am able to function on a day to day basis, which is more than some, So if I have to give up my current career and do something, so it shall be.

This may give me the push (and some time) to get on with selling things I have to sell and so as yet I am sticking with the target. 

Keep going everyone!

SSS