How are you all saving for your deposits

RoyalSwank

I'm on a mission to save for a deposit this year. This is my plan:

1. I created a financial plan! I determined that I'd have an austere year - no expensive holidays / new car etc.
2. I moved back home which means I can save an extra 600GBP a month (I already save 150GBP a month in a work share scheme).
3. No particular penny pinching - after my savings and bills I have a clear budget which I force myself to stick to.
4. I researched the best way I could supplement my income. I've set myself a target of 500GBP a month in supplemental income. So far Matched Betting is helping me hit this target.
5. Work hard at my job so I can earn more $$$

Good luck to everyone saving out there. Originally I was planning to buy at the end of the year, but I doubt it will be a good time as prices will probably fall throughout 2009. I'll be renting next year as living at home for any longer will drive me crazy

tux130582

how are you making 500 a month in matched betting?

beingjdc

tux130582 wrote: »

how are you making 500 a month in matched betting?

You want the Gambling Introductory Offers forum, all there in excruciating detail (and I'm a couple of grand better off thanks to it).

RoyalSwank

tux130582 wrote: »

how are you making 500 a month in matched betting?

Gambling Introductory Offers forum is the place to look if you don't know what it is.
After this month I'll have been doing it for 4 months and will have made about 3k. It's easier to make money at the beginning and I had a reasonable float to start with. It's not for everyone and fortunately I picked it up quite quickly. I do work fairly hard at it but it's much more lucrative than a part time job + there's no tax to pay. I'll be very happy if I can make 6k by the end of the year, but it's been going well so far so maybe I'll make more.

tux130582

I already have aload of betting accounts, anyway, as I didnt know about this and did them all through quidco, does this mean I have to do it in my girlfriends name or something?

RoyalSwank

tux130582 wrote: »

I already have aload of betting accounts, anyway, as I didnt know about this and did them all through quidco, does this mean I have to do it in my girlfriends name or something?

It depends on various factors. Some bookies are 'partner friendly' which means different people living in the same house (same internet connection) can have accounts and qualify for bonuses. Some bookies strictly forbid this and will confiscate any winnings from free bets if you've breached their T&Cs.

Check out the MBing board and do some research. You can ask newbie style questions in this thread but don't just rock up and start asking questions without reading through some of the stickies and other posts first.

swingjune

Put GBP1k in our savings account every month
No fuel expenses (hubby walks 20 mins to work)
Ebay unwanted/unused stuff
Limit grocery expenditure to GBP50 per week including eating out

countrygirl27

hello
I'm a member of the 'we're saving for a deposit' thread and I thought Id write down some of the stuff I do, a lot of it has already been said.

1. I have a PAYG mobile with Tesco, it has saved me an absolute bundle. Usage is the same but since changing from a contract with 02 my bill has gone from £24 p month to a £10 top up every two months, plus I do it online so I get 10% off. Thats £4.50 a month!

2. I take my lunch to work. If I forget I have to pop to the shop and it costs me about £2.30 to buy a lunch, £2.30 x 5 = 11.50, I buy my lunch ingredients in Tesco for under a fiver.

3. Use petrolprices and unless there is a dramatically cheaper garage I go to Tesco to fill up and pay with my Clubcard plus card so I get double cc points.

4. Convert my cc points into vouchers and pay for my car to be MOT'd and serviced every year with my deals vouchers!

5. Use quidco at every opportunity, (recently I got £50 cashback to sign up with betfair, I placed a matched bet to reach the t&c's and effectively made £48, for doing nothing)

6. Do Matched betting, Ive only done it a few times but Ive made £80 so far plus £35cashback on offers to sign up with bookies at quidco.

7. Drive differently. Recently my route to work changed and I now drive on B roads rather than the motorway. I have one of those buttons on the car that tells you your mpg and its gone from 39mpg to 46 mpg. Then by not putting my foot to the floor and applying the brake more gently I managed to get it to hit 50mpg. A huge difference and helping to counteract the prices rises.

8. Buy pet food (dog and cat) from an agricultural supplier, far cheaper. Am currently buying 15kg dog food for £10.99.

9. Make important payments by standing order so your not tempted to spend the money! I make payments for my petrol, savings and accomodation by standing order within a couple of days recieving my pay cheque.

10. Lots of other basic things, wash your own car, check the oil and tyres etc, (Im a girl and I can do it!) grow some of your own veg, (any fool can grow onions, I have managed to grow 120 red and white this year.)

11. Why join a gym? Get on your bike, run some of your walk with the dog etc.

12. I use clubcard deals to pay for magazine subs.

13. Car share. Also never pay to park, its not difficult to find a space in a side street somewhere and the few mins extra walk are saving you going to the gym.

14. join valued opinions and pigsback.

15. Move bank accounts if necessary to get a better deal, it just takes planning and a bit of time.

16. Put a hippo in your loo.

17. turn everything completely off when you are not using it.

18. Sell stuff - I sell books and CDs on amazon its easier than I thought!

19.Use a hot water bottle. Ingenious invention!

20. Get a hobby! I used to work in a major retail centre and it used to depress me to see the same old people coming into the shop sometimes every two or three days, because they haven't got anything better to do. (We sold towels and cushions, how often do you need to buy them for goodness sakes?) And it was always "put on the credit card".

22. Downsize you car. I was watching the tv the other day and a man came on and said he needed to buy a discovery so he could transport his wife and baby?!?! When I was little my entire family, Mum, Dad, Me, My brother and our alsation and our cases went on holiday to Scotland in a 3 door mini metro. What are people on about???!!! (sorry that was a small rant!)

23. Only buy luxury goods, in my case beer and wine, when its on a decent offer. I scour mysupermarket to see when good offers are coming up. (Normally around the times of sports competitions)

24. Only boil as much water as you need. have you seen how much electricity a kettle uses??!! Its astonishing.


I think Im all done now, but I'll porbably think of some more later!!!