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Jami Lock
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 1
Joined: 04 Jun 07
Member #4
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I find that the best way I can save money in my daily life is to opt out of public transport and get on my bike. It is a healthy alternative to getting around and it saves loads! I would ordinarily spend £20 every fortnight on petrol and £1000 per year for a travelpass - so that is pretty good savings!
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MrsMoz
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 2
Joined: 05 Jun 07
Member #7
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In the past, I have found that spending seems to be exponentially related to salary. That is the more money I have, the more I spend! Does anyone have any tips to curb this phenomena?
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Kanata
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 2
Joined: 08 Jun 07
Member #15
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Quote: MrsMoz, Tuesday, 5 Jun 2007 12:47In the past, I have found that spending seems to be exponentially related to salary. That is the more money I have, the more I spend! Does anyone have any tips to curb this phenomena? It always seems that the more we have, the more we want :-) I think the best way to curb it is instead of making a big purchase right away on instinct, put off the purchase for a day or two and think about if you really need the item and what the cost will equal to something else you already have. In other words, if you want an Ipod that costs about $400 (sorry Brits) then try to equate that $400 to something else you own or will have to do without (i.e. no going out for dinner and drinks for a month). Then you see it from a different perspective and hopefully :-) make the right choice for yourself.
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julie_m
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 2
Joined: 09 Jun 07
Member #19
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I think in this day and age (and as our lives get busier) we end up spending a lot of money on eating out. This can get quite expensive as it can cost nearly three times as much for a meal eaten out than one prepared at home.
Sometimes by making a concious choice to only eat out one or two times a week can end up saving some major dollars in the long run.
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jon kennedy
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Jun 07
Member #23
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Quote: julie_m, Saturday, 9 Jun 2007 23:10I think in this day and age (and as our lives get busier) we end up spending a lot of money on eating out. This can get quite expensive as it can cost nearly three times as much for a meal eaten out than one prepared at home. Sometimes by making a concious choice to only eat out one or two times a week can end up saving some major dollars in the long run. i agree
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lucydu52
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 4
Joined: 11 Jun 07
Member #25
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I very rarily eat out and I also walk everywhere as I don't drive. I find that I manage to save money as I'm a bargain hunter (sort of). I have no problem in visiting more than one shop to get my groceries etc and find that so many stores offer the buy one get one free or other related mulitbuy purchases that I tend to stock up on various items and do save quite a bit of money. Some of the stores even show you at the bottom of your receipt what you have saved on these offers.
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Tail-Swishing
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Jun 07
Member #32
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Have a loose change pot, its surprising how much this can mount up over the course of a month especially if at the end of the month you then use money saved for a family treat
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Kieron Allsop
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 4
Joined: 11 Jun 07
Member #33
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The change pot is an excellent idea. Since our wee man came along at Xmas past we have had to tighten our belts. I agree with the earlier poster who said the more you earn the more you spend. You get into the way of spending willy-nilly and not even checking things closely. But since Rhys was born we have accounted for every penny as my wifes income has been slashed during Maturnity Leave and will be half what it was when she returns to work.
One of the best things we did was take a 1 year mortgage holiday. We are not spending the money we are saving it. Putting together a contingency fund if you like. It takes the pressure off as the largest monthly out-going has been suspended for 12 months. The other thing you can do is always ask yourself "do I need that" before you make a purchase and if you cannot say a definate YES then don't spend the money.
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mel
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 12 Jun 07
Member #34
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The change pot is a good idea, another thing worth trying is going out witha minimum amount of cash you think you will need and take no cards, it makes you think and stops the temptation. Hope this helps
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shelly
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 12 Jun 07
Member #39
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Quote: Kanata, Friday, 8 Jun 2007 23:32Quote: MrsMoz, Tuesday, 5 Jun 2007 12:47In the past, I have found that spending seems to be exponentially related to salary. That is the more money I have, the more I spend! Does anyone have any tips to curb this phenomena? It always seems that the more we have, the more we want :-) I think the best way to curb it is instead of making a big purchase right away on instinct, put off the purchase for a day or two and think about if you really need the item and what the cost will equal to something else you already have. In other words, if you want an Ipod that costs about $400 (sorry Brits) then try to equate that $400 to something else you own or will have to do without (i.e. no going out for dinner and drinks for a month). Then you see it from a different perspective and hopefully :-) make the right choice for yourself. I recently lost my job and since having less money to spend have found shopping for bargains in the sales for clothes and shopping has helped alot. Money has spread alot further and saved so much rather than paying full price.
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Mrs T
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 6
Joined: 12 Jun 07
Member #48
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One of the best ways to track (and hopefully curb) your spending is get a small notebook and write down everything you buy (no matter how cheap). Once you see how it all adds up you may find the motivation to cut back on some things that are less important to you.
Another good rule is "pay yourself first". Set up a standing order into a savings account immediately after your salary is paid. It's like taking a pay cut, but the money is being set aside for yourself!
Terri
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Kieron Allsop
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 4
Joined: 11 Jun 07
Member #33
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We used to do that when we first got married and were trying to build up a "rainy day" fund. It is the nest way as you then know what you have left so to speak in a month to spend (if necessary). However about 5 years in this fell by the way-side. Now with Rhys coming along we have to do that sort of thing again.
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Kevin
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 13 Jun 07
Member #55
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If you shop at Tesco, never spend your clubcard points in the store. I am amazed at how many people use them for their shopping when by using them on Clubcard deals you get four times the value. There are a whole load of offers from holidays and RAC cover to restaurants and magazines. So there is bound to be something you can use them on.
My recommendation at the moment is to buy annual passes for Legoland. They usually cost £61 per adult of £47 for a child, but if you use your clubcard vouchers you can get them for only £15.25/£11.25. A bargain when you can return to Legoland as many times as you want in a year for that.
Kevin
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kt
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 13 Jun 07
Member #63
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if you want it but don't need it, then don't buy it!
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NicolaLouise
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Jun 07
Member #64
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Before making any purchase big or small I always ask myself do I really need it? or could I buy the item cheaper elsewhere?. I normally talk my way back out of spending money!
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lornaj1973
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 4
Joined: 14 Jun 07
Member #65
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I'm always tempted by bargains when I'm out shopping and find it really difficult to just 'window shop' so I tried a new approach.
I always walk around the shop for another 5 minutes and ask myself 'is this really what I want/need' and invariably the answer is no. So I put it back on the shelf and leave empty handed!
I now love to spend my lunch hour just browsing and have saved a fortune.
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carlisledave
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Jun 07
Member #73
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a spending diary is vital in this, children are such expensive vices :)
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atomicangel
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Jun 07
Member #74
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I usually buy nappies etc from boots and save m y points to get a special treat like perfume that I would not normally buy because it costs over £40 at xmas time 
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thehairybandit
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 15 Jun 07
Member #82
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Quote: Have a loose change pot, its surprising how much this can mount up over the course of a month especially if at the end of the month you then use money saved for a family treat someone suggested to me last year trying to put a pound in a jar every couple of days. over 6 months it built up to a bit over 100 quid 
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serenalynne1983
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 15 Jun 07
Member #84
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i put all the money i save when i go shopping(from multi buys and buy one get one free or even money off from coupons or instore promotions) in a jar on the top of the fridge and every six months i count it up and put it in the bank it then goes towards my xmas food shop its a real helping hand as i then have more money to buy the little trats iw ouldnt be able to affored at xmas so it makes it extra special treat!. try it last year i had an extra £132.49p to spend on what ever we wanted.
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Laura-Archer
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 16 Jun 07
Member #87
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When I was younger we used to save up 5, 2 and 1ps. After a long while, it ended up helping to pay for a trip to Florida. Using a big jar (and if you're smart, you could work out how far up the jar amounts to how much money when using certain coins) with young children will help them learn that saving is actually a good thing! Or, if using it for yourself, you will realise just how much you can save just with the coins you wish you didn't have in your purse because they end up weighing you down and never seem to amount to all that much!
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Laura-Archer
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 16 Jun 07
Member #87
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Shopping at places like Costco is also a good idea, because you can buy in bulk and although it may seem like you're spending more in one shopping trip, because you've bought bulk packs, it lasts for so much longer. Another thing is to buy presents throughout the year, so that you save when it comes to Christmas, Easter or any other holiday that causes shops to bump up their prices because everyone's so spend-happy. If you buy gifts throughout the year when you see them on offer, or try buying things on auction websites (am I allowed to say which specific one?) because you can buy things new, but for far cheaper. Even try sending e-mails to companies praising them can result in freebies or vouchers, which always help keep the costs down. And it costs nothing to send a nice message to a company whose products you use frequently.
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andrew riley
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 20 Jun 07
Member #103
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well, me and my wife are both not working at the mo, for one reason or another, so when i go bck to work, i will be able to remeber this time when we were living off benefits and save our 'spare money' or put it to more use!!
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adam bradley
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 21 Jun 07
Member #113
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Save money by buying fresh fruit and veg rather than processed meals and junk food. Not only do you get more value for money, but meals can stretch over two days and are far more healthier.
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KLongland
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 21 Jun 07
Member #114
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I take packed lunches to work and that saves about £20 a week as buying sandwiches, fruit, drinks etc from work is expensive!
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Wise spending habits
04 Jun 2007, 17:38