Do you know where your money goes?

[Evie]

I know which book you mean Ilona but no I havent read it yet.
I will try and get it one day though (cheap) or better still library.
I think your idea about taking cash when out shopping with children is a very good idea. It really is different when paying with plastic, it doesnt seem real somehow until the statements come in that is.
I used to take a calculater shopping with me which helped but dont do that much now as I have developed the skill of adding it up mentally in my head down to a fine art.
I am lucky as I dont like shopping for anything, cant stand the bright lights and all that choice.
Much rather be in my garden doing or sitting quiet with a book.

[Richard]

I admire our Chimney Sweep, or whatever they're called now!

He works solid from September to April, saves as much as he can and lives from May - August in his Spanish Home.

I have relatively good money coming in during the Cricket Season plus lots of perks like free feeding for about 68 days !
I use the summer to basically buy things for the Winter or thing's I know won't see me through until I can afford them again.

I know, regardless of having been able to save some cash, I shall be bone broke by Christmas, but I equally know I'll make it OK.

Sometimes these things become just a way of life !!

Richard

[Meanqueen]

Richard, I think your chimney sweep should be doing it the other way round, cleaning all his chimneys in the summer and going off to warmer climates in the winter. Would a chimney last all winter without another sweep? Maybe this could be your winter job he he

Evie, I know what you mean, my head is full of mental arithmatic as I go round the supermarkets, I've got it fine tuned now. Years ago I used to browse round town looking for something to treat myself to, not any more. Now I get exactly what I need, I will search for one item in different shops to get the best buy, and then leave quickly, I can't stand pushing my way through lots of people, give me big open spaces everytime.

Ilona

[Badger_Lady]

I can never keep on top of notebooks, so I use www.spendingdiary.com - free website that records your spending and even draws pretty little pie charts

I was brought up to be very money-savvy and bought my first CD solely using pennies I found on the floor (£15.99!). But every so often you'll think "coo, how did I end up spending that much this month?" and that's when the diary comes in handy.

I think I'm doing OK at the moment (comparing myself to certain other 25-yr-olds) - I got all my furniture on Freecycle, my lodgers pay the mortgage, and I'm learning to produce more and more of my own (vegetarian) food Credit crunch? Who cares?

[p.penn]

I admire our Chimney Sweep, or whatever they're called now!

He works solid from September to April, saves as much as he can and lives from May - August in his Spanish Home.

Richard

HA HA HA!! Was wondering why I hadn't had a call from my sweep during the summer months!! Or am I just a horrible customer???!!!!

[kate egg]

I managed a frugal tea tonight - two sausages that we didn't use in the toad in the hole at the weekend and went out of date yesterday, new potatoes on offer from the son of Morris at £1 per kilo, carrots from the same place at 78p for a huge bag and home grown runner beans (love em) and poured on top a lovely Bisto red wine and rosemary gravy that I found in the cupboard with a sell by date of June 2006

No problems, all tasted great and not done me any harmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[bookbinder]

Me and my husband are fans of Martin Lewis,,, over the years his advice has saved us hundreds of pounds (I am not exagerating).

Our biggest saver was:

Have an ofset morgage.......every pound in savings account means no interest on same amount of morgage.......then use no interest credit card for ALL purchases...pay off minimum each month.....as no interest comes to an end transfer balance to another card with no interest...eventually you will probably run out of cards and so will have to pay off the balance.

The important thing that you must obviously remember is to make sure that although you are buying things with a card the money must go into the savings account, not only is it collecting interest but as I said it is ofseting the interest on the same amount of the morgage....

It sounds complicated... it isn't realy once it is up and running but you MUST not be tempted to use the cash for anything other than paying the credit card....

Unfortunately since we have moved into a vicarage and rent our own house we have had to change from an ofset morgage to a buy to let mortgage so not such huge savings... but we still use the interest free credit cards and only pay when we can no longer transfer balances, thus gathering interest from the money in the bank.

[Meanqueen]

I have also been a 'card tart', transferring balances onto another interest free card, not so easy now they charge a fee for this service. You have really got to study the small pring on CC agreements now, think they're trying to cover all the loopholes that people exploited in the past. You may have heard of 'stoozing', taking a cash advance from a new interest free credit card, and putting it in a high interest account. You pay the minimum amount each month from money that you already have leaving the total to gather interest. You need to have spare money to implement this system, and increase your borrowings and savings over longer a long period of time, and it is said that you could clock up a tidy sum if you are an organised person. I haven't tried it myself, but have read about it here

Ilona

[bookbinder]

That is the secret.... being very organised... I am Not! but husband is... although he is a vicar he also has a day job... A Scientist.... so, he is used to being very methodical!