[mjn]

Well?

[Iccz]

Saving... to spend

Would like to get myself a HTPC sorted out this month or next, after that it's into economy mode for me, save save save.

[Razor]

I am always spending but looking to the future at the same time.

[Steven]

Well I have no need to spend as it is only me. I can hold my want for headphones and audio kit until the summer, so my biggest outgoing will be food but that is fine. For example I spent £6 on food on Sunday and have enough for a bit

Alas my best laid plans went out the window (see sig)

[richard plumb]

neither really.

- I've been hit on the basic savings front by knackered interest rates
- I've been hit on the ISA savings front by knackered stock prices (long term should be ok, but it is shocking to see your ISA value drop 40%!)
- I'm in a 10 year fixed rate mortgage so the interest rate cuts are doing nothing at all to benefit me
- don't give a toss about the 2.5% VAT

[KhalJimbo]

Kinda both, I'm saving to spend on a new Audi TT soon. Hmmmm do I save a little more and get the TTS.........me wonders???

[Iccz]

Originally Posted by jimthelegend

Kinda both, I'm saving to spend on a new Audi TT soon. Hmmmm do I save a little more and get the TTS.........me wonders???

Do it!

Good time to get a car, dealers will come down a lot, did for me!

[Ultima]

I've always saved a little and spent a little but always very prudent. This year will see me save much more than I used to, probably to to with the fact that last year we spent a fortune on home refurbishment and a little to do with the unpredictible times ahead.

Saving for me.

[Setenza]

My income does not allow for any major spending or saving at the present. What goes in by and large goes out.

I may have to do a little additional work to build up that vital float needed if I have a gap between contracts.

[Dony]

I still seem to be spending
Having a new house means that there are always things needing to be bought. Since the New Year we've bought a bed and wardrobes for my sons room, a wooden floor for my office that will hopefully be put down next week, and some tiles for the kitchen. (all bought in the sales)

For myself, I've bought new speakers and an amp will follow next week when it comes into stock. That should be it for a while and then I intend doing some serious saving from next month until the summer.

[InsertCoin]

I have been spending like its going out of fashion, but now I will be paying it off for the next few months and then spending again as I want a new shiny amp

[KhalJimbo]

Originally Posted by Iccz

Do it!

Good time to get a car, dealers will come down a lot, did for me!

True, but finance is also a bit more difficult to get hold of, so finance for a 30k car could prove quite difficult without a massive deposit.

[booyaka]

cleared my credit card (only about £2k) as it was pointless saving the cash @ 3% whilst paying some interest on credit card at circa 17%.

Put most of my previous Icesave cash ISA's money (recently recovered) into my mortgage currently to reduce the interest payments.

Will be spending on a new DSLR shortly due to a nice bonus at the end of this month for last years work. Other than that will be saving a bit more this year.

Also got a copy of MS Money to keep an eye on the household spending a bit more closely as i feel that one area we as a family can save money on, with out compromising decent stuff, is food shopping.

[nheather]

Both saving and spending.

I'm a net saver - have more savings than borrowings.

Have always been careful and never spent beyond my means - and will continue to do so.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Ultima]

Die in debt and you've made a profit.

That's what I was told anyhow.

[Leej]

Originally Posted by booyaka

Also got a copy of MS Money to keep an eye on the household spending a bit more closely as i feel that one area we as a family can save money on, with out compromising decent stuff, is food shopping.

I was very surprised when I recently went shopping with the wife. We are fortunate to have a supermarket, Iceland, farm foods etc all fairly close.

The price difference between them for the same items was shocking. If she had bought it all at the supermarket we would have been spending a lot more than necessary. As an example, milk at supermarket was £1:60, the same milk elsewhere was £1:00. She has it fine tuned on how to do the most economical shopping.


No money really been spent here partly due to the horrific gas and electric bills that will follow this winter.

[Iccz]

Shopping - CostCo

Big chest freezer see's us good for at least a month at a time


Need to figure out this whole knowing the prices thing though, i've still not got the hang of that yet.

[mrtbag]

All my savings are equity in property. I'm down about 10% from this time last year, so could be worse. What mortgage I do have left has gone down £120 per month (tracker), so we're going to save up for a holiday at the end of the year.

[suniil]

spending but saving (discounts ) as well

[smallclanger]

Voted saving as we put away dosh every month but often end up using whatever has amassed on things for the house, holidays etc.

This month we are getting new windows and doors and we are getting married in July so there wont be much in our savings by the end of the year..

We dont use credit.

[sniffer66]

Doing both at the moment, saving money to buy a new car and spending money on the house and holidays. having said that Scot Power just put my monthly direct debit up to £240 so guess I'll be paying out a little more this month

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by leej

I was very surprised when I recently went shopping with the wife. We are fortunate to have a supermarket, Iceland, farm foods etc all fairly close.

The price difference between them for the same items was shocking. If she had bought it all at the supermarket we would have been spending a lot more than necessary. As an example, milk at supermarket was £1:60, the same milk elsewhere was £1:00. She has it fine tuned on how to do the most economical shopping.


No money really been spent here partly due to the horrific gas and electric bills that will follow this winter.

Indeed, we buy our eggs from local farms and it costs us a third to half the price of supermarket ones and the difference in taste is noticeable.

Not done it for milk as we buy filtered milk. As for veg we've got plans to grow quite a bit ourselves this year after a successful harvest of potatoes, tomatoes and onions last year (although we won't survive just on that).

As for saving or spending: we're spending to save more - you know insulation, solar powered outside lights etc.

[Golf_turbo]

Last year 100% spending

But i grown up a lot since then

now:

Saving (to get a place with the mrs) 70%

I need to save up 20k

Spending (Pub, car bits n gadgets) 30%

If only I could have all that money I wasted from 18-21!!

[indianwells]

We're fortunate that we have neither rent or mortgage to pay (company house) and can save quite a bit. I'm not spending much at the moment, purely because I don't need anything, I have been more careful however, on small things really like making my own sandwiches for lunch, switching off unnecessary lights etc. You just never know how bad this downturn could be.

[smallclanger]

Originally Posted by Golf_turbo

If only I could have all that money I wasted from 18-21!!

Don't go there. I wasted a silly, silly amount of dosh. Spent a large part of it living at home paying £50 a month rent, the rest was ****** up against the wall!

[Iccz]

Problem is, it's easier to spend than to save for most people.

[Naqv]

lol At least you guys can remember that you ****** the money up the wall.

I can't even remember what I did with mine.

[Golf_turbo]

Originally Posted by smallclanger

Don't go there. I wasted a silly, silly amount of dosh. Spent a large part of it living at home paying £50 a month rent, the rest was ****** up against the wall!

lol!

I lost £6,000 (plus £3,000 in "mods") on my Golf, about £4,000 on my clio, and a Good £5,000 on my M3 and still own that!

Then My bike £6,000 in total with license, and I don't even put 1,000 miles on it a year 'cos the weather sucks!

Getting on for £5,000 on my track car lol

Plus holiodays, clubs, clothes, gadgets etc = crazy! Makes me feel sick how much money I up the wall!

I'm just lucky i'm not in debt I guess!

Was a good 3 years though

Turned 22 in Dec, and definatley turned over a new leaf.

[eric pisch]

Originally Posted by Golf_turbo

lol!

I lost £6,000 (plus £3,000 in "mods") on my Golf, about £4,000 on my clio, and a Good £5,000 on my M3 and still own that!

Then My bike £6,000 in total with license, and I don't even put 1,000 miles on it a year 'cos the weather sucks!

Getting on for £5,000 on my track car lol

Plus holiodays, clubs, clothes, gadgets etc = crazy! Makes me feel sick how much money I up the wall!

I'm just lucky i'm not in debt I guess!

Was a good 3 years though

Turned 22 in Dec, and definatley turned over a new leaf.

1) you cant look at cars as an asset, when you look at what they have cost you you also have to take into account the distance you travelled and the cost equivalent of using taxis or public transport, sure you will still have done money but it wont be so bad. I spend a fair bit on my car each month, but i justify a big chunk of that on the fact my train ticket would be £4300 a year ...

2) mods are just peeing money down the drain, allways better to buy a car that does what you want like the M3. In terms of depreciation its better to buy a car you like and run it for 3-5 years, the hits far lower over a reasonable length of time.

3) your young, your not meant to be sensible, enjoy life, you have 30-65 to play the rat race and be bored 24/7/365

[dUnKle]

At the moment very little has changed for us

We have just moved our Mortgage (our initial 2 year deal ran out in December) and are actually better of (for now) on the monthly payments. When we looked at moving the mortgage and getting a new deal we where looking at being best part of £150 a month worse off, however (again, for now) we are actually better off and seem to have got our deal at just the right time.

The money we are spening is mainly on the house. We have been here 2 years, installed new heating, new kitchen and starting on bathroom when I can shift my cold and get motivated.

I still spend my money (we have a joint account and a personal account each) but think I spend it better than ever before. I probably only went out (on beer) less than half a dozen times last year and that makes a differnece. Also started to use Lovefilm for my Games which is saving me around £70 a month