Marvellous Money Saving March.

[CremeEggThief]

Hi All,
Thought I'd start a new thread for all regulars and anyone else who is interested in saving money in March .

[Fluffycloudland77]

Thanks creme

[SurlyCue]

Oooh! Ive always meant to join one of these but keep forgetting. I decided to start tomorrow and make a real effort to save on outgoings.

Do we list what we are doing to save money?

[bantamgirl]

Surly

Thread is whatever you want to get from it. I list what I spend, what I have done to save money, and how much money I've got left - so I use it more as a confessional, and it's a chat thread to others. Welcome aboard.

[CremeEggThief]

Fluffy, when you get a chance, please will you post your links for any newbies.

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

Hello everyone.

[girliefriend]

Signing in thanks for new thread creme

[SpottyTeacakes]

Thanks creme.

Going to use the council tax money to pay off some of my credit card tomorrow. I put our flights to Paris on it knowing that the council tax free months could almost cover it.

March is going to be expensive:
Meal for colleagues birthday £12
Going to London to see a friend £££
Mother's Day (mum and step mum)
Nan's birthday poss 70th need to check

[Binglet]

Oooh I have been lurking for a while. Desperately need to save a fortune and pay of £5k we have on CC . March is going to be a hard one.

[NK5BM3]

Thanks creme! I use to share what I've spent... It helps me curb what I would spend but of course sometimes we go overboard!!

[Binglet]

I used my council tax free months to pay back our £200 overdraft we got into over xmas. I've just gone part time and am a spendaholic so this thread will really help!

[lilacclery]

Can't believe we're on fifth thread of the year already! So far this year I've cleared €934 of debt and saved money towards a weekend away in April, paid a deposit on a holiday & saved towards bigger bills coming up too like car tax etc. These threads & an excel sheet have been the reason.

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

Oh you guys I pranged DH's lovely 2 year old VW polo in a high rise car park, coming down a sharp ramp, drove it right into the metal fence. I cried for ages after it, it was such a shock. And now it's all dented and scratched probably going to cost hundreds to get it fixed.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Oh no MissA try not to be too hard on yourself these things happen concrete pillar here

[SurlyCue]

Thanks bantam!

Ok so i've not been watchful of my spending since christmas and money is pouring out of my account.
So to try and straighten things up again i will:

Switch the heating off now it is march. Long sleeves and thick socks will do til november 1st.

Turn the timer for the hot water down so it isnt heating more than i need.

Bring homemade lunches and a flask of tea to college instead of £5 a pop crappy canteen food.

Cut down on laundry by re-wearing clothes and using hand towels after the shower instead of big bath towels

Use the slow cooker and freezer.

Meal plan.

Im also going to write to my bank and try to reclaim some of those horrible charges.

[avocadotoast]

Ooh I completely missed the February thread (I was still on the wagon, just absent, honest!).

This month should be our cheapest this year so far as it was DH's birthday in Jan and mine in Feb... But then, saying that, my due date creeps ever closer and there still seems a fair bit of baby stuff to get! Hoping we can manage a fairly pared back month though

[NK5BM3]

Oh missA!! Poor you! At least you are ok??!

[Fluffycloudland77]

Oh dear missA, we've all done it. Would it be cheaper to claim on your insurance & shop around for a new supplier than pay out for it yourself?. I had so many at one point my insurance company wanted £500 a month ins.

Welcome bing and surly.

Janurary thread, my first post is all the useful links

[CremeEggThief]

Hope you're okay, MissA. Go easy on yourself for a couple of days.

Cheers for those links,Fluffy .

Great to see some returners and new folk. Welcome to all!

[AdoraBell]

Marking place, Thanks for thread Creme

NSD Today and tomorrow. School books need buying on Monday, if I'm up To going anywhere. DD1 has informed that she will not Go To school unless I buy all her things. Never mind, eh?

[shitebag]

Evening all :)

Place marking and will catch up tomorrow.

[PegLegAntoine]

Signing in! Have been around for a few months under a different name :o

[bootygirl]

Signing for my first full month. Going to write everything down again.

Finding it hard to watch what is going out to/on the kids. DS 13 & 12. Older lad keeps growing!! €60 on new football boots!

Not sure who recommended selling at cex I got €62 on wii & games & DVD. So that is gone into holiday fund.

Well done lilac. Happy birthday.

[bantamgirl]

Surly - Good tips there, all achievable, although I'm a wuss and bet my heating is still on in May :-O I read my meters this morning and submitted a reading and between 26.12.14 and today (9 weeks) I've used £382 which I don't think is too bad (for me). I owe them £118 which should be paid off through the summer months. I wonder if the energy saving lightbulbs have played a part?

How long is your water on a timer for? I have mine for 2 hours a day; once in a morning and once in an evening as DH likes a bath.

Miss A - that is what the insurance is there for chuck, just put it down to driving experience, your premiums won't go up as much as the cost of the repairs, I am sure. Don't beat yourself up about it xx

Peg - how do you change a username? I had one before, which I prefer to this one, but when the great hack happened and MN changed everyone's passwords, the only way I could get on was via FB which brought me the Bantamgirl user name (a very old one), chuff knows which e-mail address I'd joined up with but I never was able to get a password reminder sent to the one I do use

[girliefriend]

Surly turn off your heating?? blimey we had a hard frost here this week - brr!!

My heaters will be on for at least another month but I may turn them down if it warms up a bit, I hate being cold though!!

Yy to everything else though

MissA that sounds horrible, its such a shock to hit something. Hope you are o.kay

[SurlyCue]

How long is your water on a timer for? I have mine for 2 hours a day; once in a morning and once in an evening as DH likes a bath.

Yep mines an hour morning and hour evening for DCs' bath too.

I'm going to try having it on for 45 mins and also have quicker showers! also my heating and hot water is connected (you cant have the heating on without it heating the water!- stupid old system) and i think i can notice the water is hotter when the heating hasnt been on along side the water heater. So i am hoping that having the heating off will mean i can have the water heater on for less time too.