Anyone fancy a 2024 savings thread?

[bingoringo4]

After January was the most skint I've ever been in my life, it's kickstarted me to be better with money and save. I'm a rubbish saver so I've bought these challenges to help me. I'm also going to be using cash instead of cards, so when I'm paid on the 23rd I will leave in my bank all the money for direct debits and a buffer for online payments. I will then take the rest out in cash divide it into 4 to use each week and what's left at the end of the week I will put into my challenges.
My goals are to save for Xmas and a holiday next January and have an emergency fund.

While I'm waiting to be paid I've sorted all my little change pots from around the house and bagged up £37 ready to take to the post office. I've also made a start on my penny saver from the change that was left and bits I keep finding around the house.

Im also having a massive clear out and listing on vinted and fb. We are a family of 6 so as you can imagine we accumulate a lot of "stuff" which is something im also working on this year.

I can't wait to see how well I do at the end of the year! Im actually buzzing 🤞🏼

I'm saving to pay off my mortgage, and I'm nearly there...but then I need to start thinking about moving house, so that's not as exciting as it sounds.

I saved at least £7 today by not giving into the temptation of a coffee and a cake when I was travelling for work. 😇

@Hollyhead well done on fighting temptation 😝 it's not easy.

@NHStoPrivate oh I don't envy you. Moving house was the most stressful thing I've ever been through. They'll be carrying me out in a box from here 😬 never again!.

@ememem84 that's what I'm trying to do. I've never had an emergency fund. If something breaks I'm fudged 🤦🏻‍♀️ I think because I'm turning 40 this year I've got to a turning point and realise I need to get my life together. I had to borrow money from my mum in January and I just felt really stupid that at my age I'm still relying on her to dig me out of a hole.

@bingoringo4, Yes, you've got a point 😄. We'll probably stay here a bit longer (AKA put things off for a while).

Me too (turning 40 this year).

I just want to feel more grown up. You know ?

Week 4 update.

This week left over from my £220 budget is £9.70 but I made £60 on vinted! So £69.70 🎉

Very happy with that. Next week I have the same budget and I've had a look in the freezer and just found some meat so that's a couple of dinners sorted for next week.

Ooh I forgot you’d be updating today! Well done! And, £9.70 still not to be sniffed at. Over a year that would be about £500!

What’s your total so far?

£178.91 😃 I'm chuffed to bits. Admittedly it's not a lot to some people but to me that is huge. I would never have put that money away before I started doing this.

Got a free hot chocolate at work yesterday. They have a loyalty card where I work. After buying 6 cups you get your 7th free. Well I don't buy them all the time, this has been going in since before Xmas and finally got a freebie lol Tasted so much better lol So that was £4 saved 🙌🏻

It’s Thursday! Really looking forward to @bingoringo4 s update again!

My successes this week have been - main credit card (has all our monthly spending on and then gets cleared in full before interest charge) is £200 less this month than last, and DS asked for an expensive birthday present (£150!), but has agreed that if he has it then he needs to contribute by giving up his pocket money until the summer holidays, so although not a ‘saving’ it is being more responsible overall and teaching him the value of things.

Week 5 update.

£2.60 are the remains of my purse this week. Not a great saving but better than having to dip into my savings I guess! Tbf it's been a hard week where unexpected things have popped up and I've still managed to stay in my budget so can't be too hard on myself.

Pay day tomorrow and I've just done my budget for the next month and it's looking slim. I owe my mum £150 which is the last payment to her 🎉 and it's the easter holidays and I've still eggs to buy 🤦🏻‍♀️ we should be ok though.

Well done that's good going! My daughters birthday is in may (she'll be 10) she hasn't asked for anything expensive thank god lol, just a couple of face creams and and clothes 😅 we have a lot of family and she gets spoilt by them all so it takes the pressure off me a bit.

Well done @bingoringo4 £2.60 is still a saving. The way I always look at it is if you could do that every week it would be about £150 a year- and you wouldn’t turn down a free £150 ever!

Last payment to your mum also sounds like a great step in the right direction too. Cheaper energy bills on the way too - I put the heating on earlier and it was only on for 10 mins before the thermostat cut it off again as it was up to temp.

my payday is on Thursday of next week and it cannot come soon enough. I just need to know the number (this should hopefully be a good payday as bonuses and promotion payrises will be included). so once i know the number i can bump the debt down and the savings up.

my credit card is looking horrendous at the moment - i've put £600 on it this week - professional subs, flights and hotel to london for a client meeting in July. all of which will be reimbursed to me either on Thursday or the next month, but still.

@Hollyhead I'm so relieved that I've paid my mum back, I hate owing money because it plays on my mind continuously. Hoping I'll never have to borrow off her again and I can grow an emergency fund for when things pop up. And the next thing that's gong to pop up is my washing machine 🤦🏻‍♀️ it's being temperamental atm and making some noises. Great! 😬

@ememem84 fingers crossed 🤞🏼 for a healthy pay.

I’m having a no spend or very low spend April. I need to get back on track.

I’ve started a “savings challenge” first 6 month of the year increase by £25. So £25 in jan then £50 in feb then £75 in March £100 April £125 may £150 June. Then decrease it. Should get me around £1000.

Payday happened. Credit card paid off. And a whopping £1000 of my bonus thrown to savings. Winner winner.

@ememem84 yayyy well done that's fantastic!

Week 6 update.

£14.15 is left over this week which is an improvement from last week. This month my first payment went out from my car insurance renewal. £95 more a month than last year it's absolutely sickening. I tried to get it down on comparison websites but my renewal with my current insurance was actually cheaper. It's because I had an accident last year that is still ongoing and unresolved 🙄

Kids break up today and I'm going to find some things to do for free over the holidays, hopefully the weather is nice. My daughter, Son in-law and granddaughter are coming tomorrow to stay for a few days I'm so excited for that!

Happy Easter 🐣

I'm not sure what income everyone here is dealing with but have you seen the Help to Save accounts?

www.gov.uk/get-help-savings-low-income

I started mine nearly two years ago when I had very little coming in and I'm due my first 'bonus' soon. You keep the account for the full term regardless of how much you earn, once you're in you're in. If you work it out as an interest rate it's a lot better return than many options.

Well done @bingoringo4 that is a 600% increase on last week - makes it sound awesome!

You poor thing on insurance though, that’s absolutely rough! Is there a chance it will reduce again once it’s all sorted out?

I have no idea tbh it's looking likely that it will go down as 50/50 liability because there's not enough evidence and if it does my insurance will probably stay high for 5 years 🙁

Week 7 update.

Hey everyone, hope you all had a lovely Easter 🐣

Not a lot left in my purse this week, just £4.61.
I spent a lot on food shopping over the weekend which I knew I would with having two other adults to feed for 3 days. But I didn't dip into savings so that's a bonus 👍🏼

Week one of the Easter holidays almost done and apart from giving my two little ones money to buy a treat in b&m I've managed to spend no money at all. Few trips to the park and walks and they've been happy with that. Lots of arts and crafts at home and playing with toys they got for Xmas has kept them from killing one another 🤦🏻‍♀️

Next week looks promising because my council gives shopping vouchers if your children have free school meals so I have £70 to spend in tesco so that will help massively next week because my kids have eat me out of house and home and I can't keep up with them! Gas is starting to be put on less and less now because of the nicer weather and that's helping alot too.

@bingoringo4 well done - spare money is still spare money! And next week does sound really promising, plus I don’t know where you are in the country but the temperature is set to be about 16/17 here fore a few days. Did you solar panels get fixed? I mean we would also need some sun.. but hopefully soon!!!