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Original poster

Wary of saving with Park again for next Xmas, what are others doing?

22 replies

santasweetdreamer · 05/12/2006 14:39

I saved up some money with Park and it's really helped us this Xmas, we'd have had nothing otherwise (except for the v. kind things from Mnetters!).

I want to save with them again but am very wary.

Don't want access to the money until next Dec.

Don't tell me I should stick it in the bank as we have virtually no disposable income and I'd be too tempted to dip into it before Xmas.

Has anyone experience of this and what did you do?

OP posts:
Tortington · 05/12/2006 14:41

have you got a credit union near you? google it

try googling ABCUL

we have an account - its in brighton and a geoffin arse to get to - hence we do dd into it - when we can and you can borrow off the money you already have in.

cece · 05/12/2006 14:43

Personally I would open a savings account. You can get ones that are more idfficult to get the money out - you have to give 90 days notice.. (may have to remember to give notice in time for xmas though!)

Or give the account book to someone else to look after so you can't get to it!

Original poster
santasweetdreamer · 05/12/2006 14:44

I have custy and I'd thought of them.

can I use them to just save up some money? don't want to borrow, too wary.

OP posts:
Original poster
santasweetdreamer · 05/12/2006 14:45

cece, I bank online and would find a way to get the money!

don't trust myself.

OP posts:
flutturkey · 05/12/2006 14:45

We have no disposable income either and was telling my Mum the other day thet we were going to do the Park thing to help out next year.

We talked it over for a while and Mum convinced us to open an account for ds (1) and put the money in there each week/month. It can only be accessed by the paying in/out book that Mum holds for us and we get a great interest rate and no tax to pay.

santasaltire · 05/12/2006 14:50

I got a book throught from home Farm hampers and they have a certificate saying that their money that is paid by savers is ring fecned, so it cannot be touched by anyone else should anything happen.
Haven't decided if i'm going to use thme yet though

Tortington · 05/12/2006 14:51

yeah just save with credit union - go go do it today - tiz good thing much good for other people in your community too.

credit unions operate differently.

my CU says i can borrow as long as i pay 1/3 back into my savings with my repayment on loan

hence loan of 300 with 1% interest per month when paid back in full - you still have saving of £100

the aim is to get you saving - not borrowing. but the facility is there - tey need to see you save regularly. a regulr amount

even if its just £2 per week. - as long as its reguler they dont mind

Tortington · 05/12/2006 14:52

other idea is stamps from supermarket

Tortington · 05/12/2006 14:53

buy vochers for self for toy shops and give to relative who has balls to say "DREAMER NOOOOO"

notreallyhereDee · 05/12/2006 14:54

i bank online as well. i have just increased the money go into my 3 dd's account weekly by £2 a week, (£6 in total), that means that i na year i will have saved an extra £300 for xmas 2007.

i can only access my kids account by physcially getting the savings books and going into town to withdraw the money. and 95% of the time i dont have a clue where the books are lol. If i am saving for big big things like holidays, then i hand the books over to my dad. i really need to sort out my own savings account, it would make things easier when working out what is the kids and what is mine.

notreallyhereDee · 05/12/2006 14:55

also starting the stamps from supermarket. what ever spare £1 coins i have goes into stamps.

this is al lstuff we used to do, but have forgotton about.

Original poster
santasweetdreamer · 05/12/2006 16:15

just phoned my creditunion,going Thursday to set up account.

cheers girls!

hopefully saving £3 a week will make next Xmas easier!

OP posts:
Tortington · 05/12/2006 21:09

yay a cu CONVERT - FAN BLOODY TASTIC.

Nemoinapeartree · 05/12/2006 21:13

I have been thinking about a credit union account..only thing is Father in law volunteers at our local one..would he have access to our info?

Tortington · 05/12/2006 21:22

nemo nemo nemo

only one way to find out

give em a ring.

i would think if he knew your details and had access to the system then yes.

but dont let that put you off - have a word with the CU manager and see what could be done

there must be systems in place for exactly this thing - as a CU is a community resource

JOIN your LOCAL CU TODAYYYYY

sallystrawberry · 05/12/2006 21:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SueW · 05/12/2006 21:38

Check your supermarket savings schemes carefully as iirc some of them give good bonuses but it depends how much money you have in on a certain date. I think htere's something on moneysavingexpert about this.

Hideehi · 06/12/2006 10:02

I save all my necter, boots points, tesco points etc and that more than covers food and presents.

Original poster
santasweetdreamer · 07/12/2006 18:00

well opened my credit union savings account today!

here's to next Xmas!

OP posts:
Loshad · 08/12/2006 09:38

the supermarket stamps are pretty good - Asda were giving you £8 if you'd saved £144 which isn't a bad deal at all, or a savings a/c by d/d to somewhere very inconvenient to get too

GlennCloseAsCruellaDeVille · 08/12/2006 09:41

credit unions are such a brilliant idea and the more popular they become the more people will satnd a chance of avoiding the likes of provident.

jambuttie · 10/12/2006 13:26

I have made my 1st payment to park for next year

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