Five Ways to Get Motivated to Save

For me, 2012 was all about getting rid of my debt and saving up enough to move to Bristol and start my PhD.

In 2013 I want to keep that momentum going. I noticed that after I paid off my student overdraft I started to spend more. It's hard to stay motivated once you are out of the debt emergency.

This year we are back on the horse in a big way. We have already dramatically reduced our food costs for the month, we're trying to sell the car and we're aiming for 200 No Spend Days this year.

So how do you stay motivated to save money once you are debt free?

1. Set a big goal with a deadline
When you were in debt, your goal was to get out. Now you are free, determine what you are saving for. Think BIG!

Our goal is to save up a 25% deposit for a house in the next five years. I will be a graduate student for another 3.5 years, but once The Boyfriend has graduated next year he will enter the workforce. The key will be to avoid lifestyle inflation and live like students for a little while longer! I have done the maths and I think we can do this! 

2. Make it acheivable
Unrealistic goals aren't motivational. If you don't meet your goal you will feel disappointed and may well give up. Make a budget, give yourself a buffer in case anything unexpected comes up and THEN plan how much you can save! 

We've broken down our goal into yearly chunks. Obviously we will save more once we are not students (and hopefully have real jobs!), so have planned accordingly.

3. What would you do if you were still in debt?
If you've paid off a credit card or overdraft, think about how you did it! Could you replicate this to boost savings? Avoid expensive luxuries until you reach your target.

When I was paying off debts last year, I used No Spend Days as a way to motivate myself. This year I have DOUBLED my goal to aim for 200 No Spend Days in 2013. If you aren't spending money, you must be saving it!

4. Follow your progress
 Track your progress by calculating your net worth or even making a chart and colouring in a square for every £100 or £1000 saved. I used to do this with my University revision (but I had awesome star stickers! :D)

5. Reward yourself
If your goal is particularly long term, you might want to use a reward system to keep yourself motivated. Maybe you could enjoy a (cheap!) meal out for every £1000 saved, or go for a walk in the mountains, or plan a frugal holiday for when you reach your goal. You can camp most places in the UK for about £10 a night, for example.



Don't worry if you fall off the wagon from time to time. If you spend too much one week, maybe you could cut back the next. If not, it won't affect you too badly unless it starts being a regular problem, which could be a sign that your budget is too restrictive.

What's your biggest saving goal for 2013? You can do it!

No Spend Week

I have just returned from a weekend visiting my family in Cornwall. It was lovely to see everyone and spend some time away from the buses, people and street art that make up Bristol. 

I now have a busy week of Uni work and when I get busy, I get spendy! With this in mind, I decided (and persuaded The Boyfriend to agree) to have a No Spend Week this week. I get free coffee every morning, we have food in the flat, what more do I need? It's not really as exciting as Frugal Queen's Stoptober, but it's my birthday next week so I may well need to buy a couple of beers! :)

One caveat is that if I see a really good deal on a Christmas present, I will grab it when I can. After all, I need to finish by the end of the month!

Following what I learned earlier in the year about No Spend Days, I will leave my money at home, bring a packed lunch (including a chocolate biscuit for that 3pm lag in energy!), stay in and work on my presentation in the evenings and have a quiet weekend working on my Advent calendar!

Feel free to join me! :)

What NOT to Buy for University

I'm writing this whilst “packing” for our big move to Bristol and post-graduate studies. (This has involved several hours of surfing the net and very little putting stuff in boxes!) We're moving on Thursday so by the time you read this I'll be up to my eyeballs in cardboard. Wish us luck!

Going to University for the first time can be very expensive. People keep reminding you of things you will need, like duvet covers and shampoo. Most are things you've probably never bought before and the cost of buying the furnishings of a complete new life might be quickly mounting up!

Good news: you don't need to buy most of this stuff!

People go crazy buying hundreds of pounds worth of kitchen stuff equipment they'll never actually use and all the latest gadgets! Don't do it!

Here's a handy list of stuff you probably WON'T need to shell out for:

• Pens and stationery – You will get A LOT of free pens during the first weeks of Uni. Hundreds of companies line the walls of the Freshers Fayre, eager to give you pens as a way for you to remember them. (Barclays bank also give out free pens in their branches – jus' sayin'!) You can easily hoard enough pens/erasers/calendars etc. to last the year. Get anything else you need from a cheap supermarket when you get there. Don't buy fancy stuff - it'll just get slung into your bag anyway!
  
  
• Kitchen stuff – If you are in self-catered accommodation, wait until you get there before buying pots and pans! I found that EVERYONE turns up with 3 saucepans, a frying pan and enough cutlery to sink a ship. There's usually not even enough storage for it all! Check to see what you all have, then share the use of the equipment. Offer to cook them a meal for use of their saucepan! I would say to bring your own tupperware though, because people seem to be incapable of washing it properly.
  
  
• Laptop – Most people arrive at Uni with a shiny new laptop. If you don't have one, don't spend £400 of your student loan before you even arrive! (DON'T get a tablet - it's just asking to be nicked/dropped/beer spilled over). All universities have multiple computer labs dotted around campus, or you could pick up a second hand one very cheaply on eBay or even fairly often on Freecycle. You'll probably only need an old-ish one for using the internet, typing essays and the odd spreadsheet. (If you are studying any intensive-graphics course, for example The Boyfriend's architecture course, you will probably need a more up-to-date computer).
  
  
• Clothes – Don't be tempted to rush out on a spending spree with your new 10% student discount! People generally turn up to lectures wearing comfy clothes like hoodies and even jogging bottoms. I've seen a LOT of people wear pyjamas to lectures, so don't feel you need to be the trendiest kid on campus!
  
  
• Textbooks! - Your parents will kill me for saying this, but DON'T buy new textbooks! They cost anywhere from £30 - £100 EACH! Yes, that's what your student loan is for, but it's also for eating and rent and it barely covers that! You have several free or cheap options:
  1. Use the library (you're paying tuition fees for it)! There are often many copies of the most important textbooks available for loan on a rolling basis (as long as someone doesn't reserve the book, you can keep renewing your loan indefinitely).
  
  
  2. At the start of the year there are often LOTS of second/final year students selling off their first year textbooks very cheaply. Look on student noticeboards, on the intranet, even posters in the toilets! You can offer them less than they are asking too, because they'll be glad to get some money back. 
  
  
  3. Other cheap options are eBay/Amazon! 
  
  

If you do buy them, follow my tips for selling old textbooks when you are done with them.

 

Everyone knows your first few weeks at Uni are the most expensive (going out most nights, going for lunch to get to know your new flatmates, etc. etc.), but be careful with your student loan. I knew a few people in the first year who ran out of money by the end of Octover and had to scrounge food from their flatmates, living on pasta and bread until the next loan instalment in JANUARY!

All in all, have a great time! Make a budget, try to stick to it and DON'T GET A CREDIT CARD! :)

Any other advice for things new students may or may not need? I might be able to use the advice myself! :D

The Latte Factor

Do you know how much you spend on little whims? A fiver here, maybe a couple of pounds there. The problem is that it all adds up!

David Bach, author of many personal finance books such as The Automatic Millionaire, discusses the concept of the “Latte Factor”. This phrase describes small but regular spending, for example a daily latte on the way to work, which slowly adds up into a huge annual expenditure.

Is a daily latte really the end of the world?

Will small, regular expenses really break the bank? Maybe you buy lunch at the shop around the corner from work every day, at a cost of £4. That's £20 a week, which is £1000 a year, and over the course of a working lifetime that's a significant amount of money that you could have spent in other ways. It also works out as 7 weeks' worth of work a year at minimum wage.

It's important to keep your life balanced though. If you can't spend a planned amount on things you want but really don't need then you might spend all your life waiting to be allowed small luxuries.

Xin Lu made a good point in her article on WiseBread; “I believe that saving money should not be a punishment, so when you deprive yourself of a tiny expense that makes you happy, the whole exercise of saving money will become a negative experience ”.

If you add a small Latte Factor to your budget and use it as motivation to save money in other areas, it might actually be saving you money in the long run. You may well be less likely to rebel against an oppressively-tight budget and go on a mad spending spree!

Conclusions

I believe as long as you have the money to do so (not a credit card!) a small weekly budget of “fun money” can be a worthwhile use of your cash. You can use it to go for dinner with your friends, or save it for a trip somewhere, or just spend it on a latte, whatever you fancy. It's your money to spend as you like, so you don't have to wait until retirement to enjoy what you have!

Who Cares About the Joneses? Be Yourself!

Frugal people tend to save their money for the things they find the most important. They usually don't give a monkeys whether everyone else has a swanky smartphone or a brand new car. 

That's why I was so surprised to read an infuriating article on the frugal living site Wise Bread called "Passing for Middle Class". Writer Philip Brewer gives people tips on how to keep up with the Joneses on a budget, which sounds fine in principal but ends up listing ways to get things you don't need whilst avoiding paying top whack for the privilege.

One of the options Brewer suggests is to choose the cheapest “lifestyle cluster” (suburban house plus two cars vs. urban apartment closer to work) which will allow you to pass yourself off as middle class whilst avoiding the items you are not “required to have (to count as middle class)”.

The other alternative is to get all the things you are “required to have” at the cheapest possible price. The most ridiculous of these for me was a university degree. In the US, University education leaves a lot of people struggling with huge student debts that can really harm their financial future. If you need a degree for your chosen career then fine, but Brewer states that a Bachelors is a required “middle class marker” and seems to suggest that you should just get any old degree from your local state's school. To me, it sounds like if it's not allowing you to get a better job, you're just paying thousands of dollars for bragging rights and entry into the middle class status!

Why does this matter? Who actually cares??

People can feel criticised for the choices they make. Why do you live in such a small house? Why save for tomorrow when you could get hit by a bus today? Why do you drive an old banger when everyone else is paying off car loans for the next four years? Why do you not follow the crowd?

The thing is, frugal people decided long ago not to bother trying to keep up with pointless class status symbols. As financial guru Dave Ramsey says, the Joneses don't want you to know they're actually broke!

Possibly the most infuriating line in the whole article is the following: “Sometimes, even when your values aren't middle-class values, it's worth making some small adjustments to pass for middle class”. No no NO! Stand up for what you believe in! Live well within your means and spend your money on what's important to you!

Please don't try and “pass for middle class”. Be who you are!

When Are Your Savings NOT Savings?

I've been thinking a lot about saving lately. How much should you save? Do sinking funds count, ie. saving money for planned future expenses? Or are only things like emergency funds or retirement funds included? All money will be spent eventually, so how far in the future counts as “savings” and what is just “set aside”?

One of the most common pieces of advice is to save 20% of your income (or use it to pay down debt if you have any). This follows the 50-30-20 budget made famous by Elizabeth Warren, which states that you should allow up to 50% or your after-tax income for needs (housing, insurance, food, utilities), 30% for wants (meals out, new clothes, books, music etc.), and 20% should be saved.

The problem is, what counts as 'savings'?

I am currently saving a large chunk of my wages for:

• Moving to Bristol – just completed funding this.
• Car repairs (£80/month)
• Gifts (£20-30/month)
• Emergency fund (£100/month)
• Future travel (£40/month)
• Eventual laptop replacement (£25/month)

Most of my 'savings' are earmarked for emergencies and moving to Bristol, and I don't have a retirement account yet although it is something I am starting to think about. Of course, a lot of the Bristol savings fund will be spent in a few months, leaving me with my Emergency fund as my only true “savings”, which even then could be accessed at any point if needed.

Do savings only count if you will keep them for a set period? Over 5 years? Until retirement? What about people saving for a house, or saving to pay for their child's university education? Eventually ALL savings will be spent!

What do you think? What counts as savings and what is just cash set aside for a short term future purchase?

When are savings not savings? When they are spent!

Things I've Learned from No Spend Days

I have had over 50 No Spend Days this year so far! I set myself the challenge of having 100 No Spend Days in 2012, so I am currently ahead of schedule. I am due to move to Uni in autumn though and I think it's better to get as many as possible out of the way before I go!

So what have I learned so far?

The good

The Boyfriend said that I would probably just roll lots of spending into one day, so no spend days would not save any money. This is not the case. I find that I don't spend more than normal on a “spend day”.

I find this challenge stops me spending little bits here and there. If I am having a No Spend Day, it's not worth losing it for an ice cream or a drink. It stops the drip drip drip of unconscious spending.

The bad

I have found that spending money is quite addictive. Even buying diesel can be quite exciting! I bet no-one else gets that excited about swiping their debit card! I think it's because it makes you feel rich. If you have a few spend days in a row, it's hard to break the pattern. You feel drawn back into consumerism.

I need to turn this feeling around. Spending money makes me feel rich, but NOT spending money makes you ACTUALLY rich(er)!

The breakdown of my No Spend Days is as follows:

• January – 13
• February – 14
• March – 10
• April – 11
• May (so far) – 6 of a possible 14 ( target is 14 for the month)

As you can see, since I was approaching and achieved being debt free in March I seemed to spend more often. I have set myself a target for May to get back on track and have 14 No Spend Days.

Who would benefit from No Spend Days?

The value of No Spend Days is debated a lot online. Do they encourage people to spend less, or simply group a lot of spending into a few days?

I would say they are good for those who fall victim to the “latte factor”, a phase invented by David Bach to describe the little things you spend money on daily. The example he gives is a latte on the way to work in the morning, but it could be any unnecessary purchase from a newspaper to buying lunches. If you just bring your own coffee/lunch from home a few days a week you could save a bundle, racking up a No Spend Day in the process!

Then again, as Laura Vanderkam said, perhaps these Latte Factor Victims spend a lot less on rent so that they can afford little luxuries like this!

Do you keep track of No Spend Days? Do you think they are a useful tool in a frugal lifestyle?

Frugal Parcel Packaging: Cheap Alternatives!

Next time you need to post a parcel, stop and think before rushing out and buying a year's supply of bubble wrap and paper. Do you have anything that you could re-use for a frugal and green packaging solution?

Think of typical packaging materials. Boxes, brown paper, bubble wrap, bags? You can get free alternatives for all of these to save some serious money. The only thing you need to buy is parcel tape!

Boxes – NEVER BUY BOXES! You can pick up free boxes absolutely everywhere! Supermarkets are a top choice, local food halls, even restaurants will give you boxes if you approach them during the quiet period. Top tip: Fast food outlets like McDonald's have a huge variety of different sized boxes. If they don't have a size you want, cut them to fit and secure with parcel tape.

Brown paper – Use paper that you would otherwise throw away. Keep paper bags around the same thickness as brown paper, from shops like Primark, your local greengrocer and gift shops. Another option is used printer paper. If you no longer need those directions to York or the joke you printed to show your friend, tape a few sheets together and wrap the parcel with these.

Bubble wrap – Bubble wrap can be very expensive. It can be as much as £4 a roll in the Post Office (although my village Post Office sells the same roll for £1.95, so it pays to shop around!). Why not use free alternatives? Plastic supermarket bags are terrible for the environment, so why not get one much use out of them before sending them to landfill. Scrunch them into a ball and package up your item. Newspaper balls also work well, but make sure that the ink cannot damage your items.

Clothes packaging – Most people tend to package clothes in those thick plastic bags from the post office, but you can easily make your own from a thick bin liner with a few criss-crosses of parcel tape to prevent rips. Alternatively, wrap it in a bag to waterproof it then send it in a box.

If you often post parcels, make sure you keep any packaging that comes your way. Jiffy bags are incredibly handy for sending small objects (just stick your own label over the original address), even envelopes can be re-used several times!

What other environmentally-friendly packaging solutions do you use? I see it as a bit of a challenge every time I wrap something!!

Frugality Vs. Minimalism

How much do we really need?

Frugality and minimalism are often thought of as opposites. Frugal people tend to hang on to stuff because it will probably come in handy later. Minimalists balk at this idea and get rid of anything they haven't used in the last year/month/week!

To some extent I agree with the dichotomy. Perhaps it is my preconceptions, but I imagine a frugal home as a small cottage with a vegetable garden, in which people can persue creative and productive hobbies. In contrast, I imagine a minimalist home as very stylish and modern flat somewhere, with far fewer money saving tools and a hefty price tag for each item.

But can frugality be minimalist and vice versa?

Frugality is about avoiding wasteful or unnecessary spending so that you have money to use on the things you really want. We live better for less so that you have more money for travel or retirement. As J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly puts it: “You can have anything you want – but you can't have everything you want”.

Minimalism is the notion that less is more, both with physical objects and uses of your time. Minimalists tend to keep only items that have more than one function, with a very select few decorative pieces to add interest to their otherwise fairly empty space.

Frugality and minimalism can be at odds. Minimalists are willing to spend a lot of money on a very stylish or very useful object, whilst a frugal person would likely be more reserved, calculating how long they worked to pay for that £350 vase!

Can frugality and minimalism ever work together? Both lifestyles are about the realisation that there is much more to life than consumerism and possessions. You could say that the minimalist was frugal in avoiding unnecessary purchases in order to save up the money to buy that expensive vase.

Frugal Babe describes frugality and minimalism as the perfect partners in a simple life. Both frugal people and minimalists tend to live in smaller homes, both are unlikely to have debt or will be working hard to be rid of it, and both advocate the ideal of living without a car, although it is not possible for everyone.

I believe that by removing the excess in your life (minimalism) and concentrating your resources on what really matters to you (frugality), you are more likely to be able to do the things you most want to do. By spending less, frugal and minimalist people are not obligated to work so much, leaving them more free time to live life to the full. 

What do you think? Would  you consider yourself frugal, and if so, do you think that you could ever fit a minimalist approach into that lifestyle? 

UK Fuel Shortage?

A proposed strike action by tanker drivers has led to mass buying of petrol and diesel at UK pumps over the past couple of days. The BBC has shown images of huge queues at garages, leading to some retailers running out of fuel. 

The UK Government gave advice to keep your car over two-thirds full, and if you'd normally put half a tank in, fill it up. I work opposite a garage, so took the opportunity to fill up after work when the pumps were quiet (there haven't been huge queues there yet, although the weekend may be bad). I have to admit, normally I only put in half a tank but this time I filled it with over a month's worth of fuel. 

This sort of mentality is the reason that everyone's rushing to the pumps; there is no shortage, but the high demand for fuel means that suppliers are running out anyway! No-one wants the needle to hit "EMPTY" on the way to work.

Despite this situation, I think that we frugal types are in the best situation. We know how to make fuel last longer. We keep cars clean and empty to reduce consumption, we keep speeds low and accelerate and brake slowly, and importantly we take alternative transport where possible. 

Plan your route to incorporate several chores at once and minimise car usage. We can beat both the fuel shortage AND the huge price of fuel in the first place!

P.S. Check out these before and after shots of washing Jools! Productive use of a sunny day I think!

Filthy before!

Sparkly after!

Things You Will Never Need to Buy

There are some things that just sit in your house gathering dust and taking up space. If you've got good neighbours/relatives/friends, stop buying these once-a-month/year/decade items and borrow when needed!

Suitcases – One third of my wardrobe is taken up by a suitcase, which in turn contains holdalls and a hiking rucksack! The person you borrow it off will be glad to get theirs out of the way for a week!

Lawnmowers – Save yourself some shed space and borrow next door's mower when your lawn starts looking like a jungle.

Books and DVDs – You can borrow books and films from the library or friends. I don't know about you, but my bookshelf is stuffed to the brim already! No more room for new purchases!

DIY stuff – No-one needs instant access to a cordless drill or wallpapering table. Borrow as required. (The Boyfriend is already accumulating a lot of random power tools. I would like to put a stop to this before we live together!)

Canning or preserve making stuff – A lot of people have this equipment burrowed away in the back of a cupboard. Ask around and someone will probably be happy to get some use out of their stuff!

Gardening tools – Many a part-time gardener is not going to need their fork and spade all day every weekend. Ask them when they'll be doing their work, then borrow their stuff in the down time.

Top tips for borrowing

• LOOK AFTER IT! You'll remain friends and be more likely to receive a favour again in the future.
• Never borrow anything that you can't afford to replace if you do break it.
• Borrow it for a set period of time. (“I'll get it back to you by Friday”) Even if you haven't finished with it, ring/visit your friend and ask if you can continue using it.
• Don't forget to give it back! The whole point is to reduce clutter, so you don't want someone else's kayak taking up room in your garage!
  
  

One more tip, for future students; if you're going into a Halls of Residence, DON'T TAKE SAUCEPANS OR KITCHEN UTENSILS. Everyone buys a new set for their first time living away from home, which means you end up with six sets of everything!

Anyone got any more suggestions? Do you borrow anything expensive from relatives?

What is Your Time Really Worth?

Working in a restaurant, I am continually faced with people brandishing huge amounts of money. First, I wonder why on Earth they carry so much on them in cash! Secondly, I wonder how long it took them to earn it.

When I think about the amount of effort I put in each hour at work, it's so incredibly disproportionate to the £6.08 of minimum wage I receive in return. It's a bit of a sore topic actually! I mean what's the cut off point? Would we be happy working for £3 an hour? What about the outrageous £2.60 an hour for an apprentice?

I normally start work very early. A typical shift for me is 5am - 2pm. When this was first suggested to me, I was shocked! I was a typical student – get up late and go to bed VERY late! Now I'm used to the shift pattern I actually much prefer it. I have most of the day left to get stuff done! Another type of shift pattern at work is 11am-7pm. I've worked this a few times, but I find the pay even less of a compensation than normal, simply because you're wasting an entire day at work, not just a morning!

The customers at work are happy blowing £5 on a meal, so how long did it take them to earn it? It's dangerous to my budget, because I start following the consumerist ideas of “I deserve it” and begin spending more erratically again! I find myself wanting meals out, cinema trips, nights on the town, just because I've “earned it”! I need to remember what I'm earning is financial stability for my future!

My time is worth a lot more to me than £6.08 an hour. Unfortunately this year, that's just the way it's gotta be!

What about you? How much do you think you're worth? ;)

St. Valentine's Day Plans

With less than a week 'til V-day, I've already been asked many times what The Boyfriend and I will be doing to celebrate. This was also mentioned by the man himself, who went “OH CRAP, it's Valentine's Day soon... What shall we do?!” Whilst it's fun to make him sweat a little, I really don't want to do anything on the 14th! 

Frugal Dad recently wrote a post about the money spent on Valentine's day in the US, which was an astonishing $15.7 billion annually! He did also point out that giving gifts to those you love isn't necessarily a bad thing, and can even have health benefits! I just don't like the idea of people frantically running round the shops to buy more Stuff.

There have been a few craft-based Valentine's posts recently too, including Heavenly Handmades' gorgeous muslin heart wreath and Debt Free By Thirty's valentine faux bois. (DEFINITELY didn't have to Google the phrase “faux bois” either... “Faux Bois (from the French for false wood) refers to the artistic imitation of wood or wood grains in various media”...).

Whilst these are very pretty, I don't really want to decorate for Valentine's day. I don't want to go out for dinner either, because it's a) expensive and b) too crowded! Hopefully we'll just dig out a seldom-watched DVD and a bottle of wine left over from Christmas.

What are your plans, if any? Are you staying frugal or pulling out all the stops?

Decluttering: My First Freecycle

Today I entered the wonderful world of Freecycle. I can't imagine there are many frugal people who've never heard of it, but just in case...

Freecycle is a global network of local groups, where members post items to giveaway to others. Basically the idea is to get out of the consumer cycle and reduce waste. It's a way of recycling. Things offered on my local group today included a wardrobe, working dishwasher, top soil, lots of baby clothes, a small TV, a trampoline and a 3-piece suit of sofa and chairs.

Honestly, my post wasn't all that exciting compared to that stuff!

I've been having a bit of a declutter. I advertised that I wanted to be rid of a big folder full of plastic wallets that I used to keep my Uni work neat. I would never use them again; they are expensive, environmentally damaging, and you have to keep pulling the sheets of paper out to be able to write on them!!

Within a few minutes of the post going live I had four e-mails from people desperate for my second-hand plastic wallets!

I decided I wasn't too keen on the idea of someone coming to my house to collect them, so I asked the first replier to meet me outside the pub in the village. It must've looked a strange exchange; two cars pulling into a dark carpark, exchanging an unmarked bag with few words exchanged, then each driving off in a separate direction.. Hee hee!

Have you ever got anything exciting from Freecycle? There is certainly a lot I would've liked today but the point is to REDUCE my clutter, not add to it! The Boyfriend once got a load of educational books he needed for free, which I thought was amazing at the time, considering the cost of them.

Would you list your things on Freecycle? Would you let someone come to your house to collect them, or am I just paranoid? :)

Resolving to Live Better for Less

It's that time of year again. Do I dare set a resolution publicly? Well, I've been meaning to do these things anyway so it's high time I had some accountability!

My biggest financial goal for the year is to achieve 100 days of not spending a single penny. Different people I've spoken to have different opinions on whether it will be laughably easy or torturingly difficult.

The rules are that rent/bills going out of your account are not included, but meals, parking, food shopping, entertainment, gifts, fuel, etc. are considered “spend”. It has been pointed out that I may just bunch lots of unnecessary spending into “spend” days, but I counter with the opposite; if I'm on a no-spend roll, I will be far less likely to succumb to “let's go and get a drink” or “shall we go to town for a bit?”.

Another financial goal is to record every penny earned and spent. I will carry a little notebook on me at all times. Any purchase, bill, car park, charity donation, etc. will be recorded, as will any income received on the day, either in the form of wages, gifts, tax refund (roll on April!!), etc. I'm hoping I won't get too obsessive, but I would LOVE to be able to see where my money goes and how much I'm saving/spending/wasting!

Also, follow my own advice on reducing waste and helping the planet.

Some personal goals:

Find the perfect PhD!

Spend less time online and more time with my friends. I think I might have to just ignore Facebook. I'm not on it for hours, but I am on it at least once a day. I currently spend a lot of time reading news articles and of course blogs!

Lose a little bit of weight each week until I'm at my goal. It could be 2lbs, it could be 0.25lbs, all that matters is the downward trend! (Boooo, so cliché!)

Have you set yourself goals for 2012? Will you be paying down debt, building your own house, getting fit or simply staying happy?

Wishing you a happy, healthy and frugal 2012!

Unfestive

I just got back from town. I drove there happily singing Christmas songs to myself, but came back moodily staring over the steering wheel.

I was hoping to pick up a few bits I need to make my Christmas presents. The plan was to slowly mill around, absorbing the beginnings of the festive cheer whilst picking up some bargains. Town was packed, and it's a Tuesday afternoon! I had to park sooo far away from the shops to get a free parking space (hey, I could use that £4!) and wandered down into the city centre.

Slowly picking my way through the crowds, I went to the market. I'm making my young cousin a stuffed toy and needed fabric. I couldn't find any patterned polycotton for less than £9 a metre!! What?! I only need about that but it'd be cheaper to BUY a toy at that price!

So then I thought I'd go to the charity shops and find some skirt that I could cut up and use. In Plymouth the Red Cross shop was having a £1.99 or under sale a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't know if we had one of those in Truro so I went to Oxfam. The cheapest thing I could find in there was £4.99, and it looked as though it had cost about that to buy new!! Most of the stock was priced around £10 or £15! Since when do charity shops have prices as high as the highstreet??

I was getting disenchanted by the whole affair as walking through town makes you feel like you should be spending hundreds of pounds on each family member or else you're a terrible person. I actually heard someone say, “I got ... for ..., but I still have to spend another £30 at least”. Not “I would like to get them something they'd like”, but “I have to spend this much on person X”. I'm sure I've thought similar things in the past too, but if you stop and think about it, that's an awful way to look at Christmas. Even if you are not religious but celebrate it for the traditions like me, the spirit of Christmas is still the same, and it ain't about the £££!