Saving money

[Minnie18]

Evening all 😊 hope your all having a fantastic week 😊

Can any of you lovely people please give me hints/tips to save money to pay my holiday and spending money. Due to expanding our business money is a little tight. I am sure all will work out fine but I would rather put a plan into place to make sure.

Also would it be a good idea to pay Disney monthly? or pay off on a lump sum?

Thanks so much 😍🤩

[Dizzny Momma]

Hi, why don't you set up a savings account and make a direct debit each month for the amount you probably have spare each month, that way you won't miss it so much, or maybe a few premium bonds each month and you never know you might win some extra cash. I always pay Disney on the last possible day that way I gain the interest.
Margaret

[bernard301]

We've just set up our savings for our next trip. What we've found is to make sure that you set an achievable goal. There is no point in saving £400 a month when you can only afford £250, the moment you start to dip into it you'll always be tempted to again

I've also set up a fairly detailed spreadsheet to keep track of what we are spending on the holiday and what we are saving

[Gryff]

I find meal planing and shopping for that /batch cooking and remembering to take things out the freezer and the only frozen veg as such I buy are sliced onions ,peppers and peas amazing what you can do with a tin of tomatoes onions peppers garlic and rice or pasta

[Smilesonfaces]

We have regular savings going in to a holiday account even if we have nothing booked, online purchases go through quidco gives us about £400 a year, just had a car boot which raised £300. We stopped going to coffee shops saving for our first Florida trip and have never restarted. I think if you put your mind to it and you know what you are saving for it isn’t that difficult.

I would save the money for Disney in your own account rather than paying early. You could have a direct debit into Premium Bonds and also have a chance of winning something. You get the money back very quickly when you withdraw.

[Floridatilly]

Plan your meals and make a shopping list before you go shopping. But items in your list and nothing else, even though you may be tempted by offers etc. Also eat before you shop so that you don’t fill up your trolly with unnecessary items/treats.
Challenge yourself & family to not buy anything other than food for a week, no clothes, no take aways, no hairdressers, no trips to costa etc it all soon mounts up

[Gryff]

Slow cooker and liners
DIL 1 has just sled for my slow cooker fajitas recipe from the freezer
I use the Aldi kit
Brown the chicken or meat cool then add the seasoning mix and salsa
Put liner on the slow cooker and add in the frozen peppers and onion
To your taste
Tie up the slow cooker liner ( I use an elastic band) return to freezer
Take out the night before place in slow cooker and switch on at low next morning
For 6/8 hours
My new slow cooker has a timer on it after set time goes on to keep
Hot
It’s a busy day family coming for dinner stand by
The rice kits are easily turned in to gumbo with some spicy sausage prawns chicken and a tin of kidney beans added or quick paella
2kitsand very little meat feed 8/10 easily and madein the samedish as served if having friends and family
All these tricks learned from my mother who was a great cook
I’d never bake a ham I boil it for the stock for soup pick a chicken carcasse use it for stock chicken rice and sweet corn soup etc
Etc

[bex85chelt]

If you don't do it already set up a spreadsheet to show everything you spend on food petrol bills etc. It will make you think about what you spend and then help you cut down. Little swaps to how you shop etc are easier once you see it all added up. plus you can look at what you can realistically put away each month.

Cut down on takeaways / pub trips / eating out whatever your treats are instead of once a week do it once a month etc. Push your time between haircuts etc, dont just throw a nice lipstick in your basket etc think of you really need / want something

Next time someone says let's me up for drinks/ lunch instead suggest a night in or a picnic.

[Minnie18]

Originally Posted by Dizzny Momma

Hi, why don't you set up a savings account and make a direct debit each month for the amount you probably have spare each month, that way you won't miss it so much, or maybe a few premium bonds each month and you never know you might win some extra cash. I always pay Disney on the last possible day that way I gain the interest.
Margaret

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Thanks Margaret, I will open a savings account and call it Disney.

[Minnie18]

Originally Posted by bernard301

We've just set up our savings for our next trip. What we've found is to make sure that you set an achievable goal. There is no point in saving £400 a month when you can only afford £250, the moment you start to dip into it you'll always be tempted to again

I've also set up a fairly detailed spreadsheet to keep track of what we are spending on the holiday and what we are saving

See more...

Thank you, I love your tip about realistic savings that would deff take the pressure off.