Urrrrrgh. I’m so frustrated.
Are you a saver or a spender?
Me? I’m a spender. And so is my husband. This pretty much makes for a disaster of a financial situation! While we don’t live beyond our means (anymore), we are certainly living to the very tip of them.
I find it hard to believe how little income we lived on for the first 16 months of my son’s life, before I went back to work. We very much fit in to the “the more you make the more you spend” concept.
I’m currently working on a list about a mile long of things I want. My dream Christmas wish-list!
New running shoes – Kayano 20 {source}
iPhone 5s {source}
Shopping Spree – dresses, swimwear, shoes {source}
My wardrobe needs a serious update. I am a hopeless shopper, always picking up bits and pieces that are on sale, but never having anything to go with them. Or they’re too dressy for every day wear, or too big or too small. But I also need new running shoes, as mine are worn out and the ones I bought to replace them are not the right kind of running shoe for my foot/stride. Who knew?
Why am I sharing this? For a couple of reasons. One, I need ideas on saving money! If you’re a saver, PLEASE share how you do it in the comments below? Two, I’m also doing it because some believe if you send things out into the universe, you get what you ask for. My jury is still out on that theory, because I know some people who have been dealt some pretty shit hands, and I know they did not ask for any of it. Three, there might just be someone out there who can help me or is willing to send me running shoes, or a new phone, or a Westfield gift card. Anyone? Can’t blame me for trying!
Linking up with Jess for IBOT
Also excited to be featured in The Zen Files at Random Acts of Zen today. you can check it out here. Thanks for having me Lisa!
Colours of Sunset 
Great idea with the list lovely, you just never know till you put it out there do you! Hope you get all your heart’s desires.
Leaving some fairy wishes and butterfly kisses from #teamIBOT
Thanks Rhi. It’s all very superficial, but you never know! I can live without every single one of the above…I just don’t want to! 😉
I just LOVE that second dress! Where is that from? I want a 5s too, my 5 is only a 16gb and I am running out of space and im sick of managing it. Yes.. I am a spender.
Unfortunately it’s from Target in the US, and in the junior section no less! I found it on polyvore and liked it. Always the way! I still have the iPhone 4!!! 32 gig though so plenty of room.
I’ll be watching closely for tips on how to save. We are hopeless with money too and my wardrobe is also filled with a mismatch nightmare of sale items … I have found Shelley from Money Mummy’s blog quite helpful though. I need to action some of her ideas though rather than saying yeah that’s what I should do and then do nothing ..
I do the same thing to be honest, so don’t know why I asked for help or advice! I think “oh that’s a good idea” then don’t do it! *sigh*
One way that we save is I have an automatic debit set up from our day to day account to a savings account for $25 per week – at the end of the year we have $1,300 to do something with and we really don’t miss the $25pw.
I definitely subscribe to the theory “the more you earn the more you spend” – we have so much stuff and I am slowly starting to declutter and get rid of the stuff we just don’t use / need anymore. I also have started a new thing that goes along the lines of – if we buy something we have to get rid of something. A tried to get rid of a pen because he bought a(nother) esky (honestly, how many eskies can one family have ???????) but that doesn’t work – he has to get rid of another esky.
Good luck with the savings – it’s hard to start but once you start and it becomes a habit you don’t even realise it’s going – and don’t keep looking at your savings balance – just leave it to grow !!!
Have the best day !
Me
We have automatic debits set up too, the problem is that we then go into that account and take money out if we need it. We are TRULY hopeless! Good idea to get rid of one thing for every new thing you buy. I like A’s way of thinking, but glad you pulled him up on it! 😉 I don’t “need” any of the above things, which is a bonus, but I’d sure like to have them! 🙂
My husband and I are both pretty much savers. We have has a crazy tight budget for a few years which is started to ease off now. If you want to new shoes, just transfer $50 a fortnight on payday to another account, you will then work with what you have. Some weeks we can’t afford wine so we go without. I do a big shop at the beginning of the fortnight, then pay other necessity such as medications and fuel then we know what we have to play with 🙂
My problem is usually when I want, I want now! Ha! Maybe that’s a good idea, transferring money to another account, by the time I have enough money saved, I may not want to blow it all in one go! ha ha!
I am a crap saver – like really, really bad – I whole heartedly believe that money is meant to be spent and get a little antsy if I have money to spend. Hubby is a saver though so we have an account that I don’t have access to for saving, I have no idea what the balance is and just let it rack up with a weekly deposit and hubby puts in anything extra we earn (overtime etc), we get it out when we need things or for IVF and it works for us, as long as I can’t see the money I forget about it!
I have a little extra $$ coming my way in the next few weeks. My problem is I want to go buy things I want *now* and then use that money to pay for them when it comes in, but then it is really dissatisfying when the money comes in to know that you’ve already spent it, so I’m trying to hold off and be good. That’s a good idea having an account I have no access to. Actually, my husband has an account with another bank, we should transfer money into that!
I want that blue dress too, universe…!
I tried one similar on at Femme Connection and loved it. I just am not sure that I would actually *wear* it!
Arrgh I can’t save either. I have good intentions and then I forget about them. The minute I pay all our bills and mortgage I feel overwhelmed and want to spend a little on me – terrible isn’t it! Your outfits look lovely by the way 😉
If only I could buy both of them! And yes, when the bills are all paid off, I need that little bit of retail therapy!!
I think I’m a pretty good saver but I do like to splash out now and again! Hello? Shoes did you say??!!! 🙂
Honestly, I feel like I have NO SHOES to ever wear, yet I had 5 pairs of running shoes pulled out of my closet this morning. *ahem* Still need a few more pairs of sandals and wedges in various sizes, and some COMFY peep toes would be ideal, too!
Set up a bank account that is hard to get money out of and schedule a payment to suit you. I have one that some money goes into every month, not a lot but enough to be able to splurge every now and again. At the moment it is my massage and cocktails in Fiji money!!
We need that to save for our trip we’re hoping to take to LA next year! At this rate we will never get there! Enjoy your massages and cocktails in Fiji!!!
I’m not a saver Aroha but what saves me from spending too much is that I hate shopping…! I try to avoid shops unless it is a necessity to go. To a point that even my husband sometimes urge me to go buy some new clothe! Can you believe it!
Totally believe into messages to the Universe! I’ve done that in my post last week for a class I would really like to attend in Sydney.
Hope you get everything on your wish list.
And, by the way, loved your post over at Random Acts of Zen.
Thanks Rita, I was excited to be asked to participate with Lisa! I wish I hated shopping, it would solve a lot of my problems! 😉
Ah, yes. Spending and saving. I find the whole thing depressing. I wish we could go back to the days of barter. Ill send you my shoes for your bag of potatoes. So much easier. xx
I have a bag of potatoes….do you have some Asics Kayano 20s? 😉
I’d love a great shopping spree for Christmas. Honestly though, I’d love an interstate shopping spree complete with girlfriends and a a hotel and some wine. That sounds awesome. Maybe we can both go? 🙂
Oh DEFINITELY! Let’s put that out in to the universe…Melbourne? I hear the shopping there is great! 🙂
You totally have to head over to read Alison @ The Thrifty Issue – that girl can save you some money SO easily! And I hope someone hears your plea gorgeous!! Those outfits would really suit you!! xx
I had a look at The Thrifty Issue – I can see why you like her – all those cheap wines she reviews and saves money buying! 😉 But can she find cheap vodka, too?!
I’m a spender. If there is money in my acc, I will spend it. One thing I do though to make sure I do actually have money in there to spend is paying off all of my bills weekly. That way when I do get the monthly (or in the case of electricity 3 monthly) it is either in credit or a small bill. I also pay a little more on things like daycare so that if need be, I can have a weeks breather.
We paid our electricity weekly also. It sure beats getting that HONKER of a bill ever few months! Every time I get some extra money, something else comes up and I never get to spend it on what I want to spend it on.
Hubby and I are both Spenders too, but we have come a very long way in the last 18yrs.
I think what has really helped us, is having a separate savings account that we can’t touch and adding money to that each week when we pay all our bills.
No tips for saving, but I’m in dire need of some new clothes, or at least a wardrobe clean out and overhaul. Can’t help with saving but if you want someone to go shopping with 😉
I have a cheap (for you) pair of brand new Nikes I bought too small!
Ermagawd i am an awful saver – like I really suck at it. I have loads of great ideas to save money … but then I have loads of ways I am itching to spend the money that I just saved. by the way – LOVE those outfits you have pre picked for your spending spree. if we were shopping together I would totally wrestle you over that last outfit. xx
I’m the opposite. So is hubby. We are super savers. It’s actually ridiculous – I found myself in a situation where I had a pair of black jeans that didn’t fit anymore. But I kept them, because what if? And if I was shopping, and found a pair I liked, I’d think “I can’t buy this, I still have that pair at home.” WHICH DIDN’T FIT. I finally threw them out. It was liberating. I COULD FINALLY BUY BLACK JEANS AGAIN!
I think I’m a saver because we lived very frugally when I was in my early teens. Struggled a lot. I just can’t bear to see money wasted. Good luck – if you happen to receive more than one iPhone 5, I’ll happily take one off your hands 😉