Thought for the Weekend...Savings.

Money- how do you save yours?

With so many gorgeous things to buy in the shops right now, saving money is probably the last thing on your mind (most of the time I know this is true for me) but for those of you who are good and save, how do you do it?

Personally, I’ve tried several methods…

- A money box in my room (gets raided for spare change frequently)

- Saving coppers and changing them at the bank when I have a substantial amount (works, but it is SLOW)

- Savings accounts (which frequently get raided because I just have to have something)

- A separate purse where I put cash on pay day, saving for my next trip in to town…(works well, as I do tend to forget it’s there until next pay day)

I remember opening my first bank account as a child, back in the day where you could open an account with 50p and were sent merrily on your way with a plastic case full of colouring pens and other related paraphernalia. And the excitement, as a prospective student of the freebies on offer when you opened a student account; I never did become a uni student and those offers seem to have long since vanished!

If you do have a savings account, what kind have you found to be the best? Really, mine is just a standard bank account complete with debit card. I take out the cash I need for the month on payday and try not to spend on my card unless I really want something, but recently I’ve gone shopping mad and the plastic is coming out a bit too often for my liking!

Also, are you a budgeter? I confess to OCD, especially around money and budgets and look in my desk drawer you’ll see page after page of budget related scribbling and a proper little book full of incomings via outgoings.

I guess this has been my secret to success. I don’t believe in spending what I don’t have and although it seems like I shop a lot, it is all within what I can afford and I go through phases where I don’t buy anything at all. I’m guilty of saying “I’m broke” or “I want it but can’t afford it”…because say it often enough and I start to believe it!

I’d love your feedback on your attitude to money, and how you save, if you do at all.

Or, in this economic climate do you see it pointless to save with so little return?

The Power of a Blog

Fingers crossed this will be the last wordy post from me for a while, do you ever find that sometimes you just have a lot to say...whereas other just pictures will suffice?

We all know how blogs have grown in power over recent years. It's well know (and probably experienced by us all) that companies now use blogging as a powerful tool for advertising; something I personally don't have a problem with...I'm all for supporting high street brands and companies with price points that I can afford rather than looking to the runways and high-end focused magazines to get an idea of the trends, plus a massive feeling of frustration that everything is so far out of my grasp.

But that's now what this post is about, not really. I want to talk about the Power of Blogging as a healing support network, intentional or not, because I've found through both personal experience and from reading other blogs, tweets and e-mails that people are constantly surprised by the kindness of others.

I was completely blown away by the support show when I was sick last year, from the pre-hospital support and encouragement to the sheer volume of comments, letters, e-mails, texts and even VISITS from people who I would once have considered strangers but now believe to be friends.

I think blogging is more powerful than we realise in helping us feel less alone, whatever we are going through...from exam stress, personal crises, bereavement, illness and all that's in between. And I would like to take this chance to thank you ALL for being an all round, utterly amazing group of friends. I firmly believe I wouldn't be where I am today without all the extra, un-expected support I have received through this blog...I think I drove everyone made last Summer when I constantly spoke about how I couldn't wait to get back to blogging and show people how far I'd come, and how I'd make them proud. I know that won't apply, or even work for everyone, but for me it did. And now, on the other side of that, my blog has proved invaluable in re-building confidence, and getting used to my new body and getting more adventurous in what I wear.

Of course there is a negative side to every story, and there is the issue of Anoymous hate comments and attacks on formspring (deleting mine was the best thing I ever did), but on the whole I've found blogging has opened up a whole new community, and at the bottom of it all we are ALL human, we ALL struggle and we ALL need support and I think we can all, to an extent, relate to each other and offer invaluable advice and support when it's needed most.


Away from the words now, here is what I wore yesterday!







This was me trying to get Flash's attention and make him do something cute. Epic fail!

How has blogging helped you?

Do you agree/disagree with this post?

Whatever your opinion, don't be afraid to share it.

xxx

P.S. I lasted all day in those trousers, felt infinitely better for doing so and intend to embrace and wear them more. I truly was humbled by the comments left and the e-mails/tweets received. Thank you again.

Have you Sold your Gold?

(photo from weheartit)

So, times are still tough and Post-Christmas a lot of us are looking for ways to free up some extra funds.
There are the traditional routes such as ebay, and come Spring there will be car boot sales a-plenty...but who has explored other options such as selling gold?

It's not something I've done personally, and actually I have no gold to sell, but it does seem like quite a good way of raising some extra funds if you have un-worn or un-loved jewellery laying around.

I've seen a lot in the news in recent months about gold selling, both good and bad as well as a surge of shops now offering cash for gold which has got me interested in the experiences of people I can relate to...

SO,
Have you sold your gold through a jewellers, or through websites designed for the purpose?

If you have, how did you get on? What was your experience like, good or bad?

If not, would you consider it?

Just thought I'd put a "thinking" post out there. I'm trying to explore new options for the blog with some fairly regular features, so I'd love your input!

xxx