Piggy bank, fivers, tips and hunnids: how we save to spend
They say "from little things big things grow"and a piggy bank is a great way to start.
Whether you are saving for something in particular, someone in particular or you are just particular about 'wads only in the wallet', putting your loose change somewhere in particular can help you out when need be.
Learning to save is one of life's greatest lessons and it needn't be dramatic. This little piggy ate lots of coins after each time we'd been to market and it didn't take long before she couldn't eat anymore. How much you ask? Enough to pay for 6 x month's travel insurance or 2 x domestic flights, or a weekend hotel stay with dinner for two.
This time we bought our travel insurance and the time before that we bought domestic flights. It's always been filled with the goal to spend it on travel. Thank you Miss Piggy, we'll miss you when we're gone.
Another savings trick that you really won't miss is not spending $5 notes. It doesn't sound like much but you cannot believe how many of these pass through your hands and the agony of hearing "sorry i only have $5 notes" from your local grocer after handing him a $50 for a $3 spend is a real test of strength.
Although cash is not so popular anymore, 'paywave killed the atm star', we still managed to save a stack. How much you ask? Enough to pay for 2 x flights to Los Angeles and our visas, and 3 x months of storage facilities for our whole house of furniture and belongings (remember our landlord sold up and gave us the 'don't come Monday' notice).
When I was sixteen years old I earned my first $100 note. That was a big deal back then (it's been 84 years :-) and I couldn't believe I had one. I couldn't spend it for fear I'd never see one again. I did see a couple more and that bought me and my son, a trip to New Zealand.
Years later I would work as a waitress and save all of my tips like they never existed. After one year that effort would see me take my family overseas with brand new matching luggage. You know you've made it when you have matching luggage!
Now, or rather when we had jobs, we put aside $50 a week in a holiday account. This was going to be for a fabulous holiday when we'd take annual leave from our demanding jobs. Since life changed, now what was to be spent in 4 weeks will now be our budget indefinitely.
You don't need to earn the big dollars to save the little dollars.
Whatever saving style works for you, find it and do it. Have a goal, keep it real and when the time comes, spend it all. You can always start again.
#Back to basics
#Skip the dramatics
# Go spend it on what you want