Finance Friday | Living for tomorrow

Saving for tomorrow, living for tomorrow

People have told me to spend my money and live for today. I tend to save money and be careful. In October 2011, I phoned my energy supplier and asked about a cheaper tariff and that’s been saving me money. I‘m now £100 in credit on  yesterday’s meter readings.  I also bought shares in Premier Foods for 4p each, they went to 12p yesterday and are still going up. Was it worth it? Damn right it was!

I thought about the future in October and so now I’m benefiting and still looking for more investments and savings. This is a good time to think about growing your own food if you have access to a garden or allotment. It is time to start preparing the ground and doing pruning. It could be an early spring and it’s a good idea to be prepared. I want to plant runner bean seeds and I usually plant some early in March or April and then more about 4 weeks later depending on the weather. If the frost gets the first lot, then I still have the second lot. If the weather holds out I can have runner beans to pick in July or early August.

I shall be doing one of my how to make your first million blogs soon and being thrifty and frugal is all part of the plan. Clothes are relatively cheap unless you want the latest fashions. If you take a look at the latest street fashions on the streets of Paris or Brussels  they aren’t wearing designer wear; but they are being imaginative. The most interesting thing about street fashion is the accessories like hats and scarves at this time of year. People are wearing boots and complimenting them with boot cut jeans. Take a look in charity shops and around flea markets to find bargains. I bought a trilby when I was in Matalan; it’s fashionable and it keeps my head warm!

I did well in Matalan with my Matalan card and 20% off voucher. The larger Asda superstores are worth a visit too; but I’m told the Tesco equivalent isn’t so good.

I am able to pay cash for my clothes too rather than credit which either means paying a higher price for ‘interest free’ credit or paying interest on a credit card. I wouldn’t even consider a store card. That £100 I’ve saved on gas and electricity this winter will buy a few tee shirts for the summer!

This is a good time of year to think about holidays. I think people should save for a decent holiday rather than having several cheap holidays each year. Everyone should think about what effect their lifestyle has on the environment. I know some people who think the farther that they travel, the better the holiday will be. I suspect the opposite is true, the farther you go, the more jet lag you get! If you live in North America think local; Hawaii seems nice. If you live in Europe think Europe; Greece is nice and they need the money.

People seem to like foreign food more than the domestic variety too, where I live we have more Indian and Chinese food outlets than fish and chip shops; we still have a lot of those though. The Mediterranean diet is healthy; so we are told. I think it probably is if you live there; but is it the best diet for someone in the cold Scottish Highlands?

I hope you have enjoyed today’s blog. There are more amazing blogs on the Home Page. My birthday blog on Wednesday was interesting…  Please comment and you can share with your friends on Facebook.

 

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