$1 at a time

This is a thread for people who are saving up for something, or who want to start saving up for something.

Could be a new gadget or toy.
Could be for your retirement.

Saving money is similar to managing your weight.  If you want to have more money (fitness), then you have to spend (eat) less than you earn (burn).

So we'll talk about

• ways to spend less money on the stuff we need
• how to figure out if something is a need or a want
• (legal) ways to earn more money
• practical strategies for saving
• safe places to put our money (hint: not Nigeria)
  

and we'll encourage each other and cheer for each other for however many dollars we've managed to save.  And we'll profusely congratulate you when you manage to reach your savings goal.

(I will probably be the only one in here.  ::giggle:: oh well!)

Original Post by pgeorgian:

we'll have to get sara to offer some advice on this, but, you could get a new hard drive for your laptop for much less than you'll pay for a new laptop, even a cheapie

nomo, you're right, i could probably get a new hard drive for my old machine.  i just think it's on its way out, and i can't really hand it over to someone for service right now.  i'm going to need a new one;  it's just a question of when (and i know i don't save anything by buying sooner; they always drop in price).  but who's sara?

 sara = smwhipple

but iggy's idea sounds pretty good to me!

if i were you, i'd take iggy's advice for now (it's not much $$$) and then when you get your new job and have income, get a new laptop if you still want to at that point

edit: this is a savers thread, the rationalizers thread is over there ---> 

gotcha.

oh well.  i think it's already well-and-truly rationalized ;)

SD Card Reader $8 shipped

Two 4GB SD Cards $15 shipped

thanks, ig.  but i have a built-in card reader.  and a 250GB external hard drive.  and a 4GB flashdrive.  and a perfectly functional desktop, if i need it.  i really am rationalizing.

mmm...shiny...

Original Post by ignayshus:

Original Post by kathygator:

You are sorta the Warren Buffet of CC+, Ig.

plus good looks

minus the bank roll

 Admit you are kinda cute in a rakish, dark-eyed, kind of way.

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

Original Post by pgeorgian:

we'll have to get sara to offer some advice on this, but, you could get a new hard drive for your laptop for much less than you'll pay for a new laptop, even a cheapie

nomo, you're right, i could probably get a new hard drive for my old machine.  i just think it's on its way out, and i can't really hand it over to someone for service right now.  i'm going to need a new one;  it's just a question of when (and i know i don't save anything by buying sooner; they always drop in price).  but who's sara?

 sara = smwhipple

but iggy's idea sounds pretty good to me!

if i were you, i'd take iggy's advice for now (it's not much $$$) and then when you get your new job and have income, get a new laptop if you still want to at that point

edit: this is a savers thread, the rationalizers thread is over there ---> 

 Hee hee.

I transferred $100 of my paycheck into Savings.  Yay!

Original Post by pgeorgian:

thanks, ig.  but i have a built-in card reader.  and a 250GB external hard drive.  and a 4GB flashdrive.  and a perfectly functional desktop, if i need it.  i really am rationalizing.

mmm...shiny...

 ...and so sleek....

Yay sparky!!!!

way to go!

Now i feel silly saying this, but I was going to put the $1.71 that I spend every day on a large unsweetened iced tea in a jar and call that my savings.  And just drink water from the water cooler at work, which is free.

::giggles::

I steal all the dimes, nickles and pennies from my husbands change tray weekly and stuff the piggy banks, since last June I have tallied up $300.

Don't feel funny, Nomo!  That $100 has to make up for the $50 I pilfered from savings this week to make sure I didn't overdraw my checking account.  So it's really a $50 contribution... which I hope to make biweekly, as that is my pay schedule.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

thanks, ig.  but i have a built-in card reader.  and a 250GB external hard drive.  and a 4GB flashdrive.  and a perfectly functional desktop, if i need it.  i really am rationalizing.

mmm...shiny...

Of course, I'm Sara! 

It's the same rationalization that I do...need versus want.  What do you use your laptop for?  Just to write your papers?  E-mail, internet?  If you're doing high end gaming or graphics and video editing then you might want a new computer, but a desktop will work better for that purpose for most people.

These days I'd say buy a pair of 250 or 500GB external drives for storing all your data, music, video, etc. and a backup copy.  Install the OS and programs on the local hard drive, use a USB thumb drive (~8GB) to keep a copy of your most precious docs and also back up a copy to any electronic archive that you have.

When you're making enough $ to meet your other goals and have extra money to throw around then buy your new toy.  Until then keep saving.

well...you'll all no doubt be shocked and amazed to hear that i ordered my new computer today.

and yes, it is shiny AND sleek

*mutters about irregular billing practices*

I pay bills with a credit card and then pay off the credit card every cycle to not worry about finance charges.

For some reason, a couple of companies don't charge my credit card the same day every month...because of the card cycle, this can lead to an expected two-payment-in-one-month deal which I account for.

However, this month, I was expecting two payments to hit the card and only one has...and there's only five business days left in the month.

*crosses fingers in the hopes of saving more than expected this month*

I'm going to deflate when that second charge comes through this week...

:D

dnrothx, I do the same thing with my credit card and it gives me flyer miles that we use every year or so to take a really good vacation and don't have to pay air fare.  There are so many great ideas on here but I have to go to work so will have to read all of them later or tomorrow during snow day from work.

Great post it would be great to have a support system to save money and help each other get out of debt .

Agree that we all need to learn the difference between wants and needs. We have been to use to getting anything we wanted for too long. Our grand parent couldn't do that since they had to pay cash and didnt' have credit cards. Credit card can get out of control so easily unless you have a plan for what is used for. Using it for items that you can't pay for adds to debt since you aren't going to have money to pay for it at the end of the month.

Next year there is a law being passed that credit cards can't change their % rates on us like they do now. On the news yesterday they were talking to people who transfer debt to a 3% credit card through citi bank that was suppose to be for the life to debt. the bank raised it and their isn't anything to do about it. I really do hate credit cards and we have allowed them to grow by getting into debit. If we don't go into debt they can't control them and they have to accommodate us  not us them.  Okay I gotta go to work . bye for now and can't wait to read your ideas!  No debt =  peace of mind

speaking of credit cards, i found out friday afternoon that one of my credit cards changed the date of my billing cycle - they said they sent me a notice of it or put notice of it in one of my statements, but I didn't remember seeing it

result: i had a payment due on Dec. 29 AND Jan. 4

i paid more than the minimum on the 29th, but totally did not pick up that i was supposed to ALSO make another payment by Jan. 4

So now they say i'm 30 days late and charging me a late fee.

I talked to a manager to get the late fee waived.  But they said they couldn't change my billing date back to the way it was.  Doesn't really matter as I can still pay it by the 29th, but that extra "6 day month" that i was 'late' on... they can't change the way they reported my account (they said)

*sigh* anyways... that stupid card will be paid off this year

*will be in debt for the forseeable future*

Education loans from my undergrad and graduate stints...I think they'll be around for another 20 years. :D

The only really annoying debt I have is my car loan.  No real credit card debt; long term educational debt; but this car loan...blech.  Even though it's a relatively small loan for quite a decent percentage, it's annoying.  Not going to be paid off until next year. :(

the american association of CPAs has a web site to help people save money

It's called Feed the Pig

that pig sort of creeps me out - they coulda made him cuter, but the content looks good

:)

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

the american association of CPAs has a web site to help people save money

It's called Feed the Pig

that pig sort of creeps me out - they coulda made him cuter, but the content looks good

:)

 Savings rate = 6% on the map thing he develops...man...I need to know how to invest to get a return like that!  That said, the debt rate applied was much higher than the rates I have.

I do like the "habit" section of the "Me, Save?" thing, only because you can calculate how much savings you'll have at the end of the year if you save so much a month per such-and-such-an interest rate...I'm sure there are other sites that have simple calculators on them so you can do that, though.