Tuesday 31 March 2009

Saving For Christmas


I know it's only March, but it is our turn to host the annual food fest we affectionately call Christmas this year. As my husbands family all eat as if a famine of biblical proportions is iminent, saying we go through a lot of food, is an understatement.


So hence my decision to start saving for it now.


Now, saving money is all well and good, but it's not one of the things that I am best known for. So last week while at Sainsburies I ventured to find out the location of the savings stamps machine and as I had a few pound coins nestled in the bottom of my purse I pulled them out and stuck one in the machine. It clanked and out popped a stamp. How clever! The kids thought this was great fun, so they both wanted a go. I gave them both a pound each and they dutifully popped in their coin, and out popped a stamp, all three attached to each other.
By this time I was feeling a little impressed with myself, Willow of course wanted to know what they where for and what you did with them, Oscar of course, didn't care. I must admit that along with the feeling impressed with myself, I also felt slightly embassed in case any one saw what I was doing. But why should I feel embarrased? What I was doing is surely a very sensible thing to do? I was investing in a very expensive time of year, when traditionally most people maxed out their credit cards and paid out later, I was paying out now, so I didn't have to. Even so, I still felt like a bit of a chav, especially when I had to ask the man at the help desk for a card to still them on.
Up until very recently, we have been living in a culture of buying now and paying some time in the future. If we want something we go and buy it, without any thought of when or how we are going to actually pay for it. Credit cards are a way of sticking your head in the sand. It is the proverbial ostrich. Anyway, we can't do that any more. Credit cards are the spawn of the devil, and I am reduced to more inventive ways of paying for things.
By the time I had got home, (and out of the public eye) I stuck my stamps proudly on the card, and put it in a safe place. Every time I go to Sainsburies from now on, I will stick a pound or so in the stamp machine and collect some more stamps. Christmas is going to be less stressful this year, I could even save enough money in stamps to buy Chritmas presents as well as food. In the long run, I don't really care if I look like a chav, I am saving money, and that's the most important bit. Actually the most important bit is the fact that I can save money in a place that I know I won't be tempted to spend it. If I put it in the bank, it wouldn't stay there very long, and under the mattress wouldn't help either, it is the format that it's in that's the problem. If it is in pounds sterling, then I will spend it. I can't spend stamps any other place than Sainsburies, and that's the draw. That's why they are the best way to save for Christmas.

1 comment:

Research Girls said...

Hi Nicola,

Here are a few questions we would like you to answer about Sky in your next blog:

1. Are you aware of Sky’s Bundle package, including TV, Broadband and Phone service?
-What do you think about this offering from Sky?

2. Tell me how you feel about the following potential advertising messages and which one in particular, if any, would be most appealing to you:
- An advertising message explaining how much you could save with a Sky Bundle.
- An advertising message detailing you what you could win through Sky.
- Or seeing some existing sky customers sharing what they have spent the savings on due to having the Bundle through Sky.

Please explain why, if you chose one in particular, it is appealing to you.

3. When do you tend to be thinking about value for money and in particular saving money for your household? E.g. what times during the week, places, and times of the day or during certain shopping occasions?

4. Where are you most likely to go to find out how to get the best value or to save money? E.g. a website, TV, radio, newspapers, friends, parents etc.

Thanks

Rachel