Tryinge to Save

moneysavingexpert.com is the first e-mail I ever open as soon as it lands on my mailing list,I search it straight away to see if anything relates to my lifestyle in any way,from cheap tickets to % off services it all adds up at the end of the year to a tidy sum saved which can be put away for future use.

Me too, glamma. Martin Lewis has saved me a fortune on that site, from switching suppliers and insurance companies over the years.

Just have your knee or hip replaced. Between not driving and not going out to eat, we saved a fortune.

pompa - that's a bit extreme.

Check if you have the best current account. I have changed recently and am receiving a good rate of interest on my current account now. Every little helps.

Talking about current accounts, we've upgraded to the Santander 123 Acc and find that despite the £2 monthly charge we make money on the Acc each month , I had an ISA that was about to drop to a really poor rate so decided I'd pay it into my 123 current acc and am now getting 3% on my current acc money which is a better rate than some savings accounts..

You mean you actually keep enough in your current account to gain interest...?

I wish.

Excuse my ignorance but arent there such things as mutual funds you can invest in over there?

Envious I'm sure there are but I don't have a big amount of savings so am happy with ISA's or interest on my current acc...3% is not a bad interest rate compared to lots other types of savings hereabouts.

Ana we do have some money put aside... not much though

Just before retiring I attended a retirement seminar. We were told that providing we had enough in the bank to cover any emergencies, like new roof!! etc, and unless you were dead keen to leave loads of money to your offspring - simply enjoy!!! Which is what we are doing within our limits naturally. But we are lucky enough to have a reasonable pension - well DH is - I wouldn't have if I lived on my own. So it very much depends on your circumstances.

I changed over to a Santander 123 account last year tanith and am very happy with the account plus they give interest on utilities and comms if you pay by direct debit. Much better than my Nationwide savings account on which they changed the interest to a pittance without notifying me.

Shabby it does seem ridiculous to be keeping money in a current acc to gain interest but it works for us and as we have a joint acc and a current acc each with can have more than one 123 account. So gain on more than one account.

Lloyd's are doing something similar to Santander but with a better rate of interest. I think £1000 has to go in with two direct debits every month. I'm tempted to switch from Santander. I also read of a way to save via a piggy bank is to put £1 in in week one, £2 in week two and so on. Week 52might be difficult but I thought it might be worth doing it for a few months.

Stansgran we don't have that amount being paid in every month so will stick with Santander, but I like your piggy bank plan..

Have looked at all the options with banking, and the Santander 123 account is the best all round one.It's a current account, so doesn't tie up your money either.

that should read 'current' account.

freckleberryfinds.com/2013/01/52-week-money-saving-challenge-save-1378-in-a-year/
This is the link in dollars. It could work with 20p coins or 50pcoins