Spare Change – Saving Money as a Couple
Saving money in my household hasn’t been extremely hard by any means but neither has it been very easy. My husband and I both grew up in families where money – for various reasons – was something to have as a secret and spend as soon as you can so no one can take it from you. So, while saving money isn’t impossible for us, it’s sometimes hard not to give in to the temptation of going out for the night.
But, like all couples, we have bills, goals and trips to take (for work and for pleasure).
Early this year, after noticing all the change that built up in what we used as the laundry change bowl before we got a washing machine, I thought we could keep on doing the same thing with all our coins. (Australian has $1 and $2 coins as well as five cents, ten cents, etc.) So I left the bowl for the silver change (coins under $1) and set up a jar for the gold coins ($1 and $2).
I have to say, it’s probably one of the better things I have done to help us save money.
For the first half of the year, we saved up money to help pay off the $500+ car registration fee in July. We didn’t expect to save the full amount, but we were very pleasantly surprised to have saved more than half the fee. That really helped us get out of the tight mid-winter financial squeeze we usually go through.
Then I went to the doctor and have since been having such good results that we decided it would be a good idea for my husband to go as well. The first appointment costs $100, so we decided to save up for that. Once again combining the silver and gold coins saved, we already have $100 and the appointment isn’t for another two weeks.
It may not seem like a lot when you’re putting the change in the jar, but it sure can add up fast. Having the spare change jar and bowl has helped us save for important things so we don’t always have to be thinking in terms of money and can think more in terms of what we really need. It’s also getting us easily into the habit of saving more.
Do you find it easy or hard to save money? Do you have any simple saving tricks to help things along?
September 1st, 2008 at 12:33 am
Daniel brings home all his change from the truck and gives it to Aidan for his bank. About once a month we go cash it in for ‘fun’ stuff. Aidan can usually get anywhere from $15-20 and that’s just with pennies, nickels, and dimes. It adds up.
About every other month I take the change that accumulates in my purse or around the house and I can get about $25. Which is really good since we don’t usually use cash too often.
Saving is a whole other story. I usually can squirrel away $10-20 in savings for emergencies (like no milk or bread) but it’s tough actually saving it. We can get a good amount put away and we have a crisis and it’s all gone. It sucks but I guess that’s an adults life right?
September 1st, 2008 at 1:21 am
It is amazing how much those things add up. Sometimes it feels like things never fail to ‘pop up’ and take away what you have saved, but at least with those little bits of savings, problems aren’t as bit as they could be.