I also have been putting $50 a week away in another box, that changes its name depending on what I need money for. This year it is for the wedding; other years it's been for our vacation, and other times it has come in really handy when paying workmen by cash!!!
I do my banking online, and discovered we were charged services charges on our chequing account? So I spoke to the bank on Tuesday and it seems the bank has decided to up the minimum amount of money we "have" to keep in our chequing account so we don't pay service fees. So I now have to keep an extra $500 in there at all times.
It however is easier and cheaper keeping the minimum balance in the account than paying the $14.95 a month on service charges. Plus I can't earn that in interest anywhere else. So if you like me do online banking, make sure you read any messages when you go onto the site and not ignore them like I normally do!!!! I was lucky the lady in the bank reversed the fees and will do the same for me during the month of September. After that though I will have to have the minimum in there.
I also subscribe to three magazines which I pay for on a monthly basis through my MasterCard. For a while now I haven't been receiving Harrowsmith Country Life, but have been charged for it. Finally got around to calling the "red and white company!!" and discovered that Harrowsmith Country Life magazine is no longer in business, but the "red and white company," is still charging me for it. So of course I asked them for my money back!! Even had to argue about that as they were not going to give me as much back as I wanted!!
I wonder how long they were going to charge me for a magazine I wasn't receiving????
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13 comments:
Oh how I love your idea of a birthday box and Christmas box. I need a bill box....LOL
do you receive any british mags? I would love to subscribe to country living, but it is so expensive here, do you know of a less expensive source for them?
We used to have Harrowsmith a long time ago, didn't know it had gone out of business.
Jane x
Thanks for these ideas.
I had a sniffy email last week from a publishing house who had tried to claim a debit from my account and been refused by the bank. I replied that I had cancelled my subscription some time ago- and sent a copy of the email of acknowledgement THEY had sent me at the time!
If you don't stay alert, these things can easily cach you out.
thanks so much for joining the TT posts!
blessings x
My sister in law does the envelope method and it has worked quite well for her -- I think the idea of putting away in anticipation of needing it is a really good way to do personal finance. As far as the mag goes -- you probably would have been charged until you noticed. My 89 year old mother in law was taking a magazine and it was discontinued but instead of refunding her money, they decided to substitute another magazine -- one intended for teenagers. Wow, I don't know which is worse!
I also like your idea of the birthday box and Christmas box. I used to do this when I was single but forgot all about it when I got married. Now that you reminded me I am going to follow suit. Thanks Gill!
Hi Gill,
Some really good tips theres, I'm always getting caught short when such things sneak up on me. Thank you again for kind comments and the soup recipes that you posted it looks very good and I'm always looking for ways to use up carrots x
Just goes to show how vigilant you have to be all the time. I think that magazine subscription would just go on and on if you didn't cancel it. I think it's scandalous over there and in the U.S. that you have to keep a minimum amount in your chequeing account before charges. So far, over here, that doesn't happen.
You a a very thrifty person, Gill!
I do the same with birthdays & Christmas... Makes it much easier in the long run! :) As for the "red & white" company, if you're irked with them, you may not want to read my pst today... lol! ;)
Boy, if I had a minimum amount of money I had to keep in my chequing account, I would be in serious trouble...
I used to do something similar to the Christmas box, and need to get back to doing it...it really does come in handy.
Gill,
Really like the idea of the Birthday and Christmas box. I try and put money away weekly like you had first wrote about and up the amount monthly. By Christmas time I'm all set to spend without having to anti up more money.
I didn't realize Harrowsmith country had stopped publication.
I love the box idea- Prince Charming and I were just rediscussing budget- this idea will enter the continuation of discussing budget!
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