What do you do with your savings?

[cyndibru]

I hope there's some other people like me on here! I am so impressed with all the personal stories of disciplined savings. I've tried, but I just don't think that's ever going to be me. I'm too "in the now". However, we HAVE worked hard to pay down our debt.....we were in that "debt recycling" mode for most of our marriage. I've always used coupons and priced matched and researched and watched sales though.....I HATE to pay more than I have to for anything.

Where my savings have gone since last September -- just received a gorgeous diamond ring for our 25th wedding anniversary! Shopped around, compared prices, and finally purchased from a small jeweler we know, "pre-owned", 1.6 carats, saved over 50% more than retail SALE prices!

What I've gained from Couponmom:
A HUGE stockpile of personal care items and some food items.
The ability to donate items regularly to those in need.
The knowledge to MAXIMIZE my savings.
A big thanks to Stephanie and to everyone who is so kind to post their deal finds and coupon links!

[Ria]

DH and I have set up two accounts. Savings and Spending. We split our coupon savings between the two. We've been able to get a 23 inch HDTV (in our apartment that's the biggest that would fit.) a PS3, an External Hard Drive, and a couple of other wireless items. Also we have almost $1,000 in the bank as savings!

[pkwg]

We went heavily in to the savings mode in order to be well prepared for retirement. Since starting with coupons I've paid off all debt other than mortgage. My mortgage is now getting hundreds additional paid on it monthly. We've also helped my daughter buy a car (paid in full). We joke that her car was bought with coupons. Our excess groceries are going to 4 other households and various charities. Yet, our grocery expense is way down and stockpile way up.

[julieduck]

Time flies when you're having fun. Took me a few minutes to figure out what I have saved/obtained because of CouponMom. So here is what I have come up with:

An actual monthly budget
reduced car debt $2000
Bare Minerals Makeup
Toshiba Laptop
$1000 in savings
Patio Set from CVS (on sale this week, bought with gift cards and ECB's )
Friends who know why I'm excited to have 11 tubes of toothpaste!

[bbqgal]

Just started this whole Q thing last month so dollar wise I haven't save much yet but started to build a pretty healthy stockpile. In a long run, it sure will cut my monthly budget down. We just spent ton of money on vacations and new appliances so we need to rebuild our savings account. I'd like to pay off my car ASAP tho. My goal is within 2 years.

[BarbaraH]

Mine just goes to help me surrive in these hrd times. Use $ back from toothpast ect. to buy food-paper sups,cleaning sups. all items that a home Must have.
It helps me Sooo much,have gone hungry before fig. this all out.

[Oceanstar1974]

I have taken my usual 900.00 a month I used to spend at the store and subtracted what I did spend in Feb and March and put the differance in the savings account. It was about 500.00 so far. I wish I did this before my husband got laid off, I could have saved more. But now we don't bring in as much so I'm probably just saving up to pay taxes on his unemployment next year lol But at least we should have it , sometimes being able to pay stuff even if you don't have any left over is better then not being able to pay it at all!

[Kathypoo]

What do I do with my savings!!!??? I laughed out loud when I read Indianamoms post - that she moved from NJ to Indiana. What a smart move!!! I use my q savings to pay my property taxes! My 5 bedroom home in South Jersey on 1/2 acre of land has 19,500.00 / year in property taxes! New Jersey is killing average americans. I'm getting out as soon as my kids graduate from high school - 7 more years. Maybe I'll move to Indiana!
Anywhere I move, I will have more money in my pocket!

[June Cleaver]

KathyPoo,

Try Texas! Our property taxes aren't cheap - about 2% of property value lower if it has live stock or agriculture on it. However, we don't have a state income tax. The people are wonderful, cost of living is great, climate is pretty mild except for a couple of hot months in the summer. We moved here eleven years ago from the West Coast and would never move back. We have only met a few people we really didn't like and they were transplants.

[jojoshort]

Holy cow! Nearly $20k/year in property taxes!! No wonder why my sister, who rents in NJ, won't buy there!

My savings are used to allow for more cash flow. We have two young adults in college and also my DH got laid off in mid January. We're able to help our two kids with college and other unexpected expenses, they each have a used car we were able to pass to them (so they could work and learn the value of hard work and having a limited budget to work with. As well, they are responsible for gas/insurance/maintenance. I figure it's a win/win deal). I can afford the extra it cost us for the health care policies that I had to pick up when DH got laid off. I can pre-buy our winter heating oil/pellets/wood out of our checking account. We can continue to pay our bills, in full, on time. We eat better, have tried new things, and have stocked up so I can pick and choose how to spend our weekly grocery money. I can also put aside a nice basket for the upcoming Post Office Food Drive (Sat May 9--leave out items at your mailbox--all across the USA)

Funny, my DH is working on a project (computer animation) for a company that makes underground disaster shelters. I'm stockpiling. Looks like we're ready for "anything"!!