Monday 3 December 2012

Opening the Sealed Pot 2012


Our Sealed Pot for 2012.





We sneakily opened it one day early so Lovely Hubby could join in the excitement (and pose manfully in his beloved bright orange dressing gown!).



Ribbon peeled away and then the double sided sticky tape prised off, it was actually very well stuck down that lid, there could have been no sneaky dipping into this pot!



Our first impression - a pathetic little bundle of coins .......



.... languishing way down in the bottom of the 'bread bin'.



But once tipped out of their giant container it looked a lot more - PHEW!!  We had a little guess each of the amount contained in the pot, we were both way out (although I conceed that LH was slightly nearer).



A happy five minutes was spent stacking and counting and a big grin is hidden behind the lid, if you enlarge the photo you will see a little blue eye looking at you!  This was one very happy little bunny, well a big orange happy bunny actually!!



And the GRAND TOTAL - £480. 

Yep, that's right four hundred and eighty whole pounds all in two pound coins.  Someone did a happy little jiggy dance all around the kitchen, can you guess  who it was.....no photos were taken so you can be sure it was the girl with the camera clutched in her little mits!!



Did you even know that £480 in £2 coins would weigh exactly 3 kilos .... nope neither did we, imagine what the jar would weigh if we had filled it right to the top!!



Next mission .......  seal up the pot again ready for next years challenge.



No sneaky getting into this pot, with new sticky tape and the ribbon back on and it looks as though we have never opened it, so  much more cost conscious than last years 'smashing' time (see HERE).



And here are all the lovely £2 coins tucked into our Housekeeping Tin, they fit absolutely perfectly right up to the rim, you wouldn't be able to get one more coin in if you tried, how weirdly fateful is that? 

And what are we using all this lovely lolly for, well I decided a while back that in the interest of saving for our new 'forever home' I would start the year saving as much as I possibly could from the housekeeping budget, so this little stash is the Housekeeping Budget for 2013.  Well for as long as we can make it last for that is.

A whole new Challenge opens up for 2013 on the results of our Sealed Pot.  It gives us a weekly shopping budget for food of £9.23.  Seems a tiddly amount but if I can be super frugal and if we eat our way through the freezers and cupboards in a serious fashion and then plan a clever planting plan for the Veggie Patch we could just do this. 

Couldn't we?

After all I have lived on £1 a day for five days twice now when I took part in the Below the Line Challenge, can two of us live for £1.31 a day for a whole year?

Many thanks must go to Sft from My 101 Challenge Blog who started this whole Sealed Pot idea last year, and as today is her birthday, why don't you nip over HERE and wish her a very Happy Birthday.  You can also see how much all the other Sealed Potters have managed to save.

Happy Birthday Sft


Sue xx

24 comments:

  1. Well done ,Sue! Clever,that dressing gown...I imagine you don't need any lights on at night if hubby is wearing that!
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not good to sit opposite him if you have a hangover in the morning...... and the geese tend to go for him if he ventures over to let out the chickens in it !!

      Sue xx

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  2. Hi
    So that is where all the £2 coins have gone

    Well Done


    Lots of love MUM XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha....they will be going back into circulation starting in January.

      Sue xx

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  3. £480. That's incredible! Well done Sue and LH!

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  4. Well done on The Sealed Pot!! I am going to open mine on New Years eve!! Boy, you can tell how exciting my life is, I should be out partying!!! No I shouldn't!! Far more productive to count my hoard!!!!
    Will be interested to hear how you go on just £9.23 a week, there is no way I could attempt that one! Well done you for attempting the challenge. Kind regards Heather

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    Replies
    1. Much more productive to be counting your hoard on New Yars Eve, and a good excuse to toast the New Year with your riches all around you.

      Sue xx

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  5. Wow £480 that is magnificent

    Well Done

    We also joined challenge and saved £2 coins we managed £178.00......must try harder in 2013

    xx

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    Replies
    1. We were very good, I can honestly say that I have only spent ONE two pound coin all year, and that was in a genuine emergency!!

      Sue xx

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  6. Wowsers Sue! That's a lot saved! Well done x

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  7. Wow! A great amount. I am only just participating in the Sealed pot challenge starting today - have a few dollars saved. Canada has a $2 coin and that is what we are going to do as well - save them. Well done

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  8. Oh Sue, you have given us such a treat, what a wonderful post!!!!!!!!!

    £480 is amazing! And I know you will continue to do well, as it's for your forever home and that is the greatest motivator of all.

    Sft x

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  9. Thats brilliant and such a good idea, that I am going to start a sealed pot myself.

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  10. Well done! That's a fabulous amount to have saved.

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  11. have to say I am very impressed with how much you saved. Makes our $96.90 look very tiny.

    I am sure you will achieve your goals this year.

    Gill in Canada

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  12. Congratulations. What a great idea. I think I will start a sealed pot for 2013. :)

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  13. Sue, what a great result, absolutely awesome! And a fantastic challenge for next year. Will be following along to see how you do. Judy xx ps love the colour of your top :)

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  14. Hi Sue,
    I do a $5 jar every year. Every $5 I get, gets shoved in. For two years I was able to buy myself a painting at an art show, and last year I was able to treat myself to a Dyson hoover.

    Good luck with your jar for the next year.

    Julie Q

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  15. From the picture of them looking rather pitiful in the bottom, I would never have imagined there would be so much in that bread bin. Wow. :-)

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  16. Congratulations to both of you!

    Have to say, I LOVE your hubby's dressing gown! My fav colour is orange, & it just looks fantastic.

    From DeeJay in NZ

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  17. It`s my birthday at New Year and I am hoping 2013 will bring better times! I am going to start the year on a positive proactive note by starting my own pot! Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Impressed with your new housekeeping budget by the way!

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  18. Wow Sue, Well done. I shall be reading how you do with your £9.23 a week challenge, Good luck to you both. Babs

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