Monday 9 December 2013

The Sealed Pot

 
I finally got round to opening and counting the cash in our Sealed Pot, over a week after everyone else has been counting the contents of theirs.  
 
See SFT's Blog 'Life After Mortgage' for lots more information from SFT and the other Sealed Potters.

 
It didn't look much lurking in the bottom of the 'bread bin' .....

 
.... it appeared slightly more once tipped out ...

 
... but was most impressive when lined up and counted.
 
I toyed with the idea of taking it all to the coin counting machine in our local Sainsbury's, (our banks don't have them) but the thought of giving away 8.9% of our hard saved money swung it in favour of counting it myself.
 
I was glad I did ... there was 
 
 
 ..... a grand total of  £371.27
 
So much more than I thought there would be, mainly because there was £250 worth of £2 coins, I guess we had got in the habit of saving them.
 
I know I said I would ... but I can't bring myself to spend it all on shopping for Christmas as was our first idea ...  instead I have the twinkling of a plan, a new challenge for the New Year that needs some thrashing out in my head and on paper.  Can I really do it, I don't know ... it would be a real challenge, perhaps even needing it's own Blog or at the very least a page of it's own, or a day of it's own on here.  Even more of a Challenge than last years attempt to make the £480 we got out of the Sealed Pot then last for all our shopping needs for this year ( we didn't do too badly, it lasted until July).
 
I need a little more time to think about this one, but when an idea starts a brewing, my brain is suddenly in gear and I could be off in any direction :-)
 
Sue xx

18 comments:

  1. What a wonderful total. I also saved a lot of £2 coins and ended up with £272 altogether (£160 of that was £2s). I started the challenge late so that total was only for about 9 months; I'm hoping for even more next year. Like you its not going on Christmas after all, but we've decided to use it to have an outing or lunch out each month over the next year.

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  2. Well that was a nice surprise to see all that dough rise from the bred bin ~ rather toasty :)
    Have fun with it !

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  3. I did the same thing with $1 and $2 coins here in Ottawa. I started in January and although I didn't put them in a sealed pot (I had a bowl and when it was getting full I would take them over to the bank. I didn't spend any and was very disciplined! In October we went for a trip to Maine and used the $700.00 we had saved for the hotel for the week. I started again when we got back and I just took $72.00 to the bank last week. We'll see what next year brings. I find myself asking for coins in change rather than bills and I don't notice the loss of the coins at all.

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  4. I am intrigued now - you will have to tell us soon about your idea I can't bear the suspense. Well done on the pot of gold!

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  5. That's a great result, and I'm intrigued to hear about the new challenge :)

    xx

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  6. Well done & can't wait to read more !

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  7. Well done and oh you are a tease...can't wait to hear of your plans :D

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    1. I know ... I am aren't I ...... Hahaha :-)

      But I've still not got it all straight in MY head yet so I can't commit to letting you all in on it.

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  8. I always save £2 coins for the children, it's surprising how they mount up. Can't wait to hear what your plan for the money is, it does sound exciting. You did so well last year making the money last until July.

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  9. Glad you finally opened it, I think that is everyone now. Well done on your total, I did not realise you were still saving £2's. Have you committed to A Frugal Wife's £2014 in 2014 yet? That is really some challenge, but that IS the point - a challenge and a real achievement. Cannot wait to hear what you have in mind!

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    1. I know I felt so guilty opening it so late after everyone else, but this Monday morning was the first time I actually had the time to count it, hence the fleeting idea of simply tipping it into a Coinstar machine.

      I wasn't saving £2 coins at all, but Lovely Hubby secretly decided he was, it made for a lovely surprise when I realised how many were in there, I was honestly expecting us to have £50 or £60 in smaller coins as a maximum.

      I know A Frugal Wife is doing £2014 in 2014 and I WILL be doing it, after all I did '£2012 in 2012' so I consider it 'my' challenge rather than hers!!

      I'm still thrashing out what I have in mind for my £370, I think it could work ;-)

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    2. Oops, sorry, really did not mean to sound like an old nag! What a lovely husband - mine thinks it is a waste of time even saving pennies in a pot, he would never part with £s.

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    3. Haha .... you're not an old nag, did I sound a bit stroppy? I'm just ridiculously tired at the moment :-(

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  10. Congrats on such a great total! I look forward to seeing your plan for the New Year :)

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  11. We'll done sue that's a fab amount, can't wait to hear what your plans are, I love reading about your challenges x

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