World Savings Day

As I mentioned at the weekend, Friday was world savings' day. I don't remember this being such a big event in England but here in Germany it's especially fun for children.

We set up a savings account for Isabella when she was about six months old. There are only so many toys she can play with at that age and she often receives money as gifts. Since she has all she needs, all this money goes into her money box or her account. One stipulation to the account is that a monthly payment is made so we give her a little something too.

It's really important to me that she has a good financial upbringing and avoids debt. Bringing her up in Germany certainly helps as banks here are much more responsible in not throwing credit cards at you.

On world savings day, children take their money boxes to the bank to be emptied into their account. As a reward they can choose a gift. Isabella picked this cute seal to go with her owl from last year. She also received a balloon animal and discovered the play corner in the bank.

It was really busy but it was fun and a tradition that we will be continuing.

30 things - Start a Savings Plan

This week Isabella and I visited the local bank to set her up a savings account. I want her to be much more financially competent than I am so it makes sense to start early.

While we were there, I finally set up my own savings account. Obviously, I don't get the same benefits as Isabella but it still felt good to finally do something. My main financial goal is still to blitz my debt but at the same time, I can start putting a little aside.

There's something nice about doing something with your child, it's like a second chance and I'm loving it!

Clearing Out

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While I wish I had Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe, I don't have the space or the finances. I cleared out my wardrobe last year but have been thinking about doing it again for a long time.

I finally got around to it this week and probably got rid of about a quarter of it. Despite several previous attempts, there were things in there that I wore aged 18, and probably never again since. There were also plenty of things that didn't fit.

I tried to follow a few rules:

• out goes anything that doesn't fit.
• out goes anything to grubby/overwashed to wear any more.
• out goes anything I wouldn't wear any more

I have been on a spending diet when it comes to clothes ever since I moved to Germany so many of the clothes are older and I often forget what's in there. While I'm still a way off, I plan to keep cutting down until I can wear anything I put my hand on.  

Apart from the obvious space saving and time saving, there is something very therapeutic about a clearout. I am looking forward to much more clearing out.

The German Dentist

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I have had a love / hate relationship with my dentist for as long as I have been going to the dentist.  Having had chickenpox damage the enamel on my teeth at a young age, trips to the dentist became torture for me, even though I knew it was all for the best.  I know try and avoid the dentist at all costs by flossing and using an electric toothbrush.  In fact it's been eighteen months since my last visit.  I'm normally very good at keeping up with checkups but both the move and my resentment at paying £16.50 for the dentist to tell me to come back in six months have led to a long break.

Having found a new optician the other week, I decided to roll with it and update my other medical checks too, hence a visit to a new dentist on Friday.  I expected the experience to be doubly scary, doing it all in a second language but I was very pleasantly surprised.  I managed to fill out the forms and speak to the dentist with no language problems and I got the all clear to come back in six months.  The best part though - it was completely free!!  Normally in Germany, you pay 10 Euros for your first doctor appointment of the quarter plus whatever treatment you need but apparently dentists are different, and contrary to the British system, they are different in a way that saves our purses and makes me more inclined to keep up to those six month check ups! 

Progress.

I made some progress on my Get Out Of Debt Plan that I was roughly discussing yesterday today.  So...I had an interview at the Volkhochschule today, that's like a night school and they teach over thirty languages and they have offered me two courses!  Both conversational English, one basic and one advanced.  Unfortunately it doesn't start until Autumn and will clash with French but it's still good news.  Roll on Autumn!