I have a plan.... :)

[lonelyinlove]

So CandiCandi's post really got me think. The post was basically "How much money to you have to stop dealing with LDR shit?" (my words, not hers )

So at one point, about a year ago, I had A THOUSAND dollars towards my move/closing the distance, but life happen && the money was spent : (

Since then my SO have talked about closing the distance, January being the last time we seriously talked about it, but it seems nothing is really happen, but he did get a new higher paying job, which good....But what am I doing?

So as of now im working at this minimum wage job & not saving anything, so I've DONE NOTHING....yet....

So I'm currently in the process of finding a better job (teaching), but whether that happens or not (fingers crossed) I HAVE A PLAN!
My plan is to save $50 Every check, maybe more if I can. If I start now, I'll have about $1,200 saved by this time next year && that's a start for me!

Soooo back to square one, but I'm optimistic!

Any of you gals & guys have any tips on saving mulah to close the distance?

[kirbycat]

That sounds like a good plan! I don't have any other tips to offer, beside all the basic money-saving strategies, like cutting down on all those extraneous little expenses (pricy Starbucks drinks, unnecessary clothes shopping, etc) and setting aside that money for your goal. It's all about making a good budget and sticking to it!

My SO and I haven't even discussed closing the distance yet; I'm facing some big life transitions in the next few months, and have a lot of other expenses to deal with first. Plus we've only been dating for about a month now...not quite to the point of making serious long-term plans. Unless he finds a way to get closer to me while I'm in grad school, closing the distance probably wouldn't become a reality until after I graduate. So, not something I'm thinking about yet!

Good luck with your plan, and stay diligent! I think it can be hardest to stick with putting aside part of your paychecks when it's such a small amount...but it all adds up in the end, and every dollar saved will get you that much closer to your SO!

[CandiCandi]

I think that's a great idea. Good luck!

[snow_girl]

Good plan! Get a change jar and as soon as you get any change throw it in. If you spend a $10 bill and have 4$ left in change, throw it in. I was able to save for a $900 flight in 6 months that way.

[ChibiFelicia]

I dont really have any great money saving tips but i've been thinking about how much i can save too.
We're aiming to close the distance by christmas next year and im starting a new nursing job this september and thats when my real money saving is going to happen. I'm hoping i can save about £1000 ($1500) a month and i'll be working there a year. Thing is plane tickets, visa fees, car insurance etc etc has got to all come out of those savings. Before i leave i'll sell or give away every thing i own so i can just go over with a couple of suitcases.

Well we're aiming to have about $15,000 together before i make the move. That should cover rent etc if i cant get a job straight away. But yeah it's all so expensive : ( getting my nursing license over in Cali is going to be expensive too : (

I wonder if anyone could shed some light about joint accounts. We're getting married this summer and we'll be opening a joint account. Think i should send my saved up money to that account? 1 so i wont touch it but im worried about the visa stuff, i bet it'll look like im paying him for the visa. Then again it's a joint account so bah iunno!

[Jazi]

I wonder if anyone could shed some light about joint accounts. We're getting married this summer and we'll be opening a joint account. Think i should send my saved up money to that account? 1 so i wont touch it but im worried about the visa stuff, i bet it'll look like im paying him for the visa. Then again it's a joint account so bah iunno!

Well I know that for Australia (and the visa we are going for) Having a joint account is looked upon quite nicely it is shows a joint commitment in your finances - which is a big thing! me and my SO (who is from the UK too ) opened a joint savings account together this past trip.. I think its more than the account though, as long as you have genuine evidence of a serious and continuing relationship you will be fine, couples give each other money/share money, It won't look like you're paying him for a visa if you include heaps of evidence of the relationship - everyone I have talked to about spouse visas says to include MORE than you think you need .

[lademoiselle]

I have a savings account. My SO and I don't have any concrete plans to close the distance yet so at the moment I'm not too concerned about saving money for that purpose. However, it's always good to have a nest egg so I try to put a fraction of whatever money I earn into that account - and not take it out again!

[13000km]

I did exactly what ChibiFelicia is doing. While working full time as a preschool teacher I aimed to keep my monthly spending to a minimum, about $500, including bills and all that. I cut out all unnecessary expenses (didn't buy new clothes for a year, no expensive meals, etc.) and ended up saving more than 10,000. Ended up really needing this amount as a buffer because I wasn't able to find a job until very recently, so about 10 months since moving here. We still have a fair amount of that savings left, which will possibly contribute to some of his tuition (my parents are paying for mine), and we're planning to use the rest of it for our wedding.

We were waiting for me to find a job before opening a joint savings account. Even though we don't have one yet, we've been sharing all expenses basically since I've moved here, but a joint savings account will help us to see what money we're saving and spending more clearly.

[ChibiFelicia]

Well I know that for Australia (and the visa we are going for) Having a joint account is looked upon quite nicely it is shows a joint commitment in your finances - which is a big thing! me and my SO (who is from the UK too ) opened a joint savings account together this past trip.. I think its more than the account though, as long as you have genuine evidence of a serious and continuing relationship you will be fine, couples give each other money/share money, It won't look like you're paying him for a visa if you include heaps of evidence of the relationship - everyone I have talked to about spouse visas says to include MORE than you think you need .

Thanks, i get what you're saying : ) We'll just open the account this summer after we're married and both put savings into it.

@13000km - its what im most worried about, not getting a job in the states. Being an RN here isnt the same over in the US so imma have to spend a fair bit on tuition etc then take exams, wait for transcripts etc etc : (

[13000km]

@13000km - its what im most worried about, not getting a job in the states. Being an RN here isnt the same over in the US so imma have to spend a fair bit on tuition etc then take exams, wait for transcripts etc etc : (

Well I am here on a student visa, so jobs are limited to on-campus only, and those are very limited and have high competition for. That was the major problem for me. I think 15,000 is a good number to have when you factor in the exams and all that. The rest of that savings should cover you for at least a few month's worth of rent, especially if you're sharing this cost with your SO.

Also, set small daily/weekly/monthly saving challenges for yourself. One thing I found helpful was creating a second bank account, and transferring $500 dollars there from every pay check. That way, when I used my debit card, I don't see the rest of my money and am not tempted to spend it. That's all I 'had' and that was all I was going to use. Usually, at the end of every month I will still have a little bit left, and I would let that amount roll over to the next month, or give myself a little reward for being so disciplined with my spending. When I had a significant amount of leftovers I transferred it back into my savings. No harm with saving a little extra, right? (:

[lonelyinlove]

Thanks everyone for all the advice!