Spending or saving with GiffGaff Game Plan

FYI, all the photos in this post are credited to the fantastic team at Search Labs who put on the event, they did a way better job at capturing it than me. It turns out my photography skills go out the window once I've played beer pong).

I’m the first to admit that money management isn’t my strong point. I’m definitely more of a yolo-er than a saver but you know when you do something that throws your attitude into a harsh reality? That’s where I’m at.

I was invited along to Cuckoo (one of my fave bars ever in Leeds) for a night with GiffGaff who were there to chat about GiffGaff Gameplan which is their financial service to help people save. I mean, they have their work cut out with me, but the night made me stop and think a little more seriously about where my finances are going. As LOL I spend a little too much time eating and drinking my bank balance rather than saving it.

We played a Monopoly style board-game on the night where you collect your wages for passing go and on each square you landed on, you’d have to complete actions like paying money for date night or council tax, or receive money from a work bonus etc. There were also scarily real chance cards including ‘you just got paid and your money turned to beer tokens, pay £100 for a spontaneous work night out’. Umm how guilty am I of going for one drink after work and it escalating into rolling in at 2am with a Dominos? Yup. But moving swiftly on.

 The night made me think about where I really want to be spending my money. I want to find the balance between living my best life and financial security as whilst it’s good to enjoy your spare time, it shouldn’t be to the detriment of your future self. There’s only so much living in the moment that you can do whilst being a responsible adult, right?

For me, it’s working out whether what you’re spending money on is worth it. For example, I brought my car over to Leeds recently which is a costly investment when it comes to parking but it also brings me freedom – even if I only use said freedom to go to the supermarket! But spending money on going out? That’s taken a back seat in recent weeks as whilst I love my friends, I don’t want to be regularly paying for the privilege of having a hangover – and it means I can get up and drive the next day without worrying about being over the limit!

Money is such a personal thing, as is what we prioritise spending it on. I’ve only been out the county twice in the last 5 years because I’ve chosen to spend my money on gigs, day trips, nights out and things that I want, whereas some people might have a mini-heart attack at the thought of not going on holiday for so long. But it’s personal preference and I stand by that despite the judgement I seem to get!

I think what I really took away from my night with GiffGaff Game Plan (aside from the knowledge that I’m shit at beer pong) is that money is there to be enjoyed not wasted and the better you are with it, the more you can enjoy it, regardless of whether your priorities are the same as anyone else’s. What are your money saving tips? Let me know in the comments.