Starting to convert the family…

In a past blog I recounted how my Dad only listens to my info through a third party (see past “Have you heard of…”) blog. This time it was the turn of my cousin Mark, a successful solicitor in Manchester.

At my family engagement party kindly thrown for the MSF and I by my father and step-mother, I was chatting to Mark… who good naturedly said something akin to “MoneySaving is all well and good, but I’m pretty good with cash anyway, and it’s only small change really.”

This is a common retort from people in good jobs, and of course, it’s true there is a time/money equation … but my standard reply to it is…

“I’ll accept that sometimes you don’t have the time to save money;
if you’ll accept that sometimes you don’t have the money to save time..”

Ok, I admit it’s a little cryptic, but it flows well and the sense is important. Even those short of time need to accept that by skimping on sorting out the big elements of their personal finances they’re going to be hit severely in the pocket, and spend the time accordingly. After all, as the Money Makeover guide shows, by sorting out all your cash it is possible to give yourself the equivalent boost to a 25% payrise.

Of course, I continued to try and persuade him, with suggestions of big and easy MoneySaving, such as Mortgage Fee Reclaiming… (I’m a bit like a dog with an old rag when I get on the subject; I won’t let it go, whether it’s worth it or not.)

Yet all’s well that ends well, as I’m pleased to say I received the following email the other day…

E-mail received from Mark Lewis…

“Hi Martin

I was too lazy to call Nat West to get my administration fee back from when I redeemed my mortgage. Anyway I asked Shelley (his wife… ML) to phone. One call, a bit of holding and then £140.

Hope you and Lara are keeping well.

Thanks for your idea and help.

Mark”

YAY!!!!!!!!!

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