How can I save up money for a small project? I want to buy a treadmill for $700. I will be taking out $100 every time I get paid for this project. Where can I save/store the money until I get $700? I do not use credit cards and I like paying for things cash. Is the green dot prepaid debit card something I could use?
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I don't have any experience with Green Dot but they do have fees involved:
www.greendotonline.com/
You could buy gift certificate cards for each month's savings and then cash them in. But you would have to be very careful to protect them against loss, fire or theft and some do have fees involved if you dont use them for a while. This choice makes me uneasy myself.
Do you know what store you will be buying it from? Maybe they have something similar to a layaway plan where you pay in increments and they hold your merchandise until it is paid in full. Be sure to ask if there are any fees involved.
Could you open up a separate savings account or something similar to a Christmas Club account at your bank or a local bank or credit union ? At least you would earn a little interest on it for the 7 or so months involved.
You could try your local bank or credit union. The bank I work for has a savings account that is made for this type of thing... the idea of setting a goal for something. It can only be withdrawn from inside of the bank not at the atm or transfers online- this way you really have to want to take it out or need to. It is also safer, shouldn't have fees like cards would, and you could even do direct deposit so you don't even have to think of the $100 each month.
You could set up a savings account at the bank. You can even collect interest on it while there. It is good to save for a rainy day too, so maybe you can keep the account open after you make your purchase. Then there is no fee usually to cash your paycheck at the bank.
I do have the green dot card and the only drawback is there is a monthly fee of almost 5 dollars and there is a fee to put money on there unless you cash your check and the money goes directly on the card or you can direct deposit to the card for free which is cool. Does the place you want to buy the treadmill have gift cards, you can slowly add the money to it like that. Also check with freecycle, people on mine give them away every so often.
Can't you vist the store and ask to pay it off?
Are you sure you want to buy a new treadmill? You could get one second hand. Here in the UK people give them away on Freecycle.
Imho, it is fool hardy to not possess a credit card. That is how you can build up a good credit rating. Your credit rating determines many prices in your life including costs of your insurances. Your credit rating shows whether or not you are honest and reliable. So you will want to have one.
Please do not purchase such an expensive item as a tread mill new. Most people do not use them after they finally get them. I would not want you to waste your money on such an item.
Best of luck always,
There is something wrong with this picture. You say you only pay cash for your purchases. where do you have your extra cash now?? Keep all money there til you get an extra $700.00. If you don't have any kind of savings account,you can not afford a $700 tread mill.I do not call $700 a small purchase, and would take the other advice of looking into buying a used tread mill.
You could try www.freecycle.org this site is like a free garage sale. You can post for something you would like to have--and if someone has one to give away, they will email you and you have to pick it up. It will be up to you to provide the muscle and pick-up to move it.
I hope you think about saving money for your future. Buy a used treadmill from a secondhand sports shop or Goodwill, and save the rest.
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