Welcome to Penny Wise's 'blog'! Originally from England, Penny was born and raised in Hampshire before unexpectedly falling in love with a Kiwi barman at her local pub and running off with him to the other side of the world. There she happily remains with her husband and two children, but she has not forgotten her roots and keeps in touch with home through her Simple Savings blog. Penny says that most money saving tips and tricks can be used in the same way, no matter which corner of the world we live in, and demonstrates how she does it, using tips from the Vault.
This started as a treat for Vault members only, but Penny's blog is so good we think everyone should have the opportunity to learn from her life. The free entries are underlined below and the Vault member's entries are grey. If you are a Vault member and you would like to read the grey entries, log in below.
@ Contact Penny
Our resident 'blogger' Penny Wise is just like you! She is a 'sometimes' Sad Sally who is desperately trying to become a Happy Hanna. Each week, Penny shares her personal thoughts, triumphs and tribulations of how she is turning her spending into savings. Vault members are able to view the whole archive but some of Penny's earlier entries are now available for free members to browse too. All readers get to enjoy one of her latest updates each month in the free newsletter.
Penny lives in New Zealand.
A word from Penny:
"I didn't start out as a Sad Sally; when I think about it, there are a heap of reasons how she came to be part of me and I suppose they will surface in future ramblings. I thought I would be the last person on earth to be writing about how to save money - after all, I am probably the most hopeless person I can think of when it comes to finances. Thank goodness I came across Simple Savings! With their help, I'm now on a journey to transform myself from a Sad Sally to a Happy Hanna (if you don't know who these two are, check out the newsletter archives and decide which one you are!) Every day will be a new challenge, to see how much money I can save if I really put my mind to it.
"I live with my husband of ten years and our two sons, aged six and eight. We live in the country in a house on a couple of acres we bought two years ago. We both have jobs, a mortgage and have tried unsuccessfully for years to turn our spending habits around - unsuccessfully, that is, until now!"
To read the grey entries, you need to log in.
August 2010
2nd - Are youse fullas rich?
4th - Against the grain
10th - Gut instinct
19th - Serendipity
25th - Great expectations
31st - Ostriches
June 2010
8th - Top of the world
11th - Salesperson of the Year - Part 2!
18th - Murphy's Law
22nd - All things bright and beautiful
30th - Time to lift our game!
April 2010
7th - Eyes wide shut
12th - The School of Ken
19th - Try and try again
24th - Out of the ordinary
27th - Under the influence
March 2010
1st - Bridget Jones strikes again
3rd - We could be heroes...
12th - $1.00 x 18,000
22nd - No such thing as a free lunch
25th - A Changed Man
February 2010
2nd - Fast food
10th - No SAVE Month?!
16th - Gordon Ramsay where art thou?
19th - Ministry of Savings
January 2010
6th - Crafty cows and wascally wabbits
12th - Friends in frugal places
25th - No Screens Paradise
December 2009
4th - Be careful what you wish for
14th - Deck the malls...
15th - Divided we fall
28th - Christmas spirit
31st - 5,000 acres of freedom
November 2009
3rd - Old and grey
10th - Joy and pain
10th - Farewell Pat
12th - The Ultimate Sad Sally
17th - One on one
24th - Land of plenty
October 2009
6th - Hard wired
12th - The 100 Mile Challenge
19th - Getting your priorities right
21st - Wellington here we come!
26th - The Big Road Trip!
27th - Doing it tough
September 2009
3rd - A spanner in the works
16th - Stopping to smell the roses
17th - On distant shores
22nd - Space invaders and Kenny Rogers
28th - The Present
August 2009
6th - Running commentary
18th - Crunch time
21st - Homegrown Christmas
24th - Peter and Paul
July 2009
8th - Stop the world, I wanna get off!
21st - Purging Sad Sally
23rd - The Snowball Effect
27th - The Credit Controller from Hell
June 2009
9th - Still here!
15th - Shepherds Pie Soup
17th - Ways and means
22nd - Mission possible
29th - Chalk and Cheese
March 2009
2nd - Hive of activity
6th - Saving my sanity (money)
11th - Sadie the cleaning lady
20th - My own worst enemy
27th - Let's see how far we've come
February 2009
5th - SS time
9th - I have no money...
21st - Words of wisdom
25th - Sort yer life out!
January 2009
6th - I am a yellow rubber duck
14th - Goddess of Domestic Chaos
28th - What really counts
December 2008
2nd - Technology gone mad
7th - Investing in the future
11th - Not gonna crawl
22nd - That was the week that was...
November 2008
3rd - The Recession Challenge
10th - Ho ho hum...
17th - The Fab Four - er, Five!
21st - Head in the sand
26th - Think positive, Penny!
October 2008
2nd - Desperate Housewife
7th - If you can't beat 'em, join 'em
13th - No booze, no car, no chicken!
20th - Ch-ch-changes
28th - Slow food
September 2008
8th - No Veggie Zone
12th - Nothing is impossible
23rd - Keeping the wolf from the door
August 2008
1st - Holidaying the SS way
6th - I am what I am
18th - What not to spend
25th - For love or money
June 2008
2nd - National $21 Challenge - Day One
3rd - National $21 Challenge - Day Two
4th - National $21 Challenge - Day Three
5th - National $21 Challenge - Day Four
6th - National $21 Challenge - Day Five
7th - National $21 Challenge - Day Six
8th - National $21 Challenge - Day Seven
13th - You either 'get it' or you don't
19th - Warm beer and camping stoves
22nd - In the dark
30th - Blood out of a stone
May 2008
2nd - Get a life - a Simple Savings life!
8th - Peas and carrots
12th - Chicken soup
15th - Taking stock
15th - Penny's Pantry & Freezer Stocktake
23rd - Flushed away
27th - Silly mistakes
28th - Frugality
April 2008
1st - The price of being nice
3rd - LOADSAMONEY!
8th - The Vault Challenge
15th - No eye-deer
23rd - Full steam ahead
26th - Ivana Trump (sort of)...
March 2008
3rd - Try, try and try again
10th - The Power of One - one website!
17th - You can't always get what you want
19th - A fool and his money are soon parted
24th - OCD (Obsessive Consumer Disorder)
31st - Super stingy
February 2008
5th - What it's all about
14th - The Mighty Ali
14th - Coffee, anyone?
14th - Wants vs needs
18th - The Too Hard Basket
January 2008
7th - Unleashing the camping monster
13th - Almost camping
15th - A new improved me! I hope...
21st - Food glorious food
24th - Holier than thou
27th - Naughty Noel and Penniless Penny
28th - Wake-up call
December 2007
6th - Fabulous freebies
10th - Bah humbug...
14th - Patience pays off
22nd - Stuff the turkey - pass the aspirin!
27th - Two weeks in a nutshell
29th - In search of perfection
November 2007
6th - Painting the town red
9th - The Simple (Savings) Life
16th - Disorganised Christmas
23rd - Desperately seeking Stan
27th - The $10,000 Challenge - yikes!
30th - What's the world coming to?!
October 2007
3rd - 21st Century boys
8th - The power of positive thinking
16th - Lady luck
19th - A new commitment
27th - King of the boring trolleys
31st - Drunk and disorderly
September 2007
3rd - Living the caveman way
11th - Chained to the kitchen
14th - These are a few of my favourite things...
19th - Declined!
21st - A real 'Ray' of sunshine
26th - Rock and a hard place
August 2007
3rd - SS Superwomen :-)
6th - Successes and failures
16th - Some days you step in it, some you don't...
21st - Everyone's an expert
25th - When mums DO know best...
31st - Lumpy loaves and classroom clangers
July 2007
4th - Ignorance is bliss
12th - Tightfisted in Taupo!
16th - Paying less with pride
24th - A dog's life
27th - Bedlumps and pomegranates
30th - Back into the groove
June 2007
1st - New tricks
4th - Starvation diet
10th - Black to red and back again
14th - We're all sick :-(
18th - Murphy's law
22nd - All hail Sophie Gray!
25th - Christmas rebellion
29th - People watching
May 2007
3rd - Trying times
9th - Feeling rich
15th - Forewarned is forearmed
21st - A month of challenges!
24th - Getting there
28th - Steel resolve
April 2007
2nd - The REAL Secret...
10th - Fun and games
13th - Between you and me...
20th - No more supermarket!
24th - Crunch time
30th - Kids are born perfect...
March 2007
6th - Land of the Beautiful People
9th - False impressions
14th - Costly mistakes
16th - Blood from a stone
20th - Beyond the call of duty
26th - Stop Think Save
30th - Out to lunch
February 2007
5th - A little Brumbies magic
9th - Little things...
12th - Penny, Warrior Princess!
19th - Rabbit poo
22nd - Savings malfunction
27th - Excuses, excuses
January 2007
3rd - All in it together
10th - Ups and downs
14th - Invasion of the Cauliflowers
17th - Keeping things in perspective
24th - Living with Mr Hyde
27th - Hunters and gatherers
31st - Back-to-front-itis
December 2006
4th - Surprise savings
7th - Eat your heart out Scrooge!
11th - Guilty bargains and warm fuzzies
18th - Counting blessings
23rd - Team work
29th - Changes afoot
November 2006
6th - Never know until you try
9th - Fuzzy logic
14th - Thinking outside the square
16th - Smaller size feet
22nd - Santa's little helper
27th - One of those days...
29th - Fabulous freebies
October 2006
2nd - Getting tough on bad habits
4th - Savings sanctuary
9th - Goal setting
15th - Reaping what we sow
18th - Forum therapy
23rd - How low can you go?
26th - It's the thought that counts
31st - A swinging time!
September 2006
4th - Farewell Steve :(
5th - Psychic Forum
8th - The good, bad & downright useless
11th - Mother hen
18th - Crossing off the 'to-do' list
20th - The Money Tin Challenge
22nd - Penny the plumber
26th - Still learning
August 2006
2nd - More haste, less speed
7th - Hooray for Home Brand!
10th - What goes around...
15th - Generation gap
17th - Another Challenge approaches!
21st - Bills and boots
24th - Addicted to saving
29th - Bank balance blues
31st - Tightening the belt
July 2006
5th - Lifesaving holiday hints
10th - 'D' is for...
13th - Bananas and broccoli
18th - Comfort food
27th - A quick update
29th - Cleaning frenzy!
June 2006
4th - Hey Big Spender
7th - I've got the power!
12th - Glutton for punishment
14th - Involuntary downshifting (100th blog!)
20th - Joint effort
22nd - Trials and tribulations
28th - Spend more, save more?
30th - Exercising restraint
May 2006
2nd - A year of blogs!
8th - I believe I can FLY
10th - Cuddle time
15th - Mixed blessings
22nd - Unforeseen expenses
24th - Being resourceful
29th - Back on track
April 2006
3rd - Bargains and bling
6th - Up for discussion
10th - Stamping out bad habits
12th - Keeping up appearances
17th - Wot no bunny?
21st - Guess who's coming for dinner?
24th - Let me count the ways...
30th - Puppy power
March 2006
2nd - One habit down!
7th - Legend or doorknob?
12th - Blowing noses and budgets
16th - The Powers of Persuasion
22nd - Return of the Blob
24th - Three amazing websites
27th - First in best dressed
30th - Why didn't I think of that?
February 2006
1st - The good life
7th - Making do
9th - Experimenting
13th - Old and new habits
15th - Romance gone wrong
20th - One step at a time
26th - Blunder Free Zone
January 2006
5th - Habit changing
6th - Online grocery shopping
10th - Killing with kindness
12th - Kids saving habits
17th - Never shop when bored
20th - Best & Worst of 2005
25th - Quality time
26th - Honesty is the best policy
28th - High cost of living
December 2005
5th - Gold plated bone scan
6th - Menu planning miracles
9th - Struggling with Christmas
14th - Brown paper packages
19th - Bittersweet birthday
23rd - The Final Countdown
31st - Family comes first
November 2005
5th - A fountain of information
7th - Op shop designer wardrobe
15th - A postcard from Penny
17th - Hanging out with the SS team
21st - Hooray for Fran!
24th - Debt free Christmas
27th - Best laid plans...
30th - Break a leg
October 2005
10th - Budget holiday activities
11th - Penny's Fitness Plan
20th - A miser in the family
25th - Generation gap
26th - Move over Felicity Kendall
28th - Penny the crusader!
September 2005
1st - Home comforts
6th - Frugal Father's Day
7th - Getting the best price
14th - Falling off the wagon
15th - Startling revelations
21st - Hurricane Noel
25th - Growing old gracefully
29th - Bill Payment System
August 2005
5th - Cold killing soup
9th - So long Sad Sally
16th - The week from hell
17th - Back to basics
23rd - Online trading secrets
30th - Shopping vices
July 2005
4th - Flu costs a fortune
6th - Birthday budgeting
10th - Revenge shopping
19th - Domestic goddess
25th - America calling
30th - Gems from the Vault
June 2005
3rd - Price wrangling
9th - Battling the bugs
10th - Animal house
16th - Payday scheme
21st - Home sweet home
22nd - Savings snippets
29th - Happy pets, happy wallet
May 2005
2nd - Clean slate
4th - Comparing prices
6th - Learning curve
9th - Gift giving with the Vault
14th - Spanner in the works
16th - Waste not, want not!
20th - Plumbing blues
23rd - City slicker
31st - Written off