Showing posts with label moneysaving tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moneysaving tips. Show all posts
It's that time of the year again - the credit card comes out, the ridiculous self-justification starts ("I need these shoes because... I HAVE FEET") and the scramble to get a deal leads to you spending an hour glued to your computer, in the hope of saving a few pounds.
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Spend to save? My pick of the best Black Friday /Cyber Weekend deals
When did you first start learning about money? Chances are it was the first time that you lost a tooth and put it under your pillow, in exchange for a shiny 50p (back when they used to be huge). That 50p would then probably go on a bag of 1p sweets and a couple of Freddos which, unfortunately, are probably about 50p each these days!
I certainly didn't learn much about money in school though and it was mainly thanks to my parents efforts that I picked my first current account. I remember that particular account included a sponsorship of a rare breed of monkey. You received colouring pencils and a certificate through the post - and that was me hooked on personal finance since then.
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Money Monday: Should Personal Finance Be Taught In Schools?
Black Friday is here! Another awfully commercialised (yet amazing) shopping event which gives my credit card a severe beating every year.
This year, I've scoured the net for bargains from the usual suspects so save time and read on for the latests deals from Boohoo, Office, ASOS, Feelunique and the likes of the usual online emporiums that always manage to ensnare your hard earned cash...
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The Best Black Friday Fashion & Beauty Deals
So there isn’t exactly a formula for getting rich quick, but there’s definitely a secret that helped me earn (and save) thousands of pounds over the last few years. The secret, my friends, is called a side hustle.
A side hustle? Y'know, a part time job or way of earning money that isn’t your regular day–to-day. Blogging is a great example of how you can earn extra money whilst working a full time job but let’s be honest, taking selfies and proclaiming your life's details online isn't for most normal people.
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Money Monday: How To Earn More Cash With A Side Hustle
The blogging hiatus is almost over because, tomorrow... I MOVE INTO MY NEW FLAT! In case you missed it, the last few Money Mondays have been about buying a house in London and I've actually been living out of a suitcase for the last two weeks - I even stopped blogging temporarily!
What have I learnt through it all? Read on dear friend because today is the penultimate in the Buying A House series.... Today, I bring you some life lessons and my First Time Buyer tips and my First Time Buyer Fails too!
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Money Monday: Buying A House, What Have I Learnt? Tips From a First Time Buyer
Here we go, the next installment in my "How To Buy A House" series. Where were we? After my top tips for first time buyers, I then wrote about how to make an offer on a house.
Afer I put an offer in on my flat, we found out our offer was accepted! Time to get new pants Zoe, cos this thing just got REAL.
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Money Monday: London Flat Buying Adventures Continue!
Dramatic title I know but it's been a dramatic week! There's a lot of news and blogger drama surrounding the 'allegedly' dodgy activities of controversial cosmetics brand Lime Crime and it's insta-famous founder, Doe Deere.
There's ethical questions, false advertising allegations but most importantly, instances of card data theft and identity fraud.
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Money Monday: Avoid Lime Crime Drama! How To Prevent Card Fraud And Avoid Financial Ruuuuin
A few Money Monday’s ago, I wrote a personal post about my house buying experience and my lessons learnt as a first time buyer.
I’ll be honest, I was basically clueless before I started this process – I knew a biiiit about offers, mortgages, legal fees but was still heavily reliant on typing "advice on buying a flat- HELP" on Google.
8 weeks and 3 offers later, Mr FV and I are feeling like the Phil and Kirsty of N5! (currently debating who is who - we both want to be Phil, obvs) The offer process is no longer the deep unknown, but it’s still just as scary!
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MONEY MONDAY: How To Make An Offer On A House
Woweee, January is just flying by isn't it? I can't quite believe that we're closer to February than New Year - the start of 2015 seemed like last week to me!
I realised today that I haven't blogged for a while, mainly because of work and also for exciting reasons... I've been busy hunting to buy my very first home! EXCITING REASON OR WHAT.
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MONEY MONDAY: How To Buy A Flat & Other Stories
Man oh man, it's official. London is THE most expensive city in the world. It used to be Hong Kong (my second home from home) but with the British pound and property prices rising in value, the big smoke is now top of the list. Great.
The cost of renting in London is apparently double that of in the rest of the UK, but regardless of where you live - it's always good to reassess exactly how much you can afford to rent and if you can save money anywhere. Sounds boring, but it's true and is becoming more and more important as the squeeze sets in.
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MONEY MONDAY: Save Money Whilst Renting
Not gonna lie - I am, unashamedly, a social media broadcaster. My personal Facebook feed is regularly updated with statuses (mainly about life fails and back-of-the-head pictures of minor celebrities in London) and I'm one of those irritating people who constantly takes shots of food and cool-looking cocktails on Instagram. Soz.
Yes, yes it's most likely some deep seated link to self perception and social anxiety but WHATEVS - I could write a whole post on that and it's NOT today's topic. Love it or hate it, it's up to you, but fellow broadcasters and social media mavens will completely understand when I say - there is no time where I want to do this more than when I am on HOLIDAY!
Being on holiday is the epitome of "yo, look what I'm doing!" opportunities but this is normally all dependent on whether WiFi is available. Yup, the cost of mobile activity abroad is blimming expensive isnt it?
Well, from TOMORROW - 1 July 2014 - the EU is cutting the price caps for data downloads by more than HALF. Yup, it's going to be cheaper to use the internet abroad!
But that's not it - the cost of texting and calling is also going down and there's big news ahead for roaming charges too! Read on for deets.
Yes, yes it's most likely some deep seated link to self perception and social anxiety but WHATEVS - I could write a whole post on that and it's NOT today's topic. Love it or hate it, it's up to you, but fellow broadcasters and social media mavens will completely understand when I say - there is no time where I want to do this more than when I am on HOLIDAY!
Being on holiday is the epitome of "yo, look what I'm doing!" opportunities but this is normally all dependent on whether WiFi is available. Yup, the cost of mobile activity abroad is blimming expensive isnt it?
Well, from TOMORROW - 1 July 2014 - the EU is cutting the price caps for data downloads by more than HALF. Yup, it's going to be cheaper to use the internet abroad!
But that's not it - the cost of texting and calling is also going down and there's big news ahead for roaming charges too! Read on for deets.
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Instagramming those holiday pics? New Mobile Data Rules in The EU!
Here we are in the middle of June and, along with the premise of dodgy tan lines and excessive sangria consumption, the holiday season is fast approaching. HOORAY.
With hotels, flights and overseas spending to save for, my friends and I have been talking a lot about smart holiday spending (see my post on How To Get Cheaper Flights)
But there's one question that not many people consider and that's how to save money whilst ON holiday. Don't miss a trick here - there's plenty of small changes you can make now to save yourself some money while in the house AND away from it.
It's not rocket science but it's stuff that we never really do because a) we can't be bothered or b) we don't understand just how much of an impact it can have. For me, it's a little bit.. mainly.. always a)
But then I thought about the real impact of it all and now I do it every day, saving myself probably about £100 just by making some small changes. And you could do them too!
The crux of it is simple: don't pay for energy that you're not using when at home, and especially when on holiday. Voiilaa
Here's some examples of what I mean:
With hotels, flights and overseas spending to save for, my friends and I have been talking a lot about smart holiday spending (see my post on How To Get Cheaper Flights)
But there's one question that not many people consider and that's how to save money whilst ON holiday. Don't miss a trick here - there's plenty of small changes you can make now to save yourself some money while in the house AND away from it.
It's not rocket science but it's stuff that we never really do because a) we can't be bothered or b) we don't understand just how much of an impact it can have. For me, it's a little bit.. mainly.. always a)
But then I thought about the real impact of it all and now I do it every day, saving myself probably about £100 just by making some small changes. And you could do them too!
The crux of it is simple: don't pay for energy that you're not using when at home, and especially when on holiday. Voiilaa
Here's some examples of what I mean:
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MONEY MONDAY: Holiday Savings... At Home!
I love Public Holidays. When I was a student, I used to use them for some serious snooozing (and serious boozing), but once you start working 9-5, you realise that Bank Holidays are for doing things which you don't normally have time for.
I'm talking about doing that pile of dishes, washing your clothes, fixing that squeaky chain on your bike - all the boring admin stuff. That's why, for me, Bank Holidays are also the perfect time to re-consider your financial admin too. Can you hand on heart remember what balances are earning what? And have you thought about looking at how much you're spending on the food shop lately?
It's that "should" feeling which we all know, but we keep putting off - I know you know what I mean! Your financial future deserves your attention so be smart with your cash and devote some time to sorting your financial life out.
Here's my Top 5 Finance Admin To-Do's, for those Bank Holiday "Sort Out My Life" moments.
I'm talking about doing that pile of dishes, washing your clothes, fixing that squeaky chain on your bike - all the boring admin stuff. That's why, for me, Bank Holidays are also the perfect time to re-consider your financial admin too. Can you hand on heart remember what balances are earning what? And have you thought about looking at how much you're spending on the food shop lately?
It's that "should" feeling which we all know, but we keep putting off - I know you know what I mean! Your financial future deserves your attention so be smart with your cash and devote some time to sorting your financial life out.
Here's my Top 5 Finance Admin To-Do's, for those Bank Holiday "Sort Out My Life" moments.
1) Is your money in the right place?
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MONEY MONDAY: Top 5 Finance Admin To Get Done This Bank Holiday
So we are well into the new tax year and, as with all new years, I MUST have new year resolutions. Whether it's lists or notes, I love setting targets for myself - they keep me aiming forward and they make sure I'm on track with "THE PLAN" - oho how fun do I sound right now?!
But in all seriousness, if you're going obsessively try and over-engineer anything, it may as well be your money. You've got way more control over it, plus it requires far less self-control than a diet! Also, I figured if I manage my money well, I can just buy lipo right? I'm kidding!! We all know I'd spend my well-managed money on Laduree Macarons and MORE makeup....
Moving on. One week into the new tax year and what's the plan Batman? The Budget told us some stuff about ISAs, some stuff about pensions and then there's general "must save money" on top of that. Where to begin?
I've already talked a couple times about general spending such as choosing a credit card and curbing my shopaholic tendencies so today I'm going to cover savings.
My last MoneyMonday- A Story About Tax got a huge standing ovation by way of exactly 5 tweets from other people ha, so today I'm going to put my accounting qualification to good use and do another one of these explaaaaaining posts. The subject? It's all about ISAs and the NEW ISA.
Come on dudes, I'll try and make it fun- let's go for it.
So ISAs. Step 1 - the basics. What is an ISA? If you already know all this business, you go right ahead and skip onto Step 3- WHATS NEW?
But in all seriousness, if you're going obsessively try and over-engineer anything, it may as well be your money. You've got way more control over it, plus it requires far less self-control than a diet! Also, I figured if I manage my money well, I can just buy lipo right? I'm kidding!! We all know I'd spend my well-managed money on Laduree Macarons and MORE makeup....
Moving on. One week into the new tax year and what's the plan Batman? The Budget told us some stuff about ISAs, some stuff about pensions and then there's general "must save money" on top of that. Where to begin?
I've already talked a couple times about general spending such as choosing a credit card and curbing my shopaholic tendencies so today I'm going to cover savings.
My last MoneyMonday- A Story About Tax got a huge standing ovation by way of exactly 5 tweets from other people ha, so today I'm going to put my accounting qualification to good use and do another one of these explaaaaaining posts. The subject? It's all about ISAs and the NEW ISA.
Come on dudes, I'll try and make it fun- let's go for it.
So ISAs. Step 1 - the basics. What is an ISA? If you already know all this business, you go right ahead and skip onto Step 3- WHATS NEW?
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MONEY MONDAY: Nicer ISAs? What's a NISA?
So the Budget happened last week. I don't know how many of you were interested enough to tune in, but given that it's totally relevant to my job - I was glued to my screen, popcorn in hand. THE GLAMOROUS LIFE I LEAD.
My Twitter and Facebook feed was going absolutely mental once the main highlights were out though. Higher personal allowance, cool. 1p off a pint, okay. Bingo, Pensions, ISA's (more on ISAs next time)- lots of different stuff going on but somehow, it always boils down to tax.
I don't know whether it's just because the bingo, pensions stuff isn't fully relevant to my friends, but I saw a lot of comments along the lines of "rich people should be taxed more", "the wealthy shouldn't get the same amount of benefit that poor people do", "why do the wealthy always benefit the most from tax cuts?"
Sound familiar to you?
Having started my accounting career within Tax, I normally feel obliged to try and explain why this happens but, to be honest, most of the time I JUST CAN'T BE BOTHERED. Politics, and tax especially, can quickly become a heated debate and I'm never really up for having a Facebook one-on-one when I'd rather be watching Gossip Girl re-runs on Netflix..
And part of me is not that fussed about how much tax other people pay anyway. It doesn't really affect me if Mr Monopoly Man earns 10million or 100million - the bit I'm most interested in is about what I pay - not about what other people pay.
However, my views are definitely not shared by everyone. And like I said - I can't change the world's views via a Facebook status intervention, but I CAN share helpful information. That's the whole point of Money Monday!
The thing is, my friends who don't know much about tax and politics, only don't know because the information isn't easily accessible - it's not because they don't WANT to know.
I recently came across this delightful story (if you can call any story about Tax delightful...) It does a much better job than me when it comes to explaining how our progressive tax system works, and why people who pay the highest rate of tax (ie the wealthiest) are naturally those who get the most benefit from a tax reduction....
So here we go - take 5 minutes to read the story below and see if it changes your perspective at all.....
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MONEY MONDAY: A Story About Tax
So I'm a huge fan of Primark (who isn't?!) and I have found some absolute GEMS in there previously. You know - the kind of gems where everyone says "omgg where did you get that? Topshop? Urban Outfitters?" and you smugly reply "Primark actually!" I love it when that happens, don't you?
Anyway, one day I was dragging my overflowing basket round the beauty bit and I saw this little wonder. Primark perfume? I was dead certain it was either going to smell sickly sweet or ,a la Mean Girls, "like a baby prostitute".
But hey, I was in the market for a fragrance so I gave it a chance. One quick spray with the tester on my wrist and BOOOOOOM!
Just when I thought Primark couldn't surprise me anymore.....
This Primark Polka perfume is genuinely, really lovely. As soon as I smelt it, I was so surprised I even said "wow, that's ACTUALLY really nice!!
(Unfortunately a shop assistant heard me which was friggin mortifying, but she said that she'd heard that loadsa times before and people are constantly surprised once they try it. Phew, Zoe Dubs out of trouble!!)
But does it smell like a baby prostitute?
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Amazing Primark Find: Primark Polka Perfume
Last week, I was talking with some gurrrrlfriends
over lunch and our conversation turned to money. That’s right, why talk about Manolos
and New York gossip when we can talk about personal finance? Take that, Carried
Bradshaw et al, we Londoners live it large… hmm.
Anyway, my Belgian pal recently moved to London and we were advising her about
UK bank accounts. Did you know each country has it’s own banking
characteristics? Not all banking products are available to everyone, credit
clearance in one country isn’t the same in another. No wonder she was confused. And while we were trying to
explain why you shouldn’t save all your money in your current account, it
dawned on us - why is it so confusing to bank in the UK?
How many accounts do we need? What type of accounts should we have? Savings
account? Current account? ISA? Fixed-rate? Foreign exchange?! Credit Cards? PERSONAL FINANCE OVERLOAD.
Well, how many bank accounts should I have?
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#MoneyMonday: How Many Bank Accounts Should I Have?
So last week we talked about getting Financially Fit and there was a huge focus on saving and planning - regularly putting something aside, shopping smart and making more money where possible.
I don't know about you but for me, the biggest challenge for me is to control is my spending. I've got the savings part down and I plan well but let's be honest, if I can't curb that spending side, I'm basically in the boat with only one paddle.
Let me remind you of my New Year Resolutions from last week: SAVE MORE, SPEND LESS, STOP BUYING SHIT I DONT NEED, GET MY 5-A DAY & DRINK MORE WATER.
Today's post is going to cover the SPEND LESS & STOP BUYING SHIT I DON'T NEED bit. Yes, that's right kids - let's talk about cracking the whip at the beast that is...... your SPENDING.
Just three simple tips today - simple but effective ways to control that inner Rebecca Bloomwood...
(if you're a regular reader, you may have noticed that I make several references to Confessions of a Shopaholic. If you haven't seen the film or read the book, you should!!)
I digress - let's continue shall we?
I don't know about you but for me, the biggest challenge for me is to control is my spending. I've got the savings part down and I plan well but let's be honest, if I can't curb that spending side, I'm basically in the boat with only one paddle.
Let me remind you of my New Year Resolutions from last week: SAVE MORE, SPEND LESS, STOP BUYING SHIT I DONT NEED, GET MY 5-A DAY & DRINK MORE WATER.
Today's post is going to cover the SPEND LESS & STOP BUYING SHIT I DON'T NEED bit. Yes, that's right kids - let's talk about cracking the whip at the beast that is...... your SPENDING.
Just three simple tips today - simple but effective ways to control that inner Rebecca Bloomwood...
(if you're a regular reader, you may have noticed that I make several references to Confessions of a Shopaholic. If you haven't seen the film or read the book, you should!!)
I digress - let's continue shall we?
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MONEY MONDAY: Confessions of A (soon-to-be-Ex) Shopaholic
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