Be savvy when you shop online
These days a rising number of people are doing their shopping online, with many different people purchasing their groceries and household goods via the Internet. With so many shoppers trying to cope with various other commitments such as work and family getting the time to go to the supermarket and queue up can be very difficult. However, the Internet has given busy people an opportunity to get their shopping from the comfort of their own homes with the touch of a button and get it all conveniently delivered to the door.
There are a number of benefits available for those that do their grocery shop online. The first is that they can do their shop at any time of the day or night without even having to leave their home, providing total convenience. The second is that they can get their groceries delivered conveniently to the door at a time to suit. Finally, there is plenty of choice available online, so shoppers can quickly find what they want without having to wander around the supermarket scouring the shelves.
There are also some other very important benefit to doing grocery shopping online, and one of the most important is that potentially shoppers could make a fairly sizeable saving compared to going to the supermarket to make their purchases. There are a number of ways in which consumers may be able to save money when shopping online.
Firstly, those that shop online are less likely to be without a list or be shopping on an empty stomach, and both of these things can increase the likelihood of impulse shopping, which can really add to the final bill. Another thing to bear in mind is that there are often special offers for online customers, which can be taken advantage off to boost savings even further.
Whilst there is generally a delivery charge to have your shopping brought to the doorstep the time of day that delivery is arranged for can affect the price. Shoppers should therefore aim for off peak hours if possible so that the delivery charge is lower.
Finally, shoppers can use sites such as mysupermarket.com where it is possible to do your shopping online and then see which of the major supermarkets offers you the shop for the least amount of money, which means even greater savings for the shopper. The site also allows shoppers to switch branded items to cheaper one with the click of a button, making this a fast and easy way to make savings.
Firms will have to stop forcing pensioners to retire
In his recent pre-election budget speech the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, indicated that the Labour party was looking at scrapping the default retirement age, which would mean that firms would have to stop forcing pensioners to retire at the legal retirement age of sixty five.
At present firms can use their discretion with regards to retirement of workers that reach this age, but whilst they can allow them to continue working they can also refuse to allow them to continue to work should they wish to do so.
Under new reforms, should they go ahead, firms would have to allow workers to continue working if they want to. Alistair Darling indicated in his budget speech that the Labour party would either scrap the default retirement age or would increase the retirement age. He also indicated that the party was looking at giving older workers more rights with regards to being able to get more flexible working hours and conditions from their employers.
A number of campaign groups and charities have said that having the current retirement age in place is discrimination, as it means that older workers that feel perfectly capable of continuing to work could be forced to retire by employers simply because of their age, regardless of their abilities, health, and other factors. However, some believe that the plans will cause concern for some businesses who do not want to be stuck with older workers that refuse to retire.
In his budget speech Alistair Darling stated: ‘To enable people who want to work longer, we are consulting on reform of employers’ right to make people retire at 65. We are looking at options which include scrapping the default retirement age, raising it or giving employees stronger rights.’
Cutting back on mobile phone costs
Cutting back on a variety of costs has become a part of everyday life for many people in the current financial climate, as many are keen to try and save money on their outgoings because of financial difficulties and the risk of job losses. Read more
Can comparison sites be trusted?
In the past anyone that wanted to look at finding cheaper prices on various products or services had to go to the hassle of ringing around or trawling the shops to try and get a better deal, which was quite frankly an inconvenience that put many people off trying to get a better deal. Read more
Do you want faster payments from your bank?
For many people that amount of time that their bank takes to transfer money from one bank account to another can be a real problem, and whilst banks are supposed to adhere to regulations that have been formed by the UK Payments Council there are many banks that still do not carry out the same day transfers in line with the Faster Payments Scheme, which was brought in back in May of 2008. Read more
Is the recession finally over?
To many people it may feel as though the UK has been stuck in recession forever, and the recent recession has resulted in many businesses and consumers suffering hugely as a result of job losses, plummeting sales and profits, and financial and economic chaos. Read more
Tips to make 2010 a money saving year
If you are one of the many people that have decided that their New Year’s resolution involves cutting back on costs and saving money then you may still be thinking of ways in which you can achieve your goal. Saving money and cutting back on your outgoings isn’t always easy, and you may have to think carefully about the different areas in which you can make cutbacks. However, there are actually a number of ways in which you can save money, and some of these are outlined below. Read more
FSA cracks down on sale and rent back schemes
Over the past few years an increasing number of people have had to turn to sale and rent back companies to try and get themselves out of a sticky situation with their homes. Read more
0.3 percent increase in retail sales for December
Figures have recently been released showing that in the month of December there was an increase of 0.3 percent in retail sales. Official figures proved disappointing when they showed that between November and December of last year retail sales grew by just 0.3 percent despite increased spending in the run up to Christmas. Read more
Stick to your New Year’s resolution to save money on your insurance costs
At the start of every year millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, which at the time they fully intend to stick to. Of course, as most of us know these resolutions simply melt away into nothing within a few weeks for many of us but there are the determine few that are able to stick out their resolutions. Read more
Are you hoping to get onto the property ladder this year?
Over the past couple of years first time buyers have been hit with a whole new problem. Following years of lack of affordability because of the sky high value of properties many first time buyers probably thought that their time had finally come when property prices started to plummet. Read more
Look out for the new BOGOF deal from Tesco
As a nation Brits are suckers for special deals in supermarkets, and many of us are guilty of buying something that we didn’t even actually need simply because it was on special offer. Amongst the various offers that supermarkets have launched in the past are half price goods and buy one get one free deals, and both of these prove hugely popular amongst consumers. Read more
Tips for Reducing Your TV and Broadband Bills
Television and broadband are very important to most people – so important, in fact, that most would rather cut back on other pleasures than reduce the service they receive from their telecommunications providers. According to a survey conducted by Ofcom, the television regulator, consumers say they would prefer to cut back on their holiday spending or eat less at restaurants than cut down on the amount of money they have to pay for TV and Broadband each month. Read more
Common scams to avoid
Scam artists and fraudsters have been around for centuries in some form or another, and in the past most have focussed their efforts on the more vulnerable people such as the elderly or low income people who are desperate for a way out of their situations. However, in the past few years scams have become more widespread and have resulted in a greater range of people being targeted. The global credit crisis has brought many fraudsters and scam artists out of the woodwork, and many are now using methods that are either very sophisticated or ones that are so simple and obvious nobody would think to question it. Read more
Sort your budget out for 2010
Like many other people you may have experienced a great many difficulties in terms of your finances this year, and this is partly because many of us were not prepared for the onslaught of financial problems that were set to hit us, ranging from the recession and job losses through to increasingly difficult credit conditions. However, the last year should have taught most of us some valuable lessons in terms of finances, and one thing that many people will be planning to do for 2010 is try and sort out their finances. Read more
Getting ready for the January sales
With Christmas almost upon us many people will be getting ready for the big day, and will be busy wrapping gifts, sorting out Christmas dinner, and organising visits to and from relatives. Read more
Is your pet insured against Christmas chaos?
There is evidence to suggest that over the past year many cash-strapped consumers have been trying to save money in what is still a difficult financial climate, and one way in which some have done this is by reducing or cancelling insurance policies that are not legally required such as health insurance and pet insurance. Read more
Making your money go further over the festive season
In years gone by Christmas usually referred to just one day, which was of course Christmas day, and whilst preparations for the big day were made in the run up to Christmas it was not like it is today, where the two weeks leading up to Christmas were filled with festive events and parties and the week between Christmas and New Year was also filled with events and festivities that often usually cost money. Read more
Save yourself some money this Christmas
Whilst Christmas is now only around the corner there are still plenty of people that simply haven’t had the time or spare cash to get their Christmas shopping done as early as they may have liked to have done it. Read more
How to save money on your Christmas gifts
Whilst Christmas is an exciting and fun-filled time of year for many people it can also fill many people with dread, particularly in the current climate where money has been really tight for so many households. Read more
Tips on buying a used car
Although the government’s ongoing car scrappage scheme has been welcomed by many industry groups and has been viewed as a boost for the motor industry for many consumers it has made little difference to their ability to get a new vehicle. Whilst the scheme offers up to £2000 towards a new car if the consumer scraps their old vehicle, subject to eligibility criteria, the consumer still has to find at least another several thousand pounds to purchase the new car, and in the current climate this isn’t always easy of even possible. Read more
Saving money on a night out
Before the global credit crunch and the recession many of us were able to enjoy a few good nights out, and although the cost of going out could often be high most of us were happy to pay what we had to in order to enjoy the chance to get away from it all and spend some time relaxing. Read more
Is quantitative easing working?
When the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, first announced plans for quantitative easing in the UK he said that £75 would be allocated for the scheme with an additional back up of a further £75 billion if necessary. Read more
Staying in and saving money
For those people that have become used to going out to socialise, which can of course work out to be quite expensive, the current financial climate will be have come as a real shock, as it may have forced them to cut back on their spending and start spending more time indoors.
With many people still fearful about their job security and about spending money unnecessarily spending time in the house has become increasing common even amongst those that once went out on a regular basis.
However, whilst it may seem that being stuck in the house will equate to a boring, uninspiring evening this is not necessarily the case, and you can actually enjoy a very cheap night in whilst having plenty of fun and entertainment.
More and more people are now staying in rather than heading off on an expensive night out, and this has been proven through figures such as those released by takeaway firms, where profits have been soaring as a result of people ordering a takeaway rather than going out for meals.
A rising number of people are now starting to realise the benefits of entertaining at home or spending nights in rather than out on the town, and it doesn’t have to involve being stuck in front of the box watching programmes that you don’t even like!
In fact entertaining at home has become so popular that industry officials have come up with the phrase ‘in-tertaining’.
One industry official said: ‘The recession has made people far savvier when it comes to saving money, and millions of us have worked out that in-tertaining is a great way to cut back without missing out. So much so that a whopping 57% of our monthly, paid for entertainment is now being consumed in our homes.’
If you enjoy going out to dine with friends then the perfect solution is to dine in your own home yet still enjoy the same company. You could look at creating a great dish for your friends and bring in a few bottles to go with the food, which will work out far cheaper than going out for a meal. Alternatively you can order a takeaway if you want something more casual, which again should work out much cheaper.
You could even have a ‘bring a bottle’ type evening, where each of your friends brings a dish and a bottle, and you can enjoy a buffet style evening with evening mucking in with the cost and cooking.
Going to the pictures can prove quite expensive if there is a group of you going, so why not look at renting a DVD, getting some popcorn in, and having a fun night in front of the box without the constant dirty looks and ’shusshes’ that you might get at the cinema if you so much as sneeze! Again, this is a great way to save money whilst enjoying entertainment in a casual and fun setting.
In fact, many people are already doing this, with a DVD rental specialist stating: ‘Since the start of the recession, our membership has more than doubled in size as people look to save that extra bit of cash while still enjoying themselves. Staying in has definitely become the new going out. Our members are renting more titles than before, they’re buying more DVDs from our shop and now they’re even accessing films and TV online through our new digital service – more ways than ever for them to enjoy an entertaining night in.’
Even romance doesn’t have to cost a fortune, as you can enjoy a delicious home cooked meal – and for those that aren’t too good at cooking many supermarkets now offer meal deals where you can get pre-made meals that simply need to be warmed along with sumptuous deserts and wine, and with the right lighting and music you can recreate a wonderful romantic night in with the added benefit of a private setting.
Second hand sales soar in credit crunch
With the global credit crunch still affecting most household finances many people have been looking for inventive ways to boost their income, and according to a recent report many have started selling their unused items to try and bring in a little extra cash. Read more
Buyers of new builds in UK paying for rabbit hutches
It has been reported that new build properties in the UK have the smallest rooms in all of Europe, and industry officials have said that consumers who are shelling out huge sums of money for these newer homes are basically paying for rabbit hutches. Read more
Illegal speed camera means £1.5 million in refunds
It has been revealed recently that around 25,000 drivers are to be repaid a total of £1.5 million in fines as the result of an illegal speed camera that had been in operation for a decade. Read more
Ways to earn and save money online
Many of us are experiencing financial problems at present due to the difficult financial climate and the recession, and most of us want to find ways to try and improve out situations by savings more money or earning a little more. Read more
Tips for Buying a Flat With Friends
Many times friends decide to pool their resources and buy a flat together. The combines resources and credit ratings gives them more borrowing power, which in turn allows them to purchase a larger flat in a better area of a city. Read more
Warning issued over HMRC message
Over the past couple of weeks authorities have had to issue warnings over a new email scam that was doing the rounds claiming to be from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Read more
Tips to make your money go further
In the current financial climate it has become increasingly important to most consumers to find ways to make their money stretch that little bit further, but it is not always easy to find ways to do this. However, there are a number of tips that could help you to make the most of your spending money, which could mean that you get to cut back on everything from your weekly or monthly shopping bill to the cost of entertainment and going out. Read more
Have a UK Holiday and Save Money
With the reduction in the value of the pound against foreign currencies, many people in the UK are rethinking their holiday plans for this summer. It promises to be a hot one, if the weather predictions prove to be correct, and most people will want to visit beach areas, of which there are plenty right here at home. Read more
Have You Considered Swapping Homes Instead of Selling?
A new trend has arisen in the housing market among those wishing to either upgrade or downsize in their homes. With the housing market in a slump, many who would like to sell their homes are unable to do so because the prices have hit an all-time low. They would not be able to receive enough profit from the sale for it to be of any financial benefit for them. Read more
Tesco lost out to supermarket giants over Christmas
One of the leading supermarkets in the UK has admitted that over the Christmas period it lost out to its rival supermarket giants, with the weakest sales growth in nearly two decades. In the run up to Christmas sales levels for Tesco only went up by around 2.5 percent, which was far less than its rival supermarkets. Read more
You don’t have to sell up to make money from your home
The years of the property boom seem like they were a long time ago, but in reality it has only been a couple of years since the property bubble exploded with a resounding bang. During the years of the boom many homeowners in the UK made a killing on their investments, having seen the price of property soar in the UK. However, with property prices having plunged many have lost some or all of the equity in their homes, and this has left them unable or unwilling to sell their homes. Read more
Low deposit mortgage numbers fall
Industry officials have reported that there has been a fall in the number of low deposit mortgages that are still on the market. This could cause huge problems for potential first time buyers, many of whom do not have much in the way of savings to put towards a deposit and none of whom have a previous property from which to take equity to put towards a deposit. Read more
MPs state loss of personal data should be classed as an offence
Instances of data loss and security breaches by banks, financial institutions and even government agencies have been at the forefront of the financial headlines over recent months, with one of the most major instances of sensitive data loss resulting from the loss of two discs containing the banks details of 25 million customers, which was lost by HM Revenue and Customs last year. Read more
Northern consumers spend more
People in London spend less on nights out and entertainment than consumers in the north and Scotland, according to a new survey. 
Following research that British singletons have a higher disposable monthly income than those in a relationship, David Kuo, head of personal finance at Fool.co.uk, said that Londoners spend slightly less money than their northern counterparts when it comes to going out and socialising,
“The Scots spend about around £74 a month, people in the north spend £72 a month and Londoners only spend around £61 a month,” he stated.
However, the research from Fool.co.uk revealed that while Northerners are more inclined to spend money on going out, Londoners spend more on nights in and dvds.
The research also showed that the average single Brit is £255.42 per month better off than those in a relationship.
Single Brits spends £281 a month on rent and bills, compared with the £500 paid out by someone in a relationship, meaning the singletons make a massive £2,600 saving per year on rent alone.
Court still allowing consumers to sue over bank charges
The row over unlawful and unfair bank charges has been raging for some time, and many bank customers have managed to reclaim past charged for exceeding the overdraft limit and for returned cheques and direct debits – some going back up to six years – after UK financial regulators stated that the fees were unjust and unfair last year. Finally, earlier this year, regulators and banks decided that a test case was needed in order to determine whether or not the charges were fair.
In the meantime courts and judges were advised that pending cases filed by bank customers that were trying to reclaim their charges could be put on hold until after the test case had gone ahead in order to make a decision easier. However, despite this many consumers are continuing to successful sue their banks, which indicates that many courts and judges are continuing to let these actions to through.
One claimant who won nearly £3000 stated that her case was only heard as a result of the bank not turning up to defend itself. She stated: “When it was my turn, I found out that there was nobody from Abbey to deal with my case and went in to face the judge alone. She told me that as Abbey hadn’t turned up to defend against me, she would be finding in my favour, but had Abbey turned up, she would have granted a stay, as that was what they were all doing until after the test case.”
Apart from in Wales, and in Devon and Cornwall, where a blanket stay of outstanding cases has been granted, courts and judges can make their own decisions, and many are doing this on a case by case basis according to some officials.
Tom Smith
29th September 2007
Carry on insuring
With Bank Holiday approaching many people in the UK will be considering a caravan holiday.
Recent research shows that caravanning is quickly reaching popularity levels not seen in the country for decades and is being given an extra injection of cool with a number of high-profile celebrities choosing to spend their holidays this way.
The likes of Kate Moss, Robbie Williams and Jamie Oliver have been spotted enjoying a caravan holiday and the rest of the UK seems to be following suit.
However, Co-operative Insurance (CIS) is warning first-time caravanners to ensure that they have adequate insurance to cover a break of this kind.
“Many people take caravan breaks to escape the pressures of everyday life but it is important that holidaymakers are aware of the potential dangers and keep a watchful eye on their caravan and belongings to ensure that their trip remains stress free,” said David Neave from CIS.
According to the insurance firm, the average caravan claim sits at £1,826, with the most common problem being theft.
This is closely followed by storm damage, a crash, vandalism and accidental damage to contents.
CIS warns carvanners to take precautions such as immobilising the mobile home whenever they stop, fitting an alarm and locking doors and windows.
