Motor insurance continues to rise

A recent survey has shown that motor insurance is continuing to increase, leaving many drivers who are already struggling to keep up with the cost of running their vehicle in an even worse situation in terms of their finances. The cost of vehicle insurance has been soaring recently and is much higher now than it was a year ago. On top of this drivers have had to deal with vast increases in petrol costs, leaving many financially crippled.

According to the results of the survey the cost of insuring a vehicle is now nearly 31 percent higher than it was a year ago. Compared to March the cost of vehicle insurance cover in April increased by 4 percent, showing that car insurance costs are continuing to increase. Many drivers are now being forced to abandon their vehicles and look at other modes of transport because of the high costs involved with running their vehicle.

An official from one insurance monitoring group, Tiger.co.uk, said: “Our analysis shows that car insurance inflation continues to be a major financial issue for the majority of UK drivers. Within our analysis inflation in the last month has been particularly prevalent for younger female drivers and we may well be seeing here the early impact of the recent EU gender ruling that, from December 2012, will outlaw the use as gender as an insurance risk factor in its own right.”

For the many people who are already struggling experts are advising considering a switch in insurance, as the cost of cover can vary from one provider to another. Drivers can compare the cost and levels of cover with ease using the Internet and can look at finding a more appropriate level of cover at a more affordable price.

Tags: group, The cost, Business and Economy, Many drivers, year

Reduce the cost of the Christmas food shop

The cost of Christmas can be high enough at the best of times, with households forking out for things like gifts and going out. However, the cost of food also adds to the financial burden over the festive season, and for bigger families in particular the amount being spent on food can quickly spiral out of control. With the cost of food having increased the situation will be even worse this year, and many families can ill afford to spend the amount that they will end up paying for food for Christmas.

There are some ways, however, in which consumers can try and reduce the amount that they spend on Christmas food, and in the current climate every bit helps, so it is worth making the effort now to reduce the cost of food shopping. One thing to remember is that a lot of the food people tend to buy for the festive season is not short life stuff – much of it can be frozen, such as party foods and buffet items, turkeys, ready made roasters, and frozen vegetables.

With this in mind it is a good idea to start looking out for special offers on the food items that you will need for Christmas now rather than leaving it until the last minute. By taking advantage of special deals as you see them, such as half price deals or two for one deals, you could dramatically reduce the amount that you spend on food overall for the festive season. It also means that you won’t have to worry about finding the money all at once to buy your Christmas food because you can buy it gradually between now and Christmas.

Another thing to consider is where you buy your food, as this can make a big difference to the amount that you spend. Many discount supermarkets that have sprung up over the past couple of years offer some good deals on many food items, and although most do not have the same special deals such as two for one deals on items the initial cost of the products is often considerably cheaper. When it comes to veggies for Christmas consider going to a market rather than buying from supermarkets if you want fresh vegetables, as this can often be cheaper as well as fresher.

Finally, resist the temptation to buy too much food for the Christmas period. Many people tend to forget that shops and supermarkets are only shut for one day, and they start stocking up for no reason with food that often ends up going to waste. Just buy what you need for the big day, and you can then determine whether you need to do another shop afterwards depending on what you have left.

Tags: The cost, short life stuff, frozen vegetables, cost, food, last minute, discount supermarkets