It is no secret that it is harder than ever to get on the property ladder, with soaring house prices and a hugely competitive market. Yet in 2018, the number of first-time buyers is the highest in 12 years. After committing to the biggest investment of their lives, it is not surprising that house buyers are more keen than ever to make sure they can successfully increase the value of their home. Don’t worry, you don’t need to take out a second mortgage to pay for home improvements! Here are 5 tips and tricks to increase the value of your home on a budget. Convert Under-Utilised ... read more
Thrifty home technology tips
Where would we be without our gadgets? A few years ago, it seemed bad enough – TVs in most rooms, a computer in the study, a games console and handhelds for the kids. Today, the tech has completely taken over, with smartphones, tablets, a TV with so many boxes under it, you’ve no idea what half of them do, laptops all over the house and, as if that wasn’t bad enough, Alexa, the Queen of All She Surveys, lording it over everything and everyone. OK, so it’s not actually so bad, and 90 percent of us who moan about the technology taking over would probably complain even more loudly if it ... read more
5 Clever Decisions to Save Time and Money
Saving money often comes at the expense of saving time. It seems impossible to do both. But it doesn’t have to be. Making the five following decisions is guaranteed to save you both time and money, and you’ll be surprised how easy they actually are. Consolidate debt Credit cards can be fun to use, and especially so with cards that provide rewards. However, sometimes life gets crazy, and between the credit cards, auto loans, and other debt accrued, time keeping track of all of those bills and money spent on separate payments accruing interest is wasted. Looking into an institution ... read more
Saving money on day to day grocery essentials
When you're trying to save money at home it can seem relatively easy to save on some of the bigger expenses. Things like shopping around for insurance deals, switching your utility supplier, waiting until the sales to buy a new fridge or washing machine. That kind of thing. But, when it comes to the things that we buy week in week out it can be much harder, especially if you're time poor. Not all of us have the time to wander around the supermarket looking for special offers or are able to time our trip so that it coincides with when staff members mark down the reductions on things that ... read more
Look After My Bills – saving money with minimal effort
Saving money on your energy bills is one of those thrifty things that should be easy. There are sites out there offering to help you save money on your bills by finding the best tariff based on your usage and where you live, but the key thing that you have to remember is that these sites are just helping you at one moment in time. On the day that you enter your details they assess the market and tell you what the best deal is for you that day. But what about when your current deal ends? Do you remember to make a note of when your deal is due to end? Or do you just wait until you see that ... read more
How to Save Money on a Mattress Purchase
Photo credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Couponing_workshop_helps_military_families_save_money_160221-F-XU223-003.jpg How are your mornings: bright and filled with fresh energy that’s ready to be transformed into a productive day, or dreadful and filled with back pain and muscle spasms? If the latter is true for you, this can only mean one thing: you need a new mattress! But if you’re like me, you’d rather sleep on the floor than go through the whole mattress shopping process. Even more, modern beds are so expensive these days! It’s like you have to sell a leg ... read more
5 Work From Home Jobs Every Mum Should Consider
https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-blur-computer-cup-374897/ As a mum, you often want to make sure that you’re able to make life as enjoyable for your children as possible. It’s often the reason why we put them above everything else in our lives. Your needs immediately get put to the side as you try to focus on the needs of your kids instead. It’s only natural. So when you work, you often have to think of ways you can fit it in with looking after your kids. This often means that you have to work part-time, and that can make earning more harder to do. But it’s not your only option. Because ... read more
Using The Time They Spend In School
(Image Link) Being a stay at home mom is never an easy job. From the strict schedule you have to maintain, to the work you have to do without any recognition or praise, you will always have a lot on your plate. Unless the kids start going to school, that is. At this important milestone, you will find yourself with loads of newfound time, and choosing what to do with it will be a job on its own. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the most productive ways to spend the time your kids are at school. Start A Company When you have children at school, doing a normal ... read more
3 Stress-free Ways of Teaching Your Child Financial Responsibility
Image via Pixabay No one wants their kids to grow up to have a poor relationship with money, and to fall into financial difficulties. Parents often go to great lengths to protect their kids from any stress, strain or misfortune. Whether reading through an artificial grass guide for an allergy-free lawn, or getting them involved in hobbies that might aid their future career prospects. Among the lessons which are best taught during childhood, good money habits stand out head and shoulders above much of the rest. Nonetheless, they are often overlooked by parents who don’t like the idea of ... read more
How To Save Money With The London Explorer Pass
London can be an amazing city to visit. It will give you some unique experiences you won't have on any other trip. It is one of the best places in the world for art, culture, and history, and also for nightlife, attractions, shopping, and general fun. However, London can also be very expensive. Whether you are visiting from another part of the UK or from abroad, the cost of going out in London can be high, and even for people who live in London, visiting the biggest attractions can seem extremely expensive. Luckily, there are packages designed to make a day out or a weekend in London as ... read more