Forget the stereotype of the curtain-twitching pensioner keeping tabs on your comings and goings – a new wave of nosy neighbour is in town – and it’s not to grass on you for for breaking Covid restrictions. We aren’t counting how many people you have visiting in your home, we aren’t checking to see if you are isolating after your holiday in Europe – oh no! We are watching what… View Post
Good deals come to those who wait, or so that saying goes. Throughout the year, retailers adjust their prices as demand for different items fluctuates, that’s why planning when shopping is crucial when looking for a bargain. Here is my guide to the best time of year to make your purchase. JANUARY The January sales are known for bargain prices, but this is especially true when it comes… View Post
Spring has sprung, and I am pumped for the sunshine, longer days and cherry blossom on every street. But if you’re thinking of breaking out the mower to get a head start on spring cleaning, why not take an hour or two to go over your household bills to see if you could save hundreds of pounds? Every year I challenge myself to see by how much I can cut… View Post
When my daughter Audrey was born in 2013, my life suddenly changed. But while I had anticipated a huge shift in my social life and my sleep pattern, I never predicted that Audrey’s birth would be the catalyst that caused me to invest in the stock market for the first time. You would think that I have been all over the stock market given my career as a financial journalist,… View Post
Today I am doing a takeover on the Instastories for Frolo, the single parenting community app, so thought I might share this post from earlier in 2020 about what I did about my money when my marriage suddenly – and surprisingly – ended. Check it out… Last month, my life was flipped upside down when my husband and I separated. I won’t get into the details of what happened, but… View Post
Shacking up, cohabiting or living in sin. However you label it, it means the same thing – moving in with your partner before you walk down the aisle first. Luckily, gone are the days when it was considered scandalous to move in with your partner before marriage. In fact, these days I’d be more shocked if friends of mine waited until after their wedding to live together for the… View Post
It’s November! Not only does that mean that Christmas is around the corner, but it also means my birthday – the first one since my marriage ended and hopefully the only one during a national Lockdown. Secretly, I had been dreading the day as I wouldn’t be able to see family or friends either in Canada or here in the UK and I expected to feel very lonely. But as… View Post
Every year, I hang up the same advent calendar that my best friend Jamie made me in high school more than 20 years ago. It’s moved with me many times over the years; from where I grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada to a couple of apartments during university. Eventually, it made its way all the way to England where it hung in several flats around… View Post
I like to think that when it comes to teaching my daughter safety and good manners, I’ve got it under control. Yet when it comes to educating our kids about money, few parents know where to start – myself included. But we parents are the biggest influence on our children’s financial habits – so it’s crucial that teach them that money plays a variety of roles in life, whether it’s… View Post
There are nearly eight million people living alone in the UK according to figures from the Office of National Statistics and it turns out that they are spending £21 a week more on average than those living as a couple. And I should know, I am one of them. Whether you’re single by choice, or as a result of a recent breakup or divorce, living on your own presents some… View Post
I’ve just been a guest on Talk Radio and chatted to Mike Graham about why it’s important to teach our kids about cash. Why not have a watch? I pop up on screen at the 2:25:00 mark. Also, read on to find out all my other top tips for parents. I don’t want to brag, but when it comes to teaching my daughter safety and good manners, I like to… View Post
Ladies, have you ever thought about how much unpaid work that you do around the house? Of course you have – we’ve all done it, although, I’m willing to bet that it’s been during a moment of rage at our other halves when they have failed to unload the dishwasher yet again. Well, there is good reason for your sense of injustice, women do an average of 26 hours a… View Post
“Remember, remember, John Lewis in November.” This is my new favourite saying thanks to this month being big for family birthdays – mine, my daughter’s father’s and my mother in law’s – then it finishes off with a bombardment of Black Friday deals, which falls on November 27, 2020. It seems that every year, we buy each other birthday pressies, only to find them so much cheaper just two weeks… View Post
Today is Equal Pay Day – but don’t get too excited, it’s nothing to celebrate. Thanks to the gender pay gap, women still earn almost a fifth – 17.3 per cent to be precise – less than men. In other words, from today (November 20), up until the end of the year, us women are effectively working for free when compared like-for-like to men’s salaries. It’s enough to make my… View Post
AD: Hands up who claims cashback through their bank when they’re shopping on plastic? Nope? Well shockingly neither did I until I realised what I was missing out on. New research from Santander UK has found that a whopping 42% of Brits say they NEVER make savings using cashback. To put that into cold hard cash, the bank estimates that its customers missed out on £2.7 million in cashback in… View Post
Have you ever dreamt about winning the lottery or finding out about a huge inheritance from a long-lost relative that you never knew even existed? Of course you have – we have all daydreamed about what we would do with the cash should a lump sum fall into our lap. But I bet few of us have actually thought about how we could make this money last? While a million… View Post
When on the hunt for a bargain, one of the first places most of us look is Amazon.co.uk – especially when Amazon Prime Day rolls around. But while the retail giant offers great discounts on thousands of products, sometimes you can find a cheaper offer elsewhere. For instance, some products may look like a bargain compared to the recommended retail price (RRP) – but chances are, few other retailers are actually… View Post
Do you work for the NHS – well, you should make the most of the deals on offer. Read on for 12 of the best NHS discounts
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If you need a Will, in November, you can get a solicitor to sort it all out for you and it all you have to do is make a donation you can afford.… View Post
With the temperature falling in recent weeks, there’s no denying that winter is definitely here. But the cold weather and dark nights don’t mean you have to wear an extra jumper around the house for fear of facing a massive energy bill. There are a few things that I refuse to scrimp on – and heating my home is one of them. But this doesn’t mean I am foolish… View Post
GET PAID TO SHOP Hands up who likes free money? Well, if you shop online and you don’t use a cashback website, that is exactly what you are missing out on. Ask any of my friends or colleagues and they’ll say that I’ve been banging on about cashback websites for years. And it’s easy to see why: a quick look on my Quidco.com shows that I’ve been paid £1,800… View Post
Ask any parent about how we protect our children and we’ll spout all the ways that we try our best to keep them safe: car seats, vaccinations, teaching road safety, chopping up grapes – the list is endless. But a parent’s responsibility continues even after death, yet research from Scottish Widows reveals that 60% of women in the UK with dependent children have no life cover, leaving their families in a precarious situation… View Post
I don’t know about you, but spending last three months in my house has left me desperate to redecorate. Before lockdown hit, I had a list of jobs as long as my arm, and after more than 12 weeks of staring at the same four walls, I’m suddenly convinced that maybe I should start that bedroom reno afterall. Though, thanks to the economic uncertainty and my pending divorce (argh!),… View Post