ABC Money

Unexpected Payments Costing Brits £175 Billion

Finance

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3 May 2017

Unexpected Payments Costing Brits £175 Billion

Unexpected payments will cost Brits more than £175 BILLION, according to a new study.

Research of 2,000 adults found that over the course of a lifetime, they will shell out £3,146 each on unanticipated bills.

And on average, their most recent unexpected bill or payment set them back £485.

The research was carried out by leading online lender MYJAR, whose spokesman said: “We’ve seen studies carried out in the past about how much money people have in their bank accounts, and how much they’ve set aside for rainy days or emergencies.

“However, our research has revealed how much these emergencies will actually cost over a lifetime – and the figure is incredibly high.

“For many, there’s a very real fear of being landed with unexpected bills or payments, as many households budget their regular financial commitments very well, but don’t have a financial buffer to cover anything out-of-the-blue.”

Half of respondents said they are anxious about the possibility of receiving an unforeseen expense, with one in 10 rating themselves “extremely” worried.

Many of the top 30 most common unexpected payments are for absolute necessities. The most common unexpected payment in the country, according to the study, is a washing machine or dishwasher breaking down, followed by being landed with a parking ticket.

A computer packing-up, damage to a car and boilers breaking also appeared on the list of most common out-of-the-blue bills.

And more than a quarter of British consumers have had to pay out for unanticipated overdraft fees or a pet getting injured or becoming unwell.

One respondent said that on one occasion, they needed to quickly fund the purchase of a mini-digger they unexpectedly won on an eBay bid.

And another needed cash to pay for an emergency course of hypnotherapy to deal with a troubling case of OCD.

On average, respondents think that they encounter three unexpected payments per year, and six in 10 reported that money they’d had to use to cover them had already been earmarked for something else.

And 25 per cent said that if an unexpected bill of up to £500 came in, they would struggle to pay it.

To dig themselves out of an unexpected financial hole, Brits are most likely to dip into savings, borrow from family members or sell something of value.

And sometimes, we’re in the position of lending, rather than borrowing. Respondents reckon that in total, they’ve lent £1,800 to friends and family, with 50 per cent saying they’ve been asked in the past.

Four in 10 respondents also admit that an unexpected bill or payment has left them struggling to pay for other necessities like medical care, electricity and gas.

MYJAR’s spokesman said: “Here at MYJAR, we are proud to be an award-winning responsible lender.

“Many people have very few options open to them – Nearly 30% of respondents would have no option other than to borrow from friends, however not everyone has a friend or family member with hundreds of pounds in disposable income.”

“We lend flexibly up to £3,600 over loan durations between 3 and 12 months. With a 9.3/10 score on Trustpilot, it’s clear our service is appreciated by thousands of customers in the UK.”

THE TOP 30 MOST COMMON UNEXPECTED PAYMENTS

1. Washing machine/dishwasher dying
2. Parking ticket
3. Computer packing up
4. Boiler packing up
5. Damaged car
6. Dental surgery
7. Overdraft fees
8. Pet getting injured/unwell
9. TV breaking
10. Speeding ticket
11. Fridge breaking
12. Leak in bathroom
13. Accidentally signing a subscription and not cancelling before renewal
14. Leak in the roof
15. Having to pay for your kids to go on a school trip
16. Having to buy a new car because yours is past it
17. Phone screen smashed
18. Smashed window
19. An unexpected tax bill
20. Having to buy clothes for the kids out of the blue (because they’ve grown or ruined clothing)
21. Huge phone bill (landline)
22. Needing to buy a suit for a special occasion
23. Property stolen
24. Mobile phone bill after a trip abroad
25. Emergency anniversary/birthday/valentines gift after forgetting the date
26. Having to travel long distance out of the blue
27. Luggage too heavy at airport
28. Paying for medical procedures
29. Needing to buy school equipment for your kids (e.g.: a laptop or iPad)
30. Dropping mobile phone in the toilet

The Rise of the Quick House Sale: Why is it So Popular?

ABC Staff

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2 May 2017

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The Rise of the Quick House Sale: Why is it So Popular?

Historically, the quick house sale market was used almost exclusively by home-owners who had fallen behind with their mortgage repayments. In fact, this service only emerged in the wake of the Great Recession, as a host of property owners became encumbered with negative equity and struggled to repay their monthly debts.

The market has evolved considerably during the last five years, however, enjoying incremental growth while becoming applicable to a number of alternative demographics and circumstances.

With Brexit and an unfavourable economic climate causing house prices to fall and demand to tail off in the UK too, this market may become even more popular in the months ahead. In this article we will ask why?

How the Economic Climate Continues to Drive the Market

Let’s start with the economy, which is experiencing cyclical decline that is impacting on both sellers and aspiring buyers.

Firstly, the average house price fell by 0.4% during April, following on from a drop of 0.3% in March. This marked the first time that house prices fell in two consecutive months for nearly five years, as a lack of real wage growth and rising inflation took their toll on consumers across the UK.

While falling prices may represent good news for buyers, a lack of purchasing power is beginning to hit demand and restrict many from entering the marketplace. This is driving stagnation in the market, as vendors struggle to make a quick sale and aspiring buyers struggle to invest in desirable properties.

Clearly, this is making the option of partnering with a quick house sale firm such as sellhousefastbuyer.com. After all, while these companies buy properties at below market value, in most instances they will still pay up to 85% of the asking price. They will also complete cash transactions in a matter of days, while absorbing the legal and logistical costs of completing the move.

This represents an increasingly appealing proposition in the current climate, and one that negates the lack of demand that exists in the market.

What About Increased Regulatory Measures?

Of course, this would mean little without stringent regulatory measures to govern the marketplace. Fortunately, the public sector has worked hard to deliver these as the market has evolved, creating a stringent set of guidelines that firms must adhere to at all times. This includes stipulations relating to valuation of properties, and the way in which firms present their offers to customers.

This has gradually built higher levels of trust in the service, helping the market to grow and diversify organically. As a result, it is now used by everyone from novice house flippers and auction buyers to those who want to secure a quick sale and relocate, while it continues to provide financial relief to owners who have fallen behind with their mortgage repayments.

How Will the Market Evolve in the Future?

With these points in mind, it is easy to see why the quick house sale market has evolved so successfully during the last five years or so. They also offer an insight into the future of the market, as we can surely expect further growth and expansion in the months’ ahead.

After all, Brexit negotiations are likely to take a further toll on the economy while the nature of any deal that is agreed with the EU will also have a direct impact on property prices and the average buyer’s spending power.

This means that the demand for quick house sales, and the potential applications for the marketplace, will have a tremendous opportunity to evolve as the economic climate becomes more volatile.

Is there an Effective Way to Boost Sales in Your Retail Outlet?

ABC Staff

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28 April 2017

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Is there an Effective Way to Boost Sales in Your Retail Outlet?

One of the biggest disadvantages that traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores have in comparison to their online counterparts is the fact that they have a limited reach. Although certain big retailers can reach out to a very wide range of customers from far away, even that has a limit. Smaller offline retailers mainly depend on a specific and mostly local customer base to make their sales. In spite of that limitation, though, many traditional retail stores are still flourishing today, even in this age of online shopping. Let us now take a look at some of the strategies that these successful retailers often employ to boost and maintain high sales figures.

The Pricing

Pricing your items right is the key to keeping customers, but in one’s zeal to offer the cheapest deals in the area, it is not uncommon for retailers to suffer losses both in the short run and in the long run. It is imperative that you calculate your overheads and other expenses in addition to the cost price of a particular item before putting a price tag on it. While your prices should be competitive, they should not be so low that you end up losing money instead of making it.

Highlighting

Impulse shopping is responsible for more sales than an inexperienced retailer might think. Use swing tags to highlight special products, discounts and offers or focus on a particular product that you want shoppers to see with a spotlight. Use of promotional videos throughout the store with strategically placed displays is also an excellent idea to instigate impulse shopping, as well as making shoppers aware of what you want them to be aware of.

Rapport

As mentioned earlier, since your store is a brick-and-mortar establishment, your client base is somewhat local and chances are that they will return again when they need something, provided that your employees managed to make a good impression on them during their first visit. While it goes without saying that the experience of all your customers should be pleasant, it should go beyond that and become a bit personal as well, when possible. What this means is that the employee who is attending to the customer should be more than just a nameless store attendant. If he/she is able to connect with the shoppers in a way that they remember him/her by name and rely upon that person to make purchasing decisions, you have just found an asset that you don’t want to lose.

After Sales

When someone buys something from a store, that person is buying from you and not the manufacturer. This is an important fact to remember because small retailers often do not provide the same level of support to their customers once the goods are sold that customers expect them to. It is true that appliances and electronics have a manufacturer warranty on them, but if the customer is facing a problem within a short time of purchasing an item from your shop, try to help them as best as you can by acting as a mediator between the customer and the manufacturer to speed up the repair/replacement process. Word of mouth is a stronger marketing tool than people realise nowadays. If the grieving customer had a pleasant experience with you while he/she was in distress, that person will recommend your store to other people with a positive feedback and that’s powerful marketing for you right there.

The answer to the question in the title is yes; there are multiple ways to boost sales in offline retail and not just the ones mentioned here. You should also make your shop as appealing and comfortable for shoppers as possible, invest in both online and offline marketing, run a promotional campaign and maybe even open up an online store to reach out to a much wider range of potential customers. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your budget and the nature of your retail business.

The Best Books about Personal Finance to Read in 2017

Elliot

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28 April 2017

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The Best Books about Personal Finance to Read in 2017

Life can be hard and sometimes you may find yourself in a difficult financial situation where the extra money is needed urgently. You may need money to get out of debt, invest into a new business, or fund an important purchase.

No matter what your current financial goals are, there is always someone out there ready to help. Applying to Personal Money Service is probably the fastest and easiest way of getting the money you need. The approval process takes only a few minutes, and you will be offered to most suitable lenders to cover all your expenses and keep your finance under control.

Also, in order to encourage you to have more control over your finance and achieve the wealth, we are happy to present you some of the most popular books on personal finance. In this article, we are going to tell you about top personal finance books that have powerful and different approaches on how to faster accumulate personal wealth.

The Richest Man in Babylon

This book written by George S. Clason has already inspired investors since the beginning of the 20^th century. It’s one of the best books about acquiring wealth. Like many other similar books on the same topic, this masterpiece highlights saving over spending. On the other hand, The Richest Man in Babylon also encourages giving money to charity. It’s equally as significant unless you allow others to become dependent on your gifts.

Your Money or Your Life

Many people believe that the richer you are the better life conditions you have. This may be true, but the author of this book Vicki Robin thinks differently. She gives examples of people whose income brings in less than they spend out on childcare and pay for “time-saving” meals at McDonald’s. As a result, according to this book living more frugally and spending less can actually increase your quality of life.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

In this book, Robert Kiyosaki describes two main characters – an eighth-grade dropout and a college professor. They are featured as people with the completely opposite attitude towards money and finance. While the boy manages to spend less money than he earns, the professor can barely make ends meet. Kiyosaki claims that a stable job with a regular salary can only get you started in life. But if you want to achieve wealth, you need to learn how to invest your time and money wisely. The best way to do so is to buy a property or invest in a business. More than that, you can write a best-selling book like Kiyosaki yourself.

The Science of Getting Rich

This isn’t the book about science. It’s a really old book written in 1910 that gives the intellectual framework for so many seminars about personal wealth-building. Wallace Wattle, the author of this book, states that your ability to become wealthy depends on the way you think about it. For instance, if somebody believes money is the root of the evil, they will most likely never become rich.

The Millionaire Fast Lane

MJ DeMarco wrote a book in which he presents an unusual and non-traditional approach to personal finance. According to him, working hard the whole like and saving 10 percent of your income won’t help you when you retire at sixty-five. He believes it’s a foolish game because modern financial markets are too unsteady. Moreover, you may not stay alive by the time you’ve saved enough money for retirement. His unusual approach consists in using the unsteadiness of modern financial markets to your advantage in order to become rich quickly and enjoy your wealth now.

Total Money Makeover

This is a best-selling personal finance book written by a famous Dave Ramsey. You’ve probably heard about him or even listened to his radio shows. If yes, then you know that his approach is all about common sense. He suggests people should pay cash for all possible purchases, avoid buying things on credit. He urges people to get out of debt as soon as possible and accumulate an emergency fund for any unforeseen situations. You won’t see any funny anecdotes or any mumbo-jumbo in his book. Ramsey is a serious author who offers solid and essential advice on personal finance that will definitely be useful for every person.

As house prices soar, a fifth of millennials are depending on family inheritance to get a foot on the property ladder

ABC Staff

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26 April 2017

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As house prices soar, a fifth of millennials are depending on family inheritance to get a foot on the property ladder

In a feature on what they dub ‘Generation regret’, insurance and asset management providers Aviva reported that the majority of millennials (63%) are relying on a windfall or one-off event to help secure their financial futures, rising to 72% in those who went to university. With an average disposable income of just £156 each month, 18% of people aged between 18 and 35 are depending on family inheritance.

But as the Government pushes ahead with sharp increases in probate fees, this generation, largely reliant on inheriting property from parents, face crippling inheritance tax and probate fees when they do so.

Millennials are increasingly reliant on inheritance

Responding to a survey by HSBC, millennials were largely optimistic about the prospect of owning their first home within the next five years, but increasing house prices and slow wage growth mean that the reality remains a long way off for most. The millennial demographic is the first generation to earn less than their predecessors: men between the ages of 22 and 35 were recently calculated to earn £12,500 less than the previous generation did by age 30.

The average cost of a one- or two-bedroom starter home has risen by as much 10.5% since 2015. Across London, the average price of property for first-time buyers has increased by 55% in just four years, coming in at £533,105. Given that 69% of those hoping to purchase a home in the coming years report they have yet to save enough for a deposit, the dream of homeownership looks set to be deferred for a while yet.

As a result, the Aviva survey concludes, one in three millennials believe they have been priced out of the property market. Meanwhile, more than one in ten millennials who do own their home with a mortgage are relying on their property increasing in value to enable them to move up the property ladder.

Those who do inherit face crippling fees

Changes to inheritance tax (IHT) and probate valuations came in with the 2017 Spring Budget, and it was something of a mixed bag: A plan to cut inheritance tax will see the threshold value on which each individual will be required to pay increase by £175,000. By 2020, this means married couples will be able to pass on assets worth up to £1m, including a family home, without being charged any IHT at all.

However, probate fees—payable when claiming inheritances—are now being called the ‘new inheritance tax’. Probate valuation is prepared in accordance with HMRC guidelines to help determine whether or not IHT is payable on an estate and, if so, how much will be charged. Due to high property values, many estates now fall over the inheritance tax threshold, even if their contents are valued modestly.

In tandem with reformed inheritance tax, new probate charges are set to come into effect this year. The original proposal for a new “sliding scale,” which can be as high as £20,000 for larger estates was recently scrapped by the government, but it’s likely some sort of increase on the current flat rate of £215 will still be introduced.

If millennials continue to be burdened by fees simply to obtain the necessary inheritance they require to get a foot on the property ladder, it threatens to stagnate the property market in years to come.

What can the next government do to tackle the housing crisis?

Elliot

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26 April 2017

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What can the next government do to tackle the housing crisis?

Theresa May is trying to make the snap election on June 8th about Brexit, but it shouldn’t be. There are many wider issues in British society that the next government will have to address alongside the ongoing negotiations in Brussels. The housing crisis is one of the most consequential of all domestic issues.

The lack of affordable housing in the United Kingdom has caused a nationwide crisis, so how can we address it? With damning statistics growing year-on-year, we need to seriously consider the possible solutions to one of the defining issues of our time.

Though successive governments have paid lip service to the problem, none of them have offered a successful scheme to tackle it on a nationwide basis. With a general election fast approaching, will any party put forward a policy that will truly bring us more affordable housing? And how could they even begin to do this in the first place?

Alternative living arrangements could be the future

With rising rent prices and international property investors driving people away from city centres, some alternative living arrangements have begun to present themselves as simple solutions to the housing crisis.

As depicted in the Channel 4 series Crashing, some young people have taken to living as property guardians to secure cheaper living costs in popular, normally overpriced locations. Property guardians are given the responsibility of protecting large properties when, for whatever reason, the owners decide to keep them vacant temporarily. In exchange for their guardianship services, these residents pay much lower rent than they would have in a normal tenancy arrangement.

With over 1.4 million empty homes in Britain, the wider adoption of property guardianship schemes could provide accommodation for many, without the need for massive legal reform.

Councils could commit to affordable housing

Within the stipulations of development contracts around the country is the requirement to build a certain proportion of “affordable housing”. But in many cases, these targets are dropped, not met, or wildly misinterpreted. For an example of all of these outcomes, we need only look to former London mayor Boris Johnson.

In 2011, Johnson dropped a 50% affordable housing target from his London development plan. Four years later, it emerged that he was allowing developers to circumvent the affordable housing requirements of local borough councils. It also emerged that his idea of “affordable housing” was rather more costly than the description suggests.

This kind of practice is not unique to Johnson, though; developers across the country often prefer to build expensive properties to sell to investors. Their alternative option is not to build anything at all, and simply wait for their contracted areas of land to increase in value.

This is not always the case, though. Sheffield Council is currently running a hugely successful scheme in which they are building thousands of spacious houses on the outskirts of the city, and selling them to young first time buyers at genuinely affordable costs.

The scheme is a partnership between private developers and the Sheffield Housing Company (SHC)—a firm set up and run by Sheffield Council. Since the programme is run by a housing firm, and not directly by the council, the houses they build are not subject to Right To Buy legislation, which means they can be rented out indefinitely.

The promise of long-term rental income is what encourages development firms to work with SHC, and would likely attract companies in other areas to collaborate with local councils in the same way. After the election, the national government could implement schemes like these on a countrywide basis or, at the very least, offer funding incentives to councils who follow Sheffield’s example.

Rental reforms could reshape the housing landscape

A solution to the affordable housing crisis does not have to involve large building projects. Small but significant reforms to the current rules around renting could transform the system, giving many more people the chance to live in affordable housing.

“Rent controls” were the most commonly-touted solution to the crisis for a while. Ed Miliband’s Labour shadow cabinet proposed them in the run-up to the 2015 general election. Miliband’s plan was to cap rent increases at the rate of inflation for the duration of a contract, and for landlords to reveal the rent they charged previous tenants to those next moving into the property. Unsurprisingly, these fairly modest proposals were met with outrage from landlord groups and the Conservative party, who argued they would lead to chaos.

Recently, another reform (a version of which was also in Miliband’s manifesto) has been suggested as a way to give homes to more people. One in four UK families now live in rental accommodation, but short tenancy contracts mean many families live in fear of being left homeless after six or 12 months are up.

Because of this state of affairs, charity group Shelter and a number of MPs are calling for longer tenancy contracts. Campaigners say this will help give renting families more security and keep them off the streets.

Rent controls were an unpopular topic last election. Perhaps guaranteed longer-term tenancy agreements can be the popular solution to this ongoing problem.

Employees as Profit Centres: How to Optimise Their Value

ABC Staff

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25 April 2017

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Employees as Profit Centres: How to Optimise Their Value

There is no doubt about it; businesses would be wise to safeguard their interests in the current climate.

This applies to aspects of business and commercial assets, although there must be a keen focus on reviewing costs and maximising bottom line returns.

In this article, we will take a look at how you can optimise the financial value of your employees and establish them as key profit centres.

Image: Ivey Business Journal

Consider the Bradford Factor and Reduce Absenteeism

Absenteeism is a huge issue for businesses, costing employers more than £16 billion in 2014 alone. This represents a challenge that you need to resolve if you are to optimise the value of your employees and their profitability.

The first part of this process starts with equating a financial value to the cost of absenteeism in your business, as this informs the subsequent steps that you should take. A system referred to as the ‘Bradford Factor’ is the best way to achieve this, as this is an algorithm which attributes a score to each individual employee’ and helps to identify debilitating patterns of absenteeism.

From here, you will have a clear understanding of the trends that are costing your money, while highlighting the amount that you spend to achieve a profitable resolution. You can then formulate a plan to deal with and minimise absenteeism in the workplace, while empowering staff members to become more profitable.

According to Sarah Dowzell, the COO and co-founder of Natural HR, creating a culture of well-being is central to minimising absenteeism in the workplace. “As an example, you should consider being flexible and actually encouraging employees to take time out for things like medical appointments and check-ups. You could even just consider something as simple as letting employees come in late, leave early or spread their hours rather than taking this time as a holiday.”

She also advised the use of more creative steps, which actively help employees to improve their general health and work-life balance. “You could consider offering well-being benefits, including simple ideas such as leaving free fruit in the office or encouraging a lunch time walk. You can also go further by offering a health cash plan to help employee’s recover the costs of things like dental appointment and eye tests, which offers practical advantages to workers.”

Embrace the Age of BYOD

Bring-your-own-device (or BYOD to you and me) is a concept that has emerged alongside Windows 10, and one that enables employees to connect their own hardware through a secure, wireless network. Not only does this increase engagement, but it also offers you a unique opportunity to reduce each employee’s cost base while also maximising their profitability.

You would usually have to invest in equipment such as a laptop or a telephone for each employee, for example, but by embracing BYOD you can eliminate these costs and transfer them directly to the user. Similarly, employees can access their devices any time of the day or night, and over time many may be compelled to perform administration tasks (such as responding to emails at home) at home while being more strategically productive in the office.

This is a win-win scenario for businesses, who can directly reduce the cost bases associated with their staff members and drive a higher level of individual profit from each one on a daily basis.

Empower Through Training

Over time, we have seen a greater emphasis placed on automation in the workplace, as companies have minimised the number of human employees active in certain sectors.

The widespread or universal adaptation of automation is less effective, however, as some industries rely in inter-personal interaction and are far better served by optimising the value that their employees offer within the workplace.

We have already touched on the importance of engagement, of course, as this drives higher levels of productivity and output over time. In fact, increasingly employee engagement by as little as 10% can improve the profitability of your workforce each year, and the collective value of this is potentially huge.

One of the best ways to achieve this is to empower employees through training and development, and this also offers additional benefits from a profitability perspective.

In short, training employees develops relevant skill-sets that increases their value as individuals, which in turn makes them more profitable to the company as a whole.

The key is to deliver relevant and measured training, as this ensures that the costs do not supersede the value added to each individual. This guarantees profitability, while boosting the prosperity and longevity of your business in the process.

A to Z of money saving

Finance
News

Elliot

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24 April 2017

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From cash saving apps and jumble sales to stockpiling and wombling, it can be tough to keep up with the various ways of saving money.

Thankfully the penny-pinching experts at Promotionalcodes.org.uk have compiled their very own A to Z guide of money saving that will help the public save themselves a hefty amount of cash.

Some of the tips recommended for thrifty savers include networking with other money savers, keeping hold of old receipts and shopping for ‘end of the line’ products.

Darren Williams, of Promotionalcodes.org.uk, said: “We wanted to create the our own A to Z money saving guide to show the public just how many different ways there are to save some extra cash.

“There are so many inspired ways to save money nowadays that it’s difficult to keep track of them, but we believe this guide will help consumers keep track of the best frugal spending tactics.

“Not everyone will be able to regularly use all of these suggestions, but if you can follow a few of them you’ll soon start to notice the pennies adding up.

“We believe that this A to Z list is the complete savers guide; from apps to zealous saving there’s plenty of simple ways to save money.

Here is Promotionalcodes.org.uk A to Z guide to money saving:

A – Apps

Cashback apps for your phone are a great way to save money on your food shop. Simply wait until you finished shopping, then check your app to see which items are eligible for cash back.

B – Buy on resale sites

Resale sites like Ebay and Gumtree are great easy ways to save money by purchasing second hand products. Search hard enough and you’re bound to run into your fair share of quality discount stock.

C – Coupons

Coupons are still just as important as ever for saving money on your shopping, so keeping a stash of them can be a useful way to save on your spending.

D – Discount retailers

There are plenty of good value discount retailers across the UK. Don’t be put off using them by your inner snob, as if you shop around them you can get some great buys at a fraction of the cost you’d pay on the high street.

E – End of line

Products reaching the end of their production line are sold cheap to get them off the shelves quickly. Always keep an eye out for these bargains at supermarkets.

F – Foraging

Foraging for your own fruit and veg is a great way to save money, not to mention being a fun activity to do with kids. As summer approaches try finding your local strawberry picking spot.

G – Grow your own

Reap what you sow this summer by planting your own fruits and vegetables in your back garden, as this will cost a fraction of the price of buying them in supermarkets.

H – Haul

Money saving bloggers will often showcase their latest hauls of top bargains and yellow stickered purchases through online videos. Following these bloggers and their channels is a great way to see which stores are offering the best deals.

I – In store incentives

If a store is offering you £10 off simply by handing over your email address, then do it. Also make use of new customer offers when you can, loyalty points, and interest free offers.

J – Jumble sales

Don’t ever feel embarrassed by having a root around at a local jumble sale. Providing you have the time to really dig through them, there is always a great bargain to be had.

K – Keep receipts

We almost always throw shopping receipts away before we’ve even got home. Keep hold of these receipts, as many of them will have some kind of money off deal on them that we often fail to spot.

L – Letters

As crazy as it sounds, writing letters to your favourite manufacturers can be an excellent way to receive free coupons and discounts off your most loved products.

M – Meal Plans

Planning your meals well in advance so that you know exactly what you need to buy before doing your food shop. This saves you wasting money on food you might end up throwing out, as well as impulse purchases.

N – Network

Establish your own money saving network amongst friends, that way when one person finds a great a deal they can alert the rest of you.

O – Own brand

Own branded products will always be cheaper than purchasing branded items. Shop around for yourself, and you’ll soon be able to tell which own brand products are just as good as your favourite branded purchases.

P – Planning ahead

If you know that a period of heavy spending is approaching try to make sure that you are prepared early for it. For example, buy your Christmas presents all year round, as you are less likely to find a bargain close to the festive season.

Q – Quit the gym

Ditching your gym membership in order to exercise at home and outdoors can be a huge money saver across the year.

R – Research before you buy

Always make sure you shop around and look for the best bargain possible. It may take up some time, but doing your research will certainly save you a lot of cash.

S – Stockpile

Collecting non-perishable items when they are going cheap is a great way to save money in the long run. It may cost you a little more at the time, but it will be far more expensive buying full price items at a later date.

T – Thrift stores

It’s no secret that charity shops can be a bargain hunter’s paradise. A handy tip is always to ask the staff if any new stock has recently come in, as this will get you a leg up on the best deals ahead of other customers.

U – Upcycling

This is a great way to build yourself something new and useful out of something you would otherwise have thrown away. Be as creative as possible when upcycling, and you could end up making something truly unique.

V – Voucher codes

Always check voucher code websites to find the best possible deals, as these are an excellent source of money off codes and discounts.

W – Wombling

Wombling involves hunting round for old discarded receipts, as these can often contain coupons or store discounts. It may sound bizarre, but you can find some real bargains through doing it.

X – XL sized clothes for kids

Buy your children’s clothes a size bigger than they currently wear. This will allow time for them to grow into their clothes and save you having to throw away money of outfits they will quickly grow out of.

Y – Yellow Stickers

Yellow stickered items in supermarkets can often save you a hefty amount of cash if you do your food shop at the right time. Try to work out when the best yellow stickered items go on sale at your store.

Z – Zealous

Always be zealous when on the lookout for a bargain, and you’ll be bound to find the best deals that save you heaps of cash.

ENDS

A History of Wine with Twelve By Seventy Five

World

ABC Staff

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21 April 2017

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A History of Wine with Twelve By Seventy Five

Wine – a drink that many of us have grown to know and love. It is no secret that it’s great taste stems from fermented grapes, but where did it all begin? How has wine become so increasingly popular over thousands of years?

There are many companies that specialize in knowledge and history of wine, such as twelve by seventy five who are the leading experts of wine in the UK who helped with the research of this article.

No other drink has had quite the impact on society than wine has. It has reached out to various different cultures and religions across Europe, and is commonly used in the Catholic Church as a replacement for the blood of Christ. Not only this, but it is said that the western society built it’s foundations on the competitive industry that wine brings. There aren’t many other drinks that have created such an impact.

Although no one is certain as to where it all began, according to fable, a princess ‘accidentally’ discovered wine as early as 6000 BC when she lost favour with the King. She was so overwhelmed with shame, that she ate some spoiled grapes in attempt to end her life. However, this didn’t go to plan and she just ended up incredibly drunk. So drunk, that she passed out and awoke to a trouble-free life.

On a more scientific note, wine can be traced back to 60 million year old fossils, which proves that our pre-human ancestors realised that older grapes were more desirable and had potential to create something wonderful.
A few thousand years later and wine was spreading across the ancient world. Hieroglyphics from the Predynastic era of the Egyptian Pharaohs show that they were quite the binge drinkers. The Pharaohs were far more interested in the quantity rather than quality of their wine.
The Egyptians began to pick up their own tricks when it came to creating wine, using trellises protected by sunlight and learning that the last 100 days of harvest were most vital. Once picked, the grapes were pressed by being trod on in oppose to using a stone which resulted in a far more bitter tasting wine.

Following this, there was a second pressing of the wine, which involved four men pulling a stretched linen slough and another man ensuring that no sacred wine was spilt. Nowadays, only champagne requires a second process in order to increase the amount of bubbles in the bottle.

The Egyptians had three grades of wine, which could then be made into different kinds (red/white/dry/sweet) after being left in a trough to ferment. These grades were:

Free Run Must: Little of this was collected, but it was a very sweet long lasting wine
First Wine Must: This came from the treading and was about 2/3 of the juice
Second Run Must: This came from the additional pressing

To achieve a drink with a light consistency, it would be fermented for a short amount of time (a few days). If you wanted a heavy final product it would have to be fermented for a long time (several weeks), as well as being heated as this speeds up the conversion of sugar. You can read more interesting facts about wine on Thisdayinwinehistory.com.

Looks like we have a lot to thank the Egyptians for!

The next people to join in the wine craze were the Greeks. The Greeks discovered the nutritional benefits of drinking wine (well, it does come from fruit after all)… which is an excuse we still use today! Wine was so precious in ancient Greece that it became ‘The Juice of the Gods’. There is even a Greek God of wine, who is the son of Zeus and one of the most worshiped Gods to date.

The ancient Greek wine became so popular in Europe that vine cuttings from Greece’s grapes were transported so that others could grow their own quality wine. This, of course, means that many of the grape varieties we know today were fathered by the Greek varieties.

It is no well-kept secret that the Greeks like to mix their wine with water and to add honey and spices. Perhaps this is why so many delicious recipes involve wine today.

Now we have to thank the Greeks, too!

The Greek dominated the wine industry for quite some time, but a stable trade was not established until 1949 due to a series of wars disrupting the business.

It’s important not to forget the Romans, who made huge contributions to an easier winemaking process. They invented the wooden wine barrel and classified many varieties of grapes.

The amount of wine being produced was so great that in 92 AD Emperor Domitian demanded that half of the grape vines outside of Rome were to be uprooted.

Wine is still taken very seriously in Italian culture and was kept alive by the Roman Catholic Church during the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire.

When it comes to spreading word around Europe, this was down to the monks. Wine was required for Holy Communion, meaning the church transported the ‘good news’ all across Europe. It is still clear to see today that wine is very much a passion of Europe. The popularity of wine hasn’t grown much and the US public still remain largely beer drinkers. Both America and Australia did not seem to have much success when it came to producing wine due to the hostile environment, but times are still changing.
Over the last 150 years, wine making has been totally revolutionised as an art and science. With access to refrigeration, it has become easy for wineries to control the temperature of the fermentation process and produce high quality wines. Harvesting machines have allowed winemakers to expand their vineyards and have a far more efficient process. Although the wine industry faces the challenge of meeting the demands of an ever-larger market without losing the individual character of its wines, technology helps to ensure a consistent supply of quality wines.

5 tips to make your money go further each month

Finance

Elliot

-

20 April 2017

0

5 tips to make your money go further each month

Successful money management has to be one of the most beneficial and desirable skills that anyone can acquire. The way we handle money can have a significant impact on the way we live our lives.

At the moment, 61% of millennials cannot afford to buy a house and many young people are in a completely different financial situation compared to where their parents were at the same age. This means that it is more important than ever for young people to learn how to properly manage their money in order to make it go further. Saving money is a completely different process today and putting pennies in a piggybank isn’t going to make the difference that’s needed to get on top of your finances.

Regardless of what you personally need to have money for – be it to build your life or afford a few luxuries – there are certainly some things you can do to make your income go further each month. Here are some of our top tips for those who no longer want to put off saving money:

Embrace cashback benefits

Something that few people tend to consider when it comes to becoming better at managing their money is using the power of cashback. Cashback refers to getting money back on the things you spend money on and typically applies to things such as utility bills and council tax (among many others). Some banks offer varying deals and benefits when it comes to cashback, so be sure to check the best cashback solutions for you and your needs.

Switch your energy supplier

While many people avoid this due to the perceived trouble and time associated with the process, switching your energy supplier can in fact be one of the best ways of saving a little extra cash each month. Take advantage of the many free comparison websites that exist to regularly check to see whether you are on the right tariff and really getting the most for your money. Sometimes, you will even be able to negotiate a better deal with your current supplier once you see an alternative quote online by another. Your current energy supplier will want to keep you on and most likely will be willing to try to meet or exceed what their competitors are offering.

Seek out the best rates for you

As well as looking into alternatives for your energy supplier, you can also be saving a great deal of money by exploring alternative places to put your hard earned cash in terms of savings accounts. Every bank will be able to offer you something different based on your specific needs, so do not be afraid to shop around and find the best savings account rate for you.

Work out a budget

One of the easiest initial steps to take towards making your money go further each month is through establishing a household budget. By calculating how much money you have coming in to your bank each month and looking at your outgoings closely, you should be able to better establish where you can make savings and put money aside.

Live within your means

Finally – and perhaps most importantly – in order to save money you need to be aware of what it means to live within your means. This means spending your money in a wise and mindful way and limiting frivolous spending in a bid to avoid spending money that you want to save or may someday need for an emergency.

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