In his recent interview with the Sunday Times, Russell Brand explained why he was not a hands-on parent to his two baby daughters. “I’m sensitive and awake and aware,” he said, “so I have to dial a lot of shit down to go through normal life.” It’s an interesting feat of intellectual gymnastics. The inference that…
Tag: money
Want to cut the cost of Christmas 2019? Start shopping now…
Most of us will be pretty tired of spending by now. Even the hardiest of shoppers will have retail fatigue after the festive period. A study from American Express estimated that each of us spent just over £1,200 over Christmas on everything from nights out, presents and food and wine. That’s quite a bill. If you…
This might sound weird but…start saving for Christmas 2019 now!
Have you dared to look at your Christmas spending yet? Has the credit card bill come in yet, so you can face what Christmas cost you? I have faced mine and it’s scary. This year I am starting to save for Christmas right now. I have a credit card that I pay off in full…
Embracing lagom – the biggest Scandi trend since hygge
Forget hygge, ignore ikigai – 2019 is all about lagom (yay, another Scandinavian word we can’t pronounce). Roughly translating as ‘not too much, not too little, just right’, lagom is the art of living frugally, which is a pretty essential life skill if, like me, you’ve still got a £9,000 student loan to repay. Lagom…
How to avoid a financial hangover this Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner, the season to be jolly is upon us. Whether you’re a festive fiend or little bit of a scrooge, there is no getting away from it… Christmas costs money. If you’re anything like me, you make your Christmas budget, and then promptly blow it. ‘It’s Christmas’, we say, ‘let’s…
How to make sure you get the retirement you’ve always wanted
If your definition of forward planning is deciding what to do on the weekend or where to go on holiday, the idea of planning for your future may seem frightening. However, whether we like it or not, retirement creeps up fast so it pays to be prepared for it. Whether you’re 20 years from retirement…
How to Build A Rainy-Day Fund
As the age-old saying goes, save money for a rainy day. Easy to say, but perhaps harder to figure out. I see a rainy-day fund as an emergency fund, one for when the weather turns on you and you get soaked to the skin. Perhaps you lose your job, need important dental work, or write…
What I’ve learned about money by living overseas
Sometimes, a little perspective is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to your money mindset and your spending habits. I had to go a long way to acquire my own perspective – 6000 miles, to be more precise. I spent six happy years in the Middle East, where gold-dusted cappuccinos and gold bar vending…
The Ultimate Guide to Going Out and Having Fun for Less
Fun never seems to be on the agenda if you’re constantly working. Add trying to save money into the mix and the concept seems a very, VERY long way off. Don’t worry. It is possible to lead a fun life while also keeping your finances in check. It can’t all be work work work… plus…
The not-so-obvious things that can damage your credit score
When you’re a student, you don’t think about the stuff that could damage your credit score. And even once you’re unleashed into the ‘real world’, it often doesn’t seem a relevant topic at first. I know that I, personally, have avoided credit cards like the plague, being all too aware of the potential dangers of…