Category Archives: Finance

The 7p Meal and Other Cheap Dinner Options

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How bad do things have to get in a country when the media starts talking semi-seriously about 7p meals dating back to the Victorian times? Are we, as a country, now in such a bad way that the last hundred years have been undone because of the credit crunch and banks? Come on guys, I don’t believe that it is now so bad that people are actually considering a slice of toast tucked between two pieces of buttered bread as a legitimate meal.

To add (cheap) salt in to the financial wounds a journalist has now decided that what the nation really needs is advice on cooking meals for less than 50p. Huh! The only good side about these meals are that they are all so processed and full of fats and salts that if you did live off this kind of food you’ll probably be dead before you run out of money anyway.

Five meals for less than 50p - Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance
Five meals for less than 50p – Yahoo! UK & Ireland Financehttp://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Five-meals-50p-yahoofinanceuk-2171115876.htmlBelieve it or not, this actually tasted pretty good (If you don’t believe me, go and try it — it will cost you less than 10p, after all). But man cannot live on bread alone — and…

What are you going to do with £98

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According to a survey by myvouchercodes.co.uk, the average Brit now has just £98 left over at the end of the month to save. I’m a bit skeptical about this because it just seems like such a low figure and also is the type of person who goes to a voucher website representative of the whole nation? When comparing people here in India to those in England, I can’t help but think that Britain has a sense of entitlement attitude and the instant gratification that spending on credit gives helps fuel the notion that there is no money left to save.

I read a user comment on one financial that said he’s lived his life by the wisdom that “if you can’t afford to go out tomorrow and buy what you’ve bought today then don’t buy it”. It seems like a pretty fair and reasonable mantra to live by if you ask me.

Average Brit only has £98 to spare at end of the month
Average Brit only has £98 to spare at end of the monthhttp://www.lovemoney.com/blogs/family-finance/budgeting/12633/average-brit-only-has-98-to-spare-at-end-of-the-monthAccording to myvouchercodes.co.uk, your average Brit has £98 to spare at the end of the month once all spending on bills, food, shopping and the like has left his/her account. The equivalent figure a year ago was £186

More Doom and Gloom For Poor Old Britain

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I’m not sure if it’s just that the news corporations in England love to push the “we’re all doomed” angle but if you read through the financial or business news it’s very difficult to find anything positive that’s going on. Carphone Warehouse are shutting down all their Best Buy stores putting 1,100 jobs on the line, retail spending is shrinking as people keep their purses shut and now we even have articles on how to plan a family Christmas for just £200.

To cap it all off, LoveMoney has written an article telling all you Britains (I’m in a different country so don’t count) that things are the worst they’ve been for nearly 20 years. High inflation, high unemployment; and there’s not a damn thing the Government can do about it until it sorts its own finances out and hopes against all hope that the Greeks and Italians can do something about their past prolific spending.

British misery index hits 19-year high!
British misery index hits 19-year high!http://www.lovemoney.com/news/the-economy-politics-and-your-job/the-economy/13268/british-misery-index-hits-19year-highThen again, if you really want to feel down in the dumps, then check the UK’s Misery Index. This is calculated by adding together our unemployment rate with the prevailing rate…

Good News Britain

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I noticed that the last few posts about England were all a bit doom and gloom and since nothing sells like bad news that’s mostly what the newspapers and media companies will push. However there is still some good news around, you just have to hunt a little harder for it. Today it was announced that around 5,500 jobs will be created and secured in North Wales thanks to a new factory that will produce the wings for the new Airbus A350. Hmm, I wonder if they need any aerospace engineers…

£400m Factory Secures Thousands Of Jobs - Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance
£400m Factory Secures Thousands Of Jobshttp://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/-400m-Factory-Secures-skynews-904654574.html?x=0The largest factory to be built in the UK for five years, opens its doors today. The £400m facility, at Broughton in North Wales, will produce wings for the new Airbus A350.…

Public Sector Still Flogging The Dead Horse

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I just can’t get my head around the fact that the public sector feels so hard done by that they need to keep on striking to try and force through their demands. What part of: The country will go the way of Greece, Ireland and Portugal if we don’t cut our costs, do these public sector workers not understand?

With the private sectors struggling to find growth and job security balancing on a knife edge any one who has a job right now should be thankful – there are 2 million people in the UK who would love to be in your position. Well, OK, I’m sure a certain percentage of those are more than happy to have the country continuing to pay them benefits.

The Government is asking you to contribute more to your pension? Well suck it up, it’s YOUR pension, it’s going to come back to you when you retire! If the private sector workers can manage then so can the public sector. Grr, it makes me so mad when I see people who think they have a sense of entitlement!

Pensions Row: Unions Plan 'Day Of Action' - Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance
Pensions Row: Unions Plan ‘Day Of Action’ – Yahoo! UK & Ireland Financehttp://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Pensions-Row-Unions-Plan-Day-skynews-1673939646.html?x=0TUC general secretary Brendan Barber warned that unless a deal with ministers was reached it would be “the biggest trade union mobilisation for a generation”.

British Teenagers Living In La-La Land

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A couple of dates ago I asked people to sign a Government petition to teach school kids about financial literacy. Today a report has been published that says most teenagers don’t even know the cost of basic food items like eggs and bread along with washing powder with 1 in 10 thinking that a loaf of bread costs just 29p! On the other hand, they knew to the nearest pound how much things like iPhones, iPads and PS3′s cost! Fair enough, it’s not like it matters too much since they are not going to be doing the weekly family shop, but it could have implications when they head off to uni or how much free cash they’ll have to spend when the get a job.

The price of bread? It's 29p, says one in 10 teenagers - Telegraph
The price of bread? It’s 29p, says one in 10 teenagers – Telegraphhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/8745318/The-price-of-bread-Its-29p-says-one-in-10-teenagers.htmlA new survey has found that over half of teenagers did not know that bread costs more than £1 a loaf, with one in 10 believing that it costs around 29p. However, eight in…

$100 House (Sort Of)

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Check this out, for $100 you could have the plans to a tiny wooden house which includes a kitchen, bathroom, sofa, dining table and bedroom all squeezed in to a 65 sq ft home – that’s small enough to fit in to your back garden and rent out! When you factor in the building costs and materials it’s about $16,000 (about £10,000), so yeah, I think we’ve sorted out our housing crisis if everyone moves in to wooden sheds. Still, I think I’ve just found my Dad’s Christmas present, I’m sure my mum always wanted another home at the end of the garden!

The £61 build-it-yourself house plan - Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance
The £61 build-it-yourself house plan – Yahoo! UK & Ireland Financehttp://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/The-61-build-house-plan-yahoofinanceuk-197431321.htmlThe smallest house on offer from Tumbleweed is just 65 square feet in size, but manages to cram in a living room with a couch and a built-in desk.

Compulsory Financial Education For Teenagers

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Financial education is something I would love to see implemented in all schools across England because there are so many people that are so financially illiterate that it beggars belief. Many people, including myself, learned the hard way that credit cards and overdrafts were not requirements for living but luxuries and fail safes to be used on occasion. Ask anyone what APR actually means and it’s probably only a financial advisor that could give you an accurate definition. How many people are aware that if you withdraw cash on your credit card you are charged a higher rate of interest? Or that buying a new car is a depreciating liability rather than an asset?

Credit cards, mortgages, stocks and shares ISA’s, buy now pay later, car loans, pensions; all of these have their place (the jury is still out on pay day loans!) but no one gets taught how to use them effectively, so lets make it compulsory teaching for all teenagers.

Make financial education a compulsory part of the school curriculum – e-petitionshttps://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/8903Make financial education a compulsory part of the school curriculum Responsible department: Department for Education It’s a national disgrace that in the 20 years since…