by Debbie Domican | Aug 4, 2017 | Blog
It may be a lovely idea to spend 6 weeks with your little ones, but the reality of the summer holidays is that they can cost you a fair bit of money. In fact, by the time that September comes around, you may find that your bank balance isn’t looking quite as healthy as it was at the beginning of July. Not sure that you can spare the expense of the summer holidays? Want to find a way that you can keep the costs down? Why not check out our 5 top tips for how you can keep the cost of summer holiday’s down, yet still have plenty of fun. 1. Don't always feel the need to be splashing the cash on big days out We all know how it feels, the summer holidays come around and as parents we feel slightly guilted into spending money on keeping the kids entertained. Of course, it is good to sometimes treat everyone to an exciting day out, but doing this too often will not only rack up the costs, but can also spoil your kids a little too. They will come to expect these big lavish trips, and will find it difficult to entertain themselves on days that they are not doing anything exciting. 2. Find a low-cost holiday option One of the things that families look forward to during the summer holidays is their summer break. Some families will head on a plane and go abroad, while others will decide to stay in the UK. If you are looking to save money, then a holiday in the UK is your...
by Debbie Domican | May 18, 2017 | Blog
Like many other people in your situation your GCSEs are looming and thought of getting through them let alone gaining the grades you need to get the PS4 off your parents as a reward seems so far away. But fear not, everyone learns in different ways and there are lots of different techniques to suit you and get you ready for the big day, or days! Everyone is good at different things, finding the right revision method and techniques that you’re comfortable with can make all the difference. Here are our top tips to get you in the zone for your GCSEs. 1. (Don’t) Get your freak on! Fail to prepare then prepare to fail. As if you haven’t heard that before, but it’s true! Planning ahead and preparing how you will approach your GCSEs will help stop you freaking out when the time comes. Taking control of your exams will reduce stress and improve concentrations. Try and get your exam dates as soon as you can, and then work backwards from there in terms of what subjects to revises first. If you can start early and make a revision plan then this will help avoid cramming it all in at the end, as well as reduce the amount of energy drinks you need. 2. Priorities Once you know your exam timetable this will allow you to prioritise what to revise first. The temptation is to revise your favourite subject because this is what your good at or enjoy doing. But by prioritising the subjects that need a lot more work or attention can help with your focus and...
by Debbie Domican | Jan 4, 2017 | Blog
With the New Year being the ideal period for looking to the future, now is the perfect time to get serious about your finances. After the excesses of Christmas, January can be a difficult month financially. Experts believe as many as one in four adults could potentially struggle to get by. Sorting your finances can seem daunting, but here are three simple steps to taking back control of your finances this January. Step 1 - Create A Budget A budget is the first step towards having control over your finances because it helps you work out exactly what position you are in. A budget should list all the things that you plan to spend money on each month, and the amount of money that you have coming in. This allows you to see how much money is left once you have paid all your essential bills, expenses, food, and transport for the month. What is left can then either be spent, put towards reducing any debts you have, or saved for the future. Step 2 – Cancel Subscriptions You Are Not Using Seeing all your expenses in one place can also help you identify any areas where you can cut back. Many of the goods and services we spend our disposable income on are paid for via direct debit or subscription. The amount of monthly direct debits or subscriptions that the average user has is on the increase as ecommerce changes the way we buy things. Whilst this is convenient, it can also result in you paying for services that you are not using. Create a list of all...
by Debbie Domican | Nov 10, 2016 | Blog
As you can imagine financial services play a very large part in the majority of people’s lives, this being the majority of people rely on bank accounts to pay bills, receive income, salaries and so forth. However, a minority of people do lack access to the most basic financial products and services, incurring significant costs as a result…financially and from a health perspective. The term ‘financial exclusion’ is used in different ways, although it is most often referred to as a lack of access to a range of financial services. Many people can be affected by financial exclusion, and from this is can be difficult to prise yourself free. Generations of families are seen operating in cash in hand, saving at home, or borrowing from high street high interest lenders. Some families are excluded because of a disability, criminal background, or a lack of financial capability to acquire services. This exclusion is driven by poverty, making living on a low income even more difficult. Generally life becomes more expensive, everyday living is costly, more unstable, poorer choices are made and eventually more stressful, to say the least. The exclusion of financial services very much hurts individuals, and families, it burdens society and disrupts lives into downward spiral. Financial exclusion acts as a boundary or a barrier not just for personal development but for progression for the whole family economically. This way of living can also be detrimental to generations of families, as they learn behaviour, have poorer choices to make and less opportunities to develop. These issues, very often lead to mental health issues, family breakdown or even homelessness....
