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HONESTY - EMPATHY - UNDERSTANDING
Thinking of jetting off somewhere warm this summer? Before you get hot under the collar at the sky-high price of flights, look at some of the tricks that can cut the cost of your plane ticket.
Making and taking a packed lunch to work, college, or a day out can seem like a bit of a faff. But, when you haven’t got a sausage and the chips are down (terrible, sorry), preparing your own food can be cheaper, healthier and, if you go about it the right way, a bit of fun. Rather than doing it once, getting bored and binning your Tupperware box, the secret is to rustle up packed lunches that are cost-effective, easy to make and a little bit different. If you buy great ingredients in bulk, you can do all your chopping, dicing and preparing in one go and keep enough for a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you’ve ever looked in your freezer and discovered a UFO (Unidentified Frozen Object), or defrosted a steak and kidney pie only to discover (after you’ve poured gravy on it) that it contains apple, then you might benefit from being a little more organised in the kitchen. Taking something out of the fridge or cupboard and sniffing it to see if it’s ok, is not what’s meant by food preparation. If you save just £1 a day by not chucking out or wasting food, that adds up to a tasty (!) £365 a year. Double that, save £2 a day and you’ve got … well, you do the maths.
Doing the weekly food shop rarely comes with many surprises, but over the last few months, many got an unwelcome shock when their usual weekly shop came with an unusual price tag. Food bills are predicted to rise by £454 this year , higher than previous predictions. Back in April, researchers at Kantar estimated that the cost of an average annual shop would go up by £280. However, that previous estimate has risen to nearly £400. The current cost-of-living crisis is seeing inflation affect every aspect of life and that includes in the weekly shop. Luckily, United Insolvencyis here with another list of tips and tricks to help cut the receipts back down to size.
It’s no secret that the benefits system in the UK can be quite confusing to those not in-the-know, especially considering that incoming governments bring with them new changes that can complicate things further. But the bottom line has always remained the same: you could be entitled to financial support depending on your personal circumstances. The benefits system in the UK is set up to aid those who are: Unemployed and actively looking for work On a low income Living with a disability Bringing up children Retired A carer Too ill to work
Subscription services can often be a good way to streamline costs and get some monthly comforts to make the start of every month a little more exciting. Still, subscription services can sometimes get out of hand and before you know it, a huge chunk of your pay check can disappear in the blink of an auto-renewal. In our continued series of blog posts intended to help cut the cost of everyday living, we’ve put together some handy tips for managing your subscription services and finding ways to cut those annual payments back down to live.
Tax credit overpayments can happen for a few different reasons – but, most commonly, they happen if your circumstances change but you don’t tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in time. If you’ve received tax credit payments but your entitlement has changed, you may end up with a tax credit debt. In this guide, we’ll look at tax credit debts in more detail – including: What kind of situations can lead to a tax credit debt Can a tax credit debt be appealed against or written off? What you should do if you’ve realised you’ve had tax credits overpayments Some helpful contact details for HMRC We’ll also answer a few commonly asked questions about overpaid tax credits, so you’ve got all the information you need to take your next steps.
The ongoing cost of living crisis is being driven by high inflation and even higher costs. But with further price hikes expected and the economy on track to fall into a recession within a matter of months, you might be wondering what this means for your finances. It’s normal for the economy to experience extreme highs and lows from time to time, but by sitting back and waiting for a recession to blow over, you could be putting yourself and your finances at risk. In this blog, we’ll let you know how to manage your money before and during a recession so you can protect your pennies and avoid making minor money mistakes with major consequences.