Budgeting & Planning
Women bearing brunt of budget cuts
Filed under: Taxes, Families, Budgeting & Planning
Women in London are paying twice as much as men for the Government's cuts in public spending, a new report claimed.Research for London mayoral hopeful Ken Livingstone showed that women are more heavily affected by cuts in housing benefit and pension changes.
Save £480 a year by wasting less food
Filed under: Food and Drink, Budgeting & Planning
Households could save £480 a year by cutting down on food waste, according to new research that also reveals we throw away a staggering third of all the food we buy each year.Using fridges and freezers more effectively is vital if we are to stop this dreadful waste, while supermarkets should be doing more to help consumers, says the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which commissioned the research.
Kids come first as parents ramp up 'back to school' spend
Filed under: Families, Budgeting & Planning
As parents prepare to kit their children out for the start of the new school year this week, it has emerged that they're likely to spend £709 million on 'back to school' basics including uniforms, stationery, sportswear and winter coats.Parents can expect to spend £122, on average, on kitting their kids out for primary school.
Insurance tips and myths
Filed under: Insurance, Budgeting & Planning
Did you know that you don't need to despair if your house suffers subsidence, as this is usually covered by buildings insurance? And, more disappointingly, that you won't get the same amount you paid for your car if it gets nicked?The Association of British Insurers has published some tips and destroyed some myths to help consumers make the right choices when taking out insurance.
How to pay off your holiday debt
Filed under: Credit Cards, Travel, Budgeting & Planning
It's well-known that cash strapped Brits would give up almost anything else but their summer holiday in the recession. As a result, according to insolvency trade body R3, 2 million of us are in debt after borrowing to afford that getaway. R3 also estimate that it will take us on average seven months to pay it back.Now the holiday season is drawing to a close, if you've started to feel the backlash as the credit card bills drop on your doormat, here are five things you can do to pay off that holiday debt quickly.
Inflation squeeze means we're rading savings
Filed under: Financial Crisis, Budgeting & Planning
The household sums just don't add up any more. This crazy inflation, now running at 3.1%, and the massive rise in the cost of things like petrol and food has thrown household budgets completely out of balance.And alarmingly, to make ends meet we are destroying our financial future.
Shopaholics rack up debts of over £13 billion
Filed under: Credit Cards, Fashion, Budgeting & Planning
Millions of British women are in the grip of shopaholicism, racking up debts of £13 billion as they hunt down the latest must-have dress or shoes. The average shopaholic runs up debts of £3,353 - nearly three times the national average of £1,147. A new generation of 'metrosexual' men have also embraced the internet shopping revolution - and they have more expensive tastes than women.
Just one in ten pay cheapest energy prices
Filed under: Saving, Budgeting & Planning
Just one in ten households are paying the cheapest energy prices on the market, leaving 87% paying over the odds for their energy, says uSwitch.com, the price comparison and switching service. Although 1 million more homes are now on online plans - where suppliers usually offer their most competitive prices - this still only adds up to around 3.5 million or 13% of households in total.
Students cost parents 28% more than in 2004
Filed under: Families, Budgeting & Planning
If you're lucky enough to have secured a place at uni, you could be in for a shock once you've settled in. You already know about the massive tuition fees. But monthly living costs for students are also going up steadily.Living expenses are now 28% higher than in 2004, according to new research.
Recession makes university costs tough
Filed under: Families, Budgeting & Planning
Students heading to university next month will need to plan carefully if they don't want to graduate with a huge mountain of debt. Over three quarters of parents believe that the recession has made it even harder for them to fund their children through university.
