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With Christmas coming up fast, you may be wanting to try and save some money elsewhere – and with a little creativity it is pretty easy to create meals on a budget, and still keep a healthy diet. When you buy prepared food like a ready meal, washed lettuce or even sliced cheese, you are paying for the convenience of not having to prepare the food yourself. Generally, unless you use premium products to prepare a similar version of a frozen dish, preparing it yourself will be much cheaper. And in the case of a stew or a shepherd’s pie, you...

The most wonderful time of the year is also feared by many families as they face pressure to buy Christmas presents with cash they don’t have. Those who have the luxury of credit cards or an overdraft they can dip into, may have a sleepless night worrying about the affordability of the monthly repayments come January when the credit card statements hit the door mat but where do those without that line of credit turn to buy the games console and the expensive trainers all their kids friends have? All aboard the guilt trip train. Last Christmas the Money Advice...

When you are trying to get out of debt and back in financial shape, the first thing you need to do is evaluate how balanced your budget is. You will need to add up everything you earn, such as: • Your salary • Your yearly or quarterly bonuses • Your job benefits (free health insurance, transport pass refunded…) • Interest from savings accounts and dividends from investments • Money from side jobs • And so on. The yearly and quarterly figures need to be spread out over 12 months in order to get your average monthly income. Then you will...

As a young professional, you can be tempted to upgrade your lifestyle with your first paycheque. But whether you are in debt and want to pay off those student loans and credit cards quickly, or you are in the black but want to get a head start on your finances, living a little longer like a student will help you do just that. And since you can’t miss what you don’t have (yet), you won’t notice the difference with these everyday saving tips. Instead of eating out, bring your lunch For as cheap as a sandwich and a drink combo...

It may be April Fools Day but for the controversial pay day lending sector, the joke is on them. Today sees the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) taking over the regulation of 50,000 consumer credit firms and their new rules could mean half of all payday loan firms choosing to shut their doors rather than play nice, according to the Consumer Finance Association, which represents 60% of the £2bn industry. What’s Changing? The FCA has already outlined some of the new restrictions which are set to come into play in July of this year. These new rules will limit the amount...

Debts due to unsecured lenders peaked for the first time in 2 years in January. The stats from The Money Charity show a considerable rise in payday loans, credit cards, personal loans and overdrafts. Prior to January 2014, this type of debt had decreased each month for a period of 36 months however the total unsecured debt in the UK now sits at over £160 billion!! UK’s unsecured debt risesThe Money Charity’s Chief Executive blames mounting financial pressures including rising food and transport costs. The average UK household debt, excluding mortgages in January was £6,087. This is up £97 from...