How To Save Money on Your Utility Bills Amidst Rising Energy Costs

Utility bills can be expensive. The average gas and electric bill in the UK in 2021 was £111.6 per month (or £1,339 per year), according to the Office for National Statistics.

The energy price cap has risen, and it means a significant jump in household bills for millions around the UK.

The increase is expected to add an extra £700 to the average household’s annual gas and electricity bills.

First and foremost, you should be sure to check whether you’re eligible for grants to help pay such bills. There are certain criteria for these grants, which include;

  • If you have reached state pension age;
  • If you have a disability;
  • If you have no or low income;
  • Or, in some cases, if you have missed payments to your energy supplier.

Check if you could be using less electricity and gas around the house

There are some extremely easy ways to reduce how much electricity and gas you use which will, in turn, lower your utilities bill.

  1. Use your tumble dryer less, if you have one – try to dry your clothes outside or by an open window instead.
  2. Run your washing machine at 30 degrees instead of at 60 degrees, and make sure you wash a full load when you can rather than doing multiple smaller loads.
  3. Use LED or other energy-efficient light bulbs.
  4. Turn off any plug sockets at the wall if you’re not using them.
  5. Make sure your fridge is set between 3 and 5 degrees and regularly defrost your freezer.

Should you be shopping around for a different energy provider right now?

Due to extremely high energy costs of late, energy regulator Ofgem announced that the price cap on costs would be rising by a whopping 54%, as of April 1st.

Saving money is vital and many will be wondering if they should be switching energy suppliers to try and avoid the huge uplift in some way, even if the government has announced plans to help with the costs.

As a result, switching energy suppliers in the pursuit of cheaper rates is unfortunately not really an option for most people in the UK at the moment.

Why are energy prices going up in the UK?

The energy price cap is the maximum amount a utility company can charge an average customer in the UK per year for the amount of electricity and gas they use.

The price cap has risen from £1,277 to £1,971 per year, an increase of £693 or 54%. This represents a far sharper hike than the previous increase of 12%, announced by Ofcom in October 2021.

Why is the energy price cap rising?

A combination of global factors led to the rise of wholesale gas prices.

The decision to raise the price cap was largely attributed to the surge in natural gas prices, which climbed to around four times its previous cost ahead of the Ofcom announcement.

Increased demand for gas from China and Asia and a cold winter in Europe in 2020-2021 – which meant stored gas supplies were used – pushed prices up.

Supply-chain issues have also created problems, limiting the amount of gas available to Britons in the last year.

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6 Ways to Save for a Wedding

The happiest day of your life will be an occasion to remember. Unfortunately, it costs money to hold the biggest party of your life. Saving for a wedding can be a struggle if you’re starting from ground zero.

But we’re going to show you some of the tricks you can use to save for a wedding. Let’s take a look at some of the secret saving tips that can get you ready for your big day.

Know Where You Stand

The first step to saving money for a wedding is to know where you stand. In other words, you need to be aware of how much you need to save and how much you already have saved.

Use an app like Mint to track this. It aggregates all of your bank accounts so you know exactly how much you have. You can also use it to track your expenses.

Whenever you manage money online, make sure you install a VPN for extra security. For help with this, use a guide from Troypoint and they will show you how to get started.

Garnish Your Own Paycheck

Always pay yourself first. Instruct your bank to send a portion of your paycheck to your savings account so you don’t run into any problems with saving.

Most banks have this facility available. Use the previous step to know how much you can safely garnish from your paycheck and still cover your daily expenses.

Be Careful Where You Spend

Saving money for your wedding shouldn’t be confined to pure saving. It should also include saving money ON your wedding. Don’t think you have to have a huge wedding in order to have a great day.

Get married on the right day, choose an affordable venue, and don’t worry about not splurging on the little accessories nobody ever notices anyway.

See how you can keep your wedding costs down when planning your wedding and your savings journey will be a much easier one.

See What You Can Get from Others

The chances are you already know people who have got married. Use this to your advantage. See if they have anything from their weddings that they would let you borrow.

One quick tip is to take an old bridal wedding gown and have it tailored according to your tastes. This is much cheaper than spending thousands on a brand new dress.

Ask for Help Instead of Wedding Gifts

Request that your family and friends chip in with help, either through their time or through helping out with the cost in lieu of a wedding gift.

Most people would rather help with setting things up instead of agonizing over which wedding gift to buy. A wedding organized by your family and friends is always that much more special.

Hold the Wedding and Reception in the Same Place

Want to know how to cut your savings goal by thousands with one decision?

Just hold the wedding and the reception in the same place. It’s becoming increasingly trendy to rent one venue instead of two. This will save you thousands because you don’t have to worry about preparing two different venues.

Unless you’re a rabid traditionalist, this won’t affect the outcome of your day.

Last Word – Saving Doesn’t Have to Be a Nightmare

These tips will not only help you to save money for your wedding but they’ll help you to save money on your wedding. You don’t have to live like a monk in order to get the money together.

And you certainly don’t have to take out loans to enjoy your big day.

Do you have any other tips for saving for your big day?

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Do You Know How to Spot a Deal?

Are you someone who can spot a deal a mile away? If not, has the time has come for you to start doing so, yes?

For many consumers, getting a good deal is part and parcel of their life.

When many watch their dollars, finding some good specials can make the difference.

With that being the case, will you sharpen your skills when it comes to spotting a deal moving forward?

Internet is Great Starting Point

One of the best places to begin your quest to find deals is the Internet.

That said too many consumers don’t take advantage of all the worldwide web can offer them. As a result, they miss out on keeping more money in their wallets and purses.

Are you someone who focuses on finding discounted tickets for Universal Studios? If so, you can locate them much easier than you might first think.

With the right online search, you can get deals for Universal Studios and other venues. Once you have your deal, the fun is about to begin.

Keep in mind many companies in the theme park business and similar venues are active online. In fact, their websites are oftentimes tended to on a daily basis.

Among the important areas of interest many of them cover on a regular basis online:

· Blog posts about respective attractions

· Specials and when to collect on them

· Customer testimonials

You should also look for the locations of interest for you and yours on social media.

Sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest are popular with countless business.

Word-of-Mouth

If you have a sizable group of family, friends, and even co-workers that you communicate with, lean on them too.

An example of word-of-mouth marketing is designating people to stay on top of deals for venues.

If you have someone in the group who can’t get enough of amusement parks, let them alert others with a love for such. The same is true for someone who loves sports. Let him or her alert others via text or email about deals on ballgames etc.

Traditional Marketing

Even with the web and word-of-mouth leading the way, traditional marketing is there too.

Do you get your fair share of specials in the regular mail for various activities in and outside of town? If so, do you take advantage of them?

While many such marketing pieces end up in the garbage, others have more shelf life.

Don’t always be so quick to throw those pieces of mail out. You may in fact end up finding some great deals right at your fingertips.

When it comes to spotting the best deal out there, how good is your eyesight?

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Switching homes in 2017? Move your stuff the smart way…

Switching homes in 2017? Make this move much better than others in the past
Photo by CC user Nicolas Huk on Flickr

New year, new home. After spending several years in your starter place, you have finally managed to upgrade to the house of your dreams.

Congratulations!

As you are aware from previous experiences, however, moving is often about as pleasant as taking a trip to the dentist. Sorting through your things, getting them on a truck, and ensuring that no fragile items break is tough enough.

However, the toughest part of this process involves combing through various removal companies in an effort to find one that is worthy of your trust.

This was a hit-or-miss effort as recently as several years ago, but thanks to the debut of a service known as Shiply (http://www.shiply.com), this chore has now been made much simpler.

How have they made one of modern life’s most stressful experiences easier to stomach? Below, we will take you through the steps of using this service.

1) Get a quote

Before one of Shiply’s 102,000 registered providers can help you move all of your possessions to your new pad, start by supplying the details of your task via their simple job order form.

Once these companies know exactly what they are dealing with, they will be able to provide you with a quote.

2) Review the results

Shortly after submitting your information to Shiply’s servers, you will be sent a quote from every removal company that is willing to compete for your business.

You won’t have to make inferences based on the price they charge you, as each contending company will have a list of customer reviews that you will be able to peruse.

Based on this evidence, you can then contrast it against the quotes provided in order to pick the company that is right for your needs.

3) Await their arrival

After accepting the quote that you liked the best, all you have to do is ensure that you are prepared for their arrival.

After they have moved your stuff to your new abode, submit your review to Shiply, and the system will be further improved for those that use this service after you.

Eight years, 3.1 million successful deliveries

The information revolution has transformed so many aspects of our lives. With moving being such a difficult task to execute, why not let the internet make this process simpler for you?

With savings of up to 75% off standard rates being reported by past users, and a rigorous vetting process that screens out fraudulent operators, you owe it to yourself to make this next move much less stressful than others have been in the past.

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How to Get Great Deals Online

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There are a great many advantages to shopping online. Of course, there is the convenience that comes from not having to fight holiday crowds, take time out of a busy weekend to visit the mall, or figure out how to get a large or bulky purchase home.  However, one of the biggest advantages of online shopping the potential to get great deals, not only through promotions but also by understanding how online shopping works.  In addition to comparison shopping for the best prices, here are some tips to help you save money as well time by shopping online.

Promo-codes and Coupons

One of the easiest ways to save money on your online purchases is through the use of promocodes and coupons.  Promo-codes are offered by retailers to encourage customers to sign-up for services or open an account – entering the code when you make your first purchase will get you a discount.  Coupons online work in the same way as regular coupons.  Sometimes you are only able to use one coupon or promo-code at a time, but if you are able to use more than one, the savings can be huge.  Be smart – if you have a coupon that gets you a percentage off the purchase and another than gives you a fixed amount discount, be sure to use the percentage discount first!  Before you buy anything online, be sure to check if any codes are available to get great savings.

Clear Your Cache and Search Privately

Have you ever noticed that advertisements for hotels and restaurants in another start showing up on the pages you search just after you take a look at flights?  Or have your told your friends about a great deal online only to hear from them that the price they get is different than the price you just saw? It is no secret that advertisers and retailers are able to gather quite a bit of information about your spending habits and tailor prices that they show you.  In order to get the best deals, be sure that you browse in private mode, and that you clear your cookies and your cache.

Make Them Come to You

Have you ever put a few items in your cart online, only to be distracted or interrupted in the purchase?  After a few days, you might notice that you get an email from the store encouraging you to complete your purchase.  This might include a discount offer.  For this reason, it is always a good idea to fill your cart and then wait a few days before you finish the order – in the meantime, you might get a deal!  Be sure that you have an account with the retailer and that you stay logged in in the meantime.

These are just some of the ways that you can save your hard-earned money by shopping online. From medical supplies to holiday gifts, there is always a deal to be had!

 

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Tips to save big on your next trip

Eating big meals at lunch is one way to save big on your next trip
Photo by CC user tetrapak on Flickr

Planning your next holiday soon, but want to keep your costs under control? These tips will help you save big on your next trip.

1) Make use of coupon codes

While there are deals available on flights, accommodations, rental cars, and activities, there are ways to save even more money on these travel costs.

Before you book anything online, be sure to search for a coupon code for whichever site you are using. For example, if you are reserving a room in a resort, checking for Hotels.com Coupons is strongly advised, as any codes that you might find there will save you more money than you ever thought possible.

2) Fly during the middle of the week

The heaviest travel times during the week are on Fridays and Mondays, when business travelers and weekend warriors set out to their respective destinations.

As such, airlines elevate their fares on these days, as it makes sense for them to make hay while the sun shines. The mid-week period is much quieter, leading them to slash fares in a bid to attract more passengers.

Plan your holidays in order to capture these savings, and you will find yourself saving hundreds of dollars in airfare costs.

3) Splurge during lunch, be frugal at dinner

Restaurants make the most of their money at dinner. As such, they charge higher prices to diners for the final meal of the day. However, many of the same entrees served at dinner are also available at lunch, and they are priced economically in order to attract more business at this time of day.

As such, you should plan most of your extravagant meals then. By doing that and ordering more modestly priced mains at dinner, you’ll be able to make the most of the money that you spend on food.

4) Opt for a walking tour

Instead of enlisting the services of a guided tour while on holiday, you should seriously consider seeing the sights with a guidebook and your own two feet.

With plenty of background information available from tourism boards at most destinations, you can read up on the sights as you see them, allowing you to save money on what you would have paid for a tour bus and a guide.

Walking around is also a great way to get exercise, but if the thought of this makes your feet hurt, renting a bike to get around town will still allow you to see the area under your own power without placing undue pressure on your feet and joints.

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Ways to Make Your Money Make Money  

The saying ‘make your money work for you’ has almost become a cliche in the world of finance and one that is often overused. In spite of this, the fact remains the same, having money gives you far more opportunities to make money than if you don’t. The question is how, how can your savings make you money, and how much risk do you want to take with your savings in order to go after that extra cash. If you have a healthy savings account then here are some ways that you can use it to grow your wealth.

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 Use an Investment Group

 One of the best ways that I have found to grow my wealth is to use an investment group, these businesses rely on investors like you and me and offer heathy returns through a series of buyouts and large scale investments. I started using Alta Growth Capital, a Mexican based firm who have helped me to make a healthy return on my money. My investment manager is a guy called Javier Garcia Teruel Avila, he has a rich history in private equity investing and consultancy and has an MBA from Harvard Business School, his rich resume in the finance and energy sectors throughout the Americas plus the smart decisions that he has made with my cash has given me reason to trust both him and the company and invest more money with them.

Real Estate

 Everyone will tell you that real estate is where the money is, whilst this can very often be true, there is no cast iron guarantee that buying and selling property will yield you riches. As with anything, getting into the real estate game comes with risk, it is vital therefore, that you know the market inside out. Few people can predict which way the market is going to go so it is important that you start off small, buying houses at auctions, giving them some TLC and selling them on can be a great way to start. Patience is required in real estate, sometimes you could be sitting on a property for a long period of time before finding someone to buy or rent. If you aren’t in a rush for the money and you are prepared to heavily invest your time in research then real estate could be the way to go.

 High Interest Bank Accounts

 Anybody with a healthy amount of savings should start by looking at what interest rate their bank can offer them, the average in the U.S. is just 0.02%, an incredibly low figure when you consider that there are opportunities to get a flat 1% on your money. Putting your money into an account such as this will not make you rich, but it will earn you a great deal more than you are currently making with your 0.02% interest rate. Shop around on the market and speaks to banks directly about how much savings you have, they can then offer you the best rate available, find out which is the highest and put your money to work.

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Top Tips to Make Your Money Go Further

Money rules all, and it always will, the main concern in almost everyone’s lives is having enough money, enough money to survive, enough money to buy what they want or enough money to achieve their dreams. Whatever your reason for being concerned with the size of your income or bank account I’m sure that you will echo these sentiments. So, how do we go about solving the issue of money worries, well, there are two approaches that you can take, making more of it and working hard to spend less of it, both of which can give you a more positive view of your finances and ultimately a happier life. Here are some tips for you as to how you can achieve this.

Couponing

Gone are the days where people would rake through magazines searching for a 50 cents-off promotion in the back pages or walking into the grocery store armed to the teeth with glossy pieces of paper to save them cash. These days the online world of couponing is a craze that is engaging everyone with internet access and it is a brilliant way for you to save money. The emergence of voucher and coupon websites has not only encouraged businesses to make more money by offering great deals for their prospective customers but has saved the general public tens of millions of dollars in purchases that they have made simply by downloading a coupon for free online, get involved and save some money.

Use Your Cash

There are several ways of using your money to make even more money, firstly you should be looking into what kind of account your bank offers you, if you have an APY of anything less than 0.2% the you should be looking to put your money elsewhere to let it grow. If you have large savings then consider investments into businesses, stocks or property to hopefully take some big profits from your investments. Money does breed money and the same goes for things like online gambling, if you take the risk then the rewards could be huge, you can start off risk-free as well with a bonus for online casino games that means that you won’t even be gambling with your own cash to start with, what better way to learn the trade than by using someone else’s money!

Sharing Economy

The values of a sharing economy can work wonders in your life and for your finances, the essence of this economic system is that people live within their means and open up opportunities for others to share parts of their lives. Whether this means that you decide to use a car pool to get to work or rent out your spare room, the idea of collaborative consumption is the perfect way to save more money in your life and something that you should be looking at trying out to aid your financial situation. By spending less and sharing more you can give your monthly finances a boost and give yourself the opportunity to meet more people and create a more sociable World, the perfect combination.

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