Saving when you’re broke and over 50 may seem impossible. You’re either still in work and trying to put whatever you can into your pension pot, or already drawing down from your pension for an income much lower than you’re used to.

Having no savings and a small income, and knowing your retirement is coming up, leaves many over-50s worrying about how they can save for a rainy day. We’ve come up with some solutions to help you build a savings pot even when you think you’re broke.

• Get the over-50s benefits you’re entitled to
• Put off retiring
• Create some over-50s savings
• Invest for the medium-term
• Pick up some over-50s extra earners
• Make extra savings
• Consider equity release

So, you’re over 50, feeling poor and see no hope of improving the situation? Stop right there because you have a lot more time – and opportunities – to turn this around than you might think. Don’t imagine that this is a time for you to slow down. No way – there’s too much of life to enjoy and, frankly, profit from.

Get started with our ideas on how to save if you’re broke and start building up that nest egg!

Get the Over-50s Benefits You’re Entitled To

Go to the benefits information website Turn2Us and fill in your details. It works out what benefits you should be getting. It also shows you how to apply for what you’re entitled to.

Also go to the benefits section of Gov.uk. They have a good list of the benefits and tax credits you could be entitled to. You could be getting tax credits if you’re not earning enough, or extra help if you’re caring for someone or have a disability. Get in now while you can – who knows how long these benefits and tax credits will continue!

Most benefits are now paid via the Universal Credit system. This means you need to apply online to get the benefits. If you’re not confident on a computer, make an appointment with your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau and they’ll help you. The DWP also has a Visiting Team who can come out to your home if you’re housebound or unable to claim your benefits online. They’ll make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to.

While you’re at it, it’s a good idea to check on your state pension situation. Do you have enough National Insurance credits to get the full pension? You need 30 years’ worth of contributions to qualify for the full state pension. Also, if you’ve been a carer or taken time off to look after children you will probably have National Insurance credits for those years. Find out what your situation is here.

Delay Your Retirement

This may not have you jumping for joy but you’re going to have to face it now: if you don’t have enough savings put by, you’re much better off working for a few more years than trying to live off the State Pension alone. The current full State Pension is £221.20 a week (£11,502 a year), and a recent report suggested a retired person needs a minimum of £14,400 a year and £31,300 a year to live comfortably.

Working more years gives you time to add to your pension pot – and means you’re not eating into your pension savings while you’re still working, too, leaving more for when you do retire!

There are various advantages to working longer anyway:

• You are more likely to live longer. Seriously. This is particularly true for men. Staying in work – or at least staying active and interested in life (which often comes with having to go out to work) helps keep us healthy. A study by BUPA found that survival rates improve with increasing age at retirement for people from all socio-economic groups.
• It’s a great way to meet people. Again, getting out of the house and into contact with others will cut down on feelings of loneliness, isolation or worthlessness which can be common in retirement.
• You could find a whole new lease of life. You don’t have to carry on doing whatever job it is that you do now. This is a great time to find a new career path and do something you’ve always wanted to do. For women fifty-plus, being a doula, for example, is a great new career. For men fifty-plus, one idea is to get into adult education, teaching the skills you’ve been using (and are probably still using) for all your career.
• You get to earn more. Once you’re over 65 you have a higher tax threshold and you don’t pay National Insurance contributions. This means that you get to take home more actual, real money from your salary. The Government doesn’t pilfer so much of it!
• Putting off claiming your State Pension means you could get a larger weekly amount when you do take it. Your weekly pension increases by 5.8% for every year you defer.
• Alternatively, you can choose to take a cash lump sum with interest instead, as long as you have deferred it for more than a year.

Don’t think that working past retirement age means you have to stay in the 9-5 rat race. Lots of shops and small businesses offer part-time work.

• Finally, claim your State Pension at the same time as working to boost your income. You can also use your State Pension to keep the same amount of money coming in each month but reduce the hours you work. Check your State Pension age to find out when

Go to this section on Gov.uk to find out about other benefits of putting off retirement.

Saving When You’re Broke: The Importance of Investments

Now this is the important part. At this stage of your life you need to be creating a stable savings base. You do have time to invest in more risky, volatile investments that should bring in a decent return year-on-year (see below for more information on how to do that) but at this point you primarily need stability.

Saving when you’re broke means working out where you can make cuts in your existing expenditure, or finding new ways to earn money. Even saving a small amount each month quickly adds up! Keep reading for tips on how to earn more money when you’re over 50.

This means that you should be concentrating on putting regular amounts of money (however small) into savings accounts and probably into gilts too. Check out our article on investing when you’re 50+ for more details – or keep reading for the quick guide below.

FIRST:

If you have no extra money each week/month to put into a savings account: take a look at our article on 26 ways to save with simple changes to your spending habits.

THEN –

Set up a monthly standing order from your current account into a savings account: Even if it’s just £20 a month, it’s still something going into a savings scheme for you. Choosing a regular savings account is a good option; the best ones offer a 12-month fixed rate of about 5% interest and won’t allow withdrawals – a good way to stop you being tempted to dip into your money!

FINALLY –

Don’t forget about your ISA allowance: you have £20,000 to save tax-free every year so make the most of it! Read on for information about investing in a stocks and shares ISA.

P. S.

There’s also gilts: That’s government bonds to you and me. These are effectively loans to the government where they promise to pay a fixed amount of interest each year in return for borrowing your money to pay for… well, goodness knows what they’re using it for right now!

The point about gilts as an investment is that they are also stable, like savings accounts, and although (like savings accounts) they don’t give a huge return, at least you know that your money is in relatively safe hands.

It’s not going to go up and down wildly in the short term like the stock market can do, but you could make fairly decent returns. Read our article on gilts here.

Do You Receive Universal Credit?

If you’re in receipt of Universal Credit, you could be eligible for their Help to Save account. If you are, it’s one of the best ways to squirrel away some extra cash – and get up to £1200 FREE CASH topped up by the Government. Read our article about Help to Save to find out if it’s something that you’re eligible for and how to apply.

Invest for the Medium-Term

If you have decided to put off retirement until you’re about 70 then you have a decent amount of time for slightly riskier investments to grow.

A word of warning! You have to be careful here. Although you have a good few years for your investments to grow and to take in the ups and downs of more volatile markets than, say, savings accounts and gilts, as you’re not in your twenties any longer you need to make sure that only a relatively small percentage of your money is going into these riskier products.

Saving when you’re broke and over 50 means the majority of your money should go into the stable savings, particularly if you are close to, or well into, your sixties now.

Stocks and shares: It’s still worth looking at stocks and shares if you’re in your fifties. Use all or part of your ISA allowance to invest in stocks and shares ISAs. Invest in a nice, cheap, easy index-tracking fund (tracker) such as the Legal & General FTSE 100 or FTSE All Share index tracker.

These go up and down with the stock market according to a clever computer programme. Trackers don’t charge much in the way of management fees because they’re run by computer so you get to keep more of the profits.

Pensions: Your employer now has to offer a pension scheme by law. You’ll have been auto-enrolled if you meet the minimum requirements – make sure to check you’re taking this pension scheme if you can!

The Government tops up your pension contributions, and your savings are put into the pot before tax – unlike money you choose to save from your pay cheque.

If you don’t have access to a company pension scheme, such as if you’re self-employed, you could set up your own private pension or two. The best types of private pensions are either stakeholders (cheap, easy, open to anyone) or SIPPs, Self-Invested Personal Pension (rather cleverer but a great idea if you have the confidence).

You don’t have to put any money in a pension but as it’s a good idea to spread your money around a few different kinds of products, it’s worth considering pensions as one of them.

Do remember that there are whole chapters on investing in stocks and shares, gilts, bonds, pensions and savings accounts in Jasmine’s ebook ‘Beat the Banks’.

Pick Up Some Over-50s Extra Earners

It’s all very well investing your money if you have some cash to spare, but what can you do if you don’t? Luckily there are plenty of things that over-50s can do to make extra cash on the side to make saving when you’re broke possible.

Tutoring

Can you play an instrument? Speak another language? Or have specialist knowledge of science or maths? If so then you can make money by teaching high school, college or even university students. Here at Moneymagpie we know this is a good way to make money, and we have known people who have made up to £35 an hour by tutoring GCSE students.
Consider placing an advert in your local community such as on NextDoor, or with a specialist website like FindTutors. Using an online site like this to advertise your services also means you can check out how other tutors are pricing themselves so that you know what to charge.

Become a doula

A doula is a someone who is paid to help a woman through her pregnancy and during her first few months after the baby is born. You do not need any qualifications to become a doula, but to give yourself some credibility you may want to join up to a website or agency that has a good reputation, such as British Doulas or the Scottish Doula Network. To learn more about becoming a doula read our article here.

Rent your spare room

If your children have all moved out, gone to university or you simply have a lovely big house, then you can make some extra money by renting out your spare rooms. You don’t have to turn your house into a hotel or B&B, just clear some cupboard and fridge space and make room for another toothbrush in the bathroom. Lodgers don’t have the same protections as tenants living in let properties, so you don’t need to worry about squatters or whether you can end an agreement early with your tenant if it’s not working out.

You could rent to students during term time if you live near a university, or to commuters Monday to Fridays if you live in a big city. If you live in a desirable area you could also rent rooms to tourists during the summer or at Christmas.

Spareroom is a really easy site to use and their basic package is free, just place an advert and wait for people to contact you. You can select what age and profession you would like your tenant to be so people don’t waste your time applying if they do not fit your specification. Of course, you can also do this through Air BnB, but the fees are notoriously large and it means a very high turnover compared to taking in a lodger.

Renting a room means you can earn up to £7,500 per year tax-free. Couples share this allowance, so won’t get twice the allowance for the same property. You can’t use this scheme if you’ve converted part of your home into a separate annexe: it has to be used for lodgers sharing facilities with you such as kitchens and living areas.

Rent other parts of your home

Make money from renting other parts of your home! If you have a large garden that you don’t or can’t manage, consider renting it to a local greenfingers as an allotment space. Your driveway and garage also earn cash when you put them up for rent on JustPark, Parklet and your local version of Gumtree or NextDoor.

Finally, with the rise of remote workers comes a rise in ‘digital nomads’ and ‘vanlifers’. You could rent out your living room as a remote working space for people who are travelling – make sure you have a comfortable desk and chair, and fast internet, and you’ll make cash while having some company around. It’s a double-whammy if you look for people who live the ‘van life’ as they tour the country, as you could rent out your drive for their overnight parking as well as your spare room to work from.

Become a house sitter

House sitting is, basically, looking after someone’s home while they are away. You get to stay in a house; to keep it clean, tidy, take phone messages and collect post, perhaps look after pets, and sometimes house owners are willing to pay you to stay.

This is where the over 50s and 60s can cash in. Websites like Trustedhousesitters ONLY let mature people sign up to their websites, as they want to reassure their customers that their house sitters are reliable.

So, even if you aren’t being paid to look after a house, it’s a good way to save money if you want to go on holiday, as you will be saving yourself the cost of accommodation.

Trusted housesitters also have houses all over the world, not just in the UK. So if you fancy a holiday abroad, you could save yourselves a lot of money by offering to house sit.

Saving When You’re Broke: How to Find Easy Savings

There are also lots of things you can do day to day that will save you money in and around your home.

Switch (or ditch) the car

Trade in the family car for a smaller, more wallet-friendly model. You’ll save money on petrol and insurance that way too. If you’ve ever been a member of the armed forces or health services, you could also be entitled to a special discount on a new car! Remember to shop around for your insurance each year too – don’t just accept the premium rise of your existing provider, as it can be easy to knock up to a few hundred quid off with some comparison and neogtiating!

Or, you could be brave and ditch the car altogether. Over-50s get discounts on public transport and if you really need a car for something, you could rent one with a scheme like Zipcar or Enterprise Car Club for cities outside of London

Shopping

Using a price comparison website like MySupermarketCompare can save you big money on your weekly food shop. In fact, MySupermarket says that they can help you save an average of £18 a week by comparing the contents of your basket to other leading supermarket stores.

Just pick your preferred supermarket from a choice of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Ocado and start shopping. As you add items to your basket, the website will let you know how much you could save by switching to a different brand or product.

As your basket grows, MySupermarket also keeps a running total of how much you are spending, and how much it would be costing you at the three other supermarkets. So if a shop in Tesco were £10 cheaper than Sainsbury’s you could switch trolleys – genius!

Saving When You’re Broke is Easy with Cashback sites

While we’re talking about shopping, consider signing up to cashback sites like Topcashback and Quidco.

These companies are paid to drive traffic to retailers’ websites. You snag a share of that payment when you visit the online store you want by going via your cashback site first. For example, if you want to order your Marks and Spencer Christmas turkey online, log into your Topcashback site, search Marks and Spencer, and click the link. It’ll take you to the M&S website where you just shop as normal.

The cashback comes into your account a few weeks later. If you do this throughout the year for all of your online shopping activity, you can easily rack up a few hundred pounds of cashback without trying! You can pay out to your bank account or use the cashback to buy vouchers to spend online.

Become a mystery shopper

Get paid to eat, drink, shop, and go to the cinema (yes, really!).

All you have to do is sign up online and you will be sent details of where your next assignment will be.

It is your job to check that the standard of service is up to scratch, and write a short report about your experience.

Other ways to save or make money

We have loads more great ideas in our article on money-makers for over-60s, which are all relevant for over-50s too.

Also, our entire Make Money section is full of all kinds of different ways to make money on the side or even use your hobby or interest to give you a full-time earner. Start with our 10 easy ways to make quick cash article and move on to whatever takes your fancy!

If Saving When You’re Broke Seems Impossible, Consider Equity Release

We’re not especially keen on equity release for most people here at Moneymagpie. Although the industry is much cleaner than it was, it’s still not the safest path to tread. In many cases you get nowhere near the value of your property and if you have children it does mean that their inheritance will be drastically reduced.

However, if you have no children or you have no other means of supporting your retirement, then equity release could be something you might consider for later on. Seriously, though, don’t get into it until you are at least 65. Before that time, you should be using other means to create a nest egg for yourself. Equity release is a last resort (you get more for your home the later you leave it, anyway).

Use a company that belongs to the Equity Release Council, the industry regulatory body. Read up on it for as long as it takes for you to really understand what it involves and get independent advice before you jump in.

*This is not financial or investment advice. Remember to do your own research and speak to a professional advisor before parting with any money.

The post Help for over-50s: how to save if you’re broke appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

How to have a cheap holiday in the UK this summer.

Although in Britain we may not have guaranteed sunshine throughout the summer months like most of our European counterparts, we do have an abundance of historic cities and beautiful landscapes. From weekend breaks staying in cityside B&Bs, to getting away from the hustle and bustle whilst exploring the countryside, there are plenty of ways to keep costs down and have a cheap holiday in the UK.

• Ditch the Hotel
• Alternatives to Camping
• Save Money on Travel
• Peak Times Mean Peak Prices
• Try Something Different
• Further Tips to Save You Money

Ditch the Hotel

The UK offers plenty in the way of free activities, from countryside walks and hikes in the highlands to relaxing weekends spent on beaches. The UK has 15 gorgeous national parks to explore, and over 7,000 miles of coastline to see, which make exploring the country’s landscapes a perfect holiday getaway.

To fully immerse yourself in the countryside, camping is the perfect way to keep things cheap and get a true authentic experience.

Camping

Spending a holiday under canvas is the simplest way to save a chunk of money on holiday, but it can also become part of the adventure and magic of the trip. It’s a perfect getaway whether you’re after a peaceful solo weekend, a group outing, a family adventure, or romantic couples trip.

Many campsites also allow dogs, so you can take your pooches with you – which is a great way to save on kennel costs, too!

Find out lots of camping hacks for a truly budget vacation here.

Pitch prices vary depending on location and time of year, but they can cost as little as £8-10 a night, per person. If you are camping during a busy season consider choosing a campsite slightly further away from the main tourist sites in the area for even better prices.

Wild Camping

In Scotland, you can legally wild camp. This means you don’t have to camp on a set site, but instead can pitch up in any suitable area. You can’t do this on private land without the owner’s permission – but with so many forests and national parks, you’re not short of places to wild camp. It’s a great way to get into the true Great Outdoors – and saves money on pitch fees, too! Be aware that in the summer months, there are some restrictions around places like Loch Lomond between 1st March and 31st September each year so make sure you check whether you need a permit.

Wild camping isn’t legal in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Some areas, such as the Lake District and Dartmoor, have a ‘blind eye’ policy if you follow the basic rules (arrive late, leave early, leave everything as you found it, and stay no more than one night in the same place). Countryfile has a useful list of wild camping places to try across the UK.

If you know another spot you’d like to wild camp, find out who the landowner is and ask their permission to camp there. Don’t just rock up and pitch up: ask in advance, and get to know the landowner so they can see you’re trustworthy and will leave everything as you found it.

Glamping

Glamping is another option. It’s still rather cheap but with a bit more luxury for those not quite at home under wet canvas. With glamping, you have better facilities like a private hot shower and fully functioning kitchen.

PitchUp is a great website dedicated to finding cheap camping and caravan parks, also showing users the nearest walking routes, bike hires, activities, and pubs! Campsites is another easy website to use to search for cheap camping sites for pitches, touring, and glamping. All in all, camping is hard to beat at keeping things cheap.

Alternatives to Camping

Finding alternative accommodation is one of the simplest ways to save on holiday. Hotels are notoriously expensive and really not worth the money when there are plenty of other options available. Even if you want a city-based break, you’ll find lots of options such as nearby caravan parks, in-city guesthouses, and other options that get you away from expensive hotels.

Caravan Parks

Like campsites, static caravan sites offer budget holiday accommodation for couples and families. This option costs a bit more, from around £20 a night depending on the number of people the caravan sleeps and what facilities it offers.

You can hire a caravan pitch for your own, or hire a caravan out for the week or weekend for around £40 a night (depending on size and location). Find out how to have a cheap caravan holiday here.

This might be a good time to invest in a caravan. See what we say about potentially buying a caravan here.

B&Bs and Guesthouses

Farm stays, B&Bs, and guesthouses are other alternatives on offer. Still cheaper than hotels, you have your own space and facilities and a bit more comfort then in a tent! It’s also a good way to explore new places without risking the questionable British weather. The options are also ideal if you want to explore cities rather than the countryside, too.

Try Air BnB, local Facebook groups, and FarmStay to find alternatives to camping – for both countryside AND city breaks.

House Swap

To save TONS of money, you could always house swap! Normally, this is done internationally – but you can do it in the UK, too. Obviously, this is subject to making sure your home is fully cleaned and safe for any visitors, as many people are asking for that. However, house swapping is a great way to save lots of cash and see new places. Read our full article about house swapping here.

Hire a Canal Boat

If you want to explore the beautiful Norfolk Broads or the 4,700 miles of canal networks in the UK, a boat is a brilliant way to have an explorer’s holiday without leaving our shores. Did you know the longest canal is the Grand Union Canal, which is 137 miles long and goes from London to Birmingham? It takes around 72 hours to navigate non-stop!

Walking Hostels

If you’re a big fan of the outdoors and the camaraderie that comes with hikers across the UK, plan a walking trip. You might want to do just a long weekend on the main peaks or scaling Snowdon, but you could take on a longer holiday with a coast-to-coast or 100-mile coastline trip. Walking hostels are a cheap way to spend the night under a solid roof to get a proper night’s rest, but they’re basic – so it’s a step up from camping. YHA hostels are some of the best to try.

Save Money on Travel

Avoid any unnecessary travel costs. For example, if you’re driving to your destination, fill up your car before setting off as the fuel at your local petrol station will be cheaper than at petrol stations along motorway routes. Supermarket petrol stations are definitely the cheapest around.

If you’ll be travelling for a long period of time, pack a picnic and snacks for the family as station and services cafes and shops tend to have extortionate mark ups on their products and you’ll end up paying a lot more than you should. Remember to take reusable water flasks like Sho flasks, to save on costs – many places will refill them for free and it’s better for the environment.

Research other travel options that may be cheaper. If you’re travelling without kids or have light baggage, public transport is a good alternative to consider. It may be just as convenient as driving but prove to be a cheaper option. It is also worth investing in a railcard if you’re eligible and plan to take either several rail trips or one big expensive one.

Omio is a useful site for planning a route by public transport and comparing cost versus time. If you are travelling by public transport, booking well in advance, travelling at off-peak times, and investing in a rail or coach card will all make your travel cheaper.

Peak Times Mean Peak Prices

Avoiding the school summer holidays and bank holiday weekends as much as you can will save you from buying into the price increases at these times of year. Although if you’re a family with children this is much harder to avoid.

Holiday prices often drop by between 10 and 15% from the last week of August and into the beginning of September so timing your holiday right could get you better deals.

Also consider taking your big family holiday during the Easter holidays next year instead. Generally the UK gets nice, sunny weather around this time and the prices will be cheaper as well. Next year, Easter 2025 falls almost right at the end of April (20th) which improves your chances of good weather.

Do your research before you travel and check out if there will be any big events going on whilst you hope to be there. Things like football matches, big concerts, or race days will unfortunately whack the prices up on accommodation in the area and you could end up paying a lot more.

Try Something Different

Cities like London, Oxford, and Bath are all very popular tourist destinations but more expensive than some other UK cities. Northern England and Scotland have some amazing places worthy of visiting that are great city breaks but without the large price tag. Liverpool was revealed to be the best value city break in the UK! While other great options include Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Aberdeen.

Further Tips to Save You Money

If you’re on a super-tight budget but really need to get away this summer, try these tips to save more cash.

1. Why not rent out your home whilst you’re on holiday? You can sign up for AirBnB easily to host your home and have some extra money coming in whilst you’re away.
2. First time camping? Borrow the camping gear from a friend or family if you can before you spend hundreds on stuff you may not use very often. If you have to buy though, make your purchases out of season for much better deals.
3. Make the most of deals and cashback. Websites like lastminute.com usually have some really good deals available so it’s worth signing up to see what you can get. Another idea is to use cashback sites like Quidco when booking your holiday as you can receive up to 13% back.
4. Make use of age-related discounts. You’ll need to keep your ID on you but being under 18, a student, or over 60, means you can benefit from discounted entry fees and travel passes.
5. Make your home a holiday destination with a little creativity. If you live in or near a city, explore it as if you’re a tourist – and you could benefit from a local resident discount, too! Or take day trips into your nearby countryside to get into nature. Remember that the National Trust and English Heritage both have plenty of free sites to visit.

The post How to Have a Cheap Holiday in the UK this Summer! appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Many people dream of being able to quit the day job, open a laptop (or typewriter, if you’re old-school), and write a best-selling novel. But, to be honest, that’s a really tough ask. So, instead many aspiring novelists start writing short stories.

A recent 2023 survey revealed the average salary of a fiction author in the UK is just £7,000. Most people who are authors – even names you might recognise on the bookshelf – will have another job to supplement their income, or have a partner who can cover their expenses. However, with the rise of BookTok, Bookfluencers, and Bookstagram (yes, those are actual online things), and the massive success of huge books like the Fourth Wing series, being a reader is popular again. In fact, the printed book market grew in 2023 despite the same number of books being published!

However, writing a novel is a MASSIVE undertaking, and many of us don’t have the time to do it. It takes years of work before you can even think about finding a publisher or self-publishing it, and that means the return on your time investment is low. Short stories, on the other hand, can reap big rewards for less work.

In fact, there are competitions that pay out thousands of pounds to the best story!

To give you some help, here is our guide to making money writing short stories.

• Where do I begin with writing short stories?
• Places to sell your stories…
• How do I write a story that will bring in loads of money?
• Find peers to support you
• Tips from the professionals
• How much money can I make from my story-writing?

Where Do I Begin with Writing Short Stories?

Your first stop is to find out what opportunities are available.

Magazines are by far your best chance of finding a willing publisher for your short story. Places like Writers Online, the website for the largest UK writing publication, Writing Magazine, list competitions regularly.

Frankly, getting a book published has always been competitive, but submitting a short story to a print or online magazine is still one of the best entry points. You can make a career out of being a short story writer, or use your wins and accolades to build a writing CV and attract a literary agent for your novel.

If you’re hoping to make money at all from your stories, then fighting against the odds is something you’ll have to get used to – it’s one of the most competitive industries out there.

It’s for this reason that we should point out that you probably shouldn’t be writing short stories for the cash. Really, there are much easier ways to make money (just check out our make money section!) and if your heart isn’t in it, then it’s going to show in your writing.

You need to be passionate enough about writing that payment would be a nice bonus (rather than a necessity) to stand a chance of getting anywhere.

Places to Sell Your Stories…

Thankfully for those who do love writing, there are numerous magazines that accept submissions and run competitions.

Check out the Booktrust’s breakdown of magazines and this site for regular short story competitions.

Women’s magazines have a lot of short story opportunities. Magazines such as My Weekly, The People’s Friend, Woman’s Weekly, Prima, and Mslexia all accept submissions. If you’re a regular reader, then you’ll probably have a good idea of what they expect. The Moth magazine runs one of the biggest short story prizes each year, with a top prize of £3,000. Writing Magazine runs small contests each issue – some are open to anyone while others are for subscribers only, and the average prize is £200 with a Grand Prize contest once a year for £1,000.

Don’t worry if you don’t think the audience of women’s magazines will appreciate your fiction, as there are lots of other magazines that cater for plenty of genres.

Many on the list cater for a range of stories and others also specialise:

• Crimewave focuses on crime (you may have guessed!)
• and Albedo One focuses on sci-fi and horror.

It’s not a magazine, but the Bridport Prize is one of the most renowned and respected fiction competitions and runs each year with a top prize of £5,000!

You could also consider PenPee. Penpee.com is a platform like Netflix/Airbnb for readers and storytellers to read, write, and get paid for short stories.

Writers get paid for every qualified page of their stories read. With Penpee’s recent introduction of “Read and Rate”, storytellers want readers’ opinions and readers get paid when they write a review and rate stories they read at Penpee.com

How Do I Write a Good Short Story?

If you want to earn money for your stories, then you’re going to need to be a competent writer with a good understanding of narrative structure and characterisation.

• It can be hard getting an honest opinion, if you’re not sure how good you are at writing. Family and friends will almost certainly tell you you’re the next JK Rowling, so try and get impartial advice. Sign up to a writers’ forum and get feedback on your work.
• There are many good writers’ forums out there, but start by checking out writingforums.org or The Writer’s Digest forum.
• If you’re not good enough yet there’s a lot of information online that can provide a good foundation for improving your writing such as writersdigest.com and Creative Writing Now. You might also have some luck on forums like Reddit but it can be hit or miss.

There are also lots of useful videos on YouTube that can teach you how to write. If you have a bit of spare cash, the BBC Maestro and the Masterclass courses are led by household-name authors and writers with really interesting insights. Wait until they run offers, usually a few times a year – their January sales are usually the best time of year to nab a bargain. Or, if you’re one of those people who can never think of what to ask for as a birthday present, ask for a subscription!

If you’re really serious then you could take a writing course

…although you’ll probably have to pay for a good one. Still, if it’s a hobby and you can afford it, then why not?

Before you look at paid courses, learn the foundation skills with free courses. Udemy has some great basic classes, while the Open University has a useful course that’s free for anyone.

• There are many writing courses around and finding the right one for you will simply be a matter of searching for one that takes your fancy.
• Remember to research thoroughly before handing any money over. The Writers’ Academy is a good place to start because you can do online courses with top editors, bestselling authors and established tutors – although you will be looking at paying a few hundred pounds.
• For something a bit special, you could check out the Arvon residential creative writing courses. You get to surround yourself with beautiful countryside and get lost in your writing for a few days. It is open to people of all ages and of all ability, regardless of experience. As this is residential, there is a cost. However, the courses are supported by the Arts Council of England, and other donors,  so you can apply for a grant if you can’t afford the course. In some cases, all the course costs are covered and nine out of ten people get some grant support.

Find Peers to Support You

One thing any professional writer will tell you is to surround yourself with other writers. You probably have a local writing group near you – apps like NextDoor and Eventbrite are useful for finding events in your area.

If you prefer working online instead, Writers HQ and Jericho Writers are examples of online forums that build a support network of fellow writers. If you subscribe to writing magazines like MsLexia and Writing Magazine, they usually have an online forum to access, too. When you’re working in groups like this, remember it is as much about what you can give as what you can get. You’ll benefit the most from groups if you engage with them, voice your opinions, and try to help others as they try to help you.

Tips From Professionals

If you’re fairly confident that you can write, then there are things you can do to increase your chances of getting published and earn some cash.

• Write in a genre you’re comfortable with. If you usually write fantasy then you may struggle to write a romance story. Choose magazines to submit to that play to your strengths.
• But do compromise. While you should write for familiar genres, if you want to make money then you’re going to need to be flexible to appeal to a specific readership. Then, you can apply for more than one really niche magazine. Plus, there’ll be a lot of guidelines you need to follow, speaking of which…
• Stick to the guidelines. Make sure you follow the instructions provided by the site to the letter. Nothing will blow your chances of getting published faster than submitting a 4,000 word story for a competition that allows a maximum of 2,000 words. Some guidelines will specify what shouldn’t be in the story (e.g. explicit sex scenes), while others will go so far as to specify who the main character should be (for example, a women’s magazine may want a female character who their readers can relate to). Make sure you format correctly too. It is usually 12 point font with double-spacing on the lines, but check the entry terms for details.
• Do your research. Decide which magazine you’re going to submit to and read it regularly. See what sort of stories they usually publish and if there’s something similar between them, whether it be genre, tone or style, then you’d be wise to do the same (I know this might sound crushing to your creative and original mind but, as said above, you’ll need to compromise to make money. Save your genre defying masterpiece for when you’re a bit more established!). Make sure you have a good sense of the readership from the articles and adverts in the magazine, as they’re the people you need to be writing for!
• Don’t simultaneously submit. Your writing muscles are going to stay flexible with this: most competitions won’t let you submit a story if you’ve already submitted it elsewhere. Check the terms of entry to see if they allow ‘simultaneous submissions’ which means they will let you submit to other contests. However, if you place in one with that story, you need to withdraw from any contests you’ve entered it into unless they specifically allow previously published stories to be entered. This means it is better to submit single stories instead of one story to lots of contests. However, there is nothing stopping you from entering last year’s stories into different contests this year if they didn’t place! So after a year you can start cycling through the stories in your files to submit.

If you follow those steps then you’re increasing your chances of getting published.

How Much Money Can I Make Writing Short Stories?

Each magazine offers different rates for contests.

• Usually £500 or so for a short story would be the top end, while a few will go into the thousands. The bigger the prize, the more competition you’ll face.

When it comes to payment for short stories in magazines that are not contest based, the fee can vary wildly. A 2000-word story might net you £500 or more, while other magazines don’t pay at all.

Some magazines pay per word

• For example, Fiction Desk Magazine pays £25 per 1,000 words (as well as a £100 bonus for the best story in each magazine). While this might not sound like a huge amount, if you’re getting paid anything to write fiction, then you’re doing something right. You also receive two copies of the paperback anthology. Many prizes and magazines offering anthologies will offer copies as part of your fee.

The Writers and Artists Yearbook is any writer’s go-to book for information about which magazines take short stories (and, if you’re feeling non-fiction inclined, other articles) and will list how much the fee is. The website also lists regular writing contests alongside tons of writing advice, so it’s a great one-stop shop.

Competitions tend to offer greater amounts

• For example, the Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize offers £2,500 for their top prize.
• A runner up gets £200 and longlisted authors receive £50 book vouchers and a subscription.

We’ve mentioned the other big contests, like the Bridport Prize, in this article too. Writing contests change all the time, so make sure you Google ‘writing contest [YEAR]’ to make sure you’re not missing out.

A note on fees

There are some free entry writing contests and they are ALWAYS worth entering. However, most contests will need an entry fee which can be anything from a couple of quid to around £20. You need to weigh up your chances of winning, the confidence you have in your work, and whether you can write off that cash if you don’t place in the contest, before paying. Make sure the competition has an established track record, too: anyone can set up a writing competition, so make sure the judges are high quality, the prizes are decent (or if low that they have a low entry fee), and there are testimonials from previous years if it has run before.

One of the good things about submitting to magazines is you very rarely have to give up the copyright, so you’re usually free to resell any published stories to magazines in other countries. Imagine how good it would feel making money from the same story multiple times!

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The post Make money writing short stories appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

If you’re struggling to make ends meet, it’s only natural to turn to friends and family members for help by asking to borrow money. In fact, one TikTok user has gone viral as she revealed she now shares a bank account – with a friend.

But is it ever wise to lend or borrow money in this way? We explore the benefits and (very serious) pitfalls of unofficial lending, as well as provide some tips on how you can make sure both you and your friend or family member is protected if something goes wrong.

Read on to find out more, or click on the links below to go straight to that section.

• How much do people lend?
• The advantages of lending and borrowing among friends and family
• The cons – and the con artists
• What about shared bank accounts with friends?
• The legalities – and resources that can help
• Other assistance that is available

How Much Do People Lend?

Lending money to friends and family is more common than you might think. A third of people in the UK are currently owed money by friends and family, according to research by Starling Bank.

The amount being lent out by friends and family is not small change, either – 35% have lent more than £500 according to the survey of 2,000 UK adults.

Nearly one in four (23%) are owed more than £1,000, 10% have handed over £5,000 or more, and 6% have lent upwards of £10,000.

The Advantages 

Broaching the subject of gifting or loaning money to family may be embarrassing, but according to a recent survey of 3,000 people by Hodge Bank, many people actually get a kick out of helping their friends and family with money, with 58% of over-75s saying they liked to lend their loved ones money.

Of course, you don’t have to be a financial wizard to work out why people might want to borrow money from the ‘Bank of Grandma and Grandad’ (or the ‘Bank of Bob from Work’, for example).

Clearly, your friends and family are a lot more likely to give you some help towards bills than a bank ever is. Getting a loan is a bureaucratic nightmare, and unless a bank is confident that it will easily recoup its money, it’s not going to lend you a penny.

This preference for wealthier clients by the big banks is why those who are struggling often have to turn to ‘pay day’ loans, or even loan sharks.

Of course, if you aren’t considered a risk by the banks, they’ll happily give you a loan at a far more-reasonable rate than a rapacious pay day loan provider. But the terms are still unlikely to be anywhere near as generous as you’d get from friends and family.

Exorbitant rates

According to MoneyNerd, the average interest rate on a personal loan taken out in October 2022 with a two-year repayment was 10.16%, although many lenders charge much more, with rates as high as 36% or above.

The amount you are charged will depend on a number of factors, including your personal credit score, and your collateral (i.e. the amount of money/property the bank could theoretically seize if you fail to keep up with installments).

For help working out how much money you could realistically hope to borrow through official channels, see here.

The Cons – and the Con Artists

Needless to say, lending or borrowing money from friends and relatives isn’t without risks – for both parties.

Most ‘lenders’ are not particularly wealthy, according to Starling Bank, whose study found that a third of people who have lent money to friends and family are low-earners (i.e. on an annual salary of less than £20,000), while only 11% are higher earners, on £70,000 plus.

Embarrassment and anxiety

What’s more, two thirds of lenders told the bank that they felt either too “awkward and embarrassed” or too “anxious” to ask for money back that they’re rightfully owed, while a third of respondents (32%) said they had to ask two or more times for the money to repaid.

As Starling Bank’s chief banking officer, Helen Bieton, pointed out: “Talking about money with friends and family can be awkward, but letting debts rack up can take a toll on relationships and our own financial wellbeing.”

She added that “nearly one in five (17%) started to resent their debtors and 11% avoided making plans with them in the future”.

“When they weren’t paid back as swiftly as they would have liked, more than a quarter of people in the UK (27%) got annoyed, 8% got angry or had an argument with the person who owes them [money], and 3% ended up in a physical fight.”

Difficulties saying “no”

Of course, the easiest way to avoid such potential disputes is to just say no. However, this is easier said than done.

In July, a study from the short-term lending service Moneyboat revealed that the average Briton loses over £500 a year due to this inability to assert themselves with friends and family.

As Elizabeth Richie, a psychotherapeutic counsellor at St Andrews Healthcare, explained: “Expectations from friends and family can blur the lines when we want to say no! This may include fear of being judged, fear of being selfish.”

Richie, who helped Moneyboat with the study, said that it is crucial to set boundaries and be mindful of the fact that “we cannot control other people’s responses to us”.

“The ability or inability to say no often stems from our childhood. We will struggle to say no when we are constantly seeking approval, we will find it easier to say no when we have experienced healthy attachments in early life and have acquired a healthy identity from our early caregivers.

“Ultimately being able to say no at the right time reduces stress levels, and gives you time to prioritise what is important for you and to be more discerning about your own needs and self-care without feeling bad.”

Could your friend be a loan shark?

There are, however, far greater risks involved with casual borrowing than just hurt feelings, as Jackie Spencer, the senior policy manager at the Money and Pensions Service, explained: “Another thing to be cautious about is borrowing money from someone you know casually, such as a colleague or a friend.

“It might seem like a good solution, but you should consider how much you really know them, as they might be a loan shark who lends money illegally and the loan could cost you more than you think.

“They target people who need to borrow money and can’t access it from legal sources and may resort to intimidation and even violence if you can’t keep up with repayments.”

To help prevent this, she stressed that any informal loan should be put in writing, and recommended people read this guide on how to spot a potential loan shark.

Other issues to consider

While it can be tempting to ask friends or relatives to lend you money, you need to think about not only whether you can afford to repay the loan but what might happen if you can’t.

People thinking of borrowing from friends and family really ought to draw up a budget using a resource like this, just like someone would do before approaching a bank for a loan.

“This will help you see how much money you have left for repayments and if you can actually afford it,” said Spencer.

“You should also consider the risk that this could harm or even end the relationship if the money is not repaid. It’s stressful enough if you can’t afford to pay back what you owe, but it can be even worse when you’re leaving a loved one out of pocket.

“If you’re not sure whether you should borrow from a friend or family member, there are other credit options – even if you have a poor credit rating and if you’re struggling with debts, there is help available through our MoneyHelper service.”

What to do if you are approached for a loan you can’t afford

It can be hard to refuse when a friend, partner or family member asks for financial help, but you should consider whether you can cope with the impact of not having the loan repaid. Take the time to work out your own budget before lending to anyone.

If your money is currently in savings, you’ll need to bear in mind that removing a large chunk of this will affect the interest you make each month.

What About Shared Bank Accounts with Friends?

As the cost of living hits us all, more and more people are considering setting up shared bank accounts with friends. Much like in a couple, they pay in part of their salary each month and use it to pay bills if they live together, or to save towards a shared goal like a holiday. So, instead of lending each other money back and forth (we’ve all asked for an extra tenner here and there from our best mate), their spending comes from the shared account.

A new viral trend on TikTok, shared bank accounts are being touted as a way to find accountability in your spending, as someone else can see everything you spend.

While sharing a bank account for housemates to pay bills together might be useful, it comes with big pitfalls. The funds aren’t protected – so anyone named on the account can take the whole lot at any time. In the example of TikTokker Caitlin above, she and her friend don’t always pay in equal amounts either, as sometimes one earns more than the other. This is the highest level of trust, because anyone in this situation could run off with the money they haven’t earned!

More than that, if your friend has a terrible credit score, or they put your joint account into debt, your credit rating will be ruined, too.

Joint savings accounts can work better and some banks recognise this. Monzo has a shared saving account that helps friends save together into one pot for a specific event like a holiday or hen do. However, the funds are still there for anyone to spend and your credit rating is now linked to the people named on the account.

If you want an accountability buddy to help control your spending in tight times, you could always set a weekly date to meet with your friend and go through your bank statements together. This will make sure you know someone else is going to look at your spending, helping you to curb impulse and unnecessary expenditure, without risking your funds being withdrawn by someone else.

The Legalities – and Resources That Can Help

If you are able to help a friend or relative in need, it’s still wise to take some legal precautions to safeguard both you and your loved one in case of unforeseen circumstances.

As Spencer from the Money and Pensions Service pointed out, it’s a good idea to put your agreement in writing so both parties were aware of exactly how much will repaid and when. “It’s also important to keep records of when repayments are made, so you both know how much is still outstanding.

“Having an agreement in place can protect you in unforeseen circumstances as well, such as if the borrower died with the debt unpaid as you’d need proof to claim from their estate.”

Legal templates

You can find lots of free template agreements online that both parties can sign and keep.

LawDepot has a very easy-to-follow, one-page form that should leave both sides in no doubts as to what was lent, and to whom. You can download it here.

Things to consider in any agreement 

The team at Hodge Bank has some great advice on things to consider before lending to friends and family. For instance, they suggest you should include details such as “a time frame for when the sum is expected to be paid back by, any interest (if applicable) and any consequences for missed payments – you may choose to set a fixed penalty or an interest charge for example.”

The bank also tells would-be lenders to consider things like collateral, adding: “If your friend or family member has anything of worth, this can be a good way to ensure your money will be returned to you.

“If your money was in savings prior to the loan, it may be a good idea to charge at least as much interest as it’d earn in savings to make sure that you don’t lose out. This will also ensure that the loan is seen as a loan and not a gift.”

Tax implications

Another issue many people overlook is the tax implication. If there’s interest being added to the repayment amount, you really ought to inform HMRC and fill out a self-assessment form as, depending on your income, the interest on any repayments may be liable for tax. Obviously, if you’re not charging interest, you won’t need to tell HMRC and, instead, just need to keep a detail of the loan and repayment amounts, in case you’re challenged about where the money came from.

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that many relatives (especially older ones) loan out money on the understanding that they probably won’t need it to be repaid.

It’s worth pointing out, however, that if the lender dies within seven years of giving the money away, the recipient may have to pay inheritance tax on it. For more information about inheritance tax, read our guide on estate planning.

What to do if there’s a dispute 

When lending to family and friends, there’s always the chance that they might not pay you back. If this happens, the first step is to talk to them and find out why this is. It may be due to something simple like a change in personal circumstances or other reasons beyond their control.

If the issue is due to a lack of funds, you should try to come to an agreement to amend the payment schedule or increase the length of the loan-period. If your friend or family member is being difficult and there’s a signed agreement in place, you can always seek legal action, if necessary.

For sums below £5,000, you have the option of taking the issue to a small claims court. For larger amounts, you may need to seek legal advice on how best to proceed.

Other help out there

If you or your loved ones are struggling financially, you really should try to reduce any debts and do everything you can to consolidate your finances before complicating the situation with yet more IOUs.

Charities like Christians Against Poverty give free help and advice to people struggling to keep their head above water financially – irrespective of their religion.

Its advisers should be able to help you cut your budget and get lenders off your back.

They work very closely with local Council Tax and Business Rates’ enforcement departments to create more-manageable payment plans for people who’ve fallen behind and are racking up court fees and penalty notices.

They also help arrange Individual Voluntary Arrangements, Protected Trust Deeds and Debt Relief Orders to clear any money you owe private businesses.

The charity has helped more than 20,000 become debt-free since 2010 alone, so they know what they’re doing.

You could also try Citizens Advice or Turn2us, who can not only provide some advice on clearing debts and dealing with angry lenders, but could also point you in the direction of benefits or other assistance you may not know you are eligible for.

More information

If you are struggling during the current cost-of-living crisis, you may find the following articles of use:

• 9 quick ways to organise your finances
• Mental health and money: How to stop debt overwhelming you

MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of lending or borrowing money should conduct their own due diligence. 

The post Is it wise to lend or borrow money from friends and family? appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

The General Election will be held on Thursday 4th July 2024. Many people don’t realise that elections are more than a chance to cast your vote — they are an opportunity to make money!

When you vote in any election, you’ll have noticed the poll clerks overseeing everything.

However, have you ever considered making a bit of extra cash as a poll clerk yourself? Can you make yourself free for the whole day?

If so, you can earn around £250 for a day’s work in a polling station. It’s a quick and easy money-making idea and ideal if you are retired or a student.

• Who Can Become a Poll Clerk?
• What’s Involved?
• How Much Can I Make?
• How Do I Apply?

Who Can Become a Poll Clerk?

Anyone is eligible to act as a poll clerk, providing they are over 18, literate and numerate and not have worked for a candidate standing in the current election. You must also have the right to work in the UK. There are some things you need to declare on your application form too, including whether you are a member of a political party, you’re an active campaigner in the elections, and if you’re a close relative of a current candidate. This may not go against your application chances, but it must be declared.

The only other requirement is that applicants must be on the electoral roll – if you’re not, you really should be. Not being on the electoral roll can damage your credit rating!

If you’re not on the electoral roll you can register to vote on the Government’s official website. You can also find your local Electoral Registration Office by clicking here. Alternatively, give your local authority a call. 

What’s Involved?

As a poll clerk, you are there to set-up the polling station and make sure correct procedure is followed throughout the day, including after voting closes.

Your duties include checking people are eligible to vote, checking and marking electoral numbers, stamping and issuing ballot papers, and, crucially, making certain that votes are cast in secret and put into the ballot box. For the first time ever, all in-person voting requires photographic ID at all polling stations in the UK for Parliamentary elections – so you’ll need to have a good eye for faces, because you’ll be checking voters’ IDs to confirm their identity.

You answer to the  Presiding Officer, who is the official in charge of a polling station.

It’s a long day, usually from early morning (usually 6am) till at least 11pm when the voting finishes.

You can also apply to help count the ballot papers in the evening, but be aware that this is, as you can probably imagine, pretty frantic work. You’ll need to be able to work well under pressure and also focus in busy environments.

For more information on the duties of a poll clerk, and the requirements to become one, look at the Handbook for Polling Station Staff here.

How Much Can I Make?

The amount you earn varies from council to council so it depends on where you apply.

You should be getting at least £150 for the day and councils who pay the most will offer £250 or more.

To find out how much your local council pays, simply visit their website and search ‘poll clerk’. For a list of local authorities in England and Wales, click here.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you have worked at a polling station on at least two other occasions, you can apply to become a Presiding Officer, which means more money! (For example, a Presiding Officer in Herefordshire makes over £350 while in Merton, London, it is £430. 

There are other roles available which may not require you to be available for the full day. Bristol Council has some great videos and leaflets describing the different job roles and expectations.

How Do I Apply?

Usually, poll clerks have worked for their local council, but this experience is not a prerequisite. Most councils and local authorities have information on how to become a poll clerk on their website. Either visit their website and search ‘poll clerk’, or simply Google ‘become a poll clerk’ followed by your town, city, or council. For a list of council websites, click here. 

Alternatively, you can call your local authority and ask for the Elections and Registration Office, or send them an email telling them that you’re interested. They’ll send you a form if they need clerks. Don’t leave it until a week before an election to apply because the positions will probably already be filled – it’s better to apply sooner rather than later.

Some local authorities recruit all year round so you can keep applying and be put on a waiting list for the next election.

If you are selected as a poll clerk you will attend a training/briefing session and then be sworn in the day before the election.

On Election Day, a Presiding Officer oversees the whole station and will supervise and instruct you.

Have you ever made money as a polling clerk? Do you have any other good money making ideas? Let us know in the comments section below – we love to hear from you!

The post Make money from the General Election – be a poll clerk appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Planning for retirement can seem like a daunting prospect with so much to consider. But building up a nest egg needn’t be an unnecessary stress, whatever your age.

Here are some tips for putting your money to work wisely and future-proofing your savings with easy and safe investments as well as tips for your timeline. 

1. Work out how much you will need
2. Work out your timeline
3. Think about your investment options
4. Check what you actually have in your pension
5. Boost your retirement income

1. Understand How Much You Will Need

The first step to truly being able to plan for retirement is to understand how much the average person needs to save for a comfortable future. 

According to Retirement Living Standards, a couple needs £59,000 per year for a comfortable retirement, while singles will be looking at an income of £43,108 per annum. This all also depends, of course, on where you live and what you deem “essential”.

The absolute bare minimum figures are £14,400 for a single person and £22,400, if you are willing to watch your budget throughout your retirement. Of course, by the time you retire, these figures will also have increased due to inflation.

Take a look at our article that explains how much you need to have saved into a pension for more on this point.

Individuals get just over £11,502.40 a year from the full State pension in 2024 (that will change over the years of course) so if you’re about to retire you can factor that in to your annual income. However, even to get another £10,000 a year in income from your investments, assuming a 3% return (which is a fairly safe assumption to ride out spikes and troughs) you would need a retirement pot of at least £250,000. 

The ‘multiply by 25 rule’

One way to calculate how much you might need in retirement is to follow the “multiply by 25” rule.

Multiply your desired annual income in retirement by 25. This will bring you to an approximate figure for how much you need to save. 

Understanding Auto-Enrolment and Your Workplace Pension

2. Understand Your Timeline

Once you’ve understood how much you might need from retirement age, you have to look at your timeline to achieve that, too. 

You can never start saving too early. How much money you will need for an estimated number of years can be hard to calculate, but there are steps you can take as you enter different phases of your life.

Your 20s

Saving in your 20s means you benefit from more long-term savings plans which could yield better returns over time.

Even small contributions each month means compound interest will be on your side. 

Really, you could put in a tenner a month and, thanks to compound interest over decades, it would still create a really decent pot for you when you come to retire.

It’s also a really good idea to join your workplace pension as you then get ‘free money’ from your employer, plus the tax back from the Government that all pension schemes get.

If you’re self-employed you just get the tax advantage but it’s still worth having.

Making smart choices early on will set you up well for later life and might even lead to you being able to take early retirement. 

It’s also really worth considering taking out a LISA (Lifetime ISA) as the Government adds another 25% to anything you put in (you can deposit up to £4,000 a year into one of these).

Your 30s

You’re still young enough to make a significant dent in what you’ll need to save to retire.

As time of writing, you’ll have 38 years to go until you reach State Pension age of 68 and a lot of time to gain a good savings pot from workplace pensions, where employers contribute a minimum of 3%. 

Alongside this, you might think about building up value from other assets, such as a house, to boost retirement value. 

Again, don’t forget the LISA which will help you put a deposit on a home or contribute towards your retirement.

Your 40s

In your 40s you might be established in your career and on a better earnings track than in your 20s and 30s. So this will free up more money for later on in life. 

When you save for retirement in your 40s, larger amounts need to be set aside than in your previous decades.

You’re also more likely to be on the housing ladder and can consider using your property to help fund your retirement later on. However, it’s much better, on the whole, to have investments separate from your home, so make some time to really look into good places to help your money grow.

Your 50s 

Your 50s is a good time to seriously consider when you want to retire – if you want to. Many people, especially those who own their business, enjoy what they do and don’t want to retire!

You might also want to look at how you could go about taking your pension out of the pot, be it with annuities, a drawdown or a lump sum, now or later on. You can access a private pension from the age of 55. Taking money out now will reduce what you have invested for your later retirement.

Check to see that you have paid enough NI over your life to qualify for the full State pension. If you haven’t, you are allowed to pay for some years in some cases, and it could be a good idea to do that. Check your State pension age, too.

When you’re in your fifties you qualify for a free advice session with Pensionwise. It’s worth getting that so that you can have a good idea of what money you can expect to make in retirement and, also, whether you need to put more aside now in order to fund yourself later on.

It’s also a good idea to pay for independent financial advice at this stage. It’s about funding the rest of your life so you need to get it right. Find a recommended financial advisor here at VouchedFor.

Your 60s

In your sixties you could still be working or you may have already taken early retirement if you have the cash to do it. Check when you qualify for the State pension and remember that you have to actually apply to receive it. It doesn’t come automatically.

It’s also a good idea to consider putting off your State pension by a year. You can get more per year by doing that and, if you think you’re going to live a good, long life then that’s worth considering.

Nowadays more people are choosing to reduce their working hours and opt for semi-retirement first, rather than give up work completely. Many people enjoy working in retirement. Why shouldn’t you keep in ‘life’ by working rather than staying at home?

If you’re looking to find a side-earner to supplement your income before or after pensionable age, we have loads of ideas in the Make Money section so take a look there.

3. Research Your Investment Options 

You might want to look into getting help from a financial planner or financial advisor to understand the investment options that will best help you retire with a healthy savings pot. Doing this as soon as possible means your money is put to work in more productive ways from the get go. 

Find a recommended financial advisor at VouchedFor.

• Look at investing, or, if you already do, how you can maximise your various investments (called a portfolio) on an ongoing basis, is a good way of making sure your money is being put to work in the right places.
• This could mean investing in ISAs, bonds or floating some money on the stock market, which has been proven to be one of the best ways of growing your money long-term. 
• Once you decide to invest you need to think about whether you want to do-it-yourself or hire in help. Here’s a guide to using a financial advisor or going it alone and DIY investing. 

4. Check Your Pension

It can be confusing to know exactly what you have from the different pots available. Here are a few ways to check your pension annually. 

State pension

It’s a good idea to regularly check your State pension forecast. You can do it online or request a State Pension statement so you can see how much State Pension you’ve built up so far.

You can apply for one online or by phone or post if you are aged 16 or over and at least 30 days away from your State Pension age.

You’ll find details about how to do this at GOV.UK

Defined benefit (final salary) pensions (DB)

Final salary pensions pay a retirement income based on your salary and the amount of time you’ve been part of the scheme. 

It’s generally only public sector or older workplace pension schemes that offer DB pensions, and members of one will usually be sent an annual statement by the scheme.

If you don’t receive this, you can request it.

The statement shows how much pension you might get. It might assume that you take your tax-free cash lump sum.

Defined contribution (DC) pensions

These schemes mean you build up a pot of money you can use to provide yourself with an income in retirement. The value of the pot is based on your contributions, your employer’s contributions plus investment returns and tax relief. 

They can be run through an insurance company, master trust provider or you might be a member of a bespoke scheme set up by your employer. 

Annual statements will give you an idea of the monthly retirement income you can expect. It might not assume that you take your tax-free cash lump sum, however. 

In this type of scheme you have freedom over how you can access your funds if you’re over the age of 55. 

Combining your pot 

Consolidating your pensions from different workplace plans can make it easier to know what you have in total. PensionBee is one company that does this, and they provide an easy to use platform for both choosing what type of pension you want and consolidating existing pensions. 

Find out more about PensionBee and how you can retire early with this free eBook that we produced.

5. Boost Retirement Income 

One way to boost your retirement income is to increase your regular savings early on.

• Adding to regular savings pots over the years can pay dividends later on in life. 
• Adding lump sums to your pension is another way to boost savings. If you receive some inheritance or are given a sum of money the interest on that over 20 years in a pension savings account could more than double it. 
• Other things you could consider are retiring later in life, moving to a less expensive area or downsizing, or rent out part of your house (even renting out your driveway could earn you money). 

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post 5 easy steps to plan a comfortable retirement appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

What is the Fund?

You Pay: We Pay Scheme

Money Advice Services

Energy Grants

The British Gas Energy Trust – For Anyone

What is the British Gas Fund?

British Gas allocated £140m to support households and small businesses with education about energy saving tactics, grants to help with energy debt, and their unique You Pay: We Pay scheme to help people avoid financial difficulty with energy bills.

Since 2021, the fund has already helped 21,000 customers with average grants of £2,000 to write off energy debts. It has also set up additional regional advice services, invested in more customer service representatives to reduce call times and improve communication with customers struggling to pay their energy bill, and set aside £15m to help small businesses like pubs and shops with rising costs.

You Pay: We Pay Scheme

This is a unique scheme as part of the £140m British Gas fund, not offered by any other energy supplier. It is designed to help you get out of or avoid energy debt if you’re struggling with your bills, by incentivising you to pay something towards your bills each month.

British Gas will then match what you pay towards your bills – so if you pay £100, so will they, meaning you’ll get a total of £200 paid towards your energy bill. This is a six-month scheme starting from June 2024, so that would mean £100 a month paid by customer over six months (£600 total) plus a further £600 matched by British Gas. This is a brilliant scheme designed particularly for households who have built up some debt on their account and are struggling to pay it off.

Eligible customers will be identified and contacted by British Gas, so you don’t need to do anything to apply.

Money Advice Services

As part of its commitment to improving financial outcomes for households of their customers, British Gas has also used some of the large fund to invest in financial education and money advice services across the UK.

These hubs are designed to give people control over their finances by providing free education about money management and energy saving tips to save on their fuel bill even if costs rise again. Some hubs are specifically run by British Gas, while others are within local Post Offices with advisors fully trained by the fund.

Energy Grants

Some customers struggling with energy debt will be able to access up to £250 credit grants towards their bills – which means they won’t need to pay it back. British Gas is identifying the customers suitable for this scheme, which uses £10million of the total fund money, so you don’t need to apply.

If you think you might need their help and haven’t had information from them, however, get in touch with them. The first step to preventing or sorting out energy debt is to talk to your energy supplier – and this will help them to know that you’re struggling to pay your bills. Many people will prioritise their energy bill over other costs, so it appears to their supplier that they aren’t in financial difficulty. Highlighting your difficulty with your energy supplier is the first step to finding out what schemes and grants you could be eligible to claim.

The British Gas Energy Trust – For Anyone

Even if you’re not a British Gas customer, you could get help from their independent charity, the British Gas Energy Trust. Families and individuals facing fuel poverty can apply to the Trust for financial support in the form of grant to money management tips and energy saving advice.

The Trust has been around a long time – in fact, this year is its 20th birthday. To celebrate twenty years of the charity, British Gas have donated an extra £20million to the charity – taking their total contribution to helping fight fuel poverty to over £200million in twenty years.

The post Could British Gas’ £140m Fund Help You? appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Fancy getting your hands of a free National Trust ticket?

Following on from a hugely successful autumn pass giveaway in 2023, the National Trust once again have FREE family passes available.

You can currently get free entry to National Trust sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For a limited time, you can nab a free ticket, which allows entry to a huge number of historical and interesting sites for you and the family. All you need to do is sign up via the Daily Mirror here and you’ll get your pass emailed to you.

The best part? The ticket allows for up to two adults and four children to enter a National Trust site for free. Yes, you read that correctly. You can get free entry for six people. Adults, of course, are those aged 18 years and over, and children count as those aged between five and 17 years old. Those under the age of five get free entry to National Trust properties anyway. 

Make sure you double check the website of the property you are going to in advance, as some of them require you to book prior to the date of your visit. If you do not book for certain properties, you may not be guaranteed entry. 

There are also some exclusions, and some National Trust venues are not included in the promotion. You can see all the exclusions here. Make sure to double-check the list prior to arriving to avoid having to pay for a ticket! 

You can get your free ticket now and use it anytime up to Friday 14th June 2024.

Tickets are limited, however. The offer will continue on until the number of allocated tickets have been claimed, or until 15th May 2-24, whichever is sooner. Get your ticket here. 

The tickets are valid Monday to Sunday, so you can enjoy your visit any day of the week, but not Bank Holiday weekends. The pass can also be used within any of the advertised opening hours for the property you want to visit. However, some sites may have parking charges, which you will still need to pay. The ticket covers entry to the site only. 

The tickets are not valid at external National Trust events where an additional entry fee is required, and the tickets are not valid in conjunction with any other offer. You can read the full T&Cs here. 

So, whether you fancy Castle Ward, a unique 18th-century mansion in Downpatrick, County Down or want to roam freely in an ancient royal hunting forest such as Hatfield Forest in Essex, there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy. 

The post FREE National Trust Family Pass Worth £50 appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Making money house sitting is an increasingly popular way for people who spend long periods of time away to manage their households.

If you’re lucky enough to secure a long-term house-sitting contract, you could use that money to pay your rent and bills, and if you work from home then this provides a particularly lucrative way of combining the two – work from home while you’re house sitting.

There’s particularly a lot of work for house sitters over the summer holidays, with assignments all around the UK, and now is a good time to start looking to set up your summer house sitting plans.

There’s quite a demand for those who are good with dogs, so if you’re comfortable with a pooch then you’ll be ideal – in fact if you’d particularly like to be a pet sitter then read our article on pet sitting.

• What’s Involved?
• Working With an Agency
• Become a Self-Employed House Sitter 
• Could You Be a Home Sitter?
• How Much Could I Earn?
• Additional costs

What Does House Sitting Involve?

House sitting involves living in someone’s home whilst they’re away. Your job is to keep things clean and tidy, maybe look after a pet and by your presence deter burglars.

Some agencies also specialise in short-term sitting. They provide people who’ll stay in your home all day waiting for the plumber or an elusive furniture delivery (we all know how annoying having to stay in can be!). This is a particularly good job to look for if you already work part-time or from home, and live in a highly populated area – as that’ll mean more customers near to you.

House minding is when you don’t stay at the house but keep an eye on an empty home with daily visits to water the plants, pick up the post and have a quick tidy. The movement in the house, changing of curtains opening/closing, lights going on and off etc can help deter burglars, while people with precious plants won’t have to worry about them wilting in their absence. House minding is also often used by home owners who have cats – you can pop in each day to feed them, change the litter tray when needed, and make sure they’re in good health, but they don’t need 24/7 minding the way dogs do.

As both a house sitter and house minder you can look after the houses of family and friends, but for regular work register with a reputable agency like Trustedhousesitters.

If you’re doing this independently, the owners should provide a written contract with instructions of what to do if specific situations arise so that you’re completely sure of the right action to take.

Also, make sure you provide the homeowners with references from a previous landlord and employer.

How to Work With a House and Pet-sitting Agency

It’s best if you can present an agency with a police check and you’ll need references from professional people. The agency will interview you in your own home to make sure you’re suitable for the job.

Some house and pet-sitting agencies take on people as their employees and therefore they’re responsible, not you. They’ll have insurance to protect you throughout the job. This is particularly important if you’re a pet sitter, as animals can cause injury to yourself or others (such as an escaped dog running into the road causing an accident).

House sitters aren’t expected to work all day; usually the duties will require a couple of hours and the rest of your time is your own.

However, clearly the whole point of a house sit is that you’re there to protect it, so usually an agency, like Trustedhousesitters, will expect you to leave the property for no longer than three hours at a time in the day and one hour at night.

Another benefit of using an agency is that you’ll be given support throughout the process.

They’ll arrange a meeting between you and the client so that you know exactly what the client expects of you as a house sitter. A checklist will be drawn up to ensure that both you and the client know exactly where you stand. You’ll be able to contact the agency at any point during the house sit and they’ll help you if anything goes wrong.

You’ll probably find you get more work through an agency. Their clients will want to know that house minders have been vetted thoroughly and matched to suit their particular needs so they’ll be more inclined to use an agency that does both these things.

A good agency will interview you thoroughly to determine your interests, skills and preferences. This will then help them to match you to appropriate clients so that the sit is more fun for you and beneficial to the client. For example, a client with a cat can be matched to a house sitter who has had experience looking after cats and would enjoy it.

Generally, an agency will match you to a client that lives near your own home, usually within the same county. House sitting in London, for example, can be very profitable due to the sheer number of people in the city.

If you want to travel, agencies may be able to help to you find a house sit further away. You could always use the opportunity to visit family and friends in other locations. You could even plan a holiday abroad if you find someone who needs a house sitter for a month or two – you’ll need to pay your own travel and sort your visas, but it’s a great way to spend some time in another country without going broke on accommodation.

A good house-sitting agency will give you health and safety training, personal safety training, animal welfare guidance and details of their own regulations and rules.

The only experience you need is of running your own home. Clients just want to be sure that you can do all the domestic tasks and keep their home running smoothly.

Become a Self-Employed Home Sitter and Pet Minder

If you’re an entrepreneurial sort, you could become self-employed and advertise your home-sitter services directly to potential clients.

One lady we know of regularly makes £50 a day as a home sitter. She only spends the evenings and overnights in the house, before going to work the next day. The reason for this high rate of pay is the fact that the owner of the house has seven dogs! If the house is large, and if there are a lot of pets, pet minding services can charge up to £90 a day.

A good way to know how to set competitive rates is to look at what an agency would pay you:

• Pay for long-term house sitters starts at £10 a day with Housesitters. Plus, £7 food allowance and 40p per mile for fuel – both of which are non-taxable.
• Small additional amounts are available if you care for a dog or cat while house sitting. Homesitters pays an extra 33p a day for dog care.
• With some private agencies, we’ve heard that short-term house sitters can earn between £8 and £10 an hour.

One potential drawback to being self-employed is the fact that you’ll have to take responsibility for many things that an agency would otherwise do for you.

For example, you’ll have to:

• Advertise your services and find clients
• Manage your time
• Register as self-employed with HMRC and complete an annual tax return
• Draw up contracts with your house-sitting clients
• Arrange your own public liability insurance

It’s a good idea if the house owners let their insurance company know that someone else is house sitting their property while they’re away.

Self-employed house sitters also have public liability insurance. This type of insurance will cover you if something goes wrong and it’s not the house owner’s responsibility to pay for it (e.g.  you lock yourself out of the house and have to pay for a locksmith). It also covers you if, for example, their dog gets injured while you’re out on a walk.

Would House Sitting Suit Me?

House sitting tends to be suited to people who have retired and are fit and active enough to maintain a house and look after pets. Short-term house sitting can also be useful for students who are flexible and have time to look after other people’s places.

As long as clients are confident that you’re looking after their house properly you may be able to house sit if you work from home.

You have to be sure that you’ll be comfortable in someone else’s house, and away from your own home and social circle. You’re unlikely to be able to invite other people to the client’s home.

However, if agreed in advance, your partner may be able to accompany you whilst housesitting! This can be useful if one of you needs to leave the house for longer than the agreed maximum (such as doing the grocery shopping or running errands) as the other can stay behind to make sure there is always someone in the house.

Many agencies will want someone available throughout the year so that if a client needs a house minder more than once they can use the same person again and again.

Making Money House Sitting: Additional Costs

If you work through an agency your costs will be minimal, including things like personal phone calls. The owners should provide everything necessary on a day-to-day basis. Plus a float to cover anything you need as you go along (cat food etc).

If you’re house sitting independently, an owner could initially request a deposit from you. It’s best to go over the house together on your arrival to make a note of any damage.

You may also have to pay for the utilities you use when house minding. Make sure this is clearly stated in the checklist/contract before you start.

The post Make Money House Sitting appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

We could all do with cutting our household expenditure, so we’ve come up with 51 easy ways you can save money in your home. By making these tiny changes in your everyday life, you will notice a big difference. It’s a huge list, but every little saving adds up – even if you choose just a few to start with.

1. Raid the Kitchen for Cleaning Alternatives

Forking out for ‘miracle’ cleaners that don’t work is a pain. But there’s no need – have a go with an old-style cleaner instead. White vinegar unblocks sinks, removes limescale and cleans your worktops, and it works a charm to clean windows, too. All you need to do is mix it with a bit of water and a few drops of essential oil to mask the smell. If you have pets, make sure the essential oil you choose is safe for them (for example, cats can’t process lavender while dogs can’t handle teatree).

Bicarbonate of soda works on descaling teacups and teapots, gets rid of smells in your fridge and is a great microwave cleaner. For cleaning, just make a paste with a small amount of water, or mix with water and leave to soak for descaling.

2. Cheap Lick of Paint

Save money when sprucing up your house by checking out the ‘oops’ paints at DIY stores. These are paints left over from when the mixer doesn’t quite get the colour right. Some shades are not so nice, but you may find exactly what you’re after for half the price. You may also get lucky and find a really nice shade that is on sale.

If you only need to touch up a few bits here and there, or have a craft project such as turning that bland wooden mirror into something colourful, check out the tester pots. They’re more expensive per litre compared to a large tin, but if you’re only using a small amount it will save you a lot of cash.

3. Do a Mortgage Check

Mortgages have been hot news for the last few years as interest rates have been doing some… interesting things.

It looks like we’re due an interest rate cut in the near future, and if that happens it could be a prime time to remortgage your home if you’re out of your fixed term. Shopping around can save you thousands of pounds, while it could also reduce your overall mortgage term if you’re able to pay more each month than you currently do.

4. Put a Lid On It!

Save energy by always boiling pans with the lid on – it’ll use less energy and heat faster. If you’re an avid cook and want to save more money in the kitchen, consider a pressure cooker, which makes dishes like slow-braised roasts in a fraction of the time.

When it comes to pre-heating the oven, let’s be honest: you don’t always need to if you’re cooking a midweek dinner that’s not served up for guests. If you do pre-heat, don’t leave it for more than ten minutes (ideally five) to save energy.

5. Revive Carpets with Steam Cleaning

If your carpets are looking tired, they can be spruced up with some elbow grease – so don’t race to replace them at a small fortune just yet. Hiring a steam cleaner from somewhere like HSS is easy and costs around £30 a day, depending on where you live. This will give your carpets a serious deep clean and revive the pile.

For very busy families or messy households (usually those with fluffy pets), it could be worth investing in a wet/dry carpet cleaner to keep on hand like the Bissell SpotWash. This can also revive your sofas, mattresses, and soft furnishings, as well as your car interior.

6. DIY It

In an previous version of this article, we suggested taking a local DIY course for around £100 to learn the basics of being handy around the home. But the truth is, you can learn most things you need for free on YouTube and social media these days!

Before you call an expert, do a little online research. That dripping tap can be fixed with a washer, the strange cubby hole can have some custom-built shelves by your fair hand, or your bathroom retiling could revamp an entire room. Whatever you need to do, take some time to look online and learn what you can – it could save you hundreds of pounds. Some things, like electrics, we always recommend using an expert for, of course. But if you want to try and fix that wobbly stair bannister before calling a carpenter, look to YouTube.

7. Make a Shopping List

Some of us like to collect things, others have a penchant for fashion. Some love shiny jewellery, yet more can’t walk past a craft shop without picking up ‘supplies’.

When you go into the town centre, or the grocery store, make a list and stick to it. Only buy what you need – and if you pick up what seems to be ‘a bargain’, think long and hard whether you want this unplanned purchase. Do you really need it? Do you already have something like it? Will you use it? These questions will help you curb your spending at a time when costs seem to be rising rocket-fast.

8. Make Your Savings Earn Maximum Interest

If you’ve held onto the same savings account for more than a year, it’s time to shop around. There are lots of different types, and it is often worth opening more than one if you have some spare cash to set aside.

Regular savers limit how much you can pay in each month – usually around £200 or £250 – but have a high interest rate. These are great for building an easy-access rainy day fund. They’re usually only available to people who hold a current account at the same bank – which means you can also often set up ’round up’ savings. This is when your bank rounds up everything you spend to the nearest pound (or £5 for some, if you choose). For example, if you purchase something at £4.50, this is rounded to £5 with the 50p moved into a savings account. It’s an easy way to save without realising it.

ISAs have limits (an annual pay in limit of £20,000) but they’re wonderfully tax-free – so you don’t pay any tax on the interest earned. There are several different types of ISA (Cash, Lifetime, Stocks and Shares, IFISA) and you can have more than one – but the £20,000 limit is across all of your ISAs each year, rather than for each account.

A fixed term savings account locks your money away for a period of time but has a much higher interest rate. So, if you can afford to lock up some of your savings for the future, consider one of these.

If saving feels impossible as you’re on a low income and Universal Credit, find out if you’re eligible for the Government’s Help to Save account – which could net you up to £1200 FREE over four years.

9. Re-use Old Clothes

Make old jeans into draught excluders by cutting the legs off, stuffing them (try newspaper, magazines, or old plastic bags) and then sewing up the ends. You could re-use baby trousers by turning them into shorts for slightly older kids, or use odd socks for puppet making or stuffing to make dog toys. Tights are great for making cress heads, storing onions and bulbs, packing together to make abrasive cleaner for your sink or wrapping around ordinary coat hangers to pad them out.

Learn how to make do and mend – a smart bit of embroidery or an iron-on patch can work wonders for covering the stain on your favourite top you can’t bear to get rid of!

10. Make a Budget

Take control of your spending by sticking to a budget. Make a list of everything you spend in a week and weed out all the little extras you don’t need. Total up the costs of things you really have to buy, and this is your budget. Make sure you can afford this budget and keep a little left over if possible.

If you don’t have enough money for this budget, then more things need to go. Do you really need to buy lunch at work? Can you live without that Spotify subscription? Make your budget realistic and then stick to it. This should leave you with a little extra every month. You can use this to pay off loans, or make more money by putting it into a savings account.

11. Refuse to Buy Until You Run Out

Go on, admit it: you’ve got half-empty shampoo bottles, a freezer drawer with forgotten leftovers, and at least three opened ketchup bottles in the fridge. We throw out so much food and household waste each year, when making sure we maximise our usage first could save you a significant chunk of cash.

Make a rule: items must have run out (or have one use left, for commonly-used items like washing up liquid or laundry tablets) before you replace them. Keep a list on the kitchen fridge or somewhere easy to see, and write down whenever you throw away an empty container.

This will help you control your spending and minimise overall household waste.

12. Claim Benefits You’re Entitled To

Alright, we’ve snuck this one in because it’s not so much a way to save money in your home as it is a way to ensure you’re getting all you’re entitled to, to boost your income. With recent changes to things like Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit, your household could be entitled to receiving some financial support – even if you previously weren’t.

Use an online benefits calculator such as EntitledTo or Turn2Us to find out if you could claim financial support.

13. Spend Time to Shop Around

Whether you’re renewing your car insurance, house insurance, or broadband, don’t let autorenew catch you out. Make a note in your calendar for EVERY contract renewal (yes, every one) and set a reminder for three days before (or thirty-two days, if your contract has a thirty-day notice period).

Take some time to compare prices online and shop around for deals. Even if you like the current service you’re receiving, getting a cheaper quote elsewhere gives you a bargaining chip to renegotiate with your supplier for a reduced price.

14. Batch Cook

Buying in bulk is a great way to save money – so if you see a BOGOF offer on a household staple like chicken, beef mince, or your favourite veggies, stock up.

Cooking several extra portions in advance and freezing them not only saves you money because you’re only cooking the meal once and you’ve saved on discounted food, it also stops you from reaching for Deliveroo on a night you just can’t be bothered to cook. Replacing one takeaway night each week with a prepped freezer meal could save you around £50 a week – or £2,600 a year.

15. Renegotiate Your Mobile Phone Plan

If you’re out of contract, it’s time to shop around. And now, many providers will let you renegotiate while you’re still in contract, too! Mobile phone providers are clamouring to keep your business, so make sure you contact them to see if you can nab a better deal. If you have a partner or children on the same network, you might also be able to benefit by bundling these together – even better if your broadband could do with upgrading, too.

16. Don’t Pay for Entertainment

Ditch your Sky contract and opt for streaming. Make the most of free trials with a rotating savvy trick: rotate through streamers like Netflix, Apple, and Amazon Prime each month so you’re only using one or two at a time, and set up the free trial. Make a note for when the trial ends!

When you next want to use the service, set up a free trial with a new email address. You sometimes need to use a new payment card, too – but if you’re rotating services each month, this means you could get a year of free entertainment before you’ve run out of payment cards to link to each new account!

If you’re an audiophile, check out Spotify’s family plans – it could save you a fortune, as could Apple Plus (which includes every Apple service for a single fee each month).

17. Make Your Home Energy Efficient

Losing heat and electricity is like throwing money away. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average household loses around 50% of the heat generated from inside it. So, you’re paying for power you’re not even getting the benefit from. There are easy ways to fix this:

Block draughts

A whopping 20% of the heat lost is through draughts and poor ventilation. So, even small insulating measures like draught-excluders, or thicker curtains, can really make a difference.

Turn your heating down

It’s hard to do it when it’s chilly, but turning the thermostat down a few degrees can save loads of money. According to the Energy Saving Trust, a reduction of just one degree can reduce bills by as much as 10%. It’s clearly worth it. So grab a big woolly jumper and socks, and turn down that thermostat – even if it’s only by one degree.

Switch everything off

We spend £1 billion every year on powering our electrical appliances whilst they are on standby. It’s so easy just to turn them off at the mains and save money.

18. Save Your Hot Water!

The average bath uses about twice as much hot water as a five-minute shower. That means it takes twice as much energy to heat the water. We know five minutes isn’t much, but if you’re having a bath every day, then swapping some for a few five-minute showers will really reduce your energy bills. (Now add that up for a family of four or more and it’s easy to see how quickly you can save!). If you must have a bath, don’t let the water go down the plughole – reuse it for indoor plants or your garden to save water.

You can also save money in your home by only boiling enough water for what you need – 67% of us boil too much, so save energy and only heat as much water as you need.

19. Go for Own Brands

Own brands are the key to big household savings. You might be attached to your favourite names, but own brands are cheaper. They are also often really good quality. If you aren’t sure, just try them out. We’re not just talking food either – own brand cosmetics and medication are cheaper, too. A pack of Nurofen will set you back around £3, but the same ibuprofen costs as little as 16p when it’s own brand.

20. Sort Your Insurance

You should always be checking to see if you can get a better deal on your insurance. With road tax on the rise, reducing your car insurance costs are a must. Lots of companies are also offering 12 months home insurance for the price of nine, or 25% off when you buy online. Click here to compare home insurance premiums.

It’s also worth considering whether you even need some of your insurance policies – you might accidentally be doubling up. Some paid-for bank accounts offer insurance as a perk, for example, while your home insurance could cover your mobile phone when it’s out of the house. Check the small print and work out which insurance packages overlap, and which are the cheapest to keep.

21. Ditch the Tumble Dryer

Tumble dryers are one of the most power-hungry appliances in the home. They use twice as much power to dry your clothes as washing machines do to wash them. According to the Energy Saving Trust, only 35% of us have a tumble dryer. Those who don’t are already ahead in the energy saving race. Those who do can save easily by ditching the tumble dryer altogether. If you are really attached, try spin-drying your clothes before putting them in the tumble dryer. This way they won’t take as long to dry. You can also dry your clothes outside or on a heated airer, and then just finish them off in the tumble dryer.

If you can’t give up the dryer, make sure you keep your dryer’s lint screen clean and its outside exhaust free of obstructions. Clean the lint screen after each load of laundry and check the exhaust regularly. A lint screen in need of cleaning and a clogged exhaust can lengthen drying time and increase the amount of energy used.

22. Get Supermarket Savvy

Keeping your wits about you when shopping can save you money. Look at the price per unit (usually per grams or kgs) to compare prices. Buying in bulk often means you get more for your money. Buying own-brand food is also cheaper.

If you are reluctant, try it at least once. You’ll probably find own brands are equally as good. Trolley will do all the price comparison work for you. Go online and choose from Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Waitrose. Then select items from your list as normal. Once you’ve totalled everything up, the website will tell you what items you can swap to save money. It will also tell you how cheap you can get your shop at the other supermarkets. If one is cheaper, then consider switching and saving money.

There are also lots of membership cards and loyalty schemes that help you make the most of your shopping – from the Lidl Plus card that gives you 10% off a shop for every £250 cumulatively spent in store, to Tesco Clubcard and Morrisons’ More Card special offer prices for members. They are free to join and hold a card, but could save you a pretty penny every time you top up the pantry.

23. Plan Your Weekly Menu

Meal planning can help you make the most of ingredients, avoiding food waste and reducing your grocery bill each week. It also allows you to buy in bulk, which adds to your savings. For example, if you know you want chicken fajitas on Monday and a curry on Tuesday, a large pack of chicken will be cheaper per gram than buying smaller packs for each meal. You can freeze leftovers, too, which helps cut down on future shopping bills.

Before you go to the shops, check your cupboards, fridge, and freezer. It’s often easy to buy multiples of things you already have at home – common culprits are things like ketchup and other condiments, which you don’t use all the time and might think you haven’t got in stock. Looking at what you already have helps you meal plan as you can see what needs to be used up and you can get creative with your menu that way, too! Sites like SuperCook let you submit the ingredients you already have in the cupboard to find out what meals they’ll make – and if you’re off to the shops, add a few ingredients you want to buy and you’ve got a zero-waste approach to groceries!

24. Use Your Computer as a TV

Gone are the days we all sit around the single TV in the house for the evening. We’re surrounded by screens all the time – so if you want to watch something in your bedroom but only have a TV in the living room, don’t think about buying a new TV for the second room. Instead, use your laptop, tablet, or even phone to watch something.

Alternatively, you could buy a portable projector for around £70 – much cheaper than a television, and they come with an operating system that lets you download your favourite streaming apps like Netflix, Prime, and Disney Plus. They’re pocket-sized, often have built-in speakers and connect to external speakers with Bluetooth, and can give you a massive screen anywhere!

25. Buy Seasonal Fruit and Veg

It’s no longer trendy to eat peaches in the middle of winter. It’s bad for the environment to ship them here from hotter destinations. Plus it means they cost more. Try buying seasonally – root vegetables like carrots and swede are winter vegetables grown in the UK, while spring and summer bring you amazing greens like asparagus, lettuces, marrow, new potatoes, beetroot and raspberries. The National Trust has a great guide to seasonal eating in the UK.

26. Winter Woolies

Wearing your winter woollies indoors can save you money in your home. The human body gives off heat at about 390 BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour for a man and around 330 BTUs for a woman. Wearing closely-woven fabrics can help you retain an extra half degree in warmth, and a light long-sleeved sweater is another two degrees. Go for a big woolly jumper or hoody and you can gain up to 3.7 degrees more.

What this all means is that you can turn the thermostat down and save money. So don’t walk around your house in a T-shirt and shorts in the winter if you need to turn up the heat to do it. Layer up just a bit so you can turn the heat down.

27. Clear Out Your Junk

You could have hundreds of pounds’ worth of unused stuff lying around in your house. All you’ve got to do is gather up all the old junk that you don’t need and sell it off at a car boot sale. You might have a secret goldmine in the form of vintage vinyl or collectible toys, but even if you just want to get rid of last year’s wardrobe apps like Vinted help you sell them to make some money and make sure they get a new lease of life elsewhere.

28. Grow Your Own

With food prices seemingly on a constant rising trend, and reports of a risk of food shortages in the future, growing your own is one way to help improve your finances, eat nutritious seasonal food, and have some food security. However, we realise most people don’t have massive gardens or allotments to plant, or even tons of time to turn their fingers green.

The good news is there are lots of things you can do even with a windowsill in an apartment (you can grow an entire herb garden on one shelf!). For balcony space, ideal small-area growers are potatoes, tomatoes, leaves like lettuce and Swiss Chard, beetroots, and carrots. There are some ingenious space-saving planters available these days, which let you use vertical space for planting, so check out your local garden centre to get inspired!

Read our article on growing your own veg for more tips.

29. Thrift It

According to Oxfam, its 2019 Christmas sales were the best for eight years. Loads of clever clogs are already rooting around for bargains in charity shops, so get in on the game. The best places to shop are in affluent areas. You’ve got a better chance of getting good quality picks where people have enough money to throw them away. You can get clothes, toys, books and music from charity shops. It takes a bit of effort, but don’t be put off. Plus, buying from charity shops means your money is helping someone else. Get the real finds by making friends with the staff and persuading them to give you a call when any good stuff comes in.

Charity shops are also fantastic for starting a new hobby – you can often find an absolute steal on used equipment, which is great for trying out before you know whether you like something enough to splurge. For example, you are almost guaranteed to find a yarn corner in your local charity shop, complete with knitting needles and crochet hooks, for just a few pounds – ideal if you want to start knitting but don’t want to splash out just yet.

If you need new furniture, most areas will have a warehouse-style shop, either for a larger charity or your local hospice charity. There, you’ll find all kinds of furniture – which is all up to fire safety standards, too – at a fraction of the price.

30. Ditch Bottled Water

Some bottled water is more expensive per litre than petrol. If you could get free petrol, would you continue to spend so much on it? We didn’t think so!

Keep a jug in the fridge if you like cold water, and refill from the tap. It’s not only more cost effective, but it is much better for the environment – a win-win situation.

31. Use the Dregs

Don’t throw away a ketchup bottle with the dregs left in the bottom. Save money by draining it into the new bottle. This works for most condiments and it can be a bit of fun for the kids to get the bottles balancing. You can also re-use sunflower oil for deep frying. Just drain it into a jar using a funnel and a piece of kitchen towel for a filter. This will clear out everything that isn’t oil.

Other handy saving tips are to snap dishwasher tablets in half, water down beauty products, mix value products with more expensive stuff, turn stale bread into breadcrumbs and use scissors for cutting open old toothpaste tubes so you get everything out.

32. Do Your Sums on Supermarket Offers

Usually we tell you to be wary of supermarket offers. But there is a strategy to making them work for you.

First: only buy something that is already on your grocery list. The exception here is if you see a fantastic bargain on a household product you would usually buy, but haven’t put on your list as it hasn’t run out yet. Things like cat litter, kitchen roll, toilet paper, bleach and cleaning supplies, bin bags, and laundry detergent won’t go out of date but could save you a pretty penny if you snap them up on a bargain.

Check the labels on the shelf, too. Something might look like a good price, but look for the price per kilo, litre, or gram, and compare to other labels. A packet of something may seem like the cheapest option – but you might be better off getting the larger packet at a smaller cost per kilo if it is an ingredient you use a lot.

Definitely make the most of the newer supermarket loyalty schemes, too. They’re free to sign up to, but the new trend is to offer ‘loyalty only’ prices, which can be up to half price on some top label items. You’ll also get vouchers, bonus rewards, or even in-store credit on your spending, saving you money in the future.

33. Use Your Local Library

Libraries are the unsung heroes of our local communities. Sadly, many have closed in recent years – but the ones that are still around are a fantastic resource for saving money. If you can’t walk past a bookshop without ‘just going to browse’ and coming out with three books and £30 less in your pocket, try the library! You can also borrow eBooks, CDs, DVDs, and some even have board games you can borrow. Find your local library here.

34. Say No to Packaging

Items that are pre-packaged are often more expensive. This is because you have to pay, not just for the packaging but for the person who put it in the packet. Buying loose is cheaper and produces a lot less waste. You can also choose exactly how many items you want, rather than paying for items you don’t need.

35. Don’t Gamble

Gambling might make you think of casinos or betting shops, but it includes scratchcards and a weekly flutter on the lottery. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to win the lottery. It’s better to put that weekly couple of pounds into a high-interest savings account and make it your Christmas shopping budget.

36. Drink Less Alcohol

With the average cost of a pint now over a fiver, that Friday night after-work drink (that usually turns into more than a few) is looking like a costly weekly expense. Have you added up how much you spend on alcohol each week lately? You might be surprised. A bottle of wine with a meal out can easily be £15 or more, while a spirit and mixer is over £8 in most establishments. If you go out to drink twice a week but stay moderate – let’s say you have two pints on a midweek date night and three pints on a Saturday afternoon at the pub – that’s at least £25 a week (or £100 a month) just on alcohol.

And that’s before you consider what you buy for home, too. If you regularly have wine or beer in the house to have a glass with dinner most nights, you’re easily adding £30 a week to your grocery shop (or £120 a month). Add that to your going-out alcohol budget and it’s easy to see how savings can be made.

We’re not saying go sober! (Unless you feel you need to, of course). But cutting back on a few drinks a week could save you at least £50 a month (that’s £600 a year).

37. Make Your Own Fun

There are loads of ways to entertain the kids and save money in your home. Recycle old paper by letting them draw and make collages on the other side. Make anything you can out of leftover packaging. Add a little glue and paint to some cut-up cereal boxes and they can create some great 3D pictures. Make your own ice lollies and sweet treats. It’s fun and a lot cheaper than buying them in the supermarket!

38. Don’t Spend More for the Garden

Almost everything you need for the garden can be made from household products and waste. Don’t buy new garden pots – re-use old colanders, teapots, or even old terracotta chimneys. Great compost can be made from vegetable leftovers. You can also make your own weedkillers from washing up liquid, water and vinegar.

Check out your local neighbourhood groups like NextDoor, FreeCycle, and Facebook community groups, too. Very often you’ll be able to nab free soil, rocks (great for drainage) or even old pallets to make garden furniture and troughs from.

39. Reduce Laundry Drying Time

Your washer probably has an ‘extra spin’ function. Use it! It is usually around ten minutes long, but it’ll significantly cut the time required to dry your clothes after. All it does is use the spinning action of the drum to draw water out of the clothes, so they come out much drier. Some fabrics even come out almost entirely dry!

You can also use a portable dehumidifier (around £30) to reduce moisture in the air and help clothes dry faster. Did you know it also doesn’t have to be a sunny day for your clothes to dry quickly outside? As long as it isn’t raining or below freezing, your clothes will benefit from being hung out to dry if you have outside space.

40. No Half Empty Runs

We know you’re not supposed to overfill them, but running washing machines and dishwashers half-empty defeats the purpose. Both dishwashers and washing machines use the same amount of water and heat, no matter how full they are. Get your money’s worth by filling them up as much as you can before they are overfull and won’t work properly. This will save money in your home, and it’s better for the planet.

41. Use Supermarket Schemes

You’ve got to get the most out of your shopping loyalty points, offered by the likes of Tesco (Clubcard) and Sainsbury’s (Nectar). But before you get the most out of them, you’ve got to get them. Sign up for the card your supermarket offers and start earning points to save money in your home ASAP. Even Lidl has a loyalty scheme these days – you’re missing out by not being signed up to them all! If you don’t want to give out your personal details, create a new email address just for things like this and check it periodically.

42. Buy in Bulk

Save money in your home by buying toilet paper, detergent and other household items in bulk from a wholesale supermarket, or from your regular supermarket when there is a special offer. Try specialist stores for cheaper prices.

Find out if you could benefit from a wholesale membership such as Costco. Remember: only buy the things you need and not the things that grab your attention as you walk around! It is easy to get distracted by the many bargains on offer, but it’s not really a bargain if you weren’t planning to buy it in the first place. If you don’t have a membership card, or only need it just for a big event (like in the run up to Christmas), ask around your family and friends to see if they’ll take you for a visit.

43. Keep Your Freezer Stocked

Freezers work far more efficiently when they are frost free and full up. Defrost your freezer, and while you’re at it, check what you’ve already got in stock!

Keep your drawers full even if you don’t have food in there, to make it run as efficiently as possible. Use ice cube trays to fill the spaces (and get creative – fill some with stock, pancake batter, or even slices of lemon to use in your cooking and drinks). Any ice-proof vessel will do to fill the space too, even old takeaway tubs or Ziplock bags filled with water. You can take them out to make space for food and reuse them again later.

44. Don’t Shell Out for New Furniture

Give old chests of drawers and wardrobes a new look instead of replacing them. All you need is a lick of paint and a new inexpensive handle.  They will really change the look of your furniture without changing the look of your bank account for the worse.

You can do this with most household furniture – and if you really need something, check out apps like FreeCycle to see if anyone is giving something away for free. You could even make a decent side hustle out of flipping furniture if you discover a hidden talent for upcycling old furniture!

45. Go Electronic

Direct Debits and electronic statements can save you money. Paper bills now incur extra charges from some services. Mobile phones are a prime example, with companies charging up to £3 more for a paper itemised bill. These bills are often available online free of charge. So if you really need one on paper, you can just print it off.

The same goes for Direct Debits. This is because the process of sending you a letter to request payment and then waiting for it costs them money. Payments can always be queried, even after they’ve been paid. So embrace the Direct Debit and save some cash.

46. Never Throw Fabric or Towels Away

Fabric and towels are some of the easiest things to recycle. Old curtains can be made into seat and cushion covers, table cloths, new clothes and even just tea towels and cleaning rags. All you need for new upholstery is a good staple gun and for the rest, a sewing machine or some time for hand sewing.

If your towels are going a bit grey, bring them back to life by dyeing them a new colour. Thinner towels are great for drying hair or taking to the swimming pool when you don’t have much room in your bag. You can also use them for stuffing draught excluders or making toys for your pets to play with. The possibilities to save money in your home are endless, and all free!

47. Check Your Council Tax Band

When the council tax system was put in place in the early 1990s, houses were put into bands from A-H according to their value. The valuations were done in 1991 and so are not necessarily accurate. Your house could have been worth more then than it is now, especially considering the drop in house prices. This could mean you are paying more than you should be. To check if you are paying too much, see what your neighbours are paying at GOV.UK.

48. Less Dust, More Heat

Make sure you bust the dust on your radiator surfaces. Dust and grime seriously impede the flow of heat in your house. So make sure there is no dirt on your radiators so you don’t spend more money than is necessary heating your home.

While you’re in cleaning mode, make sure you empty the filter on your tumble dryer! You should do this regularly anyway, as it can be a fire hazard, but cleaning the lint out will help your dryer run efficiently.

49. Get Rid of Ready Meals

Even if you think you can’t cook, there’s no excuses for ready meals if you’re trying to save money. They’ve got extra additives and preservatives in compared to a homecooked meal. Plus they are far more expensive than it would be to make the same dish yourself. Life doesn’t always give you time to cook, but if you can cook from scratch three times a week and make double, you’ll still be able to have the convenience of microwave meals the other days – just healthy, low sodium, homecooked dinners instead!

50. Keep Track of Your Finances

Always check your receipts, bank statements and bills. You never know who has got hold of your details, so you need to keep tabs on what is going out and coming in. This way if anything is amiss, you’ll be on it like a flash, saving time and money in your home. And of course, always read the small print!

You might be surprised to find old Direct Debits going out for things you don’t use anymore – magazine subscriptions, streaming services, even gym membership. Set up text alerts for your credit and debit cards, so that every time you make a purchase you get a text. It will help you spot possible places to save – and stop fraud in its tracks if you see a transaction you don’t recognise, too.

51. Use Your Oven Less

Ovens use a considerable amount of energy per year, especially if you’re using the oven to cook for a single person. Instead of heating up a full oven why not try using a microwave oven? They are smaller and take less time to cook than regular ovens. There are also other options available such as air fryers and slow cookers. Air fryers have become so popular in recent years, even Jamie Oliver has a cooking show dedicated to them!

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