tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37910280274072368742024-02-08T06:21:56.881+00:00Saving ScottsMillennials and Students Take Control of Your Finances. Live the life of your dreams, not theirs.SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-56214173556057248762019-04-22T15:10:00.000+01:002019-04-22T15:10:01.518+01:00The power of automating your savings <span style="font-family: inherit;">Automating your savings is all about paying your future self first. By automating your savings it enables you to achieve your goals more constantly and with less resistance. Making saving feel like part of your monthly expenses rather than a last-minute thought on the 30th of each month - scrambling to get to gather the last bits of your paycheque to move over to a savings account.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first steps to setting up a savings plan, and starting out on automating yours savings is creating a budget. This will allow you to set a percentage of your income you want to save and how much buffer (miscellaneous spending) money you need each month. This may take some trial and error for you to find out how much you can comfortably put away in savings automatically every month without having to later withdraw it that month for regular spending. </span><br />
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Easy ways to automate your savings </span></h2>
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Make use of employer savings plans </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most employers will have some for of retirement savings plan. For those readers in the UK you will probably have been "auto-enrolled" onto an employer pension/ retirement plan. The perk of these sort of plans is that you never see the money. Eliminating the temptation to spend it and adjusting your mentality about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saving 10-15% of your salary into your pension (taking into account matches) is a great place to start and depending on where you live there may be tax benefits for paying into your pension straight out of your salary: pre-tax (known as relief at source).</span></div>
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Set up regular deposits for pay-day.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Making use of your banks standing order feature you can set up regular amounts into your savings accounts. If you don't already have an emergency fund of 6 months' expenses this is the place to start. But once this is funded make use of multiple savings accounts to ear marked for different goals. Setting up sinking funds for expenses which you know will come up (car service, a new room etc) will help you be prepared for whatever life throws at you. What feels to be quite small contributions can quickly add up to a health savings pot through the power of compound interest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Make us of account auto-saving services</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some banks such as Lloyds "Save the Change" service allows you to opt into having your account round up expenses and save the change into a savings account. What might feel like small change, merely pennies, is siphoned off into an account at a rate you are unlikely to even notice. Many other banks offer similar services (or you could even do it manually at the end of each day adjust your account down to a round figure). There are also some great apps out there for automatic savings such as Plum which use tech to figure out the optimal savings for you. </span></div>
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Save your tax return /rebate</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even in countries which automate taxation tax returns are quite common. Consider this - you have managed to live without this money up until now. Throw it direct into your savings account and you'll have been effectively autosaving the whole of the tax year (though you may also want to look into getting your tax returns sorted to reduce the rebate - don't give the government free money!)</span></div>
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Do an end of month account sweep </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your budget should include some buffer money that does not form part of your start-of-the-month automated savings plan. This is to allow you to get through the month when some expenses are greater than usual without having to dip into your emergency fund (which is for emergencies only!) or other sinking funds. However, you may not need to use all your buffer money or may be under budget in other areas in a month. At the end of the month - just before your next pay cheque comes in now is the time to do an "end-of-month account sweep". Take that money and deposit it into a savings account and start the new month afresh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How are you achieving your savings goals through automating savings?</span></div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-36922360205508744482018-03-04T00:00:00.000+00:002019-04-19T09:34:13.921+01:00ISA Deadline: a last minute guide to ISAs The tax year is almost at a close (5th April is the D-Day). If you haven't already opened a ISA now is the time to do so!! (We're serious make the most on the next month to get your tax free savings in tip-top shape).<br />
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<b>Here's our last minute guide to all things ISA</b><br />
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Total allowance for adults <b>£20,000</b> this can be distributed across cash, stocks and shares and innovative finance ISAs.<br />
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ISAs are tax free savings accounts, this means you pay no income or Capital Gains Tax on the money invested. Each year you have an allowance which allows a contribution of this much per year (the amount you contribute is the same, regardless of whether or not you make any withdrawals).<br />
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<b>Cash ISAs</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Includes Help2Buy and some lifetime ISAs</li>
<li>Money is held as cash in an account like a usual savings account</li>
<li>Can come in easy access or tied-up (fixed) accounts. </li>
<li>Various interest rates but all are quite low at the moment. </li>
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At this stage we would not encourage you to open a Help 2 Buy because it is based on regular monthly contributions and so you can't put in a last minute bulk of money.<br />
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<b>Why choose a Lifetime ISA?</b><br />
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Lifetime ISAs are good for those who:<br />
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<li>Don't necessarily want to save on a regular basis</li>
<li>Want to save more than £200 per month (or £2400 per year)</li>
<li>Willing to save £4000 or less in the ISA</li>
<li>Haven't contributed to another cash Isa this tax year</li>
<li>Are looking to save for a house (N.B they can be used for a retirement but we'll share in another post why this is a BAD idea). </li>
<li>looking to buy a house anywhere in the UK up to £450,000</li>
<li>are a first time buyer</li>
<li>want to take advantage of some awesome government bonus</li>
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In fact we wrote a whole post about whether or not a<a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2017/04/lifetime-isa.html"> Lifetime ISA is for you</a>. </div>
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For those looking to buy in the next 5 years or so a cash version is buy far the best option due to the fact that investment in stocks and shares should always form part of the long-term investment aspect of your portfolio. </div>
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Currently Skipton are the only provider offering the cash version and it seems exceptionally unlikely that any of the big banks are going to open in time for the end of the tax year. It is offered with a 0.75% interest rate. Whilst considerably less than the Help-2-buy ISA is worth it due to the increased potential bonus (in our opinion). As always the Skipton ISA is covered by the FSCS scheme which means your money is protected in the case the bank goes into liquidation (this is not the case for the stocks and shares lifetime ISA and thus your capital is always at risk). </div>
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We have tested out the Skipton account for ourselves and have been really impressed by the quality of customer service. The only downside we have found is the potential for branches to be quite sparse depending on where you live (here in Brighton our nearest branch is almost an hour away). However, you should be able most of the banking online. </div>
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<b>Best Cash ISA Rates</b></div>
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<li>Best fixed ISA - Paragon 5 years <b>1.9%</b></li>
<li>Best "easy access" ISA- Nationwide <b>1.4% </b>(but only allowed one withdrawal a year) </li>
<li>Best easy access ISA- Virgin <b>1.16%</b></li>
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<b>Junior ISA</b></div>
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These replace the old style child-trust funds and allow for tax free savings of up to £4128 per year per child. You might think "but my child doesn't earn enough to pay tax" and you'd probably be right but when your child turns 18 any money in the junior ISA gets transferred into an adult ISA. This means if you saved at the current allowance at the best rate available (see below) your child at age 18 could have over £100,000 in savings !!</div>
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Currently Coventry Building Society has the best rate at <b>3.5% interest for a cash ISA </b>(junior ISAs can also be stocks and shares). </div>
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<b>Stocks and Shares/ Innovative finance ISAs</b></div>
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<li>These ISAs have the potential for much greater returns that the current low rates available for cash ISAs.</li>
<li>However, they are also associated with much higher levels of risk.</li>
<li>Making an last-minute rushed investment decision is not a good idea and we would therefore no recommend at this stage of the tax year opening up one of these ISAs </li>
<li>You are much better off putting the money in an easy-access cash ISA and transferring it at a later date once you are clear what your risk appetite and investment goals are. </li>
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Our biggest tip is don't delay, all financial providers are very busy at the moment and things make take longer than usual. </div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-55627057526776419632017-06-20T10:00:00.002+01:002017-06-20T10:00:35.350+01:00Creating a super savings plan <span style="font-size: large;">If as Dave Ramsey says "personal finance is 80% behaviour" then changing that behaviour is central to your success. Creating a super savings plan will provide you with the tools you need to achieve your financial goals. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">First of what is a savings/plan goal?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While your budget takes care of your monthly expenses a savings plan take a more long term view, whilst it is connected to how you budget it is essentially deicing how much you are going to set aside, to save for a specific purpose. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">How to create a successful savings plan?</span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Budget Mastery</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Central to saving success is having control on your budget. If you are not already doing so, taking the time each and every month to go over the previous months spending, looking at where change can be made, and praising yourself for your successes, before moving on to making a plan for the coming month. Once you have managed to wrestle your budget under control you will be in a better position to see how much money you actually have available each and every month to contribute to your savings plan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You might find that you are budgeting, but yet there is not money spare to contribute to savings. There are two ways to tackle this, either by reducing expenditure or increasing your income (or a combination of both). By having a solid grasp of your budget you will be able to easily identify where you are spending your money, and in turn where you can make cutbacks. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Earn More, Spend Less</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There will be expenses, essentials which it will not be possible to cut down spending. It is worthwhile separating expenses into two categories, essential and non-essential. Then rank those non-essentials in order of importance. Know you know which of your non-essential expenses is least important to you, this is where you will start making cutbacks, progressively working up the list of importance until you are able to cut back the amount you want to contribute to your savings goal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The alternative is to increase you income, there are lots of ways to add additional income beyond simply picking up as second job , we have plenty of them on our site that work around busy schedules so be sure to check out all your options. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Goal Setting </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Setting goals is very important but setting goals in the right manner is the key to achieving them. You might remember as a child SMART goals, a principle of goal setting that increases you success rate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This means that these goals must be:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Specific</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Measurable</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Attainable</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Relevant</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Time </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">An example could be "I am going to save £50 a month, towards my car maintenance sinking fund, for 12 months". </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lets break down this goal</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- It is specific, it is for the purpose of a sinking fund. We know where the money is going and what it will be used for. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- It is measurable by the set amount each month, rather than "I'll just save a bit each month".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- It is attainable because it is not a huge amount to contribute each month, though of course, this should assessed in light of your budget. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- It is relevant to the needs of car ownership.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- It is time specific, only for the duration of 12 months. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Accountability </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now you've determined your SMART savings goal, it is important to write out your plan for success. Maybe even consider filling out a chart where you colour in as you make progress such as <a href="http://debtfreecharts.blogspot.co.uk/">these ones. </a> S</span><span style="font-size: large;">hare your goals with others for added accountability. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are your savings goals at the moment? </span></div>
SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-45995864277690574182017-06-07T10:00:00.003+01:002017-06-10T17:48:15.907+01:00Hiring a car with a debit card<span style="font-size: large;">Here at Saving Scotts were big advocates of living a debt free lifestyle. When we paid of the credit card for good almost two years ago, we also decided to cut up the card and enjoy life without that temptation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whilst using a credit card wisely, paying it off every month, is great for building a credit score for a mortgage. We knew as Chris was only just starting university at this point that would be a while away. We instead decided we would get a card after I finish my masters (and start full-time employment or a funded PhD). So until then we live debit only (or cash). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Up until a couple of months ago, we have had no issues living debit only. We have been travelling, hired cars abroad, even paid £1000s in tuition for my masters. However, hiring a car in the UK saw us run into a bit of challenge, credit card requirements, in the name of the driver. As far as we understand the desire for hire companies to have a credit (rather than debit) stems from the fact that if you cause damage or steal the car they can charge it to the credit card (also it is easier to put money on hold for the deposit). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It took some time but we finally found some car hire companies that allow you to pay on the debit card only. Many will require a refundable deposit (similar to the holding fee on a credit card) so be prepared to put some money aside, and contact the hire company if you are not sure how much you need to put aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whilst they may not be the cheapest companies out there, it is worth shopping around between those who allow debit cards to find the best option for your needs. None of them accept pre-paid debit cards or international debit cards, so you will have to look for an alternative solution if that affects you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sixt</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Allow hire on a UK debit card (in the driver's name) with a £250 deposit + the cost of the hire. This means if you pay for the cost of the hire upfront (which is always the cheapest option), you only need to set aside £250 for the deposit. See <a href="https://www.sixt.co.uk/rental-services/payment-methods/">link to further info</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.enterprise.co.uk/">Enterprise</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Allow debit card only hire but it is a bit more of a tricky process.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They too require a deposit between £200 and £400 and this must be made on a card in the drivers name. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They also require additional security checks when you pay by debit card. This is what enterprise had to say about the checks when we enquired. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>If the driver choses to use a Debit card in their name then we do perform an additional security check as we deem this payment method a less secure method than a Credit card. This check that is performed to every Debit card paying customer across the UK checks the person, their personal details against their address. It is checking if they have 3 connections to that address. By connections it checks electoral register, mortgage payments, utility bill payments & other payments in their name at that address. To qualify to rent with ourselves that renter must have at least 3 connections as described above to that address. If this is not the case and they cannot pay on a Credit card then unfortunately we are unable to rent to that individual. This is done as an insurance underwriting tool to securely protect our asset.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.easirent.com/">EasiRent</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Easement require a return ticket and a priced deposit (may vary at location but around the £200 mark, worth checking with them before booking). They do require you to take the full-comp coverage if you are paying on debit only so you won't be able to get the cheapest prices available on their site. But they are still pretty competitive, but their customer service can be less than satisfactory. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you hired a car using a debit card only? Who did you hire with? </span><br />
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<em>*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on <a href="http://brokegirlrich.com/financially-savvy-saturdays-199" rel="nofollow">brokeGIRLrich.</a>*</em>SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-45256253679823082312017-05-22T22:53:00.002+01:002017-06-20T10:20:03.517+01:00Earn money teaching English online <span style="font-size: large;">Students from all over the world are keen to learn English from native speakers. Over recent years the face of teaching English as a foreign language has changed and increasingly students are being taught online. In China there is a huge boom in this market as it provides a way for middle-income families to provide an education that was previously only available to the very wealthiest. Today we'll be talking about two companies that offer online english teaching jobs, <a href="https://t.vipkid.com.cn/">VIPKid</a> and <a href="https://www.dadaabc.com/teacher/jobsummary/">DaDaABC</a>. You might just find its the perfect job to fit around your schedule as a student. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Teaching English online has so many perks.</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"> You can work from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you may be in the world). This is awesome if you want to travel or your need to move house. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Both of these companies don't require you to lesson plan saving you vital time - so you are paid for the time you teach. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">You have can have a set schedule which means a relatively regular paycheque - though some companies aren't super flexible about booking time off. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Continually hiring companies (there is a huge demand) so no need to wait to start. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Decent pay, both of the companies mentioned above pay pretty well around the $24 / £17 mark - much higher than minimum wage that many students find themselves working for. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">You can even pick up some mandarin for free through the lessons. </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are some cons to teaching online. </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">The first is that for both of these companies most of the work is 6-10pm Beijing time, so depending on where in the world you could find yourself working some nice hours (in the UK thats in the morning) but in other places that could be dead in the middle of the night. But you might find this works for you allowing you to fit the work easily around a 9-5 job. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">You are responsible for your own taxes (so don't forget to register for self-assessment if your in the UK) as you are not an employee but an independent contractor. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">You do not get any benefits that you may have as a teaching employee due to being a contractor. </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Both <a href="https://t.vipkid.com.cn/">VIPKid</a> and <a href="https://www.dadaabc.com/teacher/jobsummary/">DaDaABC</a> require a bachelors degree and native english speakers. Though DaDa is much more flexible about these requirements and people have been hired who do not have either of these requirements if their English is sufficiently strong. VIPKid are much more interested in American accents. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you tried working for either of these companies?</span></div>
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I’m taking part in the Money Making Madness Linky hosted by Charlotte Burns from <a href=”http://www.lottyearns.co.uk/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Lotty Earns</a>, Emma Bradley from <a href=”http://mumssavvysavings.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Mum’s Savvy Savings</a>, Emma Drew from <a href=”https://emmadrew.info” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>EmmaDrew.Info</a> and Lynn from <a href=”https://www.mrsmummypenny.co.uk/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Mrs Mummy Penny</a>.SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-18825696849531586722017-05-13T21:42:00.002+01:002017-05-13T21:52:28.420+01:0010 Common expenses to stop spending money on. <span style="font-size: large;">It's all to easy to find lots of little expenses slipping their way into your life. But when money is tight, and you want to make your budget go as far as possible it is worthwhile reassessing all your expenses. So many costs (that very quickly add up) can find their way into your budget and they are not really that essential - though sometimes we might see them more as 'needs' rather than 'wants'. These are 10 common expense that you should stop spending money on - and trust us your budget will thank you for it. This list is especially aimed at you, millennials and students, who are finding things tight. You might just find eliminating these expenses help you bring that little extra leeway in the your budget you've been needing to achieve your financial goals.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cable TV / Sky </b>- It has become so commonplace to have to get crazy expensive TV packages (we're talking £50+ per month). By cutting out the cable you will find you have more time - it seriously does great things for friendships and relationships because as a society we have become far too addicted to spending time around a TV. You could see yourself saving £600+ a month with one simple change. If your not quite ready to give up all TV have a look at <a href="http://amzn.to/2q8wIDL">Freesat TVs</a> or <a href="http://amzn.to/2pEmUyw">Amazon Prime</a> (remember you can get 6 months free as a student) as some great budget friendly alternatives (we have a whole post on <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2015/09/how-to-watch-tv-for-free.html">watching TV for free</a>). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tumble Dryers -</b> They're expensive to buy, and even more expensive to run (and lets not forget the cost it has on the environment). You will find your electricity bill significantly reduced when you stop using your tumble dryer. Over the past three years I have not used a tumble dryer once. Instead I make great use of <a href="http://amzn.to/2r5yVxj">drying racks</a> (and if the weather is good our washing line). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Haircuts -</b> Going to the hairdressers is expensive. Whilst using discounts such as students discount can help mitigate the cost, they can eradicate it completely. You can pick up a <a href="http://amzn.to/2r5hxsv">hairdressing scissors kit</a> found around the same price as a man's haircut, meaning you have made your money in on go. Though we must admit the task is quite a bit easier if you have someone else to help you cut your hair. Whilst we figure this tip is probably easier for guys, some girls may also find trimming their own hair a great alternative (and at home hair dying kits cost a fraction of a salon colouring treatment). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bottled water- </b> While there clearly are some countries in the world where bottled water is an essential, in most developed countries this simply is not the case. If you are buying bottled water for the convenience, then consider getting some reusable bottles, filling them up and storing them in the fridge is for you. If you are concerned about water quality then getting a <a href="http://amzn.to/2pEhbcc">water filter system</a> will work out cheating in the long run rather than using bottled water and it reduces the use of unnecessary plastics (though you might want to asses whether you really need it). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gym membership -</b> Whilst you might find the gym on campus is slightly cheaper than others, it is still an unnecessarily expensive way of getting fit. Outdoor gyms are popping up all over the place, they are free and have much of the traditional equipment, but instead of the fancy electronic versions in the gym they are outdoor friendly ones instead. These gyms are free to use, and you might even find some fun, free activities/classes being run there too. Another great option for working out for free it to grab yourself one of the hundreds of free fitness apps available - from walking to yoga you are sure to find something to suit your interests and abilities. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pharmaceuticals -</b> I'm not saying don't my the medication you need, but next time you buy paracetamol do you really need to spend 10x as much on some fancy brand name version compared to the ultra cheap generic version (which are for all intents and purposes the same product). Sexual health products are also often available for free on university campuses and at sexual health clinics (because condoms can be expensive - though definitely cheaper than a kid). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tampons/Sanitary towels -</b> In a woman lifetime she can spend a small fortune of feminine products (and make a significant contribution to a landfill). <a href="http://amzn.to/2qxOwts">Menstrual cups</a> are eco-friendly, reusable and for only £20 super economical. Some universities even offer free sanitary products, the <a href="https://www.sussexstudent.com/ents/event/1769/">uni Chris goe</a>s to offers free moon cups, towels and tampons every Wednesday so you need not ever go without. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Stationery</b> -<i> </i>I cannot count how much free stationary we have collected over the years. At careers fairs, at the library, at random stalls in town we are always sure to collect some freebies stationery to add to our stash. From pens, to highlighters to post-it notes we've collected it all. When your a full time student it really does add up. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Printing -</b> As a student printing can cost a small fortune, whilst getting refillable ink cartridges can really help save, there is an alternative that can be free. Many <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thestudentsunion/photos/a.380840877536.139271.19613232536/10152284629382537/?type=1&theater">universities</a> are starting to have printers with<a href="https://aiwip.com/students/"> Aiwip </a>which allows you to print for free and in return you have a small banner of adverts at the bottom of your work. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Household utensils</b> - At the end of the academic year you might wonder what your school does with all the stuff that is left behind. Often the items that are in good condition are given away for free at the students union. This is an awesome way to pick up a kitchens worth of goods for nothing. </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How could making these simple changes help you achieve your financial goals?</span></div>
SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-63813657540738569102017-05-03T23:22:00.000+01:002017-05-29T21:04:25.312+01:00How to save money on a road tripSummer is not long off now, like many students Chris and I are off on a road-trip for a post exam treat. This year we are off to Scotland and are super excited to visit as much as possible.<br />
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Planning this trip got us thinking about how easy it is for road trip expenses to spiral out of control. It also got us thinking about what we learnt from our road trip to the USA in 2015.<br />
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<b>Make a plan (and stick to it)</b><br />
Having a rough outline of your journey will help you in finding great accommodation deals. Whilst spontaneous trips are awesome, last minute flights, hotels and car hire can get quite pricey. So it definitely pays to plan.<br />
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It is also a good idea to plan out your time and think about what attractions you want to visit, this allows you to fit more into your time and take advantage of any discounts or coupons you can find.<br />
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<b>Compare fly/driving to direct driving </b><br />
Depending on where you are going, fly/drive might be the only feasible option. But if you have the option of either it is worth figuring out if it works out cheaper, fuel can be pretty expensive so if you car is a bit of a gas guzzler you may well find flying and hiring a cheap (efficient car) the better option. Catching the train or coach for part of the longest leg of the journey and hiring a car at the other end can big bucks. <a href="http://megabus.com/">MegaBus </a> have journeys from as little as £1 and they offer journey across Europe, the USA and Canada. Or you might want to consider <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cshow.php?s=516489&v=6005&q=251757&r=295861">interrailing</a> as an alternative especially if you are traveling around Europe as multi-journey passes can work out pretty cheap per journey.<br />
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If your in Europe don't rule out the use of Ferries or the channel tunnel as great ways to road trip without breaking the bank. The tunnel is from £49 per car as a return, so depending on your destination and how many people are travelling it can quite easily be a cheaper option.<br />
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When hiring a car its super important to not just pick the cheapest car, but look at its fuel consumption and whether it is suited to your driving needs (i.e the kind of terrain or number of passengers).<br />
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When we went to the USA I (although I can't drive) was in charge of hiring a car $200 fro 3 weeks was a steal and it had unlimited miles - I was sold. It was a tiny automatic Nissan Micra and it was not suited to drive 5,000 miles through some crazy altitudes (we drove through Colorado).<br />
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If you don't get the right car your likely to find yourselves not wanting to spend as much time in it (and probably spending more money in the long run).<br />
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<b>Pack for the road</b><br />
Service station food is overpriced and just not that good. It is always worth while heading to a supermarket, and grabbing some easy food for on the go. When we were road-tripping through the USA we found ourselves snacking on trail mix, and tortilla wraps with cheese and ham.<br />
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Fresh fruits such as apples and bananas make perfect road trip snacks and don't make much rubbish.<br />
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If you are driving your own car consider taking a cool box with snacks all ready for on the road.<br />
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What are your favourite snacks for road trips?<br />
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<b>Consider hostels and campsites</b><br />
Whilst its a bit cold to be camping in the spring in Scotland (at least for us southern softies), camping makes a really great affordable accommodation option with many camp sites being around £20 per night (when you divide that by a few friends it quickly becomes super cheap).<br />
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Hostels are also a great alternative, whilst the cheapest options will always be the dorms, you can often get private rooms at prices much lower than traditional hotels. <a href="http://www.yha.org.uk/">YHA </a>and <a href="https://www.syha.org.uk/">SYHA</a> are great options for those staying in the UK, and similar programmes exist worldwide.<br />
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I recently saw these brilliant <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Travel-Inflatable-Mattress-Air-Bed-Back-Seat-Back-Seat-Rest-Waterproof-Camp-/351944193505?var=&hash=item51f18235e1:m:m7nEUEi8NiHyfQY1Ui2A6dg">air mattresses for cars,</a> that could make sleeping in your car a viable option. Just make sure to not rack up any parking fines like Chris once did.<br />
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What is your favourite thing about road trips? Are you planning on going on one soon? How do you save money on road trips?<br />
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-7696951305324586912017-04-28T16:01:00.004+01:002021-10-19T09:01:00.195+01:007 Day Student Meal Plan <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Uhh its that time of the day again, when you've gotta cook. It can be tricky and boring to cook for one, and often as a student you want dishes that won't take long. We have put together seven dinners perfect for the busy student on the go, who wants a healthy, low cost meal plan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; letter-spacing: 0.42px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.42px;">We are sharing some of our all time favourite recipes that are both healthy and great for on a budget. You might notice that some of quantities are quite small on the shopping list. We advise you buy loose vegetables (not pre-packaged) and for meat either buy loose from the counter or buy in a larger pack and freeze the rest. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<li style="list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The dinners all take 30 minutes or less to cook so you don't have to worry about slaving away in the kitchen all day. </span></li>
<li style="list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The recipes are designed for one portions (great for busy students) but for families/couples multiply up the quantities depending on your needs. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></li>
<li style="list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The meal plan has a self contained shopping list of everything you need for the week plus all the recipes. So you only need to print of one document to take with you to the store. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Our favourite tools for meal planning</span></b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We love to keep all the meal plans we create in one easy to use binder. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plus, by keeping the meal plans in sheet protecters means we can re-use them time and time again and saving us printing out several copies. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=englipreps-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B0007OEE2E&asins=B0007OEE2E&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=englipreps-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B0050HWMYK&asins=B0050HWMYK&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=englipreps-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B004BTXYWW&asins=B004BTXYWW&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Click on the image of the meal plan below to be taken to the Google Drive where a PDF of the plan is available for you to download and print off. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We hope you enjoy the meals as much as we do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></span></span>If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2298829/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
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*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*<ul>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-27088298237581322322017-04-17T16:07:00.002+01:002017-06-20T10:20:02.097+01:00Earn money with academic writing <span style="font-size: large;">Students are constantly looking for help with their studies, we've already talked about how you can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/12/earn-money-tutoring.html">earn money tutoring</a>. In this post we will talk about how you can earn money through freelance academic writing. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBG7ub5LavwmzYMild4znzbYSlj-opj-pfvL8JfoVlQVu5O0bJ8yiwtK4rzIhDEKQov9cQz9I8GN24OAoVE1aXa8pWXHEqqu3aoxI2eqQflv0zC2KSW5YEB72FcJcdO2vmriLfVqsj98/s1600/academicwriting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBG7ub5LavwmzYMild4znzbYSlj-opj-pfvL8JfoVlQVu5O0bJ8yiwtK4rzIhDEKQov9cQz9I8GN24OAoVE1aXa8pWXHEqqu3aoxI2eqQflv0zC2KSW5YEB72FcJcdO2vmriLfVqsj98/s640/academicwriting.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How does academic writing work?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I am a freelance writer with <a href="https://www.academicknowledge.com/">Academic Knowledge</a> for their law students department. There is a mixture of different writing tasks that are available including essays, skeleton arguments, revision notes, and problem questions. They require you to have at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree in the subject you wish to write for, if you choose to undertake postgraduate studies, you will be able to take on higher level briefs (which are paid more). There are other academic writing companies, however, what drew me to apply to academic knowledge was that they are a large, well established company. This means that there is a good steady supply of briefs which is essential to the flexibility of freelance work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Is it not plagiarism?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It might feel at first that you are simply doing other people's work for them (and therefore allowing cheating). However, that is not what the work you produce is for. The work you submit is intended to be used as guidance by the client to help them to produce their own work whilst being able to achieve the grade they are aiming for. Ultimately the license of the work remains with you, the writer and as such the client should not hand it in as their own work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How much could I earn?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How much you earn per brief depends on both the word length and the duration you have to complete the brief. As an example a 1000 word essay with 10 days to complete would pay approx £50. The plus with academic writing is that it pays well, provided you are able to turn out work quickly (i.e you get paid the same no matter how long you spend on it). The downside is, due to the work being freelance, there is limited consistency in income. However, academic knowledge do have a <a href="https://www.academicknowledge.com/payment-rates/">guide on their site</a> to help you guesstimate how much you could earn depending on how much work you do. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As a freelance writer you are responsible for declaring your own income for tax purposes. Though remember the government have now introduced a £1000 allowance for online earnings that you don't have to declare, but if you plan on earning more than that per tax year (and you easily could) it is important to declare you earnings even if you don't have to pay any tax.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How do I start academic writing?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I choose to work through academic knowledge, and would highly recommend them. Their application process is super simple, you just need to fill out some basic details and upload copies of your transcript/degree certificate. They will then, if you are successful phone you to have a brief chat with you and explain how the practice brief works. You are then given a list of questions to choose from for which you complete a short brief (approximately 1750 words) which you will be paid for (about £75). To see if they are currently hiring for your subject <a href="https://www.academicknowledge.com/jobs/">click here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This article is not sponsored or endorsed by academic knowledge. </span><br />
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I’m taking part in the Money Making Madness Linky hosted by Charlotte Burns from <a href=”http://www.lottyearns.co.uk/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Lotty Earns</a>, Emma Bradley from <a href=”http://mumssavvysavings.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Mum’s Savvy Savings</a>, Emma Drew from <a href=”https://emmadrew.info” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>EmmaDrew.Info</a> and Lynn from <a href=”https://www.mrsmummypenny.co.uk/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Mrs Mummy Penny</a>.SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-79058313499892972012017-04-06T00:00:00.000+01:002017-06-10T17:12:53.153+01:00Should I get a Lifetime ISA?<span style="font-size: large;">The new tax year is now upon us and so too is the launch of yet another ISA - the lifetime ISA. First things to remember is that this tax year the ISA limit (cumulatively for what you contribute to all kinds of ISA in 17/18) is now £20,000.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6i72W9EYeGTaXWdjpo_d3bE7fUSQOStAwbExy7Xb_epr0yY8LIQT31BTQxibrC7JgfWnxPYK_dtGYUhOlsDNDtLnHdcQ0Js_BdCEY5qrPsw7bGKO6rkwyvt3ebVmdi6g2iGVbWxU_LU/s1600/LISA.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6i72W9EYeGTaXWdjpo_d3bE7fUSQOStAwbExy7Xb_epr0yY8LIQT31BTQxibrC7JgfWnxPYK_dtGYUhOlsDNDtLnHdcQ0Js_BdCEY5qrPsw7bGKO6rkwyvt3ebVmdi6g2iGVbWxU_LU/s640/LISA.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you are new here, or not quite sure what an ISA is, essentially it is a tax-free savings account. ISA stands for Individual Savings Account and are available to both children (in the form of junior ISAs) and adults. The amount you are able to save each year is called the ISA limit. It is important to understand that it is how much you contribute per year and that withdrawals are not taken into consideration. For example if you contributed £20,000, withdrew £4000 before the year was up, you could not re-contribute the £4000 in the same tax year as you are seen to have contributed £20,000 (the current ISA limit).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chris and I have contributed to our Help to Buy ISAs ever since they launched in December 2015. We were lucky to have a great interest rate when we first open (4%), but sadly it has since been reduced. With a new product on the market we've been deciding whether it is worth switching from a Help to Buy to a Lifetime ISA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are two similar, but distinct products so it is important to consider who you are as a saver and which better fits your needs and financial goals. To help you better make this assessment we have made a table comparing the two ISAs. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfq2zyfABXV7ivxO3a_eWvK8M-fgD9RSnxk8bfPALyXgMP0OpdZExY-rpKbQ26z8Ws8XfxziDUFdMPRrYyDVe74V9H9Q7lwGPZLZ8jBi7tJ3AK-eumXwT8XkmVbsOtdwrUQFfX_VByDa0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-30+at+22.34.46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfq2zyfABXV7ivxO3a_eWvK8M-fgD9RSnxk8bfPALyXgMP0OpdZExY-rpKbQ26z8Ws8XfxziDUFdMPRrYyDVe74V9H9Q7lwGPZLZ8jBi7tJ3AK-eumXwT8XkmVbsOtdwrUQFfX_VByDa0/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-03-30+at+22.34.46.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So which is the better account. Well that depends on a few things if you are looking to buy in the very near future and not go over the property value limits then Help to buy is your friend. The same goes if you are an older first-time buyer again Help to buy is for you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, if your a young millennial just starting to save for a house then the Lifetime ISA is for you, you can save more, gain more bonus and have the flexibility of lump sums rather than rigid monthly payments. You also have the option of stocks and shares which should only be considered if you are looking to invest for at least 5 years (in order to mitigate any fluctuations in the market impacting short-term value). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, there is one key issue with the Lifetime ISA though is that so far very few providers are confirmed to be offering it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The following are the list of confirmed providers: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Hargreaves Landsdown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Fidelity</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Nutmeg</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">- The share centre</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition all of those who have said they will are only offering it as a stocks and shares option. We were both initially pretty put off by this but after doing some further reading into the topic it seems that the reason why the big banks are slow on the band-wagon is because the Government was so late in giving them the final rules and details on the account (they only finalised the details in mid-March)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*UPDATE* </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.skipton.co.uk/savings/isas/lifetime-isa">Skipton Building Society</a> now offer the very first cash lifetime ISA !! While this is certainly more appealing than the stocks and shares versions previously available. The interest rate is 0.5% so leaves a lot to be desired. We are still going to hold out for a bit, whilst many of the big banks have said they are not interested in offering the product there are a few including Barclays, HSBC, Virgin and, first direct are still considering it. We are waiting until they provide more information as if they do launch the product they are likely to provide better rates of return than Skipton's 0.5%. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Though if the money you plan on putting into the Lifetime ISA is currently in an account with a lower interest rate, then it may be worthwhile opening the account contributing your annual allowance, and then if another providers open with better rates transferring to the new provider (which incurs no penalties). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is for that reason it may be worth waiting a little while, seeing what the big banks do (don't forget if you have it in cash you get the £75,000 FCSC backing that stocks and shares don't get). It is likely that banks and building societies will start offering the Lifetime ISA later in the summer. Plus as lifetime ISAs are not dependent on monthly contributions if you think that is the direction you want to go in you won't be limited in how much you can contribute this tax year (like you would with help to buy if you missed the monthly contributions). If you choose to make the switch from Help to Buy to lifetime you are able to transfer you Help to Buy balance without it counting towards your annual contribution limit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For Chris and I our plan is to wait out with the thought that the big banks will be offering a Lifetime ISA in cash form later this year. We then intend to contribute the £4,000 limit in a lump sum. In the mean time we will not contribute anything to our Help to Buy ISA during this tax year. If it looks like the banks are not going to open lifetime ISAs this tax year, in order to not miss out on the bonus we would open it with one of the stocks and shares providers and opt for a cash fund for example fidelity have a cash park which allows you to hold money in a stocks and shares ISA in cash form (though presently it pays no interest, the bonus makes it still worth switching for us). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Are you planning on getting a LISA or are you going to stick to a H2B, or perhaps neither. Let us know you plans for saving for a house deposit. </span></div>
<br />SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-37201059729154729692017-02-07T21:41:00.000+00:002017-06-20T10:20:25.905+01:0020 ways to earn money online in 2017<span style="font-size: large;">Looking to earn some extra money this year? Finding the time to pick up a part-time job doesn't alway work for the busy schedules of millennials and university students. But do not fear, that doesn't have to mean you hopes of increasing your income have to be put on the sideline. There are increasing number of legitimate ways to earn money online (often more easily than traditional earning methods). </span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.competitiondatabase.co.uk/">Enter sweepstakes / competitions</a>. In the past couple of years we have won close to £6,000 in prizes so it really can be a great way to earn online. We normally just enter competitions whist we are watching T.V in the evening. Our favourites search site to use is <a href="http://competitiondatabase.co.uk/">competition database </a>because there are no spammy competitions on there allowing you to make better use of your time. Best of all the prizes are tax free. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Share your university experience with prospective students <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2017/01/earn-money-sharing-your-uni-experience.html">with UniBuddy</a> and earn approximately £35 per applicant you help, plus be entered into their regular prizes for writing posts and articles. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/07/earn-2500-month-taking-to-international.html">Teaching English</a> to Chinese children is a super flexible way to utilities your language skills. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dadaabconlineenglishschool/?hc_ref=ADS&fref=nf&ft[tn]=kC&ft[qid]=6381745710152155182&ft[mf_story_key]=3999302378810885557&ft[ei]=AI%40d0fa6f9de30bb7752bf9eab495b58b27&ft[top_level_post_id]=727584214083744&ft[fbfeed_location]=1&ft[insertion_position]=1&__md__=1">Got a bachelors? </a> try this company instead for better pay.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.academicknowledge.com/">Write mock essays, exam notes or mark papers. </a> [requires a bachelors degree] Academic knowledge hire graduates to work as freelance writers. The pay depends on the length of the project and the time to be completed in and you are paid either by BACS or Paypal. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html">Start a blog</a> and earn through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts and advertisements. Whilst blogging is not a get rich quick scheme there are plenty of bloggers our there who earn impressive salaries online. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Use Swagbucks to earn £100s in gift cards by doing simple surveys, browsing the internet and shopping online. The easiest way to earn is to install their search engine browser and earn Swagbucks simply by searching the internet like normal. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Play the bookies at their own game and take advantage of betting offers with <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819">matched betting</a> (and not its not gambling) to earn up to £1000 a month !!! Check out of post on how you can make your first matched betting earning of <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html">£45 in 60 minutes</a>. Plus matched betting is entirely tax free !! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Get paid to read your emails with <a href="https://www.inboxpounds.co.uk/?r=ref2002925&s=7">Inbox Pounds. </a>They send you emails. you click that you've read the email at the bottom of the email text and earn money. It really is that simple. You can cash out every time your earnings total £20. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Create an <a href="http://etsy.me/2kmKkIR">Etsy store</a>. Selling digital downloads is probably the most passive way of earning an income through Etsy, but it can also be used to sell physical items too. We sell a single item on our etsy store (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/235764483/printable-cash-envelope-system-tracker?ref=shop_home_active_1">cash envelope printables</a>) and we get a nice little side-income that is almost entirely passive. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Get cashback on your shopping with Quidco (use<a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2366857/"> this link</a> to get £10 free with Quidco), <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=483377&v=2459&q=224979&r=295861">TopCashback</a> or <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995">Swagbucks</a>. Over the year you'll see the savings add up for next to no effort. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Sell your photos to photo stock companies. Blogs and websites are in high demand of stock photos. If you have high quality photos you can sell them through companies such as <a href="http://www.crestock.com/information-for-contributors.aspx">Crewstock</a> Don't have a fancy camera? You can sell photos taken on your smart phone through <a href="http://depositphotos.com/clashot.html">Clashot</a>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Publish an <a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A2VHRJZXET0TWT">e-book on amazon</a> and keep 70% of the profits from the book. If your not sure where to start Disease called Debt have an brilliant guide to <a href="http://diseasecalleddebt.com/kindle-self-publishing/">publishing an E-Book </a> perfect for the first time e-book publisher. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Become an Audio Typist. If you've got access to good speed internet, can type at 65 wpm accurately and have at least a C grade in GCSE English (though its probably helpful to be a bit more proficient) then working as a transcriptionist for <a href="https://takenotetyping.com/careers/">TakeNote</a> could be a great option. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://20cogs.co.uk/">20 Cogs</a> is an tasks and offers rewards site. Whilst you won't get rich from completing 20 Cogs offers you could also easily earn a couple of hundred pounds as you can see from their earnings leaderboard. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Write online reviews with <a href="http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/">Dooyoo</a>. They are probably the best known review site in the U.K. The site is easy to use, you can write reviews on tons of products and you can be paid in cash or amazon vouchers. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://go.fiverr.com/logo/?utm_source=6218&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=110&utm_term=10274ca6651798f47dcd206f7b3532">Fiverr</a> is somewhat similar to Etsy. It is an online marketplace where you offer freelance services such as <a href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?gid=259033&mid=6288&awinaffid=295861&linkid=532567&clickref=&p=http://tracking.fiverr.com/aff_c?offer_id=1712&aff_id=6218&url_id=528">graphic design</a> or <a href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?gid=259027&mid=6288&awinaffid=295861&linkid=532561&clickref=&p=http://tracking.fiverr.com/aff_c?offer_id=1712&aff_id=6218&url_id=88">translations</a> work for $5. If you have a creative freelance skill this can be a great platform to find work online. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Sell your used toilet roll holders as craft supplies on online auction sites such as <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/items/?_nkw=toilet+roll+tube&_sacat=&_ex_kw=&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=&clk_rvr_id=1163397673316&rmvSB=true">eBay.</a> Whilst you won't earn thousands this way, its a simple way to earn a little extra cash for something you are going to buy and use up. For more information check out SkintDad's post on <a href="https://skintdad.co.uk/make-money-ebay-toilet-roll/">selling used toilet roll holders.</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Reselling on gumtree or eBay. Picking up bargains and reselling them for a higher price. Often the safest option when starting is to pick up free items (or super low price) from gumtree or charity shops, this means your unlikely to make a loss. You might also find using sites such as<a href="https://www.latestdeals.co.uk/"> LatestDeals </a>or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Extremecouponinguk/?fref=ts">Extreme Coupling and Deals UK</a> useful to pick up bargains and then sell them on for a profit online. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Create a course. Have you got a skill or knowledge you could share with others? Then why not create a course to teach that skill. Maybe your awesome at coding or an ace at exams. Through <a href="https://teach.udemy.com/">Udemy</a> you can create and sell your very own course. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Earn money losing weight with <a href="https://www.dietbet.com/">DietBet</a>. DietBet is a social dieting site which runs challenges where you receive rewards for losing weight. There is a 30 day challenge to lose 4% of your body weight or a 6 month challenge to lose 10% of your body weight. Those in your group who achieve the goal, the pot of money is divided up and equally distributed to the winners. </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With so many ways to earn extra money online your sure to be able to find something to meet your talents, needs and schedule. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</span></div>
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I’m taking part in the Money Making Madness Linky hosted by Charlotte Burns from <a href=”http://www.lottyearns.co.uk/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Lotty Earns</a>, Emma Bradley from <a href=”http://mumssavvysavings.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Mum’s Savvy Savings</a>, Emma Drew from <a href=”https://emmadrew.info” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>EmmaDrew.Info</a> and Lynn from <a href=”https://www.mrsmummypenny.co.uk/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Mrs Mummy Penny</a>.SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-82759547507923632312017-02-02T19:33:00.000+00:002019-04-19T09:38:59.974+01:00Valentines Day on a Budget <span style="font-size: large;">Valentines day can be expensive... too expensive for a student. It can really feel like its a corporate gimmick to suck your wallet dry. It can be easy to lose sight of the day's real objective to show your unyielding love to another when you are inundated with financial expectations associated with the day. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But valentine's day does not have to cost the earth, today we will share some great ideas we have found to enjoy valentines's day on a student budget. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EtdY8yCVzTFUg1CKuJLTXfr4AEBcRktH7UP-Mw8pXfvo3xAwJXJ78t12BIFliyPrR6ebvCtJeztIu9t7brNAWVCTvE5-68eseLsxt-jbCPnN2qGO4mqNPTDkBBkzDkblY6TWTU0jmO0/s1600/valentines17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EtdY8yCVzTFUg1CKuJLTXfr4AEBcRktH7UP-Mw8pXfvo3xAwJXJ78t12BIFliyPrR6ebvCtJeztIu9t7brNAWVCTvE5-68eseLsxt-jbCPnN2qGO4mqNPTDkBBkzDkblY6TWTU0jmO0/s640/valentines17.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have a treat dinner at home. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Not going out for dinner doesn't have to make the evening any less special. Get dressed up like you would for going out, set your dining space up for the meal, light a few candles. It can be a fun opportunity to cook together. We like to use <a href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/">Great British Chef's </a>recipes for treat dinners, they have high quality restaurant recipes that almost anyone could cook and even have a section on <a href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/collections/valentines-day-romantic-recipes">valentine's day recipes</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If your not feeling overly ambitious about cooking then the big supermarkets are back with their at-home valentines dinner sets that usually fall around the £15-£20 mark. <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/inspiration/valentines_day/valentine-s-dinnerfortwo.html?wtrint=1-Content-_-2-Inspiration-_-3-valentines_day-_-4--_-5-hotspot-_-6-mealdealpreview">Waitrose</a> offer a dinner for 2 for £20 which includes three courses, sides and drink (and the food looks delicious). While Marks and Spencer offer a "2 dine in for £10" including drinks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can get a free takeaway (up to the value of £15) with lots of big brand takeaway companies including Just Eat and Pizza Hut through <a href="https://www.quidco.com/Mirror_TakeawayFebruary15">Quidco</a>. Or order through <a href="https://deliveroo.co.uk/?change_location">Deliveroo </a>and get £10 off your first spend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dine out for Less</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Whilst lots of chains are offering discount vouchers at the moment many of them are not valid on valentines day. These will only work to your advantage if you plan on celebrating on a different day. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We've found a hack to get you <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2017/01/save-money-using-discounted-gift-cards.html">48% off pizza express</a> (without any discount vouchers). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Other ideas for eating out on a budget include using </span><span style="font-size: large;">Lastminute.com who have a great feature called 'cheap eats' where you can set your price point i.e.<a href="http://www.lastminute.com/restaurants/cheap-eats-london.html"> eat of for £20</a>. Or why not c</span><span style="font-size: large;">onsider going out for brunch for the better deals earlier in the day or just for dessert in the evening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Entertainment </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Going to the Cinema for a couple could cost £20+ in tickets plus any snacks you buy. This year valentine's day falls on a Tuesday so if you are thinking about going out to the cinema its the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the trick we have found to save 65% off Cineworld. To learn more <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2017/01/save-money-using-discounted-gift-cards.html">click here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps you want to have a movie night from the comfort of your own home. Local libraries and often university libraries allow you to rent DVDs for free. Plus Amazon Prime have tons of movies available free for 6 months for students. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gifts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Flowers are crazy expensive (and die so quickly) you can easily be looking close at £40-£50 for roses. Luckily a number of florists at the moment are running special offers.<a href="https://www.prestigeflowers.co.uk/valentines-day-flowers?gclid=CMqNuaaZ8dECFe-d7QodWnsIGg"> Prestige flowers </a>are offering 30% off 12 red roses. <a href="https://www.bunches.co.uk/index.php?aff=gouk&gclid=CKSPkL2Z8dECFUqx7QodmgYFVg">Bunches</a> have 10% off with the promo code BUN10 and a free box of chocolates if you order online. <a href="https://bouqs.com/vdaycollection?bcid=6509&utm_medium=search&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=non%7Cvalentine%7Cbmm&bouqin=gglsem&spop=1&ccode=vday20&gclid=CLe659mZ8dECFc-37QodiesAkg">Bouqs</a> have 20% off with the code VDAY20.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">O2 priority are currently giving away a free valentines day card with Choosy. Which you can order online. While new customers with TopCashback can get a <a href="http://buff.ly/2kGC4E4">free moonpig</a> card after cashback or a free box of <a href="http://buff.ly/2kGwEsQ">Thontons chocolates</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>More ideas? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is often the small more sentimental touches that make the big difference. <a href="http://www.thedatingdivas.com/our-most-popular-valentines-day-ideas/">The Dating Divas</a> is a great site for help organising date nights that are big on sentimentality and not on budget. They have over <a href="http://www.thedatingdivas.com/our-most-popular-valentines-day-ideas/">100 ideas for valentines dates</a> (many you can do from your own home). Most of their ideas are inexpensive or entirely free making them perfect for any budget. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck and get £5 free when you make your first purchase through our link. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2350818/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
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<span style="text-align: center;">*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</span></div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-5964038688923090272017-01-27T23:24:00.000+00:002017-05-01T20:23:47.866+01:00Save Money Using Discounted Gift Cards<span style="font-size: large;">Chris and I have been using <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ">Zeek</a> for a couple of months now. Zeek is a gift card market place that allows you to buy and sell gift cards. We're going to share why we love Zeek so much and how you can get a PizzaExpress gift card <b>48% off </b>with no work or hassle or <b>65% off</b> at Cineworld. Plus we'll share how you can get £5 credit for free. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA996Ei28qXRYDh2P5bT_0CT90Va7bKcWDk4uMdUblOIb8gjmmiDda8ASKhR5cwE2qpfC4VBZYZEoaDt-gaC413jmGFGYTmgjJVSLzlKpbt5esWEW6Ke-XW8j_zvoXYhYzkWs2an5L3bM/s1600/zeek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="save money gift cards" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA996Ei28qXRYDh2P5bT_0CT90Va7bKcWDk4uMdUblOIb8gjmmiDda8ASKhR5cwE2qpfC4VBZYZEoaDt-gaC413jmGFGYTmgjJVSLzlKpbt5esWEW6Ke-XW8j_zvoXYhYzkWs2an5L3bM/s640/zeek.png" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We've mentioned before that we enter <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2015/08/how-to-make-money-entering-giveaways.html">a lot of competitions</a> (and have won over £5,000 in prizes in the past few years) often prizes will be gift cards. <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ">Zeek</a> provides an easy way to sell unwanted gift cards that you've collected perhaps as a gift or as a prize. If your an avid Swagbucks user you may also find <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ">Zeek </a>useful to trade in any unwanted gift cards and it allows you to set the discount.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wAdiJClojuCEyl4DwV3AlCQgotnTXP_nBnjVLlP860TQtdmmHUJfaFdj85i-teCGbH565OjFpWp6OZXFf3ucOHN4LJw4MxosAQxMHiT8TIGT-fkFJ-I6tpb8RGUiYB69n7XGjRlVRjg/s1600/Zeek_android_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Zeek sell " border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wAdiJClojuCEyl4DwV3AlCQgotnTXP_nBnjVLlP860TQtdmmHUJfaFdj85i-teCGbH565OjFpWp6OZXFf3ucOHN4LJw4MxosAQxMHiT8TIGT-fkFJ-I6tpb8RGUiYB69n7XGjRlVRjg/s640/Zeek_android_3.png" title="" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ">Zeek </a>also provides an easy way to get more bang for your buck as you are able to buy gift cards at less than their cash value. That means that simply by changing your payment method to gift cards vs cash/debit card you make instant savings. Plus they can be used in conjunction with other coupons and discount cards to you can get lots of savings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They have a mixture of e-gift vouchers and physical gift cards which they post out in 7 days (though we have found they have shipped quicker). You have a wallet that allows you to keep track of your gift cards allowing you to mark when they are used and there is an app that allows you to take your e-vouchers on the go and save on printing. The only real downside to this interface is that you have to manually log when they are used it would be cool if that data was automatically imported (though perhaps I'm being unrealistic and a little lazy). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFN4imlTbBuFh71HdnDTrb4495MYDQBGkNzghDLXW6xZ6K-8Pugth1h76V51tBI5BAXn_d3H23nZSfkqH75d8_woDtVXEIkgi4w3CFe4sL0lQDIUCIzYKwAOwYL8My4W7MuMoisNNj4k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-27+at+22.16.52.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Zeek buy" border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFN4imlTbBuFh71HdnDTrb4495MYDQBGkNzghDLXW6xZ6K-8Pugth1h76V51tBI5BAXn_d3H23nZSfkqH75d8_woDtVXEIkgi4w3CFe4sL0lQDIUCIzYKwAOwYL8My4W7MuMoisNNj4k/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-01-27+at+22.16.52.png" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some of our favourite uses of <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ">Zeek</a> purchased gift cards include:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Food Shopping. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Its an essential expense so why not save a little extra. Over the course of a year you could save £100s of pounds. Looking for other ways to <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2017/01/save-money-food-shopping.html">save on your food shopping?</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Dining out. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We mentioned one of our <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/12/our-financial-goals-for-2017.html">new years goals</a> it to not pay full price dining out and using gift cards is part of our tactic. We'll share with you today how you can save almost 50% at Pizza Express with Zeek. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Cinema tickets </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We used it in conjunction with student discount and </span><a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/03/2for1-movies-for-year-for-2-or-less.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Meerkat Movies </span></a><span style="font-size: large;">(learn how to get 2for1 movies for a year for £2 or less). It should cost 2 adults £21.20 to see a 2D movie. But using a gift card (with an 10% discount), 2for1 and student discount it is £7.29 over <b>65% saving. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Giving gift cards as gifts. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps your not quite sure what to get someone or a wedding registry has specifically asked for gift cards. Gift cards are an easy and convenient gift and now even more affordable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Save Big on Pizza. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Right now you can buy a £15 Pizza Express Gift Card for £12.70 giving you 15% off and remember you can use the gift card in conjunctions with any other coupons you have (Pizza Express regular run 2for1 offers). Plus if you sign up through our <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ">link</a> you'll get an extra £5 in credit FREE bringing the cost down to £7.70 saving you <b>48%.</b> Thats almost half price !!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwCFAcZ-Xrj8EHlEaDp-3mq5nUkxhhATNfrfcCXenifrd9AoKjitzO9Zmf1LUBX2XXy4apE_GXFiTwVZ-Qe3I_8M4EU1sjRhRTcD1gru9JUzJmO-F80FQzroH510Hz4Y0OKuNxGEgMTA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-27+at+21.51.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwCFAcZ-Xrj8EHlEaDp-3mq5nUkxhhATNfrfcCXenifrd9AoKjitzO9Zmf1LUBX2XXy4apE_GXFiTwVZ-Qe3I_8M4EU1sjRhRTcD1gru9JUzJmO-F80FQzroH510Hz4Y0OKuNxGEgMTA/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-01-27+at+21.51.26.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We enjoy using Zeek and find it really easy to use and make purchases. Whilst the discounts could tempt you into purchasing more than necessary we try to limit our purchases to gift cards for stores we know we will use. For example, we have recently been buying a Tesco gift card at the start of the month for our grocery money and using only that. It saves money two-fold because it works much like the 'cash-envelope' system; once the money is gone its gone. Secondly, we save money because we are not paying full price for the gift card. </span><br />
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This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate link. To learn more about why we use affiliate links please see our disclaimer at the bottom of our page. All opinions are our own and we have used Zeek for a while before being approach for this post. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck and get £5 free when you make your first purchase through our link. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2350818/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: center;">*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-90976969034588270212017-01-23T10:24:00.000+00:002017-01-28T11:36:15.753+00:00Save money food shopping<span style="font-size: large;">Food shopping is one of those essentials we just can get out of. Being a university student it is often the first time you have to food shop. For us we find we all to easily pop to the shops for a pint of milk and come bag with a bag full of stuff. Whilst we are working on tackling this by limiting the number of times we go to the shops (doing online shopping also helps with this), it is inevitable that we will go shopping. That doesn't have to mean there aren't other ways to save money.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfVG8uu2hg0Ru8B8y8xrrzOUXsk0eNsEbok_EHQKah5SS-Y_nF37GhwCDV9euTb7v5kPJj0RpJknOzXgkB8uiYAVl-b7EOLpyNqgLz04o5uu0S_Qil0iZZUmFXlxoxl9ttjbFlA44ySM/s1600/groceries.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="save on groceries" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfVG8uu2hg0Ru8B8y8xrrzOUXsk0eNsEbok_EHQKah5SS-Y_nF37GhwCDV9euTb7v5kPJj0RpJknOzXgkB8uiYAVl-b7EOLpyNqgLz04o5uu0S_Qil0iZZUmFXlxoxl9ttjbFlA44ySM/s640/groceries.png" title="save on groceries " width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today we are sharing some of the best ways we have found to save money on your food shopping whilst requiring minimal effort. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Use discount cards</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you can use a discount card either staff, student or NHS etc. then go for it. Though for staff discount please read the terms and conditions carefully (as using a family members card is not always allowed). Typically such discount cards save you 10%, so a couple spending £35 a week could save £182 over the course of a year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. By reduced and freeze</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Become familiar with where your local shop keeps reduced items and at what time of the date they do final reductions can see you pick up food for pennies. Granted its going to be close to its use-by date so be prepared to have to freeze these items but this makes a great way to stock up you freezer. After seasonal events (christmas and easter) a lot of seasonal food will be reduced too; so long you aren't fussed about having christmas food in the spring this is also a great option. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Using gift cards</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Using gift cards either bought through an employee discount scheme or an online site such as<a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank"> Zeek</a> (get £5 free through this link) allows you to purchase them at a discount from their usual price. This means you are saving money even if you buy the same stuff you would normally. Plus you can use other forms of discount in conjunction with gift cards (i.e staff or student discount) as the gift card is just another form of payment method (like card or cash). Buying a fixed amount on a gift card is kind of like using cash envelopes as you have a sent amount allocated to each expense which can really help with controlling spending and impulse purchases as once its gone its gone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Meal plan.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Meal planning is an great way to got shopping with a plan and buy only what you need. Pinterest is full of awesome meal plans and we even have a great budget friendly meal plan for two here. Try to plan meals that will share several ingredients so that there is less waste and you are able to buy greater quantities and take advantage of cheaper per unit prices. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Use cash-back </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If your choose to use debit cards don't forget you can get cashback on your shopping at supermarkets (aka free money for spending money you would have spent anyway). Our favourite cashback site is <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2350818/">Quidco</a> and if you sign up through this link you get £10 FREE (who doesn't love freebies). Even just a 3% cashback over a year would save you over £50 (for no real effort).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What nifty tricks do you use to save money on your food shopping. </span><br />
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-43538841644063099892017-01-11T00:00:00.000+00:002017-05-01T20:24:04.826+01:00Earn money sharing your uni experience<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What if we told you that your could earn money simply by sharing your university experience with prospective students. At <a href="https://www.unibuddy.co/" target="_blank">UniBuddy</a> it is as simple as that.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5lmN7rqI93n816h0ToY0rRITv3ZrT7CeM-V7izdqDRc2E2maX_TxqSiKb4mAqAK9qICEv9n2rAu3P3RUONC00ipaFqmOamV5Fncj-mfjQyQv2IAvDmkybUuvREj8JHaur4BKoxz3Ip4/s1600/unibuddy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="earn money sharing uni experience" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5lmN7rqI93n816h0ToY0rRITv3ZrT7CeM-V7izdqDRc2E2maX_TxqSiKb4mAqAK9qICEv9n2rAu3P3RUONC00ipaFqmOamV5Fncj-mfjQyQv2IAvDmkybUuvREj8JHaur4BKoxz3Ip4/s640/unibuddy.png" title="earn money sharing uni experience" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.unibuddy.co/" target="_blank">UniBuddy</a> is a website that pays current university students to talk to prospective students about their university experience. This could involve any aspect of your experience from applying, housing, academics or student life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Start by competing your profile about who you are and your eduction (where you study and what you are studying)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then add posts to your profile (these could be on any topic about your university experience). These help penitential students get an idea of who you are and whether they are interested in talking to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When students start messaging you this is when you get paid. Currently <a href="https://www.unibuddy.co/" target="_blank">UniBuddy</a> pays up to £35 per applicant you help. Plus for the posts you add to your profile there is a regular competition to win £40 for the best post. Whilst Beckie managed to win at the end of December (so the giveaway is completely legitimate).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Pros</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Flexible, easy work for home, or on the go making it a great option for the busy student. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Requires very little skill. Essentially by sharing your experience of univeristy and applications you can help mentor potential applicants. The better quality your writing is the more likely your posts will drive traffic but you don't need to be an a literary genius, just good at conveying your experience in a friendly tone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Cons</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sporadic and definitely not a consistent income source. Rather it is a good way of earning some supplemental cash. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It is entirely reliant on applicants choosing to talk to you so there is no guarantee of ever earning anything. We also wonder if your odds are better at getting people to talk to you if you are studying a popular subject (law, medicine, engineering etc.) at a popular university (i.e. Russel group or oxbridge). Though we have no evidence of this other than observation of users of UniBuddy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have you had any success earning with UniBuddy? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Disclaimer- SavingScotts has no affiliation with UniBuddy and all opinions are our own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></span></span>If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck (and get £5 free with this link). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2350818/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
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*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-19739330985040319252017-01-07T23:09:00.004+00:002017-01-07T23:11:25.564+00:00£5 Dinners | Courgette and Tomato Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp23BA1loGidpQePcZMq23qUUkowlmoHAVDg_8LN8MyOObJkPwjf9YZUtwQMjsLjETvdXpF45BL2R_fa1pzQVzxpKpyynRUuzPBIKGZeMSizkPFScKpAhzCLgQxJT7tTEQ3p0m8rVY68k/s1600/%25C2%25A35dinners.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">We have started a new series of posts on Instagram called £5 Dinners where we will be sharing some of our favourite budget friendly meals. Follow us </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/savingscotts/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; color: #f7cac9; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s;">@savingscotts</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;"> to keep updated with the series.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">We have also decided to post all the recipes on here and there is now an easy to use tab on the navigation bar just for £5 dinners. So you can find all your favourite, easy to cook, low cost dinners in one place. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">Plus save money on your food shop using approved discount gift cards with <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek. </a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp23BA1loGidpQePcZMq23qUUkowlmoHAVDg_8LN8MyOObJkPwjf9YZUtwQMjsLjETvdXpF45BL2R_fa1pzQVzxpKpyynRUuzPBIKGZeMSizkPFScKpAhzCLgQxJT7tTEQ3p0m8rVY68k/s1600/%25C2%25A35dinners.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="£5 Dinners" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp23BA1loGidpQePcZMq23qUUkowlmoHAVDg_8LN8MyOObJkPwjf9YZUtwQMjsLjETvdXpF45BL2R_fa1pzQVzxpKpyynRUuzPBIKGZeMSizkPFScKpAhzCLgQxJT7tTEQ3p0m8rVY68k/s640/%25C2%25A35dinners.png" title="£5 Dinners" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">This weeks recipe is a courgette tart that takes 30-35 to prepare and cook making it a great mid-week meal plus its vegetarian too. Prices listed below for ingredients are for the 7/1/2017 at Tesco.com. The total cost for this meal serving 4 people is £3.57. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QO9I1TOBQnSQ9k5SrOpGH0sCTS9r0k0oecFzNLSX7vgYZe17XDSYtLD2ZDFM6F-Lf16_FncvdEDS4bStHDh10qe2bC-U_js26GE36BOuB0Q8Zs5YoBXABtjPIioDbJB9uI6x6ChnM00/s1600/Courgettetart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="courgette tart" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QO9I1TOBQnSQ9k5SrOpGH0sCTS9r0k0oecFzNLSX7vgYZe17XDSYtLD2ZDFM6F-Lf16_FncvdEDS4bStHDh10qe2bC-U_js26GE36BOuB0Q8Zs5YoBXABtjPIioDbJB9uI6x6ChnM00/s640/Courgettetart.png" title="Courgette tart" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOjrYmJXPk9uxMVZL-IvIY9t8q1S_5Cn8x0gieKSIv72iPEy2uyKME4DJY__QvFDfNRPylLIjFl1EfSLirJw77lpjjPh023SQoDx8qeh0hIMnAOXyIYIzsBWDOrio868gr31xszZXAVg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-13+at+08.48.54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOjrYmJXPk9uxMVZL-IvIY9t8q1S_5Cn8x0gieKSIv72iPEy2uyKME4DJY__QvFDfNRPylLIjFl1EfSLirJw77lpjjPh023SQoDx8qeh0hIMnAOXyIYIzsBWDOrio868gr31xszZXAVg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-13+at+08.48.54.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- Pre rolled puff pastry - £1.30</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- 1 courgette- sliced - £0.38</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- Brie 200g - £1.15</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- 3 - 4 tomatoes £0.69</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- Italian herbs £0.05</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">- Cut the puff pastry to fit your baking tray. Score the pastry approx 1cm from the edge on all 4 sides.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">- Add a row of courgette slices, followed by a row of tomato slices and them brie. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">- Repeat until you fill the puff pastry. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">- Season with a pinch of Italian herbs. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;">- Serve with your favourite vegetables (we served with some left-over pesto pasta) . </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We love to keep all the meal plans and recipes we create in one easy to use binder. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.41999998688697815px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Plus, by keeping the recipes in sheet protecters means we can re-use them time and time again and saves us printing out several copies. </span></span><br />
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-43988123159053291902016-12-31T21:16:00.002+00:002016-12-31T21:30:50.992+00:00Our financial goals for 2017<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's that time of the year where we reflect upon last years goals and set some new goals for 2017. 2016 was a huge year for us both; from getting married in January to Chris transferring universities in the Autumn it felt like it was all change. We are big believers in the benefits of writing downs goals to help with accountability and this year is no different. We are sharing how we did with our 2016 goals and what we have planned for 2017. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHv9uU37_03wLEBmK7FnkIr-1lqQf9zR60VuizzIMqi3HhlHRj4s2QAsQvQDpUwC0tTzFcOy9hW_SGf9Iwy6fUYosZLZw4_IZfQwHzoxd-tKSjTEihSM5rUB-vmOzFtHz0779xyHyV3s/s1600/oatmeal+cookies-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2017 Financial Resolutions" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHv9uU37_03wLEBmK7FnkIr-1lqQf9zR60VuizzIMqi3HhlHRj4s2QAsQvQDpUwC0tTzFcOy9hW_SGf9Iwy6fUYosZLZw4_IZfQwHzoxd-tKSjTEihSM5rUB-vmOzFtHz0779xyHyV3s/s640/oatmeal+cookies-3.png" title="2017 Financial Resolutions" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Our 2016 goals</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1. Save £2000 for the car -> We have earmarked the money Rebecca received from her grandad as inheritance as money for buying a car. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2. Continue saving for a house deposit. -> We have diligently contributed to our Help to Buy ISAs the maximum amount (£200 each) every month. With the 25% bonus from the scheme gained £1200 in free money (when we buy our house). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. Have a debt-free post graduation life -> The week after final exams Beckie started a graduate job in an Independent Financial Advisors firm. It quickly became apparent that this was not the career she wanted to be in (or the kind of work environment she would be happy in) and as a last minute decision she decided to reinstate her place at the London School of Economics studying a Masters in Law. Nonetheless we have still been able to cashflow the studies (with the help of our savings) and Beckie is now applying for PhD programs for next year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">4. Chris to get a part-time job to replace the one he left in December 2015 -> Chris picked up a part time job at MacDonalds. Its not all that glamorous but he enjoys the social aspect of it (and its a nice break from uni). Its not been all bade as he is being promoted to crew trainer and has even won employee of the month in October. It is flexible around his studies and allows him to pick up extra hours during the holidays which works well for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Our 2017 goals</b></span><br />
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<li style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Save £6,000 in our ISAs, £3000 each in mine + Chris' (Help to buy ISA transferring to Lifetime ISA in April). </span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are still working on the goal of buying a house the year Chris graduates (2019). We are therefore aiming to put £6000 into ISAs this year towards this goal. Which would see us achieve a balance of £12,250 in ISAs; with the 25% bonus scheme we would receive a bonus of just over £3,000. It is this bonus that is the driving force for us saving as much as we can into our ISAs.</span></span></li>
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<li style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Meal plan every month in advance (and stick to it). </span></li>
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<li style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We definitely slipped out of the habit of meal-planning (or just eating in). We want to plan out our meals for the month in advance and reduce the number of times we take trips to the supermarket to once or twice a week. </span></li>
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<li style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Obtain funding for my PhD either in the form of a scholarship or a research council grant.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beckie is currently applying for PhDs in law/criminal justice and to be able to pursue this goal she needs to obtain funding (or a super awesome part-time job). There are a few things in the pipe-line so we will keep you posted on this. </span></span></span></li>
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<li style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Never pay full price when dining out. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We love to dine out. Whilst we want to cut down a bit (and meal planning will help with this) we are also </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">keen to reduce the cost of eating out. Our goal is to never pay full price, whether that means using coupons, buying <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">discounted gift cards</a> or student discount. </span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are your financial goals for 2017?</span></span></div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-19530974551334424252016-12-30T19:22:00.000+00:002017-05-01T20:24:22.494+01:00Financial checklist for the new year<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2016 has flown by, and 2017 is now only a few days away. Here at SavingScotts we have compiled a financial checklist to get 2017 off to a flying start. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The start of a new year provides a great opportunity to assess your financial situation and goals to make effective plans for the new year (and perhaps even some new years resolutions).</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As with all finances if you are in</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> a serious relationship we recommend that if you have a spouse or partner to work through this checklist together and it is important you are both on the same page about finances (check out our </span><a href="http://savingscotts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/money-conversations-to-have-with-your.html" style="font-family: inherit;">post on money conversations to have with your spouse</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> if your feeling a bit apprehensive about having a joint checklist meeting).</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To get your new year off to a great start we have shared some of the key items to include in you financial resolution checklist. To help you on your way we have included a free printable which you can find at the bottom of the post. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2eRffBCZFUEv5QxpaxxRc2IcXOF_b_Wk2qM43A6unTBmwSILb0mVD4NNHxB-9px10G2XX3WhZsa93nzZcoPecq5AzcKzRZIxb57JJo6Ss8zHxbqiMiutoZhHeSQSh9PDHbGmMDowv6c/s1600/newyear.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img alt="New Year's Financial Resolutions " border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2eRffBCZFUEv5QxpaxxRc2IcXOF_b_Wk2qM43A6unTBmwSILb0mVD4NNHxB-9px10G2XX3WhZsa93nzZcoPecq5AzcKzRZIxb57JJo6Ss8zHxbqiMiutoZhHeSQSh9PDHbGmMDowv6c/s640/newyear.png" title="New Year's Financial Resolution Checklist " width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Assess your current situation. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Look at how much you have in debt, savings and investments and make a note of it as this is the starting point for your year. It is important to be familiar with your starting point to allow goals to be made and progression to occur. Reflect upon the past year and how your financial situation has changed throughout 2016. A great way to do this is to know your current net worth and where your assets and liabilities are held. This will allow you to compare where you are now to throughout the year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Pay down debt </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paying down debt is key to making financial headway. Credit card and other consumer debt should be highest on your priority list. Look at paying off the debt with the highest interest level first in order to save more money. If you are working on paying off debt have a read of our <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/01/how-to-cut-debt-in-5-steps.html" target="_blank">5 steps to becoming debt free.</a> </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Check your credit score</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Though it is a good idea to check it regularly, now is a great time to check it. We love to use <a href="https://www.noddle.co.uk/">Noddle</a> who provide a free credit check for life. Making sure your credit score is where you need it to be is important when you set your goals for 2017. For example, you may want to take out a mortgage, but have just discovered your very low credit score, knowing this information will allow you to take steps to amend your credit score and move it in the direction you want it to go. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Set your goals</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Set a few goals (but not too many) to aim for achieving this year. If you have any debt then your focus should be on working to pay of this debt first before any savings goals are set. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Whatever your goal is it is important write it down and make </span><span style="font-size: large;">realistic</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> steps for achieving that goal. Think about how you will achieve this goal? Will you need to cut spending, do you want to take on a second job, work from home more. There are so many ways that you could achieve goals, so it is important to discuss the how within the making of a plan. </span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perfect that budget</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you already are using a budget then work through how effective it is and if there are any areas that need to be tweaked (especially in light of the goals you have set). If you don't already use a budget then now is a great time to start. Get out a pen and paper and write down your income and expenses for the month. If you prefer an app why not try Dave Ramsey's every dollar or out student budget spreadsheet. What is important is to pick a method, go through your budget monthly and stick to it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be tax efficient.</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Tax efficient savings accounts often have a limit of how much can save within a certain period. Whilst in the UK all of this periods are based around the tax year; the new year provides a good opportunity to assess how much you are going to want to use up of those allowances (obviously the optimal option is to max them out, but that can't always be the case). For those in the UK making use of accounts such as ISAs (tax-free savings accounts) especially Help to Buy or the soon to be launched lifetime ISAs where you can receive a 25% bonus on all your savings when used for property. If you are saving for retirement, ensure that make use of the tax relief (for most its 20%) meaning that if you contribute £8000 into your pension, the government will raise it to £10,000. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How are you preparing for 2017?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></span>If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> <span style="font-family: inherit;">(get £5 free with this link)</span> to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2298829/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
</ul>
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*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</div>
</div>
</div>
SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-13425578682324612532016-12-28T00:00:00.000+00:002017-05-01T20:24:30.442+01:00Earn money tutoring <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Becoming a private tutor is a great job option for university students. It is flexible, you manage your hours, for anyone looking to go into teaching it is also great experience. Depending on your qualifications you could earn £15 - 30 per hour depending on your experience. If you have academic knowledge, good communication skills and lots of patience then tutoring may be the job for you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXWIlsMeLsImRI4us7FKr2rVCp-mzoifPupKGmKophEdPF_5iy2UaLZekyRSD_I4tOnlVh0_-oCSz4G58G7SPzL6vV3dQeYwmCnHQrC_WG8zn5pSHQos2Kvqnq6PengmRj15ta2WI7HA/s1600/tutoring.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="earn money tutoring" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXWIlsMeLsImRI4us7FKr2rVCp-mzoifPupKGmKophEdPF_5iy2UaLZekyRSD_I4tOnlVh0_-oCSz4G58G7SPzL6vV3dQeYwmCnHQrC_WG8zn5pSHQos2Kvqnq6PengmRj15ta2WI7HA/s640/tutoring.png" title="earn money tutoring" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How much should I charge?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a few factors to consider for how much you should be charging. The first is your experience, do you have a undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD in this subject (the price should increase respectively) and do you have previous teaching experience of this subject. Secondly you will want to think about transportation costs if you go to the student. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">However, don't forget Tutoring doesn't just have to be face-to-face. There is an increasing demand for Skype tutors (allowing you to cut down on the cost of transportation and increase profits). But if you are tutoring face-to-face you are going to want to determine if you go to the student or if they come to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>What should it tutor?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the U.K. demand is primarily for 11+, common entrance exams, GCSE and A-levels tutoring. Try to think about which exam systems you have experience with (and success in) and focus upon teaching these areas.In addition, it is often easiest and most appropriate to tutor in a subject directly or closely related to your degree subject (I.E maths and physics for those studying engineering) as this demonstrates a higher level of understanding in this subject than your student is required to learn.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you speak another language fluently or play a musical instrument to a high level (typically at least grade 8) then you might want to consider tutoring in these areas and these also present lucrative tutoring opportunities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When tutoring you will want to be aware of what exam board the student is studying for and be familiar with the specifications of that exam board in order to tailor the tutoring to their needs. Be sure to brush up on the course syllabus before you start tutoring so you can provide the best quality service possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>How to advertise?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Websites such as <a href="http://gumtree.com/" target="_blank">GumTree </a>or other local listing sites are a great place to start. Beckie had a flatmate in her first year of university who found maths tutees this way very successfully. Whilst tutor specific sites such as <a href="https://www.firsttutors.com/uk/" target="_blank">First Tutors</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Word of mouth is also a great option. Ask family and friends if they know anyone who needs tuition. Once you start to get tutees encourage them to share your services with their friends (perhaps offer a referral discount) as this is a great way to gain new clients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Creating a Facebook page or website to advertise your tutoring services is another great way to share your tutoring services and adds a level of professionalism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Reaching out to schools. Putting up flyers at schools (or university) is another great way to reach out to potential students. Just make sure to get the necessary permission first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have you worked as a tutor? What are your experiences of it as a part time job.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></span></span>If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek </a> <span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">(get £5 free with this link) </span>to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2298829/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="text-align: center;">*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</span></div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-43357315480148514652016-12-17T15:18:00.001+00:002016-12-31T15:23:50.174+00:00#giveorgift <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We've all received a secret Santa gift that just wasn't our taste. Often it can feel like this way of gift sharing is a waste of money. Even though it was designed to make gift giving in big group settings more manageable. But imagine if Secret Santa was an opportunity to </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">bring meaningful joy to others and avoid waste.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHUYLIbkr620N-FQWtEcs88ZNlkUPObDTjcol12CdD6gnITCkgkSAaEoraTrqdwSekNGqqIA-nHQaLLPxXIRdbCbv91Z9xdYVUYG-e4ELvLBSbgPTAL8FKnEK3r57p9SitMaRPpfDTMw/s1600/secretsanta.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="give or gift" border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHUYLIbkr620N-FQWtEcs88ZNlkUPObDTjcol12CdD6gnITCkgkSAaEoraTrqdwSekNGqqIA-nHQaLLPxXIRdbCbv91Z9xdYVUYG-e4ELvLBSbgPTAL8FKnEK3r57p9SitMaRPpfDTMw/s640/secretsanta.png" title="give or gift" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This year SavingScotts along with the rest of the UK Money Blogger community is joining together to form an alternative to secret Santa called #giveorgift</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Instead of buying a physical gift for Secret Santa the idea is that the recipient can opt for the gift to go to charity instead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Which charities are #giveorgift supporting?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We’re supporting six charities this year with the money raised evenly split between them. So a £5 donation plus Gift Aid will see each of the following receive just over £1:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* The Trussell Trust (food poverty)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* Shelter (housing and homelessness)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* Citizens Advice (money and legal help)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* Children in Need</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* Stand up to Cancer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* DEC (humanitarian crisis)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For more information on these charities click <a href="http://ukmoneybloggers.com/giveorgift-the-charities/" target="_blank">here. </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>How do I donate?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you’ve been allocated someone who wants you to give to charities on their behalf, simply donate the present fund at BT.com/GiveOrGift. You can print out a giving certificate so there’s something to handover on the day everyone exchanges presents. We are using BT.com because they don't take a cut of the charitable donations unlike other giving sites. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">UK Money Bloggers have even created a pack to help you on your way to organising a #giveorgift including sign up sheets and gift certificates for those who want to give something to show they have given to a charity. You can find these and more <a href="http://ukmoneybloggers.com/giveorgift-secret-santa-pack/" target="_blank">here</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Learn more about how you can get involved in the #giftorgive initiative over at<a href="http://ukmoneybloggers.com/giveorgift/" target="_blank"> UK Money Bloggers </a></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></span></span>If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2298829/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
</ul>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-50394246172173847662016-12-14T12:32:00.000+00:002017-05-01T20:25:31.436+01:00Financial goals to reach by age 30 <span style="font-size: large;">This week Chris turns 30. This big milestone got us talking about what financial goals are great to achieve by 30 to give you a great foundation for financial success. Today we are sharing our top 15 financial goals to achieve by age 30. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TWNyepNQsJdd3ho2EvoEjLmrG010rLCTrgylTS3sn-O-wOSyS5VYn63M5Pq1xe2ZFdxwlphvVj3iSLhJSi4AltMGKpm1TfHahZ6An4z46XbVFRpchQGpMv29az0OihTB14cqACL1Y4s/s1600/30goals.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="financial goals by 30" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TWNyepNQsJdd3ho2EvoEjLmrG010rLCTrgylTS3sn-O-wOSyS5VYn63M5Pq1xe2ZFdxwlphvVj3iSLhJSi4AltMGKpm1TfHahZ6An4z46XbVFRpchQGpMv29az0OihTB14cqACL1Y4s/s640/30goals.png" title="financial goals by 30" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Get out of debt.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Your twenties are likely to be the years when your first accumulate debt. Obviously the easiest option would be to never get into debt in the first place, but life doesn't always work out like that. If you are in debt purpose to become debt free by 30 allowing you to spend future years accumulating wealth rather than drowning in a sinking hole of debt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Retirement savings.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is never too early to start saving for retirement. Make sure you are taking advantage of employer contributions and tax breaks to make the most of your investments. Setting up a regular payment each month will help you to achieve this goal without feeling the pinch. We recommend contributing about 8-10% of your income towards retirement. Also if you have changed jobs, it is also a great idea to move you pension funds into a single account allowing you to manage them more easily. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Be bold about your career.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Your career is going to be the main source of income in your life so it is important to choose something you enjoy. Your late 20s is a great time to assess where you are in your career and if you are happy with the current trajectory. If you are not happy in your job NOW is the time to make a change. Chris started his Engineering degree at 28 having decided he was no wanting to spend the rest of his working years in sales and we know in the long term this decision will be for the better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Financial independence.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Gaining financial independence from family and friends is a key. Whilst you may have relied on them to 'help you out' in the past now is the time to move away from that habit as it not only doesn't build financial independence it creates relationship problems. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Have an emergency fund.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Having a solid emergency fund is a valuable financial asset. This money is set aside and used ONLY in the case of emergency. As financial responsibilities become greater (i.e having a family or a mortgage) having this contingency plan becomes increasingly important. An emergency fund of 6 months of expenses (not your 6 months income) is a good benchmark to aim for. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Get life insurance.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Often your employer will offer some form of life insurance (or death in service). Life insurance is like your BIG emergency fund and just like an emergency fund the more financial responsibility you have the more important it is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Learn how to budget properly.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Knowing how to create an effective budget and sticking to it will help give you to the tools to achieve financial goals in the future. Only through knowing where your money is going will you be able to manage and manipulate your budget to meet your needs and aims. We love using <a href="https://www.tillerhq.com/" target="_blank">Tiller</a> as our way of tracking our spending for budgeting purposes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Live away from home.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Living away from the parents and other family is key to developing financial independence. It allows you to gain a realistic understanding of day to day costs of living and running a house. And we're not just talking about living in halls of residence where all your bills are included. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. Stick to debit only. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Plastic is fine, but its needs to be debit all the way. With credit cards its all too easy to spend more money than you have. Whereas, a debit is more similar to spending cash. Whilst you are more likely to spend more on plastic vs cash (which makes using cash very good option) at least with debit you won't spend more than you have. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. Be overdraft free.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Its time to kick that overdraft to the kerb and stop paying silly fees to borrow money. After all an overdraft is just another form of debt. Get out and stay out by deactivating your overdraft. Many students will take advantage of the free overdrafts available and treat it as an extension of your income what they forget is that this money will at some point need to be paid off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. Be open with your partner about your finances.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">By 30 you are likely to be in long-term serious relationship that warrants the discussion of finances. Being open with your partner is the key to being on the same page financially. Devote time together each month to go through your budget and talk about your short and long term financial goals. Whilst one person may feel more comfortable taking charge of the budget it is important that both of you are involved in the budgeting process. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. Be tax savvy.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Never pay more tax than you need to. This could mean taking advantage of tax free savings allowances for ISAs, pension saving bonuses or using tax free side hustles such as <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2015/08/how-to-make-money-entering-giveaways.html" target="_blank">competitions</a> or <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">matched betting</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. Make use of sinking funds.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">These are savings funds for specific expenditures (such as roofs or car maintenance) that you make a regular contribution to so that when you need to spend money in those areas you use the money from their respective sinking fund.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. Start developing passive income sources.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Being able to supplement you main income source with passive income source(s) is the best way to get intense with your financial goals.<a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank"> Starting a blog</a> is a great way to introduce a passive income stream into your income. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. Work on getting onto the property ladder.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You might not own your fist home yet (the average age in the UK is 34) but you should be working towards the financial steps necessary. These include saving for a deposit (of at least 10%), increasing your income, knowing and improving your credit score and saving for the additional costs (taxes, estate agent fees) that are associated with purchasing a property. For those in the UK making use of Help to Buy (or in April 2017) Lifetime ISAs to gain tax benefits towards saving are a great option. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></span></span>If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> (get £5 free with this link) to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2298829/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
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*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-70482289152173143932016-12-13T10:30:00.003+00:002016-12-28T16:31:42.287+00:00Blogging your way to riches<span style="font-size: large;">I love being a blogger. It provides me with an income that allows me to work around my masters degree. It has allowed me to develop my passion for personal finance but also rediscover my passion for graphic design. Through blogging I am able to support my husband and myself through our degrees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I didn't expect when I started blogging was the amazing community there is. Whilst it's important to carve out a niche (puts here at SavingScotts being personal finance for students) I have loved immersing myself in the community of UK personal finance bloggers. It is actually one of our goals next year to get even more involved and attend the Sho-Mos (which we won runner up for best money making blog).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mumssavvysavings.com/" target="_blank">Emma Bradley</a> and <a href="http://www.mrsmummypenny.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lynn James</a> are personal finance bloggers who I have great admiration. Whilst blogging is a part time income for me, these ladies have mastered blogging in order to make it their full time income.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They have just released a new book '<a href="http://amzn.to/2gUX7xB" target="_blank">blogging your way to riche</a>s'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In which they share their wealth of experience on how to turn blogging into a successful income. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They share guidance on all areas of blogging making it a great book for both the novice blogger and the more seasoned writer. Whatever you expertise there is sure to be something for you. Their book will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and build your strategy accordingly. It would make the perfect Christmas gift for any blogger. </span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savingscotts-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=1539911004&asins=1539911004&linkId=541f55becaf8bcdcd0947ecf707720e8&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blogging has had such a positive impact in our lives. It has helped give us greater purpose to achieve our financial goals, seek out new earning opportunities and continually grow our knowledge. When we first started blogging we had no idea how many doors it would open or that it would become such a large part of our income. </span><br />
<br />SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-90071981600914917262016-12-08T20:39:00.003+00:002017-05-01T20:25:44.924+01:00The financial power of youth<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">As a 20-something making progress towards your financial goals can feel challenging. With paying off university debt to trying to get a foot on the property ladder it can feel like your opportunity for success with saving and investing is limited. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Plus many millennials cite lack of personal finance knowledge for failing to start investing. Yet there is one powerful reason why it is important to not become complacent with saving in your 20s. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4iQ5Wns5kOEFUrViyiTQTglRkedMkFuwucbmpl54vbg6HvEX6hRG4v74IXGOq9SHkDYa-4H2crMfMMuFGmfqmENrzTiR_T5VA3jr4ribg_68w1-DzOoLcJ7SMnkHNRdSjDmotGpnDvY/s1600/youth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="financial power of youth" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4iQ5Wns5kOEFUrViyiTQTglRkedMkFuwucbmpl54vbg6HvEX6hRG4v74IXGOq9SHkDYa-4H2crMfMMuFGmfqmENrzTiR_T5VA3jr4ribg_68w1-DzOoLcJ7SMnkHNRdSjDmotGpnDvY/s640/youth.png" title="financial power of youth" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The power of youth.</b> Millennials listen up, you have time on your side when it comes to investing - the most powerful tool. After all money is simply a medium for exchanging time so it makes sense that as you have more time to invest than someone in their 30s, 40s, 50s etc you have the potential in the long run to earn more. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is all links to the power of compound interest. Compound interest is the idea that the interest you earn each year becomes part of the cumulative balance that is interest earning. Over time the balance will grow exponentially (at a greater rate the higher the interest rate is) , meaning that the more years you allow it to grow the greater the increase each and every year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For longer-term investment goals such as retirement this is hugely beneficial as it means that you can invest less but gain the same returns. It is only through the power of compound interest that millennial can retire as<a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/06/retire-millennial-millionaire.html" target="_blank"> millionaires from as little as £65 a month</a>. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The danger of compound interest </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">However, this is what makes being in debt spiral out of control. As just as compound interest can be hugely beneficial to your savings and investment goals it is can see debt balances exponentially increase too. This is why you have to get intentional about paying off debt in order to make progress quickly as all to often you will spend years simply paying off the interest without even touching the principle. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What you can do right now. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Firstly, get yourself out of debt so that the negatives of compound interest don't eat up your money. If your unsure where to start read about the <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/01/how-to-cut-debt-in-5-steps.html" target="_blank">5 steps to getting out of deb</a>t. So whilst your earning potential may not be as high in your 20s as it is in your later years. Investing now can allow you to save more money in the long run. The trick to making the most out of compound interest is to start investing NOW. Even if its just a little amount, investing young is so important. Don't let being a student let you put of starting to invest, try supplementing your income with <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/04/online-jobs-for-college-students.html" target="_blank">these ideas</a> and check out these <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2015/08/investing-whilst-in-univeristy.html" target="_blank">investing options for students</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">If you are new to our blog, We are all about finding ways for students and millennials to make and save more money. Here are some of my favourite sites and products that may help you out:</span></span></span><br />
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<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2298829/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
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<span style="text-align: center;">*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</span></div>
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SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-81795658531695654652016-11-18T20:36:00.000+00:002017-02-06T23:34:38.144+00:0010 ways to save money as a student<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="save money as a student " border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkU51gF-Z5Nq4MD9Tah63OUmGK9es6wLNxlOg0Q4lvk9UMg6wfwch7Yx4w7w6vbEzsiKqGCNOwiOKT6YrKqq_NJMaKnVrTtxH26tHq8svDIt71hVAEOb943RqcJYB59seUblSZ2EbKhc/s640/10wayssave.png" title="save money as a student" width="426" /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This post was originally written for Student Nannies blog, </span><a href="https://studentnannies.com/10-savvy-ways-to-make-it-through-to-your-january-student-loan/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">click here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to see the original article.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Autumn term is coming to a close and odds are you’re finding yourself at the end of your student loans. With money running short, Christmas presents and parties adding up, you need some money saving tips to make it until the January loan installment. Here’s my top ten thrifty tricks for students….</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cook with friends. Food shopping for one can be quite expensive as often you will purchase larger quantities than you need just because it is the smallest amount available. Shopping and cooking with friends allows you to share the workload, take advantage of special bulk offers and reduce the cost of your weekly shop. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy your textbooks secondhand. Textbooks are extortionately expensive, especially from the campus bookstore. Odds are you can find a much more reasonably priced second-hand copy from someone in the year above you. Check to see if your department runs book sales or see if there is a Facebook buy/sell page for your course. </span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Don’t pay for a TV license if you don’t need it. If you are a student, your parents have a TV license and you are watching on a device not plugged into the mains, you do not need to pay for a license. If you do require a license don’t forget to reclaim the summer months you are not living away from home. For more information to help you understand if you need to pay </span><a href="http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/students-aud1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">click here</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Take advantage of student discounts. Both NUS and UniDays offer great student discount systems well worth subscribing to. After all why pay full price when you don’t have. It is also always worth asking if a store/restaurant offers a student discount as it is not always clearly advertised (especially for smaller non-chain companies). Don't forget you can use conjunction with some student deals (</span><a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2346085/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Quidco</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> give you cashback when buying a 16-25 railcard)</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ask a member of staff what time their supermarket marks down food items and schedule your shops for that time. Typically supermarkets will do their biggest reductions at about 7/8pm. Most supermarkets have a designated reduced section for different departments (chilled, fresh, dry goods) so it is a good idea to familiarise yourself where these are in your local store. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Get the best student bank account for you. Whilst the biggest selling point for most student bank accounts is their overdraft (not something we advocate dipping into) they will offer additional freebies including NUS cards, train or coach discount cards. Look at which of these freebies will be of most benefit and value to you when deciding who to bank with.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Most students will work part-time during their studies in order to bring in some extra income. Working as a Student Nanny offers a great opportunity for flexible work schedules, avoids zero hours contracts and provides the chance for you to network with local professionals and gain valuable work experience. </span><a href="http://www.studentnannies.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">StudentNannies.com</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"> is a great place to look for nannying work suited to fit around a student’s busy schedule. If you are looking for something even more flexible consider getting an </span><a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/04/online-jobs-for-college-students.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">online job</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"> that allows you to work from home. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Being on a tight budget doesn’t have to mean no fun. From free festivals, museums and galleries wherever you live there is sure to be plenty of free (or low cost events to go to). Don’t forget events on campus are also often low cost or free as they know students are on a small budget. You can also get 2for1 movies for the whole year for less than £2 (</span><a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/03/2for1-movies-for-year-for-2-or-less.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">learn how </a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">) making it a great budget outing as you can combine it with student price tickets for an extra discount.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the next student loan comes pays out in January there are couple of things you can do to make your money go even further next term :</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pay your rent first. Most landlords if you ask are happy for you to pay several months upfront, just be sure to ask first so they know that is what you are doing. When you get your termly student finance in, pay that term’s rent. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pop the remaining money into a separate account. Pay yourself an income. Odds are you get student finance three times a year, you might also get some sporadic scholarships or grants. When money comes in so irregularly it can feel tricky to establish a budget. Open up a separate account and set up a standing order for your ‘salary’. Depending on how easy you find it to manage your money you may wish to ‘pay yourself’ weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Just do what best suits you and your spending habits. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">With some creative ideas you can make living on a student budget a liberating not limiting experience.</span></span>SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791028027407236874.post-8739462298378803582016-11-13T18:58:00.001+00:002017-05-01T20:25:59.675+01:00How to juggle working and studying<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Getting a degree is an expensive process. Whilst it can be a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/05/5-ways-to-get-most-value-from-your.html">valuable investmen</a>t it can also be daunting financially. Between student finance, grants and scholarships you may still not have enough money to cover the costs of university. That is where part-time work falls into the equation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">59% of students will work part time during their studies. Whilst most universities recommend working no more than 15 hours for undergraduate students and 20 hours a week for postgraduate students 13% will work full time during their degree.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVml1G6ytKAHGcqLC1pSm7IZQS0hJm9vguSBV7HAoj98u7e9vH9a6kPQe3QME84NhcwiKEmzxa5A7R4RNBk0kXdAu4ABQrKWXCwQVEi6j3mGY1ingbif0drDuDrvjjGKbb9IvCGjXHABk/s1600/juggleworkandstudy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpRQcTzlgs1P2YzcYDLglqKV8zzzE7x_nO29XlU03AHiykoRC64-HsoPTgoOQywxKgMUaQqWqyADcqiz2KSNUSxmAlH9Ni3MsQ-29aw6VwmN6iE2BnWWAYe5mPb6hqb0sTxdCm5rI0Fs/s1600/balanceworkstudy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="balance work and study" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpRQcTzlgs1P2YzcYDLglqKV8zzzE7x_nO29XlU03AHiykoRC64-HsoPTgoOQywxKgMUaQqWqyADcqiz2KSNUSxmAlH9Ni3MsQ-29aw6VwmN6iE2BnWWAYe5mPb6hqb0sTxdCm5rI0Fs/s640/balanceworkstudy.png" title="balance work and study " width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chris and I have both worked during our studies. I chose to focus on working as much as possible during the holidays. In my first year I work as a waitress, in the second year as a researcher for the law school and in my final year at an investment firm. I chose to do this because I was involved in a lot of voluntary work at university society (plus law school being an intense workload). Though now during my masters I work mostly online through blogging and matched betting. Whilst Chris has chosen to work during term-term in retail averaging about 12 hours a week whilst class is on. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We both agree that it can be tricky to balance work and studies. Especially when you are just starting out at university adding work into the mix can feel totally overwhelming. I know Chris thrives of being busy, and working whilst studying can actually make you a more productive and effective student and its a great addition to the C.V.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u>Schedule your time</u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">If you are able to find a job that provides a degree of flexibility in hours that can be great as it allows you to pick up more or less hours depending on how busy your studies are. However, there are downsides to such flexible work as it can often mean you don't know your schedule far in advance. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Adding work into the schedule makes it more important than ever to schedule time specifically to complete university work. You may find that the best option is to schedule your work for the weekend allowing you to focus on uni during the week. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When you are combining work and studies it very important to keep an copy of your schedule. I love to use planners (<a href="http://amzn.to/2foG6xS">this one</a>) whilst Chris prefers to use google calendars on his phone. Just as long you have a way of keeping track of everything you have going on allowing you to remain in control of your workload. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u>Prioritise.</u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Your studies need to remain the priority in the situation. This may mean that sometimes you have to turn down shifts. You may need to tone down the extra-curricular or delegate some work. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Don't feel bad about this, remember in the long run making your degree as worthwhile as possible will have greater financial benefits. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">In prioritising your univeristy work you may find that your current part-time work is not such a great option for your schedule. <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/04/online-jobs-for-college-students.html">Online jobs</a> can be a great way to find flexible work to fit around your schedule.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u>Take care of yourself </u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Don't allow your schedule to become too busy that you become overworked and tired. Taking care of yourself is important to ensuring that you are able to succeed in your studies. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ensure that you get enough sleep and good food. Making time for seeing friends and just watching Netflix and relaxing is very important for your wellbeing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Did you work during your studies? How did you juggle working and studying?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue";"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></span></span>If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Start a blog. </em>Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/10/how-to-start-blog-to-make-money-from.html" target="_blank">create your own blog here</a> with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Save money with gift cards</i> Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use <a href="https://www.zeek.me/gb/promo?code=2PNQIAGQ" target="_blank">Zeek</a> to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Use Swagbucks for your online searches.</em> <a href="http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Swagbucks" target="_blank">Swagbucks</a> is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/02/how-to-earn-500-in-free-gift-cards.html" target="_blank">year you could earn $500</a>. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ebie1995" target="_blank">signing up</a> today.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Try matched betting.</i> Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/august-online-income-report.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.savingscotts.com/2016/08/make-40-per-hour-with-matched-betting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For your free trial head to <a href="http://www.profitaccumulator.co.uk/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=6819" target="_blank">profit accumulator</a> or join the Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/693344327500161/" target="_blank">'getting started' group</a>. </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em>Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. </em>where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you <a href="http://www.quidco.com/user/3603242/2298829/" target="_blank">sign up through my link</a>, you also receive a free £10 bonus!</span></li>
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<span style="text-align: center;">*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*</span>SavingScottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816160126005103600noreply@blogger.com0