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Jasmine Birtles

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 42 total)
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  • in reply to: Free money! #207353
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    Haha who wouldn’t!

    Listen to the podcast. It’s helpful!

    in reply to: CBDCs and why they’re dangerous #207352
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    Yes I agree. It’s up to us to keep using it and making a fuss in shops that don’t take it.

    I use the checkouts at supermarkets rather than the self-service machines. I usually use cash there too. They need to see that we are using it and don’t like to see it go!

    in reply to: Winter Fuel Payment support going out today #178174
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    This is so helpful.

    I’ve been saying to people that if they don’t see the automatic payment in their account they should speak to their local benefits office. Some people don’t qualify even though they are on certain benefits but you know what it’s like…there are often computer glitches with these things so it’s worth checking to see if there’s been a problem with your payment.

    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    One of the many oddities about the Autumn Statement – and Budgets generally – is that really important, long-term affecting policies are often largely ignored by media and voters generally. Changes to the taxation of dividends is one of them. No one really cares about the ‘rich’ being taxed – and that’s how it’s seen when it comes to dividends. But actually the taxing of dividends affects anyone with a pension…and that’s the majority of the country now, thanks to auto-enrolment.

    As pension funds are largely invested in the stock market (particularly now that the bond market is so dodgy) any increase in the taxation of dividends is going to make it harder for fund managers to build up decent pension pots for us, their clients.

    Yet again, workers are looking at working longer, for less, in order to afford their retirement!

    in reply to: Council tax to increase in England #177891
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    The problem with raising council tax is that some councils spend the money wisely while many others don’t.

    I think that more of us need to hold our councils to account. Let’s start asking them for a list of where they spend their money and how. We have the right to do it and we should then complain if we feel they are spending it in the wrong way.

    in reply to: Mystery shopping #177885
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    i did a few years ago and it was really handy. However, I now find that you have to pass a test to get in and the last time I tried (a few years ago) I failed!

    It is a really good thing to do if you can get in, though, as you get all sorts of freebies. I used it as a way to go out to eat for free. It was good for me too as I have opinions about everything so with mystery shopping I could tell them what I thought as well as getting paid!

    in reply to: World Cup #177731
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    I wish I could say that I had a view on this but my football knowledge is minimal. I couldn’t even name you a single player…in any team, let alone ours!

    I am interested in the social and business side of football though, and I am amazed that Qatar. with its burning heat and lack of obvious football ability should have been chosen for such an event.

    Some have suggested that there may have been some dodgy dealings in the background when this choice was made, but hey…we’re talking about the whiter-than-white FIFA here…who could possibly think that anything remotely ‘off’ could come out of their hallowed meetings? Gosh no…not me!

    in reply to: Best advice you’ve had when applying for jobs? #177627
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    Make your covering letter and CV very applicable to the job itself. Don’t just have a general one that you send to everyone the same.

    As someone who receives CVs a lot I notice the difference when people have updated it specifically for the job they are applying for.

    Also, though, don’t keep talking about yourself and what you want…this is my piece of advice. I never like covering letters that tell me how good this job would be for them. I want to hear what they can do for me!

    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    It’s interesting how many eco-friendly practices are also good for your purse! I’ve just tried out Ariel cool wash for my Daily Mail column and it actually worked…to my surprise! I could have put the wash on 30 degrees but actually put it on 40 degrees but it genuinely did clean the clothes…and it was a white wash so very noticeable. I had some cleaning clothes in there which were properly dirty and they came out clean.

    Also, I’m getting into using things like vinegar and bicarb of soda to clean the house and that’s going well!

    in reply to: Is austerity a political choice? #177622
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    It’s a point but I’m personally pro the growth plan that Liz Truss tried a month ago. I think the markets were stupid to react as they did. We should have gone with her plan in order to get ourselves out of the recession. Austerity won’t work.

    in reply to: What are people watching? #177581
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    It depends what you like but I’ve started watching The Good Place on Netflix which is a great way to learn about philosophy and have a laugh at the same time.

    Otherwise I’m going back in time with my viewing – currently I’m watching Arrested Development on Netflix which I think is from the 90s and on BBC iPlayer New Tricks which I’ve seen before but it’s well done!

    in reply to: Is crypto dead? #177580
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    i don’t think crypto is dead – I think it’s taken a battering though. The latest hit was the FTX crash which has tainted all crypto coins and trading platforms. However, Bitcoin still has huge support and I think we will see it rise in popularity in the next year or two as fiat currencies gradually lose support.

    I think the vast majority of cryptocurrencies are not worth looking at but Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and a few other interesting ones are worth watching if not actually owning.

    However, gold and silver are even better currency alternatives so make sure you have a bit of those in some form if you can, I think.

     

    in reply to: All the benefits available #177552
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    Very good question…benefits are so complicated and, frankly, messy that it’s amazing that anyone manages to find their way through the maze and get what they’re entitled to.

    One thing I suggest you do is use one of the benefit calculators online. Turn2Us.org.uk has a really good one as does entitltedto.co.uk.

    Also, there is a list (though not all in one place) of all the benefits there are on the government site Gov.uk. The information is across lots of sections on the site but if you put ‘benefits’ in the search bar you will find a lot.

    Of course here at MoneyMagpie.com we try to keep on top of the latest benefits, so do look at our Benefits and Debt Assistance section here https://www.moneymagpie.com/manage_your_money_categories/benefits-and-debt-assistance

    Finally do speak to one of the debt advice charities like StepChange, Community Money Advice, Christians Against Poverty or Citizen’s Advice as their advisors are really good on benefits and what you could claim.

    in reply to: Mortgage rates in the future #177549
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    It is really difficult to know what will happen with mortgage rates at any time but particularly now. Without a crystal ball no one knows what mortgage rates will be next year or the year after.

    However, if I were you I would prepare for the worst and start putting money aside from now on each month, if you can, so that when you need to switch mortgage you will have some cash to fall back on. Of course, if you’re able to pay off a lump of the mortgage when you come to remortgage you will have less to pay off so, even if rates have gone up, you won’t have to pay so much extra each month as you will be paying off a lower principle.

    Do be aware, too, that if things are really tough for you when you come to remortgage, you could still extend the term of your loan (depending on your age). So even if you have been paying it for five years, say, you don’t have to go for a 20-year repayment term. You could potentially have another 25-year one which would mean you would pay less per month. It’s not ideal. the better way is to pay it off quicker rather than over a longer term, but if things are really tough it’s one way of keeping costs down in the short-term.

     

    in reply to: Webinars repeat? #167356
    Jasmine Birtles
    Keymaster

    Hi there. Yes to both. I will be doing another one (probably in January) but I’ll put one up on the website that you can download. It’s not as good because you can’t ask questions but at least you will be able to hear the information.

    I’ll put something here to let you know when something is uploaded 🙂

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 42 total)