1st Aug 2023
Welcome to the Frugal Column, where I aim to inspire you to live your best life without breaking the bank. You can follow my award-winning blog Shoestring Cottage and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I am also the author of Extreme Frugality: Save Money Like Your Grandma. Do you ever feel that…
21st Jul 2023
Unless you join the Navy or work for an airline, you will probably struggle to earn money while travelling in 2023. Scrounging free flights and hotel stays is getting increasingly difficult in the post-lockdown, post-‘influencer’ world, and even professional travel writers now struggle to travel the world for free like they used to. But there…
4th Jul 2023
Saving for a mortgage deposit now takes a decade New research by Generation Rent has found that it takes approximately 10 years to save for a mortgage deposit in England. This is a figure that has significantly increased over the last decade. In 2012, the average time it took to save a deposit for a…
23rd Jun 2023
The Bank of England has just made the decision to increase interest rates from 4.5% to 5%. This marks a 13th consecutive hike since rates were first increased in December 2021 from a low of 0.1% to 0.25%. This is also the fifth consecutive interest rate increase seen so far in 2023, which has followed the…
22nd Jun 2023
An Englishman’s home is his castle but being a property owner has never been more daunting with interest rates rising above 6 per cent and increasing annual mortgage payments by £3,000 for the average UK household. Since rates began rising in January 2022, two million homeowners have seen their fixed deals expire and this is…
14th Jun 2023
Do you live in a particularly prime transport location? Do you have a garage or driveway sitting unoccupied and begging to be used? Why not turn it into a money-spinner by renting it out? Thousands of people in the UK rent out parking spaces and if you live in a big city or near an…
8th Jun 2023
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, so they say. But why exactly is this? Is it because they look great? Perhaps, the way they sparkle in the light? The luxury which surrounds them? It could be, but it may also be the value of investing in gemstones such as these. But diamonds are not the…
7th Jun 2023
We know divorce is not the cheeriest subject, but it’s a reality that many people need to go through and face. It’s also very expensive as well as emotionally difficult for all involved. Any way to ease that burden and find ways of saving money in a divorce can be helpful for those going through…
6th Jun 2023
The world of money and finance seems awfully daunting at the moment. With news coming out every single day of the cost of living going up, interest rates rising and inflation soaring, it can be hard not to go into a full blown panic about the state of the economy. Enter Nick Hubble. Nick Hubble…
2nd Jun 2023
Get free food from restaurants using free apps, find free food in the hedgerows and on the beach and get into freeganism to pick up free food all over the place.
31st May 2023
Do you know your bourbon from your scotch, your single malt from your blended? Investing in whisky is a relatively untapped investment opportunity; some sources suggest healthy returns even within the space of a year. Of course, with all investing there’s some risk. You’ll need to do your research and see what tends to sell…
30th May 2023
Going abroad? Secure your home and vehicles It’s holiday season! Perhaps you’re one of the lucky Brits escaping the UK for a getaway abroad this summer. There is always plenty to think about – getting your passport ready, making sure the weight of your luggage is below the allowance, packing the essentials. But one thing…
