Savings

During times such as these, where an increasing cost of living is putting pressure on our finances, it is essential to make savings wherever we can. Of course, we can cut non-essential spending on things such as the TV subscription we seldom watch and eat out less, but when it comes to spending on essential things such as food, it can be hard to see how we can cut cost without dramatically impacting our quality of life and wellbeing.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce your food bill, and here we explain how:

There is a very old saying that “familiarity breeds contempt”. Whilst its origin is disputed, its original meaning is believed to relate to friendship; the more you know someone, the more likely you are to lose respect for them.

In the modern world though, it can equally be used to describe the attitude some businesses have towards customers who stay loyal to them. 

After two years of restrictions, foreign travel has opened up again and many of us will be hoping for an overseas holiday this year. Whether your idea of a summer break is hiking in the alps, camping in the Dordogne, visiting cities, or the sun, sea, and sand of the Mediterranean, going abroad on holiday is an exciting prospect which many of us look forward to for months in advance.

Experts believe that our lifetime relationship with money is mainly formed when we are children. It’s not simply a case of whether our parents had enough money when we were growing up, or not. It’s more a case of how they dealt with money matters, if money was discussed, and whether money caused stress beyond the fact that few families ever have as much money as they would like.

When it comes to money, your priorities, needs, and goals change as you move through life. In your twenties, you have a vastly different relationship with money than you do in your sixties, but it is important to recognise that at each stage of your life, the financial decisions you make can impact or enhance your financial future, regardless of how far away that might seem.

Whilst renting a property has some advantages, such as being able to live in a location you’d otherwise not be able to afford, the distinct downside of renting is that you ultimately have little to show for the thousands of Euros you pay out in rent each year. 

When the temperature starts to rise and the days lengthen, spring is clearly upon us. For many people, the changes of the season, from Winter to Spring, inspires them to declutter and spring clean their homes in preparation for the warm, sunny months ahead. This year why not also take the opportunity to give your finances a thorough dusting down, to ensure they are also in good shape for Summer and beyond? Here are a few tips to help you do it:

A group of people who are frequently overlooked when it comes to financial tips and guidance are those who fall into the “middle earner” bracket. Middle earners are neither the highest paid, lowest paid, or the poor and, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) around 60% of workers across Europe fall into this category.

When it comes to creating a better financial future, we know it’s important to have an emergency fund which is easily accessible (see “Building an Emergency Fund”). For this reason, people will often save money in a bank account which ensures your money doesn’t decrease in value and you can usually access it if you need it. However, with interest rates being low it does mean that there is a risk your money doesn’t grow quickly enough in a bank account to keep pace with the increased cost of living.