Photo Credit: Denis Vrublevski, Shutterstock
Last week we had the last ever Spring Budget. In the future the main Budget statement will be made in November. It was however, the first Budget for the new Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond. As usual there was a raft of new measures including one standout announcement with the increase in National Insurance Contributions for self-employed people. So this month we have gathered together some blog posts of what was announced in the Budget plus some ways you can devise your own Budgets and decide your financial futures.
Confused about the Budget? Not wanting to read through the political fall-out? Let Lotty Earns guide you through the interesting bits of the Budget and yes there some of them! So read on for all the details you actually need to know.
If you have children there was one aspect of the Budget which could be very important to you. Kalpana at Mummy Money Matters has been looking at the new tax-free childcare arrangements that are being put in place. Whether you have a pre-school child or a one under 12 these new rules could make a big difference on your family finances.
This year?s Budget may have felt it was hitting small business owners but there?s no reason to think you can?t take your own business further. Emma at Emma?s Savvy Savings has shared her experience of being a full-time blogger for three years. If you want to grow your business take a look at some of tips on how to upscale your small business.
If you didn?t think that the Budget offered you much in terms of savings it?s time to start doing things yourself. Lee at Homely Economics tells us how it?s not complicated to start saving and in fact there?s just one thing you need to do to start saving money now.
One of the ways families waste money is by wasting the food they buy. How many times have you gone through the fridge and found the remains of vegetables, fruit, meat and cheese? Every scrap of food you chuck out is costing you money and affecting the environment as well. Zoe at Eco Thrifty Living has found it?s not just your fridge you need to keep an eye on. One of the most wasted food items is bread so she has come up with 20 ways to use your loaf up.
We all need to treat ourselves at times but sometimes even the simplest of things can seem very expensive these days. One of those is going to the cinema. With so many options to choose from the price of a ticket can easily jump up. The Mini Millionaire, Cora, has been looking into ways how to never pay full price at the cinema. It?s amazing what a difference in price it can make just going to an alternative showing.
Have you ever looked back and thought about your finances through the years? Lynn aka Mrs Mummy Penny has been seeing how her financial situation has changed from being a student at 20 through to reaching 40. What lessons can you learn from looking back at what you earned and what you spent it on?
Got a parking ticket and wondered if you really need to pay it and what effect it may have on your credit score? Sara at Debt Camel guides us through all the different types of parking tickets you could receive. She also explains why it is important not to ignore any parking tickets that come through your letterbox.
Many of us have probably given advice to family, friends and possibly even random strangers we have met. Sometimes it can be based on what we have personally experienced or just simply what we think is the right thing to do. Have you ever thought that your advice is actually the wrong thing to say? Skint Dad duo Ricky and Naomi have been thinking about debts and the 8 pieces of advice you should not give to people in debt.
Do you ever look at your bank statement at the end of each month and wonder why you can cover all your bills and expenses but still have nothing left over? If you have this problem let Francesca at From Pennies to Pounds introduce you to the Zero Sum Budget. From having nothing for saving or paying off debts you could easily build up quite a reserve.
There are many ways to improve your financial situation. Some will take some time and effort to sort out whilst others can be extremely simple. Financial coach Eileen from Your Money, Sorted tells us how to start out from not buying that takeaway coffee to making bigger decisions.
If you?re in any kind of relationship you have to realise that the financial decisions you make individually affect you as a couple. It?s no good if you haven?t bought any new clothes for months if the first thing your partner does when they get paid is to buy a new pair of shoes. If you?re struggling to get your other half on board the living frugally train then take some pointers from Cass at Diary of a Frugal Family.
In the last month I have renewed our car insurance and bought a travel insurance policy. I made sure I shopped around for the car insurance as the renewal was over £100 dearer than what I paid last year. With the travel insurance I didn?t go with the cheapest quote because it didn?t provide all the cover I wanted. These are two of the areas that Andy at Be Clever With Your Cash covers when he urges us to deal with the necessary evil of shopping around for your insurance quotes.
Anyone who has had a baby knows there are many products on the market that promise much and cost a lot. When both of my children were teething I made sure I kept away from anything that wasn?t natural. My go to teether of choice was cucumber sticks but Kelly at Reduced Grub has come up with something else which of course she often finds in the reduced section at the supermarket! Full of Vitamin A and fibre it could provide relief for both you and your little one!
This month hasn?t just been about the Budget. On the same day we also celebrated International Women?s Day. To mark this occasion Faith from Much More With Less made a list of 10 lessons I?d like to teach my daughter about money. Whether you have a daughter or not there?s tips we can all learn from.
What did you think of this month?s Budget? Do you need to make time to work out your own family Budget?
If you would like to feature in a future finance round-up the contact me via my Facebook page or via Twitter.
About Ness Charles
Ness is a former qualified independent financial adviser with many years of experience in pensions. Since having her two children she has gone back to her first love of writing. Ness now writes the blog JibberJabberuk focusing not only on personal finance but also her love of cake baking, gardening and taking photographs on her travels around the UK.
View more News clear information on
