Finance
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How I am Budgeting for Christmas
In this post, I will be breaking down my Christmas budget for 2021 and sharing all the details! At the start of every year, I start a christmas sinking fund – where I consistently add money into it so when christmas comes around I’m not scrambling to find the money to cover all christmas related expenses. This also ensures that I won’t start the new year owing myself money – I can start January fresh and ready to take on 2022 headfirst! This year, I am giving myself a £450 budget for all things christmas. We’re talking gifts, transportation home, christmas market trips, housemas (mini christmas with my uni family),…
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Personal Finance 101: Where To Begin
When I first started on my financial freedom journey, I had no idea where to begin and what to do first. I did lots of research but the majority of it didn’t suit my situation. As a full time student, my income and savings goals weren’t the norm. Knowing what to save for and where to keep this money is often the hardest part of any financial journey. In this post, I will break down step by step the basics for any financial journey. None of this is financial advise. It is simply tips from my own experience and research. #1 Emergency Fund The most common first step in most…
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How Much I Spend – Student Money Diaries #2
Back with another instalment in the student money series, where I share how much I spend as an ordinary student living in a UK city which has an average cost of living! Highlights of this week were a cocktail night and a day trip to Windermere! MONDAY No spend day!! Spent Monday working on my blog, doing reading for my dissertation and general lifemin (e.g. watering my plants and dusting my room). TOTAL = £0 TUESDAY 8am Wake up early and spend the morning working through my to-do list. 1pm Nipped to Aldi at lunchtime to pick up something for lunch and get some alcohol for later. £3.12 4pm Decide…
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50 Ways to Boost Your Income
The best way to save more money is to make more money! As it gets to a point where you can’t cut back anymore on your spending. So I’ve put together a list of 50 different ways you can boost your income… {Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. I link to these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases} #1 Do Online Surveys Surveys are my favourite way to make a little extra…
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Complete Breakdown of My 6 Income Sources
One of the first lessons I learnt when I started on my financial literacy journey, was that having only one source of income is not a good idea. The more sources you have, the more protected you are, the pressure of having only one source is lifted because you have others to fall back on. Currently, I am at the point where I have built up six different sources of income. Only two of them are passive at this point, but I am hoping in the future to have the majority of my sources be completely passive. #1 Student Loan This gets paid in three instalments throughout the year, but…
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Top 6 Survey Sites – Make Money Online
Surveys are the easiest way to make a little extra money each month online. They are simple, convenient and require no commitment. Every month I make around £50 from completing surveys for around 2 hours a week. Obviously the more time you can commit, the more you can potentially make. I have tried A LOT of different sites and these are my favourite six… #6 Branded Surveys This site is one of the worse ones for time to payment ratio BUT some of the most lucrative studies I have participated in have come from this. We’re talking getting paid £30 to send a wee sample to Canada, £50 to watch…
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7 Easy Ways For Students To Begin Investing
Investing doesn’t have to be the minefield that it is often portrayed as. In this post I will break down the 7 easiest ways to start investing as a student. And yes it is never too early to start investing. Actually the younger you are when you start, the better because of the magic of compound interesting. Compound interest has been called the ninth wonder of the world because it is so powerful. The younger you begin investing the better because this means more years to harness the power of compound interest. Why is compound interest so important? Example: Q invests £250 a month for 30 years. At an average…
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9 Easy Ways To Save Money On Travel
Travelling doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg, it can be accessible for most budgets. There are some ways to travel hack, save money and stick to a budget when travelling. Using these can help get out of the common mindset of travel being too expensive. Here are 9 easy ways… #1 Housesit Housesitting is where you stay in someones house for free in exchange for looking after the place and sometimes their pets and plants as well. This is a great way to get free accommodation that is also private. The best thing about housesitting is that it makes otherwise too expensive cities, such as New York,…
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A Simple Guide to UK ISA’s
ISA’s are the best place to keep your savings and a great starting point for investing in the UK. ISA stands for Individual Savings Account. They act like tax bubbles for your money, meaning that any interest gained is completely tax free. Every UK resident over the age of 18 can save up to £20,000 each tax year into one or more types of ISA’s. Tax years run from the 6th April to the following 5th April. The only exception to this rule is Lifetime ISA’s, where you can only contribute £4,000 out of your allowance each tax year. Example: You save £10,000 in a year, £4,000 into a Lifetime…
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How Much I Spend – Student Spending Diaries #1
The one thing I wanted to know before going to university, was how much I would need for spending each week. This number was hard to find online, so I wanted to create something that I would have gained value from. From this thought, this series was born; Student Spending Diaries. Each entry will go through a week’s worth of spending, starting with this week – where I threw a mini party, got an allergic reaction and watched hours of Grey’s Anatomy. Monday Monday was a pretty routine uni day, meaning I spent the majority of the day doing research reading for my dissertation. I finally left the flat at…
