Making Money Archives - Pounds and Sense https://www.poundsandsense.com/category/making-money/ A UK blog covering personal finance and much more from an over-60 perspective Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:30:11 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://www.poundsandsense.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/coffeespecs-150x150.png Making Money Archives - Pounds and Sense https://www.poundsandsense.com/category/making-money/ 32 32 Is a Heat Pump Right for You? https://www.poundsandsense.com/is-a-heat-pump-right-for-you/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-a-heat-pump-right-for-you https://www.poundsandsense.com/is-a-heat-pump-right-for-you/#respond Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:26:10 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14926 Heat pumps are being promoted as an important part of the UK’s transition to cleaner energy. They can provide an efficient way to heat your home, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and potentially cut your energy bills. The government is encouraging homeowners to make the switch, too, with grants available to help cover the installation […]

The post Is a Heat Pump Right for You? appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/is-a-heat-pump-right-for-you/feed/ 0 My Investments Update – October 2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-october-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-investments-update-october-2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-october-2026/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:45 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14869 Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my September 2026 Investments Update here if you like. I’ll begin as usual with my JP Morgan Personal Investing (previously Nutmeg) Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension). As regular readers will know, in June last year I transferred […]

The post My Investments Update – October 2026 appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-october-2026/feed/ 1 The Best Realistic UK Side Hustles for Over-50s https://www.poundsandsense.com/the-best-realistic-uk-side-hustles-for-over-50s/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-best-realistic-uk-side-hustles-for-over-50s https://www.poundsandsense.com/the-best-realistic-uk-side-hustles-for-over-50s/#respond Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:11:45 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14644 If you’ve ever searched online for side hustle ideas, you’ll know that many articles seem aimed at people in their twenties who want to become social media influencers, crypto traders or e-commerce millionaires overnight. As someone firmly in the over-50 category myself, I know that most of us are looking for something rather different. We […]

The post The Best Realistic UK Side Hustles for Over-50s appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/the-best-realistic-uk-side-hustles-for-over-50s/feed/ 0 Get a Free Share Worth Up To £100 With Trading 212 https://www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212 https://www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2026 08:40:06 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=4931 Offer Reopened! Today I’m featuring a way you can get a free fractional share worth up to £100 by signing up (for the first time) with an online share trading platform called Trading 212. Trading 212 is unusual in that it offers commission-free and fee-free share trading. As a special offer, until Tuesday 3rd November 2026 they […]

The post Get a Free Share Worth Up To £100 With Trading 212 appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212/feed/ 6 Here’s Why Prolific Academic Could Be the Ideal Side Hustle for Seniors https://www.poundsandsense.com/heres-why-prolific-academic-could-be-the-ideal-side-hustle-for-seniors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=heres-why-prolific-academic-could-be-the-ideal-side-hustle-for-seniors https://www.poundsandsense.com/heres-why-prolific-academic-could-be-the-ideal-side-hustle-for-seniors/#respond Sat, 16 May 2026 09:46:29 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14553 If you’re retired or semi-retired and looking for a flexible way to earn a little extra money from home, Prolific Academic could be the answer you are seeking. I first wrote about Prolific a while ago in my article Make Money Helping University Researchers with Prolific Academic, and I still believe it’s one of the […]

The post Here’s Why Prolific Academic Could Be the Ideal Side Hustle for Seniors appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/heres-why-prolific-academic-could-be-the-ideal-side-hustle-for-seniors/feed/ 0 What Is the Blue Light Card – And How Can It Help You Save Money? https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-is-the-blue-light-card-and-how-can-it-help-you-save-money/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-the-blue-light-card-and-how-can-it-help-you-save-money https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-is-the-blue-light-card-and-how-can-it-help-you-save-money/#respond Sat, 25 Apr 2026 11:37:27 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14519 If you work in the NHS, emergency services, or other frontline roles, you may be eligible for one of the UK’s most generous discount schemes: the Blue Light Card. This little-known but highly valuable scheme offers access to thousands of discounts on everyday spending – and for many people, it can easily pay for itself […]

The post What Is the Blue Light Card – And How Can It Help You Save Money? appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-is-the-blue-light-card-and-how-can-it-help-you-save-money/feed/ 0 Pound-Cost Averaging – A Smart Strategy for Investing in Turbulent Times https://www.poundsandsense.com/pound-cost-averaging-a-smart-strategy-for-investing-in-turbulent-times/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pound-cost-averaging-a-smart-strategy-for-investing-in-turbulent-times https://www.poundsandsense.com/pound-cost-averaging-a-smart-strategy-for-investing-in-turbulent-times/#respond Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:22:51 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14493 Volatile investment markets can be unsettling, particularly for older investors who may be more focused on preserving wealth than chasing high returns. With ongoing geopolitical tensions, including the current conflict in the Middle East, market swings have become more pronounced. In this environment, a disciplined approach such as pound-cost averaging can help reduce risk and […]

The post Pound-Cost Averaging – A Smart Strategy for Investing in Turbulent Times appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/pound-cost-averaging-a-smart-strategy-for-investing-in-turbulent-times/feed/ 0 New Trading 212 Offer – Get a Guaranteed £25 Cash! https://www.poundsandsense.com/new-trading-212-offer-get-a-guaranteed-25-cash/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-trading-212-offer-get-a-guaranteed-25-cash https://www.poundsandsense.com/new-trading-212-offer-get-a-guaranteed-25-cash/#respond Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:09:59 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14136 This offer is now closed If you’ve been thinking about dipping your toes into investing – or you’re just after a quick cash boost at this expensive time of year – there’s a new Trading 212 offer on the table that’s worth checking out. There is a £25 welcome reward for new UK customers who […]

The post New Trading 212 Offer – Get a Guaranteed £25 Cash! appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/new-trading-212-offer-get-a-guaranteed-25-cash/feed/ 0 My Top 20 Posts of 2025 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-top-20-posts-of-2025/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-top-20-posts-of-2025 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-top-20-posts-of-2025/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:30:47 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14120 As is customary for bloggers at this time of year, here are the top twenty posts on Pounds and Sense in 2025, based on comments, page-views and social media shares. They are in no particular order. I have excluded any posts that are no longer relevant. I hope you will enjoy revisiting these posts, or seeing […]

The post My Top 20 Posts of 2025 appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-top-20-posts-of-2025/feed/ 2 How Over-50s Can Use Vinted to Save and Make Money https://www.poundsandsense.com/how-over-50s-can-use-vinted-to-save-and-make-money/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-over-50s-can-use-vinted-to-save-and-make-money https://www.poundsandsense.com/how-over-50s-can-use-vinted-to-save-and-make-money/#respond Tue, 26 Aug 2025 09:00:44 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13735 If – like many Pounds and Sense readers – you’re over 50, you may not have come across Vinted before – but chances are your children or grandchildren have! This fast-growing online marketplace has become hugely popular among younger people for buying and selling clothes, shoes and accessories. Yet it’s not just for the younger […]

The post How Over-50s Can Use Vinted to Save and Make Money appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/how-over-50s-can-use-vinted-to-save-and-make-money/feed/ 0