families Archives - Pounds and Sense https://www.poundsandsense.com/tag/families/ A UK blog covering personal finance and much more from an over-60 perspective Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:20:35 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://www.poundsandsense.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/coffeespecs-150x150.png families Archives - Pounds and Sense https://www.poundsandsense.com/tag/families/ 32 32 Guest Post: Why a Post-Nuptial Agreement Could Be a Wise Financial Decision https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-a-post-nuptial-agreement-could-be-a-wise-financial-decision/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guest-post-why-a-post-nuptial-agreement-could-be-a-wise-financial-decision https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-a-post-nuptial-agreement-could-be-a-wise-financial-decision/#respond Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:16:14 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14304 Today I’m sharing a guest article on a subject that – while it might seem unromantic – could be crucial to ensuring your financial security in later life. Sadly, growing numbers of older people are seeing their marriages break down, leading in many cases to separation and divorce. Even if relatively amicable, this is likely […]

The post Guest Post: Why a Post-Nuptial Agreement Could Be a Wise Financial Decision appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-a-post-nuptial-agreement-could-be-a-wise-financial-decision/feed/ 0 Can You Wear the Same Socks More Than Once? A Microbiologist Explains https://www.poundsandsense.com/can-you-wear-the-same-socks-more-than-once-a-microbiologist-explains/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-you-wear-the-same-socks-more-than-once-a-microbiologist-explains https://www.poundsandsense.com/can-you-wear-the-same-socks-more-than-once-a-microbiologist-explains/#respond Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:45:35 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14096 A few months ago I published a guest post on the subject of how often you should wash your bedding. The article generated quite a lot of interest, so today I am publishing another by the same author: Primrose Freestone, a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicester. This article was originally published […]

The post Can You Wear the Same Socks More Than Once? A Microbiologist Explains appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/can-you-wear-the-same-socks-more-than-once-a-microbiologist-explains/feed/ 0 Stay Healthy This Winter: The Best Supplements for Cold and Flu Season https://www.poundsandsense.com/stay-healthy-this-winter-the-best-supplements-for-cold-and-flu-season/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stay-healthy-this-winter-the-best-supplements-for-cold-and-flu-season https://www.poundsandsense.com/stay-healthy-this-winter-the-best-supplements-for-cold-and-flu-season/#respond Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:18:46 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=12887 We are currently heading into the peak season for flu and other respiratory viruses (including Covid). These infections can be a nuisance at least. And – in the case of older people especially – they can sometimes be life-threatening. While a balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep remain the cornerstones of good health, certain […]

The post Stay Healthy This Winter: The Best Supplements for Cold and Flu Season appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/stay-healthy-this-winter-the-best-supplements-for-cold-and-flu-season/feed/ 0 How Often Should You Really Be Washing Your Bedding? A Microbiologist Explains https://www.poundsandsense.com/how-often-should-you-really-be-washing-your-bedding-a-microbiologist-explains/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-often-should-you-really-be-washing-your-bedding-a-microbiologist-explains https://www.poundsandsense.com/how-often-should-you-really-be-washing-your-bedding-a-microbiologist-explains/#respond Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:04:36 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13798 Today I have a guest post for you on a subject many of us wonder about. It’s by Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicester. The article was originally published in The Conversation and is republished here under a Creative Commons licence.   Most of us spend around a third of […]

The post How Often Should You Really Be Washing Your Bedding? A Microbiologist Explains appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/how-often-should-you-really-be-washing-your-bedding-a-microbiologist-explains/feed/ 0 Is Private Health Insurance Worthwhile for Over-50s? https://www.poundsandsense.com/is-private-health-insurance-worthwhile-for-over-50s/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-private-health-insurance-worthwhile-for-over-50s https://www.poundsandsense.com/is-private-health-insurance-worthwhile-for-over-50s/#respond Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:54:51 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13653 As we get older, our health needs inevitably become more complex – and that’s when many of us (me included) start to wonder: Is private health insurance worthwhile? In the UK, we’re fortunate to have the NHS, which offers free healthcare at the point of delivery to everyone. But with increasing waiting times and growing […]

The post Is Private Health Insurance Worthwhile for Over-50s? appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/is-private-health-insurance-worthwhile-for-over-50s/feed/ 0 The Many Benefits of Learning a Musical Instrument in Later Life https://www.poundsandsense.com/the-many-benefits-of-learning-a-musical-instrument-in-later-life/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-many-benefits-of-learning-a-musical-instrument-in-later-life https://www.poundsandsense.com/the-many-benefits-of-learning-a-musical-instrument-in-later-life/#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:13:30 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13461 I’m slightly off topic today, but it’s a subject I hope will resonate with many readers of this blog (which is, of course, aimed primarily at over-50s). Have you ever dreamed of strumming a guitar, tickling the ivories or even giving the ukulele a go, but assumed it was too late to start? Think again. […]

The post The Many Benefits of Learning a Musical Instrument in Later Life appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/the-many-benefits-of-learning-a-musical-instrument-in-later-life/feed/ 2 Guest Post: Why a Financial Remedy Order is Essential on Your Divorce https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-a-financial-remedy-order-is-essential-on-your-divorce/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guest-post-why-a-financial-remedy-order-is-essential-on-your-divorce https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-a-financial-remedy-order-is-essential-on-your-divorce/#respond Wed, 14 May 2025 10:06:22 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13348 Today I’m sharing a guest article on a subject nobody likes to think about, but one that could be crucial to ensuring your financial security in later life.. Sadly, growing numbers of older people are seeing their marriages break down and having to undergo the painful process of divorce. Even if relatively amicable, this is […]

The post Guest Post: Why a Financial Remedy Order is Essential on Your Divorce appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-a-financial-remedy-order-is-essential-on-your-divorce/feed/ 0 Guest Post: Why Has My Bank Abandoned Me? https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-has-my-bank-abandoned-me/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guest-post-why-has-my-bank-abandoned-me https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-has-my-bank-abandoned-me/#respond Wed, 23 Apr 2025 09:45:47 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13283 Today I am sharing something a bit different – an opinion piece by a fellow writer who asks to be known as SD. In her article, SD expresses her frustration with banks who no longer seem to care about their customers, especially the older ones. I guess this is something many Pounds and Sense readers […]

The post Guest Post: Why Has My Bank Abandoned Me? appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/guest-post-why-has-my-bank-abandoned-me/feed/ 0 Tow Like a Pro – Caravan Safety Tips From the Experts https://www.poundsandsense.com/tow-like-a-pro-caravan-safety-tips-from-the-experts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tow-like-a-pro-caravan-safety-tips-from-the-experts https://www.poundsandsense.com/tow-like-a-pro-caravan-safety-tips-from-the-experts/#respond Thu, 17 Apr 2025 10:30:01 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13253 The weather is warming up at last. And that means many Brits will be planning a trip with a caravan, in some cases for the first time. So today I’m sharing some top tips to ensure you (and your caravan) stay safe and reach your destination without any dramas. This post has been written in […]

The post Tow Like a Pro – Caravan Safety Tips From the Experts appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/tow-like-a-pro-caravan-safety-tips-from-the-experts/feed/ 0 From Saving to Spending: The Retirement Mindset Shift https://www.poundsandsense.com/from-saving-to-spending-the-retirement-mindset-shift/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-saving-to-spending-the-retirement-mindset-shift https://www.poundsandsense.com/from-saving-to-spending-the-retirement-mindset-shift/#comments Sat, 15 Mar 2025 10:48:53 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=13147 Today I’m looking at a subject that may affect many readers of this blog who have recently (or not so recently) retired. It’s certainly a concern that I’ve faced myself (discussed later in the article). For decades, many of us save diligently for retirement, carefully managing our finances to ensure what we hope will be […]

The post From Saving to Spending: The Retirement Mindset Shift appeared first on Pounds and Sense.

]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/from-saving-to-spending-the-retirement-mindset-shift/feed/ 2