families

March 7, 2023

Mother’s Day 2023 Gift Guide and Giveaway!

Nick Everything Else events, reviews, competitions, families 0 Comments

Spring is in the air, so it’s time for another great giveaway on Pounds and Sense! This one is themed around Mother’s Day, which this year is on Sunday March 19th.

I have clubbed together with some of my fellow UK bloggers to provide a bumper bundle of prizes that will amaze and delight any mum! As you will see, they range from an adult micro scooter and helmet to a bamboo underwear set, a luxury silk pillowcase and eye-mask to a ‘home spa’ face-and-body gift set.

The total value of all the prizes is over £550. And the best news is, it’s entirely free to enter!

This giveaway has (again) been organized by Rowena Becker, who blogs at My Balancing Act. No small amount of effort has been involved in arranging and co-ordinating this event, so many thanks again to Rowena for her hard work and dedication.

Without further ado, then, I’ll hand you over to Rowena to introduce the giveaway…

And we’re back! This time to spoil your mum. Or perhaps you can win yourself some treats! We have over £550 worth of incredible prizes! This is not only a giveaway but also a great Mother’s Gift Guide to help you get ideas and inspiration for your mum or the special lady in your life this Mother’s Day.

KEEP SCROLLING DOWN TO ENTER AND FOR THE FULL LIST OF AMAZING PRIZES!

The Prizes

Adult Micro Scooter and Safety Helmet

Micro Scooters are renowned for producing the most robust scooters for all the family. From toddler ride-ons, three-wheeled wonders, 2 wheel scooters for older kids plus their multi award winning adult range, there is something for every member of the family.

Founded and run by two mums, Micro are B Corp certified. Their range of eco-scooters and accessories made from recycled bottles means more families can tread lightly on the planet.

Hopping on a two-wheeled adult scooter – whether it’s to do the school run, journey to work or for weekend family time – makes it easy and fun to get from A to B. Exploring the world on two wheels is a greener, cleaner and cheaper way to get around.

THE PRIZE

- Any adult Micro scooter

- Any adult Micro scooter helmet

- Total prize value of £215

Cocoonzzz Silk Pillowcase and Eye Mask

At Belledorm, they understand the importance of a good night’s sleep. For over 45 years, this family-owned company has been dedicated to providing UK customers with exceptional bedlinen that helps them rest easy.

They don’t just sell bedding – they offer a solution. Sleep is the foundation of our daily lives, and the right bedding can make all the difference. That’s why they are passionate about providing soft, cozy, and luxurious sheets, pillowcases, and duvets that make you feel like you’re sleeping in a dream. From the moment you slip into bed, you’ll experience a sense of comfort and calm that carries you through the night and prepares you for the day ahead.

Here we are offering the chance to win a Cocoonzzz Silk Pillowcase and Eye Mask Bundle made from 100% pure mulberry grade A silk. Unlike cotton or linen, silk glides over your face and reduces the stretching and pulling that causes lines on the skin. Sleeping on silk has proven beauty benefits: it reduces lines and wrinkles, helps you wake with a hydrated glowing skin, and is hypo-allergenic and temperature regulating.

Treat yourself or your mum to the best!

Buyagift: Treat Her Gift Voucher

Not sure what to get your mum? Look no further than Buyagift! The Treat Her Gift Voucher or Experience Box is the ideal gift, with a selection of over 2,955 afternoon teas, relaxing spa days and adrenaline adventures for her to choose from. We have one Treat Her Gift Voucher for our lucky winner.

For more gift ideas for your mum, check out Buyagift’s gift guide here: Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2023

Framed Best Selling Print of your choice from ink & drop

Win a framed Best Selling Print from Ink & Drop! Our lucky winner can choose a bestselling print of their choice in 50 x 70cm size.

There’s an incredible selection of unique prints to choose from in a range of different styles, from vintage antique prints, cheeky altered art paintings, pop art, dark decor, and street art graffiti prints.

Ink & Drop’s incredible posters will look amazing on any wall and best of all, the prize will arrive already framed, ready to hang straight on the wall!

Home Spa Face & Body Set With Cosmetic Bag – Mimosa & Petitgrain

Treat your mum with this gorgeous home spa face and body gift set which comes with a beautiful cosmetic bag. This gift set includes a luxurious combination of Pure Lakes Facial and Body Skincare products for an indulgent home spa experience. It includes a Face Mask, Salt Scrub and Body Butter. The Mimosa & Petitgrain blend has both a sweetness and woodiness that balance beautifully to really infuse the senses. The set includes:

- Bentonite Clay x 25g

- Rosehip Seed Soap Free Facial Cleanser x 30ml

- Neroli & Geranium Flower Water Toner x 30ml

- Mimosa & Petitgrain Salt Scrub x 80g

- Mimosa & Petitgrain Shea Body Butter x 80m

Collagen Shots from Rejuvenated

Indulge mum this Mother’s Day with Rejuvenated’s multi-award-winning Collagen Shots. The brand’s multi-award-winning collagen drink contains the perfect blend of hydrolysed marine collagen (10,000 mg,) antioxidants, vitamins and hyaluronic acid to plump, smooth and hydrates the skin. The amazing formula also helps to promote healthy blood sugar levels, strengthen connective tissue, alleviate menopausal symptoms and support joint health. We have 30 servings of collagen shots for our lucky winner.

Bamboo Underwear Set from Positive Outlook

Help all mums feel extra special this Mother’s Day with Positive Outlook. We have a gorgeous bamboo underwear set for our lucky winner. Our winner can mix and match bamboo briefs and bralettes in their desired size and colour for the perfect fit and style of their choice.

Positive Outlook’s underwear is not only extra comfortable and super stylish but also kind to the planet, making it the perfect gift for any mum who wants to secure a bright future for the planet and their children.

Crystal Candle from Wakuda

This crystal candle was lovingly made to awaken your feminine energy and celebrate all that is beautiful within us. With the beautiful home scent of aqua blossom and coral this inner goddess crystal candle smells divine and instantly teases your senses, lifts and makes you smile.

~Snow Quartz~ This stone is known for its soft feminine energy that will align your chakras and balance your yin and yang. It is a stone that represents purity and will help you connect with and appreciate your inner goddess.

~Rose Quartz~ This is the stone of universal love and self-love. Connecting to the heart chakra, the rose quartz will promote inner healing and feelings of peace while dispelling negative energy and replacing it with loving vybz.

Signed Copy of Coming Home

One lucky mum can win a signed copy of Coming Home: A Guide to Being Your True Self. This gorgeous book aims to help readers break free of self-limiting beliefs and the expectations of others. It will help you rediscover your passions and become the person you really want to be. Along with Gillian’s own story, she sets out practical exercises for readers to try, Coming Home reveals how one ordinary woman turned her life around and how others can do the same.

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from any qualifying purchases

The Bloggers

This Gift Guide and Giveaway have been organised by My Balancing Act, a busy mum’s guide to getting the most out of your days, in collaboration with the family finance blog, Savvy Dad.

The amazing UK blogs behind this giveaway all offer fantastic content from parenting, finance and recipes to travel, days out and much more! Check their blogs out below for top tips and inspiration.

How to Enter

You can enter the Giveaway by completing as many Rafflecopter widget entry options below as you like. All entries will be collected and one winner will be randomly chosen. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions

UK entries only.
The giveaway will run from 11:59 am on 7th March 2023 to 11.59 pm on 19th March 2023.
The winners will be notified by email from rowena@mybalancingact.co.uk
The winner will have 7 days to respond after which time we reserve the right to select an alternative winner.
This prize draw is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, BlogLovin or Pinterest.
Prize draw open to over 18s only. Age verification may be required to receive some prizes.
If any prizes are out of stock then we will do our best to find a suitable replacement but cannot guarantee it.
Anyone who unfollows before the giveaway ends or doesn’t complete the required entry action will be disqualified.
The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for monetary value.
We may be using a parcel service or Royal Mail for some of the prizes and their standard compensation will apply in the event of loss or damage.
Some items may be sent directly by the supplier and we do not have responsibility if these go missing and we cannot replace them.
In the unlikely event one of the companies withdraws a prize we cannot offer an alternative.
The winner’s name will be stated on some or all of our bloggers’ websites and announced on Twitter and other social media channels. It will also be displayed on the Rafflecopter entry. By entering this prize draw you give your permission for this.
Please note the winner may have the same name as you, so if you see your name displayed, be aware that you are not the winner unless you have been notified by us.
The prizes won’t arrive in time for Mother’s Day and there may be some delays in receiving prizes.

Good luck, and I hope a Pounds and Sense reader wins this fabulous prize bundle!

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Silver Splitters - Divorce in Later Life

January 31, 2023

Silver Splitters: How to Navigate Divorce at a Later Stage in Life

Nick Everything Else guest post, pensions, families 0 Comments

Today I am pleased to bring you an expert guest post on a subject that unfortunately affects growing numbers of middle-aged and older people.

Separation and divorce can have a massive impact on your finances, so it’s important to be prepared and take advice as appropriate. Senior divorce lawyer Natalie Lester explains…

It’s always sad to see a marriage come to an end but it is particularly so when a couple have been together for 30 or 40 years. Unfortunately, divorce rates for those of retirement age are on the rise and our family law and divorce team have found a significant increase in the instructions received from those aged 55 and over.

There are several likely reasons for the increase, some of which include:

Life expectancy. People are living longer and many couples find they have grown apart by the time they get to their sixties and their children have left home. People often have many years ahead of them after they retire, and this can cause them to re-evaluate their life.
Reduced stigma. Throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s, there was a negative attitude and stigma towards divorce and divorcees. Today, we see a far more accepting attitude towards divorce in a more liberal society.
Female equality. In contrast to a few decades ago when women were far more likely to become housewives rather than pursue their own career ambitions, married women today often earn as much or even more than their husbands. Greater financial equality provides a greater sense of freedom so women of all ages are now more confident to end a marriage that has broken down.
Meeting new partners. This has become easier thanks to online dating websites and because retirees are more active in retirement., there is less fear that getting divorced will result in spending the rest of one’s life single and alone.
Menopause. This can be a particularly challenging time for couples and both partners can feel confused and concerned as they navigate the respective changes. Inevitably, it can highlight existing struggles, further damaging the connection between couples.

Divorcing and remarrying later in life typically involves added legal complexities. To address some of these, we have set out some top tips below:

Dividing assets on divorce after a long marriage

While it is always important that divorce settlements are divided fairly and in a mutually satisfactory manner, this issue is more crucial for older couples because after a long marriage, there is often a large matrimonial pot at stake. In addition, and in contrast to their younger counterparts, silver-splitters may be reliant on their pensions with no chance of acquiring new wealth through work. After a long marriage, assets are usually split 50/50.

The family home is often one of the most valuable assets in the matrimonial pot. There are various ways in which the court may decide to deal with this asset and it is important that you obtain legal advice to consider the options available. This will usually include selling the home and dividing the proceeds, transferring the property and buying the other spouse out or if there are multiple properties, one spouse retaining the home and the other spouse retaining another property. Court proceedings are a last resort and divorcing couples should take a constructive approach and consider all alternative dispute resolutions options to reach an agreement.

Like the family home, a couple’s pension is another key asset which needs to be divided up and the courts have extensive powers to deal with pensions upon divorce. One option (and the most common) is a pension sharing order. The order will state what percentage of your spouse’s pension pot you will receive. This share will be removed from the pension and placed into a pension in your sole name (some providers allow for internal pension transfers so that you can keep your pot within the same scheme). Pensions are a difficult area and you may need a pension expert to determine the real value of a pension pot and to advise on the various options. A good divorce lawyer will be able to advise on whether this is necessary.

Preparing for unforeseen circumstances

Loss of capacity. If one of you lacks capacity, then a litigation friend may be required. A litigation friend is someone who helps a “protected person” with their legal issues. This can be a parent, guardian, a family member or friend. If that is not possible, they will need to be represented by the Official Solicitor. The Official Solicitor acts for people who, because they lack mental capacity and cannot properly manage their own affairs, are unable to represent themselves and no other suitable person or agency is able or willing to act. It is important to consider who should step in as your litigation friend should you lose capacity to provide instructions to your lawyers. Your divorce cannot proceed until you have someone (other than your lawyer) acting on your behalf.

Wills. It is important to get a holding Will whilst you are going through the divorce process. If you were to die without a Will, the intestacy rules will kick-in. This would mean that your spouse would automatically inherit some or all of your estate. This is irrespective of the fact that you may be separated. A new Will should be drawn up once the divorce is finalised.

Protecting your wealth in new relationships including re-marriage

If a new relationship is on the horizon, it is important to think about getting a living together agreement drafted which will help protect your property should the new relationship fail.

Likewise, If remarriage is on the cards, a prenuptial agreement should be considered because a future marriage breakdown could significantly impact your financial position and any commitments you may have to children from a previous marriage. A lawyer specialising in succession planning will also be able to advise you on how to ringfence assets you may wish to pass to your children.

It is always wise to pay extra attention to tax planning after a long marriage. We encourage our clients to speak to an accountant, who can help with tax planning early on in the process.

While there is a lot to think about when getting divorced at a later stage in life, readers should remember that with the right advice, the process can be straightforward. Where possible, we always advise our clients to keep lines of communication open with their estranged spouse and to aim for a “good” divorce. By being open about your plans and finances, you are more likely to stay on amicable terms with your spouse which will benefit your wider family including any children, no matter how grown up they are! This will also help you to move the process along, not only saving time and money on legal fees, but also enabling you both to start what can be an exciting new chapter in your lives.

Natalie Lester is senior lawyer in the family law and divorce team at Debenhams Ottaway and can be reached at nl@debenhamsottaway.co.uk

Thank you to Natalie Lester (pictured below) for a clear and informative article about this emotive topic.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

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July 31, 2022

Summer Prize Giveaway from Top UK Bloggers!

Nick Everything Else events, competitions, families 2 Comments

Summer is here, so it’s high time for another exciting giveaway on Pounds and Sense 🙂

I have joined forces with some of my fellow UK bloggers to bring you the chance of winning a fantastic MSpa Hot Tub with £100 toward the running costs along with a range of other great prizes as well (details below).

After the last couple of years years we all need and deserve a treat, so here’s your chance to grab not just one but a selection for free!

This giveaway has been organized by my colleague Rowena from My Balancing Act, so I should like to thank her very much for this. More details provided by Rowena herself, along with instructions on how to enter, can be found below…

Summer Prize Giveaway

Over 50 top UK bloggers have come together to offer one lucky winner an amazing prize package to ensure your summer will be spectacular! We have an MSpa Hot Tub with £100 towards running cost as well as some other lovely prizes for one lucky winner…read on to find out more!

The Prizes

An MSpa Aurora Hot Tub with £100 to go towards running costs

Thanks to the incredibly generous folk at MSpa, our lucky winner will receive a stunning MSpa Hot Tub worth £949.99. The MSpa Aurora Urban Series U-AU061 features a striking black out-wall fabric with six colour light design. The transparent inner wall is printed with silver stripes, creating an elegant look even in the daytime. And at night, when the light is on, it will look incredible in your garden!

The MsSpa Auroa Urban Series U-AU61 comes with:

All-in-one control box and wired controller
Heat tech anti-icing system
Three levels of bubble speed
03 ozonator to kill odors and bacteria
Energy saving timer
Smart filtration
Child safety lock function
Antibacterial fabric
UVC sanitiser

Not only that, we will give you £100 towards the running costs of your hot tub!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXu2ogn-wNQ

Amazing Garden Toy Bundle from Jaques of London

Now for the kids. To keep them happy this summer our friends at Jaques of London are offering our winner the below prizes:

1 x swing
1 x skittles game
1 x rapid rocket
1 x gardening set

Jaques of London has been inventing and making toys and games since 1795. They care about our children’s future and create games that nurture children’s development and education. Not only that, but they also care about the environment. Their toys are sustainably and ethically sourced, with each order being replanted into new trees.

Citronella and Lemongrass Soy Candle and Room Spray insect repellent

Get rid of those pesky bugs with the help of a Citronella and lemongrass soy candle and spray from Lumiescents.

We love summer but we do not love the pesky insects that come with it! That’s why we are offering our winner this max strength blend of insect repelling essential oils Citronella & Lemongrass from Lumiescents. Our winner will receive this as a room and linen spray and as a beautiful soy wax candle. Perfect for those summer walks, or lazy back garden bbq’s.

The insect repellent from Lumiescents are a summer must have.

Melomania 1+ True Wireless In-Ear Monitors (in white)

We have the Melomania 1+ wireless in-ear headphones in white for our winner, which feature custom-designed 5.8mm Graphene-enhanced drivers. You can listen to all your favourite tunes whilst out and about this summer.

The Bloggers

How to Enter

You can enter the Summer Giveaway by completing as many Rafflecopter widget entry options below as you like. All entries will be collected and one winner will be randomly chosen. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions

UK entries only
The giveaway will run from 6pm 31 July 2022 to 11.59pm 14th August 2022.
The winners will be notified by email from rowena@mybalancingact.co.uk
The winner will have 7 days to respond, after which time we reserve the right to select an alternative winner.
This prize draw is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, BlogLovin, Pinterest or any other social network.
Prize open to over 18s only.
If any prizes are out of stock then we will do our best to find a suitable replacement but can not guarantee it.
Anyone who unfollows before the giveaway ends or doesn’t complete the required entry action will be disqualified.
The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for monetary value.
We may be using a parcel service or RoyalMail for some of the prizes and their standard compensation will apply in the event of loss or damage.
Some items may be sent directly by the supplier and we do not have responsibility if these go missing and we cannot replace these.
We will do our best to get the prizes to you as soon as possible but cannot guarantee a date and there may be some delays.
In the unlikely event one of the companies withdraws a prize we cannot offer an alternative.
The winner’s name will be stated on some the brands and bloggers websites and announced on twitter and other social media channels. By entering this prize draw you give your permission for this.

Good luck, and I really do hope a Pounds and Sense reader wins this amazing prize collection!

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:

December 7, 2021

Review: Grandpa’s Fortune Fables

Nick Making Money, Saving Money, Investing reviews, families 0 Comments

Today I am reviewing a children’s book called Grandpa’s Fortune Fables. An ebook copy of this was kindly sent to me by the author, Will Rainey.

Grandpa’s Fortune Fables contains a series of short stories, each following from the last. The central character is a 13-year-old girl called Gail. Over the course of the book she shares a number of lessons she has learned from her Grandpa about money with a boy named Boris (no relation to our PM, I’m sure!).

Boris starts off by bullying Gail, whom he calls a ‘dork’, but she stands up to him and in time they become friends. Gail shares her Grandpa Jack’s money-saving and money-making advice with Boris. He is eager to learn, as his family have always been bad with money.

We learn that Gail’s Grandpa travelled to a (mythical) far-away island, where he learned how to look after his money and became a very wealthy man. Gail has been following his advice and even at her young age is now quite wealthy herself.

Each chapter is essentially a fable illustrating one particular lesson Gail learned from her Grandpa. So one concerns the dangers of Get Rich Quick schemes, another the importance of saving and reinvesting your money, and so on. There are also chapters on the subject of paying tax (‘The Money BIrds’) and the value of donating some of your money to charity.

At the core of Grandpa’s Fortune Fables are three key principles. I hope Will won’t mind if I reproduce them below:

1. Keep one out of every ten seeds you receive
2. Plant the seeds you keep
3. Let your trees GROW

As you may gather, the fables in the book all derive ultimately from the application of these three principles.

Grandpa’s Fortune Fables is designed to teach children about saving, investing and entrepreneurship in an entertaining but informative way (and parents/grandparents may learn some useful lessons too). The stories are all very much of the here and now – even the pandemic and lockdowns get a brief mention (to illustrate how unforeseen events can impact upon specific investments). It’s all very cleverly written, with some charming cartoon-style illustrations as well (see example below).

In my view Grandpa’s Fortune Fables would make a great Christmas/birthday gift for any child aged around 8 to 12 (it could also work for younger and older children). I like how each chapter ends with questions to provoke further thought and discussion. In addition, by correctly answering the multiple-choice questions in each chapter, a letter is revealed. If the child gets all the letters right, they spell out a message which can win them a prize. This is a great idea and a good incentive for reading every chapter (not that such an incentive would likely be needed).

Grandpa’s Fortune Fables is available in print or e-book versions from Amazon (just click on any of the links in this review), or you can order it from any good bookshop. At the time of writing the price is £9.99 for the print version or £3.99 for the e-book. I note that this title is currently number one on Amazon’s best-seller list for children’s books about money and saving, which doesn’t surprise me at all.

Thanks again to Will Rainey for sending me a review copy of his excellent book. If you have any comments or questions – for me or for Will – please do post them below.

Disclosure: As mentioned above, I received a free ebook version of Grandpa’s Fortune Fables for review purposes. In addition, this review includes Amazon affiliate links. If you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for introducing you. This will not affect the price you pay or the product/service you receive.

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October 19, 2021

Ten Tips for Saving Money on Your Supermarket Shopping

Nick Saving Money food, families 4 Comments

Many of us today do most of our shopping in supermarkets. Although of course it’s important to support local/specialist shops, supermarkets typically offer a much wider range of products at prices small stores find hard to match.

But there are still lots of ways savvy shoppers can save money on their supermarket shopping. Here are ten top tips to shave a few pounds (or more) off your shopping bills…

Make the Most of Loyalty Cards

All the big name supermarkets have these, though some (e.g. Morrisons) are switching from plastic to app-based cards. The benefits on offer vary, but typically you get points which can be exchanged for discounts and gifts. I shop mainly at Morrisons and Waitrose, as they have branches closest to me.

With Morrisons, their (now virtual) More card gives you special offers based on things you normally buy anyway. I have had some great discounts on my groceries with these offers, but you do of course need to remember to ‘swipe’ the app barcode at the checkout.

I also have a myWaitrose card. With this you can get a free newspaper with your shopping (subject to a £10 minimum spend). You can also get a free hot drink. You get vouchers sent in the post as well, such as the ones pictured below. It surprises me a bit when someone in the queue in front of me says they don’t have a myWaitrose card, but perhaps if they shop regularly at Waitrose they don’t have to worry too much about saving money 😉

Shop Late in the Day

Late in the day – ideally the hour before the store closes – is the best time to look for bargains. The shops will have stock they want to get rid of, probably because it is coming up to its ‘best before’ date. These items will often be marked down substantially, as the stores want to get at least some money for them rather than have to throw them away. Bear in mind that you can always freeze many foods if you can’t use them immediately – and in any event ‘best before’ dates aren’t set in stone.

Use Cashback Sites

I’ve talked about cashback sites like Quidco and Top Cashback on this blog before (e.g. in this post). If you shop online, you can get money back by clicking through to the retailer from the link on the cashback site. The most generous offers are generally reserved for new customers, e.g. on Top Cashback right now new Sainsbury’s online customers can get 16.5% cashback on Click and Collect orders of over £40. But even existing customers can get 5.5% cashback on Click and Collect orders of over £40 (all details correct at time of writing).

Plan Your Meals Ahead

We all lead busy lives these days. But it’s still good to devote some time to planning ahead where meals are concerned. Try to incorporate things you have in stock already, especially perishables which may not last more than a day or two. And rather than buying unusual/expensive ingredients for one dish only, see if you can find other recipes to use them up.

Batch cooking, where you make enough of a dish to last two days or more, is another great way to cut the cost of shopping. Of course, most dishes can be frozen if you can’t face having curry three days in a row!

Shop Online

Aside from the convenience of having goods delivered to your door, a big advantage of online shopping is that you will be less likely to succumb to impulse buys. Just make a list of what you need, visit the website, and add the items on your shopping list to your basket.

Admittedly you may have to pay a delivery fee, but many supermarkets now offer this free for new customers or for orders above a certain value. There are also in many cases ‘free delivery’ codes online if you search for them. And don’t forget to use cashback sites where possible as well (see above).

Search for Money Off Coupons and Vouchers

This is an old school method but it can still produce big savings. Look out for money-off vouchers in newspapers, magazines and the stores themselves. You can also search online if there are particular products you want to buy. This method can work particularly well with larger items such as dishwashers and tumble dryers [sponsored link], but it’s also worth searching for money-off vouchers for smaller/cheaper items, especially if they are things you buy regularly.

Try Own-Brand Products

All supermarkets have their own-brand products, and usually they cost less than heavily promoted consumer brands.

Many stores also have rock-bottom priced ‘Saver’ ranges. Sometimes these are not as good as more expensive branded or own-brand products. Other times, though, they are indistinguishable. For example, I now always buy Morrisons’ lowest-priced butter from their Savers range. I find it tastes just as good as the more expensive alternatives.

Use Discount Supermarkets and Stores

It’s easy to get in the habit of a weekly trip to Tesco or Sainsbury’s, but if you haven’t yet done so it’s well worth trying out discount supermarkets such as Iceland, Aldi and Lidl. They aren’t always the most attractive places to shop, but they make up for this with some amazingly low prices. Admittedly you won’t always recognize the brand names, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t high quality. Staples like bread, fruit and vegetables are often cheaper as well.

Iceland have a long-running special discount offer for over-60s. You can read more about it here.

Make Money From Your Receipts

There are various apps and companies that will reward you for scanning and submitting your shopping receipts to them. One I’ve belonged to for some years now is ShopandScan. You can read more about this opportunity here.

ShopandScan pays in vouchers rather than cash, but the options include Amazon vouchers, which are of course nearly as good. I have received several thousand pounds worth of vouchers from ShopandScan since I started with them. As I say in my review, acceptance isn’t automatic, but if you apply there is every chance you will be sent an invitation within a few weeks.

Grow Your Own Food!

You can save significant sums of money by doing this. This summer I didn’t buy any tomatoes from July till mid-October, as I was eating ones I had grown myself. I highly recommend tomatoes, incidentally, not least as they are easy to grow in the garden, in a tub or hanging basket, or even on your window sill. They taste a lot better than most shop-bought varieties as well!

There are, of course, plenty of other things you can grow to save money, even if space is at a premium. Fresh herbs are one possibility, as are many types of berry (strawberries grow like weeds in my garden). I’ve also had some success with runner beans, courgettes and garlic, and salad vegetables such as chard, radishes and spring onions.

This year I also grew a pot of cut-and-come-again lettuce and was amazed by how much I got from this. It’s perfect for people who live alone like me, as you can just pick a few leaves when you want them, rather than buy a bag of salad leaves and have most of them go to waste.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and it has given you a few ideas for saving money on your supermarket shopping. If you have any other tips or comments, please do post them below!

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:

September 14, 2021

What Are the Benefits of Opening a Junior ISA for Your Child?

Nick Saving Money, Investing sponsored post, families 4 Comments

Today I’m looking at a savings product that will be relevant mainly to the parents among you

A Junior ISA (sometimes abbreviated to JISA) is a savings product aimed at under-18s (and more specifically at their parents/guardians). These accounts allow money to be stashed away tax-free for a child until their 18th birthday. After this the money becomes the child’s to do with as they wish. The JISA account turns into an ordinary ISA at this time, thus retaining its tax-free status.

What Types of JISA are There?

There are two types of JISA: the Cash JISA and the Stocks and Shares JISA.

A Cash JISA is basically just a tax-free savings account. Interest is normally paid annually. According to the MoneySavingExpert website, the best-paying Cash JISA provider at the time of writing comes from the Dudley Building Society, who pay a maximum rate of 2.5%. However, it’s worth noting that this is paid only on amounts over £2,500. For amounts ranging from £100 (the minimum for a JISA) to £2,499.99, the interest rate is a somewhat less exciting 1.4%.

With a Stocks and Shares JISA, as the name indicates, the money is invested in the stock market. This offers the potential for greater returns, but with a higher degree of risk in the short term especially. I will say more about Stocks and Shares JISAs below.

As with adult ISAs, there is an annual limit to how much you can put into a Junior ISA. In the current (2021/22) tax year this is £9,000. You can put all of this into a Cash JISA or a Stocks and Shares JISA, or divide it between the two. You can switch providers as often as you like, but can only hold one of each type of JISA at any time.

Only a child’s parent or guardian can open a Junior ISA for them, but others including grandparents, friends, other relatives and the child him/herself can contribute. But it is important to be aware that (barring exceptional circumstances) all the money and interest in the account will be locked away until the child’s 18th birthday.

Which JISA is Best?

You won’t be surprised to hear that there is no simple answer to this.

If you want to avoid any risk of losing money, a Cash JISA is the way to go. Under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) the money will be completely safe so long as it’s invested with a UK-regulated provider and you have no more than £85,000 with that institution. Every year a known amount of interest will be added. The only risk you are taking is that the money won’t grow at the same rate as inflation.

On the other hand, if you are investing for at least a five-year period, there is certainly a case for putting at least some money into a Stocks and Shares JISA – and if it will be for ten years or more, the case becomes even more compelling. Over a five-year period stocks have outperformed cash in the great majority of such periods, and in almost all periods of ten years and over.

So if you are opening a JISA for a young child or infant, where the money may be invested for up to 18 years before it can be accessed, a Stocks and Shares ISA is very likely (though not guaranteed) to produce better returns than a Cash JISA. Of course, there is nothing to stop you hedging your bets and putting some money into one of each type.

What About Child Trust Funds?

Any child under the age of 18 born before January 2011 would have had a Child Trust Fund (CTF) opened for them by the government.

The government gave every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 a £250 voucher (£500 in the case of some low-income households). Parents could top up their child’s CTF themselves if they wished. The scheme ended in 2011 when CTFs were replaced by Junior ISAs. Unfortunately the government does not make a contribution towards these!

As with Junior ISAs, the money in a CTF could be placed in a Cash CTF or one where the money was invested in stocks and shares. Although new CTFs are no longer issued, there are many young people who still have one and will be able to access it on their 18th birthday. The first CTFs matured in September 2020, when the oldest account-holders turned 18. The last will mature in 2029. On maturity, a CTF can either be cashed in or transferred into an adult ISA.

Unfortunately the interest rates currently paid on Cash CTFs are generally very low indeed. So if your child has one, there may be a case for transferring it to a better-paying Junior ISA. Most JISA providers allow transfers from CTFs (or other JISAs), and it is certainly worth looking into this if your child has a low-interest-paying Cash CTF.

The Nutmeg Junior ISA

Regular readers of Pounds and Sense will know that I am a fan of of the Nutmeg investment platform and have a fairly large amount in an account with them. My money is invested in the form of a Stocks and Shares ISA. You can read more about this if you wish in my Nutmeg review or one of my regular investment updates such as this one.

Nutmeg do not offer a Cash JISA but they do offer a Stocks and Shares JISA. So if you are thinking of opening one of these for your child (maybe in addition to a Cash JISA) in my view they are well worth checking out.

With the Nutmeg Stocks and Shares JISA you have the same range of investment options as their adult ISA. These are discussed in detail in my Nutmeg review, but in brief they include Fully Managed, Smart Alpha, Socially Responsible and Fixed Allocation. My own investments are in the Fully Managed and Smart Alpha categories, and I am very happy with how both have been performing. But you should, of course, check the terms and conditions (and charges) carefully when deciding which is right for you.

Note that, unlike an adult ISA, in a Nutmeg JISA you cannot have different ‘pots’ within the same JISA wrapper. So you will need to pick your preferred option from one of the four mentioned, though you can change this any time later if you wish. You can also set a risk level between 1 and 10 and again you can change this at any time. You can read my recent blog post about Nutmeg risk levels here. My general advice, though, is that if you’re investing over a period of at least five years, it may pay not to be too cautious.

Of course, Nutmeg are not the only providers of Junior ISAs. Some other possible options include Hargreaves Lansdown and BestInvest.

Closing Thoughts

If you are a parent or guardian, opening a Junior ISA is one of the best gifts you can give your child (or children).

The money will grow tax-free and can’t be touched until they are 18, when they can withdraw it or keep it as an ISA. It may provide a much-needed lump sum at a time when they are setting out in the world and really appreciate a financial leg-up. A JISA will also give them an early introduction to saving and investing, and form a valuable part of their financial education.

The main selling point of JISAs is, of course, their tax-free status. Admittedly this is not as big a deal with Cash JISAs as it used to be, as nowadays almost everyone has a tax-free Personal Savings Allowance of up to £1,000 and other tax-free allowances as well. As a result, interest on savings is usually paid without any deductions. So there may be no immediate tax advantage to investing in a Cash JISA if a non-JISA savings account pays better interest.

In the case of a Stocks and Shares JISA, the tax-free status may be more significant, as it also gives exemption from dividend tax (recently increased by the government) and capital gains tax (CGT).

Either way, though, money saved in a JISA will carry on growing tax-free forever (until it’s withdrawn) – so even if there is no immediate tax advantage, there may well be in years to come. This applies to an even greater extent if the young person stays invested on reaching maturity rather than immediately withdrawing all their money.

According to the This is Money website more parents open Cash JISAs than Stocks and Shares JISAs. As a money blogger, however, I would definitely think about opening a Stocks and Shares ISA for at least part of your child’s JISA allowance. That applies especially if it is more than ten years till their 18th birthday. As mentioned above, over almost any given ten-year period, stocks and shares have outperformed cash. And the longer timescale allows the inevitable ups and downs in the stock markets to even out. If you put all the money into a Cash JISA, by contrast, it is quite likely that the value of your child’s account will not keep up with inflation.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

Disclaimer: I am not a registered financial adviser and nothing in this post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone’s circumstances are different and what is right for one person may not be appropriate for another. It is essential to do your own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek help from a qualified financial services professional if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

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