For better or worse, Britain will have a General Election on Thursday 4th July 2024.
I have seen several articles urging young people to register so they can cast their vote when the time comes. Of course, it is right that in any democracy as many eligible people as possible register and turn out to vote. However, it is just as essential that older people also have their say.
As Pounds and Sense is aimed primarily at over-fifties, I therefore wanted to take the opportunity to encourage you to apply now for a postal vote if this might help you exercise your democratic right to vote.
Having a postal vote means that if ill health, frailty or disability prevent you getting to a polling station, you still have the opportunity to express your political preference. Likewise, you won’t have to worry about obstacles such as bad weather or a lack of transport on the day to get to the polling station.
Any registered voter in the UK can apply for a postal vote. This includes:
British citizens living in the UK
British citizens living abroad (overseas voters)
Commonwealth and Irish citizens residing in the UK
In England, Scotland and Wales (though not Northern Ireland – see below) you will not normally have to give any reason for wanting a postal vote and one should be granted automatically if you apply.
I assume that most readers of this blog will have registered to vote in elections already, but if by chance you haven’t, here’s a link to the relevant website. You must register by 11:59 pm on Tuesday 18th June to vote in the General Election on 4th July.
How to Apply
To get a postal vote for the forthcoming election, you must apply before:
5 pm on Weds June 19th if you live in England, Scotland or Wales
5 pm on Fri June 14th if you live in Northern Ireland
In England, Scotland or Wales, you can obtain a postal vote application form from several sources:
In Northern Ireland, people wanting to vote by post have to fill out a form and send it to the electoral office in Belfast. These forms can be found online here.
The postal vote application form requires the following details:
Your personal details (name, address, date of birth).
Your address where the postal ballot should be sent.
The reason for requesting a postal vote if applicable. Voters in Northern Ireland are always required to give a reason when they apply.
Make sure to fill in all sections accurately to avoid delays or rejections.
Once completed, you must return the form to your local Electoral Registration Office. This can be done by post or hand delivery. It’s important to ensure the form arrives before the deadline, which is usually 11 working days before election day. Late applications will not be accepted.
Receiving and Returning Your Postal Vote
After your application is approved, you will receive your postal voting pack, which includes:
a ballot paper
instructions on how to complete your vote
a postal voting statement, which you must sign and provide your date of birth.
a return envelope
To cast your vote:
Mark your ballot paper according to the instructions.
Seal your ballot paper in the envelope provided.
Complete and sign the postal voting statement.
Place both the sealed ballot envelope and the signed statement in the return envelope.
Post your vote back as soon as possible to ensure it is received in time. It must reach the Electoral Registration Office by 10 pm on election day to be counted.
Tips for Postal Voting
Send your vote early to avoid postal delays and ensure your application is processed in time.
Double-check all details on your application and voting pack.
Follow the instructions carefully to ensure your vote is valid.
If you haven’t received your postal voting pack one week before the election, contact your local Electoral Registration Office immediately.
Be aware that if you have applied to vote by post, you cannot vote in person at a polling station. However, on election day you can return your postal vote to any polling station in your local authority area (before 10 pm) or to the Returning Officer at your local council (before they close) if you don’t want to post it or it’s too late to post it.
Closing Thoughts
The next government, whatever its political hue, will have to address a range of issues that are of great importance to older people. Prominent among these is the cost of long-term care (and who will bear it), but there are many other areas of concern, including pensions and benefits, the NHS, public transport, housing, law and order, immigration, the cost of living, national security and defence, and so on.
So it really is important to ensure that nothing prevents you casting your vote when the time comes. Registering for a postal vote is one way to ensure that ill-health, frailty or disability do not rob you of the opportunity to exercise your democratic right.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
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Although the rate of inflation has fallen in recent months, for many the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
So today I thought I would set out some ways you may be able to make a few pounds extra to boost your finances. None of these is likely to make you a fortune, but together they can certainly help keep your bank balance ticking over.
I have linked to relevant posts on Pounds and Sense for further information where appropriate. I have direct experience of all the methods set out below and therefore know that they work and are not scams.
1. Prolific Academic
Prolific Academic is a platform used by academic researchers world-wide to recruit participants for online studies/surveys. These are varied and often surprisingly interesting. They require anything from two minutes to an hour to complete, with payments based on how long (on average) they take. I’ve earned over £600 to date from Prolific. For more information, see my blog post Make Money and Help Academic Researchers With Prolific Academic.
2. MobileXpression
If you have a smartphone, this is an easy way to make money from it. Just install this app (which tracks your browsing anonymously) and every few weeks you will receive a £20 Amazon voucher for your trouble (Amazon vouchers are pretty much as good as money, as you can of course buy almost anything there). You can read my full review of the MobileXpression app in this post.
3. Shop and Scan
Shop and Scan is a market research programme run by Kantar Worldpanel. Anyone can apply to become a panelist, and when you are accepted (which may be immediate or after a few weeks) you receive a barcode scanner and guidebook in the post. You are then required to scan all your shopping when you bring it home (or it’s delivered) and scan and submit your receipts. For doing this you get points. When you have enough, these can be converted into vouchers for a wide range of online stores (again, I normally pick Amazon). You can earn extra points by performing other tasks such as completing online questionnaires, so it doesn’t take long to earn enough points for a £10 voucher. For more information, see my blog post Make Money From Your Shopping With ShopandScan.
4. The Viewers
The Viewers is another market research company always looking for new members for its (paid) audience panel. As the name suggests, they research people’s TV viewing habits via surveys and focus groups. They pay participants in cash (via PayPal) or Amazon vouchers. They run ‘real world’ focus groups in large cities, and online studies of various types. For more information, see my blog post Make Money Watching TV With The Viewers.
5. People for Research
This is another opportunity to make money taking part in consumer research. People for Research are constantly recruiting people to take part in studies. Some of these take place in large cities (London and Bristol especially) but many are done remotely via the phone or the internet. The studies cover a huge range of topics and are for the most part interesting and enjoyable. But the best thing is that they are fairly (and sometimes generously) recompensed – usually in cash, though sometimes Amazon vouchers. For more information, see my blog post Earn a Sideline Income with People for Research.
6. Y Live
Y Live (previously called Populus Live) is a survey website that wants your opinions and pays cash for them. You can sign up free of charge and will then receive email notifications any time they have a survey you may be eligible for. Each survey is worth a set number of points. Once you have accrued 50 points you will be paid £50 (each point is worth £1, in other words). Admittedly it can take a little while to reach the payment threshold, but £50 is undoubtedly a useful sum when you receive it. For more information, see my blog post Make Extra Money From Y Live.
7. Selling on eBay
One great way to generate quick extra cash is to have a clear-out of things you no longer need and put them up for sale on eBay. All sorts of things sell here, and if you have never tried selling via the site you will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is. What’s more, as long as you are selling your own possessions (and not buying stuff to resell) it’s tax-free too. For more tips about this, see Twelve Top Tips for Selling on eBay, a guest post on PAS by my money blogging colleague Luci Olivia.
8. Matched Betting
In the last year or two matched betting has undoubtedly become harder, partly due to the pandemic and partly to bookmakers becoming less generous with their offers. If you haven’t yet tried matched betting, though, there is still money to be made.
For those who don’t know, matched betting involves taking advantage of online bookmaker offers (especially welcome offers) to generate a guaranteed profit. It is emphatically not the same as gambling (which I don’t recommend at all). As per my blog post Can You Make Money from Matched Betting? if you are new to this field I recommend starting with the matched betting support and advisory service Outplayed [referral link] previously called Profit Accumulator. You can earn up to £45 (tax free) by taking advantage of the offers available to free members. You could then leave it at that or sign up as a full member with unlimited profit potential.
9. Free Share Offers
Various online share trading platforms offer free shares to anyone opening an account with them. One of my favourites is Trading 212, which periodically offers anyone who signs up and deposits a minimum of £1 a free share. This is chosen at random but could be worth up to £100. You can sell this after three days if you wish and withdraw the proceeds (including your initial deposit) after 30 days. For more information on Trading 212, including how to get your free share when the offer is open, see my blog post Get a Free Share Worth Up to £100 With Trading 212. Another service offering free shares is the online wealth-building platform Wealthyhood. Learn here how you can get a free ETF share worth up to £200 by signing up with Wealthyhood.
10. Selling Your Old Tech
Most of us have old gadgets we no longer use that are just gathering dust. They include mobile phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, games consoles, and even desktop computers. They may still work, but we have replaced them with new and (hopefully) better products. If that sounds like you, there are lots of ways you can make money from your old tech, even if (in many cases) it doesn’t work any more. Check out my blog post How to Make Money From Your Old Tech for a range of methods for doing this.
11. Freelance Writing
This is a subject close to my heart, as for many years I was a full-time freelance writer (I’m semi-retired now). It’s a competitive field, but there is still lots of money to be made. You don’t need to be Shakespeare either, just have a reasonable grasp of written English and be willing and able to write what the market wants. Check out my blog post My Top Ten Tips for Making Money as a Freelance Writer here. You can also read my posts Should You Write a Book? and How to Publish Your Own E-book on Kindle.
12. Cashback Websites
I’ve mentioned cashback sites a few times on PAS. These are sites such as Top Cashback and Quidco, where any time you make a purchase with a certain online store, if you go via the cashback site, you get some money refunded to your account. Obviously you aren’t actually making money in this case – but if you were going to make the purchase anyway you get some money back, and over time this can add up to a tidy sum. In addition, there are some offers listed on the sites where you can get ‘cashback’ without actually making a purchase. For more information, see my blog posts Save Money With Cashback Sites and Six Ways to Make Money With Cashback Sites.
13. Comping
Okay, comping, or entering consumer competitions, isn’t a guaranteed way of making a sideline income. Nonetheless, there are stacks of cash and prizes on offer at any time, and somebody has to win them. There’s no reason it couldn’t be you! There are lots that you can enter online – just check out competition listing website Loquax, for example. For hints and tips on getting started, see How to Win Cash and Prizes in Consumer Competitions, a guest post on PAS by Cora Harrison. I also highly recommend the book Superlucky Secrets by my UK blogging colleague Di Coke (also known as Superlucky Di). You can read my review of this in-depth guide to comping here.
14. Free Online Lotteries
This is obviously another opportunity where returns are not guaranteed. Nonetheless, there are various online lotteries you can enter free with a chance of winning (in most cases) cash prizes. Typically you have to return to the lottery site every day to see if you are a winner. My favourite such site is Pick My Postcode [referral link]. This site offers multiple chances to win every day, with prizes ranging from £10 to over £1,000. I have a particular soft spot for PMP, as back in the days when it was called Free Postcode Lottery, I was lucky enough to win £614.53 on it. You can learn more in my blog post titled How to Cash in on Free Lottery Websites.
15. Website Testing
If you enjoy trying new apps and websites and putting them through their paces, there are various sites that will pay you for doing this and reporting back. One such site site with a strong community angle is Crowdville. For more information about this, see my blog post Make Money Testing Apps and Websites with Crowdville. Other sites you might like to check out include Testing Time and Respondent.
16. Blogging
I make money this way, and there’s no reason you couldn’t as well. Blogging is by no means a get-rich-quick opportunity. But if you are prepared to put some time and effort in, the rewards will come. You can blog about any subject you like (though some subjects are easier to make money from than others). Once your blog is up and running you can earn from it in various ways, including advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and so on. To get an idea how this works, check out this guest post by Ruth Hinds titled Five Things You Really Need to Know About How to Make Money from Blogging.
17. Online Design and Print
This is a great home-based sideline earning opportunity. No special skills are needed beyond a little imagination; although if you do have art and design skills, so much the better. I’m talking here about designing and selling clothes and other products, from tee-shirts to tote bags, hoodies to coffee mugs. By designing I mean coming up with slogans and/or graphics to adorn these products that will appeal to a particular target market. This opportunity has been opened up by web-based companies such as TeeMill that allow you to design and sell your products online. They provide all the back-end services, including taking payments and fulfilling orders. They charge you a set fee for this, which is covered from the fee paid by your customer. You charge your customers a bit more, and your profit is (of course) the difference between the two. For more information, see my blog post How to Make Money with Online Design and Print.
18. Virtual Assistant Work
There is a steady demand for virtual assistants who can perform a wide variety of tasks from home via the internet. The sorts of things VAs do may include research, writing, proofreading and editing, graphic design, publicity, data entry, programming and other technical tasks, and much more. Social media management is another very popular area. You can read my in-depth blog post on how to make money as a virtual assistant here.
19. Fiverr.com
As you may know, Fiverr is US-based site that lets anyone advertise ‘gigs’ they are willing to perform for five dollars (hence the name, of course). Gigs range from the serious (e.g. write a press release) to the creative (e.g. write a customized solo piano track) to the downright quirky (e.g. write a message, name or URL in chocolate). Most gigs are services delivered electronically, though there is nothing to stop you selling physical products if you wish (you can charge extra for postage). Obviously $5 isn’t a lot, but if you can perform your gig in just a few minutes it can still work out as a decent hourly rate. It’s also possible to charge additional amounts for ‘extras’ such as rapid delivery or upgraded features. See my blog post How to Make Money on Fiverr for much more information about this.
20. Investing for Income
This is obviously a different angle from the preceding ideas. If you have money in the bank earning a derisory rate of interest (or nothing at all), however, you might like to consider investing some to provide an additional income stream for you.
This is obviously a huge subject and I can’t go into detail about it here. There are lots of possibilities, though. One would be to invest some of your money in dividend-paying shares. This subject was covered in an excellent guest post for my blog by Lewys Lew titled How to invest For Income From High Yield Share Dividends.
Of course, you should research any possible investment carefully and be prepared to lose money in the short term at least (see below). Note also that some companies – e.g. the big banks and oil companies – cut their dividends during the Covid crisis, so it’s important to pick your sectors carefully.
Regular readers will know I am also a big fan of the robo-adviser investment platform Nutmeg. They are primarily aimed at helping people build a savings (or pensions) pot rather than providing an income, but you can of course withdraw money from your account as and when you wish. You can read my full review of Nutmeg here. You can also get six months free of any management charges when you invest in Nutmeg via my referral link.
Of course, all investment carries a risk of loss, so you should always do your own ‘due diligence’ and take professional advice if in any doubt before deciding to invest. You should also ensure you have enough cash and/or easily accessible savings to get you through a period of three to six months in case of emergencies.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below. And keep reading Pounds and Sense for more money-saving and money-making ideas in the weeks and months ahead.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post (and elsewhere on PAS) include my referral links. That means if you click through and make a purchase (or perform some other defined action) I may receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the price you pay or the products/services you are offered.
This is an update of my original post on this subject.
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Today I’m spotlighting a survey website that wants your opinions and pays cash for them 🙂
The site in question is Y Live. It was previously called Populus Live. You can sign up free of charge, and will then receive email notifications any time they have a survey you may be eligible for.
Each survey is worth a set number of ‘points’. Once you have accrued 50 points you will be sent a cheque for £50 (each point is worth £1, in other words).
The notification emails state how long the survey is expected to take and how many points it is worth. In general, you get 1 point for a five-minute survey, 2 points for a ten-minute one, and so on.
Bear in mind, though, that the timings are Y Live’s estimates, and may not correspond with how long they actually take to complete. For example, I find that ‘five-minute’ surveys can sometimes take ten minutes or longer. Of course, that does reduce the effective hourly rate you receive.
On the other hand, the surveys are generally straightforward and easy to do (though watch out for the attention-checkers). It’s quite possible you will be quicker to complete them than I am.
On occasion you may find yourself screened out of a survey, e.g. if you are not in the target group they are interested in. In that case you won’t be awarded any points, but will get one entry in their monthly prize draw for £250.
Clearly nobody is going to earn a fortune from Y Live, but in my view (and experience) it can make a very worthwhile addition to your sideline-earning portfolio.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about Y Live, please do post them below.
Note: This is an update of an earlier post.
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I recently returned from a four-night break on the Isle of Man. It was actually the first time I had ever visited the island, so it’s fair to say I was approaching it with fresh eyes!
For this break I went on a heritage-railway-themed holiday with Newmarket Holidays – here’s a link to the package I booked. I paid a single fee, discussed in more detail below. This included four nights half board in a four-star hotel in the island capital Douglas and my flights to and from the island from Birmingham Airport. The fee I paid also covered transfers from and to Ronaldsay Airport on the IOM and various other things, which I’ll discuss shortly.
For those who don’t know, the Isle of Man is in the Irish Sea, about half way between England and Ireland. It is 32 miles long and – at its widest point – 14 miles across. It covers a total area of around 221 square miles, That makes it nearly five times bigger than Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands. It is a self-governing British Crown dependency. You can read more about the Isle of Man in this Wikipedia article.
Here is a map of the island from Google Maps…
Flights
As mentioned I flew to the Isle of Man from Birmingham, getting a taxi to and from the airport.
I’d have to say my experience at Birmingham Airport on the outward journey was poor. A lot of building work was going on to install new luggage scanners. As a result the usual queuing areas and escalators were unavailable and passengers had to queue for ages, first to get into lifts to the departures area and then to get through security. I spent almost two hours queuing and by the time I was through it was the final call for my flight. So I then had a mad dash to get to the gate in time. Thankfully I just made it; I’m sure others weren’t as lucky.
The flights were with Scottish airline LoganAir and were actually very good. The isle of Man only attracts relatively small numbers of visitors, so they use small planes and boarding is quick and easy. I was also impressed to be offered free refreshments on both the outward and return flights (something I haven’t experienced on a holiday flight for many years). It took around 50 minutes to get from Birmingham to the IOM, so that was quick and easy too. Of course, if you don’t like flying, you also have the option of going to the island by ferry from Liverpool or Heysham.
I should mention that the return flight back to Birmingham was easy in comparison. Because it’s regarded as a domestic destination, passengers returning to the UK from the IOM don’t have to go through security or passport control. I was out of the airport no more than 15 minutes after landing.
Accommodation
I stayed in a four-star hotel called The Mannin in Douglas. The hotel is just off the main promenade and several other Newmarket Holidays guests were staying there as well.
The hotel room had all the amenities needed for a short stay, including a comfortable double bed, a flat-screen TV, a fridge and electric kettle, and plenty of drawer and wardrobe space. It had an en-suite bathroom with a modern power shower that worked well, with plenty of hot water.
One thing the room didn’t have was a window to the outside world. It had a window leading out to a small balcony, but this was actually within the hotel, overlooking the bar and restaurant area. You may not be surprised to hear that I didn’t use this during my stay 😏
As mentioned, I was staying half-board. Breakfasts were buffet-style and included everything you’d expect, including cooked items such as bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms and fried or poached eggs (no scrambled, though). I was pleased to discover that the evening meals included my choice of starter, main meal and dessert, with even the most expensive items such as steak at no extra cost. My one slight reservation was that, barring the soup and fish of the day, the menu was the same every night . If I had been staying any longer I might have found this a bit limited. That’s only a very small criticism, though.
Financials
As Pounds and Sense is primarily a money blog, I should say a few words about this.
I paid a total of £1,305 (including VAT) for my four-night visit. That might sound a lot, but as mentioned it included my flights to and from the island, coach transfers, and most meals, along with various other services and amenities. I stayed in a double room with single occupancy, so obviously paid a bit more than a couple would have (pro rata). And finally, I was in a premium four-star hotel. Some other guests were in three-star hotels which I guess would have been a bit cheaper. As a matter of interest, I had to choose the Mannin as it was the only option offered to me when I booked with Newmarket. I guess all the cheaper accommodation had been snapped up already!
The price I paid also included the services of a tour guide, Trevor. He was a local man (from Peel) and extremely knowledgeable about the island. He looked after us very well and even sprang into action when I couldn’t get the top off an ice-cream tub I had bought 🍦😅 Each morning we were picked up by a double-decker bus with Trevor on board. This took us to whatever destination we were visiting first that day (typically a railway station).
Also included in the cost were Isle of Man ‘Go Explore Heritage Cards’. These provided free admission to all the main tourist attractions and also covered travel on the island’s trains and buses. As a result, I actually spent very little extra money during my break – just the odd bit for refreshments during the day and any souvenirs I chose to pick up.
Things To Do
I won’t give you a blow-by-blow account of everything I did on my visit – you can see the full itinerary on the Newmarket Holidays page if you like. I will share some highlights and personal recommendations, though.
1. Douglas: The Capital
This is where I stayed. It is a vibrant, bustling place, with an attractive beach and picturesque promenade you can stroll along. In Douglas you can find the Manx Museum to delve into the island’s history. You can also enjoy a night at the Gaiety Theatre, a beautifully restored Victorian venue offering a variety of performances.
2. Castletown and Castle Rushen
Castletown is the ancient capital of the Isle of Man. Castle Rushen (photo below), one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval castles, is here with its impressive structure and exhibits detailing the island’s past. Also in Castletown you can see the Old House of Keys, the island’s original legislative centre. The trip I was on included admission to the Old House of Keys and an entertaining hour-long interactive presentation there about the island’s history. You would have to book this in advance if not travelling with an organised group.
3. Peel and Peel Castle
The town of Peel is on the island’s west coast and well worth a visit. You can explore the atmospheric ruins of Peel Castle (photo below), and enjoy fresh seafood at one of the local eateries. The House of Manannan museum provides an immersive experience into the island’s Celtic, Viking, and maritime history. You could easily spend a full day here!
4. The TT Mountain Course
For motorsport enthusiasts, the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) races are legendary. Even outside of race season, you can drive or cycle the 37.73-mile TT Mountain Course, taking in spectacular views and imagining the thrill of the races.
5. Laxey Wheel and Snaefell
The Great Laxey Wheel (see cover image), also known as Lady Isabella, is the largest working waterwheel in the world. If you’re brave (and fit) enough you can go up the spiral steps to a viewing platform at the top. Nearby, the Snaefell Mountain Railway takes you to the island’s highest point. On a clear day it’s said you can see seven kingdoms from here: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man itself, and the kingdoms of Heaven (the sky) and Neptune (the sea). On a more prosaic note, at the top is a nice cafe where you can buy excellent coffee and home-made cake 🍰
6. Isle of Man Steam Railway and Manx Electric Railway
I was on a railway-themed holiday, so naturally this included trips on both of these. The steam railway (photo above) runs through beautiful countryside from Douglas to Port Erin at the southern tip of the island. You get some lovely views of the coast along the way.
The Manx Electric Railway (photo below) also runs from Douglas but in the opposite direction, towards Laxey and then on to Ramsey. The Manx Electric Railway has two carriages, one covered and one open to the elements (referred to colloquially as The Toast Rack!). I went on both during my stay. You get better views from the open carriage but it can be a bit chilly, so remember to wrap up well!
Quick Tips
Here are a few tips for first-time visitors to the Isle of Man based on my own experience and other information gleaned…
1. Plan for the Weather
The Isle of Man has a maritime climate, meaning weather can be unpredictable. It’s advisable to pack layers and waterproofs to stay comfortable regardless of the conditions. That being said, I was extremely lucky on my trip and enjoyed wall-to-wall sunshine.
2. Embrace the Outdoors
With its stunning landscapes, the island is perfect for outdoor activities. Walk a segment of the Raad ny Foillan (Way of the Gull) coastal path, explore glens and waterfalls, or enjoy cycling and bird-watching.
3. Sample Local Delicacies
Don’t miss out on trying Manx kippers, queenies (small scallops), and the island’s renowned ice cream. Local pubs and restaurants often feature these and other regional specialties.
4. Respect Local Traditions
The Isle of Man has a unique culture and traditions, including its own language, Manx Gaelic. You might hear locals using expressions like “Failt Erriu” (Welcome) and it’s appreciated if you can master one or two phrases like this. There are also various superstitions on the island. One of the first I discovered concerned the fairy bridge (quite near the airport). The tour guide told us we must all say “Hello, fairies” as our coach passed over this or bad luck might befall us. Needless to say, everyone complied!
5. Use Contactless Payments
Most places accept contactless payments, but it’s wise to have some cash on hand for smaller vendors and rural areas. Note that if paying by cash you may receive change in Manx notes and coins which are not generally accepted outside the Isle of Man. UK banks will usually exchange Manx banknotes but not coins, so if you get any in your change you will have to keep them as souvenirs, donate them, or hold on to them for your next visit. You can ask retailers if they have UK money available as change, but that is not guaranteed 🙂
Closing Thoughts
As you may gather I enjoyed my holiday on the Isle of Man and am happy to recommend both the island itself and the Newmarket Holidays tour I went on.
The Isle of Man is verdant and charming, with a long and interesting history. Obviously the heritage railways are a particular attraction (for me at any rate!), but so too are the castles at Peel and Castletown and the Great Wheel at Laxey (a beautiful village with a range of other tourist attractions as well). But it’s also a wonderful place to be out walking or cycling, with quiet roads (outside the TT races obviously) and a dramatic and unspoiled coastline. I would definitely like to return there before too long.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below. Also, if you have visited the Isle of Man yourself and have any additional tips or recommendations, I would love to hear them!
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I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).
As the screenshot below for the year to date shows, my main Nutmeg portfolio is currently valued at £23,502. Last month it stood at £23,859, so that is a fall of £357.
Apart from my main portfolio, I also have a second, smaller pot using Nutmeg’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £3,760 (rounded up) compared with £3,781 a month ago, a fall of £21. Here is a screen capture showing performance over the year to date.
Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg’s new thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March I also invested a further £200 from ‘Refer a Friend’ bonuses. As you can see from the screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £755 compared with £759 last month, a small decrease of £4.
It’s obviously a little disappointing that the value of my Nutmeg investments has fallen a bit this month. This is entirely to be expected with investments, however, where ups and downs are the norm. It’s also worth observing that their overall value has risen by £1,392 or 5.29% since the start of the year (not counting the £200 bonus I invested in my thematic portfolio in March).
You can read my full Nutmeg review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last eight years, they are certainly worth considering. They offer self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), Lifetime ISAs and Junior ISAs as well.
Don’t forget, the new tax year began on 6 April 2024 and and you now have a whole new £20,000 tax-free ISA allowance for 2024/25!
I also have investments with the property crowdlending platform Kuflink. They continue to do well, with new projects launching every week. I currently have around £1,570 invested with them in 10 different projects paying interest rates averaging around 7%. I also have £14 in my Kuflink cash account.
To date I have never lost any money with Kuflink, though some loan terms have been extended once or twice. On the plus side, when this happens additional interest is paid for the period in question.
There is now an initial minimum investment of £1,000 and a minimum investment per project of £500. Kuflink say they are doing this to streamline their operation and minimize costs. I can understand that, though it does mean that the option to test the water with a small first investment has been removed. It also makes it harder for small investors (like myself) to build a well-diversified portfolio on a limited budget.
One possible way around this is to invest using Kuflink’s Auto/IFISA facility. Your money here is automatically invested across a basket of loans over a period from one to five years. Interest rates range from 7% to around 10%, depending on the length of term you choose. Full up-to-date details can be found on the Kuflink website.
You can invest tax-free in a Kuflink Auto IFISA. Or if you have already used your annual ISA allowance elsewhere, you can invest via a taxable Auto account. You can read my full Kuflink review here if you wish.
Moving on, my Assetz Exchange investments continue to generate steady returns. Regular readers will know that this is a P2P property investment platform focusing on lower-risk properties (e.g. sheltered housing). I put an initial £100 into this in mid-February 2021 and another £400 in April. In June 2021 I added another £500, bringing my total investment up to £1,000.
Since I opened my account, my AE portfolio has generated a respectable £179.53 in revenue from rental income. As I said in last month’s update, capital growth has slowed, though, in line with UK property values generally.
At the time of writing, 10 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 3 are breaking even, and the remaining 16 are showing losses. My portfolio is currently showing a net decrease in value of £38.96, meaning that overall (rental income minus capital value decrease) I am up by £140.57. That’s still a decent return on my £1,000 and does illustrate the value of P2P property investments for diversifying your portfolio. And it doesn’t hurt that with Assetz Exchange most projects are socially beneficial as well.
The overall fall in capital value of my AE investments is obviously a little disappointing. But it’s important to remember that until/unless I choose to sell the investments in question, it is largely theoretical, based on the most recent price at which shares in the property concerned have changed hands. The rental income, on the other hand, is real money (which in my case I’ve reinvested in other AE projects to further diversify my portfolio).
To control risk with all my property crowdfunding investments nowadays, I invest relatively modest amounts in individual projects. This is a particular attraction of AE as far as i am concerned (especially after Kuflink raised their minimum investment per project to £500). You can actually invest from as little as 80p per property if you really want to proceed cautiously.
As I noted in this recent post, Assetz Exchange is particularly good if you want to compound your returns by reinvesting rental income. This effectively boosts the interest rate you are receiving. Personally, once I have accrued a minimum of £10 in rental payments, I reinvest this money in either a new AE project or one I have already invested in (thus increasing my holding). Over time, even if I don’t invest any more capital, this will ensure my investment with AE grows at an accelerating rate and becomes more diversified as well.
In 2022 I set up an account with investment and trading platform eToro, using their popular ‘copy trader’ facility. I chose to invest $500 (then about £412) copying an experienced eToro trader called Aukie2008 (real name Mike Moest).
In January 2023 I added to this with another $500 investment in one of their thematic portfolios, Oil Worldwide. I also invested a small amount I had left over in Tesla shares.
As you can see from the screen captures below, my original investment totalling $1,022.26 is today worth $1,275.17, an overall increase of $252.91 or 24.74%.
eToro also offer the free eToro Money app. This allows you to deposit money to your eToro account without paying any currency conversion fees, saving you up to £5 for every £1,000 you deposit. You can also use the app to withdraw funds from your eToro account instantly to your bank account. I tried this myself and was impressed with how quickly and seamlessly it worked. You can read my blog post about eToro Money here. Note that it can also serve as a cryptocurrency wallet, allowing you to send and receive crypto from any other wallet address in the world.
I had two more articles published in April on the excellent Mouthy Money website. The first is What Is Thematic Investing and Is It For You? In this article I looked at the pros and cons of thematic investing. My editor at Mouthy Money edited the article to remove the specific examples I gave, in case this was construed as personal financial advice. As a consequence the published article is a bit shorter and vaguer than I intended! However, readers of PAS will know that I have thematic investments with Nutmeg and eToro. So far – as mentioned earlier – both have been doing well, but of course there are no guarantees this will continue in future. Thematic investing isn’t for everyone, so take a look at this article, read about the pros and cons, and see if you think it might have a place in your portfolio.
Also in April Mouthy Money published How to Avoid Becoming a Telephone Scam Victim. In this article I set out some tips and advice to avoid falling victim to phone scams. As with online scams, which I discussed in another recent article on Mouthy Money, telephone scams have become an unfortunate reality of daily life in the UK. It’s important to be aware of the risk, and to ensure that any elderly friends and relatives who might be particularly vulnerable don’t fall for them.
As I’ve said before, Mouthy Money is a great resource for anyone interested in money-making and money-saving. I am a particular fan of my fellow MM contributor and money blogger Shoestring Jane. She writes mainly about money saving and frugal living. Her latest article Eight Ways to be More Mindful With Your Money sets out various ways you may be able to save money relatively painlessly by adopting a more frugal mindset. You can see all of Jane’s articles for Mouthy Money via this web page.
I also published several posts on Pounds and Sense in April. I won’t bother mentioning those that are no longer relevant now, but the others are listed below.
In Why Now Could Be the Ideal Time to Take Advantage of Your New Tax-Free ISA Allowance I pointed out that (other things being equal) the start of a new tax year is the perfect time to invest in a new ISA. The main reason for this is that the sooner you invest, the more time there is for the power of compounding to start working. There are other good reasons as well for investing now – read the article for more details 🙂
I also published two sponsored guest posts in April. Sponsored posts help pay my bills, but I only accept those that I feel offer genuine value and interest to PAS readers.
Six Tips for Getting Free Stuff Without Dealing With Scams has some good tips for getting valuable freebies online without opening yourself up to a torrent of spam. And Seven Top Money-Saving Websites for Freebies sets out seven websites where you can apply for (genuine) freebies. Understandably my sponsors didn’t want me to link to all the sites as well as the one they were actually promoting, but you should find them easily enough with a little help from Google.
Finally, I posted My Review of the Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper. This is obviously another sponsored post, although in this case I received a free item to review rather than being paid for it. As you will see, this offer came at an opportune time for me. I was genuinely impressed with the Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper, even though it took a bit of effort to get it up the stairs and onto my bed!
Also this year I became a regular contributor to the Over 60s Discounts website. You can read my latest article here: Could You Claim Attendance Allowance? As you will gather, this is all about this invaluable benefit for older people with care needs. It’s estimated that over three million people are eligible for this benefit but not claiming it. Read this article to discover if it’s something you – or an elderly friend/relative – would be qualified to apply for.
I highly recommend registering at Over 60s Discounts, by the way – they list a growing range of discounts and bonuses for older people, including some that are unique to O60D.
Also in April I enjoyed a short break on the beautiful Isle of Man (see cover image). It was the first time I had visited the island, and in fact the first time I had been anywhere by plane since Covid.
I had a great time, with wall-to-wall sunshine until my last day when I was going home anyway. It was a heritage-railway-themed holiday, so I got to ride on the island’s steam and electric trains, and also travelled on buses between towns not served by the railways. The trip was arranged by Newmarket Holidays, and I do recommend this if you are new to the IOM and want a well-organised introductory tour covering all the main places of interest (with a heritage-railway bias, obviously). I will aim to post a fuller review of my Isle of Man holiday on PAS soon.
The one downside to the trip was the chaos on my outward journey from Birmingham Airport. There is loads of building work going on there and, coupled with an apparent shortage of staff, this caused massive queues and delays. Although I arrived before the check-in opened, it took me almost two hours to get through security. By then it was the final call for boarding, so I had to do a mad dash to the gate to avoid missing my flight. There are posters up at the airport saying that all this work will result in a better experience for passengers, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Currently I don’t recommend flying from Birmingham if you can possibly avoid it.
Finally, a quick reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter/X. Twitter/X is my number one social media platform these days and I post regularly there. I share the latest news and information on financial (and other) matters, and other things that interest, amuse or concern me. So if you aren’t following my PAS account, you are definitely missing out!
That’s all for today. As always, if you have any comments or queries, feel free to leave them below. I am always delighted to hear from PAS readers
The cover photo, taken by me, shows an Isle of Man Steam Railway train arriving at Port Erin station.
Disclaimer: I am not a qualified financial adviser and nothing in this blog post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone should do their own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek professional advice if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss. Note also that posts on PAS may include affiliate links. If you click through and perform a qualifying transaction, I may receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the product or service you receive or the terms you are offered, but it does help support me in publishing PAS and paying my bills. Thank you!
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