I recently saw an interesting survey of the main big-ticket items people have been buying in the UK during lockdown.
The YouGov survey of over 2000 adults was performed by YouGov on behalf of National Conversation Week (see below). The survey was commissioned by insurance services company Paymentshield, who sponsor National Conversation Week.
The top ten items were as follows:
Gadgets or electronics – 22%
TV – 13%
Games console – 11%
Gym equipment – 10%
Jewellery or watch – 10%
Bike – 6%
Expensive equipment to support a hobby (e.g. photography equipment, a musical instrument) – 6%
Pet – 6%
Garden shed – 5%
Art or antiques – 3%
I thought this list made very interesting reading, especially the fact that 1 in 10 people have bought home gym equipment. With gyms closed for many months due to the pandemic, it is no surprise that many of us have been investing in stationary bikes, rowing machines and even treadmills to try to maintain our fitness. I wonder whether people will rejoin clubs in the same numbers now they have this equipment at home.
I am not surprised either to see pets on the list. Certainly in my area I have the impression that many more people now own dogs. I can understand that they provide companionship, especially for those who live alone. Though I do think some of these new owners might benefit from education about how to look after their animals, and in particular the need to pick up after them 😮
I was slightly surprised to see that so many people have been buying jewellery, watches, art and antiques. I guess this may partly reflect that those of us lucky enough to have a continuing income have had fewer ways to spend it, leaving more spare cash available. I just hope the people concerned have checked that they are covered for any expensive items on their home insurance.
Finally, it’s interesting to see garden sheds on the list, with 1 in 20 buying them. I guess this reflects the fact that so many of us are working from home now, for some of the week at least. If you have the space for it, a shed can be a great option for reducing distractions and separating work life from home life. Around here I have also seen one or two mini-pubs created in garden sheds! (See cover image.)
National Conversation Week
National Conversation Week – which this year runs from 7 to 11 June – aims to get people talking in a bid to improve the nation’s well-being, at a time we are all facing unprecedented challenges. In particular, National Conversation Week hopes to encourage frank and open conversations about money. This is especially relevant at the moment, with many people having lost their jobs due to the pandemic and facing stress and hardship as a result.
Above all else, though, be kind to yourself, and don’t suffer in silence. And equally, if you know someone who may be struggling – or you just haven’t seen or heard from them for a while – reach out by phone or at least message them to check they are okay. It may be a cliche, but we really are all in this together. And pretty much everyone is struggling in their own way.
Another month has gone by, so it’s time for another of my Coronavirus Crisis Updates. Regular readers will know I’ve been posting these since the first lockdown started in March 2020 (you can read my May 2021 update here if you like).
As ever, I will begin by discussing financial matters and then life more generally over the last few weeks.
Financial
I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA, as I know many of you like to hear what is happening with this.
As the screenshot below shows, my main portfolio has been on a roller-coaster ride in May. It is currently valued at £20,435. Last month it stood at £20,430, so overall it has gone up by the princely sum of five pounds! Since 20th May it has been on an upward trajectory, so clearly I hope that trend continues 🙂
.
Apart from my main portfolio, six months ago I put £1,000 into a second pot to try out Nutmeg’s new Smart Alpha option. This did pretty well, so in April I added another £1,000 from some money returned to me from another investment. This pot is now worth £2,060 (£7 down on last month’s figure). Here is a screen capture showing performance in May 2021.
I updated my full Nutmeg review recently and you can read the latest version here (including a special offer at the end for PAS readers). If you are looking for a home for your new 2021/22 ISA allowance, based on my experience they are certainly worth considering.
If you haven’t yet seen it, check out also my recent blog post in which I looked at the performance of Nutmeg fully managed portfolios at every risk level from 1 to 10 (my main port is level 9). I was truly amazed by the difference the risk level you choose makes.
This year I am using Assetz Exchange for my IFISA. This is a P2P property investment platform that focuses on lower-risk properties (e.g. sheltered housing on long leases). I put £100 into this in mid-February and another £400 in April. Since then my portfolio has generated £5.59 in revenue received from rental and £2.54 in capital growth for a total return of £8.13. Here’s my current statement in case you’re interested:
As you can see, even though I have only invested £500, I already have a well-diversified portfolio with 17 different projects. This is a particular attraction of Assetz Exchange in my view. You can actually invest from as little as 80p per property if you really want to proceed cautiously!
In May several of the loans I invested in with the P2P property investment platform Kuflink were repaid (with interest) and I duly reinvested the money in other loans.
I have a well-diversified portfolio of loans with Kuflink paying annual interest rates of 6 to 7.5 percent. These days I invest no more than £200 per loan (and often £100 or less). That is not because of any issues with Kuflink but more to do with losses of larger amounts on other P2P property platforms (such as this one). My days of putting four-figure sums into any single property investment are definitely behind me now!
You can read my full Kuflink review here. They recently passed the milestone of £100 million loaned, and say that since their launch no investor has lost money with them. They offer a variety of investment options, including a tax-free IFISA paying up to 7% interest per year, with built-in automatic diversification. And I’d particularly draw your attention to their revised and more generous cashback offer for new investors. They are now paying cashback on new investments from as little as £500 (it used to be £1,000). And if you are looking to invest larger amounts, you can earn up to a maximum of £4,000 in cashback. That is one of the best cashback offers I have seen anywhere (though admittedly you will need to invest £100,000 or more to receive that!).
Moving on, if you haven’t seen it yet, you might like to check out this eye-opening post about ‘how much is enough to retire on’ published on the PensionBee blog – I am quoted representing people in their 60s in this article!
You may also like to read my article on the Mouthy Money site in which I reveal why I am not a fan of premium bonds. I was recently hired as a regular contributor for Mouthy Money, so watch out for more articles from me there in the coming months. I also highly recommend reading the articles on the site by other contributors.
And finally, you can read my Q&A on the Lifeline24 blog, in which I talk about Pounds and Sense and share a few financial tips. Lifeline24 is a personal alarm service for older people and people with disabilities. If you’re interested, there is a code to get £10 off their already reasonably priced service at the end of the article. And no, I’m not getting any commission from them!
Personal
In May, as I’m sure you know, more of the government’s lockdown restrictions were eased. In particular, pubs and restaurants were allowed to open inside as well as out. Considering the monsoon-conditions that ensued after the outdoor reopening in April, that was a relief all round!
Last week I enjoyed my first pub lunch since the autumn at the Spread Eagle in Gailey, near Cannock. I met up with my old friend Liz, a former colleague from my days working at Wolverhampton University (the last ‘proper’ job I ever had). It was wonderful to see Liz again and in retrospect I hope I didn’t come across as too demob-happy! The food and service were both excellent. The pub was pretty quiet when we arrived at 12.30 but got busier later. There was still plenty of room inside and out, though.
Also in May I had my second Covid jab. For some reason I wasn’t able to book a slot at Whitemoor Lakes where I had my first jab, so this time I made my way to Great Wyrley Community Centre, another voyage of discovery for me. Everything went well, though bizarrely when I arrived a man at the door offered to ‘fast-track’ me if I took a lateral flow test (I declined). I had no side effects at all from this jab (the Oxford again), not even a sore arm. It is strange how people react so differently. I have friends who have had quite nasty reactions, though generally these lasted no more than a day or two. As for me, I have had (much) worse reactions from my annual flu jab.
With the better weather over the last week or two, I have resumed my habit of going for a breakfast walk. This is by far my favourite time of the day for walks, and I now have a good variety of routes to choose from around the local lanes. The photo in my cover image shows the beautiful Wisteria on Hope Cottage. This is about half a mile from where I live and features on many of my routes 🙂
Also in the last month I got back into the habit of reading again. I know many people say they read more during lockdown. However, I found that my concentration and attention-span were badly affected by the pandemic, so I more or less stopped reading for pleasure.
But in the last few weeks I’ve been feeling a bit more relaxed and that has helped me get back to reading, starting with some short books. Initially I picked up The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Having enjoyed that I moved on to the follow-up novel, Tears of the Giraffe. which is also very good. I remember that these light-hearted books were made into a TV series a few years ago, so I am thinking of buying the DVD set now.
After that, I moved on to another short novel, The Mountains of Majipoor by US science-fiction/fantasy writer Robert Silverberg.
Silverberg wrote a series of novels set on the giant world of Majipoor. I read most of them around 30 years ago, but for some reason this is the one novel in the series I never got around to.
I did enjoy it, but if you have never read any of the Majipoor novels, I wouldn’t start with this one. The place to begin is undoubtedly Lord Valentine’s Castle, a tour de force of the imagination with a compelling storyline. As a matter of interest, Lord Valentine’s Castle inspired me with the desire to learn to juggle (if you read the book you’ll understand why). But sadly despite many hours of trying I proved to have zero aptitude for it! Here’s an image link (affiliate) to the Amazon UK sales page.
The novel I’m reading at the moment is The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. This is a longer science-fiction novel, which was recommended to me by Amazon as something I might enjoy.
Amazon recommendations can be hit or miss, of course, but I was very glad I acted on this one. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a novel of great wit and charm, and I have been engrossed by it. It is mainly set on a small, commercial spaceship called The Wayfarer, whose job is to ‘tunnel’ wormholes in space. Becky does a brilliant job of bringing the ship and its (mostly) lovable multi-species crew to life.
The story is episodic – you could almost say picaresque – and told from the viewpoints of different crew members – from the reptilian pilot Sissix to the amiable alien chef/doctor called (quite reasonably) Dr Chef. There are some humans too, including the captain, Ashby, and the ship’s clerk and newest crew member, Rosemary Harper, who has a secret that is tearing her apart. There is plenty of humour and emotion alongside the science, so you definitely don’t need to be an SF aficionado to enjoy it. Anyway, I won’t rave on about it any more. If you want to find out more, here’s an image link (affiliate) to the Amazon sales page.
Finally on the subject of books, my nephew Steve (a semi-professional guitarist) has just published his first on Amazon. It’s called Crucial Guitar Basics and was written as a lockdown project. I had a very small input into it and my sister Annie rather more (she edited/proofread it). I’m no guitarist myself but thought it was a well-written and accessible introductory guide. Here’s an image link (affiliate) in case this might interest you. It’s available in both print and Kindle ebook form.
As I write this, the whole UK has just enjoyed its first day since March 2020 without a single Covid death. There is still some concern over the rise in cases of ‘The Indian Variant’, but so far these don’t appear to be causing a significant increase in hospitalizations or deaths. There is some speculation about whether the final stage of the PM’s ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ will take place on June 21st as promised. Personally I think it should, but in my view it’s more likely we will see a partial lifting of restrictions, with others retained for longer. I would particularly like to see an end to mandatory masks, as the evidence in favour of their use is weak (and many US states have done away with them for months now with no calamity ensuing). But we will see, I guess!
I hope that at some point soon I will be able to stop producing ‘Coronavirus Crisis Updates’ as normal life resumes. At that point, I may switch to creating monthly updates about my investments and maybe separate, more personal updates if anyone would be interested to read them. But I will definitely do at least one more full Coronavirus Crisis update next month.
As always, I hope you are staying safe and sane during these challenging times. If you have any comments or questions, please do post them below.
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Accountants are trained and experienced in all aspects of the tax system. They have both theoretical and practical knowledge of how the system works and how the (complex) rules are typically interpreted by HMRC. And they have to keep themselves up to date with the endless legal and procedural changes.
Also, unlike HMRC, an accountant is four-square on your side. They will advise you on the best way to organize your affairs to minimize your tax liability. They will answer any questions you may have, e.g. what records you need to keep. When the time comes, they will (if you want them to) compile your accounts and submit the relevant figures to HMRC in your tax return. And if any queries or problems arise, they will act on your behalf to try to resolve them.
A further benefit of having your accounts prepared by an accountant is that HMRC will know that a finance professional – someone who speaks their language – has compiled them. Other things being equal, this is likely to mean they will be more inclined to accept the figures and not dispute them.
Even if you aren’t self-employed or running a business, there may still be a strong case for getting an accountant to help with your taxes. Many older people, for example, have multiple streams of income, from stocks and shares to ISA accounts, property rentals to pensions. Some of this income may be taxable and some not, and varying tax rates and tax-free allowances may apply. Most accountants are more than happy to provide a service to people in this situation as well.
There is, of course, one drawback to engaging an accountant, and that is the cost. This will probably amount to a few hundred pounds a year (maybe more in some cases). Not to pay this, however, is in my view a false economy. A good accountant is likely to save you at least as much in unnecessary tax as they cost you. And the reassurance (and relief) of having a finance professional on your side when any queries with taxation arise is impossible to put a price on (but extremely valuable).
Of course, finding a good accountant who offers a service suitable for your needs isn’t always straightforward. And the amount they charge varies considerably. If you are looking for a keenly priced and easily accessible service, you might therefore like to check out what my friends at Simply Tax have to offer.
The Simply Tax Option
Simply Tax is a service run by professional accountants that provides a simple and inexpensive method for preparing and submitting tax returns to HMRC. They operate mainly online and are therefore able to keep charges to a bare minimum (starting from as little as £90). They say their service is for:
First time tax filers
Sole traders
CIS subcontractors
High earners (£100K+)
Landlords
Investors
Company directors
People living abroad
Anybody who needs a tax return
As the name indicates, Simply Tax aim to make the process of drawing up and submitting a tax return as simple as possible. In a nutshell, they say their procedure is as follows:
Create your free online account (just need your full name and email address)
Once verified, go into your user area and complete your personal information
Select the button to start your tax return (you’ll be taken to a screen to answer a few questions)
Once you’ve paid and been checked for your identification, simply drag and drop the information requested
We will do all the leg work and prepare the tax return for you
We’ll upload a draft tax return for you to review and approve electronically
Once you’ve approved, leave it to us to submit to HMRC
Although all of this is done online, you will be allocated a personal tax adviser whom you can contact at any time with any questions.
Simply Tax say their service will save you lots of time (they estimate between 70-80%) compared with filing your return yourself. They also estimate that their service is up to 50% cheaper than using a traditional high street accountant or tax advisor.
Finally, Simply Tax are fully regulated by the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales), providing added reassurance.
If you are looking for a straightforward, cost-effective way of preparing and submitting your annual tax return, in my view Simply Tax is well worth checking out. Okay, if you run a multi-million pound business empire it may not be for you. But if you are like most of us and just need a friendly, professional accountancy service who won’t charge an arm and a leg, they could certainly fit the bill.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Simply Tax. If you click through any of the links and make a purchase, I will receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the fee you pay or the service you receive.
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Almost everyone loves getting something for free, and in this digital age it is easier than ever to get freebies. So why do so few people take advantage of the great opportunities on offer?
In some cases, people simply aren’t aware that such opportunities exist. However, the main reason for people not actively pursuing freebies is that they are suspicious of getting something for nothing – they believe that there is some sort of catch involved. Alternatively, they might assume that the freebies available are cheap, low quality or not worth the effort. Neither is necessarily true.
Whilst some freebies are undeniably low cost or in sample-size proportions, there are a lot of really great products and services available too. The trick is to identify what product niches you are specifically interested in, then target the offers accordingly. This can yield better results than scanning offer websites with no real intent, and is less labour-intensive if hunting for offers is not something you actively enjoy.
Where you should look for freebies will depend on what type of niche you are targeting. For example, if you are a parent looking for baby- or child-related items, simply signing up to a manufacturer’s website will sometimes result in freebies. Occasionally they may provide the items in exchange for consumer feedback or a product review. But often they will give away items for no other reason than to encourage brand loyalty.
Literature is another good niche to target if you love a free gift. Publishing companies are always looking for people, both adults and children, to review newly published books. You have complete control over which books are sent to you, and are only required to review those which truly interest you.
If your interests are broad and you are more motivated by the thrill of receiving something for nothing, there are many websites and forums where people will list opportunities for obtaining free goods and services. The most impressive freebies are normally offered in limited quantities or for a restricted time period, so you will need to check the listings regularly to get the best deals. Signing up for emails or downloading an app which will generate alerts can make the process easier.
Some of the best free products and experiences are available to those people who are willing to put in a little effort. In particular, mystery shopping can produce great results because the company is required to reimburse you for your time. Your assignment may involve a free experience, such as eating at a restaurant or visiting a local attraction, or visiting a specific store and getting financial recompense for shopping there.
However much free time you have, and whatever your interests, you will be able to find freebies which suit you. Companies frequently send out free samples in order to generate interest in their products, and often all you need to do is fill out your name and address. If you are willing to provide something in return such as a review or completing a short survey, the freebies you receive can be even more enticing.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Free Stuff websites.
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Another month has passed, so it’s time for another of my Coronavirus Crisis Updates. Regular readers will know I’ve been posting these updates since the first lockdown started in March 2020 (you can read my April 2021 update here if you like).
As ever, I will begin by discussing financial matters and then life more generally over the last few weeks.
Financial
I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA, as I know many of you like to hear what is happening with this.
As the screenshot below shows, the value of my main portfolio rose fairly steadily in the first half of April, after which it remained around the same level (apart from a brief dip around the 20th). It is currently valued at £20,430. Last month it stood at £20,078, so overall it has gone up by £352. I am happy enough with that.
Apart from my main portfolio, five months ago I put £1,000 into a second pot to try out Nutmeg’s new Smart Alpha option. This has done pretty well, so in April I added another £1,000 from some money returned to me by RateSetter (as discussed in last month’s update). This pot is now worth £2,067. Here is a screen capture showing performance in April.
I updated my full Nutmeg review in April and you can read the new version here (including a special offer at the end for PAS readers). If you are looking for a home for your new 2021/22 ISA allowance, based on my experience they are certainly worth a look.
I also added £400 (from RateSetter again) to my initial test investment of £100 with Assetz Exchange. As you may recall, Assetz Exchange is a P2P property investment platform that focuses on lower-risk properties (e.g. sheltered housing on long leases). I put £100 into this in mid-February and (as mentioned) another £400 in April. Since then my portfolio has generated £3.05 in revenue received from rental (equivalent to an annual interest rate of about 10% on my original £100 investment). Here’s my current statement in case you’re interested:
As you can see, even though I have only invested £500, I already have a well-diversified portfolio. This is a particular attraction of Assetz Exchange in my view. You can actually invest from as little as 80p per property if you really want to proceed cautiously!
You may also notice that some of the properties in my portfolio have gone up in value and some have gone down. This makes it a bit harder to judge overall performance compared with an equity-based investment like Nutmeg. The property values quoted by Assetz Exchange represent the best price you can sell at currently on the exchange, which is where all investments on AE are bought and sold. But they are only really relevant if you want to buy or sell that day. By contrast, Property Partner (a somewhat similar P2P property investment platform) quote a value for each property based on an independent surveyor’s valuation every 6-12 months. That means the values displayed on Property Partner are more stable, but of course they are only theoretical as there is no guarantee that this valuation would be achieved if the property was put on the market.
In case you’re not aware, everyone has a generous £20,000 tax-free ISA allowance in the current tax year (2021/22). However, for some reason the government only allows you to invest in one of each type of ISA in any particular.tax year. So you can only put new money into one stocks and shares ISA per year, but you can invest in a cash ISA and/or IFISA as well if you wish – just as long as you don’t exceed the £20,000 total limit. In the 2021/22 tax year I am therefore investing in a Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA and an Assetz Exchange IFISA. This gives me additional diversification compared with investing in just one type of ISA.
Moving on, I heard last month that I will not be eligible for any more SEISS income support payments for the self-employed. Along with many other self-employed people, my income took a hit when the pandemic struck and this money from the government came in very useful (though I do thankfully have a personal pension and other investments as well). However, I have become a victim of the rule that says to receive SEISS your average self-employed income must represent at least half of your total income.
For the first three rounds of SEISS that was indeed the case. However, the latest round of payments incorporates another set of tax returns (2019/20) when calculating average income. Because my income was lower in these accounts (partly due to the pandemic) my four-year average is now less than what I draw from my personal pension. So at a stroke I am no longer eligible for any more support. It’s not the end of the world, but I do find it bizarre that a scheme intended to support self-employed people whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic can cut off completely when your average income drops. Commiserations to any PAS readers who may have found themselves in a similar situation 🙁
Personal
In April, as I’m sure you know, some of the government’s lockdown restrictions finally began to be lifted.
I was glad to be able to go for a swim for the first time since Christmas, and have been doing so twice a week since it became possible again. I am a member of the David Lloyd Club in Lichfield which has two pools, one inside and one out. Although I’ve heard that you have to book slots at some swimming pools, that has never been the case at DL Lichfield, and in fact in many ways it feels reassuringly normal. Of course, you have to wear a mask as you enter the building, but thankfully not in the changing rooms or the pool 😀
I have just been told that if the pools get very busy, DL staff ask people to wait in the changing rooms until others have left. I haven’t witnessed this myself and don’t think it happens very often, but am happy to place this info on record.
What I do find bizarre is the rules about buying and consuming refreshments. The club room (aka coffee shop) at DL Lichfield is open for the purchase of drinks and light meals, but you can’t consume them within the building. You are, however, allowed to sit at a table in the club room (no need for a mask) to read and relax or just stare at the four walls. But heaven help you if you try to eat or drink anything.
I was told by a staff member that it was okay to take a drink to the outdoor pool as long as I was going for a swim, but not if I simply wanted to lie on a sunbed. Even though I am fast becoming a connoisseur of strange lockdown rules, this one seems barmy to me and I’d love to know how DL Lichfield plan to enforce it (“Unless you get in that pool in the next five minutes, I’m taking your coffee away.”). I’d like to support the DL club room/coffee shop, but the incomprehensible rules have defeated me. So I’m now taking a flask of tea and a biscuit with me and having that on the poolside or in the changing room after my swim. So far no Covid police have come for me.
I have also been pleased (and relieved) to have my hair cut again, six months after this was last done. Thankfully I didn’t have to queue up, as my hairdresser comes to me and cuts my hair in my conservatory. We have both had Covid jabs and agreed to dispense with masks and just kept the door and window open (thankfully it was quite a warm day). Again, it all felt reassuringly normal.
I haven’t so far taken advantage of the reopening of pub gardens, largely because it has been so cold (and wet) most days. It’s good to see at least some of my local pubs open again, but a shame they still aren’t allowed to open inside as well as out. Last year we had Eat Out to Help Out at a time when there were more Covid cases and deaths then there are now (just one death yesterday, I read). I am looking forward to May 17th when pubs and restaurants can reopen inside as well, but believe this has been delayed too long personally.
I am probably one of the few people who didn’t watch the Line of Duty finale. Indeed, I haven’t watched any of the series, as it didn’t really appeal to me. For one thing it sounded downbeat and depressing, and life has been grim enough recently. But also, it appeared a bit too complicated for my liking. Especially as i grow older, I find following series with large casts and labyrinthine plots increasingly challenging. I can remember laughing (affectionately) at my dad when he expressed confusion at the plot of some TV detective show, but I am obviously going down the same route myself now 😮
I have watched a couple of shows I enjoyed this month, though, so thought I’d share details in case anyone fancies giving them a try.
The first is an Amazon Prime Video series called Upload. This is a dystopian science fiction tale, set in a not-too-distant future when a method has been found for transferring people’s minds at the point of death (or before) to a virtual afterlife. This service is provided by a number of large corporations. They employ minimum-wage ‘angels’ in large warehouse-like offices to monitor these worlds and support the clients who live in them (at least, until their money runs out). It is quite a dark concept, but full of laugh-out-loud moments and some great characters. There is also a mystery in it, and a romance between a female ‘angel’ and one of her (deceased) male clients. It’s well worth a watch if you like something a bit different (and have Amazon Prime Video, of course).
I am also enjoying a US fantasy series called The Librarians (see below). I originally caught a couple of episodes on an obscure Freeview channel and decided I’d like to watch the whole (four) series from the beginning. Doing that proved a bit more challenging than I anticipated, but eventually I managed to track down a DVD box set on eBay.
The Librarians is a tongue-in-cheek fantasy series with a certain retro feel to it. It reminds me a bit of the old Avengers TV show in its heyday (with Diana Rigg as Emma Peel).
The Librarians are a group of misfits who are recruited to work at the mysterious Library, a place where magical artefacts of all kinds are stored. Early in the first series magic is released into the world again, having been suppressed for many centuries. In each episode the Librarians investigate some mysterious incident and try to stop evil individuals deploying magic for nefarious ends, generally using their intelligence rather than violence.
Again, it’s hard to explain in a few words, but you soon get the hang of things. And the characters, while perhaps excessively goofy at times, are all endearing in different ways. The Librarians is really old-fashioned family entertainment (with little if any swearing) and none the worse for that. If you can get hold of it – I’m not sure whether it’s on any streaming services – it offers an enjoyable (and at times hilarious) drop of escapism, something I guess many of us need at the moment.
As always, I hope you are staying safe and sane during these challenging times. If you have any comments or questions, please do post them below.
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Spring is here at last, and for once there is plenty of good news in the air.
The vaccine roll-out is going well, cases are way down, and across the UK Covid restrictions are being relaxed. I had my first swim for four months yesterday in the outdoor pool at David Lloyd Lichfield, and tomorrow will be having my first haircut in almost six!
To celebrate all of this, I thought it was high time for another giveaway. I have therefore got together with some of my fellow UK bloggers to offer a bundle of top-quality health and beauty products worth almost £400 for the lucky winner. You can see the full list below ↓↓↓
This giveaway has been arranged and co-ordinated by my blogging colleague Emma at www.MakeMoneyWithoutAJob.com. Do take a look at her site, where (among other things) you can sign up for a free, daily £10 prize draw. There are also articles on money-making topics from How to Make £1,000 Every Month to Online Jobs for Teens, Free Money Offers to How to Make Money Watching Netflix. Literally something for everybody!
The Bloggers Taking Part
Please show your support for all the bloggers taking part in this giveaway by visiting their blogs. They are:
One lucky winner will receive a health and beauty bundle worth almost £400.
Included in this bundle is:
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Blemish treatment 40ml
Marc Jacobs Perfect 50ml
Glo32 Teeth Whitening System
CYO Makeup Bag Top Up Bundle
Olay Regenerist Luminous Anti-Ageing Brightening And Protecting Face Cream SPF20 50ml
Footner exfoliating socks
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish 50ml
Champney’s Calm Reed Riffuser
Champney’s Slumber Body Butter 300ml
Maybelline Sky High Mascara x 2 (Black; Waterproof)
EcoTools – Daily Essentials Total Face Brush set
L’Oreal Paris Men Expert Get Better With Age Anti-Ageing Duo Giftset for him
Too Faced Hangover Wash Away the Day Cleanser 125ml
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid Sun Cream SPF50 50ml
Champney’s Weekend Treat Gift Set
Terms and Conditions
1. There is one top prize of a health and beauty bundle.
2. There are no runner-up prizes.
3. Open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding all bloggers involved with running the giveaway.
4. Closing date for entries is midnight on 30 April 2021.
5. The same Rafflecopter widget appears on all the blogs involved, but you only need to enter on one blog.
6. Entrants must log in to the Rafflecopter widget, and complete one or more of the tasks – each completed task earns one entry in the prize draw.
7. Tweeting about the giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget will earn five bonus entries into the prize draw.
8. One winner will be chosen at random.
9. The winner will be informed by email within 7 days of the closing date and will need to respond within 28 days with their delivery address, or a replacement winner will be chosen.
10. The winners’ names will be published in the Rafflecopter widget (unless the winner objects to this).
11. The prizes will be dispatched within 14 days of the winner confirming their address.
12. The promoter is www.MakeMoneyWithoutAJob.com
13. By participating in this prize draw, entrants confirm they have read, understood and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
The Giveaway
Complete any or all of the Rafflecopter entry widgets below to enter.
One final small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, the organizer (Emma) will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.
Good luck, and here’s hoping we can all look forward to even better times soon 🙂
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It’s the start of April, so time for another of my monthly Coronavirus Crisis Updates. Regular readers will know I’ve been posting these updates since the first lockdown started in March 2020 (you can read my March 2021 update here if you like).
As ever, I will begin by discussing financial matters and then life more generally over the last few weeks.
Financial
I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA, as I know many of you like to hear what is happening with this.
As the screenshot below shows, following a dip in early March my main portfolio has generally been on an upward trajectory. It is currently valued at £20,078. Last month it stood at £19,155, so overall it has gone up by £923. I am very happy with that, obviously.
Apart from my main portfolio, four months ago I put £1,000 into a second Nutmeg pot to try out Nutmeg’s new Smart Alpha option. This pot has seen some ups and downs, but right now it is up to £1,052. That’s an increase of 5.22% in four months, equivalent to nearly 16% annually. Here is a screen capture showing performance to date. Obviously, though, it is still too soon to draw any firm conclusions from this.
You can see my in-depth Nutmeg review here (including a special offer at the end for PAS readers). If you are looking for a home for your new 2021/22 ISA allowance, based on my experience they are certainly worth a look.
That aside, last month was a mixture of good and bad news on the investment front. Probably the worst news was discovering that Buy2LetCars had gone into administration. Regular readers will know that I invested in two cars with this car loan platform. For three years everything went like clockwork, but then the FCA stepped in and froze their bank accounts due to concerns over how the company recorded the value of car leases in their accounts. This happened just before monthly payments were due to go out to investors in February. Initially Buy2LetCars said they would engage with the regulator to address their concerns, but then everything went quiet till it was announced that an administrator had been appointed to take over the company.
I don’t know any details of what has been going on with Buy2LetCars. I am still not entirely convinced that the FCA acted in investors’ best interests by freezing the company’s bank accounts just as they were about to make payments to investors. But it does certainly appear that the directors of Buy2Let Cars have questions to answer as well.
Personally I am most sorry for people who invested large sums with Buy2LetCars in recent months, including in some cases (I understand) their entire pensions. To be clear, though in the past I did recommend Buy2LetCars based on my experiences as an investor with them, I have never advocated putting all your money into this (or any other) investment platform. As things stand now, when you deduct the monthly repayments received from the capital I originally invested, I am about £10,000 down. That is clearly a major blow but not a total disaster for me.
As I said above, the company is now in the hands of the administrators and I have sent my claim form to them. It’s important to note that Buy2LetCars does still have assets including the cars themselves and the value of the leases, which their key worker clients are still paying. So in due course I am hopeful that some payments will be made to investors, though obviously it will only be a fraction of what we were promised. The letter from the administrators says they will be writing to the company’s creditors ‘within 8 weeks’ with their proposals, so hopefully I will hear something by mid-May. But any payouts are likely to take a lot longer than that to arrive, of course.
On a brighter note, I had all my money returned as promised by P2P lending platform RateSetter after the company was sold to Metro Bank. I didn’t invest a lot with them, but it was nice to get my capital back plus interest and the £100 bonus on offer when I first invested. I shall be reinvesting this money soon 🙂
You may also recall that last month I made test investments with two other platforms. One of these, Assetz Exchange, is a P2P platform that focuses on lower-risk property investments (e.g. sheltered housing on long leases). I put £100 into this in mid-February. Since then my portfolio has generated 77p in capital growth and 99p in revenue received, so £1.76 in total. Obviously that doesn’t sound like much, but it works out as an annual interest rate of around 10.50%. Here’s my current statement in case you’re interested:
I also put a small amount into the European loan crowdfunding platform Nibble (the first time I’ve tried investing with a non-UK platform). It’s all going well so far and I get weekly updates from them confirming how much interest has been added to my portfolio. Again, it’s too early to offer any firm opinions about Nibble, but so far everything appears to be on track. My full review of Nibble can be found here.
Finally, a couple of the loans I invested in with the P2P property investment platform Kuflink were repaid (with interest) last month, and I duly reinvested the money in other loans.
I have a diversified portfolio of loans with Kuflink paying annual interest rates of 6 to 7.5 percent. These days I generally invest a few hundred pounds per loan at most (and often £100 or less). My days of putting four-figure sums into any single property investment are definitely behind me now!
You can read my full Kuflink review here. They recently passed the milestone of £100 million loaned, and say that since their launch no investor has lost money with them. They offer a variety of investment options, including a tax-free IFISA paying up to 7% interest per year, with built-in automatic diversification. And I’d particularly draw your attention to their revised and more generous cashback offer for new investors. They are now paying cashback on new investments from as little as £500 (it used to be £1,000). And if you are looking to invest larger amounts, you can earn up to a maximum of £4,000 in cashback. That is one of the best cashback offers I have seen anywhere (though admittedly you will need to invest £100,000 or more to receive that!).
You might also enjoy reading this post titled Home Finance Tips for the Rest of 2021 on the Cibes Lifts website, to which I contributed some suggestions.
Personal
March was another dreary month of lockdown, though it was at least nice to see the schools back (albeit with mandatory masks in classrooms).
The vaccine roll-out continues to go well and the numbers of Covid cases, hospital admissions and deaths are all falling rapidly, giving hope for the weeks and months ahead. And, of course, we are into the spring now, with longer, brighter days and – at some point – the prospect of some warmer ones!
I have gone ahead and booked a short break in North Wales at the start of July. It’s at an Airbnb apartment near Abersoch in North Wales. Here’s a photo from the Airbnb website…
The apartment has a wonderful, near-beachside location with good facilities and great sea views, so I’m really looking forward to going. It will be my first ever visit to Abersoch (and the furthest I have ever ventured along the Lleyn Peninsula). I did try to get there last year but sadly had to cancel due to Covid.
In March I had my annual review with my financial adviser, Mike (if you want to know why a money blogger needs a personal financial adviser, here’s a link to my blog post where I discuss this). Of course we did this as a video call this year. We used Microsoft Teams, a software tool I hadn’t tried before, but it all worked smoothly enough. I am certainly learning a few new IT skills as a result of lockdown!
I talked about my discussion with Mike and some issues it threw up in this recent blog post, so I won’t go over all that again here. Suffice to say, it made me think hard about how my financial situation will change (for the better) when I qualify for the state pension later this year. I didn’t entirely agree with all of Mike’s advice, although I do understand that it was prudent and sensible. But as I should be in quite a healthy financial situation when my pension kicks in, I intend to start spending a bit more rather than simply letting it accumulate year on year till finally it passes on to my sisters (much as I love them). If you haven’t read my post about this, do take a look, and let me know which of us you agree with!
I had hoped by now to have had my first swim since Christmas. But my local David Lloyd Leisure opened their outdoor pool on Monday last week only to close again on the Tuesday (when I went!) due to a problem with the water chemicals (I suspect this could be a euphemism…).
This week it’s too cold for outdoor swims – for me at any rate – so I am counting off the days till Monday 12th April, when they will be able to open their indoor pool as well. The changing rooms will be open too, and I assume I will be able to get a warming mug of hot chocolate in the club room, even if I have to stand up to drink it 🙂
Obviously it is good news that the country is (very) slowly coming out of lockdown. I am also looking forward to meeting friends and family in pubs and restaurants again, though until mid-May this will only be permitted outside in England, so a lot will depend on the weather. But even if I end up waiting till hospitality venues are open inside as well as out, I will look forward to seeing the garden of my local pub full of visitors again!
It does worry me that the government keeps moving the goalposts with regard to easing lockdown measures. In particular, while we were originally told that all restrictions would end by June 21st, it seems increasingly likely this may not be the case. It’s particularly disappointing to hear some of the government’s scientific advisors saying we may be stuck with mandatory face-masks and social distancing well into next year or even longer. I really hope this isn’t the case. The vast majority of vulnerable people have been vaccinated now and this is reflected in the big falls in deaths and hospital admissions. We need to accept that risk can never be entirely eliminated and get back to normal life again now.
As always, I hope you are staying safe and sane during these challenging times. If you have any comments or questions, please do post them below.
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Here is my latest monthly Coronavirus Crisis Update. Regular readers will know I’ve been posting these updates since the first lockdown started a year ago now (you can read my February 2021 update here if you like).
I plan to continue these updates until we are clearly over the pandemic and something resembling normal life has resumed. Obviously, I very much hope that will be sooner rather than later.
As ever, I will begin by discussing financial matters and then life more generally over the last few weeks.
Financial
I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA, as I know many of you like to hear what is happening with this.
As the screenshot below shows, since last month’s update my main portfolio has been through some ups and downs. It is currently valued at £19,155. Last month it stood at £19,008, so it is at least up a little (£147) overall.
As you may recall, three months ago I put £1,000 into a second Nutmeg pot to try out Nutmeg’s new Smart Alpha option. The value of this pot rose as high as £1,040 in mid-February, though it currently stands at a more modest £1,007. Here is a screen capture showing performance to date, though obviously it is much too early to draw any conclusions from this.
I mentioned last time that my first investment with P2P property investment platform Property Partner reached its five-year anniversary, at which point investors can vote to sell their shares or continue for another five years. Along with just under half of the other investors, I voted to sell my shares.
The shares of everyone who wanted to sell were duly put up for sale on the platform. Unfortunately, though, there were few buyers, so with a substantial number of shares unsold, the property has been put up for sale on the open market. That means there will be a period of several months – possibly longer – before a buyer is found, and there is no guarantee that the independent valuation price will be achieved.
That is obviously disappointing, though as I only have a very small amount invested in this property (about £50) I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. In my view Property Partner didn’t make much effort to market these shares to investors. I suspect the same may be the case with at least some of the other properties coming up to their five-year anniversaries. It may be that Property Partner are happy to get some of the smaller houses and apartments off their books, especially the city-based ones for which demand has fallen as a result of the pandemic. Currently I have another small investment going through the five-year process. I voted to sell my shares in this too, but suspect the outcome will be the same.
As I have noted before on PAS, shares in many properties on Property Partner are currently available on the secondary market at a discount to the independent valuation price Based on my experiences to date, however, I would advise caution about regarding this as a buying opportunity. If properties that are relisted attract little interest from existing PP investors, they will have to be sold on the open market. In that case you are likely to have a long wait until you see any return on your investment, and there is no guarantee of an overall profit even then. I shan’t therefore be investing on the Property Partner secondary market for the foreseeable future.
That wasn’t the only disappointing financial news last month. Property crowdfunding investment platform The House Crowd unexpectedly announced that it was going into administration. I still have some investments with THC, though thankfully not as many as I did two or three years ago.
Apart from one small loan – which I accepted some time ago had gone south – my remaining investments are in traditionally crowdfunded properties, all of which are currently up for sale. The money is therefore secured by bricks and mortar, so I expect to get at least some of it back (and have of course been receiving dividend payments from rent received). As with other property crowdfunding platforms, each THC property is owned and managed by a separate Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which gives it legal protection from claims against THC by creditors. How this will pan out in practice remains to be seen, but I note that the administrators have said that their appointment is ‘not expected to have a material impact on investors.’
So I am being philosophical about this and awaiting further developments. These have undoubtedly been tough times for property investors, and regular readers will know that I also recently lost money with another property crowdfunding platform called Crowdlords. Overall, when you allow for my successful property investments and rental income, I am more or less breaking even, but even so (as I have said on the blog before) I am a lot more cautious about this type of investment nowadays.
Personal
February was another long, cold month, but at least there are signs of better times ahead now. The vaccine roll-out continues to go well and case numbers are dropping rapidly, giving us all hope for a return to something approximating normal life in the weeks and months ahead.
And, of course, we are heading into the spring now, with longer, brighter days and – eventually – the prospect of some warmer ones!
One thing that always lifts my spirit at this time of year – and especially in the current circumstances – is the arrival of spring flowers. In my garden I have crocuses and snowdrops out at the moment, and it won’t be long until the daffodils are in bloom. Here’s a photo of a flower bed in my front garden…
I had my first Covid jab in February, at the Whitemore Lakes mass vaccination centre near Lichfield. It was run by a team of NHS staff, military and volunteers. Everyone was friendly and efficient. The only slight blip came when I was checking in. I happened to notice that the clerk had put ‘female’ on my form, doubtless due to my lockdown hair. She was embarrassed when I pointed this out, but of course I couldn’t just say nothing. I shall be very pleased when we are allowed to visit hairdressers again!
I received the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine. After I had a bad reaction to my last flu jab (fever and nausea) I was prepared for something similar with this, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Apart from very slight soreness in my arm the next day, I had no side-effects at all. I hope I am just as lucky with my second jab, which I have already booked for May.
Also on a medical theme. I had my latest trip to the eye clinic at Queens Hospital Burton last week. Regular readers will know that last autumn I was diagnosed with a perforated retina in my left eye. My first laser treatment was only partly successful, so Iast time I received a (more powerful) top-up treatment. This visit was to check if it had been successful, and I was pleased and relieved to hear that it had. So once again I need to express my thanks and gratitude to all the staff there, and especially to Mr Brent, the consultant who performed my final laser treatment and gave me the good news this time. I have been told that if something like this happens once it increases the chances of it happening again, so I have to be on the lookout for any potentially worrying changes to my eyesight in future. But that aside I am lucky that this problem was detected early before anything more drastic (e.g. a detached retina) occurred – so big thanks to my optician at Vision Express Lichfield as well!
As I write this update, the schools are just about to reopen to all students. I am delighted about that, as I know that it has been a tough time for many children. While some schools have been very good about running online classes, these can never be a complete substitute for face-to-face teaching. I also know from speaking to friends that some schools have been less supportive, simply sending pupils written lessons or assignments to complete on their own. That is obviously less than ideal for younger children especially.
I do think it is regrettable that the government has advised that secondary school children should wear masks in classrooms. The same applies to the mandatory twice-weekly testing. In my view these measures will achieve little apart from traumatizing young people and making it harder for them to learn. I understand these measures have been introduced partly to placate the teaching unions and some worried parents, but hope they will be swiftly withdrawn when (as I fully expect) there is no big ‘spike’ in virus cases following the return. Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now!
As always, I hope you are staying safe and sane during these challenging times. If you have any comments or questions, please do post them below.
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The world is an expensive place, so it’s no wonder many people are obsessed with getting freebies.
However, when entering the freebie-hunting world it is important that you adhere to certain rules in order to make the most of it. This article will set out some top tips for novice freebie-hunters – and you may learn a thing or two as a seasoned freebie-hunter as well.
If It Sounds Too Good To Be True, It Probably Is
The excitement of (potentially) getting a freebie from a favourite brand can easily cloud your judgement.
According to Karen Newman at Mega Free Stuff, the majority of transactions have both an upside and a downside; however, when a transaction is free the downside is temporarily forgotten. ‘Free’ provides people with a strong emotional charge, where the individual perceives the item on offer to be more valuable than it actually is. This basically means that the person will set aside common sense if they are being offered a freebie.
Some companies are willing to give freebies, but fans of a brand are often willing to sell their soul (or at least provide all sorts of valuable personal information) in exchange for a minute sample. This is detrimental, and it is essential that you know how big the sample is and what exactly you will be getting. Be sure the freebie is genuine and always read the terms and conditions before applying for any offers.
If You Do Not Ask, You Will Not Receive
It is always worthwhile writing letters or sending emails to companies asking if they have any samples available for you to try. This may seem obnoxious and pointless to some, but those who complete this task have often received large boxes of free items or discount vouchers from the companies as a means of gaining feedback on their products. Furthermore, if you do not like a product, be honest about this. In many cases companies are happy to offer replacement freebies (plus an extra item) if their products do not meet with the user’s approval.
Do Not Expect Too Much
A full-sized freebie is a rare occurrence, with the majority of free products being delivered in small envelopes or tiny sachets. Of course, the primary goal is not to obtain a full-sized freebie but a free sample to see if you enjoy the product for a future purchase.
Furthermore, do not expect to receive all free items applied for. Even if you have claimed a free sample noted as available online, it is unlikely that you will get a 100% return. In fact, the most you can expect is approximately 70%. Do not give up hope and keep applying, and soon you will be enjoying masses of freebies. Once again, though, be sure to check that any freebie is worthwhile, and always read the terms and conditions regarding the size and number of samples.
Do Not Feel Guilty
While some individuals may feel a degree of guilt about asking for freebies, this is completely unnecessary. The company sending a freebie is not losing millions of pounds on the free products; in fact, they are benefiting from the free item. Think about it – for every sample sent out, there is the potential of a new customer. If you receive a free sample and like it, there is every chance you will make a future purchase of that product and might even become a regular customer.
Set Up a Second Email Address
One important – but often neglected – tip is to set up a second email address. To avoid receiving spam mail to your primary address, use this second address to claim freebies and enter competitions.
We have found an amazing competition here, where you can have the chance to win one of 20 Lindt chocolate Easter Eggs (see picture below). This competition ends on 1st April 2021.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for which I am receiving a fee.
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Today I am looking at The Good Retirement Guide, an annual guide published by Kogan Page. I bought the current 2021 edition, which was published last month.
The Good Retirement Guide 2021 is 318 pages long. The text is fairly dense but broken up by plenty of headings and bullet-point lists. There are 14 chapters and an alphabetical index at the back. The chapter titles are as follows:
Are You Looking Forward to Retirement?
Money and Budgeting
Pensions
Tax
Investment
Your Home
Leisure Activities
Starting Your Own Business
Looking for Paid Work
Voluntary Work
Health
Holidays
Caring for Elderly Parents
No-one is Immortal
The chapter titles are pretty self-explanatory. The book attempts to cover every aspect of making the most of your senior years. The style is clear and readable, and additional resources are signposted as appropriate.
In contrast with Sod 60! which I also reviewed recently, The Good Retirement Guide covers the financial aspects of later life in some detail. I thought the information about pensions and benefits in particular was very good and tells you most of what you need to know.
Some of the other chapters are a bit less comprehensive. The one on leisure activities, for example, lists various things you might like to do – or take up – in retirement, but the information is frequently sketchy and can verge on stating the obvious. Here is what it has to say about poetry, for example:
There is an increasing enthusiasm for poetry and poetry readings in clubs, pubs and other places of entertainment. Special local events may be advertised in your neighbourhood.
And apart from a mention for the Poetry Society and a link to their website, that is all you get on this subject 🙂
I don’t want to appear too harsh. Obviously in a wide-ranging book like this, it can be hard to judge the degree of detail appropriate to any particular topic. At least by mentioning a wide range of possibilities, the book may give you some ideas about activities you might like to pursue further in retirement.
The health-related content is a bit of a mixed bag. Some subjects are covered in reasonable depth, others less so. There is just half a page devoted to keeping fit, for example, with a further couple of paragraphs about yoga and Pilates. On the other hand, there is some good information (and advice) on health insurance, long-term care plans, and so forth. Again, this illustrates that the book’s primary focus is on the financial aspects of retirement.
One thing that did surprise me is that although this 2021 edition of The Good Retirement Guide was only published last month, there is no mention of the pandemic in it. You will search in vain for Coronavirus or Covid-19 in the index. I know there can be long lead times in publishing, but in an annual guide you might think they could have inserted a section about it somewhere. Maybe we will have to wait for the 2022 version?
Even so, a lot of the subjects discussed in the guide – holidays, for example – have been seriously impacted by the pandemic. The advice and procedures for travel abroad in particular may be very different even after the pandemic is officially over.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I thought The Good Retirement Guide 2021 was a helpful book for people approaching retirement. As I’ve said above, it has a strong emphasis on financial matters, and is well worth reading for that alone. Some of the other content is a bit hit-and-miss, and the surprising lack of any mention of the pandemic means that at times it reads like a guide to an alternate world where Covid never happened. Of course, none of us really knows what the ‘new normal’ will be in future. We can but hope it will be not too far removed from the old normal we remember and which this book – despite the 2021 in its title – basically depicts.
As always, if you have any thoughts or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
Disclosure: As with many posts on Pounds and Sense, this post includes affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a modest commission for introducing you. This will not affect in any way the price you pay or the product or service you receive.
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