Hey Skint pals,

Today’s post comes, in association with aquacard.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend. The highlight of mine was a Great Gatsby party at a pals house – you know how I love a chance to get dressed up – and apart from that  I  spent much of it trying to sort out a holiday. You may remember my past resolutions to get organized when it comes to holiday planning and I’d like to report that I’ve done so this summer – but once again, we’re doing more flapping than a Charleston girl as we hunt for suitable last-minute options. Baby Skint’s my handy excuse this year. See, what we really want to do is go camping, having loved every second of it last time, but with a 12-month old baby who would view a camping stove as a fun, pull-along toy, we’re not sure how good an idea it is.

Camping’s just such great fun though, and so darned cheap. Even if you plump for the posh, already-erected tents, which have a fridge, stove, proper camp beds etc, it’s still a third of the price of staying in an apartment, making it a great option for those keen to escape the city without shelling out a fortune. In fact, together with housesitting and holiday camps, traditional campsites have seen business boom since the recession kicked in. 

For lots of people, summer holidays are their biggest annual extravagance, and though I hardly use my credit card through the year, come summer I blow the cobwebs off and get ready to spend now, pay later. All well and good if accessing credit’s not a problem, but what if you’re one of the increasing number of people who find a credit card out of bounds due to a lack of, or poor, credit rating? With half of credit card applicants being rejected, it’s a growing problem, so today, I’m bringing you a range of tips designed to help you improve your credit rating this summer: 

Tips to improve your credit rating 

• If it’s poor, find out why: In the UK, credit ratings are provided by two main credit reference agencies: Experian and Equifax. Any UK individual can obtain their credit report, and this should always be the first step in trying to fix credit ratings, since it may show  up issues that are easy to fix. Even something as simple as failing to register for the electoral roll at your current address can affect your rating. And whilst it normally costs £2 to get your credit report, they’re free to people in need, eg people accessing certain debt charities and also to victims of identity fraud.

• Don’t assume your rating’s right: With ID theft and fraud on the rise you might well find that activities listed on your credit report don’t belong to you. Always check each activity carefully to ensure it relates to you. If it looks suspect, credit reference agencies have Victims of Fraud teams, who will help you set the record straight . 

• Get the Timing right: Credit reference agencies frown on you making lots of applications for credit in a short space of time, so space out applications, not just for credit cards but also for mobile phone contracts etc, as these each show on your file. Moving house also hits a score (maybe it makes you seem more flighty?), so if you’re applying for serious credit, do so before moving.

• Use your landline on applications: Credit reference agencies are conservative souls. They like us all to be stable: To own our homes rather than rent; to be employed rather than self-employed; to have been in the same job and home for a gazillion years. One simple tip? Put your landline on your applications rather than your mobile number. Yep, even if a mobile’s easier for you, credit agencies equate a good old solid landline with reliability and look on you more favourably as a result.

• Repair your reputation: If you’ve checked your report and your rating looks poor but correct, it’s time to start building it up. One way to do so is to prove to credit reference agencies that you’re a model citizen. That means paying off debt reliably, always meeting your  payments and never going over your limit. How to do this though if you can’t get credit in the first place? One solution may be to opt for a credit card account that’s specifically aimed at people struggling to get credit elsewhere.

The aqua Advance credit card is one such card, targeted at assisting people such as those who have been made redundant or have encountered other financial difficulties, and has a number of features designed to help borrowers to build a stronger credit history.

 There are a number of credit cards on the market and it is recommended that you should carry out your research in full, prior to making an application. Even if you have previously had credit card applications rejected, it’s worth applying to those lenders who look more favourably on individuals with mixed credit histories. 

What about you, Skint pals? Have you ever come across any shockers in accessing your credit reports? How did you dig yourself out, if so? Tell us all about it!

Skint xx 

Hey, Skint pals, don’t you love May? Hopefully some of you who managed to bag the £20 of fuel for a tenner deal I featured yesterday – if not you still can until May 27. Another bank holiday weekend is upon us – and apparently this weekend more of us will be looking for a house, or doing up our own homes to sell than at any other time of the year.

This is one of the busiest weeks of the year for househunting and buying – but only if you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford it. Some younger folks in my family want to buy their first flat at the moment and they’re finding it almost impossible to break out of the trap of trying to save for a deposit whilst paying out every month on rent. When I bought my first flat more than ten years ago, getting a mortgage for the full amount (100%!) was nothing out of the ordinary, but these days? Well, you’ve as much chance of winning The Apprentice as sweet-talking the bank into lending you the full amount.

But I’ve saved really hard for months – whaddya mean I still can’t afford it?

So with mortgage companies now asking for higher deposits than most first time buyers can afford, just how do you get your first foot on the housing ladder?

Unsurprisingly it’s all about the saving, folks, but it’s increasingly difficult to save as much as is required in these tough times. The more deposit you can put down, the less risk you are as an investment and therefore, the cheaper the rate of interest you’ll receive. For example if you can stretch to putting down a £24,000 deposit on your first £120,000 flat (ie 20%) you could bag yourself a decent rate of interest because you’re only taking out a mortgage on 80%. But realistically, what first-time buyer can do that?

Most first time buyers, even after years of saving, are still looking at having lower deposits – say five or ten percent –  meaning they’re faced with 90 or 95 % mortgages and higher interest rates.  

And it’s not just about the deposits either - if your salary is too low mortgage lenders can still refuse you, even if you have the deposit, so what are first-time buyers to do? Well, another option, is to check out the schemes that help young people on to the property ladder, like the Government’s First Buy and New Buy schemes. Here, 90-95 per cent mortgages are available on new homes built by participating developers, and the homes tend to be far more affordable than those sold on the open market.

 Which Mortgage Type Should You Go For?

First time buyers - make that all of us – get confused about which type of mortgage to go for. The two main types that are widely available are the fixed rate and the tracker rate. This BBC article explains very clearly the main points of first-time buying, but basically, fixed rate mortgages offer security in terms of knowing exactly how much needs to be paid each month, for a set period of time. Best for: risk-averse folks and those who want/need to control their budget very tightly.

The tracker mortgage uses an interest rate that is set just above the Bank of England base rate. This will then change as the Bank’s rate fluctuates, meaning that you could save money if the rate decreases, or on the other hand it could cost you more. This is the most popular type of mortgage and does generally work out cheaper than others, as well as providing more flexibility. Best for: folks who are a bit more relaxed about regular fluctuations in mortgage payments and who have a little leeway in their budget.

So, which do you favour folks? And do you have any tips for first-time buyers trying to get their foot on the housing ladder? How on earth did you do it? Or are you a serial-renter who doesn’t want to own property at all? There are plenty out there!

Coming next folks – that post on secret insider tips to save money at the salon that I promised you. It’s full of good stuff – straight from a stylist’s mouth! Meantime, hope you all have a great holiday weekend.

Skint xx

Hey Skint pals,

I hope you’re all having a great week. Mine’s been loads of fun so far, and surprisingly frugal too, since, despite having three big events on, I denied myself anything new to wear and pulled some of my oldest vintage stuff fromthe back of the cupboard instead. I also got talking to a hairdresser and learned so many money saving insider tips that I reckon I’ve saved myself a bomb on future haircuts. (I’m going to share them all in a post, coming soon. Hint: one of the tips involved paprika and it’s a corker – are you intrigued?)

Now, with another holiday weekend coming up, I wanted to share a little love with you by showcasing some of the best frugal-living and personal finance blogs across the web. I was delighted to be included on a recent list that MoneyAware put together of their favourite money-saving blogs. And because I really rate the others on the list and read most of them regularly I thought I’d share them with you  – a list of blogs so fun and thrifty that you can literally feel yourself saving money with every word you read.

Heh, If you make it through them all you’ll practically be a millionaire by the end. The following, in quote marks, is an extract straight from MoneyAware’s post - here are their fave 20 blogs about being thrifty.

“1.   Martin Lewis at MoneySavingExpert.com

Okay, so some of you might argue that with his celebrity status and regular spots on Daybreak, Mr Lewis doesn’t count as your average blogger. Let me tell you, he does.

Martin still faithfully updates his blog with debt news, special offers and hot deals. He also talks regularly with his Facebook and Twitter fans.

One reason why we love Martin: He played a huge part in  a recent landmark decision by Parliament to make financial education part of the national curriculum. Safe to say he’s a top bloke in our book!

2.   PennyGolightly

Penny’s motto is simple: “find a way to enjoy the finer things in life for less”. Her mission is to prove that you can enjoy yourself on a budget. Follow her blog for tips for smarter spending and you’ll see the rewards in no time! Penny also guest blogs for us from time to time.

One reason why we love Penny: the freebies and samples section on her blog.

3.   Blackbullion

Our friend Vivi released an excellent book last year to help kids get smarter with money. She’s got a finance background and has a special understanding of the problems that may arise in a person’s life with money. Sign up to her blog for updates and take a look at our review of Vivi Friedgut’s book ‘Money Smarter’.

One reason why we love Vivi: her article about kids, financial education and the piggy.

Nice image from pennygolightly’s site. I like.

4.   Ask James at Experian

James Jones knows all you need to know about your credit file or history and what you can do to keep it in tip-top condition. Pop over to the Ask James section on the Experian website or send him a tweet.

One reason why we love James: His no-jargon responses to questions like “Can I avoid my husband’s debt mess affecting my credit history?” 

5.   Happier.co.uk

Just the title of this blog alone is enough to make us feel all fuzzy inside. We love the Happier.co.uk blog for its witty writing style, useful tips and no-nonsense outlook on money and debt.

One reason why we love Happier.co.uk: Their awesome guide on the 33 ways students can save money. 

6.   Help Me To Save 

You’ve got to love a blog that does exactly what it says on the tin. Canny lass Karen Bryan shares our mission to help you get the most out of life for less, and she’s got some great guides on her blog on how to do just that. 

One reason why we love Karen: The article she wrote to accompany Virgin Money’s infographic on the cost of lifestyle. 

7.   Baby Budgeting 

Before our colleague Pav went on maternity leave she found Baby Budgeting to be a lifesaver. It’s packed to the rafters with tips and tricks on how to save money on your bundle of joy. They also post links to some fantastic competitions! 

One reason why we love Baby Budgeting: Their plain English guide to the benefits changes.

8.   MakeDoStyle 

Girl about town Kate Battrick has lots of tips for looking chic on the cheap. She’s also the author of refreshingly funny eBook Girlynomics. It talks about the mindtricks we ladies sometimes play on themselves as an excuse to spend money. 

One reason why we love Kate: Read our review of ‘Girlynomics’ and find out! 

9.  MyFamilyClub 

This is a fantastic resource for parents (and non parents) to save money on their family and household all year round. On the blog you’ll find tips and guides on money-saving and budgeting, as well as vouchers, offers, deals and discounts, and where to find your household essentials at the best prices every week. 

One reason why we love My Family Club: They spoil us with this list of top 50 money saving tips!

10.  Moneymagpie 

If you’re stuck on ways to earn a little extra income, this is the place for you. The good folk at Moneymagpie, lead by journalist and TV personality Jasmine Birtles, are experts at finding those hidden opportunities in life to make some moolah, and want to share their expertise with you! 

One reason why we love Moneymagpie:  Their brilliant guide on how to save money and make money every day in May. 

11.   CashQuestions 

You can count on Cash Questions founder Annie Shaw and her team for sound money advice. Annie has also written an excellent article for us in the past about why you should never trust your finances to fate. 

One reason why we love Annie: Her hilariously-titled blogposts (e.g. Beware the hiss of an angry pensioner).

12.   Diary of a Frugal Family

We love seeing a journey of money mastery unfold before our eyes, and Diary of a Frugal Family gives you exactly that. Money-savvy mum Cass takes us through the highs, lows and in betweens of bringing up kids on a budget. 

One reason why we love Cass: Her step-by-step guide on how to organise a family funday for under £10.

13.   Skint in the City

From tips on how to make money selling lost luggage to finding out the best times for picking up kerbside treasures, Skint in the City has it all. There’s also some great guides on updating your wardrobe for cheap. 

One reason why we love Skint (aw shucks): her tongue-in-cheek observation of the most depressing day of the year.

14.   Savvy Woman 

Personal finance journalist Sarah Pennells is determined to help women everywhere become a little richer. Her website Savvy Woman was named 5th in ‘50 top websites to save you money’ by The Times earlier this year. 

One reason why we love Sarah: Her 10 easy ways to make the most out of your money.

15.   Miss Thrifty 

Miss Thrifty has also been featured in The Times ‘50 top websites to save you money’ and it’s not hard to see why! She tackles all cash problems: beauty, fashion, holidays, weddings, personal finance and food – all while bouncing a growing baby on her lap! 

One reason why we love Miss Thrifty: Putting together the 10 commandments of savings by the Thrifties. 

16.  And Then We Saved 

We don’t just limit our favourite blogs to the shores of Blighty, no sir. American blog And Then We Saved run by Anna Newell-Jones  is one of our faves for straight-talking money tips and encouraging success stories. 

One reason why we love Anna: Her jawdropping list of 56 things to do instead of spend money.

17.  Savvy Scot

From working as a bouncer and taking internships in Texas to studying a masters degree in mechanical engineering, SavvyScot certainly has experience in the upheavals life can throw at us. If you like your money advice with a healthy pinch of snark, you know where to go!

One reason why we love Savvy scot: Their straight-from-the-heart guide to living within your means. 

18.  The Frugal Path 

The great thing about The Frugal Path is that its creator Justin knows that one person’s journey to debt freedom is hardly ever the same as another. You can read stories from various people taking their own steps towards their financial goals. 

One reason we love Justin: He has a simple guide to finding your financial path that anyone can follow.

19.   Chilli, Sage and Lemon

If you follow our Twitter account you’ll know that we’ve started a #cheapscran hashtag so we can share any cheap and cheerful recipes that we find. Jess and her hubby Dave at Chilli, Sage and Lemon have been a great source of inspiration for us!

 One reason why we love Jess and Dave: Their brilliant guide to preventing food waste.

20.   Discountcoder 

Katie and Jenny are dedicated to saving money, the environment and your social life. DiscountCoder will show you how to spend less on the things you genuinely need and how to get the best value from your hard-earned cash. 

One reason we love Katie and Jenny: 8 tiny money-saving ideas that build up to big savings!”

And My Top Five That Were Born in the USA

I’m going to add to MoneyAware’s list with three of my favourite personal finance blogs from the States. The personal finance blogging community is a lot bigger in the States than in the UK and there’s so much to learn from its terrific writers. If I had to save any in a fire I’d pick these three:

Budgets are Sexy - This site, written by the mysterious J$ has such a strong voice. It’s his readiness to lay bare all the details of his financial life, such as how much he’s worth etc, that partly make this site so compelling.

Afford Anything - Paula is among the most thought provoking of US personal finance bloggers, with a fresh take on all the big money issues. You won’t catch her writing about saving a few pence on a latte  – she goes for the important stuff like how to build a property portfolio and how to make those really tough decisions about prioritising what you want in life.

Get Rich Slowly - One of the biggest of the US personal finance sites with no-nonsense advice on every money issue under the sun. And some great readers stories too.

What about you, Skint pals? What are your favourite sites – with a money slant or otherwise? If you share we can get a little site-swap going – kind of like a bloggers book club . . .  I’d love to hear which blogs float your boat . . .

Skint xx 

PS – If you want to find out more about those money-saving insider tips from the hairdresser – including that paprika one – subscribe here.

Photo credit: PennyGolightly

Hey Skint pals,

‘I prefer to keep my money right where I can see it – in my closet.’

What messages does your mind give you when you think about investing? Are you all Richard Branson about it – yep, bring it on, give me more, do it now? Or are you more Carrie Bradshaw, who when asked about investing in property came out with the quote, above? 

Hmm, it’s an investment portfolio of sorts I guess – but might a pension be a better bet? Whadya think?

Me? I’m veering into Richard’s camp now. I’ve spoken before about how I’ve been a financial ostrich in the past but it isn’t something I’m proud of and neither should Ms Bradshaw be. These days, things are quite different.

I’ve got some savings now, not much but something, and ISAs, and all the stuff we ought to have, but lately I’ve been thinking about making the next step – into investments rather than just savings. I’m not talking big money by any means – it’s small beans really. But I’ve got to start somewhere and, I’m questioning the wisdom of having money lying idle in a savings account, on low interest rates, and I’m thinking about investing it. So, how to invest money, starting from zero? 

Lump sum conundrum

Knowing what to do with savings is something that comes naturally to many, but not to me. I’m naturally quite risk-averse, so I’m not sure that investing in the stock market is the way forward – especially in the current climate where the markets are so volatile.

When I left my previous employer though, after paying into a stakeholder pension for many years, I had the choice of whether to leave the money in the pension or take it and invest it elsewhere. So far, I’ve left the money where it is but I really don’t know if it’s getting me the best deal. This is my current conundrum.

Stakeholder pensions are seen as good for making a small lump sum grow, and are pretty easy to understand, but would I be better off looking at high-interest savings accounts? Although it can be hard to find one that offers significant returns in the short to medium-term, some still have pretty attractive rates – even in these tough times – if I’m willing to lock cash away for the longer term.

Pensions or ISAs?

For some people, pensions are not the best way of building a portfolio – where, for example, their work pattern is erratic. Here, cash ISAs may be a better bet, being either tax-free or tax-efficient, which help to protect your savings from dwindling due to levies.
According to the folks at Yorkshire Building Society, who are providing some of the information for today’s post, benefits include:
– No tax to pay on your interest. (Within a certain yearly limit)
– You can open an ISA for as little as £10
– Withdrawals do not penalize the amount of interest you earn.
– Instant ISAs allow access to your funds immediately, although this is not the case with many ISA’s.
But as I’ve got a bigger lump sum currently invested in the stakeholder pension and don’t care about instant access, am I better to wait it out there? Have you guys got any experience of taking money out of a pension? How are you investing for the days ahead, when walking frames will matter more than fashion footwear?  I’d really love some advice on this one.
Skint x

Hey Skint pals,

Just back in the UK after a great holiday in Portugal with friends and family. We did that renting a big villa thing and splitting the costs – much cheaper than going as a small family. And despite the torrential rain on landing in the UK, it’s still good to be home.

Still, things are a bit tight money-wise chez Skint post-holiday, so I’ll be economising over the next month or two. I’ve been wondered though: when you’re strapped for cash, do you spend less or borrow more? I’m firmly in the spend less camp, but I read a survey this week from a personal loans firm which revealed some very bizarre reasons that customers give when requesting finance.

See, apparently not everybody who asks for a loan needs money to pay for a new car or holiday. Explanations given to the company included funding an investment in gold bullion, a new tattoo, and paying bail money! Needless to say, not all of the personal  loans requests were approved. . . 

Take out a loan to build a rocket? Beats paying off the mortgage for stories to tell the grandkids I suppose . . .

Top strange reasons for requesting a

personal loan:

•             Buying a gold bar
•             Buying a collection of antique glass eyes
•             To fund production of home-made rocket (how much does that cost?)
•             Paying a taxidermist to stuff a pet
•             To open wallet and impress a new girlfriend
•             Buingy the latest Star Wars memorabilia as a future investment
•             To pay bankruptcy court fees
•             To pay for a new tattoo
•             To loan to a friend at a higher interest rate (this one really tickled me. Some friend, eh?)

I think the Star Wars enthusiast might have the right idea though. Have you seen how much some of those old figures go for? Most loan requests though are still for more down-to-earth needs such as household bills and car loans. The most popular reasons for requesting a loan are:

• Rent or Mortgage arrears
• Bills
• Credit card debt
• Car loan
• Significant household purchase

Hi Skint pals,

I’m writing this post today with a million things on my mind. I’m getting ready to go on a week’s holiday soon and I really ought to be digging out my shorts or buying suncream or wasting time on tripadvisor,  but instead I’m sitting here cursing my poor memory and wondering how to pay for the hire car.

See, I planned to pay for the car and some other big expenses by credit card whilst abroad. Here in the UK I often use a debit card for day-to-day stuff but they have their limits abroad, so a rewards credit card is what I use on my hols. But today, when I started looking stuff out for the holiday, I realised I don’t have a clue what my pin number is. And of course the bank can’t tell me. I wouldn’t want them to – I could be anyone, after all. A new pin will be posted, but not in time, so it’s adios credit card and hola . . .  what?  

Ah, this is the life. Holiday money has a much better life than all the other money, don’t you think?

What did people use pre-credit cards when travelling? I can just about remember the days when credit cards weren’t so common and instead it was travellers cheques that people turned to, but what a hassle having to go to the bank abroad and cash them in. You might remember that I found an ancient travellers cheque still lurking in my cupboard not so long ago, and how the woman in the bank actually laughed when I fished it out of my purse. 

For me, credit cards really come into their own when travelling and a credit card that offers rewards points makes sense to me. The idea is that you collect reward points from things that you’d be buying everyday anyway: fuel, food etc. Sort of like a bunch of store loyalty cards and a credit card rolled into one. I like the convenience. I guess it makes best financial sense though if you only collect the rewards on stuff you’d be buying anyway, right?

Anyway, despite this little hassle I’m still excited about our forthcoming hols with our pals. And whilst abroad we’ve got some other friends from out of town housesitting our place for the week. They get to enjoy being skint in the city for a change and we get the peace of mind knowing that the house is safe. Just a little nervous after the break-in, you know, and so it’s great that they’re here to keep an eye on the place. 

What about you? Do you use credit cards when travelling or do you do it the old-fashioned way and just stride boldy out towards the horizon clutching a fistful of dollars? Did you do a lot of comparing credit cards to find the best one for your lifestyle? And do you have any nifty ways of remembering your pin numbers? You know how none of us are meant to write them down, but how on earth do you keep them all in your head? Any top memory tricks gratefully received! 

Photo credit: on the beach

Today’s post is a guest post from MBNA. 

Hey Skint pals,

Hope you’re all doing well and staying stylish in the snow.  I’ve largely been keeping out of the cold by burrowing away like a mole in a hole and getting unwanted baby stuff ready to sell at a Jack and Jill market.  Making money selling baby stuff at these markets have become quite a trend so, together with my good pal Lorna, I decided to bag up some of baby Skint’s outgrown stuff, pay for a stall and brush up on my market patter.

The damage for a stall? £23 charge, then keep whatever you sell. Lorna and I were doing it partly for the cash and partly to clear out unwanted clutter, so on Saturday we got the tablecloth and bunting out, stuffed our cars chock-full and fixed on our bestest grins.

I had my mind on my money under the mattress fund, and thought the Jack and Jill market might give it a boost. You might remember that this is my little challenge to generate cash from things lying around the house, or from sources of income that I never bothered cashing in on before. So far I’ve:

• cashed in an ancient £50 travellers cheque
• missed out on cashing in on old Francs by a couple of months
• stopped overpaying on a credit card

and a few other bits and pieces which have earned me £243.50 so far. 

Lorna’s crowd-pulling sign. That girl knows how to write a headline.

Lorna is the labels queen, so her half of the stall included Baby Moschino, Dior and more Ralph Lauren then you could shake a tiny polo shirt at. Over my side of the table, things were considerably more high street. As well as baby clothes I was flogging lots of equipment: bottle warmer; steriliser; bouncy chairs; bath seat etc – all the stuff that’s been taking over my house for the last five years, since Little Skint, now aged 5, came along. And with baby Skint now nine months old, I am delighted to declare that I will never again have any possible need for a Gina Ford book,* so we were both ready to sell, sell, sell.

The folks at the Jack and Jill Markets advised beforehand that selling only clothes on a stall would most likely net sellers £100-£200, and that selling a wider range of stuff would boost profits. Market doors opened to the public at 10.30 and by then we were all set up and ready to dazzle with our patter. We had bagfuls of loose change, our pricing was all done, and all we needed were buyers. We were expecting a  stampede at 10.30 but in reality it was more like a trickle, as people slowly made their way round the market. We were kept steadily busy all morning, but fell way short of their top seller’s total (£700 apparently). Still, it was worthwhile. For such a small outlay you’re almost bound to make a profit – the dilemma is whether that profit justifies the time spent washing, sorting, packing etc before you come to market. 

Here are some tips for making money selling baby stuff stuff, based on what I learned on Saturday:

• Haggle your heart out. I knew this already but boy, my haggling skills are nothing compared to some of the customers we had on Saturday. Customers were quick to ask outright for a bargain, naming their price, not mine. Ie they didn’t ask ‘could you do any better on the price?’. They asked ‘Will you accept £5 for that?’, leaving it to me to decide if I would. And do you know what? Even though I didn’t always accept their first offer, I always met them in the middle. Not once did a customer who had asked for a discount pay the full price. Just shows you – it pays to be bold. Both Lorna and I were astonished by how much people haggled – they weren’t asked for a 10% discount: they were asking for a 50% and 60% one. If Alan Sugar is ever looking for some more sales negotiators I’d saw that a quick trawl of the Jack and Jill market might be more efficient for him than a ten-week series of The Apprentice.
• People want practical stuff, not fancy stuff. The baby blankets and cot sheets that I threw into the car as an afterthought sold out quickly, with people asking for more. But the teensy summer dresses that I spent ages washing, ironing and hanging on rails didn’t sell nearly as well. In these cash-strapped times perhaps people are looking to buy essentials first. Were I ever to do it again I would leave most of the dresses at home and sell sleeping bags, equipment, pram suits, blankets etc – stuff that babies just can’t do without. Toys also seemed to sell well. 
•  If selling clothes, make sure they stand out. Lorna’s clothes sold way better than mine. That’s because hers really stood out from the crowd; true designer bargains in the midst of high street stuff. After all, who can pass up Ralph Lauren for £5? At the end of the market we noticed that most sellers still had most of their clothes left. There were just too many clothes around – based on what we saw on Saturday I’d say that to do well with clothes they need to be eye-watering designer bargains. 
• If you’re selling online, don’t automatically assume eBay is best. A few women at the market said that eBay hadn’t given them great results – too crowded a marketplace perhaps? Consider selling on a more specialist site, such as kiddimart or even netmums. And if you want to give eBay a shot, I came across this page of tips that I think are pretty good.

Lorna and I each made in the region of £150. And though we were expecting to come away with more, we’d probably do it all over again. I’ll be giving most of the baby clothes to charity/pregnant friends though and focusing on equipment and toys etc. Though we didn’t get as much cash as we’d hoped for, we definitely got more laughs, especially with the woman who went through almost every piece of clothing on the stall declaring that every item would make her baby look too fat. We didn’t get to see the baby, but I admit to being intrigued. And six different people asked us if our tablecloth was for sale. It wasn’t. It was under a pile of shoes, but next time we’re flogging the cloth!

*Actually I can think of a few . . . 

Hey Skint pals,

Happy Sunday to you all! Hope this coming week is a good one. What would make it brilliant for you? Winning £300 maybe? You might just have hit lucky here then! This week, Skint in the City has worked together with fellow bloggers, The Savvy Scot and The Money Principle, to bring you a bonanza-tastic chance to win money – £300 cash no less, sponsored by myvouchercodes.co.uk! Yep, 300 smackers (more than $450) to spend on whatever takes your fancy.  Sadly, I’m barred from entering, but if I could I’d be planning to put the winnings towards a little Easter getaway.

Not being the most organised type, my holiday planning generally kicks off around May, when many of the best bargains have gone. But this year I am smugness itself, having already booked my Easter hols. Admittedly I can take little of the credit for getting my finger out so promptly. You see, this year we are going away with a couple of pals and their families and it’s their get-up-and-go that galvanised me into action – otherwise I’d likely still be dithering over holiday websites till a week before take-off.

I’ve spoken before, here, about the many benefits – financial, social and others – of renting a villa with pals and this Easter we’re doing it. Six adults, six kids in a villa in Portugal. Chipping in this way really makes a massive difference in terms of cost – a six bedroom villa with a pool and great views, split three ways, is both cheaper and far more luxurious than any of us could have gone for on our own. And by buying and cooking food together, eating in round the table etc we’ll be saving money without trying too hard. The other massive benefit of this type of break I think is that children seem to magically disappear when they get together with others, banding together and generally steering clear of the adults all day. More fun for them and more chill-out time for the grown-ups too.

Wait up – serendipity alert! I’m writing this in a cafe and, as fate would have it, the people next to me are, at this very second, talking about Portugal. The guy is saying that his sister is thinking of buying somewhere in Portugal since prices are reasonable and the Portuguese people are lovely. So, there you have it – my holiday choice validated by a bit of impromptu eavesdropping! If you won the £300, what holiday destination or activity would you put it towards? Let me know by entering the competition.You can choose to just enter once or – by Liking, Tweeting etc – you can gain lots more chances to enter. Just click here to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck pals. Skint x

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Photo credit: Bleacher Nation

Hey Skint pals,

Hope you’re all doing well. There’s a bit of a lurgy in the Skint house this week, so I’m not feeling my greatest. However, the early nights have at least given me a chance to catch up on some reading: the wonderful But Beautiful by Geoff Dyer and some magazines too that I subscribe to and often don’t get round to reading.

That’s the trouble with subscriptions: they’re not always worth the money. Apparently 60% of us have resolved to save money in 2013 –  I’m surprised it’s not higher than that, myself – and one of the ways we think we’re saving money is by taking out subscriptions, whether on magazines, newspapers or films and TV.

I’ve told you before about my addiction to newspapers, but because I’m totally disloyal to them all – jumping around almost daily to keep things fresh – I don’t subscribe to any. I do however subscribe to a couple of magazines, (Mslexia for writing advice and Vogue to shake my head at whilst muttering blackly about the price of everything it contains), and I annually renew a couple for Mr Skint too, originally bought as presents. So far, so smug. After all, if you’re going to be reading/viewing anyway, subscriptions make sense, don’t they? Don’t they? Umm, no actually, it seems. Research from film and TV service, blinkbox has found that: 

• 77% of are subscribers wasting money every month
  

  If you’re looking for a cheap way to enjoy magazines, perhaps the hairdressers is a better bet than a subscription . . .

• The average Brit wastes £14 per month on unused subs and memberships

Though on the surface subscriptions look like a no-brainer, with 75% of people claiming to feel confident they’re saving money by taking them out, are we really sure? With film and TV services, much of the content has often been available to stream and download elsewhere earlier, so why pay for it?

Would it be more prudent for us all just to pay for what we want when you want it? Or are you a subs girl/guy through and through? Do any of you feel they’re really worth the money? Go on, share the good ones with us please! 

Speaking of wasting money on monthly fees, what on earth is happening with my AOL bill? Usual monthly fee: about £35. This month:£102. Time to get snippy with someone on the phone right now. Will let you know how it went. 

Skint x

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PS – A big thank you to J Money over at Budgets Are Sexy for included a Skint post in his weekly round-up today.

Do you know if you’re getting the best deal on your credit card? What does “the best deal” even mean anyway? Goodness knows it’s bamboozling and the temptation for all of us when trying to decide is just to choose the one with the smallest number in front of the percentage.

But in fact, the best deal doesn’t mean the lowest rate at all. Of course it’s a factor – nobody wants to pay a high rate for anything – but the lowest rate on paper doesn’t mean you’ll be paying the smallest amount on your plastic.

If you do ditch your credit cards, here’s a nifty way to upcycle them. American Express plectrum, anyone?

 How do I find the best deal?

If you do just look through a list of the credit cards you can get, with all the details surrounding each, you’re probably going to get mighty confused. Too many decimal points, too many Terms and Conditions, too much jargon – they don’t make it easy. The good news is that there is likely to be a card on the market that’s just right for you and your needs – you might just need a helping hand finding it. The credit card comparison tool at TotallyMoney.com makes the job easy, and when all the facts are clearly displayed you can work out whether it’s a good idea to switch or not.

Should I switch between cards?

If you decide to shift your credit card debt from one interest free card to another you’ve got to keep an eye on the charges – they can mount up pretty quickly if you’re not careful. There are more and more credit cards that offer you 0% interest on balance transfers, and for longer periods, but you have to read the small print before making the move.

The main things to take into account before switching are:

• the transfer fee, if there is one involved
• the length of time you’ve got to pay off the existing balance. You can’t just push it from card to card forever – at some point you’re going to have to pay your debts.
• If you want to hang on to your cash for as long as possible and pay your debts at the very last second, then a long interest free payment period (some cards offer up to two years interest free) is probably the best choice: you might have to pay more to set it up, but you’ll have a lot longer to pay it off.
• On the other hand, if you only need to keep borrowing for a short period of time, look for a card with a lower balance transfer fee – these tend to have shorter terms too though.

The repayment differences can be huge, which is what makes it so crucial to choose the right card. If you were shifting a big debt over – say £5,000 – you could end up paying £175 on a card that has a balance transfer period of 22 months at 3.5%, compared with only £50 on a 13 month card at 1%. So, if you think you can raise the money needed to repay within the year, going for a shorter repayment time like the latter option makes clear financial sense.

Skint note: Hopefully you won’t be needing your credit card too much this festive season, but if you do, it makes sense to feel happy with the one you’ve got. If you’re last minute shopping this weekend, like me, let’s make a pact not to panic buy. I always overspend in the last days before Christmas because I’m afraid I don’t have enough in. This year I’ve resolved to hold my nerve . . .  

Photo credit: KitchTwentyTwo