This year we’re more likely to go on holiday in our back garden than the Algarve and it could be just the opportunity we’ve all been waiting for. As a child we went to the Lake District every year for our summer holidays, and now with a one-year old I’ve reinstated this tradition. Rain or shine, it’s the perfect escape with all the fresh air you can muster, breathtaking views, and the peace and tranquility I spend a lot of my London life searching for. But wherever you are in the country, the

As the coronavirus pandemic shifts from a medical to a financial crisis, millions of people are now facing unemployment, with fears that one in seven workers will lose their jobs if a second wave of the virus hits. In fact, even if the virus is kept under control, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has predicted unemployment to hit 11.7 per cent, which would see around four million people in the UK out of work. Many people have already lost their jobs and when th

The UK is opening up after the coronavirus lockdown but the financial impact of the virus, including the country facing its worst outlook for jobs for 30 years, and the economy contracting faster than after the 2008 financial crash, means the downturn is far from over. More than a quarter of workers are now on the government’s furlough scheme, with those in the leisure, retail, and hospitality sectors some of the worst affected. It has so far cost the Treasury around £20bn. Some will have alrea

MILLIONS of grandparents who look after their grandkids could be missing out on £250 a year, new figures have revealed. The help given doesn't need to be in person either as grandparents looking after children on the phone or by video while their parents are working can claim valuable tax credits. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates The government has changed the rules around these credits because many grandparents aren't currently able to visit their grandchildren

IF you’re struggling financially because of the pandemic, help is available from mortgage holidays to breaks on paying back loans. The government has announced a range of measures and here we have listed the deadlines you need to know about for applying for help. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates When the Prime Minister brought in the coronavirus lockdown on March 23, many people were left without work or a reduced income. This has put a lot of pressure on finan

WEDDING venues could be breaking the law to avoid giving refunds for cancelled ceremonies, according to a report by Which?. The consumer group says they may be exploiting unfair terms - with some couples claiming they've been charged fees for postponing weddings because of the coronavirus outbreak. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates Which? heard from 25 couples who are having problems receiving refunds, sometimes worth tens of thousands of pounds, for cancelled or

The coronavirus pandemic has not only caused thousands of deaths, including more than 50,000 in the UK alone, but has also triggered a worldwide economic crisis, with rising unemployment, falling wages, and a slowdown of business. On 13 May, Office for National Statistics figures showed the UK economy contracted at its fastest pace since the 2008 financial crisis during the first quarter of 2020. We won’t know until the summer if the UK is officially in recession – technically classified as a

Have you ever dreamed of growing your own fruit and vegetables or rearing hens or bees for an endless supply of eggs and honey? It may sound idyllic, but just how achievable is the good life – and will it save you any money? Getting back to nature and shifting away from buying everything at the supermarket is becoming increasingly popular. There are around 100,000 people currently on allotment waiting lists and it’s not just a hobby for the retired either. According to a recent study by Wyeval

Are you keen to have a smart meter installed or do you worry about the negative stories surrounding them? Here, energy experts help to debunk some common misconceptions Smart meters are designed to save households money and give people more control over their energy usage. This type of gas and electricity meter works by sending your meter readings digitally to your energy supplier and bringing an end to estimated bills. However, the £11 billion government rollout, which began in 2016, has been

SMALL businesses across the country are going above and beyond to deliver food, drinks, and essential items to households during the coronavirus crisis. While the supermarkets are experiencing a surge in demand, and online shopping slots are hard to come by, we’ve rounded up the small shops you can buy from. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates Shoppers across the country are desperate to get their hands on essential items and because of panic buying, many items are

MARK Barber earns £33,000 a year but a divorce has left him nearly £20,000 in debt, which he's desperate to clear so he can afford to marry new partner Kerry Hyde. The couple, aged 46 and 31 respectively, live in Cambridgeshire where Mark earns £2,150 a month after tax and pension contributions as a fire alarm engineer. Mark's two sons, aged 17 and 15, live with his ex-wife in Surrey and he sees them twice a month. But while Mark is savvy when it comes to switching and monitoring bills, he's

Stuck in a rut at work and feeling unfulfilled? Four people who have successfully changed careers share their stories We are expected to know from an early age what career we would like, but what happens if you decide you no longer want to do the job you have? We spend an average of 3,507 hours working in our lifetimes, according to a study by the Association of Accounting Technicians, which is a lot of time if you are stuck in a job you hate. Here, four workers share their stories on how the

BUYING her own home is Stacey Gould’s dream but with £5,000 of debt and an individual voluntary agreement (IVA) she doesn't know if she will get accepted for a mortgage. The 33-year-old recruitment partner earns an annual salary of £34,670 - or £2,259 a month - and has recently moved into a rented one-bed cottage in Leeds. But she's desperate to get debt-free and step onto the property ladder. Our Cash Clinic expert Rebecca Goodman doesn't pull any punches - she tells Stacey to stop fritterin

MILLIONS of UK households are overpaying for their energy, even though switching providers could save an average of £268 every year. There are 11 million households paying too much for their gas and electricity with a standard variable tariff from one of the big six energy companies. But while switching energy companies is the easiest way to cut your bills, not enough of us are doing it - and the savings really add up. Those with an average consumption with a standard variable tariff from Bri

HARD-UP households can get cash grants or discounts to help buy essential white goods including cookers or fridges. They are offered by charities, not-for profit organisations, the Government, and even companies - but you have to meet the requirements. Usually you will need to be on a low income, receive certain benefits or suffer from illnesses or disabilities. While other schemes are available to those who’ve worked for particular firms or charities. Last year charities alone charities dis

Rebecca Goodman visits W Bali, and finds the perfect jumping off point for exploring the island…if you can drag yourself away from the pool. Don’t miss the W’s Bali outpost, located on the beach in popular Seminyak. The luxurious hotel has four swimming pools looking onto the sea, on-call staff serving food and drink to your sun lounger, and it’s surrounded by some of Bali’s best restaurants and shops. The hotel is bright, vibrant, and modern with all the luxuries you’d expect from this outsta

Something of a revolution is under way in terms of what we eat, with growing numbers of people opting to go vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian. But what about the food we give to our pets? What’s in it, and is it worth spending more on premium brands? My two cats are generally not fussy eaters, but last year, after one became ill, I started to look into the ingredients in their food. Oscar and Dennis are two-year-old moggies and, apart from killing sprees of the local wildlife in our London neig

When she had her first child, Buster, Steph Douglas received eight bouquets of flowers. She found it overwhelming - eight more living thing that you needed to care for. But flowers are one of the most popular gifts for new mums - with friends, relatives and colleagues frequently heading straight to a florist when choosing a gift. Steph - now a mum of three - disagreed, and has gone on to build a business based around sending anything but flowers to new parents. “When friends had babies, I wou

Lightfoot promises to save drivers around £150 a year on petrol, but how does it actually work, and could it actually save you any money? We test it out. Do you think you’re a good driver and if so, why? Maybe you’ve avoided having any accidents and don’t have any points on your licence, or you’re generally confident in your driving skills. What would you say if you could buy a small black gadget to fit into your car, which would monitor how you drive and possibly save you money? Lightfoot, a

Are Aldi’s copycat products any good and should you switch to them? Rebecca Goodman tested out 10 to see how they stack up. Aldi is well known for beating the high street supermarkets for cost and is often praised for creating products which are better than the big brands. Since the first shop opened in 1990, it’s gone from strength to strength. It has hundreds of new shops planned and this year was named the Best Grocer of 2019 and the best supermarket for Own Brand Range products by Retail