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November 8, 2017 by Greg Underwood

Online Versus In Store – Which Shopping Option Is Better?

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With the Christmas season right around the corner it’s easy to get wrapped up in the rush to get gifts ahead of the crowd and to make sure that nothing is sold out before you get there. Then you have the option of whether you do your shopping online or in store. Which is better? Many people will use a combination of both and it seems to work well for them and for good reason. But what are some pros and cons to online versus in store and how do they influence how we buy?

 

Online

Shopping online can be such a great way to get the things we need and want without leaving the comfort of our sofa. You can also sometime score a good deal and save some money online too. With online stores offering multiple ways to pay as well as various delivery or pick up options too, it’s easy to see why online shopping is becoming the more popular option. But sometimes you may find yourself strapped for cash before the holidays, or have a low credit card limit due to bad credit but you desperately need that special gift you found online now? SwiftMoney can process your payday loan quickly and you can borrow for up to a year too meaning you can do more shopping online right now and worry about it later when you have more money at your disposal. Perfect for the Christmas season when costs seem to get on top of us. Another benefit to online shopping is the fact that with multiple options to shop from such as Amazon, you can almost always find that product you want in stock somewhere at any given time.

In Store

The benefit to in store shopping is that you can physically see things before you purchase them. This can be a problem online in the sense that sizing in clothes can be off or that lamp you bought your mother for her birthday can actually fit in the palm of your hand. Unlike shopping online as well, shopping in store means you can have the item today instead of having to wait on shipping and then potentially missing the delivery if you aren’t around and then having to organise a time to go and pick it up. In store can also be more enjoyable and get you out and sociable with others rather than just sitting inside clicking “Add to Cart” alone in your house. In this sense, store shopping is better than online. Plus sometimes you go to your favourite shop and find they’re having a sale and you end up saving much more than you would online!

So which is better? While they both have pros and cons everyone has their own preference. With online shops like Amazon offering just about everything on the planet these days though, online seems to be slowly overtaking the high street in terms of available items and preference for shopping – especially around the holidays when you can have huge queues of in store shoppers to deal with and patience wears thin as the days flick by to December 25th!

October 15, 2017 by Greg Underwood

6 Things To Keep in Mind Before Buying Your First Home

Purchasing your first home is the biggest, and the most expensive purchase you will ever make. Hands down. That’s why there are a few important things to consider before taking that first step onto the property ladder. The first step, as with anything, is always the hardest so I’ve put together a handful of what I would deem the more important aspects to consider.

Don’t always follow your heart.

Throughout your adult life we are told that we should follow our hearts. In this instance I’m going to go against the grain and suggest that when buying a property, you cannot let your heart rule your head. Yes, you may have fallen head over heels for the picturesque cottage-like exterior, and those rose-tinted glasses are firmly on, but are you maybe overlooking a more important issue such as damp for example? Look beyond the appearance, double glazing, heating, electrics…

Look at the bigger picture.

Zoom out. This one ties in with my tip above. Don’t simply focus on the property itself. What is the surrounding area like? I’m talking crime stats, transportation, schools, is there a decent Chinese take away? These are of equal importance and you may have your own to add into the equation too.

Don’t be shy.

Ask questions when being shown around somewhere. Enquire about the neighbours, ask how much the current owners pay on bills, offer less than the asking price. What’s the worst that could happen? They say no? Then you come back with a slightly higher one. Asking prices are up for negotiation, so don’t be afraid to push the boundaries slightly.

It is yours.

No more living with the parents, or friends, and no more rent. Mortgage payments are considerably less than rent, which is, of course a huge bonus. This time you are the owner. Those four walls belong to you. This obviously means that you can, within reason, do whatever you like to the place. Decorate, furnish, knock down walls, build walls up, have friends over, clean or don’t clean. But, owning your own also means that if anything breaks, it’s on you. It is your responsibility to fix, replace and insure things so having some money set aside for these occurrences can take the sting out a bit.

Look into the future.

Now, I don’t mean you need to book yourself a meeting with the local clairvoyant, I simply mean think ahead. If having children in the not-so-distant-future is part of your plan, (and I know we can’t always plan these things), then looking at one bedroomed properties is simply a waste of time. Moving house is one of the most stressful things a person can go through in their lives, the less this is experienced the better! If you’re happy and content with your job then looking at areas within an easy commute of it is a good idea, however, if you’ve been contemplating a change then take this into consideration as well.

Shop around.

For an estate agent, a mortgage advisor and a mortgage itself. There are many different ones out there with different areas or expertise and experience. You don’t have to go with the first one you meet 😉

This being said; enjoy the experience. Enjoy the excitement of scouring the internet, putting in your ‘must-haves’, thinking about your ‘definitely-nots’ and having a nosey around other people’s houses!

October 15, 2017 by Greg Underwood

5 Hacks To Paying Off Your Loan Earlier

There are a million and one loan companies around these days. Short term ones available to help you get to the next pay day if you’ve had an unexpected expenditure, or a more long-term loan for a big purchase. It’s the paying the money back when issues can occur. When it comes down to it, paying off your loan or credit card debt as quickly as possible will save you money which, could be put to much better use.

Shop around

By this I mean seek out and switch over to credit cards with 0% on balance transfers. Also consider switching your bank account to one with lesser charges or offers you a percentage of your spending back. Arrange a meeting with your bank and discuss an authorised over-draft to save any unnecessary charges if you’re going over-drawn every month. You could always take out another loan at a lower interest rate to pay the first off giving you some months of interest free payments to get back on top. Even increasing your monthly payments will save you money in the long run as you’re paying off less interest. Just be sure not to leave yourself struggling with your outgoings each month.

Use savings.

I know we all believe we should be saving for a rainy day, but the truth of the matter is that most debt’s usually cost more than savings earn and so if you can cancel them out you’ll be much better off. The interest rates are always a lot higher on the money you owe rather than what you’re saving. So, it is worth considering using that emergency fund to pay off some debt

Generate more money.

I’m sure we would all be doing this if we could, right? But what I mean is make some cut backs, budget, have a look around your house, your bedroom and put any unwanted and unused items on second hand selling sites to give you a little extra cash in your hand. £10 here and there might not seem like a lot but it will quickly add up over the course of a month or year. If possible, take a part time job to help boost your income. A couple of evenings work in a bar is great for socialising and will bring you in a few extra bucks. There’s opportunities out there for flexible people, plus it doesn’t have to be a long-term thing if you don’t want it to be.

Consolidate your debts with a loan.

If you have a car on finance or several credit cards, contemplate getting a bank loan and paying off a few debts with it. The interest rates are notoriously lower, so you’ll be in a better position each month and could even afford to pay more.

Round up the payments.

This is one way of paying off the money quicker without really realising it. If your monthly payment is £264 a month, rounding it up to £300, an extra £36 a month creates an extra £432 a year. That’s got to help shave a few more months off payments off the length of your loan.

There are lots of benefits to paying off your debts early, not least of which is the easing of stress and strain thinking about monthly payments and interest rates.

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A Million Lives

Travelling in all its glory is fun and exhilarating but sometimes you might want to find some information on where to go, what to see and how to go about it from someone other than the go-to websites, especially when it comes to travel hacking and the coolest, most useful ways to get the most out of your next adventure.

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