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Free days out & post lockdown adventures

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Way back in the early days of lockdown I went out for a walk every day, and while I’m lucky enough to live near the countryside; my daily walk over the fields and round the woods did start to feel a bit like ‘Groundhog Day’ after a while.

So once lockdown eased, I set myself the challenge of finding somewhere new every weekend. Didn’t mean driving for miles, in fact took me under an hour to get to any of the places here. Plus it doubled up as a moneysaving challenge; as most days I packed a picnic. And even paying for the occasional car park still meant days out for less than a fiver!

Here’s some of my favourite discoveries.

Grafham Water – Cambridgeshire

Ok so it may not be a proper beach but just forty minutes from home and I was on the banks of Grafham Water; England’s third largest reservoir.

You can walk all the way round, but at nine miles, we thought we’d save that for another day, so went for the picnic option as there’s heaps of picnic tables around as well as special BBQ areas.

Footpaths and tracks are traffic free and easy to follow; and you can hire, or bring your own bike, and there’s toilets, a cafe and water sports on offer.

Grafham is owned by Anglian Water, and only our spend was the car park, which cost £3.70 for three hours and up to a maximum of £6 if you stay five hours or more.

Stanwick Lakes – Northamptonshire

I got to discover lots of great places across Northamptonshire when I did a stint presenting on BBC Radio Northampton a few years back. But I certainly never found this little gem.

Stanwick Lakes has something for everyone; with a kids’ adventure playground to trails and walks round the many lakes. Follow the trails beyond the park and you can walk to Rushden Lakes one way or Irthlingborough the other.

This place is just so clean and well looked after and all thanks to Rockingham Forest Trust; the charity that manages Stanwick Lakes.

On a sunny day the kids’ play areas get busy, but just a few minutes away you can be the only one in sight walking round the lakes.

You do pay for parking, unless you arrive on foot. Costs from £3.80 for two hours to £5.80 for all day. Take a ticket at the barrier as you come in and pay at the ticket machine before leaving.

Tring Park – Hertfordshire

Tring is a lovely village with a mix of coffee shops, (don’t miss Black Goo), and gift shops that you can happily wander round for hours.

On my last visit I set out for Tring Park, a ten minute walk from the main street. Tring isn’t a big place but this was no tiny park. It was huge; with a mix of woodland, open grassland and even cows roaming freely. It’s just one of many parks, woods and open space managed by the Woodland Trust

I parked in the town centre and nipped down the lane beside Lussmans restaurant that eventually leads you into the park, but you can often get free parking in the surrounding roads.

The Chilterns – Herts/Beds/Bucks

I live at one edge of the Chilterns and while I’ve always done lots of walks around my area; it took me till lockdown to really get out and make more effort to explore more footpaths, hills and tracks within my local patch.

My poor trainers have paid the price though, as one of the soles started to come away the other week. Ok so I’ve got a couple of new pairs, but I could walk forever in my ‘tried and tested’ Esprit ones, so a spot of super glue and I’m good to go again!

Why I’ve decided to drain my savings….

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Savings rates are rubbish right now so I’ve decided to drain my savings and track down some better ways to boost my cash.

Doors slammed on new savers

It spells crazy days in savings world when a ‘chart topping’ account; one paying just a smidge over 1% in interest, is so inundated with savers, all desperate to get some kind of return on their cash, that it closes its doors.

Well that’s exactly what happened with the Marcus online savings account, from Goldman Sachs investment bank. It pays 1.05% interest, yet the account is no longer open to new savers. But that said, you’d still need to stash away £5,000 just to earn £50 a year. And with the ‘average’ easy access option now paying 0.24%, crazy as it sounds, that 1.05% was a far more lucrative option.

Savings rates have fallen to even more pitiful levels since the Bank of England slashed the base rate to 0.1%. According to the financial data group Moneyfacts, rates on ‘easy access’ accounts fell from an average of 0.59% in January to 0.24% in July and even a one year fixed deal that could have earned you 1.2% in January is now down to 0.7% this month.

So any whiff of a return on cash savings, rather than risk the money being nibbled away by inflation and we’re there banging on the door.

Why I’m stashing my cash in premium bonds

With shabby savings rates right now I’ve been draining my cash savings to pile my money into Premium Bonds as I think it’s more than worth a punt in the current climate.

Ok so big prizes aren’t guaranteed, but I’m happy to risk losing that scraping of interest for the chance to win big. Plus your money’s totally safe as National Savings & Investments is backed by the Government.

I’m no gambler…..

Now I’m no gambler, well ok that’s unless you count my passion for seaside pier amusements when I can happily rack up a tenner playing that horse racing game at 10p a time…….

And ok on a trip to Vegas, we enjoyed a flutter playing roulette in some of the casinos, (came out £20 up!), but unlike gambling, with Premium Bonds, your ‘stake’ is 100% safe as it’s backed by the Treasury.

You can get your cash back when you want it, plus the big bonus is the chance to win a million quid each month.

In fact the only ‘gamble’ as I see it, is throwing away the pittance of interest you could earn on your savings, in exchange for the chance to win big bucks.

Premium Bond countdown

  • Premium Bonds are £1 bonds. You can buy from a minimum of £25 up to a limit of £50,000.
  • Prizes start from £25, and there’s multiple prizes at every level all the way to two prizes of one million pounds each month.
  • Last month over 3 million cash prizes were dished out worth over £104 million.
  • All winnings are tax free.
  • Average return is 1.4% based on prize winning potential; however that’s no guarantee of success.
  • You can find out more and buy Premium Bonds here.

Redundancy rights – where do you stand?

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Losing your job is something you hope won’t happen, but if it does, where do you stand when it comes to redundancy rights?

Nine million of us have been on ‘furlough’ during the Coronavirus pandemic. Officially known as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Government has been picking up the tab for 80% of each employee’s wages, up to £2,500 a month. But despite the billions being spent in an attempt to save jobs, in the long term, it’s sadly inevitable that redundancy will be on the cards for some of us.

So here’s a run down of what you need to know if it happens to you.

First up, you should be told why you’re being made redundant, say the company is downsizing or shutting up shop for good.

How much notice will I get?

This all depends on how long you’ve been with the company.

You should get at least one week’s notice if you’ve been working for the same company from at least one month up to two years.

And it’s one week’s notice per year, from two years up to twelve years, with a limit of twelve weeks notice if you’ve been there beyond twelve years.

Statutory Redundancy Pay

If you’re an ’employee’, and worked continuously for the same company for two years or more, you can get Statutory Redundancy Pay. This is the basic minimum payout, as some companies may pay more. And how much you get depends on your age and how long you’ve been working for the company.

How much will I get?

  • You should get half a week’s pay for each full year of service if you’re under 22
  • It’s one week’s pay for each full year between the ages of 22 – 40
  • It’s one and a half week’s pay for each full year if you’re 41 and over.
  • Worth knowing that some companies are more generous and will pay a month’s salary for each full year of service.

There are limits on how much you can get. This includes a limit on weekly redundancy pay at £538 and a cap on the maximum statutory redundancy payout at £16,140.

You can work out how much you’ll get using the Government’s Redundancy Pay Calculator

5 fact checklist…….

  • If you’re being made redundant, you may be due paid time off to look for another job so ask your boss.
  • Any time spent on ‘furlough’ counts towards your years of service for redundancy pay.
  • Redundancy pay is tax free up to £30,000. Top this and you’ll only be liable for tax on anything over this limit.
  • You can get financial help in the form of mortgage payment holidays, credit card, loan and car finance freezes so speak to your bank or lender.
  • There’s more on your rights and and redundancy on the Government website and you can get free advice on redundancy issues from ACAS

My rundown of the Chancellor’s Summer Statement

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The Chancellor presented his Summer Statement today; basically a ‘mini budget’ with the aim of kick starting our struggling economy.

Here’s my quick run down of what it all means for the pound in your pocket.

Jobs, jobs, jobs…..

The new Job Retention Bonus will reward companies that bring back furloughed staff.

Companies can get £1,000 for every employee they bring back, (providing employees are paid at least £520 a month), and workers must be kept on to January to qualify. Companies get the cash from February.

Small print stuff: More details due by the end of July.

Stamp Duty holiday

Thinking about househunting or in the process of buying a place? This temporary Stamp Duty holiday could save you a few grand.

Until today, no Stamp Duty, (or Stamp Duty Land Tax, to give it the proper name), was payable on properties up to £125,000, (or £300,000 for first time buyers), but from today that limit goes up to £500,000.

Changes apply immediately, and according to the Chancellor’s sums, this means a saving of £4,500 based on the ‘average’ bill.

Small print stuff: This is a ‘temporary’ holiday and runs till 31st March 2021.

Eat Out To Help Out

In a bid to get us heading back to cafes, pubs and restaurants, this new scheme means you can get a 50% discount, (up to £10 a head), on food and soft drinks during August.

Will be available Monday to Wednesday at participating outlets and businesses can sign up on the Government website from Monday.

Small print stuff: Discount doesn’t apply to alcohol.

Kick Start Scheme

This one’s about creating new jobs for 16 – 24 year olds with a Government promise of paying their wages for the first six months.

Companies must create ‘new jobs’, for at least 25 hours a week, pay at least National Minimum Wage and offer training and support to qualify.

There’s also a Government bonus for firms who hire apprentices at £2,000 per apprentice. But the company gets this, not the apprentice.

Small print stuff: Companies can apply from next month for this with jobs available from the Autumn.

VAT cut for hospitality & tourism

VAT is currently charged at 20%, but will be slashed to 5% for six months until 12th January 2021.

Cut applies to food, accommodation and attractions so everywhere from theme parks, to cinemas and zoos so in theory should mean cheaper tickets and meals……

Green Homes Grant

Worth £2 billion; from September homeowners and landlords can apply for vouchers towards the cost of making homes more energy efficient.

Should mean more work for plumbers, tradespeople and builders and grants will cover up two thirds of the cost up to a maximum of £5,000 per household, and £10,000 for those on lower incomes.

Holidays abroad get the green light. Here’s how to protect your trip.

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Holidays abroad get the green light today as the Government says we can now visit a whole host of countries around the world. Since March it’s been advising against ‘all but essential’ international travel but it’s now published a list of countries that are exempt from this.

But our desperate dash to book a holiday could mean rich pickings for fraudsters, with a warning this week from the finance industry to be on our guard against booking scams.

Here’s how to protect your trip so you’re not out of pocket.

Check company credentials

Book a package holiday that includes a flight and you get ATOL protection.

This is a financial protection scheme backed the Civil Aviation Authority and pays out if your holiday company goes bust.

Companies offering ATOL protection should flag this up; but don’t just take their word for it. Always double check it stacks up. You can do this by checking the details on the Civil Aviation Authority website.

With cruise, coach or rail trips, check for ABTA protection. This covers UK travel agents and tour operators. Some companies do claim to be ABTA members when they’re not, so always check the company you book with is a genuine ABTA member by doing a search on the ABTA website.

Never ever pay by bank transfer

When it comes to booking villas and apartments, lots of us get caught out when we’re persuaded to pay by bank transfer.

It’s nothing short of handing a wad of cash to a complete stranger and offers zero protection so don’t do it; however convincing and plausible the reason or excuse you’re given.

Companies like Airbnb have secure payment methods which offer protection if things go wrong.

Pay by credit card

Credit cards are a great bit of kit as they come with built in legal protection.

This comes under ‘Section 75’ of the Consumer Credit Act, and paying by credit card makes both the supplier and your card company ‘jointly liable’.

So if there’s a problem with your trip, say the flight company disappear into the sunset; you can tap up your credit card company for a refund.

Couple of important things to know first. This protection only applies if what you’re buying costs between £100 and £30,000. But you don’t have to put the whole lot on your credit card; even just a small deposit, (can be less than £100), does the trick.

And you must buy ‘direct’ for this protection to kick in. So buying flights on an airline website is ok, but if you book through a third party, like a travel agent, you lose this protection.

Debit cards also offer protection; though rules aren’t laid down in law, like ‘section 75’. But if you have a problem, speak to your bank or card company and and ask them to ‘reverse’ the transaction by doing a ‘chargeback’.

Clever trick to bag ‘ATOL’ protection

Booking a ‘package’ deal, as I mentioned earlier, means extra protection on your holiday.

If the holiday company goes bust you get your money back, or can continue your holiday, or get flown home, if this happens while you’re away.

But there’s no need to buy an ‘off the peg’ package to bag this protection. Thanks to the ‘Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangement Regulations’; more trips now count as ‘packages’.

A ‘package’ counts as a flight, plus at least one other bit of your trip, that’s booked and paid for, (in one single payment), with the same company.

So you can turn a ‘flight only’ deal into ATOL protection simply by adding in a one night hotel stay.

Deals and discounts I’ve spotted this week……

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Here’s my run down of some of the deals, discounts and great buys I’ve spotted this week……

Save 25% off stays at Jurys Inn & Leonardo Hotels

You can save 25% on bookings at both Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels right now. No discount codes needed as discount is automatically applied to your online booking.

Plus you get free 48 hour cancellation; so if your plans change you don’t lose out. There’s 48 locations across the UK from Brighton to Edinburgh to choose from.

Save 30% at Moonpig

You can save 30% on your first card order when you download the Moonpig app and pop in code ‘APP30OFF’.

Savings depend on how much you spend. Email cards cost from around 99p with giant cards around £9.99 so you could stack up quite a saving with this.

Dump your basket at the checkout

Leaving your shopping basket at the online checkout overnight can be a fast track to a discount. I’ve often done this and saved some cash this week thanks to surf clothing company Saltrock.

Popped this t shirt and some sunglasses in my basket, but got sidetracked & didn’t check out. Next morning up popped an email offering me a 5% discount code as the folks at Saltrock spotted I didn’t check out…….

Ok so not a mega discount but worth having especially as I’d already searched for a voucher code and couldn’t find one this time round.

Summer mocktails – 3 for £3.99

Ok so they’re the candle version not the drink variety but you can snap up a set of three of these delicious smelling candles for £3.99 at Card Factory. They’re slightly smaller versions of the individual ones that sell for £2.99 each and set includes Summer Punch (above), Strawberry Fizz and Pink Lemonade. Great for gifts or just enjoy yourself!

How to have a mortgage payment holiday

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Think of holidays and right now bet it’s the beach one you’re dreaming of. But if you’re strapped for cash in the current climate, taking a ‘mortgage payment holiday’ can help ease the financial strain.

What is a ‘mortgage payment holiday’?

It’s like pressing the ‘pause’ button on your mortgage, so you can stop making monthly repayments. If you’ve got a good track record with paying on time; most mortgage lenders will let you do this for a limited time if you ask.

However with many people struggling financially due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Chancellor announced back in March that homeowners and ‘buy to let’ landlords can apply for a three month mortgage break.

How does it work?

You need to contact your lender to agree this; so don’t just stop making payments. Once your lender gives you the thumbs up; means you won’t need to make payments for three months.

But it’s not free cash with the slate wiped clean. You will need the repay the money, plus interest, further down the line.

In most cases, the chunk of cash you owe, can be added to your mortgage, which means future payments will go up a bit.

How can I get one?

Mortgage payment holidays are proving popular. Nearly two million of us are taking one; which works out at one in six mortgages.

Most lenders want you to apply online. You’ll find special ‘Coronavirus’ advice sections on their websites with details on how to apply.

If you’re already on one; and nearing the end; you can ask for a three month extension if you need it. And if you’re applying for the first time; you’ve got until 31st October to do so.

Quick 5 point recap

  1. It’s not free cash.
  2. It’s like pressing the ‘pause’ button on your mortgage.
  3. You will need to repay those ‘missed’ payments plus interest.
  4. Check how much this will add to future monthly payments.
  5. Don’t just stop paying. Speak to your lender first.

Online Shopping. Why it pays to check the returns deal.

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I’ve always been a big fan of online shopping, but in the current climate, with most shops shut, I’ve ordered everything online, from our new garden furniture, to supplies from Boots, plus a couple of summer dresses.

But it’s worth checking the returns deal before you buy or you could be out of pocket if you want to send something back.

Here’s a little video I made explaining why it pays to check before you buy.

How I got a refund from Airbnb

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I’m a big fan of Airbnb. In fact the snap you’ve just seen was taken from the balcony of a fabulous apartment we stayed in last year in Malta.

Sadly this year’s trip won’t be going ahead but Airbnb has extended its cancellation policy in light of the Coronavirus pandemic so I’ve made a little video flagging up the rules and sharing how I got my money back.

How to get your money back if shows, festivals or sports events are cancelled due to Coronavirus

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If you’ve got tickets for the theatre, festivals or sporting events, chances are you won’t be going. Theatres are closing their curtains, cinemas have shut and everything from Glastonbury to the Grand National has been cancelled.

If you’ve forked out for tickets and worried about being out of pocket, here’s how to get your money back.

If the event is cancelled…..

You should get your money back if the event is cancelled. Basic rule is that if you pay for an event or service and the company you’ve paid can’t provide it, you should get your money back.

Get in touch with the theatre, venue or company you bought your ticket from to ask for a refund, however any refund is unlikely to include booking fees or postage charges.

Lots of theatres and ticket agencies belong to the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers. This includes many of the major ticket sellers like Ticketmaster, See Tickets and theatremonkey.com

Means added protection if for any reason you’re having a struggle to get your money back.

If the event is postponed…..

Keep hold of your ticket as you may need to produce it for a replacement once a new date is announced. But don’t worry if you can’t make the new date as you’ll still be entitled to a refund.

Forked out on hotels or train tickets

If you booked a hotel to stay overnight after the event and no longer need it, you’ve no automatic right to a refund as this time round, you’re the one cancelling the booking.

Worth contacting the hotel or website you booked with to check its cancellation policy. Booking.com usually offer free cancellation up to a certain time limit and some places like Premier Inn have introduced a temporary policy where customers can cancel pre-booked stays until the end of May.

And if you shelled out on train tickets, depending on the ticket you may get your money back or the chance to rebook. With ‘Off Peak’ and ‘Anytime’ tickets you can get your money back. Usual £10 admin fees are being waived at this time

With ‘Advance’ tickets, which are non refundable, you can rebook free of charge for a later date. Get in touch with the train operator for refunds or changes.

Five easy ways to cut car costs

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You’ve forked out for your wheels but keeping them on the road can be costly. By the time you’ve totted up insurance, tax, fuel and the cost of those often ‘unexpected’ repairs, you can find you’re stumping up an average of £2,000 a year.

Here’s five easy ways to save some cash without walking………

  • Here’s me taking to the open road…..

Buy insurance early

You get your renewal quote and mean to shop around. But one in three of us only get around to it the day before our policy runs out. Buying last minute can cost you up to £338 more as policy prices can chop and change according to Comparethemarket.com

Cut the cost of car insurance by comparing policies. Yes it’s tempting to want to go for the cheapest deal, but check what you get for your money, and buy insurance three weeks before your current policy ends to save paying over the odds.

Master the MOT

You can pay up to £54.85 for an MOT test, but some garages advertise ‘cheaper’ prices. All well and good if you totally trust them but I’m always cynical of garages offering ‘cheap’ tests to lure you in, especially if they do repairs too.

So why not track down your local council run MOT centre? It’s where they ‘MOT’ buses and council vans so while you’ll pay full whack for the MOT, most don’t do repairs, so there’s no incentive for them to ‘find faults’ to fix.

Add another driver

Ok so I’m not suggesting you add a random person you’ve just met in the street to your insurance, but adding a second ‘experienced’ driver can save money. Insurance is all about ‘risk’ and in an insurer’s eyes, having more than one driver can be seen to cut the ‘risk’ factor.

Often works for younger drivers, if they add parents as ‘other drivers’ on their policy, and older drivers may find a saving if they add an experienced son or daughter. Doesn’t matter if the ‘other driver’ never actually drives your car, but adding them on can save money.

Haggle for breakdown cover

I saved £150 with the AA simply by haggling down the price of our family breakdown cover when the renewal price shot up after the first year. Lots of companies offer super discounted deals to hook you in but the price can sky rocket the next year.

Ring up and haggle at renewal if you want to stick with the same provider or if you’re happy to switch, then shop around on comparison sites.

Save at the pump

Find the cheapest fuel in your area by signing up to petrolprices.com Can save up to £220 a year. And forget paying more for ‘super fuel’ which can boost your bill by 10p a litre.

Valentine’s meal deal at Bella Italia and a trick to pay half price

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Valentine’s meal deals are popping up with M&S, Tesco, Morrisons and Asda all launching one. But aside from supermarket offers, Bella Italia’s Valentine’s meal deal is one of the first ‘restaurant’ ones I’ve spotted so far this year so I thought I’d check out if it’s good value.

Bella’s deal costs £19.99 per person for three courses, (drinks are extra), and runs from 13th – 16th February.

What’s on the menu?

At first glance its Valentine’s menu looks like a cut down version of the standard one with a smaller choice of five starters, six mains and four desserts. I spotted just a couple of different ones thrown in including Salami Dolcelatte Pizza and Lemon Meringue Pie.

For starters the choice includes Bruschetta, Whitebait and Insalata Caprese. Mains include a choice of pizza, pasta and risotto with Tiramisu, Cookie Dough Al Forno and Gelato among the desserts.

Now the Valentine’s menu can vary slightly depending on where you go. At Newcastle, Northampton and Exeter, I spotted steak on the menu, (for an extra £3), but no steak on the menu if you’re dining in Milton Keynes.

How does the deal stack up?

I totted up the price of three courses from the Valentine’s menu compared with the same option on Bella’s standard menu.

Bella’s three course Valentine’s Meal Deal costs £19.99 so you can save up to £6.67 if you go for the most expensive dish for every course. But if you happen to like the cheapest one, you’ll only save £2.27.

Trick to get 2 courses for £10

Ok now Bella’s Valentine menu does include three courses, but if like me you’d struggle to get through three courses and just fancy say a starter and main, I’ve found a trick that saves nearly £10 compared with the Valentine’s offer and it’s done by snapping up a voucher for ‘50% off main courses’ from the ‘offers’ section on the website.

Pop in your email and you’ll get a code that lasts two weeks from the date of issue. Right now that takes you up to 8th February and if you hold out, in a few days time you may be able to download a code that lasts longer. Clearly as with any deal, this could disappear from the website, especially if Bella’s keen to promote it’s ‘all in’ £19.99 deal.

But if you don’t mind celebrating Valentine’s Day a few days early, this way you can choose a two course meal off the main menu for £10.38 per person after the discount, which saves over £9 compared with the Valentine’s three course meal.

How you do it…..

To pay just £10.38 a time you’d need to go for the cheapest starter on the menu at £5.99, (and I’ve counted five to choose from), along with the ‘cheapest’ main which means two choices; either Pomodoro spaghetti with tomato sauce or a Margherita pizza as both cost £8.79.

And for the ultimate test, if you choose two dishes from the standard main menu, (that also appear on the Valentine’s Menu), like the Whitebait at £5.99 followed by the Campagna Pizza (goat’s cheese, peppers, onion, pine nuts etc) at £10.29 you’ll pay £11.14 per person (after the 50% main meal discount), meaning a saving of £8.85 just for for going without a pud.

And if at this point you decide you really can’t manage without a dessert; well you still won’t be out of pocket. The most expensive individual desserts on the menu are just £6.29 so add that on top of the £11.14 bill for two course; comes to £17.43 so you’re still £2.56 in hand.

Small print stuff

I’ve checked out the small print, and the code can only be used once, so both you and your Valentine’s date will need to download a voucher from the website and may even need to pay separately.

As you’d expect there’s a few t&c’s too so you can’t use the 50% off vouchers on a Saturday, or alongside any other special offers or at certain locations that are all listed including airports.

5 ways to protect your holidays

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January is the most popular month for booking holidays, and we splash out an average of £3,216 a year on them, so here’s five ways to protect your trip against holiday nightmares.

Book a package holiday

Don’t let your dream turn into a nightmare

Book a ‘package’ and you get greater protection than booking all the bits separately. But this doesn’t mean you have to go for an ‘off the peg’ deal complete with rep and transfers.

A holiday counts as a ‘package’ if you buy your flight and at least one other part of your trip at the same time, so that could be your accommodation, car hire or even a cruise.

This then gives you ATOL protection which means your money back if the airline or holiday company go bust before you go, or costs covered if this happens while you’re away.

And in case you’re wondering, ATOL stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence and it’s a financial scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Quick protection booster

For instant ATOL protection, you only need add in one overnight stay. This works providing you book both the flight and overnight at the same time, through the same company and pay a single price.

Pay by credit card

Paying by credit card boosts holiday protection

If you just book a flight you don’t get ATOL protection.

But if you’re booking flights direct, and the cost is over £100, pay by credit card. This is because a nifty rule known as ‘Section 75’ shifts the responsibility on to both the supplier and your card company.

So if the airline goes bust, you can claim back the cost of your ticket from your credit card company.

Pack travel insurance

One in five of us don’t bother with it, according to Sainsbury’s Bank which is frightening stuff. In fact it’s just mad in my book. A week’s policy for a trip to Europe can cost around the price of a couple of drinks, and could save thousands of pounds in potential medical bills if you come a cropper on your trip.

Worth buying as soon as you book your trip as this way you get cancellation cover. And no need to buy it from the airline or holiday company you book your trip with, so shop around, but don’t just look for the cheapest policy, compare the cover you get for the price.

Get ABTA cover

For trips that don’t include flights, like rail, coach or cruise based holidays, look for ABTA protection.

ABTA is the trade group covering UK tour operators and agents so always worth looking for its logo and membership number. And then double check this back through ABTA’s own website.

Means your money back if the company you book with goes bust, or if this happens while you’re away, ABTA will get you home.

5 ways to be one step ahead with Black Friday sales

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Black Friday ‘deals’ have been piling into my inbox, but I’m always rather cynical when it comes to all this Black Friday hype.   

Stores may advertise big savings to lure you in, but it’s no guarantee that buying on Black Friday means you’ll bag the best price.

Black Friday falls on 29th November this year, and as in recent years, lots of retailers are starting their sales early, and Amazon’s Black Friday sale has already kicked off.

But when it comes to the price tag, a whopping 95% of Black Friday ‘deals’ are cheaper, or the same price, after the sales, according to research from consumer group Which.  And price comparison site Idealo also found 9 out of 10 items on sale during last year’s Black Friday event were actually cheaper at other times of the year.

So here’s how to stay one step ahead of the hype when checking out those Black Friday ‘bargains’. 

Use Amazon’s price tracker 

Even if you’re not planning to buy on Amazon, worth using its price tracker tool to check the ‘best price’ of anything you’re planning to buy.

This handy tool monitors Amazon prices all year round, so it’s a quick and easy way to see what its ‘cheapest’ price has been over the year and give you an idea whether a Black Friday deal really is a good price. 

Price match

Stores don’t offer discounts to be generous; it’s their chance to shift stuff that’s not selling.   So it can be hard to compare ‘like for like’ if the tech gadgets on sale aren’t the latest models or are less familiar names.   

So worth comparing prices on a couple of price comparison websites.

Shop around now

If there’s something specific you’re after; shop around now to see who’s selling it and the current price.  This way you’ll know if the deal you see on Black Friday really is the best one.

Forget voucher codes

Bad news with Black Friday, (along with any other sales), is that you can’t usually use any discount vouchers to get ‘double discount’. 

So in some cases a Black Friday discount may only bring the price down the same level as you’d pay a week later with a 20% voucher code.   

Check returns policies

Over half of us admit to splurging on ‘impulse buys’ last Black Friday according to Protect Your Bubble, when we dented our bank balance to the tune of £145 a time.

So if you buy something you later regret, worth knowing if you can take it back. 

Stores aren’t obliged to dish out refunds if you change your mind, and this applies at any time of year, not just Black Friday.  But that said, many do have generous ‘returns’ policies so always check before buying so you’re not out of pocket.

Ways to see the wonder of Uluru

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Taking a trip to the Red Centre, the red dusty spiritual heart of Australia and home to the mighty Uluru, is beyond amazing. Also known to tourists as Ayers Rock, it got this name when William Gosse, the first non-Aboriginal person to see it back in 1873 ‘named’ it after Sir Henry Ayers, who was Chief Secretary of South Australia at the time.

Watching the sunset at Uluru is a magical experience

The climb is closed

As the sun set over Uluru the climb has now closed for the final time. Making the dangerous scramble to the top has sadly become something of a tourist sport over the years, and resulted in 37 deaths.

Took this on my last trip. Here’s the signs asking tourists not to climb

Climbing has always been a subject of great controversy and debate. And many tourists ignored the signs asking them not to climb and explaining the reasons why. I’ve been lucky enough to go there twice and have never climbed on either of my trips. Personally I’ve always felt it’s disrespectful to the Anangu people, who are the traditional landowners, and for whom Uluru holds great cultural significance.

It’s a truly amazing place to visit and there’s so many better ways to experience the wonder of Uluru so here’s my tips to get the most from your trip.

Plan your trip

If you’re only going to be there once, you don’t want to rock up and miss the sunset or find you’re fighting for camera space.

Lots of tour companies organise both sunset and sunrise trips but do your research before booking to find out where you’ll be dropped as some viewing areas can get crowded. This one’s beyond the National Park, but if you’re staying for a couple of nights, and want another view, it’s worth the short walk to Imalung Lookout for a sunset view and if you’re lucky you could be the only one there.

Tour tips

You can do the whole fancy coach thing, where you pay posh prices to jump aboard a big bus and get a glass of fizz at sunset, before being herded back on the bus the second the sun’s gone down.

Going solo and hiring a car or going on a small group tour is the way to go in my book. We went on a trip with the Rock Tour, and were still in the middle of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park long after sunset when everyone else had gone. Just eight of us, hanging out, cooking dinner from the back of our van and feeling we were the only people on the planet with Uluru for company.

Do the base walk

You can have Uluru all to yourself on the base walk

I don’t think you can take a trip to Uluru without seeing it close up. This is when the sheer size of it really hits you and you can see the caves, paintings and the Mutitjulu waterhole. The ‘base walk’ is ten kilometres all the way round and it’s an amazing experience as after leaving our guide, we didn’t see a soul for most of the walk. Do this in the early morning or early evening due to the heat! And take plenty of water!

The sky’s the limit

Took this on our helicopter trip and it’s one of my favourite views

You can get a pretty good view of Uluru from the air if you’re taking an internal flight in, or out, of tiny Connellan airport, but for the ultimate experience hop in a helicopter.

Ok so it’s not cheap but I reckon it’s well worth every last Aussie dollar. Ayers Rock Helicopters do several trips from $150 AD.

Ready for take off!

Beyond Uluru

So many tourists think of Uluru as the one sight to see, but don’t even think about leaving until you’ve taken a trip to Kata Tjuta, (the Olgas), where you can do the short Walpa Gorge walk or the longer more strenuous Valley of the Winds Walk.

And well worth making time for a detour if you’re heading north, as Kings Canyon is a must especially if you’re planning to head up the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs, which is a five hour road trip away.

Second Hand September How did I do?

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Way back at the start of September I decided to challenge myself to save some cash, and the environment, by wearing stuff that was already hanging in my wardrobe or borrowing, or buying, preloved or second hand clothes.

Oxfam had just mounted a big campaign to raise awareness of the huge amount of clothing that ends up in landfill, a massive 11 million items, each week! Now I’m not suggesting you should never buy new stuff, but as as I’ve always been a big fan of charity shops along with ebay, where I regularly pick up great second hand finds I thought I’d see if I could make it through a month without buying ‘new’.

So here’s how I got on……..and as promised I’m being honest!

Week one

Gap T shirt from charity shop and jacket donated by my daughter

Ok now this week I was working from home most days so any temptation in the form of nipping past the shops was pretty much out of the way, though I did pop in to both the Dogs Trust and Scope charity shops while I was passing through my local town. Didn’t buy anything this time round but have picked up some bargains there in the past.

My daily wardrobe this week was mainly jeans coupled with working my way through my existing t-shirt collection. The one above was originally from Gap but I picked it up at the Princess Alice Hospice Shop in Richmond, for £4 not long ago. It’s one of my favourite charity shops and always pop in when I’m in the area as often found some lovely things there.

Must admit that I do love a spot of shopping from Esprit so it was a bit tough not to have a sneaky peek on their website, especially as they’d sent me a £20 voucher against the new season stuff.

Week two

Mary’s Living & Giving Shops

I’m also a big fan of Mary’s Living & Giving Shops. Set up by retail guru Mary Portas, these boutique style shops sell top quality second hand clothing to support Save The Children. I’ve been in several of their shops including Kew, Primrose Hill and Richmond and did pop in for a quick browse while in London.

Had a few meetings in London this week so I wore a mix of second hand including a John Rocha skirt that I picked up on ebay a while back, along with a jacket and t-shirt borrowed from my daughter and a few dresses that I’ve had in my wardrobe for a few years.

Week three

This week I was off on my holidays!

Beach bar look with H&M t shirt borrowed from my daughter

Now while I usually have my holiday togs and beach wear ready packed in my cabin case, I have been known to make a few last minute purchases at the airport, generally boosting the bank balance of Monsoon.

Well this time round, I’ll be honest, I did weaken and wander in and even started to come up with the rather sneaky idea that if I spotted something and persuaded my husband to buy it for me, then would this count as ‘cheating’?

But the Gatwick version was pretty small, so without too much of a tussle I genuinely, (honestly!), came out with a zero spend.

Week four

Hobbs dress I bought on ebay saving 70% off the ticket price

Only a few days of the month left and time to showcase one of my more recent ebay bargains that I wore for a work meeting. I loved this dress from Hobbs when I first spotted it in a sale in John Lewis earlier in the year. Would have snapped it up on the spot but sadly the only size was a wee bit too tight…..

But not long afterwards I found it on ebay in the right size, only worn once and in excellent condition, and bought it saving around 70% off the original price.

Ways to save on theatre tickets

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I love going to the theatre but tickets can be pricey so here’s 5 easy ways to save money and enjoy the show.

Tickets for 10p

Yes really! You can bag 10p tickets at the Royal Court Theatre in London. A limited number of these go on sale just one hour before the performance. But at this price, you’ve got to be happy to stand, and may not get the best view in the house! But at 10p for a night out, it’s beyond a bargain!

Save up to 60% on tickets

Tickets for £15 for Miserables if you follow Theatremonkey tips….

If you want to book in advance, you can still bag discounts of up to 60% with Theatremonkey.com I’m a big fan of the site and used it several times with great seats, (and savings!), in both the stalls and circle at different theatres.

Wait for the tour

Wait till big name shows go on tour and catch them at your local theatre to save on seat prices. Sign up for advance emails to find out what’s coming your way.

Swap theatres for pub gardens

It’s still summer so enjoy outdoor theatre. Fuller’s pubs are hosting ‘Shakespeare in the Garden’ across 30 pubs with peformances of both the Merry Wives of Windsor and Romeo & Juliet with tickets just over a tenner.

Buy a coffee and watch the show

Theatre Cafe is a great place for coffee, cake and showtime!

Pop into the brilliant Theatre Cafe in St. Martin’s Lane in London, buy a coffee and watch the show as the cast of some of the West End shows often pop by for performances.

How much would you pay for a holiday season ticket?

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A new luxury travel pass means unlimited stays in glam five star locations around the world. What’s there not to like?

Rather fabulous looking place in the sun…….

How much?

I’ve just been reading about the new Inspirato Pass which claims to be the first luxury travel subscription service promising ‘endless travel for $2,500 per month’, (just over £2,000), with ‘no nightly rates, taxes or fees’

Sign up and you can book luxury hotels along with experiences like river cruises and safaris.

Who’s this for?

Well clearly at this price it’s not a service for budget travellers, who are happy stashing a week’s holiday togs into a cabin bag, (that’ll be me!), to save some cash. And it’s not being marketed this way.

But even if you do have a stash of cash to shell out the equivalent of £24K a year for a membership; (pretty much the average annual wage), that’s not the end of the bill.

Oh no, it’s just the accommodation that’s covered as part of the deal, so you’ve still got to book your flights, cough up for any car hire and shell out for all your meals and drinks while you’re away. Well ok, this is luxury stuff, so you do have the services of a concierge while you’re away, along with a travel planning service to help make all your arrangements.

Where can you go?

Tropical beaches….. (my own favourite beach is Whitehaven beach in the Whitsunday islands in Australia)

There’s a whole heap of places to choose from with 150 locations around the world and 60,000 places to stay across the USA, Europe and Asia.

I did check check out whether there was an option to sign up for a month, bag some great ‘once in a lifetime’ trips and then pack it in. But minimum membership is six months so we’re talking £12,000.

Can you always be ‘on holiday’?

Do love a bit of ‘blue sky’ thinking up in the clouds…….

You can book as many trips as you like for your monthly membership, but you can’t ‘stockpile’ holidays. Rules say you can only book another trip once you’ve checked out from the first.

So aside from the, ahem, obvious hefty price tag…….is this all plain sailing? May not be great news if your ‘dream holiday’ isn’t available when you are, you may have to settle for somewhere closer to home.

And if you’re looking for far flung destinations, then flight prices aren’t going to be cheap if you come back from one trip, and fancy another within the next couple of weeks.

I checked out New York…

Get a view like this from the Top of the Rock at the Rockerfeller Centre

I wanted to see what you’d you get for your money in terms of hotels so I went on the Inspirato site to see what was on offer within the next few weeks. I spotted a 2 night stay in New York in one week’s time staying at the Beekman Hotel in the Financial District close to City Hall Park.

Looks a great luxury hotel, but just how much would you pay for a last minute flight to New York at such short notice? Though once again, maybe the folks that are going to be going on these trips will just hop on their private jet rather than be trawling cheap flights to New York with Norwegian Airlines where you can bag return flights from under £250 if you book in advance.

Booking the advertised 2 night stay at the Beekman through Inspirato means you get a ‘Deluxe King’. Book direct with the hotel and this would set you back the equivalent of £460. So while the room rate may be covered under your monthly membership, to get value for money from your monthly £2,000 membership fee you still need to knock up a few more trips to break even.

Think I’ll stick to budget flights and Airbnb………