A school lunch budget starts with comparing the cost of school meals with packed lunches, then planning a week's lunches from one shop. In a worked example, packed lunches cost about 1.50 a day against 2.70 for school meals.
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To buy a used car without overpaying, set a total budget including insurance and running costs, research what similar cars sell for, check the car and its history carefully, and negotiate using what you've found. A few hours of checks can save hundreds.
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Payday loan alternatives start with asking for more time from the people you owe, then help from your employer, local support schemes, and lower-cost borrowing like a credit union. Most cost far less than a payday loan.
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How much do you spend on coffee? Multiply the price of a cup by how often you buy one: at 3.50 a day on 20 working days, that's 70 a month or 840 a year, and making most of them at home could save over 500.
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A summer holidays budget with kids covers childcare or holiday clubs, days out, activities and extra food at home. In a worked example, six weeks for two children comes to about 1,500, or 250 a week, and planning it in spring spreads the cost.
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To save money for your child, pick a goal and a date, choose an account in their name or yours, and set up a small automatic amount each month. Saving 25 a month from birth puts 5,400 aside by age 18, before any interest.
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To save money on gardening, grow from seed and cuttings, swap plants with neighbours, buy tools second-hand, collect rainwater and make your own compost. In a worked example, a year of gardening drops from 400 to 180.
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When your partner overspends, start by finding out why, then agree a few shared numbers together: what you save, what bills cost and how much each of you can spend freely. Personal spending money each month takes most of the heat out.
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To combine finances after marriage, first share the full picture, then pick a setup: everything joint, a joint account for shared costs plus your own, or separate accounts with an agreed split. Most couples land on the middle option.
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A monthly money meeting is 20 minutes after payday where you look at last month, check this month's bills and savings, and agree one thing to change. Keeping it short and regular stops money from becoming a crisis topic.
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Should you lend money to a friend? Only if you could afford to lose the amount, with repayment agreed in writing and a plan for what you'll do if it isn't paid back, and sometimes a smaller gift works better.
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A simple way to set pocket money by age is a small amount per year of age each week, with more responsibility as the amount grows. What matters more than the number is what the child pays for themselves.
· 3 min read
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