Cash Chats UK Money & Personal Finance podcast

A cap on how much electricity and gas costs seems a good idea - and it is. But it's not as simple as saying everyone is going to pay less. In this episode of Cash Chats, I break down who the cap applies to, how it works, and why you shouldn't get complacent. And my golden rules to make sure you don't ever need to worry about paying too much for your energy. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats73/

In this episode of the podcast you can find out how to pay less for your internet. This week I haggled an extra £8 a month off my monthly broadband charge - which was already £22 off the standard price. My total saving over 12 months is going to be £336. So in this episode I've shared how I did it and how you can do the same. There's a mix of methods you can pick and choose from - or do a combination of them all. For me I first took advantage of a top new customer deal, and then jumped on Virgin's forthcoming price increase as an opportunity to haggle another discount. You can also save by stripping out services you don't need or blagging extra special offers such as cashback and free TVs. More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats72/

This week I'm sharing where I think the best places are to put cash savings. With two new savings accounts offering 1.5% (Marcus by Goldman Sachs & the RBS Savings Builder), I've looked at whether they're any good, or if you can get a better rate elsewhere (spoiler: you can). I also discuss why most of you don't need an ISA, particularly if you earn under £46,350 a year. But if you are a higher earner with lots of savings, then find out why you need to think a little differently. More over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats71/

Often people think of mental health in relation to serious conditions such as bipolar or depression, but it's something we should all consider - not just for ourselves but for friends and family. Mental health is pretty much how you're feeling and functioning. It can be good, or ok. But all of us will have moments where it's bad - even if it's not a condition which might require longer-term management or medication. Whenever we're feeling down, feeling stressed or feeling lonely we're experiencing poor mental health. And there's a good chance any of these can impact our finances. On a more severe end of the scale it could mean you need to miss work, causing you to lose money. It's common for people to get anxious when dealing with any kind of admin, but when that's bills or bank statements that can be a larger issue. Motivation can be a problem, leading to important money matters getting ignored. Or perhaps moments of depression or mania could prompt people to spend more money - money they don't have. The worst case scenario is that these scenarios lead to unmanageable debts - but it can work the other way too. The two really are linked. Money problems can feed depression and anxiety, and that in turn can impact on relationships, work and family. Big life changes can make a difference to both finances and mental health too - so having a baby or losing a loved one. So it's not something we should dismiss or hide from. It's important to take some action before anything happens. In this episode I talk to fellow money blogger Charlotte Burns from lottyburns.co.uk who shares her experiences with poor mental health and debt, and how she deals with triggers even 10 years later. You can read more at www.becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats70/

How to make sure you get the best value for money on Christmas travel, gifts, decorations and food and drink. We're just 12 weeks away from Christmas. That might seem like a long time, but it'll creep up on you faster than you think - meaning it's a good time to start thinking about how much you'll spend. In fact, even if you're reading this in November in December, or just want to get well ahead of Christmas 2019, it's never too late or early to follow the tips in this article. So here's a checklist of the main expenses, along with tricks to bring down their cost, plus some tips to help you pay for everything. More on https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats69/

Is this the end of Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis? And what do their struggles mean for customers? We've had all three major department stores hit the headlines over the last few weeks, so I've taken a look at what's happened, including news that House of Fraser customers might not get their money back on cancelled orders and returned gift cards. More and show notes at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats68

This week on the podcast I share how to cut your mobile phone bill to around a tenner, and other ways to bring down how much you pay. Not many of us can go without a mobile phone, which is probably why so many people overspend. It's possible to cut a monthly bill down to around £10 without losing coverage, and if you want a new handset, you can get them far cheaper if you don't automatically upgrade when your contract ends. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/wp-admin/cashchats67

This week I talk about the recent interest rate and how it will affect you, mainly in terms of the return you can get on your savings. The Bank Of England increased the base rate of interest from 0.5% to 0.75% earlier this month, making it the highest rate we've seen since the financial crash. You'd expect this to be passed on to savers, but I think that's unlikely, especially when you consider what happend when rates rose last November. I explain why, and share where I think are the best places to keep your savings. Plus, changes to Lloyds and Halifax current account rewards, and why I'd stay clear of the Asda Christmas Savings card. More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats66

With news that smart meters will probably only save you £11 a year, I've looked at what they do and why I think you should wait. Plus a look back at how Amazon Prime Day went. Were the savings good? And should you wait for Amazon's Black Friday weekend for similar discounts? Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats65

Part two of my summer holiday specials, this time looking at the cheapest ways to pay when overseas, whether that's by cash or card. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats64