Babies are expensive but quite often people don’t realise quite how expensive they are. There’s no way that you can prepare for the added expenses that your family will have to deal with other than save from the moment you find out you’re pregnant. However, when your little bundle of joy is born there are loads of ways you can save yourself money so that you’ve got a little bit left over.

When it comes to having your baby you might find yourself in hospital for a few days so there are a few things you should remember when you’re there.

• Firstly, don’t use the TV; some hospitals charge as much as £6 per day to watch the TV so why not save that money and use the time to bond with your little one and recuperate as you won’t have time for recuperation and relaxation when you get home.

• There’s quite often a selection of toiletries in the cupboard including nappies, lotion, wipes and a thermometer, you should ask to take these things home – usually you’re allowed – to save yourself having to go out and buy loads as soon as you get home.

• Maternity wards in hospitals are always being plied with free samples and coupons too but generally nurses are too busy to give them out. If you ask they’ll be more than happy to give you whatever you have; a lot of the time there will be samples of baby lotions and creams as well as coupons for nappies and milk formula – you could save yourself loads.

Breast is best and it sure is cheapest. If you can’t breast feed then you obviously have no choice but to shell out on formula but if you can you’ll definitely notice the difference in your bank balance. A lot of people think that you have to have your own breast pump to express milk in advance but this isn’t the case, you can share them so if a friend or family member has one, as if you can borrow. The only thing you can’t share are the plastic attachments but you can buy those cheaply enough from chemists and even supermarkets. Borrowing a breast pump will help save you at least £100 if not more.

You should never buy too many baby clothes in advance; if you buy a winter coat in September it definitely won’t fit them by the time the cold weather hits so that’s quite a bit of money lost. Also, stick to neutral coloured baby clothes, that way you can use them again if you ever have another.

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When selecting the right loan for your situation, it’s necessary to look at a range of different factors; these range from the types of loans that are generally available, through to the importance of understanding interest rates and your how much your credit score determines what you can borrow. It’s also important to think about what the loan is for, and what options there are if you have bad credit.

Types of Loans

Loans can be divided into several broad categories, which include secured and unsecured loans. A secured loan is generally taken out against something valuable that you own, whether that be a piece of property, a car, or jewellery. The lender can choose to repossess an asset or sell it in order to pay off the loan. Secured loans do produce low interest rates and longer contract terms than unsecured loans, but with a higher risk of losing valuable assets.

Unsecured loans, then, represent forms of credit that don’t use assets, but are instead valued through their rates of interest – this might include a personal loan from a bank, a credit card, or an emergency or payday loan – these loans are worth considering if you need money quickly, and if you can take out a loan off the back of a positive credit score.

Interest Rates and Your Credit Score

How much you can stand to borrow and repay on a loan will depend on interest rates and your credit score. The base rate of interest is set by the Bank of England in the UK, and is currently at 0.5 per cent – most lenders will charge above this for loans, although mortgages can be taken out to match the base rate. In terms of an average loan, you can might pay 5.2 per cent on a £3,000 payment, with 1 year to repay – this 5.2 per cent interest will mean you repay around £230 a month to cover the loan.

Credit card interest rates are also variable, and can go from very low introductory offers to about 18.9 per cent and higher in interest charges per year. Payday loans, which are easy to apply for, but come with the understanding that you make a full repayment with interest at the end of a month, can charge up to 1400 per cent in interest for their quick lending.

The kind of interest rate you have to pay will primarily depend on your credit score, which is worked out through your past borrowing history, as well as through your employment and address history. A negative credit score can result from defaulting on loans, and from consistent periods of time away from work; this can make it difficult to get credit, and can mean that you have to work to rebuild your score with credit agencies such as Equifax, Callcredit, and Experian.

What the Loan is For

Whatever loan you need, remember to consider how much risk you’re willing to enter into – what is the purpose of the loan, and can you realistically expect to make repayments with interest within a given contract? Also, think about what kind of collateral, or assets, that you can afford to gamble with. If you do have bad credit, it’s similarly worth considering approaches that lower your personal risk – getting a loan with a guarantor can be useful, as they agree to make payments on your behalf if you are having problems. Borrowing against the equity in your home can also represent a calculated risk if you need to raise a significant amount of money in a short period of time.

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One thing that always seems to be on everyone’s mind is taxes. Whether you are filing your tax return or are curious about a tax-related matter that applies to you and your business, you should consider talking to a tax consultant who is highly experienced in a wide variety of tax-related issues.

Prepare and File Tax Returns
Many people have a difficult time filing their tax returns on their own, and some count on software programs or large tax preparation chains for assistance with their taxes. If you are looking for someone who can help you with your tax return, you should consider contacting a tax consultant; he or she can make sure that you file for any refunds or credits that you qualify for, and a tax consultant can also help ensure that your tax return is filled out accurately, which can help prevent you from getting audited or getting in trouble with the IRS.

Give Help or Advice
There are times when taxes can be complicated and confusing, regardless of your tax situation. Fortunately, you can go to a tax consultant for advice about taxes; in many cases, their expertise can help you out greatly.

– If you are filing your personal taxes and are unsure of what type of deductions you should file for, whether you should file your taxes with your spouse or what forms you will need to fill out, a tax consultant can help.

– Filing taxes if you are self-employed can be challenging, and it can be easy to miss out on deductions and credits that you qualify for. A tax consultant can assist you and answer any questions that you might have.

– If you have trouble with nearly any part of filing your taxes, such as how to file taxes for your business or whether or not you qualify for a certain type of deduction, a tax consultant can give you the advice that you need.

– Business owners often wonder about various tax-related matters, but having a tax consultant on speed dial can help.

Assist with Audits
Going through the process of being audited can be stressful and frightening, regardless of if you are a business owner or an individual. You might not know how to handle the situation, but a tax consultant can help steer you in the right direction. Having a tax consultant by your side can not only help prevent you from making mistakes or getting in trouble with the IRS, but it can also give you peace of mind during a scary and unsettling time.

The truth is, tax consultants do practically anything when it comes to helping their clients with tax-related matters. Some work specifically for certain firms and companies, and others do work for both individuals and businesses alike. If you think you need help with tax matters, don’t be afraid to contact a tax consultant for assistance; in the long run, you are sure to be glad that you did.

Sally is a content specialist for FCTC, FCTC can provide tax investigation insurance to help your business and clients through any HMRC tax enquiry, visit FCTC.co.uk to find out more about tax insurance.

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With gas and electricity bills in the UK constantly on the rise, many people are looking at ways to improve energy efficiency in their home.

Here I look at a number of great ways of not only saving energy at home but also saving a fair bit of money too.

Keep In The Heat

There are a number of measures you can take in order to keep in the heat.

Curtains are one of the simplest measures to utilise in regards to saving energy; after all many of us have them fitted in our homes. Simply drawing them in the evenings and opening them in the morning to let a little natural light in can greatly help keep the warmth in.

Give The Home A Makeover

Now I don’t mean in any 60 Minute Makeover home decorating kind of way, but looking at the fundamentals such as cavity insulation, insulating hot water pipes and tanks and lagging the boiler. It is also worth getting your boiler serviced each year, as inefficient boilers can end up costing you much more on your energy bills than a properly maintained boiler ever would.

Loft insulation is another great way to lock in the heat, saving energy and a few quid to boot.

If you have the funds available, double or triple glazing offers another way to keep the warm in and might make the home a little quieter too, at least from external noise.

Once you keep the heat in, knocking the thermostat down by a single degree will then actually cut down your heating usage by as much as ten per cent – a great way of saving energy.

Standby Is Not Your Friend

Far too many of us are guilty of leaving gadgets and gizmos on standby rather than turning them off at the mains. It might not seem like much, but it is estimated that as much as £730m is wasted across the UK by having DVDs, TVs, computers and the like on standby rather than switched off.

Light Bulbs

By fitting energy efficient light bulbs in your home instead of regular bulbs, it may cost more in the short term, but in the long term it will save money as they not only last longer, but will also help cut your electricity bill down.

Hang Me Up To Dry

Investing in indoor clothes and hanging up your washing the old school way can also cut down the bills over using a tumble dryer, so if you haven’t already started airing your laundry out the old fashioned way, today could be the perfect day to start.

Other Measures

Draft excluders, only using the amount of water you really need, showers over baths – there are a number of other great ways to save a pretty penny on your energy bills, so experiment and see which measures work well in your household.

So if you’ve had a nasty surprise when your energy bill arrived this month, challenge yourself to save energy.

Louisa Jenkins is an energy expert who offers people advice on saving energy in their home.

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When it comes to finding an investor for your business, you may have the mindset that whoever is willing to give you money under reasonable terms is acceptable.  This line of reasoning is one of the main reasons why there are so many business owners that are forced to claim bankruptcy and permanently close down their business within the first few years of opening.  It is imperative that you take the time to explore all available investment options before making any final decisions.  Why else is this so important?

Beware of the Rabid Dogs of the Industry

If you walked up to a house that had a sign planted on the door that said “Beware of Rabid Dog”, would you eagerly try to get inside of the house without any sort of hesitation or reluctance?  Of course not!  Even if the door was wide open, you would still proceed with extreme caution in order not to become a victim of the dog that may be lurking in the shadows somewhere.     This is the same mentality that you should have when searching for investment opportunities for your business.  There are quite a few rabid dogs that are lurking in the shadows of the industry overall, ready and waiting for your first moment of weakness so that they can pounce and attack as soon as possible.  That is why it is so important that you proceed with caution while exploring any option that may seem to look too good to be true, even if it seems as if the door is wide open for you to come right through.

Rush to the First, Miss Out on the Second

One of the main problems about the decision-making process overall when it comes to businesses is that it is extremely easy to be in a rush.  You may have an extensive list of other needs that need to be fulfilled and responsibilities that need to be handled on that particular day, so finding the first investment option that meets your needs may be the only thing that you have on your mind.  Once you find the first team of private investors that are right up your alley, for example, then you will scratch that off of your to-do list immediately and move on to the next item listed.    However, if you are in such a rush to sign up the first one that seems to meet your needs, then you are automatically shutting yourself out from any other team of private investors that may be second, third or even fourth in line after that first one that would have been an even better fit for your business.  You have to be patient and realize that waiting is all part of the process.

Do Not Hesitate to Ask for Assistance

Another valid point to keep in mind is that you do not have to make these decisions on your own.  It is recommended that you invest in the expertise of professionals that are qualified and trained to be able to help you with making these types of decisions.  They may be able to help you in finding a great deal on a great investment package that you would have overlooked without their quality guidance.

This article was written by Robert Rayford, an experienced content writer that also has a thorough background in financial consulting. He has worked directly with private investors along with other investment companies throughout his career, which is why he enjoys teaching consumers and business professionals about the ins and outs of this industry through his articles.

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