The energy price cap has fallen – why are my bills rising?

Reading Time: 2 mins

The energy price cap has fallen – why are my bills rising? 

Energy prices have been at the forefront of most people’s minds for the last year or so, with bills soaring and the cost of living reaching a 40-year high. So, it definitely brings some relief to learn the energy price cap has lowered. 

Yesterday, energy regulator Ofgem announced the price cap was being lowered by £999 from April, with many hoping these lowering costs would be the light at the end of the tunnel after the turbulence of previous months. 

The current energy price cap stands at £4,379 per year, and will reduce to £3,280 for the average household from April 1st. This is a 23% reduction, music to the nation’s ears. This reflects the fall in recent wholesale prices. 

if the energy price cap is going down – why are our bills going up? 

Well, the current Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) set out by the government, has kept the cap for households at £2,100 annually. On top of this, the end of the £400 energy support payment, paid in six instalments of £66 and £67, will end come April. 

So, with this government support ending at once, households will be required to pay an average of £500 more a year as the result of this support reducing, despite the price cap lowering. This means customers will be paying around 20% more on their bills as the government’s EPG becomes less generous. 

Danni Hewson, AJ Bell head of financial analysis, comments:

“The irony won’t be lost on many that at a time energy prices are finally falling from their uncomfortable peak millions of households across the UK will find themselves paying more. People are still protected to a degree by the government’s energy guarantee, but from April it will be much less generous.  

“To add insult to injury the welcome discount that’s been popping into people’s accounts every month also ends at the same time and taken together there will be plenty of families hoping for a very mild spring.” 

What if I can’t pay my energy bills?

If you are currently experiencing financial difficulty and cannot pay your bills or think you will be unable to pay them when the EPG ends, it is important to reach out for help as soon as possible. 

Firstly, it is important to be direct and transparent with your energy provider. They will be able to provide help and guidance and it is the best place to start. Charities such as StepChange and Turn2Us help people across the UK, giving free, impartial advice, as well as direct help. 

Citizen’s Advice is also a brilliant tool which gives guidance and advice on many topics, from energy bills to council tax. Check it out here. 

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6 ways to make money reading

Reading Time: 9 mins

Make money reading.

Are you a true bookworm? If reading is a passion of yours, it may be worth considering the ways you can make money from reading. Who doesn’t want to earn money from something they love? 

There are more ways to earn money from reading than you may think. From proofreading and editing to reviewing books, you could make decent cash on the side. If you’re going to read anyway, why not profit from it? 

Here are 6 ways you can make money reading.

• Review books
• Start a book blog
• Use social media
• Proofreading
• Narrate audiobooks
• Translate books

 

Review books

You don’t have to be a literary scholar to review books. All you need is a love for reading, and have the ability to form honest, fair opinions about the books you read. If you are asked to review a particular book, you will need to be open to reading genres or authors outside of your usual, and give them a fair chance. You really can’t judge a book by its cover with this one! 

There are many websites online that pay you for your reviews. All you have to do is search ‘get paid to review books’ into Google, and a plethora of results come up. It is important to research, as the number of opportunities, level of pay and depth of reviews required may differ.  

It’s also important to remember that reviewing books won’t make you millions, nor will you be able to quit your day job. However, it can be a lucrative and fun side hustle to help you put away extra into your savings, pension or even spend on more books! 

OnlineBookClub.org is a great place to start. Publishers and authors will often give you a free copy of a new book in exchange for an honest, written review from you, the reader. You will get a free copy of a book, then on top of this, get paid to give it an honest review. The best part is, you don’t have to lie. 

OnlineBookClub encourage you to be honest. You will get paid no matter what you think. You don’t have to claim you loved it if you didn’t. 

Pay outs current range from $5 to $60 per review. This is approximately £4 to £50 GBP. As previously mentioned, you won’t get totally rich from this venture, but you could earn a decent sum if you do a few reviews per month. The thing to note with this, is that you won’t get paid for your first review. However, you will get the book for free. 

We also recommend:  

• Kirkus Media 
• Women’s Review of Books 
• Booklist Publications 

Overrun with books? Find out how to make money from your old books. 

 

Start a book blog

Blogging is a great way to earn money on the side, and could actually become a full-time job should you build your brand and grow your blog successfully. Book bloggers are can be very popular and successful, with blogs such as BookWritten getting over 75,000 hits per month. 

The site contains articles on a range of things, from finding places to read books for free, to looking after books to keep them in pristine condition. However, you could write about anything that tickles your fancy. 

The Literary Edit is a more personal blog, written by award-winning book blogger and writer Lucy. She blogs about all things books, with a more informal, chatty style, Lucy writes reviews of books she’s read, tells her followers her favourite books of all time, and even has a great little section called ‘Desert Island Books’. 

You could even find a niche and discuss books particularly close to your interests. Crime By The Book is a fascinating book blog, written by a lover of crime fiction, with a particular skew towards Scandinavia. Although most of the books are general crime fiction, the niche is particularly interesting. 

But how can you make money from blogging? Well, mainly ads on the site, as well as partnerships and affiliates with brands. You may even get a sponsorship for a particular series. As your blog grows and develops, you may be sent freebies of books, and even asked to review them on your blog in return for payment.

If your blog grows large enough, people may even pay monthly subscriptions for exclusive content, or you could use widgets such as Buy Me A Coffee, where people can buy you a virtual coffee to help fund your mission. Plus you will be able to make this money reading.

Our frugal columnist, and award-winning blogger Jane, owner of shoestringcottage.com, first started her blog over a decade ago: 

Jane from Shoestring Cottage

“I began with a free WordPress blog, as I was writing as a hobby. However, when I realised it was possible to monetise my site, I purchased a domain name and server hosting. I also bought a theme (design) to make it look more professional. I maybe spent £400 initially and now pay around £150 a year.

“The key to getting a steady readership is to post regularly – at least once a week, preferably more. I also did a couple of cheap blogging courses, and learned some of the technicalities of running a blog. I think it is worth doing this if you are a complete beginner.” 

 

Not sure where to begin? Here are some websites we recommend to start your blog: 

• WordPress 
• Wix.com 
• Squarespace 
• Blogger 

These websites are free, easy-to-use and allow you to build your blog using templates available. They are straight forward and you can create a beautiful, unique blog in very little time. 

Find out more about making money from blogging here. 

 

Use social media

Social media is a brilliant tool. Many people actually become full-time ‘influencers’, and earn a good sum of cash using their platforms.  

Instagram

One of the biggest platforms that appreciates books is Instagram. As with blogging, people use their Instagram pages to review books they’ve read, share their favourite books and interact with other people who love reading as much as they do. 

The money comes from sponsorships, affiliates and brand deals. You may collaborate with a brand on a post, for example promoting a new book being released, or encouraging your followers to follow a new author’s work. You may be given affiliate links as well as upfront payment, where you make a cut of a sale when someone buys a book through your link. 

Of course, you won’t get these opportunities immediately, and it will take some hard graft on your end to build a following. But through following others, interacting with them and posting a steady and constant bout of content, you could grow more quickly than you may think. 

‘Bookstagrams’, as they are fondly know in the book-lover community, are a hugely popular part of the platform. Elizabeth Sagan (@elizabeth_sagan) boasts a whopping 203k followers. A self-confessed ‘book whisperer’, Elizabeth posts beautiful imagery of her books and fun, engaging short videos. Other accounts such as @coraliebickfordsmith and @stacked_shelf have 25.8k and 10.3k followers respectively.  

You don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of followers to start making money. Once you reach 5,000 followers you are considered a ‘micro-influencer’, and can start reaching out to brands and companies to see if they’d like to work with you. Remember to work with other influencers and help to build each other up. 

Find out more about making money on social media. 

TikTok

One of the largest video-sharing platforms in the world is TikTok, and ‘BookTok’ is an integral part of the platform. BookTok even has its own Wikipedia page, and the tag #BookTok has over 112.2 billion views on the app. 

You may start on another platform and as you feel more confident, move over to making videos. It can seem daunting, but the BookTok community is a warm and welcoming one. Despite the criticisms of social media, this corner of the internet is full of friendship, enjoyment, and great connections over a shared passion.  

We love @bookishbytammi, who shares books she’s read monthly, her favourite books in different genres such as fantasy and romance, and does fun challenges too. She has 64k followers and almost one million likes across her videos.   

If you aren’t feeling ready to make videos, join the platform and have a browse. As you watch other people make videos and discuss topics you love, you may become inspired to start creating videos yourself. 

As with other social media platforms, the money you can make comes in the form of sponsorships, brand partnerships and affiliates. You may be asked to do ads for a certain product or company, and get paid to attend events.  

Find out about the TikTok influencers teaching personal finance to millions. 

 

Proofreading

Another way to make money reading is to become a proof-reader. Proofreading is essentially a final quality check before publishing. A proof-reader will carefully check the text for any errors before it is published or shared. It’s the last stage of the writing process, and it is essential for any text. 

The job of a proof-reader is to bring attention to any spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors, as well as any typos or formatting issues. You may even alert the author and publisher to any inconsistencies within the text. 

Many proof-readers do it on a freelance basis. You can advertise your proofreading services on websites such as PeoplePerHour and Fiverr. Some people offer their services for under £5, however when you build up your reviews, ratings and reputation, you could be charging hundreds for longer texts and novels. 

You could also go in search of opportunities. Websites such as UpWork and Freelancer are goldmines for people looking for proof-readers to help them. From doing last-minute checks of novels to going over important documents and even checking for spelling and grammar in examination papers, proof-reading involves a huge range of tasks. The roles range from £8 per hour to a few thousand pounds for large, important projects. 

In order to be a successful proof-reader, you will of course need a love for reading, but some key skills are required also. You will need a great attention to detail and a solid understanding of spelling and grammar. You’ll need to be self-disciplined and be able to meet tight deadlines.  

Scribbr have a great guide to proofreading, which you can read here. 

Need a flexible schedule? Check out these work from home roles for everyone. 

 

Narrate audiobooks

Do you have a smooth as butter voice that people love to listen to? Perhaps you are good at doing accents, making a book come to life as you read to others. Do your children or grandchildren guffaw when you make a funny voice, pretending to be the monster in their book? Narrating audiobooks could be just the thing for you. 

If you are an avid reader, this is a great way to supplement your income. You may even choose to pursue this as a freelancer on a full-time basis if you find it is a successful career path for you. You can make money reading books, out loud!

But how can you get started? Well, the internet is a powerful thing, and there is a plethora of opportunities waiting for you.  

The Audiobook Creative Exchange (ACX) is a huge online platform that pays people to read books out loud. Books you narrate for this popular platform could even appear on iTunes and Audible, which would be a great boost for your portfolio. Simply create an account, upload some high-quality samples of you narrating a small paragraph or passage, and then set your hourly rate. 

Authors and publishers will be able to find you and review your work and may ask you to narrate for them. The great thing about ACX is that you could even earn some of the royalties earnt on the book! 

There are many ways you can get work, as well as the ACX. As previously mentioned, you could advertise your work on freelance sites such as Fiverr. There are also many more companies which specialise in voiceover and narration. 

Here are some we recommend: 

• Voices 
• Spoken Realms 
• Voice Jungle 
• Brilliance Audio 

Listen to thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and Audible originals, with Audible. Sign up for your free 30-day trial.

 

Translate books

Do you speak more than one language? Many people are crying out for people to translate texts for them. From novels to documents and even old texts, your language skills could earn you a decent bit of money on the side. If you speak multiple languages, even better! You will be a very valuable asset to many companies and be able to make decent money from reading. 

You could advertise your services on freelance websites, or go in search of opportunities. We have previously recommended Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer and PeoplePerHour, all of which are relevant to this route too.  

However, there are also websites dedicated to translation work. Blend is one of the most popular and successful translation websites. They guarantee continuous workflow and fair pay for every project. You can also apply as both a translator and a voice artist, so you can mix things up! Although the pay doesn’t start out high, the progression system makes it easy to build up your pay and your reputation on the website. 

Unbabel is another great site which allows you to earn by translating. This is a very flexible website, where you can choose whether you work part-time or full-time. You also get paid hourly and can request pay outs on the go, via PayPal or Payoneer. 

However, if you want to make real money from this, you could consider going full-time as a freelance translator. On Freelancer, text translation jobs range anywhere from £7 to £25 an hour for simple texts, and a few thousand pounds for more in-depth, intense texts. 

 

Do you have some exciting ways to make money reading? Leave your comments below!

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Make money from your old shampoo bottles

Reading Time: 4 mins

Can you really make money from your old shampoo bottles? If you love a hair and beauty binge then you are not alone.

It is estimated that over  552 million shampoo bottles end up in our landfills yearly  and 83% of women wear makeup daily.
But shelling out for new products, particularly with the cost of living crisis, can frequently leave your bank account feeling a little empty.

That is why beauty recycling schemes are a great incentive to help the planet and your purse.

88% of UK households consider recycling an established norm and 12m tonnes are recycled annually. But when it comes to beauty products and shampoo empties things can get more complicated.

Many products are made up of multiple plastics, which often have different recycling practices for their different components.

This means it’s not just a simple process of throwing everything into your normal recycling bin and hoping for the best, as unfortunately they won’t always be accepted at the other end.

But fear not, there is a better solution… that can even bring a little extra cash back to you.

Enter the beauty recycling scheme that many big brands and household names are signed up for.

You simply take your washed empties back to the company you brought them from and in return, they give you money, a voucher or discount to spend in-store.

What can you get?

By returning your empties to retailers across the U.K you could receive cash incentives and discounts galore. If you already use the product regularly anyway it’s a win-win and you will be helping the environment, one bottle at a time.

Supermarket and chain store recycling

Boots

If you always shop at Boots then their recycling scheme will be great for getting extra Boots points on your card to spend in-store.

The Boots scheme  allows  you to bring your empty beauty, health, wellness and dental products, from any brand, into all Boots retailers.

When you bring five empty products into one of the in-store recycle bins, Boots will generously give you a total of 600 Boots Advantage Card points when you spend £10 or more – that’s worth £6.

 

John Lewis

 

Recycling just got easier with John Lewis’  Beauty Cycle. If you’re a My John Lewis member, you’ll instantly get £5 off when you spend £20 or more on Beauty when you bring in five or more clean, empty beauty product containers to any of their beauty counters.

Individual beauty stores recycling

Lush

Lush has a popular  Bring it back scheme which gives 50p back per bottle, no matter what product you are recycling. You can even return your 10ml sample pots for an additional 5p off your shopping per item!

Mac

MAC lipsticks are always a good idea and are designed to be accessible to all. Mac was originally created for photoshoots and live shows, so the lipsticks are  typically more  pigmented than other lipsticks and also have a creamy texture that is created to last on the lips.

With their  Back to Mac  scheme, you can now return six empties and get a lippie of your choice and colour.

Kiehls

Most Kiehl’s stores now have  recycling hubs  where once you bring in ten empties you can receive a  free £9.75 voucher to spend on any product you like.

Even if you bring in just 1 empty, you can still receive points in their Family Loyalty Rewards Programme.

The Perfume Shop

The Perfume Shop has always set out to host luxury perfumes at affordable prices but now you can get a further discount when you recycle your old bottles.

Bring back any of your old perfume bottles to  The Perfume shop and you can get a 10% discount off any product.

The future of recycling

Set to launch in 2025, the government is producing a  Deposit Return Scheme  to be rolled out across the country.

The scheme aims to give everyone the opportunity to recycle with an extended monetary incentive included.

The scheme would include unique machines, known as reverse vending machines, and designated sites where people can visit to return their bottles. The aim is they will receive cash back, similar to schemes in America which are already in place.
In most cases, it would be the retailers who sell drinks or products covered by the scheme who would host a return point. What to do with your empties if you have product left

When it comes to leftover products that are past their use-by date, it may seem simple to wash them down the sink, but this should be avoided.

Most beauty and skincare products contain chemicals, microbeads or even microplastics which can get washed down the drain and can pollute the ocean.

If a product is still within its expiration period but you know you won’t use it,  Toiletries Amnesty  charity accepts used beauty and hair products to help others in need.

Don’t forget you can also recycle clothes, with most high street shops offering similar offers when you take unwanted clothes into the store they were from. Read more about that here. 

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Get paid to watch Derry Girls

Reading Time: 2 mins

Get paid to watch Derry Girls.

Did someone say dream job? No, this is not a joke. You could become a Derry Girls critic from the comfort of your own home. Belfast-based news outlet Meanwhile In Ireland is recruiting one lucky person to watch Derry Girls – and get paid for it! 

The official job description is ‘Derry Girls TV Show Critic’ – very fancy. It is a short-term temporary contract, and is open globally – as long as you’re a Derry Girls fan, you can apply! 

Meanwhile In Ireland was launched in 2014, and covers everything from Irish pop culture and bizarre news to comedy, travel and satire. The site reaches over half a million viewers per day, with this popular site a great one to add to your CV. 

Joining a thriving team, the candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to one of Ireland’s most popular websites. 

 

the role

The iconic series first took to our screens in 2018, with the final series ending in 2022. It follows the lives of four Derry teens and an English boy as they navigate their primitive years. It quickly became a favourite, not only in Ireland but worldwide. Even famous director Martin Scorsese is a fan! 

Now, Meanwhile In Ireland are on the lookout for a fan who knows Derry Girls inside and out to creative a definitive ranking of the best Derry Girls episodes. You will be required to analyse every single episode, putting them in order to create the ultimate guide. 

If you have previously worked as a critic, or want to kickstart your career, this may be the role for you. 

Duties include: 

• Short-term temporary contract. 
• Expected hours: 4-6 per week. 
• Term: 3 weeks. 
• Watch and review all Derry Girls episodes. 
• The research will include detailed notes on each episode of the series, ranking them accordingly. 

The ideal candidate: 

• Knowledgeable in TV and film. 
• Self-confessed Derry Girls fanatic. 
• Analytical and observant. 
• Fluency in spoken and written English. 
• Confident in working remotely to deadlines. 
• Partial to the craic (i.e. an understanding of Irish banter). 
• Must be 16 years or older. 
• Critic experience (preferable). 

Benefits: 

• Pay: €15/£13.25 per hour. 
• This is a dream job; a once in a lifetime role which is short but unique. 
• This will be a remote role; you will not be required to commute, so you can work from anywhere! 
• Join a thriving team with an excellent culture. 

The Process: 

• Closing date is 10/03/2023 
• Interviews start 20/03/2023 (aiming for a 27/03/2023 start date) 
• The first stage will be a short assessment 

The final stage will be a Zoom interview.

How to apply 

Submit the following to jobs@meanwhileinireland.com. 

• Include an up-to-date CV 
• Write a cover letter explaining why you are the best person for the role. 
• Provide a 300-word summary of your favourite Derry Girls scene and why 

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Stats: London lost £1.2 million to pyramid scheme scams in 2022

Reading Time: 2 mins

New figures show London residents lost the most to pyramid scheme scams last year, with over a whopping £1.2 million (£1,292,540.74) lost per 100,000 people. This is 13 times more than neighbour county Essex, which lost £92,941 per 100,000 residents. 

Despite losing the most to pyramid scheme scams, London had the lowest report rate. Only 8.03 reports were filed per 100,000 people. This is almost four times fewer reports than the Welsh region of Gwent, which showed an average of 28.36 reports per 100,000 of the population. 

Wales also saw the fewest overall reports, at just 2 reports per 100k of the population. 

• What is a pyramid scheme?
• Areas that lost the most in 2022
• Areas that lost the least in 2022
• Avoiding pyramid scams

 

What is a pyramid scheme?

According to Investopedia, a pyramid scheme is a ‘fraudulent and unsustainable investment pitch that relies on promising unrealistic returns from imaginary investments’. It is called a pyramid scheme due to the different levels within the company, with the money trickling down the pyramid, benefiting those at the ‘top’ more than those at the ‘bottom’

For example, early investors in the company will get paid big returns, which leads to them recommending the scheme to others. Returns are paid by new money flowing in from new recruits, who may struggle to recruit others and make money.

Pyramid schemes may or may not involve the sale of products. In all pyramid schemes, however, the sale of a product is far less important than recruiting new investors.

areas that lost the most in 2022

  

Areas that lost the least in 2022

 

Avoiding pyramid scams

• Does it seem too good to be true? It probably is! If someone is offering you huge amounts of money every month, or says you could earn thousands alongside your day job, it may be worth reconsidering getting involved.
• If there are huge upfront costs, it may be a scam. Remember, you shouldn’t have to pay to earn money! Many pyramid schemes will ask you to pay for your products to then sell them at a higher cost. On average, only 10% of people profit from these schemes. 
• The products sold are overpriced and low quality. If this is the case, it could be a front for a scam to make the business seem more legitimate. The products will also be harder to sell, meaning you may lost out on money.
• If you think you have been scammed, contact Action Fraud or your local police authority. 

 

Have you been the victim of a pyramid scheme scam? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment below or email isobel@moneymagpie.com.

 

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Sainsbury’s launch £2 ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ boxes

Reading Time: 2 mins

Sainsbury’s launch £2 ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ boxes. 

Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is introducing boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables to over 200 of its stores. This will allow customers to purchase surplus products at a reduced price. This is part of the retailer’s ongoing commitment to halve its food waste by 2030. It will also help customers access healthy, affordable and sustainable food. 

Customers will be able to purchase these boxes, for just £2 from this week onwards. Within the box will be a variety of loose fruit and veg. This follows a successful trial of the boxes in January. 

The ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ boxes will be sold at the lower price to ensure customers can get hold of affordable and nutritious food, as the cost of living continues to soar. These boxes can be found in the fresh produce aisles of the store. All products included will be carefully selected to ensure they are still fresh to consume. 

Other initiatives

Just last year, Sainsbury’s began removing ‘best before’ dates from over 100 lines. This included pears, onions, tomatoes and citrus fruits. 130 more product lines are to follow. This is to encourage customers to use their initiative and the look, smell and feel of the fruits to determine whether they are okay to eat. This is done in hopes of reducing food waste at home.  

The supermarket boasts many initiatives which help customers access affordable fruit and veg. Sainsbury’s is currently offering £2 coupons as part of the Government-funded NHS Healthy Start scheme. This helps low-income families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to purchase fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables. 

Sainsbury’s has also committed to invest £550 million by March 2023 in order to help customers manage the rising cost of living by ensuring the products bought most often are affordable. 

Richard Crampton, Director of Fresh Food, at Sainsbury’s said:

“At Sainsbury’s we’re committed to helping our customers access tasty, nutritious food that’s better for them and the planet too. It’s great to see that shoppers have been enjoying the ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ boxes, which is why we’re really pleased to roll out the trial to over 200 supermarkets, helping even more people across the country. We believe that everyone deserves to eat well at an affordable price, and we hope this additional support will ensure that good quality food doesn’t go to waste.” 

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7 hacks to keep food fresher for longer

Reading Time: 4 mins

For a limited time, get 60% off your first box and 25% off for two months with code HFMONEY60. Click here.

Did you know, most food waste within the UK comes from within your home? You may think it’s the large corporations and supermarkets creating the most waste, but in fact, individual households cause the majority of food waste. We all need to find ways to keep food fresher for longer and prevent this waste.

In the UK alone, 6.6 million tonnes of food are wasted every single year. This costs £284 per person, per year. That’s almost £300 which could be put towards bills, rent or mortgage payments. Even more shockingly, in the US, 31.9% of food bought is wasted, costing $1,866 annually per household – that’s about £1,522!

As the cost-of-living crisis rages on, it’s more important than ever to keep your food fresher for longer and ensure we are using all the food we buy. Not only will this prevent waste but save us precious pennies.

Here are 7 top hacks to help you keep food fresher for longer. Some of them may surprise you!

• Use vinegar on your berries
• Keep veggies crunchy
• Herb swaddling
• Keep your biscuits fresh
• Give your basil a new lease of life
• Protect your potatoes
• Fruit spray

 

Use vinegar on your berries

This slightly weird, but wonderful hack comes from TikTok user @westwing. In a viral video, they suggest washing your berries in diluted vinegar. This keeps your berries fresher for up to two weeks, without compromising the flavour of the berries. Give it a go and see if it works!

 

Keep veggies crunchy

Another hack from the same TikTok user suggests putting vegetables such as celery, peppers and carrots straight into the fridge when unpacking your food shop is a huge no-no. Wash your veggies before placing them into an airtight container or Tupperware with a small amount of fresh water in them. This will keep your produce crunchy and fresh for up to a month!

This prevents waste from a half-eaten pepper or avocado. Simply wash the remainder of the food item, pop it in your container and voila, no more grey avocados or squishy celery.

 

Herb swaddling

Yes, this method does involve wrapping up and swaddling your herbs like a precious newborn. But it is totally worth it for saving your herbs and boosting their life span. It’s simple, too.

Herbs often don’t last long at all, and it can be totally frustrating opening the fridge to wilted basil and rotting coriander. Remove any rubber bands or plastic ties from your herbs, run them under the tap and place them on a clean, dry tea towel or some kitchen roll. Once your herbs are dry, wrap them in damp paper towel and place them in a plastic zip lock bag or container. Your herbs will stay fresher for longer.

 

Keep your biscuits fresh

One of the most heart-breaking moments in life is when you go to the biscuit tin, excited to munch on a custard cream whilst you have your cuppa, only to find your biscuits have gone stale. But don’t fear, stale biccies are a thing of the past, thanks to TikTok user @lifetipsing.

This hack suggests putting a slice of bread in your biscuit tin – a good way to use the heel of your loaf of bread if you aren’t a fan of eating it. The science behind this? The biscuits will draw moisture from the bread, keeping them softer for longer. No more hard-as-a-rock cookies when you have your morning tea.

 

Give your basil a new lease of life

As previously mentioned, herbs can be super hard to maintain. But popping your cuts of basil in a small pot of water, as you would a bouquet of flowers, keeps it going for longer. Refresh the water in the pot every few days, and you’ll be adding your basil to spag bols, risottos and pesto for a while to come.

 

Protect your potatoes

Do you buy potatoes but never use them fast enough? Do they sprout and turn green before your eyes? Well, you are in luck, because TikTok user @thismumcooks has an amazing hack for you.

Peel and chop your potatoes. You may choose to cut some into chips, wedges or even for use as roast potatoes down the line. Par boil your tatties, then allow them to cool. Once cool, place them on a baking tray and freeze them. Once your potatoes have frozen, pop them into freezer bags, ready to use at dinner time or with a Sunday lunch.

 

Fruit spray

Homemade fruit spray is a quick, easy and cheap method of keeping your fruit fresher for longer. Apples will be crispy and juicy for longer, so no more mushy fruit. Simply combine 230ml of water with 230ml of vinegar and a few drops of lemon juice. Spray on your fruit to keep it fresher for longer and maintain that recently bought aesthetic for your fruit bowl.

 

What are your favourite tips for keeping food fresher for longer?

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Get free cash out of your credit card – ‘Stoozing’

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Stoozing is back. It has this week been revealed that rising interest rates mean you can get free cash out of your credit card for the first time since before the financial crisis, using a tactic called ‘stoozing’ – but you might need to act quickly to take advantage. 

What is stoozing? 

Before the financial crisis, a group of people used their credit cards to make themselves hundreds of pounds richer. They simply used the 0% interest introductory period on a new credit card to get their hands on some cash, then saved that cash somewhere that paid interest. The difference between what you’re paid in interest and what you’re charged by the credit card is your profit. Simple! 

Turning higher interest rates into free cash 

A normal 0% balance transfer credit card doesn’t deposit money in your bank account, it’s used to move debt from a different credit card. By contrast, money transfer credit cards do exactly that. Once accepted for the card, you simply nominate a current account of your choice for the money to be transferred into, then get a set period where you can pay it back with no interest charged. 

But while there might not be interest charged, there is a fee. 

The good news is that, currently, fees are typically 4% of the money you transfer – and that’s less than you can earn from a fixed rate bond. 

At the time of writing, the best paying one-year savings bond pays 4.18% interest – that means £41.80 interest for every £1,000 you save – and a small profit on every pound you transfer to savings. 

But you might need to act quickly to take advantage: 

 

A closing window for free cash 

 

Over the past few months, both the amount of time you get before interest is charged on a new money transfer card and the rates offered on fixed-rate bonds have been dropping: just last month the top-paying one-year savings account offered 4.33% interest, that’s now down to 4.18%. On top of that, last year you could pick up a money-transfer card offering 18 months 0% interest, while today you’ll struggle to find one offering more than 12 months.  

If either of these drops much lower, you’ll end up paying more in fees than you make in interest. 

 

Advanced stoozing 

James Andrews, personal finance expert explains advanced stoozing: “For people prepared to put more effort in, there are ways to make even more money before you have to pay the credit card company back. 

The first is pretty simple – at the end of the 0% money transfer card’s introductory period, transfer that balance to a new 0% credit card rather than using your savings to pay it off. 

There are still a few fee-free balance transfer cards on the market – with 0% periods of more than a year – letting you repeat the 0% trick for at least another 12 months. 

If you can’t find a fee-free deal to sign up to, make sure you check to see if the balance transfer fee is lower than the interest rate on the savings account you’re using. 

And if you’re feeling especially fancy, you could even try using a 0% purchase card to add to your savings pot. 

These cards charge no interest on new purchases for a set period – currently up to two years for the best deals – and never have fees attached. 

If you used them to make everyday purchases, then transfer the money you would have spent on these from your current account into a savings account, you can earn interest on this until the 0% period runs out.” 

 

Three things to watch out for 

 

There are three potential pitfalls that could see your perfect plan to stooze your way to free money fall apart. 

The first is that, while there is no interest due on 0% cards during the introductory period – you still need to make repayments. 

These can be the minimum amount each month, but won’t be nothing at all. 

If you fail to make the minimum payment due, you could lose your 0% privileges as well as having a black mark placed on your credit report. 

The second thing to watch out for is what happens at the end of the 0% period. 

If you don’t still have the savings available to clear your balance, or can’t access it for whatever reason, then you’re left with a hefty debt that all of a sudden is building up expensive interest. 

Finally, you’ll need to be careful making applications for new cards. The best cards are only available to people with an excellent credit score – and, to make matters worse, applying for, then being rejected by, a credit card actually makes it harder to get a different one. 

A simple way round this is to use an eligibility checker or card matching tool to maximise your chances of being accepted first time out. 

 

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