How to adapt your home on a budget

For people with mobility and financial problems who have to adapt their home to create a workable environment, life can be very difficult. On a tight budget what can you do if you need your bathroom or kitchen structurally changed?

Get help

Firstly you need to look into any possible help that you may be able to get in the way of grants or interest free loans. Contact your local Housing or Environmental Health departments. They will be able to tell you if it is possible to put in an application. Depending on your circumstances and that does not mean your savings; they may be able to help.

It may take a little time but someone will come round and assess your situation and possible needs. By law they have to give you an answer within a specific time-frame. If you have a citizen’s advice bureau they may also be able to put you in touch with help organisations or trustworthy loan offers.

Never agree to anything until you have had time to consider, read all the paperwork, get more than one person’s advice  and try to meet others who have been through what you are about to do. You may already be a member of local societies dealing with the range of disabilities that you are experiencing. In that case they should be able to help you with advice if not actually getting physically involved. If you are ex-service personnel then people like the Royal British Legion in Britain and similar services in other countries will actively try to support you.

Use professionals

Having got to a point where you are going ahead with adapting say your bathroom and have decided that a walk in bath or shower with its 34 inches of combined safety and comfort will fit well into your tiny room, make sure that you speak to professionals. Many of them operate within a range of budgets and it’s best to have any changes made to a high standard and pay a little more for the reassurance.

Rearrange your home

Could you move your bedroom downstairs, rather than find solutions for getting up there?  Could you re- arrange your kitchen so that most of the essentials are within easy reach of a custom chair? You don’t have to buy expensive units when simple adaptions can be made to existing items.

Sit in each room with a pad and pen and ponder what would be good for you in each. Write your ideas down, put the kettle on and consider if it is possible to do changes within your budget. Start with the most important necessities and then see what room is left in your budget for other changes you’d like to make.

Achieving Goals Through Habits

Image source: topsecretwriters.com

Taking the next step, step 11, is to make SMART goals.

Goals need to be:
Specific: (for example) I'd like to save 20% of my monthly income
Measurable: by saving 20%, I'd have achieved the goal
Achievable: I make sure 20% of income is realistic
Rewarding: it gives a feeling of achievement or self-fulfillment
Trackable: tracking my spending on how I can improve my savings.

Before making SMART goals, more importantly, we need to know how we can make things a habit so any realistic goals made are achievable. James Clear calls it "identity-based habits". We start by planting an identity who we'd like to be, believe it, then truly become the person. For example, I create a new identity that I am a person who lives without debt whilst my current situation is being in debt with five credit cards. I must prove to myself that the new identity is who I am by creating "small wins". A person who lives without debt, surely has a savings account. So, I create a habit that after I receive a paycheck, I separate 2.5% for savings to create small wins. Raise it by 100% to 5% on next month's paycheck and so on. At the same time, I make it a habit to pay down my debt (and stop using the card), starting with the smallest outstanding balance until it is paid off. Shred the credit card. Win.

If you'd like to start with the highest interest and the highest balance, that's also fine. There are two ways to walk up a very steep and tall hill; walk with your head looking up at the highest point of the hill, or you can keep your head down. It is physically and mentally exhausting to look up and constantly saying to yourself that "you're almost there", where in truth you're still quite far. However, if you keep your head down and just keep walking, it might be a little bit easier. Don't focus on how much debt is left to be repaid, just keep focused on paying down the debt. Negotiate with the credit card company on freezing the card and interest because you've made a commitment to pay it off. You can also use services such as those provided by Islamic Debt Solutions.

The key is not in setting the goal, but in creating the healthy habits to actually become the person able to meet the goals made.

When and how should we get Financial Advices?

We are all in need of someone who can cut our bills. For that we have to stop using Independent Financial Adviser. We have to know that from where and how we can get proper advice. If we have shortage of time in researching while searching for financial products which are complex, then the financial advice will seem worthwhile to us. We should take our full time for researching for the best products. Professional help has to be taken each and every time as paying the adviser is worth as it will ensure that we are getting all the things right.

Help from the experts are needed in some areas which are quite common. The first area which includes is the pensions. At the time of retirement we are supposed to get a pension which is the annual payment for the rest of the life. It is a financial transaction which is pretty big. For this, most of us would require an adviser as we have to acquire the best deal after searching in the market. The other financial transaction which is huge is mortgages. We should always remember that we will not be getting an instructor but an adviser. So it is important to know all the basics from before. The products which are complex include life insurance, protection of income, critical sickness, and also there are several exclusions. In some particular events, the adviser is not needed and it can be done cheaply.



Legally the advisors can be categorized into two parts. One is the Independent Financial Advisers which are absolutely unbiased and offer advice on all products found in the market. The other is the Restricted Advisers which can be located in the high street banks. The variety of products is limited to them.

International money transfer in UK is a quick way of transferring remuneration which is personal from the bank accounts in UK to others in abroad. The service of money transfer in UK is very efficient and dedicated and works as a team. Fees for anything are not needed and the exchange rates are competitive. The international money transfer is complete secure and is very fast. The amount from which money can be transferred is £250. The whole process of money transfer is convenient for using. Money can be transferred at any time whether it is day or night it does not matter. We can also save a lot of money through this process of money transfer. We can fix our rate of exchange up to twelve months as the pound will be getting weaker within that time. The options of payment are varied. Online payments can also be done. We are also able to manage our budget through this service as we will also know that how much we are paying every time we are transferring the money. We will have to ensure that we are making usage of the most effective processes for our purposes. We have to choose the best rates of exchange and also the charges of transaction.

Impact of the UK Budgetary Announcement 2013

The announcement of the UK budget will have a lot of impact especially to the both the employers and the contractors.

The budget has greatly considered the working parent. Parents will benefit from the new tax free vouchers that will offer £ 1,200 childcare to parents earning less than £150,000 per year, aimed at encouraging more parents to return to work after maternity or paternity leave. This will come as a boost to employers in the region.

The other set of good news to the contractors is that the 3% increase in fuel tax that was due in September has been scrapped and so has the escalating beer tax which will now be replaced by a cut of 1p per pint. Other alcohol duty rises remain in place though, such as 10 pence extra on a bottle of wine. Gin drinkers are the hardest hit and must pay 39p extra!

A focus on more sober matters, the chancellor steered clear of pension tax. This will come as a huge relief to contractors as pensions seem to have suffered in recent budgets, with annual allowance falling from £ 255,000 to £ 40,000 over the last three years of budget statements, while the lifetime allowance reducing from £ 1.8m to £ 1.25m. This has come in amid speculation that there could have been a further cut to £ 30,000 a year.

The government is also set to cap long term care at £ 72,000. This will put a limit on the proportion of an individual's wealth that can be consumed to pay up for their later years, although this is all in theory. This will provide peace of mind to those who want to plan for their old age and leave savings to their children.

There has also been a major boost to investors as Osborne has scrapped duty on the shares traded in growth markets. This will allow contractors interested in self-investment to access far greater range of options.

It is also a major relief as the tax loop hole that allowed many companies to dodge around £ 100m in national insurance will now be closed. It is important that the government closes this loophole as soon as possible, ensuring that no worker is left unaware that their tax status makes them ineligible for such benefits. Every worker should be secure in the knowledge that the correct tax is being paid by their employer so that they are not exposed to unnecessary risks.

It is also good news to all employers as from April 2014; the government will give businesses and charities an entitlement to a £ 2,000 Employment Allowance per year towards their employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) bill. This will particularly help small businesses who want to hire their first employee or expand their workforce;

The government also intends to promote exports and inward investment by providing support for more than 32,000 SMEs to export in 2012-13 and also provide support to UK exporters to win contracts worth over £ 3.2bn. Also encourage investment across sectors and regions.

The UK government also sets out to make UK the best place for business by improving access to finance and support to new and growing businesses. This will be possible through Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and expanded Venture Capital Trusts and Enterprise Investment Scheme, funding raised so far through the Business Finance Partnership and the increasing number of banks and building societies signed up to the Funding for Lending Scheme.


The article was written on behalf of a paye umbrella company for contractors who also provide accountancy services to limited companies.

Joining a paid survey site

If you join a paid survey site, it will help you to make extra money from the comforts of your own home. You just have to register your name in a paid survey site for making some extra income. Make a research on legitimate paid survey websites and choose a suitable one for your end. Surveys are often used by the businesses in improving their services. You are given a small fee for providing input to enhance a business service. Let’s have a look at some of the tips for joining a paid survey website:

Make an alternate email account

You have to make an alternate email account for the purpose of taking online researches. It is because you will get a huge amount of emails. You can create a free account in Hotmail before registering your name with a paid survey site.

Find out a directory

You should also try to find out a directory of online paid research sites. You can go to the Free Paid Survey site for finding a list of websites to join and get paid for taking research work. Go through all the information on the paid survey site associated with joining the site for avoiding scams. Never pay for information on online surveys sites as genuine marketing research companies do not charge any fee.

Sign up with a legitimate website

Finally you have to sign up with a legitimate site matching your profile. You can sign up for free and can start working on online researches. Try to fill out the application with all the necessary information. You will then get an email on the process of activating your account. Opt for your suitable research works for earning points and prizes.

Register your name with Crowdology paid surveys UK and get the opportunity to earn extra money from your home.

The Things We All Need

I need this. Really! Image from green.autoblog.com

If you have kids and gone for a stroll with them at the supermarket, you'd notice how they use the words want and need. I think, in their brains, they know the impact of each word. Saying "I need this" vs "I want this" has its own weight. So, "need" will come up more often than "want". I barely can resist their puppy eyes and mellow voice as they longingly look at the toy that has been strategically placed eye-level with seated shopping carts.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs breaks down needs into three parts; basic needs, psychological needs, and self-fulfillment needs. Basic needs are the foundation of the triangle, consisting of physiological and safety needs. Physiological consists of food and water. Safety needs, like shelter. The psychological needs are love/belonging like friendships and esteem for feelings of accomplishment. The last part is self-actualization, fulfilling one's potential.

Maslow's hierarchy is a perfect formula for marketing purposes. For example; A commercial showing a boy waiting in hunger as he licks his lips while he watches his Mom make a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast. The boy finishes his breakfast then heads off to school for a test, A+! The boy returns home to see his Mom very proud of her son's achievement, giving him a great big hug. Meaning, advertisers/marketers try to make the item attractive physiologically (hunger, then leave for school feeling full from the peanut butter sandwich), a feeling of love, safety (mom's hug), self-esteem, and sense of self-fulfillment. So, within these needs, companies are trying to categorize or push their products as the I-need-to-haves. I need to have all (physiological, safety, love, esteem, self-actualization) that, just from a jar of peanut butter.

Step 10, is all about identifying needs, wants, and prioritizing. What are our financial needs and wants? Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we start from the foundation; our basic needs, the need to eat, drink, sleep safely in a home and so on. We should start tackling down things that might harm our basic needs, debt. We should prioritize to repay any debt on time, because it may harm the very foundation and basic needs. A mortgage, car loan, consumer debt. If we don't have a home, save for a down-payment.

The second is psychological, the need for happiness. Plan for a refreshing trip to the beach, watch a good movie, buy a book that you will enjoy reading accompanied with hot cocoa on a rainy day, and things that will give you positive experiences. Also spend on others, giving out to charities so that you will become much happier. Being happier will help you in avoiding foolish money decisions. Those who withhold from giving (productively) are only withholding themselves from happiness.

"Here you are - those invited to spend (what Allah has provided) in the cause of Allah - but among you are those who withhold [out of greed]. And whoever withholds only withholds [benefit] from himself; and Allah is the Free of need, while you are the needy. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you." 

Surat Muĥammad 47:38

The final part, self-actualization, is supported by our actions from the foundation. We believe in our abilities and will fulfill our potential to make the right financial decisions and goals.

We will continue next week for step 11 in setting SMART financial goals.

Debt solutions: IVAs vs. DMPs

Photo courtesy of abcdlish (flickr)

If you are struggling with unresolved debt, it may be difficult to envisage a future free from financial strain and overdue payments. Bankruptcy may often be considered the only viable option by those so overwhelmed by debt that it feels impossible to escape, but there are less drastic alternatives available.

For example, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a legally binding insolvency agreement made on behalf of the debtor to their creditors to arrange affordable regular repayments. IVAs are obtained through insolvency practitioners, who will make the necessary arrangements with your creditors regarding what you can afford to repay and how long the term of your IVA will last.



An Individual Voluntary Arrangement is not to be confused with a Debt Management Plan (DMP). Although the two are similar in that they offer an alternative solution to bankruptcy, a DMP is an informal agreement that is more flexible to an IVA in that repayments can be negotiated and there isn’t a minimum amount of debt required to set up a DMP.

Your situation will depend on what solution is best for you; this can range from how much you can afford to pay to how much you owe. If you are considering taking action against your outstanding debts, it is important to consult a professional debt solution service first to explore all avenues available to you.

What are the key differences between an IVA and a DMP?

• You can administrate a DMP yourself free of charge, you can’t with an IVA

As an IVA is a legal form of insolvency, it needs to be processed by an Insolvency Practitioner which will incur administration fee, and also further handling fees whenever a payment is made. A DMP can be set up by the debtor discussing the repayment plan directly with their creditor, or via a debt charity which is usually free of charge.

• An IVA can write off some of your debt, but a DMP cannot

As an IVA is a legal form of insolvency, an arrangement is made to make regular and affordable payments towards clearing debt over a set period of time (usually 5 years). If at the end of this period there is still debt outstanding, it will be written off. As a DMP is set up for the debtor to repay all, not some, of their debt, there is a no set time period. If reasons occur that delay repayment, the agreement will be extended until all debt is cleared.

• An IVA will protect you from creditors, a DMP may not

Once an IVA has been administered, your creditors should no longer contact you regarding the amount owed. However creditors can continue to chase you for extra payments and continue with debt recovery proceedings if you are part of a DMP.

• An IVA will freeze charges and interest, but a DMP may not

When you enter into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, all charges and interest from creditors will be frozen to allow you to pay back the amount owed without adding to it. A Debt Management Plan will not necessarily do the same, as creditors are not obligated to agree to freeze these charges. This therefore means that as your DMP starts, you may notice that your monthly payments are higher than usual due to interest being charged, but this will reduce as your creditors see that you are making regular payments.

• Repayments for an IVA are not very flexible, whereas they can be for a DMP

An Insolvency Practitioner will be issued to you when you apply for an IVA to calculate what you can afford to pay a month. These payments aren’t that flexible, but can sometimes be paid within a 15% margin of the fixed amount. As a DMP has no set time period, payments have more scope to vary as the repayment term can be extended until the debts are cleared. However, you will need to inform your creditors of any changes to your repayment plan, and they are not obligated to accept them.

Rosie Percy writes for a diverse range of topics and industries including education, health and finance. Rosie has written for the Guardian and other lifestyle blogs, and now lives and works in Brighton.