Blushing Embers

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How to travel local

Can you really travel local and feel like you're abroad? Yes!

We all want to escape and zip abroad on a plane to some place new. It's normal! Sadly, our commitments to our friends and loved ones (not to mention the bank) make it prohibitive to travel quite as much as we want to. The possibility of boarding a plane once every over month is something that remains in the realms of dreams for the average you and I.

The good news is that you can invest your effort into being inventive instead of just throwing money at the problem. Travel is trendy; as more of us are becoming enchanted with the idea of going abroad or to new places in search of adventure, the thrifty among us are learning the ways and “hacks” in which we can enjoy the thrill of travel without breaking the bank.

The newest trend in regards to travel is going local, and for good reason. We're all guilty of being blind to our regular surroundings, to the point where we can actually remain in the same area while still enjoying the excitement of feeling like we're in a new place.

So what makes travel so appealing? We all know the main types of traveler: you have those who prefer the safety and comfort of experiencing a new area and you have, conversely, the type who want to throw on a backpack and get immersed in an area with no real plan behind them.

Let's talk tips. With a little work you can get your travel fix without spending much money at all. Now how can we do that exactly?

Go natural, then don't

A simple way to start is to commit to hiking style walking in your local areas. We're all fortunate to live in areas where we can visit parks and trails that we never would normally do. It's a great way to enjoy the local area while still feeling like you're abroad; pack yourself a backpack with drinks and a meal and see for yourself just how much you have missed in the places you have lived for so long.

You can add to the feeling of adventure by taking part in hiking or walking related activities, such as Geocaching. This is a fantastic, free experience where small cache items are secreted in local areas. You go on a hike and slowly narrow in on the cache and once you've discovered it you take an item from the box and replace it with one of your own! It's a tremendous idea and provides a sense of healthy adventure to your local area that's hard to beat.

Disconnect

While we suggest Geocaching above, which requires technology, you can still take your immersion into exploration a step further by cutting yourself off from your usual techy trappings. Going on a simple walk or brief hike around your local parks with no phone or even music can be an extremely tranquil experience. It focusses your mind in a lovely way and will truly help your appreciation of your local environment.

This is a fantastic and beneficial practice, as once you connect directly with the beauty of your local area you have gained knowledge that will stay with you all your time in that area, travel emphasis or no.

Food and drink

Last but not least, you can flip the usual script and discover new gems in your area by making a focussed attempt to try out different cuisines and types of drinks. It goes without saying that any place you might live will have a cultural heritage and beyond that a range of different restaurants and bars.

You can immerse yourself in a positive way in your area by trying out places you wouldn't usually go to. You don't have to go full gastro with it and eat food that makes you uncomfortable, though! Just visiting ethnic restaurants and trying new drinks at clubs and bars will give you a new appreciation and expand your culinary experiences and preferences. Before you know it, that street you've walked past all your life without a thought suddenly holds pleasant memories and new places to visit. Not bad!

Need a hand to get it done?

We can help with a short term loan if needed. We're happy to help, so talk to us today!

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The hidden cost of repeat purchases

We all know the common culprits that we spend money on every day. It's more than milk! We're all human when it comes to brands and once a company has secured our initial purchases, studies prove that we are often very likely to stay with that brand when the time comes to purchase again. Many factors are involved in this, ranging from simple laziness through to the comfort that comes with familiarity with a brand and product.

The truth is that we all are beholden to certain purchases in life. Some things we just have to have in order to maintain the quality of living that we are used to! Recurring purchases are a hook that many companies have made their fortunes off, be it perishable goods in the food and drinks sector or non-reusable cameras (perhaps an old example by now!

So what examples are the best? Let's take a look.

Shaving

Both men and women are familiar with this subject! The world of shaving razors is a bewildering place, full of powerful and aggressive advertising shouting the benefits of fifty blade, gas powered monstrosities available at your local store for the low price of a lot of money. The amount of marketing research that goes into the themes and trends of these products is staggering, with many organisations playing on the themes of masculinity and femininity in order to secure repeat business from their precious customers.

Razors are an interesting topic to review. The concept of paying a high price for branded packages of replacement blades is something that many are revolting against in recent years, spawning such famous companies as the Dollar Shave group. It's an increasingly difficult market for the main brands like Gilette, with many resentful customers becoming more savvy to the point that they are paying as much for the brand as they are the product they need so frequently.

Printers

Oh dear. We'll keep it professional in language and tone when discussing printers! An infamous example of the “rip off” that many have had no choice but to pay into, printer ink has long been complained about.

The problem that has led to such a negative view of printers and the ink required for them is that for a sizable period of time many manufacturers built their products to only work with their own ink. This product was then marked up in price significantly, crippling users of their products financially by forcing them to pay to continue using their printer.

While a solid business model that worked for many years, this practice backfired as many anti-consumer methods tend to do. The printer became an infamous example of white collar frustration, with the giants of the industry such as Hewlett Packard noticing the damage done to their brand and their continued profits.

This was an insidious success for such companies, with the bait and hook method of a cheap product and expensive refills proving tremendously successful in the short term.

Further examples

There are many more examples of this type of business, ranging all the way from air fresheners through to the refillable capsules used in coffee making machines. An effective method for securing brand loyalty and continued profit, these products are built purposely to require the continued expense of refilling their machines and items with theirs and theirs alone.

While effective, the take home for an interested business owner or developer is to ensure that the customer is not made to dislike the brand. Forcing an artificial limitation on a consumer so that they buy is a tactic that can work in the short term but is very unlikely to ensure a positive image of the company and a happy user in the future – an important part of ethical business!

Source: Every Day Loans Ltd

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How To Save Money On Petrol!

An unwelcome announcement has recently been made with retailers warning of a 5p increase per litre in petrol prices. These changes are expected to come very soon and is primarily due to the uncertain economic situation following the Brexit vote.

 The good news is that you can still make considerable savings on your car maintenance and petrol costs compared to most. All it takes is a close and careful eye on what, where and when you spend when it comes to keeping those wheels on the road.

 Here’s a few pointers to get you started.

 Be careful with that air conditioner

A common point to some, it’s still a surprisingly unknown fact that your air conditioner will burn fuel in a major way. Some cars with an air-con on blast will lower fuel economy by a staggering 25% - that’s big money with prices continuing to rise and squeeze away at our wallets.

 It can be beneficial to only run your air conditioner in peak periods such as the height of summer. This will vary depending on your area and particularly for us in the UK, how the weather feels like at the time!

 We aren’t advising you to swelter in a hot car, just to keep in mind the cost that this can incur over time.

As a note. If you’re ever in a financial jam and are seeking bad credit loans with no guarantor, you can try a company like Everyday Lending Limited.  

 Manage your insurance provider

 This is a fantastic point that not many know about! Some insurers will allow you a discount on your payments if you install a small device which works similar to a pedometer. It measures particular areas of your driving such as intensity of braking and increases in speed to give a score of sorts of how safe and consistent your own driving is.

If you are confident that you have a safe and sound driving style you can earn a significant discount on your insurance costs by showing to your insurer that you are an especially reliable customer.

 Claim when you need to

We hope that your driving is safe and that no accidents happen. We also know this sometimes isn’t the case and mistakes and accidents can occur to the best of us.

 A key way to ensure you aren’t paying the world just to run your car is to know when to claim. A no claims bonus is a serious cost reduction on any car insurance and jeopardising this in the name of a small accident can set you back financially in the long run.

 It can particularly be in your interest to avoid a claim when you have a small scrape or bump that requires work to fix. While you’ll need to pay up for the cost of the repair you will save money when it comes to your insurance as you’ll have avoided a mark on your record. It’s unpleasant to have to pay for your repairs up front instead of chasing compensation but you can expect savings if you choose that option!

 Develop efficient driving

 Introducing a few simple habits and methods of driving into your daily life can save a surpsiing amount of money. You don't have to go into the deep end and fret about pressing the brake every minute of the day to save money!

 While a dream for some, if you can practically avoid rush hour and periods of generally heavy traffic you will save a significant amount. This is due to cars requiring much more fuel to get moving in first gear. You're looking at more money in the bank if you can keep your car in a higher gear for longer.

 It comes as a suprise to many to learn that sticking to the speed limit in your commute can also save you money. This is due to the running of your car – if you run your vehicle for around twenty minutes it's an expensive commute. Being patient with your driving and preferring trips of greater distances with other options like cycling or public transport for shorter trips can save you an appreciable amount and helps hit the savings goals from several angles at once.

 Keep in mind

 You don't have to fret to make a dent in your maintenance costs for your vehicle. The key is consistency and the frequent use of a few key pointers as we've described above. Causing undue stress isn't the way to go!

 Awareness of your vehicle and sound planning in your journeys and decision as to when to drive will help keep your bills down and your car healthy. Win win!

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