Spending Habits
Ghost of Christmas past continues to haunt cash-strapped Brits
With rising bills and lower disposable incomes, nearly 1 in 4 (24%) Brits are still paying off credit costs from last Christmas.
Savers look forward to a simple Christmas as festivities get frugal
This Christmas is set to be a far simpler affair for British families, as they rein in their spending. New research from Birmingham Midshires, a leading direct savings provider in the UK, reveals that 78 per cent of Britons are taking sensible steps to make Christmas more affordable this year.
PayPal giving away £10,000 a week for ten weeks
PayPal is giving away £10,000 a week for 10 weeks running up to Christmas to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Anyone who buys from a retailer on PayPal's shopping website, paypal.co.uk/offers, and pays with PayPal, will be entered automatically in the weekly draw. (Terms apply.)
Brits go green to save the pennies
Never mind going green to save the planet, two in five Brits, 41%, admit to telling their friends they are being environmentally friendly, but secretly they are doing so to save money, according to new research from Legal & General.
Santa’s still coming to town – but with a smaller sack
Over one-third of UK consumers don’t plan to curb their spending this Christmas and of those that do, most will not cut back by more than £150, according to research by compareandsave.com.
Fancy a splash of very Old Spice?
Millions of men are hanging on to bottles of aftershave bought a decade ago as they 'scents' a way to save their pennies during the credit crunch, with around a quarter of all Brits surveyed (23 per cent) spending less now on all fragrances than they were six months ago, new research shows.
Argos shopper pay 222.7% APR through Provident personal credit
To celebrate the start of the Christmas shopping season, trusted high street brand Argos rides the ‘sub-prime' band wagon with Provident Personal Credit, offering consumers the ‘Easy Shop Card'.
Sinister new twist to prize draw scams
The OFT is warning consumers about a sinister new twist to prize draw scams in which the victims are unwittingly being used to help defraud others.
Crunch time this Christmas
With only two months to go until Santa pays a visit, it seems that this year more people are planning a ‘careful' Christmas to combat the effects of the credit crunch.
uSwitch.com comments on falling retail growth
Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, comments on latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) confirming the first quarter of declined growth: "More than a year after the Credit Crunch began and, today, the UK is one step closer to the inevitable recession.
Seven out of ten people aren’t ready for a recession
The UK economy is shrinking. The writing has been on the wall for a while, and figures from the Office for National Statistics show that Britain is heading into a recession. However, according to a new study by money website Fool.co.uk, most consumers are still not equipped for the pain that lies ahead.
Brits abroad drop the dead donkey
Sombreros, straw donkeys and sunburn used to be mementos of a great holiday abroad, but these days it seems that traditional souvenirs are leaving many holidaymakers miserable.
Shopping websites breaking the rules
Three in ten of the most visited online shops are getting the simplest selling rules wrong, reveals which.co.uk as it releases details of its biggest survey yet into online shopping.
Identity theft three times more likely in UK vs other European countries
One in seven online shoppers (14%) in the UK, has fallen victim to identity theft, around three times the number in Germany (3%), Spain (5%) and France (6%).
Energy and mortgages relief for consumers
For consumers struggling to meet mortgage repayments combined with the rise in recent fuel bills, they will be pleased to know help is on the way thanks to a new service launched by comparethemarket.com, the price comparison site.