Spending Habits
Inflation rate facing elderly jumps to 7%
Alliance Trust's independent study of age related inflation has found that the over 75 year olds continue to be hit the hardest by rising inflation, and the pain is getting worse. This age group saw their inflation rate jump from 6.3% to 7.0% in August.
Parents of students can save money shopping online
Nearly one third of parents are expecting to spend more than their monthly disposable income to kit out their child’s university room, according to research from Savebuckets.com – and this is in addition to all other university-related costs and rent.
moneysupermarket.com: Inflation hitting 4.7 per cent
Commenting on inflation hitting 4.7 per cent, Tim Newhouse, from price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said: "The official inflation figure is at last catching up to the stark reality that people have been aware of for months now.
Inflation hits 4.7 per cent
UK annual inflation was 4.7 per cent in August, up from 4.4 per cent in July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Surviving the credit crunch
The current credit crunch looks set to be here for some time, with high fuel and rising food prices, restricted access to credit and mortgages increasingly difficult to obtain.
Paying the bills tops list of priorities for crunch-conscious Brits
Paying the monthly mortgage and rising fuel bills have overtaken saving for the future and work/life balance as the number one priority for "crunch-conscious" Brits, according to research from Abbey Mortgages.
Rural residents a community of spenders
Only a quarter of rural people are now saving for their long term future, according to research by NFU Mutual. Instead, almost a fifth of countryside dwellers are more likely to overspend each month.
Charity donations fall as demand for their services grows
The effects of the slowing economy are having a huge impact on charities, according to a survey by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and the Association of Chief Executives of the Voluntary Sector (acevo).
Students need to budget if part-time work proves tight
Students wondering whether that part-time job they are considering will cover their living expenses while on campus can now come to HSBC for help with their household budgets.
Brits cutting back on bare essentials due to rising energy costs
Expected Government measures to help the poorest people reduce their energy bills may not go far enough as Saga Home Insurance reveals that over a fifth of the population are cutting back on basic expenditure due to the recent increase in fuel prices.
Credit crunch puts football fans under pressure
More than one in four fans will cut back on the number of games they go to this season as the UK's economic slowdown spreads to football, according to research from Virgin Money.
Parents underestimating real cost of university
As universities prepare to welcome a new batch of students for the start of the 2008/2009 academic year, parents across the UK estimate the total cost of sending their child into further education will be £12,550, according to new research from Birmingham Midshires.
Parents fork out to support adult kids
Parents spend a staggering £233 billion on supporting their adult children, and are foregoing their own financial freedom to support their children, according to research from LV=, the insurance, pensions and investments group.
Online shopping just became easier and better value
For shoppers frustrated with searching online and being faced with pages of irrelevant product results and hundreds of links to sift through before finding the right items, help is now at hand from leading online payment provider PayPal. PayPal has teamed up with TheFind Inc.
New breed of 'Darwinist Shopper' is unearthed by research
A national study reveals that over half (51%) of all consumers believe that big brands are losing their importance in today's world. Nearly two-thirds of shoppers say they are more likely to buy supermarket own-brand now than a year ago.