bank Archives - ET Speaks From Home

Nutmeg – a simple way to manage savings online

It’s March! And that means it’s coming up to the end of the current tax year which runs until 5^th April. Have you been using your ISA allowance this year? If not, now is a great time to spend a bit of time to get everything in order. ISAs are tax free and there are two types of ISAs – cash ISAs and stocks and shares ISAs, and the total ISA allowance for the 2014-15 tax year is £15,000.

If you are looking for a stocks and shares ISA, I recently came across a platform called Nutmeg which is really easy to use. Basically, you decide on how much risk you’re willing to take on and Nutmeg will set up a professional portfolio for you accordingly. Their fees are low compared to similar ways of investing, ranging from 0.3% to 1% per annum, and there are no trading, set-up or exit fees if you withdraw on their weekly schedule.

NatWest Mobile Banking App Review

When I first came to the UK, the first current bank account that I opened was with NatWest and I have stayed with them throughout. Being their customer for 10 years, I’ve had a lot of good experiences with them. I have no doubts I will stay with them for the foreseeable future. They might not have the best interest rate but their customer service and online banking are what continues to impress.

I still remember when I first used their telephone banking, it was so easy. When I went to Egypt, my debit card got stuck inside the cash machine and with one call, they swiftly cancelled the card. Later, I moved onto online banking and moving money in between my current account and other accounts is so easy. Checking my direct debits and creating standing orders are so easy too.

Now NatWest have introduced their mobile banking app which is easy to use, fast and secure, helping to manage money at a time and place that suits you.

Year I Make It Happen 2014

Before the New Year started, you might have already set yourself a new goal for the year or perhaps people asked you what is your goal. Having a goal in life is a great way to make it happen and fulfil them. Setting yourself realistic goals and working towards achieving them will make this year a great one.

This year I set myself several goals to achieve. I am very passionate about cooking Asian food like Tom Yum soup, Laska, Mee Siam, Singapore chicken curry etc. Besides cooking, I would also like to improve my food photography. Even if the food looks and tastes great, if the photo does not do it justice, it won’t look good on my blog. So I set myself a goal to learn and improve my food photography. I bought a book called “Focus on Food Photography for Bloggers” by Matt Armendaruz. So wish me luck and by end of the year, I hope you will notice an improvement on my photography.

Besides improving food photography on my blog, I also want to do set myself a new project for my kitchen! Lloyds Bank have created a Facebook Make It Happen app for the public. Simply follow the steps to create your personal goals for 2014 and they will give you a toolbox of helpful tips and ideas to inspire you to achieve it. The app gives people the chance to share their goal ideas within three categories – home, life and money.

Reviewing our spending habits!

How’s 2014 going for you so far? I must admit that it’s been hard getting back into the routine this week for all of us, but probably more so for me and Mr C lol! New year traditionally means new resolutions and whilst I haven’t specifically made any, now is also a perfect time to objectively review your spending habits.

To help with this, I came across this fantastic website from Leeds Building Society: http://www.leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk/resources/kick-my-habits/

This website steps you through some common spending habits and allows you enter what you spend on these. The habits are: takeaways, alcohol, cigarettes, nights out, beauty, lunches, technology and evenings out. Here are a few of the pages of what we entered:

Takeaways – typically a Chinese or an Indian, though now and again we do have pizzas to not be too predictable!

8 Family Budgeting Tips and Resources to Help You Stop Overspending Today

The summer holidays are nearly upon us, and it’s a time many parents worry (more than usual) about whether or not they can afford to keep the kids entertained. With a little planning and sensible behaviour, however, sticking to a budget is as easy as one, two, three.

Here, you’ll find eight budgeting tips and online resources to help you make the most of your money and have fun with your children, without blowing the bank. With this advice, getting into the habit of budgeting all year round and saving for holidays (or emergencies) will be easy.