May 2016 – Make Money, Save Money

Recently, I was out with family, having a good night out. At some point I ordered 10 buffalo wings. They arrived looking delicious but after counting, I realised there was only 9 wings on the plate. I could have said nothing - after all 9 would have been enough - but the point was that the menu said 10. After a few minutes I grabbed a waiter and politely explained the situation. Later, they sent out 2 extra wings. Whether you are trying to make more money or save money you need to know your numbers. Make Money Baking Love baking, and good at it? Then you could sell your cakes at your local car boots, table-top sales and farm shops. If you give out business cards, there could even be a market for baking to order. However, do bear in mind the general legal requirements when selling food to the public, and its best to check with your local authority, Food Standards Agency and get your kitchen inspected. Learn a new skill It's always good to keep learning. Chances are, you'll find a use for it and it'll save you paying someone to do something fairly rudimentary. You might even be able to turn it into a money making opportunity. There are lots of sites offering online courses. Has there been a story that've you've wanted to tell, or a phone app that you can't believe hasn't been written? Why not learn the skills required to do these things for yourself? Read more Part-time Driver If you live in a city, then you could give people rides for money with Uber. Alternatively local takeaway places are usually calling out for drivers to deliver telephone orders. Really like driving? Then you could start your own courier business. Save Money Grow your own From time-to-time recipes call for fresh herbs. We like to make a lot of guacamole in our household. One of the important ingredients in guacamole is coriander. Coriander, in our local supermaket, is £0.70 for a small bag, or £1.25 for a plant. The bag of coriander could easily make 3 batches of guacamole. However, by the time we get round to making our second or third batch, the coriander will have gone off. You have several choices, freeze the unused coriander, or buy the coriander plant. I prefer the plant as the herb will be as fresh as can be, and the plant will regrow. If the plant grows too quickly, then cut it down, dry the pieces and then blend them. For extra savings, check the reduced items section, especially around 3:30pm on a Sunday. I've seen plants being sold for less than the packets. Read more Coupons If you don’t have a supermarket loyalty card, get one; most supermarkets have them. Chances are they will send you coupons for some of the items you buy regularly. Another way to get coupons is to register with your favourite brands. Here are some brands websites where you can get money saving coupons: P&G John West Read more about couponing Pay more towards debt For the most part, credit cards are easy to get, and easy to use, but before you know it the total can be more than you expected. £20 here and £10 there - it all adds up. If you're savvy, you'll get a credit card with added benefits, like cashback, or points towards loyalty schemes. In addition, you'll have the money ready to pay off the debt at the end of the month, so you won't have paid any interest. If this isn't you then read more. Hopefully, these suggestions give you money ideas! That's it for this newsletter. See you next time! If you have any suggestions or questions then drop me a reply to this email.