Is it Worth Buying a Lottery Ticket?

There are many people that buy lottery tickets or gamble in other ways. The National Lottery launched decades ago and now there are other lotteries as well. There are some benefits to buying a lottery ticket but there are also disadvantages as well. It is good to understand about these so that you can decide whether it really is worth you buying more.

Cost

Lottery tickets vary in how much they cost. Some people will just buy one occasionally but other people will buy multiple tickets a day. It is good to think about what you can afford to spend though. The cost will be more affordable to some than others. It is a good idea to think about what you can personally afford. Think about whether you are spending money on the lottery tickets that you would normally spend on other things and therefore you are missing out on something as a result. If you are going without something just to buy the ticket, then you need to think about whether you should really be buying them at all.

There are lots of advantages and disadvantages when coming to playing the lottery.

Prizes

Most people will buy a lottery ticket because of the prize. Most lotteries with have a really big jackpot prize and some smaller prizes as well. This can be very motivating. Some people love the idea of winning a really big prize. They want to be able to have a significant amount of money and therefore they feel that they will have a chance of getting it if they win the big prize. The smaller prizes may be welcomed by some people who just want to win something as a fun bonus. However, odds of winning the big prizes are very small and often small prizes are worth less than you paid for the ticket or you win so infrequently that you pay out far more than you win.

Charity Donation

Many lotteries make donations to charities. A lot of charities rely on heavily on these and it means that people buying the tickets can justify buying the ticket because of this. However, it is only a small percentage of each ticket sale that goes to charity as some is paid back in prizes and some will go towards the running of the lottery. If you give money directly to a charity instead you will be able to spend less than you do on lottery tickets and they will get more.

Fun

People do find playing the lottery to be fun. It is worth thinking about the value for money that you are getting if you do play for this reason. For example, think about whether you are having fun playing and how much you would be prepared to pay for that fun if there was definitely no prize and therefore evaluate whether you feel it is giving you good value compared to other things that you could be spending the money on.

Habit/Pressure

It is also worth thinking about whether you are buying tickets regularly out of habit and not really thinking about why you are doing it. We might just get one on a certain day or every day because we just are in the habit of doing it but it may be that we are not really gaining anything form the purchase and we should just stop. It is also a good idea to think about whether you are feeling pressure t buy one. This could be in a circumstance where you are in a syndicate at work and feel you have to join in to be part of the group even though you do not really want to do it. This can be a very tricky situation, but it is likely that if you have a quiet word with the organiser and explain that you do not want to do it anymore they will be okay with it. You could say you want to drop out to let someone else have a chance or because you want the money for other things.

Ways to Spend Less on Electricity

We all tend to have to pay for electricity. The bills can tend to seem really high. Electricity is expensive and so it is good to see if there are things that you can do to get that cost down.

Switch lenders

The quickest and easiest way to get cheaper electricity is to switch lenders. It is wise to compare the prices between different lenders frequently to make sure that you are not paying more than necessary. There are comparison websites that you can use and they will let you know how much you might be able to save if you switch to certain providers according to how much energy you tend to use. You will need to know either how much you usually pay or how much electricity you use, so that they can compare and let you know which will be the cheapest. You may feel it will be a hassle to switch, but there is no disruption in supply, you will just need to read your meter when asked to and then it will all be switched over automatically. It is possible to save hundreds of pounds a year if you swap lenders and some people save even more so it is good to check as it can make a big difference.

Use less

Although part of the electric bill is a standing charge, you will get charged for your usage as well. The amount that you pay for this will be lower if you use less electricity. There are different things that you can try which will reduce the amount that you use and you may find some easier than others. It can be good to think about ways you may waste electricity perhaps by having heaters on unnecessarily, as well as lights and other gadgets. Consider whether you might benefit from having a smart meter so you can identify what is using the most electricity and this can help you use those things less. Even things like using an airer instead of a tumble drier, only washing when you have a full load and buying more efficient white goods when they need replacing will make a difference to how much you use. It can be a good idea to think about everything that is plugged in and unplug it if it does not need to be, so extension leads, charging cables, computers and monitors, televisions etc as even doing this will make some difference to the electricity you use and can all add up .

Get solar panels

Solar panels are expensive. If you need to pay someone to fit them, they can be even dearer. However, if you get a good set and they last a long time, you will find that you will benefit form them. They will generate free electricity and you will not only benefit form using that free energy but you will be able to get some money for some going back to the National Grid as well. The amount you make form this is quite small but the amount you save in electricity you use is big. You will benefit most form running most appliances at the brightest times of the day and not running everything at the same time. If you have to borrow the money to buy the panels then you may not benefit form them as the cots of the loan may offset any savings you make in electricity. Whether you can benefit will deed on whether you have anywhere you can put them and whether this place gets direct sunlight for most of the day or not. A fitter should be able to let you know and calculate how long it will take you to make back the money you have invested in the panels.

How to get Loan Costs Down

If you have loans, then you will probably be making repayments on them and you will be being charged interest and possibly fees as well for having them. This can all add up and you might feel that it is too much and that you would like to get those costs down. There are quite a few things that you can do to help with getting those costs down.

Change lenders

To start with you might want to compare the different lenders and see how they vary in what they are offering. For example, you may find that if you switch to a different lender then they will have a lower interest rate and this will mean that your repayments will be lower because you will not be paying so much in costs. It is therefore good to do some price comparisons so that you can check to see whether you can save money. However, it is wise to make sure that you will be getting value for money from that lender and therefore you will need to just check and do some research to try to find out why it will be cheaper. Obviously, some lenders do just charge less, but there will be some that charge less but do not provide such a good service. You will need to do some research to check them out and find out more about them.

Paying back loans early is a great way to save money.

Make repayments on time

It will make a big difference if you make your repayments on time. If you miss any repayments, you will have to pay out a fee or charge and this will mean that your loan will cost more money. Therefore, if you ensure that you are repaying on time, then you will not have these additional costs. Therefore, try to prioritise repaying any bad credit loans. Make sure that the direct debits come out of your bank account on days when you have the most money in there – so just after you are paid. If you find that it is still a struggle to make the repayments then make sure that you are not spending money on things that you do not really need. You need to think about trying to limit that spending so that you have enough money to pay for necessities such as the loans. It is hard to cut back on these treats but it can really help you to more easily manage you money and to make sure you have enough for everything that you need to buy.

Pay off some of the loan

With some loans, it can be beneficial to repay them early. If you owe less money then the amount of interest you will have to pay is less and therefore the loan will cost you less money overall. Even if you only repay a little bit it will make a difference and the savings that you make in paying less interest will hopefully allow you to repay a little more and you can slowly whittle down the amount you owe. You will need to check that there is not a fee for doing this though. Some loans are flexible and you can repay however much you want, when you want as long as you pay a minimum. However, there are some that will charge you a fee if you want to repay it early. This could be a small admin fee which will be very little compared to the amount of interest that you are saving. However, it could be a significant amount of money which will cost you more than you will save in interest. Therefore, it is really important to find out how much it will be and whether you will benefit or not.

Tips on Shopping for Clothes on a Budget

We all need clothing from time to time. Whether we need to buy things because we need then for work, school or just general wear, there will be things that we need. We often do buy extras because we like them, but this is different to what we actually need. However, sometimes when it comes to shopping for clothing, even if we really need the items. We can find that we do not have enough money to buy them. This can be tricky, but there are things that we might be able to do to make things easier.

Check what you already have

It can be a really good idea to start by looking through the clothing that you already have. You should check and see whether you can find anything that will do the job. For example, if you need a new shirt for work, you may find that you actually have one that you have forgotten about. So make sure that you are fully aware of what you have and even try on a few things so that you know what fits well and how things look. You may find that you will not need to then buy new things. You may even be able to adapt a few outfits so that they work better.

Only buy what you need

It can be wise to make sure that you are only buying the clothing that you need. We often feel like we want some more clothing but actually have perfectly suitable items that we can wear instead. Therefore make sure that you are only buying what you need.

Try second hand shops

A lot of people find great clothes in second hand or charity shops. Sometimes the clothes can still have the labels attached so they are brand new but they will not be as expensive as buying new items. It means that you can get some good things without paying so much. Even the second hand items are often in great condition and have a lot of wear left in them but they are nothing like as expensive as buying the clothing new. You will have to search in the shops and you will need to look through the items to see what is there and what sizes they are etc as they tend not to be as organised as clothes shops. However, it can be worth searching through the items because you can find some bargains. You can also buy second hand clothes online and although you will have to pay postage you will have a lot more to choose from.

Try cheaper shops

It could be that you will find that you can get clothing from cheaper shops than you normally go to. You will find that you have favourite shops to go to and you may find that you do not really want to go elsewhere. However, you may find that you are paying a lot in your normal shops and so you may need to find some cheaper one to go to. It is important to be careful though. Sometimes cheaper clothing is not such good quality. This means that it could wear out quickly or it may stretch or shrink when washed. Therefore, be careful, check carefully what you are buying and check the washing instructions to make sure that it will not shrink or stretch if you wash it in the way you normally wash things. It can sometimes be sensible to spend a bit more on something that you think will last a long time and therefore give you good value for money.

How to Exercise on a Tight Budget

We all need to exercise if we want to stay fit and healthy and most of us are able to do this. However, it can seem that exercising is expensive and that we will not be able to do it if we do not have much money. It is true that there are certain things that you will have to pay out a lot of money for. These include gym memberships, exercise classes, personal trainers and sports that need specific equipment. However, there are things that you can do which are cheap or free and it is good to get to know what these are so that you can still stay fit and healthy even if you have a very small budget. Below are some examples of things that you can try.

Walking

Walking is a really good exercise. It is weight bearing which means that it is good for our bones as well as having the other health benefits of exercise. It needs no special equipment either. It is possible to do it inside or outside and as long as you have a pair of supportive shoes you can do it easily. If you are inside, then you probably do not even need good shoes as the flooring ill give you the support that you need, but outside you will need something that will protect you from the pavement. You can go fast or slow and so it on flat ground or hilly ground so you should be able to find something suitable for your fitness level.

Running

Running has one slight expense and that is shoes. You do not need special clothing but you will need to make sure that you feet are well supported. Running puts more strain on the joints than walking and you will need a good shoe that will absorb some of the energy to help protect you from this strain. The shoes may not be massively expensive depending on where you get them and what brand you decide to go for.

Yoga/pilates

These can be expensive if yougo to a professional class but you can do it at home for a lot less. There are lots of online instructors that you can find and some will have a small fee and others will be free. These can allow you to be able to exercise without the need to pay out a lot of money. You will need a yoga mat, but these are not too expensive and you may even be able to get one second hand.

Aerobics

Aerobics can be great aerobic activity and more fun than running. It can easily be done inside the house without a need to pay to go to a class. You may be able to find online videos that you can follow for free or you could just make up your own routines and exercises. If you have done aerobics before then you will know what sorts of things to do and you can make it more fun by using exercises that you like.

Strength training

If you like the idea of building up muscle, then you will not necessarily need to go to the gym or lift weights. You will be able to do this at home using things that you find around the house. Things like bottles and tins can be handy but even baskets of washing or piles of books could also be used.

If you are inventive you can find all sorts of things that you can do form stair climbing to jogging round the garden. It can be easy to find a way to do exercise in the home or outside of the home without having to spend out a great deal of money.

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