Celebrating all things simple and straightforward, Gemma’s Dilemmas sees the former TOWIE star dish out advice in her trademark, no-nonsense style, tackling the nation’s most confusing dilemmas – from colleagues stealing packed lunches, to finding a reliable broadband provider, and even modern-day dating mishaps.  

It comes as new research from Plusnet reveals the nation’s frustrations at how complex life has become. The study of 2,000 Brits found that three fifths (63%) wish life was more straightforward, with six in ten (57%) suggesting things have become too complicated and a further half (50%) actively seeking ways to have a more simple life.  

When asked about everyday frustrations, Brits cited dressing incorrectly for the weather (23%), leaving their washing out in the rain (23%) and missing a train or bus by seconds (22%) as those that irritate them the most. A further fifth (19%) even admitted that regularly spilling their morning coffee on their shirt is one of the biggest pet peeves – leaving them tired and tetchy.  

However, it’s good news for late sleepers as the survey found it gets better with age. While a fifth (20%) of Brits said sleeping through their alarm is one of the biggest daily frustrations, only 8% of over 55s admitted to snoozing too long, compared to three times as many 18-34 year olds (22%).  

Brits can clear up their confusions with simple, straight-talking advice from the Queen of Essex in her new video, launched in line with Plusnet’s campaign That’s a Plus, which promises straightforward broadband at straightforward prices, with no hidden fees or extras.  

Plusnet agony aunt, Gemma Collins, said: “From technology mishaps to fashion disasters, I know what it’s like to deal with daily frustrations and so this is why I am launching my new campaign, Gemma’s Dilemmas, to give my advice to the nation and solve their problems – one step at a time. Keeping things simple is the key to a happy life babes, so let’s hope the nation takes a leaf out of my book.” 

Joanna Carman, Director of Plusnet said: “We know life can feel complicated at times and that now more than ever, the nation is craving a bit of simplicity. At Plusnet, while we might not be able to solve all of life’s complications, we can certainly make sure broadband isn’t one of them - with straightforward broadband at straightforward prices. For everything else, you’ll have to tune into Gemma’s Dilemmas or speak to the GC herself.” 

Plusnet promises straightforward broadband at straightforward prices, with its game-changing Full Fibre broadband available from just £24.99 a month. For more information visit: www.plus.net.

To watch Gemma Collins in Gemma’s Dilemmas, visit Plusnet’s Instagram 

Notes: 

¹All data unless otherwise specified is from nationally representative poll undertaken Opinium between 27/6 and 30/6 2023

New research from communications provider Plusnet shows 84% of Brits believe it’s important to teach children about the value of money. But its young people scouting the best value deals and sharing the knowledge rather than their parents. 

Baby boomers are the generation synonymous with make do and mend, savings and avoiding waste. But it seems they are being taught a thing or two about being thrifty… by their millennial children. 

The Plusnet research reveals young people find 10 good value deals per month - nearly twice as many as over 60s who find only six. 

Among them is Aimee Wilkinson (35), from Leeds, who works in social media marketing. By sharing her tech knowledge with her parents to find the best deals online, she has helped them save over £3,000 a year. 

Aimee, who lives near her parents Sandra and Steve in Leeds, said: “My dad introduced me to money early on and taught me the importance of saving, setting goals, and knowing when to treat yourself. 

“My parents have supported me financially over the years and now I’m able to help them back. I thought it would be useful to apply the knowledge that’s second nature to people my age, to show them how to get the best deals online and use things like apps and technology to get more for their money.” 

Aimee started by helping her parents run through their bills using a price comparison site to see where they could get better value. 

As a result, they are switching to Plusnet’s £23.99 fibre broadband, which will save them £118 a year compared to their previous supplier. 

“Having lived in rented flats before, I’m used to searching for the best deals on my bills. But my parents and a lot of their friends have stuck with the same providers for years. 

“My dad runs his own property development business so having reliable broadband is essential and switching to Plusnet will save them over £100 a year. 

“I also run a fashion blog and I’m building up my Instagram @stylebyaimz, so having fast reliable broadband isn’t a choice for me - it’s a necessity.” 

Aimee also started sharing money saving apps with her parents, including Airtime Rewards, an app that lets users save money on their phone bill every time they use the card at certain retailers, and Swagbucks, an app that lets you earn cash by simply watching ads and completing online surveys. 

She said, “All of my friends know about money-saving apps, but people my mum’s age group hasn’t heard of them so much. Since I set her up, my mum’s been saving money at places like Argos, Boots and Primark. Doing that combined with similar cashback sites and apps like Quidco, Groupon and Wowcher, she now saves around £480 per year.” 

 Joanna Carman, Director at Plusnet, said: “Our research shows that each generation has their own way of finding good value. Everyone is looking to get value for money now and younger people are using tech to lead the way. At Plusnet, we believe good value is more than just price, and for us it’s simple, reliable broadband with great customer service.” 

The Wilkinson family also has a WhatsApp group where Aimee, her parents, her brothers Adam, 38, Matthew, 30, and sisters Chloe, 32, and Anna, 28, regularly share money saving tips, tricks, bargains and promo codes with one another. Aimee says the promo codes alone have saved her parents around £500. 

Aimee said: “When it comes to saving money, it’s not just about shopping sensibly and setting monthly budgets, it’s also about knowing where to look for good deals, getting creative, being tech savvy, finding unusual ways to bring in extra income like selling things online or starting a side hustle doing something you love. 

“I now use apps like idealo, GoCompare, and MoneySuperMarket when buying anything. I also share the links with the family if they’re looking to buy anything from home insurance to a new pair of trainers, as well as checking online reviews and news articles.” 

Aimee also introduced her parents to websites to save money on holidays and getaways. These include package holiday listing sites Kayak and TravelSupermarket, sites to find flash deals on experiences and days out like Travelzoo and Secret Escapes and sites to find the best deals on flights like travel company website Skyscanner. 

She said: “By using these websites, my parents have gone on two skiing holidays to the Swiss alps and a holiday to Santorini in Greece, saving around £1,150. The sites also let them filter holiday options by star-rating and board so they can remove things they don’t need and add value with 'freebies' like airport shuttles, parking and internet access.” 

As well as saving on new buys, Aimee has also helped her mum make money from selling unworn clothes on Vinted and old furniture on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. 

“When I moved into my new flat, I cleared out a lot of old stuff and put it on these sites. Since I started selling on there, I’ve made over £2,000. I got my mum set up on the site and she’s already earned £360 by selling clothes, old furniture and unopened cosmetics, and as well as saving £430 by buying things second-hand online herself. 

“I really got into these kinds of apps when furnishing my flat and was able to find a practically brand-new TV stand for just £50 on Facebook Marketplace for instance. 

“I’m so grateful to my parents for teaching me the importance of good value, and I love being able to show them new tips and tricks to help them get the most out of life as well.” 

A wedding veteran who has attended 16 weddings in three years, has revealed her tips for celebrating a big day without breaking the bank.

Leanne Woodward, 33, who also works as a wedding planner, says being a wedding guest can be just as stressful as hosting your own big day, with bills running into hundreds of pounds.

It comes as wedding venues brace themselves for a record number of weddings after Covid forced many couples to postpone their celebrations. An estimated 350,000 weddings are expected to take place in the UK this year* - 26% more than the yearly average before Covid restrictions began.

 With so many postponed weddings taking place this year, wedding guests may be left with mounting bills from unexpected costs or, the prospect of missing out.

New research from communications provider Plusnet found Brits spend an average of £649.50 attending a wedding including travel, overnight accommodation, a gift and buying a new outfit.  This means serial wedding guest Leanne, who is going to six weddings this summer with husband Matt, will need to set aside £3,897 for the celebrations.

The Plusnet research** also reveals more than a quarter (26%) of under 35s say they have had to dip into personal savings so they could attend a wedding while 26% have declined invites because of cost and almost a third (31%) said they’d sought out other ways to earn extra cash such as a side hustle.

Leanne said: “I absolutely love weddings and I’m at the age where my friends are all suddenly getting married. But it comes with a lot of pressure to wear nice clothes, have your hair and makeup done, give a generous gift and cover travel and a hotel too.

“Fortunately, Matt and I are comfortable financially but in 2018 we went to eight weddings as well as our own!  Overall, we spent over £32,000 that year. After that, I knew I had to be smarter with our budgeting if we were going to carry on going to so many weddings.”

For the last two years Covid has put a stop to almost all weddings or placed limits on how many people could attend.  Leanne says she has been flooded with invitations this year from newly engaged couples as well as those who have rescheduled since lockdown restrictions were lifted.

For Leanne, who lives in Lincoln, wedding planning is a year-round process. From the moment she receives a save-the-date card, Leanne says she calculates what she will need to spend on top of her usual outgoings. Each month, Leanne and Matt put a sum of that total into a designated wedding savings account.

To help them reach their goal total more quickly, Leanne says she regularly checks household bills to make sure the couple are on the best deals – looking at where they can make savings.

Switching from a £73 Sky TV Package with broadband to a £22.99 fibre broadband deal from a core-value supplier like Plusnet would save £50 per month while moving from a £49 per month contract mobile phone package with Vodafone to a £8 Sim-Only deal with Plusnet can also save £492 per year***.

She said: “I normally allocate £200 per wedding based on how much it has cost us previously. It depends on how many invitations we get, but from January each year, we set aside £100 a month each on payday, so we have a pot of cash we can dip into when the wedding season kicks off. Starting that process also acts as a reminder to me to go through our bills and check we’re getting the best value deals. This year I swapped from a contract to a SIM-only deal and changed our broadband package saving £600 per year.  That will be enough to pay for 3 of the 6 weddings we’re attending this year.”

Joanna Carman, Marketing Director at Plusnet, said: “Nobody wants to miss watching a loved one tie the knot but if you are lucky enough to have lots of friends getting married then costs can quickly add up.

"Being savvy with household bills such as switching to Plusnet broadband means you can save a bit of money and spend the extra cash celebrating with the people you love. "As part of her pre-wedding savings plan, Leanne says she also starts making hotel and travel plans as soon as a wedding invitation lands on her doorstep.

Leanne said: “I start to plan travel and accommodation as soon as I know we’re invited, which means I can get the best deals on hotel rooms and train fares. Often, we end up in the best hotel just because we’ve booked early, and I like knowing we’ve got it at the best price too. If you have the option pay when you arrive so if something changes, you’re not out of pocket.”

Leanne also reduces her overall spend attending weddings by pooling resources with other guests by sharing a lift.

Leanne said: “I’m the first to message friends to see if we can travel together. It also means you can start the celebration early with your friends.”

Leanne has also made savings on costly wedding outfits that can only be worn once by setting up a group with friends to share and swap dresses.

“I used to go to Oasis and spend £150 on a dress plus a new bag and shoes but when you’re going to as many weddings as I do that became unsustainable, but I still wanted to look nice and not turn up in the same one or two outfits. So, my friends and I have a group to arrange swaps, so everybody has a new outfit to wear. Now I feel like I’m wearing a new outfit but it’s free.”

It follows a growing trend for dress rentals and designer bag hire. Businesses like MyWardrobe HQ and HURR, where a £243 Ganni dress can be rented for £34 a day, gives wedding guests the chance to wear designer pieces at a fraction of the cost.

Leanne said: “I know people who swear by hiring instead of buying, it’s also a good space saver at home and is obviously a great way to avoid spending big on new clothes plus it’s more sustainable than fast fashion.”

This might be an unusual idea for some, but Leanne says makes other savings by avoiding gifts from wedding lists- instead choosing personalised presents for the couples from smaller online retailers via Etsy or Notonthehighstreet.

She said: “I have told friends in the past I’m not buying anything from their John Lewis gift list. My preferred option is to give something personalised. One of my favourites is a print with names and date of the wedding and then I will have it framed. I have given this a couple of times and it’s always ended up hanging prominently above their bed. Another idea is champagne glasses which can be inexpensive but remind the couple of their wedding whenever they get used.”

To celebrate Yorkshire Day, communications provider Plusnet has teamed up with an Oxford University mathematician to develop the world’s first formula for good value. 

The unique equation brings Yorkshire’s love of a great deal to the rest of the UK as new research shows a third of cash-strapped Brits admit they are not confident in getting value for money.

The research* commissioned by Plusnet also reveals that nearly half (47%) ​​of Brits admitted to regretting buying the cheapest product or service that didn’t last, causing them to have to spend more money on a replacement. 

To help bargain-hunting Brits, Dr Tom Crawford, a maths fellow at St Edmund Hall, Oxford – home to some of the world’s leading mathematicians – was commissioned by Plusnet to create the first ever formula for good value.

Using data from 2,000 UK adults on what value means to them, Dr Tom Crawford  revealed the secret to good value (V) is down to a mix of quality (Q), ease-of-use (E), brand trust (B) and price (P).

But – proving that Brits need to feel the buzz of getting a bargain - the vital ingredient to the formula is joy (J). 

The full formula is: 

Dr Tom Crawford, mathematician at the University of Oxford, said: “To work out value, a product is scored from one to three against the five variables: quality, ease-of-use, brand trust, price, and joy. 

“Each of these scores are put into the formula which calculates a figure between 0-1. A higher score indicates good value. For example, an item scoring 0.8 would represent better value than a score of 0.4.

“I tested the formula out on Plusnet’s Yorkshire Day deal, scoring quality: two, ease-of-use: three, brand trust: three, joy: three and price: one. When you put these numbers into the formula it calculates a score of 0.8, which equals good value.”

For those maths lovers who want to explore the equation in more detail Dr Crawford has set out his formula in expert detail, worthy of Carol Vorderman status. See below**

Joanna Carman, Marketing Director at Plusnet, breaks the formula down in the simplest way.

She said: “Good value adds up to simple, reliable products that just work and great customer service you can count on. Which is everything Plusnet believes in and stands by. Given that our customers already get good value, we want the rest of the UK to join in and learn a thing or two this Yorkshire Day. 

“As a national brand that’s proud of its Yorkshire roots, we’re celebrating the region's love for a great value, with a deal too good to miss that’ll last the long run.”

Dr Tom Crawford, mathematician at the University of Oxford, who created the formula, added: “We’re pleased to be able to help Brits across the UK find a formula for good value this Yorkshire Day – at a time everyone is looking for great deals. 

“Our formula shows it’s not just about going for the cheapest option, it’s about quality items that last and make your life easier. Good value is also about how a product or services makes you feel. And if it doesn’t bring joy to you, then it may not the best option.”

Plusnet celebrates Yorkshire Day on 1st August, with a new deal with unlimited fibre broadband for £22.99 for 18 months plus £75 Reward Card – offer ends 3rd of August 2022.

ends

 *Research commissioned by Plusnet via third party research company Opinium in July 2022.

Additional research stats:

• Nearly half (43%) said they regretted making an impulse purchase when there was an offer on, even if they did not need what they were buying and never used the item - this rocketed to 62% for 18–34-year-olds.
• Nearly two thirds (59%) of Brits got a thrill from a good deal and a quarter (25%) would rush to brag about it to their friends and family.
• The research also found misunderstanding confusing deals (25%) and buying items impulsively because they needed them immediately (20%) were the top reasons stopping Brits from getting good value.

 **Formula:

Each variable is scored on a scale from 1 to 3, with 1 representing a positive score (or high price), 2 representing an average score (or average price), and 1 representing a low score (or low price). To use the formula, you need to score each product/service out of 3 on each of the 5 variables, and then substitute those values into the equation.

 Any product scoring above 0.5 is deemed above average value, and anything scoring below 0.5 is deemed below average value.

 It works as follows: 

• Decide on the maximum number of products/services that you would be willing to consider. Call this number n. 
• Calculate the value of n/e where e is a mathematical constant equal to 2.72. 
• Using the good value formula, calculate the score for the first n/e products that you come across.  
• The next product to score higher than the maximum of the initial n/e scores is the ‘best option’. 

 Here is an example of the optimal stopping theory and good value formula being used together. Suppose you are willing to compare a maximum of 10 products to find a good deal. Optimal stopping theory says that you should first consider 10/e = 4 (rounded to the nearest whole number) products. I score the products as follows: 

 Whilst the optimal stopping method does not guarantee that you will purchase the highest scoring product available, it strikes a balance between the amount of time spent looking for a good deal, and how ‘good’ the deal actually is. 

As Mother’s Day is fast approaching, new research from communications provider Plusnet reveals more than a third (36%) of UK adults still regularly ask their mum’s advice on how to get the best deal.

Proving this point,  young mum Georgia has revealed how following her mum’s money saving tips helped her save £4,176 per year and get  onto the property ladder.

 Georgia Bowd, 25, mum of son Bear, two, credits her mum Allison for schooling her into making smaller day-to-day savings to free up more money to spend on things she really values.

 Her tips, include being resourceful including making her own homemade baby food, learning DIY skills independently and shopping around for purchases.  Tips like this have helped Georgia and her fiancé Reilly, 25, secure a deposit on their first home.

Georgia, from Stevenage, Herts, who is pregnant with her second baby, said: “It’s true what theory says, you always turn into your mum but for me listening to her advice  helped me save £4,000 and has got me on the property ladder so I couldn’t be happier!”

The research also showed that more than three quarters (76%) of mums say they are in charge of bills in their home and 72% intend to pass down money advice to their children.

Joanna Carman, Director at Plusnet, said: “Our research reveals that over half of us learn the best ways to be savvy with money from our mothers.

“As Georgia’s example shows, it can really pay off to listen to your mum to find hidden value in deals and services that you can rely on, to free up money to spend on life experiences like holidays.

“At Plusnet we believe value for money is simple, reliable broadband without the bells and whistles but with great customer service and at a fair price.”

 Here, Georgia has shared the five things she learned from her mum to always get the best deal:

Meal-prepping baby-food

Georgia saved over £1,400 in a year by batch-cooking and freezing meals for her toddler son Bear, instead of buying pre-made baby-food, just as her mum had done for her as a child.

 She says: “Mum used to make all our meals from scratch. When Bear was starting to move onto solids, mum warned me off sachets of baby food because she said not only were some of them full of sugar, they were far more expensive than making your own. For a single portion of Bolognese it’s £2.10. Two portions a day, over the course of a year that adds up to nearly £1,500. That’s why I make it all myself, not only does it cost 20p per meal I also know exactly what’s gone into it.”

DIYing the renovation of my home

Georgia and her partner, Reilly, decided against getting professional work done when they bought their first home and instead opted to DIY their renovation, just like Georgia’s parents used to when she was growing up.

She said: “My mum and dad would always try to do work on their house themselves, my mum has always been super crafty. When we bought the flat, we basically gutted the entire place and started from scratch. My fiancé did everything himself – he is very good with anything hands-on. We re-did the floors and carpets and painted the entire flat.

“He would go to work every day and then go to the flat to work on it until 3am, and then come home absolutely exhausted to sleep for a few hours. It was a really difficult time. But he managed to flip it all around in 3 weeks - and he did an amazing job.”

“Not only was it great to see our home come together, it also saved us so much money which we then used to buy a new sofa and a kitchen table set for the flat. It meant we could get exactly the ones we wanted without worrying about the cost.”

Choose the right utility providers

Georgia’s mum had always taught her if a deal seems too good to be true then it probably is and lots of offers that seem like good deals can quickly add up if you don’t need the extras you are buying. When Georgia and her family moved into their new flat, her mum helped her research the market very thoroughly to get the best deals on utilities, and she switched to Plusnet’s Unlimited Fibre broadband service where she pays £23.95, saving her £76 a year compared to the UK’s average monthly broadband price of £30.30*.

She said: “When we were renovating our home, I was pregnant and looking after our toddler so I didn’t do any work on the flat. Instead, I spent hours per day shopping around online to get the best deals on wall-paper, our new sofa, all the decorations for the flat. My mum taught me how to get the best deals online, using voucher codes and looking for good sales which helped a lot when trying to get the right furniture for our home, and having reliable internet was essential for me to be able to help our renovation along, now that I couldn’t do any of the physical work.

“These days, with me juggling looking after our son and work, while my partner works long hours, we don’t get much downtime. When we are together, we love watching movies and the last thing we need is hassle from our home broadband. We just want broadband that works and doesn’t cost the earth.”

Bulk-buying essentials

Following her mum’s advice on planning out everyday purchases saves Georgia £1,725 a year on essentials such as nappies and groceries.

 She said: “You use a lot of nappies with newborns and toddlers. And a lot of baby wipes. I used to buy them a few packs at a time but I looked at the price and it’s over £1 a pack. I bulk-buy both in Aldi when they’re on sale. It’s such a small switch but it makes a massive difference in the long run.

“We used to get everything from our nearest supermarket, but my mum turned me onto Aldi - she is an Aldi superfan. So now we get most of our daily groceries from Aldi. Of course there are things you can’t get there so sometimes we’ll do the odd supermarket shop, but saving on everyday supplies allows us to spend the money we save other places – I save easily £30 a week doing this.”

Planning out bigger purchases

Georgia’s mum taught her how to plan and spread out large purchases to take best possible advantage of sales and once Georgia realised she would look to buy her own home, she started preparing for the costs of moving.

 She said: “When I found out I was pregnant, I knew we’d eventually move into our own home, so I bought loads of things for the flat then. I would even get kitchen stuff, like a microwave or crockery, whenever I got paid and put it away.

 “I bought furniture and different things for the flat gradually over two years before we moved. Because otherwise it can get so expensive with so much to buy at once when you move. I had everything by the time we moved in, we were sorted really.

 “Planning our purchases for the house also meant we could use deals that were on, so I would always compare prices to get the best deal like my mum taught me and I would try to buy stuff when it was on sale because I knew I would need it down the line.”

A couple once forced to live on less than £1 per day after falling into £43,000 debt, reveal their tips for beating the climbing costs of living as food and energy prices soar.

Ricky and Naomi Willis from Hull struggled to afford food after racking up debts from payday loans they took out when they both found themselves unemployed within months of each other.

With millions of households facing rising bills this year, they have teamed up with internet service provider Plusnet to help people get better value and more than they bargained for.

Their troubles began when Ricky lost his job as a machine operator at a printing firm and the following year Naomi lost her job in insurance. They began maxing out several credit cards to cover living costs. Each time the credit card had higher interest, making it increasingly difficult to pay off.

After their car and fridge freezer broke down in the same week, they had to put it all on credit as they had no savings left.

Ricky said: “We knew the repayments would eat up everything, but we didn’t feel like we had a choice. We didn’t know how we’d get by if we didn’t. It just kept spiralling from there.”

With no money coming in, they quickly accumulated £43,000 in payday loan, credit card and catalogue debt and began to struggle to afford essentials including food.

They hit rock bottom when they realised, they had to live on less than £1-a-day and choose between eating and putting their youngest child in a nappy.

Naomi said: “I still remember the day, I was working in HR, we were a week away from pay day and all we had left was £6.20 to our names. In the cupboard there was only enough food to feed our family for three days.”

Their financial woes were so deep that Ricky and Naomi were forced to decide between feeding their kids, feeding themselves and nappies for the baby.

Ricky said: “We drew up a list and feeding our kids was top, then nappies for the baby. Us eating came third.

“We worked out that with the food we had in the house if we were careful, we could feed the kids breakfast, lunch and dinner for four days, but it meant we would miss out on dinner a couple of times. I went to bed that night and cried. I felt like I had let my family down.”

The next day Ricky and Naomi started their journey back to solvency by ruthlessly scouring their bank statements to cut back on any non-essential spending and get a complete picture of their finances.

New research from broadband provider Plusnet has revealed how the average UK householder has paid £299 over the odds on their mortgage, £222 too much on their fuel bills, overspent £156 on broadband and wasted £132 on TV packages over the last year, due to complicated pricing or puzzling language.

They also spent £162 on car insurance and £84 on pet insurance they either did not realise they bought or did not understand, according to a survey of 1,500 UK adults commissioned by Plusnet.

Naomi said: “We studied everything and understood exactly where our money was going. We looked at where we could squeeze more value out of what we were spending and made sure we weren’t spending a penny on products or services we didn’t absolutely need. That saved us thousands of pounds per year.”

As well as setting up individual payment plans with creditors, the couple also made the most of money-saving apps like Freecycle, stuck to a cost-effective meal plan and sold old belongings. Their frugal lifestyle adjustments meant that they managed to become debt free in just four years.

Ricky, 42, and Naomi, 37, set up the Skint Dad blog in 2013 to help other people get their finances back on track. Now their money-saving tips are helping hundreds of thousands of followers as living costs skyrockets this year.

Naomi said: “It’s going to be a really tough year for a lot of households. For some people it might seem impossible to weather the storm ahead - Ricky and I felt the same once - but there are easy things you can do to ease the pressure.”

Joanna Carman, Director at Plusnet, said: “With the cost of living going up, finding simple, good value deals that best suit you could be one way to take control of your finances. Our research shows that people often regret spending money on products and services, but simple tricks to shop sensibly and avoid complicated offers can hugely help.”

Skint Dad’s full money saving tips that could save you thousands of pounds a year, can be found here: https://skintdad.co.uk/best-money-tips/.

12 tips to help overcome the cost-of-living rise

Cut energy costs

Being smarter with how you use energy can cut your consumption and energy bills. Even simple things can save money: block up any drafts from doors, windows and even an unused chimney, adjust radiator thermostats down in rooms you don’t use as much, and turn off all appliances and lights when they’re not in use.

Choose the right broadband

Make sure you’re not stuck with a broadband provider where you pay for more than what you need. Plusnet offers a reliable product range without all the bells and whistles from £18.95 a month.

There are many providers that offer unnecessary add ons that cost you more money, but switching providers doesn’t take long and can save you a small fortune in the long run.

Get cashback

When shopping online, be sure to get cashback on your everyday spending. Use sites like TopCashback or Quidco to get money back on your spending. You can also double your cashback by using apps like Airtime Rewards.

Tackle any debts

If you are struggling to keep on top of debt repayments, there is support to help you get back on track with your finances. Contact StepChange Debt Charity or National Debtline for free and impartial debt advice.

Check your bank account regularly

It’s easy to sign up to different services and if the amounts you spend are small, you may not realise you’re still paying. Log on to your bank account and check for all direct debits and standing orders from the last few months and cut back on what you don’t need.

TV subscriptions

Many people have ditched traditional TV and swapped to online streaming services. The trouble is, when you have a few, the costs add up fast and you’re paying just as much as you were before. Do you watch many of the series or films on every service? If not, cancel and save.

Save on fuel

You can check for prices of fuel stations online before you fill up, which can save you on the cost of each litre. Many fuel stations also have loyalty schemes where you save up points to get money off future purchases.

Meal plan

Planning out weekly meals for your family will reduce the money you spend at the supermarket and will lower food waste.

Use a slow cooker

Use of a slow cooker, which makes cheaper cuts of meat taste delicious and tender, plus it uses less energy than an oven.

Claim all tax benefits

Use a site like Turn2us to check that you are claiming all the benefits available to you. You might also be able to claim tax relief if you’re working from home or get tax relief on things like uniforms or tools for work.

Select the right mobile phone provider

It’s easy to get trapped in an expensive deal with a mobile phone provider with the number of options out there. You will genuinely get better value for money when you buy a separate handset and SIM only deal, avoiding a lot of unnecessary costs.

Plusnet offers a SIM only contract with unlimited minutes and texts for just £7 a month and you can even keep the same number as before.

Consider a side hustle

A lot of families are already squeezed and doing everything to live below their means, so bringing in extra income could be worth looking into. From online tutoring to party planning to ridesharing, finding something on the side that interests you could be a great way to make cash.