Saving money is one of the most popular new year’s resolutions. Right up there with losing weight and taking up a new hobby. Ironically, it’s also one of the most broken resolutions! Let’s face it – budgeting is not always easy. Life can get in the way and managing money can feel quite stressful. Sometimes it’s easier to protect our anxiety levels than face the music and check the balance on screen. There’s a handful of budgeting apps out there to help you manage your spending. So we’re going to run through our top 3 to help you and your family reach your financial goals.

Raising children can be one of the greatest jobs on earth but no one said it was easy. For many, life as a parent is stressful. There’s no handbook to read or course to pass. It’s working out how to look after your children whilst juggling many other aspects of life at the same time. As a society, we have normalised parental stress. If you ask other parents, they’ll tell you that sleepless nights and dark circles come with the job. But while stress may be the norm, it isn’t something we have to accept. So let’s look at some techniques for managing stress as a busy parent.

Thanks to contactless cards, making payments has never been easier – or faster, for that matter. We live in a paperless world whereby the tap of a card, we can quickly pay for our weekly food shop, a coffee or an impulse buy. And with the contactless card limit increasing to £100 on the 15th of October, your bank account may be at risk of experiencing a couple of financial frights this Halloween.

If your kids are avid Halloween fans, the traditional apple bobbing and pumpkin carving have probably lost their spook-tacular edge. Looking for creative ways to transform your Halloween festivities without giving your bank balance a fright? We’ve got you covered. Here are our five DIY Halloween games that will give your kids pumpkin’ to talk about.

Christmas isn’t the only reason that winter is one of the most expensive seasons for households across the country. As it gets colder and darker outside, the heating and lights are on for longer, and we spend more and more time in front of the TV. Inevitably, energy bills go up and it becomes harder and harder to stretch your paycheque each month.

A number of years ago, you may not have even heard of the term ‘mindfulness’. Today, it’s a popular phenomenon and an encouraged way of managing our mental health. What you may not realise too, is that practicing mindfulness can also be incredibly beneficial to your children. While your children’s problems may feel elf-sized to you, they can feel like Optimus-prime level threats to them. Teaching your little ones mindfulness early on can help them develop the tools to tackle whatever mental health problems they might face later on in their lives.

With autumn fast approaching, your kids will be spending more and more time indoors. Transitioning to indoor life isn’t always easy for children, especially after finally breaking out of pandemic bubbles. That’s why now is a great time to make your child’s bedroom as inviting and cosy as possible. Turn their bedroom into somewhere they can’t wait to spend their time. Not only will this make transitioning indoors all the more easier for your kids but it’ll make evenings all the more peaceful for you!

However big or small, being in debt isn’t a nice feeling for anyone. The worries around being in debt can consume our thoughts 24/7, taking a toll on both our physical and mental health. You may be surprised by the scale of the impact that debt can have on your health. We’ll explain how and suggest the best services to turn to if you’re struggling.

Whether your child needs to practice their weekly spellings or start a bigger project, finding the time to sit down and help them with their homework in the evenings can be tough. After a busy day, the last thing you want is to deal with tantrums over maths equations – we’ve all been there. As your child gets older, their pile of work will only grow. It’s good to get into a homework routine early on to avoid late hand-ins. Find out how to manage your child’s homework schedule and this dreaded task will become (dare we say) easy!

Becoming a parent really is life-changing. Whether you are in the exciting stages of preparing for your baby to arrive, or whether you are finding your feet and settling into parenthood, the family finances may well be on your mind. With all this added responsibility comes a fair few added costs. It’s important to prepare for this financial change as much as you can. That way, you can focus on enjoying your little one grow up rather than stressing over the bills.

After a jam-packed summer of activities, the return to school may have crept up in your calendar. The beginning of September brings the first-day-of-school-nerves to some children. In the weeks building up to the big day, your child’s back-to-school anxiety may have been brewing. Whether your child is worried about meeting their new teacher or has new school nerves as they transition to high school, it’s important to be on hand to support them.

For better or worse, your credit score paints a picture of who you are as a consumer. It proves you are who you say you are – and that you can be trusted to act in a company’s best interests. It’s true that having a low credit score can present plenty of extra barriers or challenges in your life, but can having a less-than-perfect credit score really hold you back in the world of work? Unfortunately, the answer is yes – albeit not always.