Ok, let’s be honest – 2009 wasn’t the year for spending. But just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean those habbits from the last 12 months cannot die hard. Here’s 10 habbits of mine I’m keeping to save money in 2010… read them and weep

Scrap The Lottery

The scam costs more than £100 a year with a 14 million chance of winning… I’m not a mug.

Use Free Music

One word – spotify – amazing!

Less Alcohol

A bottle a night is for stressed rich people – moderation is the key girls.

Personalise Clothing

Which dress do you want? Oh I can’t pick I’ll have both- NO! If you can’t pick then they’re both as rubbish as each other because niether stand out. Be cut throat and limit yourself to one item a month…

Cut The Gym Membership

Invest in some equipment at home or join a local council gym instead of a private one. Believe me, when you’re working out and sweaty you can’t tell a sweaty rich guy to a sweaty porper!

Buy Own Brands

Most supermarkets do their own brands which are far cheaper and sometimes even better than the expensive options. Make a change & pick up an alternative…

Packed-Lunch Anyone?

Do it – it’s cheaper than Starbucks

Travel Food – no no

The mark up on food and drinks on trains and at stations is extortionate! Make something at home or wait till you get to work.

Say Goodbye To The New Kitchen

A new oven, fridge and work surface might be nice but if the old ones work it’s nothing a cheap lick of paint can’t fix. Try on a new colour

Sky or Broadband

A monthly subscription can cost £500 a year! And most Tv can now be watched on the Internet. A good trick is swapping DVDs with your girlfriends. Rich and I do it all the time… and then forget to give them back! Oops!

So the sale season is in full swing with Gucci this and Prada that flying off the shelves… Now it’s all well and good investing in a good bargain but whatever you do don’t get rapped up in the wonderful world of store cards this January!

Most people don’t realise that most of them are just evil high interest credit cards in disguise…

Yes, don’t be fooled by the flashy finish or well known brand on the plastic… the number of friends and family who I’ve had to bail out just because they were roped into ‘great deals’ just to find themselves only affording to pay back the interest a couple of months later.

Agreed store cards can get you some great money off deals in certain stores, and can be useful to pay for something that can’t wait till next month – but girls, make sure you use them correctly… Here’s my top 3 tips to using store cards…

Pay It Off When You Get Home

As soon as you get in from shopping get on the laptop and transfer the funds – don’t let it wait – you’ll forget and spend the money on another pair of gorgeous shoes. If you don’t have the money make sure you write a reminder sticky note and stick it somewhere you’ll look  - like the fridge – but make sure you can still see the fridge by the end of the month!

Look On The Internet First

You may think that getting 25% off in store when you open a store card is a good deal, and perhaps it is. But think… they can only afford those discounts because of all the bimbos who run into debt. (No offence Rich) So… before you buy – check out the same thing on the internet – very often it can be much cheaper.

Don’t Keep It In Your Purse

Keep it frozen in the freezer if you have to – just don’t keep it in your purse – remove the temptation to spend on credit is the key. It gives you the time to think it over. If you really want it you can get it the next day… Or you can run home and get the card

Best of luck – And have a lovely weekend Mike x

Christmas is drawing ever closer but what if you don’t have the cash to splash this year? Take a look at this quick guide I’ve prepared to ensure you have a fantastic Christmas on a budget that suits you!

1. Secret Santa

You can do this with friends, or family, or both for that matter! Secret Santa is a great way to spread some Christmas cheer without going over the top with gifts. It’s always the same situation “If I buy him her then I’ve got to get something for him…” blah blah blah. Well forget it. Ask who wants to participate, put all the names in blank envelopes – seal them up and hand them out – simple and inexpensive!

2. Set A Budget With The Boyfriend

Chat to your boyfriend and agree on a budget to spend for Christmas. If you don’t have much money this year then explain this and set a price that you can both afford. It’s important that you both stick to this though, as going over your agreed amount will only make your partner feel awkward – even if your gifts are thoughtful and/or expensive.

3. Don’t Send Christmas Cards

Despite lots of people thinking they’re nice – I think Christmas cards are totally old fashioned. What’s the point of sending a Christmas Card to someone you see all the time or chat regularly to on the phone or Internet? Only send Christmas cards to the essentials like your Aunt in Australia – anyone else – a simple text or call will do…we’re now in the 21st century!

4. Think Carefully

Little thoughtful gifts mean so much more than expensive ones. A simple photo collage of you and the person or a scrap book of memories are more likely to be a winner this Christmas. Best of all, it’s the thoughtful things that tend to be most inexpensive! Panic shopping last minute will lead you to over-spending simply because you want to compensate for your lack of preparation – be prepared, save your cash!

5. Remember The Sales

If you buy for your girlfriends then why not get together and agree not to buy each other gifts, but organise a girly outing to the sales right after Christmas. You’ll save so much money and you’ll get to spend the whole day with them…you can’t really ask for more than that at Christmas, can you?

People who know me will say I am the king of complaints. Whether it’s a refused refund or finding ear wax on a cotton bud in one of the most exclusive hotels in London, (that actually happened!) there’s nothing worse than bad customer service. And you can rest assured I won’t get a wink of sleep before sorting it out. After the ear wax episode my moaning got Rich and I got a complementary English Breakfast and a Spa Treatment, worth around £100 each, which I was quite proud of.

I didn’t realise how much I love to moan until Rich joked the other weekend and asked, “When have we gone to a hotel and not complained?” So yes, I admit, maybe I take it a little too far, but I’ve never walked away without getting what I want. I see too many rude staff ignoring people who are too weak willed or too embarrassed to make a fuss. So here’s a couple of top tips that will turn any of your customer service nightmares upside-down.

Keep Your Cool

You may be angry with the situation or wound up that the stupid, dumb idiot won’t play fair and give you what you want, but if you keep composed you are far more likely to get a positive outcome. Smile as well, even if you’re wanting the strangle them inside. For some reason they love it if you smile.

Stand your Ground

Being polite doesn’t mean you can’t be firm. Make it clear what the problem is and that it is unacceptable. Then hold your nerve. Not taking no for an answer will soon have them scampering off for their manager.

Go To The Top

On the subject of the manager, that is exactly who you should be speaking to. Complain to the top and get your problem sorted out within hours, even minutes. Speak to the mere minions and you could be there all day – especially in retail!

Take Every Opportunity

Don’t wait weeks to make your feelings heard. March down to reception or customer services etc and complain there and then. You can write a letter, which is good for your records, when you get home. Speak to them in person to get a better, faster response.

Keep The Paperwork

If the problem were to go to a small claims court any emails, letters and phone calls are brilliant material to shove under the judges nose and prove your point. Keep everything you send as it’s great evidence to help your case.

Don’t Give Up

Keep going where most people would give up. If you are not happy with the response repeat all of the above steps again. They will soon get sick to the back teeth of you and sort your problem out. Keep reminding them you are there and they won’t ignore you for long.

It’s Their Job

And remember it’s their job to sort out your problem and deal with your complaint. I like to think they will only sit there being bored if you don’t make a fuss. Makes me feel better about standing my ground and making a stand. After all, the customer is always right.

Right, that should have your complaining problems ironed out… who wants a free drink? I have a cafe loyalty card somewhere from when my drink was served cold.
Mike x

Some of us are lucky enough to be able to buy expensive things without a second thought, happy in the knowledge that our bank-balance can handle it. For the majority of us though, we need to be more careful. But making your finances go further might not be as difficult as you think. It is very simple. All you need to do is count.

Picture the scene:

You’re in your favourite shop, looking at a gorgeous dress. You can see other people eyeing it as they pass you to the next clothes-rail along, waiting for you to move so that they can take a closer look. It’s a fancy dress and you tend to wear jeans or leggings (or “jeggings”) most of the time, but it’s silk, and it’s beautifully stitched and it floats as it moves. It’s clearly quite a find. There is a problem however – the price. Let’s say it’s are £180.

The Simple Technique:

Not to fear! It’s really easy. How many times are you going to wear this amazing dress? If it’s for a one off party, it really isn’t worth it.

Twice? Then it’s as if you’ve bought two £90 dresses for each occasion. Almost worth it. Three times? £60! Not bad. Wear this dress any more than three times and you’ve done rather well.

The technique is easy, you just have to be honest with yourself. And remember, it’s not all bad, “Living on Earth may be expensive, but it includes an annual free trip round the sun.”

Booking a holiday online is normally more of a mission than you first anticipate. This year, Rich and I decided to leave the British rain behind and fly abroad in search of some sun. But that, of course, was easier said than done. After four cups of tea, a packet of biscuits and a jean-size later, we’d finally found our perfect destination. So to help you on your way, here are four tips to booking a holiday online…

Research Your Holiday

The trick to booking a holiday online is doing your research first. There’s little point seeing the first on the list and going for it, unless all you’re interested in is drinking the whole holiday – then I guess you wouldn’t remember much anyway! Our first tip is to choose the country and area you want to go and then find the top five hotels reviewed by other holiday makers. There are loads of websites that do this but I’ve always found TripAdvisor to be a good one. Use it as a guide, reading reviews until you’re happy the place is for you. Just remember that reviews are a matter of opinion, so don’t let the odd bad review deter you from a hotel, if it’s a mass slating then I think it’s a safe bet not to stay there.

Save Money Online

Drag yourself away from buying package holidays all on one site, it usually costs so much more than if you book the flight, hotel and transfer separately. The price of the holiday we just booked online halved when we arranged everything individually. Check out the latest budget airline deals to where you want to go; they are often a lot cheaper than flights bundled into packages. Remember to pre-book airport transfers, and any tickets for events and attractions throughout your holiday to really make the most of saving money.

Talk Before Booking

Presuming you are friends with people you share interests with, talking with friends about their past holidays is a great way to discover great places. Not only can you pick up some ideas, you can also learn from any mistakes they have made. Don’t just stop at friends, start talking with family, work colleagues, your boss – even people in the street. It’s a great way to find your dream holiday.

Time Of Year

Don’t forget to consider the time of year when booking a holiday. If you don’t have children then it would be wise to find out when the school holidays are in your home country and your destination. That way you’ll be able to avoid the unecessary high prices that are charged during the school breaks. It’s the little things, like Australia’s December summer or Atlantic hurricane season between June and November that if forgotten, could potentially ruin any holiday expectations.

Conclusion

Booking a holiday online can be a bit of a mission, but if you’re willing to take the time and do some research you’ll almost certainly find what you’re looking for. Spending a lot of money and going for a higher star rating isn’t always the best approach.

Good luck booking a holiday online!

Some girls just want to be equal, but many women are now earning more money than their man. This new breed of female professionals have been quietly climbing the salary ladder for years while their male counterparts get complacent and lull in lower paid jobs.  Whilst this is all well and good in the work place, it can often be an extremely delicate subject in a relationship. If  you earn more than your man and you sense a bit of tension around the subject – read our handy hints below to keep your relationship thriving while his wallet flounders and yours flourishes.

Bragging

You may be proud of yourself and rightly so, but the most important thing is not to rub your financial success in his face. Bragging about wages will niggle any man, especially if you do it whilst with company. It could be a harmless conversation amongst friends, but to your man it could be very emasculating. The majority of men like to feel like they are the dominant provider in the relationship so if you earn more than them, this might ruin their little ‘fantasy’ and make them feel they aren’t good enough for you.

Communication

Don’t hold off talking about the situation if it’s bothering you. Ask him how he feels about your finances, that way you’ll get a good sense of whether or not it bothers him. He may deny having a problem with your earnings but be weary, even admitting a problem can be damaging to a man’s pride.  If he says it doesn’t bother him and it secretly does, at least your honesty will show him you care about his feelings and are willing to discuss the topic. If he admits that he isn’t comfortable earning less than you then set some goals together and create a career plan.

Team Work

It’s inevitable that one partner in the relationship will earn less than the other and in this day and age, it shouldn’t really matter who it is. Gone are the days of a kept woman and your man should understand this. However, if you work as a team then salaries become less of an issue. Come to agreement about who pays for what in the relationship and if you earn more than your man, there’s no harm in you paying a little extra now and again. If you are building a life with a man who earns less than you and you want to contribute a little extra, explain it may be the other way around in the future and then you’d expect the same in return.

The golden rules are to live within your means, work together as a team, discuss your feelings and don’t turn earning into a competition. Good Luck!

Loads of you have asked me how to get really rich as a woman (I can’t think why someone would ask that on this site!) So by popular demand, I have compiled a list of the top 3 ways a woman can get really rich…

1. Marry Into Money

One of the easiest ways to get really rich is actually by marrying a man who is already so. How do I marry a really rich man you ask? Well this is easy. You need to do your research and make a list of all the places in your local area where rich guys are likely to hang out. I find that rich circles are very cliquey and in order to get into the clique you’ll have to make regular appearances and try and ease your way in. Take a girlfriend with you and just enjoy a night out; whilst trying to get yourself casually noticed…for all the right reasons though please ladies! Marrying into money is probably one of the shallower ways to become really rich but as your Online Gay Best Friend – I’m here to help you, not judge you.

2. Become An Entrepreneur

What do JK Rowling, Tamara Mellon and Vera Wang all have in common? They’re all really rich. How did they get this way? With a single idea. These days anyone can be rich as long as you have an idea that you’re really passionate about. Think about Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop enterprise. She didn’t just choose to become another cosmetic retailer; she chose to be the first cosmetic retailer that boasted its position against animal testing.  As with most things, the first step with taking your idea global is the hardest and once you have got past this – the world is your oyster. Something else these great women all have in common – they all took risks and weren’t hindered by the fear of failure…now it’s your turn!

3. Climb The Career Ladder

No matter what career you’re in, there is always money to be made. Whilst some career paths are more likely to make you richer than others, where there’s a will, there’s a way. You don’t have to be an SEO of an international corporation to be really rich (although it would be helpful). You could simply be a hairdresser, but don’t just be a hairdresser – be the best hairdresser.  Don’t just open one salon in one county, open 100 salons in 100 countries! With the ambition and determination to succeed – any one of your careers can make you really rich.

So there you have it, the top 3 ways a woman can get really rich. My advice to you is never to lose sight of your dreams – no matter what they are. The only reason you may never get what you want out of life is because you’ve been frightened to take a chance. So be fearless and take a leap of faith to get exactly what you want; and remember girls – you’re already Really Rich to me…

We all want possessions: cars, clothes, jewellery, gadgets – even pets. No matter what we have, we always want more and nothing seems to douse our burning desire to buy, to own. I was driving through a local village the other afternoon with a girlfriend who told me something very wise that I wanted to pass on to you. It’s probably not something you’ve thought about before, I sure hadn’t. But the fact of the matter is – everything you buy is a burden.

That’s right ladies, I am about to tell you the negatives of shopping and no matter what you buy: a lipstick, a laptop – a lapdog in fact, it’s just something else to worry about. You are unlikely to think about the consequences of everything you own – even with something as small as a lipstick, there are a whole host of things for you to consider or worry about; whether it goes with your outfit, whether to carry it around with you and what if you lose it?!
Ok, so that’s quite an insignificant example but its true none the less. So what about the bigger things in life? The ones that we perhaps can’t afford outright and with finance comes even bigger burdens…

I always wanted a Volkswagen Beetle and instead of saving and buying it outright, I maxed out the remainder of my credit card and popped to the bank and asked them to fit the bill for the rest. So now I’m saddled with monthly repayments that eat into my salary. The worst part is since leaving my trusty Ford behind, I have had a new catalytic converter, new brakes, new starter motor and a new battery – that multiplied by the larger cost of tax, petrol and insurance for a bigger engine, I begin to wonder, is it really worth it?! The pleasure I now get from driving my VW Beetle is simply counteracted by the monthly repayments and upkeep of it.

So the moral of the story? Credit isn’t glamorous. Just because you get what you want right there and then, we often fail to see the bigger picture and fully understand the commitment we’re taking on when we buy something – on credit or not. If we live a simpler, less materialistic life, we’ll all benefit from an increase in our overall happiness and a decrease in our overall stress levels. No more worrying about checking our bank balances, dreading the next credit card statement or fitting the bill when things go wrong…

So when you’re about to snatch up that next impulse buy to show off to your girlfriends, think about this article and ask yourself if you really need something else in your life to worry about. If you can confidently and honestly answer “Yes”, then make that purchase and enjoy it, if not, think about how nice it will be to not have another thing to burden you – smile, and walk away.

Can you shop in charity shops and still look good? Do charity shops have great clothes for lower prices? ReallyRich.com looks at the recession and asks girls on the high street what they think.