Posts Tagged ‘Family Money’
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By Lynley Oram in Features on
26 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Local exchange trading systems are also known as Lets for short. Another sort of trading system you’ll come across are time banks (as is my local trading system). Both are schemes that allow people to trade services for some sort of credit rather than money. Barter instead of cash, sort of.
 These systems are ideal for those short on cash, and for frugal families but they also form a great structure for community support. You do need to make sure that you’ve got the time to spare though. And keep in mind that they’re not about getting something for free.
Lets and time banks are a new way of doing what people used to always do in the past – essentially it is neighbours helping neighbours. As such, many of these systems are also a great way of getting to know people and participating in the local community. Especially useful if you have moved to a new city or area.
Your inner trader
This is how it works. You do something, anything that you’re good at for another member. It might be setting up a web page, walking a dog, DIY or baking a cake. In exchange you’ll get credits that you can then spend on the services or goods offered by other members in the scheme.
 Sounds like a great idea in theory, but does it work in practice? PlayPennies mum of one Rachel works part time, three days a week. “I joined our local time bank because it sounded like a great idea. Every penny counts at the moment. I’m sad to say though that so far I haven’t had the time to do anything. I haven’t even read the directory. My husband has pitched in with a couple of things though – he’s a lawyer and a keen gardener. We’ve donated a little bit of legal advice, and tomato plants! In return we got our fireplace fitted, which actually cost us a few more credits than we had. My husband is tied up in a big project now, so I have to find something on there I can do to make it up. For me that’s the main downside as I’ve not got a lot of spare time, if any to be honest.”
Under many systems users can start by requesting services rather than performing them. However, the used credits do have to be paid back. And it is the scheme that is owed the credits, never the person providing the service.
Lets vs time bank
 According to the Times newspaper the main difference between Lets and time banks is their ‘currency’ system. “Lets tend to operate in more affluent areas than time banks. The 300 or so British examples are run by members and exist as friendship networks as much as alternative economies. Each uses a named notional currency – “readies” in Reading, for instance, and “concrete cows” (CCs) in Milton Keynes – equivalent to the pound for tax purposes.“
So with Lets, services are given a value. You’ll be charged more credits for carpentry than you would for ironing, for example. Time banks, on the other hand deal exclusively in time. “An hour of work, whatever it is, costs and earns one tax-free time credit.” Possibly for this reason you tend to find time banks in more impoverished areas. The Rushey Green Time Bank in Lewisham, south east London, has found that the “most common exchanges are in DIY, garden work, cooking and dog-walking“.
Local community, global phenomenon
 There are hundreds of Lets around the UK, with the system available in countries around the world including Australia, New Zealand, France and the US where it all started. Time banks were the brainchild of former US civil rights lawyer Edgar Cahn. They now exist internationally as well, and are an increasing presence in the UK.
Cahn had a desire to establish an economic return to community values. Time banks are designed to achieve this. As he explained to the Guardian  while visiting the UK “Every capacity that has enabled our species to survive, such as caring for each other, relying on each other, has become excluded from our economic system. I realised that there was no way to build communities we wanted to live in if we didn’t completely reassess our value system and start rewarding human as well as financial contributions.“
No guarantee
One downside of Lets and time banks is that there is no guarantee. If a scheme folds then it ceases to exist. You will lose any credits or time credits held in the scheme. For this reason, members of Lets and time banks are advised to never take on jobs that they are not willing, and able, to do free of charge.
And finally
How to find a Lets or time bank? Using the internet of course! For a directory of Lets in the country, and to learn more about the schemes, visit Letslink UK. The website for Time Banking UK is well worth spending some time on. It includes a number of videos showing time banks in action and various time bank events.
Have you got a barter scheme in your area? Maybe it is something you started yourself. Many canny parents have clubbed together, for example, to provide babysitting services. Share your experiences here and tell us what you think!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Features on
22 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
As parents we’re often guilty of eating any old thing during the day because we’re just too busy to stop and cook a healthy meal. There have been days I’ve gone without food until supper time and then hoovered down the entire contents of the fridge.
Obviously, this is not a good idea for children and so we whip up quick and instant meals to keep them fuelled and ready. Or rely on nursery hot meals. Well, thanks to some enterprising humans, some internet research, and some fantastic tips from mums, here are someways to beat the cooking blues and keep your family healthy.
 I am terrible at vitamins, and at understanding nutritious food. I am. My husband is constantly rolling his eyes in despair.
Last night I insisted that the sour cream and blueberry cake counted as part of my five a day. There were blueberries on it! They’re a superfood!
Well, this site is perfect for people like me. They help you get your children the food they need. There is advice, guidance, expert assistance, tips from real mums and lots of lovely helpful tools. I’m particularly impressed with the Tot It Up Calculator that gives you a personalised analysis of your toddler’s diet.
 No, this isn’t actually a tip. This is more of a deal. I uncovered these little gems recently and am smitten. They are stuck in my weekly shop and I drink them too. Tropicana kids are 75% juice, 25% water and one of your five-a-day. They only cost a measly £1.99 for four and are in child-friendly flavours.
Another range that really does save you loads of time and still gets the vitamins going is the Planet Lunch range. They are wholesome foods designed to control fat, salt and added sugars and are made from 100% natural ingredients. You can get squeezable fruit, fruit and oat bites and bread bites. I like their simplicity and that they may just rock lunchboxes come September.
3. The Cook-a-thon
 This particular idea makes a ton of sense and will make you very grateful to yourself as the week goes by. However, it does mean giving up most of a day to the task. This is the cook-a-thon. You go out, you get your shop with a set list of items, you cook them all. Fill your freezer with healthy, scrummy meals that can be defrosted and warmed up at the drop of a hat.
There are alternatives to this, of course.
“Instead of spending my entire Sunday locked to the stove,” said Katharine, “I always cook double what the recipe calls for every second week of the month. I then freeze what’s left over into individual portions and on busy days everyone can choose what they want to eat. It adds very little extra time to my cooking and is so much better than instant meals or take out.”
Obviously Katharine is a total swot but her idea is genius, and one that I am going to try out over the next few weeks. I’m getting tired of emergency take-out because we’re too tired to cook for ourselves.
4. The Fun Recipe Hunt
 The internet is your friend. You don’t even need a printer. Just go online and discover a world of clever cooking ideas. From tips on how to make food look magical and attract a child, to making things out of nothing, the internet can revolutionise your kitchen.
There are two ways that this can change your kitchen. The first is that many sites offer recipes that children can make with you. While this isn’t something you want to do every day, it can make that tedious patch a little more fun. The second, is that a fun and outrageous recipe that challenges your creativity, or makes you laugh, is a sure fire way of relaxing and enjoying the experience instead of feeling bored and frustrated with the tedium of it all.
 RecipeChimp and SuperCook are two sites that will give you a recipe out of the ingredients you have left lying around your home. Today, for me, was one of the days when this came in handy. Husband and I have been working like loons and we both forgot the weekly shop, so you can imagine my horror when I opened the fridge and saw only a piece of mouldy parmesan and some chicken wings.
Enter RecipeChimp! I entered my ingredients (the scrapings from the veggie box included) and ended up with a rather tasty chicken dish that everybody enjoyed. Where RecipeChimp has failed me, SuperCook has saved the day. This discovery is all thanks to Sarah.
So, hopefully these simple steps will help you feel a little less bored, frazzled and under pressure in the kitchen. And your kids will be the healthiest and most nutritious on the block. Watch, I’m throwing away those vitamin supplements as I type – I have faith in my newfound nutritional genius!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Deals on
20 July, 2010 at 3:00 pm
My daughter is about to turn four and we’ve been running a “earn money as a reward” system for a while now. When she is good and does her household chores, she is rewarded, and when she is messy and unruly, the money is deducted. The goal is to try and teach her the value of money from a young age so she grows up money savvy and sharp. Our next step is to open a bank account and this deal from ING Direct looks perfect.
All you have to do is open a bank account with ING Direct that has a cheque book and allows direct debits. Perhaps keep this account for your savings. Then open an ING Direct Savings Account and deposit £1.
You apply by entering the code shown on the page, fill in your details to open the account, deposit the £1 by debit card (or send a cheque via Freepost) and when your account opens 28 days later, you’ll receive the £20 bonus.
I know it seems like a bit of a mission but, not only do you get a free £20 to add to your child’s savings account, but you get a 2.75% interest rate with no withdrawal penalties.
Thanks to kamzy at HUKD!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Comps on
19 July, 2010 at 10:00 am
Here at PlayPennies HQ we were delightfully surprised by the sudden arrival of £9.50 in the post. “Why £9.50?” I hear you asking. Well, The Sun have started to give away vouchers that allow their readers to go away on holiday from £9.50 in both the UK and around Europe, and this all ties in with their amazing special offers.
So what do you have to do? Well, we are going to give this very £9.50 to the PlayPennies lad or lady that comes up with the best way to spend it. The Sun has challenged us to buy something even more exciting than a fabulous holiday for this teeny amount.
I, obviously, have absolute faith in PlayPennies Parents and reckon one of you is bound to come up with the best idea ever!
So what is the something big then? Well, you’ll get more than your £9.50 to spend on your exciting idea. If The Sun thinks your idea is the Bestest, the Brilliantest, and the Beautifullest then they are going to give you a brand new digital camera worth £200.
If your idea is imaginative, inventive, and amazing then please put it here. I want to see PlayPennies WIN this challenge! Good luck and get thinking!
Yes, it is definitely a good time to win big and small with The Sun.
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By Sarah Kensington in Deals on
16 July, 2010 at 10:00 am
 Whenever I come across deals like this 2 for £6 offer on laundry products at Asda, any loyalty I might have had to another supermarket vanishes in a puff of smoke!
I have a real love-hate relationship with doing the laundry. I usually do it over the weekends and there are rules that The Teenagers must follow (which they kind of do…when they remember).
1) strip your beds and bring all your washing down when you get home from school on a Friday
2) empty all your pockets (I’ve lost count how many sweet wrappers I’ve washed over the years)
3) pull your sleeves and trouser legs out so there isn’t one ‘in’ and one ‘out’
4) don’t put clean stuff back in the wash because you threw it on the floor last week and can’t be bothered to put it away
Always the optimist, I live in hope every week! But regardless of whether or not they do all, or some, of the above I still have a TON of washing to do every week so whenever there are deals like the current 2 for £6 offer on laundry products at Asda, I make sure I stock up!
And the BEST news? This offer is running until the END OF THE YEAR!
Happy Washing Days.
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By Tamsin Oxford in Freebies on
15 July, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Family life can sometimes be a little complicated and stressful. I know that, for a long time, I used to look at mums with two or more kids, swanning about looking all calm, and think that I was just awful because I was struggling so much with one. Well, it turns out that we all struggle at some point or another and it’s nice to know that there is free support when we need it.
The thing is, when you’re feeling spectacularly crap you need to speak to someone pretty much immediately. If you want help through other sources, you end up waiting for months and weeks before you get to speak to trained human being.
Well this site offers highly trained parents (yes! Parents!) who help people with big and small issues and help them to get through difficult patches. Everything is completely free and the site includes a lot of information that may help you straight off the bat, without having to talk to anyone!
Take a browse around, read comments from other parents, read articles on how people have dealt with tough situations, and feel better. Yes, because you deserve to be happy. We all do!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Freebies on
9 July, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I go through phases. Sometimes I feel like a culinary genius in the kitchen and I can remember all sorts of awesome recipes and I get completely carried away by my Gordon Ramsey brilliance. Usually, though, I stand in front of the fridge going, “Um, um, um,” and then make a nice macaroni cheese, again. So, a free recipe book always comes in handy!
The entire book is obviously about products that are produced by Reynolds but you’re not bound in barbed wire to use them. You can easily substitute the products for ones that you prefer without causing grievous damage to the final product.
Some of the free recipes included are citrus-ginger pork tenderloin, pizzeria chicken, Mexican-style meatloaf and chocolate Macadamia cookies. YUM. I am desperately searching for a cookie recipe that doesn’t make small crusty cookies. I am looking for a recipe that makes those soft, squidgy, gooey cookies that make you feel as if you’ve died and gone to heaven.
If anybody does know such a recipe I would happily exchange any of mine for it. And I may erect a cookie shrine in your honour. But I digress…To get your free recipe book just enter your details and download and voila!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Deals on
8 July, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Republic are holding a nice and shiny sale for those of you who feel that their wardrobes need a make-over. I know mine does! I have noticed that everything I own either falls into the “a bit battered” category, or the “won’t fit me ever again” category. So, this sale comes in handy.
The sale categories are broken down into Men’s and Women’s so it’s pretty easy to start looking for the things you need. You can also break it down even further by looking under specific brands, types and prices.
I was quite impressed by how many products sat at around £5 or £10. For less than £50 you can kit out the rest of your summer wardrobe and possibly nab some essentials for winter as well. I liked the Miso Lace Dress (pictured above) for only £10, down from £22.99, and the cool range of Tees for £5.
 In the men’s section I uncovered Tees for as little as £2 and some really nice work/casual shirts for £10.
Depending on where and how you work, there should be some items here that could spice up your office life nicely. You can also get some hoodies and jeans in preparation for winter.
Thanks to hash004 at HUKD!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Deals on
4 July, 2010 at 6:00 pm
 If you’re on the prowl for a dinner set that won’t bankrupt you then this one should appeal to you. It’s a 16 piece set in either red or orange for only £7.99 and is surprisingly rather lovely. I think it looks pretty good for something that cheap myself!
The floral design and bold contrast colours make this set into a stunning and cheerful addition to any dining table. If your kitchen colours are blue, green or red, then this set will complement it beautifully.
The set consists of four dinner plates, four side plates, four soup/cereal bowls, and four mugs. The entire set is dishwasher and microwave friendly too. Which is a bonus because I really hate washing the dishes. Lately, as time  becomes more of a precious commodity, anything that doesn’t fit or work with the dishwasher is out.
If the coloured sets don’t appeal to you then they also have a 20 piece cream dinner set for only £9.99 that includes four extra cereal bowls. However, this kit only has 20 sets left in stock so you’d better act fast if you want these ones.
Thanks to amibees at HUKD!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Reviews on
30 June, 2010 at 1:00 pm
A month ago we started to review products that were all about teaching kids to save money and what money is all about and Bright Minds sent us some goodies that were just perfect. We’ve sent these out to some of our parenting panellists and here is what they had to say…
 This game is all about teaching kids about money as they travel around the board earning and spending pocket money so they can be the first to fill their piggy bank! It’s suitable for kids aged five to ten so we sent it off to our favourite parents of seven year old Isaac for reviewing and analysis.
“Isaac was very excited about opening the box when it first arrived as it’s very bright and colourful,” said Annabelle, “He loved the bright red piggy in the middle and proceeded to set up the game all by himself.”
Clearly this product was off to a successful start!
“The game lasted around ten minutes, so it was very quick and is actually perfect for filling the time just before dinner,” said Annabelle, “It has a very simple board and is good for testing your child’s ability to understand money.”
Annabelle is one of those mums that really knows how to manage and manipulate figures, so she was an ideal choice for this review. She could teach old George “Emergency Budget” Osborne a thing or two.
 “Isaac enjoyed playing the first game but was very reticent about playing it again,” she added, “At the age of seven, the board game was too simple as Isaac was looking for something more complex. However, if your child is just learning to count money, then this is a great little game with a bright and colourful board.”
So, it looks like perhaps the age grouping on the game should be taken down a year or two, but otherwise it’s a fun and educational game that does what it says it should. You’re looking at paying £10.99 for the game at Bright Minds which is nice and cost effective too.
 If you’re already starting to teach your kids the value of saving money and buying things for themselves, then this little chap is a great place to store their hard earned coins. You get a complete kit to decorate and paint a piggy bank for the lovely price of £7.99.
We sent this piggy bank kit on to one of our mums with a tot that’s just arrived at school, Lucy, to give a thorough testing.
“From the moment that Lucy laid eyes on the parcel she was so excited,” said Mariam, “She nagged me for hours until eventually I had to scrap my chores and set it up for her to make. It wasn’t hard to prepare for though, I just put a bin bag on the table and a pinny on Lucy.”
The kit includes a ceramic pig, glitter glue, stickers, four pots of paint and a paintbrush.
“I was impressed with what we got for the money,” said Mariam, “And I was ever so relieved to see they included the paintbrush. I had visions of my digging through piles of art stuff in the scary cupboard to find Lucy’s old brushes.”
Lucy soon set to work making the pig into her very own magical creation. The colours included are very girly, so perhaps consider something different if you have a tomboy or a lad that hates pink.
 “Lucy thoroughly enjoyed making her pig and kept running over to see if it was dry,” said Mariam, “The glitter glue took a long time to dry if it was left as tube trails but not when smeared around, but the raised trails looked great when it all set.”
Mariam and Lucy both gave the piggy bank kit a thumbs up but with only one caveat.
“I did think that the piggy bank was a bit too small,” Mariam added, “It won’t hold very many coins and is a bit of a silly size. We mostly keep it on the fireplace in a place of honour because it looks so cute.”
And Finally
Bright Minds are rapidly gaining a reputation for being the supplier of top notch educational toys and goods. You can find a lot of stuff here to supplement your child’s education and these kits are no exception.
They both offer parents a great way of teaching their children about money while having fun and spending time together. They’re also very well priced so make good Christmas and birthday presents.
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