How to save money in Spain

To stay at home, or take a "staycation", is becoming more and more popular. It can be very expensive to go on holiday, and then there is the security concerns. There seems to be a lot more trouble in the world these days, and it can be hard to find a destination which is 100% secure. You have the terrorism issue to deal with, and then there is things like the Zika virus. Of course, not all "staycations" are cheap, but if you are a bit savvy about it, there are ways in which you can save money on your "staycation".

Top Tip 1 How to Save Money On a Staycation

If you choose not to travel away from your home at all, there are some really savvy ways in which you can save money on your staycation. As a matter of fact, a staycation can be a really good way to learn how to get a little bit more financially savvy. 

Tesco Supermarkets love to run special promotions during August, and if you are really savyy, you can pick up some great days out with special offers from Tesco. In August, Tesco normally offer to exchange your points at a better value, and the points can be spent on days out as well. The scheme is called Clubcard Boost and you can get 4x the value of Club card points that you can spend on days out or in restaurants.

Top Tip 2 How to Save Money on Staycations

Have you visitid your local library recently? If you haven't visited your local library recently, perhaps you should check it out. Local libraries often have all sorts of things going all year around, and most of the activities are free of charge. There are reading and writing clubs, and you never know, you may even expand your horizons with your library.

Top Tip 3 How to Save Money on Staycations

Local libraries are not the only ones to offer activities. Museums are great as well, and many museums have some great events during the summer to attract turist. As you are a stay at home tourist, you can participate as well. Get in touch with your local museum, and see what can activities they are offering this summer.

Top Tip 4 How to Save Money on Staycations

Great Britain is packed with different wildlife trust and they are always looking for help. The vast majority of them like to promote their cause, and you will find that they often look for volunteers. It could mean a day out in the countryside, and perhaps even helping to clean up a local beauty spot. Bring a packed luch and support your local environment. What could be more rewarding than that?

Top Tip 5 How to Save Money on Staycations

Of course, you can just have a day-out on the beach or in nature. You don't have to stop at a local pub to have a pub lunch. Getting together and organizing a picnic can be great fun, and you may even make some new friends with families going for the same option. Enjoy the simple things in life such as picking flowers, rock pooling and perhaps even have a go at crab fishing.

Top Tip 6 How to Save Money on Staycations

There is nothing like fresh fruit, and during the summer, the British countryside is full of it. Become a forager for a day, and go off foraging. Pick wild blackberries and raspberries, and you may even have enough to make jam when you get home. Last year I picked so many blackberries that I ended up with jam to last me until next year. It is a good learning experience as well, and you can find out lots of information about foraging on the Internet. The Woodland Trust has a lot of information, and different activities. 

Top Tip 7 How to Save Money on Staycations

Of course, you may not want to be in the house all of the time, but equally so, you may get the odd rainy day. Svaing up stuff during the year that can be used for crafts and other things is a top tip. Kids love crafts and making different things. Even an old t-shirt can be used to make into pretty pom-poms. 

Top Tip 8 How to Save Money on Staycations

Fancy an exciting night out? When you are in mood for something totally different, and perhaps something a little bit out of this world, how about checking out your local UFO organisation. Scanning the skies for UFO's can be great fun, and you never know, you might just see something that is a bit different. Most UFO' societies do not mind you coming along for a night out, and things can get really exciting if you spot something.

Top Tip 9 How to Save Money on Staycations

Visit a haunted house or building. Scary movies is one thing, but spending time in a haunted house or building is soemthing else. The paranormal is now more popular than ever, and you will probably find that you have a local paranormal society. Many of the people involved are very interesting. I did this as an activity, and it was fun and made me realize that a lot of people take this very seriously and use scientific research methods. 

Top Tip 10 How to Save Money on Staycations

It is worth out looking out for freeebies as well. Every so often, cinemas will offer free screening of movies. You can get all sorts of things for free once you start looking around. Put in the search term Freebies in the UK ina search engine, and a whole host of websites will pop up. Many of them have Apps available so that means that you can get an alert on your smart phone when a new offer pops up. Check it out, and you may even get a few more things free than you actually bargained for. 

Vacations, or holidays, do not need to cost any many at all, and if you play it smart, you may even find that you have lots of "freebies" available. You can even learn a lot from pkaying Pokemon Go on your staycation!

Cruising is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to take a holiday, or to take a vacation. For some it may not seem the cheapest option for a holiday, but there are many ways you can save money on a cruise. As we all know there are a huge range of companies out there offering cruises. I have tried a few of them, and I think that they are all very good but I was a bit disappointed with Cunard.

How to Save Money on a Cruise with MSC

Recently, we have done a few cruises with MSC, and I have to be honest, we have saved a lot of money when cruising with MSC. They have some really good offers, and if you book the right deal, you can save a lot of money on cruises with MSC. Saving money on a cruise can be easier than it forst seems. Here are few tips on how you can save money on a cruise. 

How to Save on a Cruise with Cabin Offers

The first thing you need to do is to check out their offers on cabins. For instance, you may find that certain cabins such as Bella, Fantastica and Wellness will include free excursions, complimentary breakfast in your cabin and all your beverages during meal times. If you are looking to save money on cruises, MSC is really a great company to check out. Also, many of MSC longer cruises include flights and you will also get discount on laundry services.

How to Save Money on a Cruise with Cruise Clubs

One of the first things I did when we started to enjoy cruises with MSC, was to join their Voyagers Club. This is a program where you can save money and gain extra benefits onboard the ship. For instance, once you have booked your first cruise, you will be entitled to their Welcome card which gives you an immediate insight into the wonderful world of MSC. On a regular basis you will receive their news letter informing you of special offers.

Once you have completed your first cruise, you upgrade to Classic membership. At this level, you will receive discounts between 5% to 15% off selected departures exclusive to members. As your points carry on building up, you will also receive onboard credit and other benefits as well. On our last cruise, we had a welcome cocktail, basket of fresh fruit in the cabin, a gift and session in the thermal spa. It was great!

How to Save Money on a Cruise with Onboard Cruise Offers

Also, if you are planning to treat yourself onboard, it may be a good idea to book a spa package before you travel. Last time I got a 50% discount, and it did not cost me anymore to enjoy beauty treatment onboard than it would by arranging them locally.

How to Save Money on Repositioning Cruises

You can also pre-book things like Internet access and pre-pay your daily service charge. I like doing all of that so that I can just get on with enjoying cruise. MSC specialise in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and places like Dubai. If you are into repositioning cruises, you should certainly check them out. They have some great stops on their repositioning cruises, and you can visit places like the Azores, New York and Bermuda. The great news is that you get two days on most of your stops.

So, if you are contemplating a cruise, it could be worth checking out MSC cruises.  

Many Spanish shoppers think that Eroski supermarkets are an expensive chain of supermarkets. They may not be known for their everyday low prices, but Eroski supermarkets could be well worth checking out for their special offers. If you are into bulk buying, and like to take advantage of stock upoffers, you should check out Eroski supermarkets. Like so many other Spanish supermarkets, Eroski has got a magazine that they distribute once or twice per month.

Eroski have their own generic range of low cost products. It is called Basic and can offer really good value for money. This month Eroski offer canned tuna in sunflower oil for 1.29€ per pack. You can also pick up 500 grams spaghetti for 0.35 cents and 3 packs of tomato frito for 50 cents. Their tomato frito is very good and at the same time low in sugar.

However, Eroski often wins hands down with their bulk buys. If you are a keen brand buyer, you should certainly check out Eroski's special offers on things like dog food, washing powder and toilet paper. You can save a lot of money by stocking up when Eroski has the brand products that you really like. Mind you, while you are in there, check out their household cleaning range. Many of their products are excellent and do a fantastic job around the home. I personally like their bathroom and mildew cleaner, it really does a good job and better than some brands.

The Eroski supermarket also have its own Savers Club. You get a little red card and the reduced value of all of the special offers go onto that card. I know that it may not mean money off straight away, but it does not bother me. I only use the supermarket for special offers, and a couple of months ago, I used the entire balance of my card to pay for the special offers that month. It was nice to stand at the till and not have to pay anything. I would have bought the stuff anyway, so it did not really matter.

When you shop in Eroski, or buy fuel at the petrol station, you also get points on your Travel Club card which is linked to your red Eroski card. It can take a while to add up, but the products on offer for your points are good. I have had some brilliant products from Travel Club and they are delivered by courier to your door as well. You can check your points total online, and also the balance on your card. On top of that, you also get a Club Card statement every three months with special money off vouchers or extra points vouchers.

Eroski may not be a supermarket you visit every week, but it is certainly worth your while to check out their special offers on brands. You never know, they may just have exactly what you are looking for.  

Do you always shop in the supermarket? Like so many others, I must admit that I shop in the same supermarket every week. It is nice to go into the supermarket, and shopping is often easier when you know the layout. However, does shopping in the same suprmarket every week save you money? I am not sure that it does.

While I am a big believer in clubcards and loyalty cards, I am not so sure that I am a big believer in supermarket loyalty anymore. Yesterday, I stopped by another supermarket to pick up an offer they had on my big dog's favorite dogfood. I seldom shop in this supermarket, just go in and pick up the odd offer. They have some offers that I am normally interested in, and when they save me money, I do pop into pick them up.

Normally, I do not receive anything in the way of special discounts from this supermarket, I only take advantage of their general special offers. However, yesterday they seemed to be keen to hand out special discounts. Unusually for a supermarket, the girl on the checkout was on the ball, and noticed that my loyalty card had not been used for more than a month. "You are entitled to some personal discounts because you have not shopped here for more than a month" she said, and continued to print me off a load of vouchers.

A few minutes later, I walked out of the super market with a voucher for 25% of fruit and vegetables, a personal discount of €5 off my next shop when I spend €20 and free summer flip flops. Supermarket disloyalty certainly seems to pay, and perhaps supermarkets are beginning to realize that sometimes it takes an extra effort to atttract customers. 

They good news is that I can easily make use of the the €5 voucher next month when I buy dog food again, and I intend to use the 25% discount voucher as well. The flip flops will come in handy for when pottering around the house. Maybe we should all try to be a little bit more disloyal when it comes to our supermarket routine. 

How to Make Money Lots of Money at Your Garage Sale

One of my best friends is moving house, and I am going to help her to organize a garage sale.She has never organized a garage sale before so she is a bit anxious, and she really needs to declutter as she is moving into an apartment.

She really needs to have a gigantic garage sale as she has so much stuff to clear, and get rid off. I don't mind helping out as we are moving to an new apartment in December, and I can also clear some of the stuff which we don't need anymore.

There are some easy to follow tips when it comes to making a lot of money at a garage sale, and here is some of my best advice.

1) Hype it up - your garage sale needs t bigger, bolder and better than anybody else so you really need to go for out. The best garage sales look like small flee markets so try to get hold of as much stuff as you can. Don't just focus on clearing at the kitchen or the spare bedroom. Go for absolutely everything, Clothes, junk, old plates, tyres and some good quality items as well. A lot of people believe that furniture do not sell at garage but this is not true. Anything and everything sells but it needs to be priced right. The keyword here is variety.

2) Price everything. People do not like asking prices so make sure everything is priced in nice big bold letters. If you have some quality items do not price them too high.

You want to try to get rid off everything. It is better to price something at $20 than $150. The idea is to sell it. I always price clothes at $3 per item because then you have the opportunity to say that any five items are $10. People like that - they are getting a bargain which the entire reason for going to the sale in the first place.

3) Promote your sale - tell everybody. Your friends, family, hang notices up everywhere. Lots of places have free boards for you to advertise on. Make some bright colorful signs and hang them up. There could also perhaps be local on line media which is happy to advertise your sale free of charge. Blog in local forums as this will also bring people in. And don't just put garage sale on your poster. Make the notice welcoming. Try this one: I am moving, and I need to clear out my house. You are all welcome to my GARAGE - YARD SALE. Bargains , bargains - prices start at $1.

4) All your adverts should contain directions on how to get to your sale. Yes, I know most people have GPS but those who don't may still want to come. A small map is always appreciated, and don't forget to leave your phone number and email on the poster.

5) Take some pics with your phone, and make up a mini sales sheet with prices of larger items, and also list names of books and author name. I did this some years back and I was hugely successful. Print some of them off and attach them to the advert. Also point out on your poster that you have an inventory available. You will be amazed how many people will contact you.

6) Put up colorful posters in your local area with your address, and directions to your house. Hang a banner made from an old sheet on the nearest main road. A can a spray pain will cost you about €5 but is worth every dime.

7) If you really want to go for it blog your event. You can put up pics and descriptions on your own blog.

8) Last year I put together a yard sale for a local charity. I asked some ladies to bake cookies, cakes and we ended up with a bake ware stall. You may not want to do that but something which was really popular was the cold drinks and cookie platters. They sold at $2.50 each, and raised in the end over $100.Try this idea at your yard/garage sale - everybody loves to eat. A burger for a buck might go down well as well - if you have a barbeque. You want to make your yard sale an event - not just a sale.

9) If you have any wanted plants you should put together a separate stall. Plants always sell well - just make sure you do not spend a fortune on pots. Use what you have.

10) There is nothing like a balloon - put up balloons to promote your event. It really draws people in, and on the day I always pin balloons to signs.

Above all - have some fun. Moving is stressful and expensive you need all the cash you can get hold off.

Holidays and vacation are important to all of us. Cruise vacations are probably more popular than others when you hit a certain age. Actually, despite what many people think, I find cruise holidays excellent value for money, and I am already looking around for next year. 

If you have time to spare, and may want to fit in a land based vacation as well, you should check out relocation cruises. I am sure that many of you have already heard about them, but which companies are the best. After all, there are now so many different cruiselines out there. Finding a good deal is sometimes a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. 

Princess Cruises is an American company that is rather famous for its reposition cruises. At the moment they are offering a Translatic cruise from Rome stopping in Pisa, France and Barcelona from €969 per person. The price includes taxes, and the cruise gets you into Fort Lauderdale in Florida after having spent 15 days onboard ship. That is ideal if you would like to enjoy a bit of winter sunshine as you will be arriving in Florida twoards the end of October.

If you want to save money on cruises, it is a good idea to sign up for as many cruise companies' newsletter as possible. You may get a bit bombarded at first, but if you get tired of them, you can always cancel the newsletter. Princess cruises is not the only cruiseline to offer reposition cruises, but it is a really good one, and they do have some really good offer. You can book by using your local travel agent, or call their number. And yes, they do speak English! Check out Princess Cruises here.

During the last month I have been going in the evening instead of during the day time. It has really paid off and to my surprise, I have been able to cut my grocery bill by Euros 100 so far. That includes all of shopping expenses including pet food and all of the household cleaning products. My "saving adventure" is continuing and now I hope to cut my shopping bill even further. This month I am going to sit down and go through all of the supermarkets offer very carefully before I venture out in the shops for my big monthly stock up shop.

As we have desalinated water in my part of Spain, I find that certain laundry powders and hoysehold cleaners work better than others. Whipp seems to work well, and washing up liquids from both Aldi and Lidl are the best ones if you have desalinated water. You may want to consider adding some vinegar to your floor cleaner as that seems to help to keep the floors a bit cleaner as well.

Even though it is summer, there are quite a few good special offers available from supermarkets. I intend to make the most of them, and stock up on what I need. It feels like the summer is ony getting started, and I am not sure that I am in full summer mood yet. When you still work, I think that you need to take a vacation, or time off, to capture that summer feeling. Anyway, I am having a chill out day today, and taking it a bit easier.

As we all know, grocery prices are still going up here in Spain. A friend of mine has just returned from abroad, and she immediately noticed that prices seem to have gone up a lot in Spain during the last six months. She came out of Lidl having spent a lot more on a week's shopping that she thought that she ought to have done.

I agree, prices have gone up in Spain a lot recently, and we all need to look after our money. Of course, Brexit does not help at all, and it is likely that many of us will see a reduction in money coming in to our households.

Saving money in Spain, or anywhere else for that matter, can be real challenge. The good thing about Spanish supermarkets, is that many of them publish a two monthly magazine with special offers. I told my friend Vicki that I have started to wait until all of the magazine were out until I went for my monthly shopping spree.

Actually it helps a lot, and it certainly helps if you like to buy brands. I do like brands, and I find that some brands are really good. Products like washing powder and certain pet foods tend to be on offer in supermarkets monthly magazine. Having a large dog that eats a lot, I also look out for offers on pet food. Often I also buy branded washing powders as I find that some of them work better with desalinated water.

So, before you go off and make your major monthly shop, make sure that you check out all of the different offers available in Spanish supermarkets magazines. You will find that Carrefour, Consum, Dia and Eroski, all have excellent offers. Make sure that you have your supermarket clubcard with you when you go shopping. You may even be able to do some meal planning!

Lots of travelers still change their money when they get to the airport. That does not get you the best deal on currency at all, and you are probably losing money left right and center. If you want to save money on exchanging foreign currency, and get savvy about foreign exchange rates, it could be a good idea to check out companies like Torfx.com.

The great thing about companies like Torfx.com is that you can use them for your holiday money, and you can use them for personal currency transfers as well. Should we start looking at currency transfers, and foreign exchange rates differently? Maybe we should stop relying on banks, and take charge of our own money. It is easy to go into a bank, and ask them to make an international transfer for you, or organise your holiday money. However, with all of the ups and downs in the currency market, it could be a good idea to take control of your own money.

If you travel a lot, maybe you should consider to bulk buy currency. You can use a company such as Torfx.com to do just that. Also, consider holding bank accounts in different currencies. If you cruise a lot, you may want to hold a bank account in US dollars, and take advantage of making further investments in foreign currency when the rates are good. Did you know that you may even get your cruise cheaper if you pay in US dollars? Most bank accounts come with debit card and easy access, so you can use your debit card when you need to access your cash.

Another choice is prepaid credit cards. I have started to use them when I travel, and I think that they are great. But, never underestimate what online currency exchange services, and start checking out foreign currency exchange rates online. Make sure that the company you deal with is FCA authorised, and that you get an account manager to look after your personal foreign currency needs.

Looking after your money is now even more important than ever. Brexit, or Britain coming out of the EU, will affect the currency markets. How much a Brexit will affect foreign exchange, it is hard to tell. However, one thing is for sure, Brexit is likely to rear its ugly head from time to time for the foreseeable future.

We would all like to own our home, but the process is not always so easy. Most lenders now require a large deposit, and on top of that, they would love you to have a perfect credit score. Not many of us have that perfect credit store, however, it is important to be familiar with the top 10 ways to repair your credit so that you can qualify for a home mortgage.

Step 1

Get real – find out what out your actual credit score. There are quite a few agencies that can help you with that, and it might be a good idea to ask a potential lender who they work with. This ensure that you are looking at the same information that you are.

Step 2

How well do you know your finances. Most people don't know their finances, and you may have a few surprises instore. Set up a spreadsheet and record EVERYTHING that you spend. Now you can see where you are spending the most money.

Step 3

Start saving some money. Once you have identified where you can save money, start by actually saving that money. Put it aside every month, and start a saving account. This can really impress a lender, it shows that you are taking an interest in your finances.

Step 3

Are you paying your bills on time? If you are not make sure that you start doing so, and keep the practice up. It will quickly improve your credit score.

Step 4

Don't close unused accounts. Once you have paid off a credit card, it can be tempting to close the account down. But, even unused accounts are useful, they will show a zero balance and will impress a future lender.

Step 5

Don't apply for too many credit cards or accounts. It often has a negative effect, and all of those searches will show up on your credit report.

Step 6

Have you been divorced? Tell the credit company as sometimes credit which your former spouse may have applied will show up.

Step 7

Are you having a credit problem? Don't ignore your lender, speak to them and communicate with them in writing. Once you have started to make regular payments.

Step 8

Student loans may be following your around for a long time. It is a big problem, but can you do something to help yourself? Negotiate with your lender and ask if you can pay a bit extra towards your student debt every month. The advantage is that many lenders are happy to reduce their interest rate a little bit. Even a small reduction will help you to pay off that loan quicker and cheaper.

Step 8

Do you need a new car? Are you absolutely sure? You may be able to buy a second hand car for cash, instead out finance. After all, is it not about having a new car, it is about buying a home.

Step 9

It may seem odd, but a lot of people do not question the amount of tax they pay. Saving money on tax will allow you to save more money towards your home. Keep any paper work the process generates, it will prove that you are financially savvy.

Step 10

Keep your personal information to yourself. So many people these days make it their business to borrow your credit history or your personal details. You may have a nasty surprise when you go to try to get a home mortgage, it is all too easy to for some to use your personal information and take out loans in your name. This is more common than you might think, and the process of getting the details removed from your file can be complicated.

Above all, appreciate that credit agencies should be used to your advantage. Figuring out how you can make yourself look good to a potential lender. The top 10 ways to repair your credit so that you can qualify for a home mortgage, is all about getting financially savvy.