If you enjoy taking photos, did you know you may be able to generate a steady sideline income (maybe more) selling your work to stock photography services?

These services are generally web-based. They offer photos to businesses and individuals who may want them for a wide range of purposes – from advertising to websites, print articles to blogs and social media. 

The services generally licence photos for a fee, which they then split with the photographer. The fee typically covers use of the photo for one specific purpose. That means you can potentially sell the same photo multiple times to different buyers and generate a regular income from it.

At one time to sell photos to business clients you would have needed a high-spec professional camera with a variety of lenses and lots of (expensive) film. That’s all changed, though. All stock photography services nowadays will accept photos taken with a good-quality digital SLR (DSLR) camera. Others even accept pictures taken on a modern mobile phone.

On the plus side, this means barriers to entry are much reduced. To get started (at least) a decent-quality mobile phone – ideally an iPhone – is all you need. And with digital photography, you no longer have to worry about the cost of film, processing, and so on.

This does, however, have the drawback that there is huge competition. So your photos will need to be sharp, well composed, creative, and attractive to potential buyers. Happy snaps taken on your summer holidays are unlikely to cut it! 

The level of competition also means that, unless you have a truly exceptional photo, the fee you receive per use is likely to be quite modest. My colleague Al Baker, who blogs at The Penny Pincher, tells me he received 27c (about 21p) for the first photo he sold via a stock photography app – so this is definitely not a get-rich-quick opportunity!

How to start

If you’re keen to give this opportunity a try, the first step is to sign up with a stock photography service. A good place to begin is Alamy.

Alamy boasts a massive library of over 313 million stock images, vectors, videos, and 360-degree panoramic images. You can sell almost anything there, from everyday images to specific niches. They pay a relatively generous commission of up to 50% if you grant them exclusivity or up to 40% for non-exclusive images. And they don’t tie contributors into long contracts.

One drawback with Alamy is you can only upload pictures from DSLR cameras via their website. However, they also have an app called Stockimo which lets you upload directly from your iPhone. Photos sold via Stockimo are paid at a lower rate of 20% but this can still be a quick and easy money-making opportunity for iPhone owners. You can download the free Stockimo app from the iStore.

Some other services will accept photos from Android phone users as well. An example is Foap, which has both Apple and Android apps. They pay $5 for every photo sold and $100–$2,500 for so-called Missions, where brands (e.g. Nivea, Heineken and Volvo) submit a photo brief and pay a cash prize for winning entries. Foap also sell photos via partner platforms such as Adobe and Alamy, with up to 50% of the fee going to the photographer.

There are dozens of other stock photography websites. A few more you may like to try include 500PX Licensing, SmugMug, ShutterStock, iStock Photo and Stocksy. Note that all have different terms and conditions and some charge a fee for membership – so it’s important to read the small-print carefully!

Boosting your sales

As already mentioned, you’re highly unlikely to make a fortune overnight selling your work via stock photography services. There are various things you can do to boost your sales, and hence your income, however. Here are a few top tips…

• Take your camera (or mobile phone) everywhere with you and take lots of photos. The more you take, the better are your chances of getting that perfect shot.

• Sign up for the free email newsletters sent out by many of the stock photography services. These often contain valuable hints and tips, plus information about what subjects are selling well at the moment.

• Study the winning photos in online photography contests and challenges such as those run on Foap. This will give you an idea of the standard you need to aim for.

• But don’t just try to re-create other people’s photos. Quirky, creative, unusual and even downright weird photos are always in high demand.

• Pick a niche to specialise in. This could be wildlife, architecture, travel, landscapes, food, street photography, portraits, etc. This will help you sharpen your skills in the field in question. It will also help if you wish to create an online portfolio to market your work and your photographic services (see below) .

• Having people in photos can increase their marketability. But if they are personally identifiable you should ask them to sign a model release to confirm they are okay with this. Stock photo libraries have template forms you can print, sign and submit for this purpose.

• Use relevant keywords when uploading images to stock photography sites. This will help more people find (and hopefully buy) them. On the same note, aim to take photos that could be a good match for keywords people may be  searching for – family, community, happiness, joy, loyalty, freedom, etc.

• No need to limit yourself to stock photography sites. Potentially you may be able to earn even more by creating your own online store, e.g. with Shopify or Etsy. As well as digital photos, you can sell prints of your work, and even products such as tee-shirts, tote bags and calendars using services like CafePress and Zazzle. 

• You might also want to create an online portfolio of your best work to try to sell your services as a photographer. Again, this is a very competitive field – but if you have the skills and creativity, the opportunities are definitely there.

Good luck, and I hope you are soon earning a growing income from your photography!

As always, if you have any comments about this article, please do post them below..

Nick Daws writes for Pounds and Sense, a UK personal finance blog aimed especially (though not exclusively) at over-fifties.

Photo Credits: Pexels

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With many of us feeling the squeeze from the cost-of-living crisis, how can you keep the children entertained cheaply in the school holidays?

We have lots of ideas to help you have a frugal family Easter, so start preparing now for the Easter break.

Easter activities at home

Make the most of the extra time with your children over the Easter holidays with some fun activities you can do at home. Here are some boredom busters with a seasonal theme.

Make some delicious mini cheesecakes with this recipe from Diary of a Frugal Family. 

Organise your own Easter egg hunt in the garden or local park. Get together with friends to make it even more egg-citing.

Make a cheap and cheerful Easter bonnet with inexpensive craft supplies from your nearest pound shop.

It turns out that decorated trees are not just for Christmas. The Handmade Home has this idea to help create an Easter tree you can be proud of. The children will enjoy this frugal family Easter project.

Bingo is always fun, but how about printing some Easter themed bingo cards to make it even better?

For more Easter craft ideas, search Pinterest for cheap and entertaining inspiration.

Eating out

As far as food goes when you are out as a family, packing a picnic is always going to be your cheapest option.

However, if you want a restaurant treat, look out for deals where your kids can eat for free.

Check the terms and conditions before you go, as they all have minimum spends for adults and some offer free food for more than one child. Please note that some are time-limited offers for the Easter period. Here are the deals worth exploring for your frugal family Easter:

Morrisons: One adult purchasing a meal for at least £4.49 is eligible for a free meal from the kids menu or a chilled kids snack pack at any Morrisons cafe. 

Brewer’s Fayre: How about a breakfast treat? Brewer’s Fayre allows two under-16s to eat for free for every adult that purchases their £9.99 All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet.

Preto: Brazilian restaurant Preto offers one free children’s meal per paying adult every weekday from 4pm and all weekend. (This applies to children under 10).

The Real Greek: If you fancy a taste of the Mediterranean, the Real Greek offers free meals for children on Sundays for each adult spending at least £10.

Angus Steak House: Children under 10 can eat for free at the Angus Steak House from Monday to Thursday, 12-5pm. (One child for each adult purchasing a main course.) Remember to request this offer when you book.

Places to go

Libraries

Many libraries run regular activity sessions such as story time and crafts, with extra options during the school holidays. Look up your local library service online.

My kids used to love just having a browse of the books and choosing some to take home to read.

Free museums and galleries

Most towns and cities have museums and galleries with free entry. Take advantage of them and check to see if there are any Easter events running, too. You can usually find information on your local council and/or tourist information websites.

Wildlife Trusts, woods and parks

Many Wildlife Trusts offer holiday activities for families, such as bird watching, pond dipping, Easter trails and nature walks. You can find your nearest site and event information here.

Kids love running around in the woods! The Woodland Trust has sites all over the UK. You can get a family membership from £5 a month. Your children will receive Nature Detectives membership and activity packs four times a year, giving you the perfect motivation to get them out to burn off some energy.

Find theme park offers 

Collect Tesco Clubcard vouchers to take advantage of discounts at theme parks such as Chessington World of Adventure, Alton Towers and Legoland, as well as zoos and safari parks. 50 pence worth of Clubcard points converts to £1.50 towards a ticket for participating attractions.

Look out for special offers for days out on your groceries. For example, Kellogg’s is currently running a ‘grown-ups go free’ promotion. Simply cut out the token on the side of eligible product packaging and get your adult ticket for nothing when you pay for a child’s ticket. This runs until 30th June 2024, and you can check the full terms and conditions here.

Cheaper cinema tickets

Many cinemas offer reduced price screenings on children’s films at certain times, especially during the school holidays.

Vue Mini Mornings screenings are priced from just £2.49 for both adults and children, whilst the Odeon Kids events run each day of the holidays, with adults paying kids prices too.

There are other ways to snap up cheap cinema tickets. If you purchase any policy from Compare the Market you will be eligible to claim your Meerkat Movies rewards two-for-one tickets for the whole year. The trick is to buy the cheapest one-day travel policy. You are still entitled to Meerkat Movies!

In addition, some of the big phone providers offer incentives to customers which include reduced price cinema tickets.

If you are a Three mobile customer, you can get a £3 Cineworld or Picturehouse ticket via the Three+ rewards app. O2 offers a limited number of free Odeon tickets each week as well, although they go quickly so you need to be fast. Ticket codes are released via the Priority app at 2pm each Wednesday, for use between the following Friday to Thursday.

If you have the Lidl app, you can get up to 40% off with the Cinema Society. Just sign up via the ‘Partner Offers’ tab. Participating cinemas include the Odeon, Vue, Showcase, Empire and Reel Cinemas, among others.

Kidspass

Kidspass is worth a mention, as it offers discounts on a wide range of activities for families. It gives you up to 57% off theme parks, 25% off restaurants, as well as kids eat free deals, 50% off zoos and safaris and 30% off cinema. The Lidl app Partner Offers section is offering a free three-month Kids Pass membership until 20th April 2023, or you can get a free month for £1 on the Kids Pass website.

By researching the best deals, and finding cheap or free activities at home and locally, you can have a frugal family Easter this year.

Photo Credits: Unsplash

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Spring has definitely sprung and so car boot sale season is well underway here in the UK.

It is also traditionally the season for a good declutter, so why not turn your unwanted belongings into cash?

In this article, I will give you some tips on how to offload your old stuff and maximise your profits.

Get organised

First thing’s first, do your research. That means searching online to find the biggest and most respected car boot sales near you.

Once you’ve chosen a car boot sale, find out if there are any fees to pitch up and sell your goods.

It’s also a good idea to visit the site beforehand to get an idea of where the best spots are.

If you’re a first-timer, go on a bank holiday, as these are the events likely to draw the biggest crowds.

Check the weather forecast a few days before and change your plans if it looks wet or particularly windy. A sunny day will bring out the crowds.

Get a friend or family member to go with you if possible. They can help you set up, or mind the stall if you need a loo break or want to do some shopping yourself.

Finally, pack your car the night before so you can have a quick departure on the morning of the sale.

Go equipped

There are certain essentials to take with you to the boot sale.

Food and drink (you’ll thank yourself for making up a flask if it’s cold). By taking your own food, you’ll also save money (and queuing time) at the burger or tea stall.

Be sure to take sun cream and a sun hat if the forecast is for hot weather. But also pack a jumper or a coat in case it gets chilly. And, of course, this is the UK we are talking about, so take an umbrella.

One or two folding tables, depending on how much stuff you have to sell. Sturdy wallpapering tables are good. It is worth keeping any items with a little more value on the table where you can see them, as you do get some light fingers at a boot sale.

Having said that, if you do have things of value, you may be able to get more money for them online.

A clothing rail and hangers mean you will be likely to get a better price and sell more of your clothing items. It looks far better than having them scrunched up in a ball on the floor. A tarpaulin or large sheet on the ground is good for displaying things like toys and footwear.

Make sure you take a float. A lot of customers turn up with £20 notes and won’t buy from you if you cannot provide change. A money belt will keep your profits safe.

If you have some old plastic carrier bags, they can be useful. You can even sell your clothing for £1 a bag at the end to get rid of the final few items.

Bin bags are also useful to scoop up your unsold wares and any rubbish at the end.

Selling at a boot sale can be tiring, so consider squeezing in a couple of deckchairs for comfort.

Get there early

It pays to arrive early. Many of your potential customers will, so you need to as well.

It also takes some of the stress out of setting up. Not only is it irritating when people are clamouring around your car as you try to unload, there is also potential for theft. 

You will still find cheeky dealers trying to get in first even if you arrive early. My tip is to politely but firmly tell them you are not selling until you have set up.

Be prepared to haggle

Be realistic with your pricing. People expect to find bargains at a boot sale and your prices should be cheaper than the local charity shop – and certainly much cheaper than eBay.

If you over-price you may end up taking a lot of your wares home with you.

Be prepared to haggle with customers. But at the same time, you will get some seriously low offers, so stand firm if you are confident you can get more.

I tend to become more generous with my pricing as the morning wears on, as I don’t want to go home with anything.

But don’t forget that the whole point is to make money. So, even if you get £1 for something you really wanted £3 for, it is all money in the pot.

Have a think about your pricing in advance. You can attach price labels, but it takes work and if you are haggling, it is probably pointless.

However, you could have a 50p box or have signs saying ‘all books £1’, just to give customers a guide.

Be friendly and approachable

It may seem like common sense, but being friendly and chatting to people might lead to more sales. It also helps to pass the time.

Are you planning to make money at a boot sale this year? What are your top tips?

Photo Credits: Unsplash

The post Here’s how to make money at a car boot sale appeared first on Mouthy Money.

Expert deals finder Will Pointing explains how this could be your year to side hustle, a new paid hobby that could make you happier and richer.

A recent study by the research by 118 118 Money found that 68% of employed UK adults currently have a secondary source of income, earning them an extra £5,000 a year on average.

Nearly a third (31%) started their side hustle in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, showing that not everyone was just watching Netflix and chomping on takeaways.

The data indicates podcasting as the most profitable secondary source of income overall, paying people an average of £954 extra a month (or a whopping £11,448 a year). Renting out a room or space is another good earner, pulling in £657 a month or (£7,884 a year) on average.

If you haven’t got an original podcast idea or are not fortunate enough to have a spare room to rent out, below are some ideas to get you started on a new side hustle:

Sell your things online

The easiest to make a quick buck is to sell items online. This could range from old computer games or laptops to things you’ve made yourself. Crafting items have proved very popular this year, with handmade candles topping the leader board in the 118 118 survey.

Selling old clothes is also a good way of earning some extra cash. The main tip is to take some high quality photos and upload them on to an online platform to sell from, such as eBay, Depop, Facebook Marketplace or Etsy. Social media posts are also a very good way to advertise what you’re selling.

Host an experience

Have you picked up a new expertise during lock down? If you think people would pay for this, consider hosting an AirBnB Experience in your local area. You could host a guided walk in a tourist hot spot or teach people to cook, sing or even draw.

Big rumour crushed, you do not need to host your home on Airbnb, in order to host an experience. If you are not keen on AirBnB Experiences, create a listing on withlocals.com, a similar free hosting platform.

Get paid to give your opinion

If you’ve got strong opinions, get paid for them. Brands will pay you give your opinion on goods and services through focus groups. They simply ask you your views about a particular brand’s new product, advertisement or service.

Focus groups tend to pay around £50-60 per hour & even more for longer home-based projects. I’d recommend simply to search “Focus groups in your area” to find out about upcoming work to apply for.

Create a blog

Although it is not a quick way of making income, blogging can be lucrative in the long term. To make a blog work you need patience, a monetisation plan (from Sponsored posts, affiliate marketing or allowing adverts on your site), lots of incoming traffic and engaging content

Tip: Try to pick a niche – it could be about home aquariums or even money saving tips – check out my site GreatDealsMadeEasy for ideas.

Make 2021, “the year of the side hustle”. You never know, your passion project may take off and you can leave the 9-5 office world behind you for fame and fortune or at least enough to get you on a warm holiday.

Photo by Alaur Rahman from Pexels

The post Four ideas to get you going with a side hustle appeared first on Mouthy Money.

Millions of people are still working from home thanks to the pandemic. Without the traditional means of face-to-face interactions or business card exchanges, making a good first impression and networking has never been more tricky.

However, with the economy making a slow recovery and places reopening, we ask ourselves, what is the best way for people to network successfully in the ‘new normal’?

Here are some ideas for networking online to nab yourself a new job, or even win new business.

1. Be authentic and active with your online network

When Jinesh Vohra, chief executive at Sprive, kicked off his business, he started from scratch to grow his own network. Even before the pandemic, LinkedIn was a great tool to do this and make meaningful connections with others.

“I would post on lots of different things around mortgages, around entrepreneurship,” says Vohra.

“Some people will just kind of relate to that and they will naturally just come and get in touch with me. The LinkedIn algorithm does its thing and brings people closer to you.”

After reaching out to people on LinkedIn, he would set up discussions on Zoom meetings to share his ideas with other like-minded people.

“I’m a firm believer that if you want to be successful, you have to constantly build your network. Because people like people.”

The more strategic you are, the more successful you will be, according to Vohra. Find where your network is, whether it is Instagram or LinkedIn, and start writing authentic and relatable content regarding your business.

2. Tailor your LinkedIn profile

Your LinkedIn profile can be an opportunity to brand yourself, according to Judy Parsons, an independent LinkedIn trainer.

 “From a networking perspective, your profile represents the virtual representation of you as if you were going face to face networking or as you walk into the room,” she says.

A lot of people see it as an online CV, but Parsons says it’s more than that: “It’s not about saying every job or education that you’ve ever had; it’s about using the skills and the experiences that you’ve got to actually then build this picture.”

Her advice is to treat LinkedIn as a face-to-face networking event and to pay close attention to your profile, specifically your picture, your name, and your headline.

“Those three fields are really important because that’s what people will see first,” said Parsons.

3. Use QR codes instead of business cards

If you can meet people face to face, a good idea would be thinking of using QR codes instead of business cards.

Matt Coppin, co-founder at Impact Lens, uses a LinkedIn QR code or V1CE – an electronic business card – for future interactions.

“I think that personally has a bigger impression of ‘oh, wow, I didn’t realise you could do that.’ You can have it made in metal, or recyclable materials, and you basically just touch the card on the phone of the person you’re speaking to, and it pops up your contact details that you’ve implemented in the system,” he says.

Coppin used to print over 250 business cards that would cost him at least £100. Now with the new V1CE card, he only pays £39,99. As the co-founder of a responsible investing company, he says it is a beneficial change for the environment too.

4. Be creative

Instead of discussing with people on Zoom, why don’t you go on a dog walk with them?

This is what, David Butcher, managing director at Communications and Content, did throughout the pandemic. During the lockdowns, he went on his daily walk to network with other like-minded peers.

He said: “When you start a small services business, you do not have the funds for marketing, so you have to rely on creativity.”

His entire business was founded on networking: “While working from home, the principles of networking are just the same, coffee face to face or in the screen, only the mechanics are different. That is why you need to be creative with the mechanics.”

He suggests coming up with interesting ideas on Zoom, always listening, being open-minded to different situations.

You can get creative over Zoom by putting “different pictures on the wall, pastries delivered to their house, music in the background,” join a podcast or go on speaking events, he says.

Will we ever go back to business cards?

Business cards weren’t just a piece of paper with information details on it – they were an identifier, a sign of creativity, and most importantly, a conversation starter.

But now with the pandemic, they’re often not practical any more – networking changed as soon as social distancing measures were put into place.

So have business cards lost their value to QR codes, virtual meetings and calls?

Adam M. Kleinbaum, an associate professor at Dartmouth comments: “My general impression is that business cards have been on the decline for years because people have moved towards more modern technologies anyway.

“The bigger issue is that people are just working more remote and interacting face-to-face less.

“What we’re finding through our research is that people’s networks are narrowing. Because of the move towards remote interaction it’s harder to maintain these broad networks of relatively weaker ties. “The way people respond to that challenge mostly is by sort of hunkering down and interacting more with the strong ties that are at the core of their network.”

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

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I bought some, and have since been blown away by the effectiveness of this product – Sugru. And, while a pack of  3 will set you back £6.99, ultimately, it has the potential to save you a lot more- if you use it wisely.

Sugru starts off soft, a bit like warm Blue Tack, however it quickly starts to harden when exposed to oxygen, and quickly cures to a sturdy hard rubber state. Although the process takes a total of twenty-four hours, the end result is impressive.

Mending shoes

I first used Sugru to mend a pair of my husband’s walking boots. He wears his shoes out quickly, and I wanted to get some extra wear out of them, so I opted to plug a couple of holes with Sugru – it did the trick, and we got another couple of months out of them.

Mending fridge parts

My mother’s fridge has been broken for a while. Somehow she managed to crack the handle of the door so that it was hanging off. With a sachet of Sugru, I was able to fix it back on- it’s so far lasted about six months, and it’s still going strong.

Sugru can, apparently, also withstand temperatures of down to -50 degrees Celsius, meaning that you can also fix freezer parts with it. They also have a handy guide for such hacks on their website.

As fridge and freezer parts are a notorious rip off, this little piece of rubber (while somewhat messy looking) could easily save you a hundred quid, if you’re not too fussy about aesthetics.

Child-proofing gadgets

While I don’t have any children in my life that I need to guard my gadgets from, I’ve also seen it suggested that Sugru, with its rubber-like qualities, can be used to child-proof simple gadgets like a digital camera. Sugru has some suggestions for products like this on its website.

 If your child drops the camera, it simply bounces!

There’s little doubt about it, in this day and age of climate awareness, working towards a zero-waste lifestyle is also becoming a more laudable goal. Looking out for products, like Sugru, can be a valuable first step in the right direction.

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The release of Leaving Neverland, a documentary detailing historic allegations of sexual abuse by Michael Jackson, has lead to many declarations over the last week that his alleged crimes outweigh the merit of his music. But while this is an understandable response, until recently it was far from the default.

Jordan Chandler’s 1993 accusation of child molestation against Jackson, and the many controversies that followed and cost him millions, had no affect on his status as the King of Pop. Until very recently, though perhaps an admittedly “complicated” figure, Michael Jackson has been hailed in popular culture as one of music’s immortal icons.

Many men have survived in their industries for decades in the face of accusations and even convictions of abuse, especially when they are considered uniquely talented.

Roman Polanski remained one of the world’s most revered film directors in the 40 years since he fled his conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl – a crime he admitted. His autobiography is packed with references to sex with teenagers, and when Martin Amis interviewed Polanski after he skipped the US, he told him: “Judges want to fuck young girls. Juries want to fuck young girls – everyone wants to fuck young girls!”

Many men have survived in their industries for decades in the face of accusations and even convictions of abuse.

Despite further accusations of rape, A-list actors and filmmakers continued not only to work with Polanski, but to defend him. In 2009, more than 100 major industry names signed a petition to free him, after he was arrested in Switzerland regarding the 1977 underage sex charge.

Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai, Harmony Korine, Alexander Payne, Michael Mann, Tilda Swinton, and Woody Allen were among them.

The strangest – and almost most disturbing element – of all in this, is the degree to which Polanski’s peers were historically prepared to emotionally disassociate from what he had said and done.

In September 2017, Kate Winslet told the New York Times: “Woody Allen is an incredible director. So is Roman Polanski. I had an extraordinary working experience with both of those men, and that’s the truth.” Winslet later stated that she “bitterly regretted” working with certain “men of power”.

In 2018, Quentin Tarantino apologised after a 2003 tape recording surfaced, in which he defended Polanski’s rape of then 13-year-old Samantha Geimer. He said: “I incorrectly played devil’s advocate in the debate for the sake of being provocative.”

Several signatories of the Polanski petition, such as Natalie Portman and Monica Belluci, later came out in vocal support of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, after the Harvey Weinstein revelations in October 2017. Portman was one of the first stars to publicly express regret for signing the Polanski petition in the first place.

When colleagues choose to denounce peers who face abuse claims, it is often only after they have been publicly accused. Following allegations of child sex abuse – first published by Buzzfeed – against Kevin Spacey, House Of Cards employees began to come forward claiming that Spacey had created a toxic work environment, typified by “predatory” behaviour.

Most did not speak out prior to a major news organisation breaking a story first, even though many concurred that grim rumours were common knowledge. This is understandable however, when one looks at the reception “speaking out” has tended to receive.

Elijah Wood mentioned in a (pre- #MeToo) 2016  interview with The Sunday Times that Hollywood is full of “vipers.” He continued: “If you can imagine it, it’s probably happened.” The interview garnered a great deal of attention, and Wood later clarified with the Hollywood Reporter that he had no firsthand experience of abuse, but had picked up the information from films he’d seen and articles he’d read. One of these was An Open Secret.

When the 2014 film An Open Secret, which covers child sex abuse in Hollywood, was released, it had almost no promotion. According to Gabe Hoffman, who was in charge of the film’s financing, it received “zero” Hollywood offers for redistribution, though a pirated version was illegally downloaded 900,000 times. It has a 94% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film details the stories of five former child actors who say they were preyed on as kids, focusing predominantly on Mark Collins-Rector, former co-owner and operator of the Digital Entertainment Network (DEN).

Collins-Rector was subsequently convicted of child sexual abuse but An Open Secret bombed upon its release, only re-emerging into the public consciousness post- #MeToo.

A man’s capacity to create art the world enjoys – art that makes money – is in direct proportion to the degree he will be given a pass by his colleagues and the public should he abuse his power.

While speaking about any form of controversy in Hollywood often invites censure, turning a blind eye, or otherwise steering clear of any uncomfortable issue, has consistently proven a professionally sound option. If not actively rewarding, it was certainly safer. It’s no wonder, in a culture within which power hierarchies are so deeply entrenched.

As Kate Winslet explained in a 2018 interview: “The message we received for years was that it was the highest compliment to be offered roles by these men.”

Most Weinstein accusers claim to have been “blacklisted” by Hollywood, after reporting abuse.

For now, Harvey Weinstein’s remains the most famous and seismic fall from grace in showbusiness history. But it took a fantastic degree of external pressure, iron-clad reporting, and the backing of the most famous newspaper in the world to break the story.

Again and again, the message has been that a man’s capacity to create art the world enjoys and respects – art that makes money –  is in direct proportion to the degree he will be given a pass by his colleagues and the public, should he abuse his power in any way.

When Michael Jackson found himself in tremendous debt towards the end of his life, the option of playing concerts which might have net him millions of pounds was still open to him.

One can only hope that this would not have been the case had Leaving Neverland been made sooner. The only way stop the cycle of abuse in Hollywood, music, or anywhere else, is to quit paying more attention to a man’s art – or his money – than his crimes. When victims tell their stories, we must listen.

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Meet Mouthy Money’s new writers – they tell stories about their financial lives, dreams, successes and failures. And their words won’t just twang your heartstrings or make you clutch your sides with laughter – though they’ll certainly do that! – no, they’ll also help you make the tough decisions looming large in your life.

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Our writers

Joanna Blythman

Joanna is an award-winning investigative journalist, the author of seven landmark books on food issues and one of the most authoritative, influential commentators on the British food chain. Read: How vegan evangelists are propping up the ultra-processed food industry

Holly MC Thomas

Holly is a freelance writer and editor based in London. She writes regularly for CNN and The New Statesman, among other top tier publications. Read: The true cost to women of Russell Brand’s toxic masculinity

Emma Real-Davies

Presenter of The Female Struggle Is Real podcast and writer, Emma says she’s struggling with freelancing, struggling with being sustainable and struggling generally. Read: Saving the planet is bankrupting me

Lynn James

Winner of UK Money Blogger 2017 best parent and money blog. Radio presenter on SG1 Radio. Author of Blogging Your Way To Riches. Seen on BBC, ITV, HuffPo. Read: My experience of emotional spending

Samantha Rea

Samantha Rea is a freelance journalist living in London. She studied at the LSE but has since annihilated a fair few brain cells by watching too many episodes of Love Island. Read: Fresh air and scenes worthy of the Edinburgh Fringe: why I won’t be joining a gym 

Amy Treasure

Food writer and photographer. Amy has a simple approach to great home cooking. Runs. Read: Your diet is making you fat (and nine alternatives that actually work)

Holly Thomas

Holly is an award-winning financial journalist and former Deputy Personal Finance Editor at The Sunday Times. She writes across all areas of personal finance and consumer issues. Read: Want to cut the cost of Christmas 2019? Start shopping now…

Michael Taggart

Who, me? Oh, I’m the editor. Y’know…behind the scenes. Don’t like attention. Please ignore me. Do that at @michael_taggart. Read: Like giving crack to a cocaine addict: my life with a 110% subprime mortgage

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Roughly translating as ‘not too much, not too little, just right’, lagom is the art of living frugally, which is a pretty essential life skill if, like me, you’ve still got a £9,000 student loan to repay.

Lagom encourages you to be healthy, environmentally-friendly and financially-frugal. It’s definitely not as much fun as hygge (which by the way, I readily embraced pre-Christmas by purchasing a pair of new brushed-cotton pyjamas and an endless supply of mulled wine).

But apparently January is all about new starts blah blah and I have a whacking great tax bill to pay, so I for one am becoming lagom.

Here are some handy tips on how to live frugally in January and embrace lagom:

1. Stay in and cook

I have a terrible habit of going out for dinner ALL the time. I make great plans to boil lentils and kale into some sort of healthy mush and yet, before you know it, I’ve got a dim sum in each cheek and Katsu curry dripping down my chin. I’ve recently realised, however, that although eating out is super convenient, it’s also incredibly expensive! So dig out your blender, boil your broccoli and soak those lentils overnight – healthy mush it is.

2. Use your gym membership (lol)

Sometimes I forget that I pay £30 to run for 20 mins on a treadmill once a month. But last week I suddenly remembered (miraculous) and decided to actually go. Although furious that the hot tub wasn’t working (why else would you go to the gym?), I did 10 lengths in the pool and then sat in the sauna for half an hour. It was glorious. Plus then I showered in water I’m not billed for – could life get any better?

3. Start a journal

Ok yes – you’ll need to buy a notebook and a fancy array of coloured pens, but then you’ve got a year of journal-writing FUN! Plus you will spend hours (HOURS) on Pinterest looking at pretty pictures of bullet journals. And there’s nothing more fun than planning, amiright?

4. Rearrange your living space

Having a sort out is always satisfying come the New Year, and adding a plant to your space can be just as refreshing as spending pounds on new fancy throw cushions that just get chucked on the floor come bedtime. It’s fun to make your bedroom a lagom project: picking up ring stands in charity shops and framing photos that you’ve had lying around. Just one question though – what do you do with old journals that detail your terrible tinder dates? Asking for a friend…

5. Get outside

Just a quick reminder that some of life’s simplest pleasures are free: going for a long woodland walk, getting your bike out of the garage, feeding the ducks at your local pond (I don’t care how old you are, this is still fun). And ok, if you want to pop to the pub after partaking in any of the above, that’s absolutely fine. As long as you remember the following: ‘not too much, not too little, just right’.

Lagom is about long-term fun: saving up those pennies for a house, getting fit and healthy, appreciating the smaller things in life without having huge extravagances. So although you might be tempted to book a last minute holiday to get some winter sun, just repeat this mantra while spooning healthy mush post-bike ride into your mouth: ‘lagom is long-term fun’, ‘lagom is long-term fun’. Failing that, remember you’ve got to pay for a house/wedding/holiday/tax bill/child this year.

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There are also many great schemes which offer free training for artists up to the age of 25 or, if you’re lucky, 30, but generally once you’re out of your twenties or have been working for a decade or more, it can feel like you don’t qualify for that kind of support as it’s assumed you’re ‘established.’

This month, I was one of 15 people selected for Vertical Lab, a six month mentoring programme by the Independent Film Trust for performers, producers, writers, directors and editors who are underrepresented in the film industry.

The Vertical Lab’s ethos is ‘a more diverse film industry makes better cinema’ and was set up because only 14% of feature films are directed by women, only 5% by people of colour in the UK and people with disabilities rarely find opportunities in film (source – Workforce Diversity in the Film Industry Review, BFI and University of Leicester).

A fortnight into the programme, this is what I’ve benefited from so far:

Inspiration

The six-month programme started with a free full festival pass to the amazing Raindance Film Festival.  Being able to watch as many screenings as possible during the week and a half-long festival of documentaries, feature films and short films from all over the world has been nothing short of inspirational. One evening, all 15 of us on the Vertical Lab were invited to screen our own work at Raindance and it was incredible to see fellow mentees work and get feedback from others on the lab.

The Importance of Making a Game Plan

Charlotte Knowles, Chief of Operations at Independent Film Trust, ran an event for us mentees two days before Raindance started to prepare us for the festival. She helped us make a game plan for what we wanted to achieve during the week and a half and also suggested which events to go to achieve our aims. She encouraged us to think big with this. I wrote down seven aims and met all of them.

Industry Panels

During Raindance, I attended panels on Film Making after Times Up, Web Series and Can they Change the World, and an event called Live Ammo where we had two minutes to pitch our idea for a film, TV series or documentary to a guest panel of five. We received feedback and I learnt so much from watching other people’s pitches. It was one of the most nerve-racking things I have done as there were over 100 people watching us pitch, but it paid off as I came second with my pitch which was a huge confidence boost that total strangers believed in our film.

Networking and Contacts

As we are all from different disciplines on the Vertical Lab, there’s every chance we will collaborate together on each other’s projects which is really exciting.

As well as the industry panels, Charlotte Knowles has set up free events with various directors and producers so that we can benefit from their knowledge and ask questions about various things, from funding to distribution. Following my first individual mentoring session, Charlotte has picked a very exciting industry mentor for me because of our similar interests in storytelling. This person is someone I would never imagine I would be in the same room as.

Charlotte comments:

“One of the first things I did when I took over the IFT was set up a mentoring programme. Mentoring is phenomenally important to the professional and creative development of any artist. And there is no age limit on who benefits from it – there are always new ways to grow and new challenges to face. But mentoring often happens very informally – if you don’t know someone who knows someone in the industry, the chances of you finding a mentor are slim. The Vertical Lab is about offering that opportunity to people typically underrepresented in the industry who might not have the contacts to find help organically.”

Financial advice

In my first mentoring session, I brought my screenwriter along to discuss our feature film, which we have been trying to get funding for the last two years. Charlotte’s expertise was invaluable and we now have clear next steps for what funds to apply for (many of which I had never heard of) and how to make the project financially sustainable so we can still pay our rents!

Charlotte comments, “At the IFT, we focus our mentoring in the business side of film, helping artists navigate funding routes and potential distribution options to help make their careers more financially sustainable. Starting in London, we hope to expand out to other parts of the country as soon as possible. There is so much talent in the UK but a lot of it is not being recognised.”

Support

Sometimes, applying for funding and constantly auditioning between projects can feel a bit isolating. I now know I have 14 other people (as well as our mentor Charlotte, of course) I can talk to about this who are in the same boat. As well as discussing the steps to get our feature film made, it has been a great support to be able to talk freely about imposter syndrome and the challenges of being told by certain gate-keepers that audiences aren’t ready for diverse stories on screen.

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