Q. House prices are falling and while we own our home with a mortgage, we’d like to move up the ladder in the next two years to have more space for our growing family. Even though our house price is likely down, is it possible to upsize to take advantage of bigger discounts further up the ladder? 

A. It is certainly worth investigating to find out whether it’s a good time to move with regards to the type of property you are looking for in your area.  

We are finding that some buyers are taking advantage of the vulnerability of some sellers to purchase at what they believe to be more realistic prices, depending of course on personal circumstances and mortgage exposure.  

If you have been able to build up a good amount of equity in your home, this will help you to take advantage of any opportunity that comes available.  

However, even if not it is certainly worth making enquiries to ensure that you are ready to act quickly if an opportunity to move does arise, particularly in the summer months when competition is generally less fierce as so many people are on holiday. 

It is always best in these circumstances to concentrate on the difference between the selling price on your property and what you might be paying for another one, rather than focus on achieving a certain amount for your own home.  

You must also take into account the fact that interest rates may go up a little further before they begin to level off or even the most recent gains begin to be reversed.  

If you are on a fixed-rate mortgage, check whether you have to pay early redemption penalties for getting out of the mortgage ahead of the end of the fixed period if you can’t port it to a new property. If there are hefty charges to pay, it may be worth waiting until this is no longer the case or any discount you get on your property purchase may be wiped out. 

It is all very well for lenders to have their stress tests but we are finding a lot of buyers have their own stress tests – what they consider manageable, not just in terms of mortgage repayments but also in terms of their other expenditure or lifestyle. It’s worth asking yourself if you can afford a bigger mortgage on a more expensive house, for example. 

Therefore, overall it’s definitely worth investigating but go in with your eyes open and research carefully before making a decision. It may take time to find the right property but it is certainly worth considering as this could be the best opportunity for a while to move up the ladder. 

Jeremy has been principal of Jeremy Leaf & Co Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents, in Finchley, north London since March 1984. The business has grown organically to employ 22 people today and, although still run as a general practice covering sales, lettings, surveys, valuations, etc, it has become particularly synonymous with land and new homes. As a result, the business has been directly involved in the acquisition and sale of over 200 schemes in London and the Home Counties. Jeremy is also a former residential chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. 

Photo Credits: Pexels

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If you like a Peri Peri good deal, this might be one for you. So many people can get 20% off their food when eating at Nando’s, that you may not know about.

Each offer has a few restrictions, as always, but it can still make for a cheap(er) trip to get some Nando’s.

Here’s how to get a 20% off discount, and who’s eligible for the deal.

What is in the deal exactly?

There are two separate offers here – one if you’re a student, and another if you work or the NHS (in any capacity), emergency services or armed forces.

First off, Nando’s have just launched a student discount for Nando’s restaurants around the country.

To get the deal, you’ll need to add your student email address to your Nando’s rewards account online.

Once this is done, food will be 20% off during the times of 11.30am-5pm on Monday-Wednesday every week at Nando’s nationwide.

The deal only applies when dining in, and you must scan the QR code on tables or order through the app to get the deal.

It can be used on orders up to the value of £50, which equates to a maximum of £10 off.

And finally, there’s an offer if you work for the NHS, armed forces or emergency services (which includes police, fire or ambulance service).

If you head into a Nando’s and show your work ID, to prove that you work there, then you’ll get 20% off your food bill.

There’s no Blue Light Card needed – you just need some official ID, which you show to the server when ordering to get the deal

This offer is available every day of the week, at any time. This deal only works for orders up to £20 however, so the maximum discount is £4.

If you have a student and an NHS worker in the family, and the timing is right for the student deal… you’ll save more money that way.

Why should I care?

Although Nando’s is an expensive luxury, sometimes you need to treat yourself.

There are over 1 million people working for the NHS, so even if you don’t, you probably know someone who does.

If you head out for food with anyone that fits these jobs – be sure to let them know about the discount they can get.

What’s the catch?

Not everyone is going to be a student or have the jobs needed to get the offer.

Also, some of the conditions places on the offer like timing and minimum spends can be restrictive, so do make sure you can get the offer before you set off out.

What other options do I have?

There are restaurant offers galore around at this time of year, so there’s plenty to choose from if you can’t get this deal.

Until the end of January you can get any pasta dish at Bella Italia for £5, and also get a free hot drink at Café Rouge every weekday.

Where can I find out more?

Head over to the Nando’s website for instructions about the student deal.

You can also find information about the NHS, armed forces or emergency services discount on the website here.  

For more deals, visit: dealaday.

All ideas expressed in this article are for informational purposes only. If you have a complex pensions-related issue then it can be worth seeking financial advice to establish a solution. Sites such as Unbiased.co.uk list advisers who can help.

This article contains affiliate links. Affiliate links have no bearing on the editorial stance of Mouthy Money, but do help us fund our journalism and information we provide to readers.

Image courtesy of Nandos

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There’s nothing better than the reduced section or yellow sticker aisle at the supermarket – but did you know Amazon also has one?

Although you won’t be able to pick up a 10p lasagne, you can find discounts on a number of tech and homeware items – and now there’s a bonus 20% off all Amazon Warehouse items too.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What is in the deal exactly?

Amazon Warehouse is a part of Amazon’s website that sells items that were either returned partially used, opened, have a damaged box or a slightly damaged item (that’s still usable).

A whole host of items are added on here, and it can be a bit like a jumble sale. The most popular categories of items are ‘Computer & Accessories’, ‘Home & Kitchen’, ‘Electronics & Photo’ and ‘Home Improvement’ – but you can find a whole host of other items on there.

To find out the condition of an item, click on what you’re interested in buying, and it should tell you why the product is on Amazon Warehouse just under the ‘Buy Now’ button on the right hand side.

For example – an Xbox gaming headset, the ‘Hyper X’ is £47.39 on Amazon Warehouse (usually costs £59.99 brand new). In the description, it says ‘Used – Acceptable Condition’, which means there may be a few cosmetic marks on the item.

If you’re not worried about that, it’s a decent saving – and the extra 20% off deal will drop the price down further to £37.91.

The 20% off Amazon Warehouse items is a blanket sale off most items, and the discount is added at the checkout. There’s no code to enter, and it’s available until 31st December 2022.

So if there’s anything on the Amazon Warehouse that takes your fancy – you can currently get it even cheaper.

Why should I care?

If you’re looking for cheaper Christmas gifts, this could be a great way to get items at a cut down price.

It might not be easy searching for specific products, but if you’re stuck for ideas, it might give you a bit of inspiration.

It’s also a good place to keep in the back of your mind too, as there might be good deals that pop up here from time to time.

What’s the catch?

The items listed can be very hit and miss. You can find things as random as a children’s slide up to a Lenovo laptop – so you may have a little trial and error to get something that you actually needed.

The 20% off is valid on most items, but some might be exempt. Do check the listings when you click on an item you want.

What other options do I have?

If you wanted to get a bit adventurous, you can buy returns pallets from a number of different retailers – but you won’t know what’s in them until they arrive.

There may also be outlets or reduced sections of other high street retailers too. One example is Schuh Imperfects, where you can buy ex-display shoes at a discounted price.

Where can I find out more?

Head over to the Amazon Warehouse page, and see if there’s anything that is worth getting your hands on.

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

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Mouthy blogger Laura Moore looks at why you might not really be saving money this Black Friday, when you’re convinced to spend on things you don’t need.

You walk past a shop with a sale on and you think: “WOW 40% off, what a bargain, that is too good to miss!”

And you find yourself walking out of the shop with new purchases…sound familiar?

It feels like you have ‘saved’ money. But the question is, have you really? Or have you actually been reeled in through clever marketing to spend your hard-earned money? 

Let’s think about it… 

When you save your money, you are putting money aside from your pay, into a savings account and building it up over time to reach a goal. 

This is what it means to save your money. You are using the money you earn to become more financially stable, and therefore increasing your net worth. 

But when you buy an item at a discounted cost, the bottom line is that you are actually spending money. No matter how big of a discount you get. 

Let’s say you bought a new pair of shoes that were reduced from £100 to £60. This might be great value for money, but unless you were already planning on buying that item and you physically put the money you saved on the item away into your savings account; you haven’t actually saved money. 

It can be so easy to be lured into thinking we NEED stuff because they are cheaper than the original value, it makes you feel like you are winning. 

And this thinking only takes your further away from financial security and hitting your savings goals. Instead you run the risk of it pushing you to live outside of your means and spend money you had not originally intended to spend.

So how can you differentiate between making a saving vs. spending money when you don’t need to? 

Create a list of ‘need-to-buy’ items, perhaps your shoes are old and you need a new pair, or you need to buy a pair of shoes as a gift for a friend. 

When you know exactly what you need to buy, you can mentally budget how much you might feel comfortable spending on these items and shop around for the best deals – this becomes a conscious decision to spend money in alignment with your budget.

When you then find the item you need and it is discounted, you can buy the item you need at a cheaper cost, so you have made a saving – bargain!

Then, and this part is very important, put that extra money (the savings you made with the discount) directly into your savings account. 

E.g. you had planned to spend £100 on shoes, you find them for £60, you buy them at £60 and put the ‘saved’ £40 into your savings account.

If you don’t put away that money into your savings, it will only get spent elsewhere on something else so no saving was made really, it was just spent in another way.

And remember if the intention to spend that money is not already there, then a discounted item doesn’t mean you are saving, you are simply spending your money. 

Photo by Becca McHaffie on Unsplash

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When reading the news, all you see is train prices going up… but now it’s time for a story about them going down (temporarily at least).

There’s a new flash sale on selected routes which can get you around the country on the train for £1 one-way. And if you’re travelling with kids – they go for just 50p.

If you fancy riding the rails for cheap – here’s everything you need to know, and how to claim it:

What is in the deal exactly?

Right now, you can pick up tickets for £1 on Northern Rail, for routes travelling between 6 September and 20 October.

Over one million train tickets can be found at the discounted price between those dates. Tickets will be displayed on the website as £1 for adults or 50p for kids one-way.

As this is a deal from Northern Rail, all of the routes can only be found in the North. Some major transport cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield are included in the deal, but travel to places like Birmingham and London are not.

To get the deal, you’ll need to head over to the Northern Rail website and do a little bit of trial and error. You’ll see some train times you can pick up for £1, and others you can’t.

Enter in your departure and destination stations, and scroll through the times for the £1 deals. If you can’t see one, have a look on different days, or try changing the route slightly by one stop.

Some train tickets people have spotted for £1 usually cost £20+, so if you can find a cheap fare, it could mean a big saving.

Why should I care?

Getting around anywhere at the moment is expensive, whether it’s driving or taking the train.

If you can find a cheap train fare, you might be able to make a day trip out of it, taking the whole family to a new city or town for less than a tenner return.

What’s the catch?

It’s going to bit a bit hit or miss as to whether you find the £1 tickets on the route you want to take. Some have loads of availability, and others not so much.

The routes into the big cities like Manchester will have less £1 tickets, as they get booked up very quickly. Smaller Northern Rail stations will have more availability.

What other options do I have?

If you haven’t already got a railcard, you could be saving 33% every single time you travel by train.

If you’re aged between 16-25, 26-30, 60+ or you travel regularly with the same person on the train, you can get money off every ticket.

You’ll have to pay around £25 for a years railcard, but if you use it more than three times, you’ve saved money. Find out more about them here.

Where can I find out more?

The Northern Rail website has all the information you need about the deal, and you can use the search bar to look for £1 tickets.

Head over to the promotional page for full details.

Photo by Charles Forerunner on Unsplash

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Deal of the Week: rail users can save up to 33% off the price of a travel with a new digital railcard discount code from booking site Trainline.

If you’re a regular train user, then getting a railcard is a good way to save some money on your fares.

With this new, limited-time-only offer, you can save up to 33% off the price of a railcard if you buy through Trainline.

What exactly does the digital railcard discount deal offer?

Railcards normally cost £30 for one year, or £70 for three years on some cards.

However, enter the code 33YESPLEASE when you purchase a railcard on Trainline and you will get 33% off.

That’s means you save £10 on a one-year railcard and £23 if you buy for three years.

The offer can be used to get 33% off the cost of the following railcards:

• 16-17 Saver
• 16-25 Railcard
• 26-30 Railcard, Family & Friends’ Railcard
• Network Railcard
• Senior Railcard
• Two Together Railcard.

Why should I care?

Rail fares in England are to set to rise by 3.8% in March, in the biggest increase in nine years.

Therefore, if you use the train regularly and haven’t purchased a railcard yet, now might be the time to do so.

What’s the catch?

The offer runs out on February 28 and it is limited to the first 300,000 people who use the code, meaning you’ll have to move fairly fast if you want to take advantage of the offer.

The offer also excludes the Disabled Person’s Railcard and Veterans’ Railcard, as they’re not available via Trainline.

It’s also only available for digital railcards, so you’d need an Android or iOS phone or tablet to enjoy this deal. This means that this discount does not apply to physical railcards.

What other options do I have?

There’s a loophole which lets you use the 16 – 25 railcards until you turn 27, found by Money Saving Expert.

If you purchase a three-year railcard the day before your 24th birthday (or a one-year railcard before your 26th), then you can enjoy this discount way after you turn 25.

Where can I find out more?

To access the 33% discount, enter code33YESPLEASE at the checkout at Trainline.

Photo by Tomas Anton Escobar on Unsplash

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Managing your finances as an overseas student can be scary. But as Yash Raveendra found out, some smart budgeting can make a world of difference

There are many reasons to study abroad: you get to travel, learn about a new culture, improve your job prospects or maybe even to pursue niche subjects that are not available in your home country.

But there’s no doubt, moving to the UK to study was a huge step for me, particularly when it came to managing my finances. All of a sudden you are left to handle things like your rent, energy bills and, most importantly, making sure there is enough left to eat – things that your parents used to do for you.

However, while it may seem terrifying at first, it becomes much easier once you get the hang of some smart budgeting techniques. Here are some I have picked up during my time in the UK.

1. Overbudget to avoid nasty suprises

Before I travelled to the UK, I made a very detailed budget which made my move easier. I split my budget into two parts – big expenses and general expenses. Under the “big” expenses, I planned out how much money is needed for things like rent, plane tickets, tuition fees. As for ‘small’ expenses, I split it into categories like phone bill, groceries and general expenditures which include shopping!

I would recommend a small trick too – rounding up the planned expenses to the nearest zero. This will mean you’re overestimating costs slightly and will give a bit of extra leeway in case of any additional unexpected costs.

As for general expenses, I would recommend using a budget calculator to calculate how much you need to set aside. Finally, put aside some money and don’t touch it unless there is an emergency.

Many universities offer a discount if all of your tuition fees are paid upfront, so it’s a good idea to settle them up front if you can. It is good to check with your university whether this is offered as they do not necessarily advertise it widely.

2. Do your research on travel

Using websites like Skyscanner or Kayak always helps to get the best deals for travel. It pays to shop around and look for discounted fares, especially at the moment.

In terms of travelling to the city from airports, coaches are almost always much cheaper than trains. However, they do take longer so if you’re in for a long haul trip from the airport, it might be best to research on your best option.

When I arrived in the UK, I chose to fly via STA travel who gave me a very affordable quote (STA Travel have now unfortunately gone out of business because of Covid). I got a single ticket from Singapore with 40kg of luggage on Qatar Airways for about £400.

When I arrived in the UK I got a coach ticket with National Express from Manchester Airport to Sheffield. The ticket was cheap and the ride allowed me to unwind after a long journey. There was also space for my two pieces of luggage. This journey suited me but again, this differs for everyone.

3. Make use of the freebies and discounts

Part of being a student in the UK means discounts everywhere. Unidays or NUS Totum cards allows you to grab discounts at retailers and food and beverage shops. Your university will also hold freshers’ fairs where you can grab sweet discounts and countless freebies for yourself.

When it comes to travel, a 16-25 travel card can help you save on cross-country travel and if you connect it to your oyster account, you can get discounts during peak time travel in London.

Finally for entertainment, Amazon Prime offers a student deal and allows packages to be sent to your doorstep the next day for just £3.99 a month. You can also stream songs and movies with Amazon Prime video. Spotify also has a student deal and allows you to go premium for £4.99.

4. Part-time jobs are great but watch out for visa breaches

Universities recommend that students work a maximum of 16 hours a week. As an international student in the UK, you will have up to 20 hours. Do not work more than 20 hours as you can risk your visa.

There are many part-time jobs available and you can use your uni’s career advice for guidance on how to apply for these jobs.

5. Shop smart and save on mobile bills and groceries

Phone bills can be such a rip off. Many students fall for contracts and get stuck paying £30 or more for all-inclusive deals but you can always find cheaper options. Getting a pay-as-you-go SIM will help you cut the extra costs.

As for grocery shopping – meal planning and making a shopping list is crucial. It prevents you from overbuying or getting things you don’t need at all. Go to supermarkets like Aldi and Tesco for cheaper groceries instead of the more expensive ones like Waitrose and M&S.

These tips should help you squeeze out some extra money from your budget. It will take some time to get used to doing things a bit differently, but you will soon realise that little bits of extra savings will add up quite quickly. Making little changes in the way you do things will soon allow you to spend some money to treat yourself. You deserve it!

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

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