Friday, January 14th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
There are benefits from giving up smoking. Not least the prospect of better health if you quit cigarettes and stop smoking but what I want to mention today is how giving up smoking can be a great financial investment.
Smokers feel rather battered and bruised these days. Having to stand outside in the cold to have a cigarette and being seen as somehow dirty has not been a good experience for smokers.
No wonder then that many have tried to give up. It may be a restriction on personal freedom but we have to be practical and smoking is almost more trouble than it is worth these days.
One think smokers have that non-smokers do not is the potential to invest the money they are used to spending on cigarettes and put that money to better use and improve their lives and the lives of their children.
A regular smoker spending around £5 per day is spending £35 every week on smoke. That is £140 per month or £1680 every year. Most of us would enjoy having another £1600 of disposable income each year especially if it means we no longer need to stand out in the cold and rain having a cigarette.
If you quit smoking and invest that extra money each year you may live longer and have a better pension to enjoy when you are older and less well off or you can enjoy an extra holiday each year.
How you spend the money is entirely up to you but investing the money you currently spend on cigarettes into something more tangible or more enjoyable makes good sense from every point of view.
Why smoke when you can enjoy a better life if you quit and invest the money? You know it makes sense.
Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
The ISA tax free savings accounts are limited by rules that specify how much you can invest and this has been set at £7,200 but that will be changing from 6th October 2009 for anyone who will be aged 50 or more by the 5th April 2010 and from the 6th April 2010 for everyone else.
From the 6th October 2009 anyone who is 50 or older by 5th April 2010 will be allowed to invest up to £10,200 in either fully in a stocks and shares ISA account or 50% in a cash ISA and the remainder in a stocks and shares ISA.
If you currently hold an ISA account and you will meet the criteria you should speak to your ISA provider and if you do not hold an ISA there are plenty of eager providers to be found with a quick search online.
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Interest rates for savers are fairly disappointing right now and things don’t look as though they will change very much anytime soon so, if you have a small pot of money looking for a home you might like to consider investing in some premium bonds.
You don’t get any interest at all but the money is guaranteed safe, you might get a nice little win and any winnings are tax free. National Savings And Investments have increased the winnings pot by around 50% giving more opportunities for your premium bond to win a prize.
The odds of winning any prize have improved from October onwards from around 36,000 to one to a much better 24,000 to one. It is estimated there will be around 1.79 million prizes awarded in October 2009 with the prizes ranging from one £1,000,000 prize through to 1,683,024 prizes of £25.
You can read more about the background and workings of premium bonds and the official site is here NSandI
