Manage Your Finances With Ease: The Basic Bank Account

If you have had money worries in the past, you know that it can be hard to get a bank account and enjoy life when you’ve got a bit of a record.

Getting what you want out of life without a bank account is near impossible - nowhere for wages to be paid into, nowhere to cash cheques, nowhere to pay household bills like rent from and no cash card to use in-store or online.

Trying to run a modern life without a bank account adds stress that you just don’t need.

Unfortunately, the current economic climate means that it can be a bit harder for most people to manage their money these days. Sometimes this can leave you without a bank account.

The kicker is that this is an issue a lot of people have to deal with, it isn't just those who have experienced financial difficulty that find banks less than easy to deal with.

Anyone on a low wage or managing on a shoe string budget may have experienced problems with their bank. If you accidentally go overdrawn even once, or miscalculate how much money you had left in your account, the chances are that you will be slapped with a painful fine, which could be as much as £30. And this isn't a one-off charge; you could receive more than one in every month, if you repeat the misdemeanor.

This of course doesn't help anything as it leaves you with even less money than you started with, leaving you needing a way to keep tighter control of your money. Enter the basic bank account.

The Basic Bank Account

The basic bank account is pretty much what it says on the tin, a basic account. It’s a place to simply put your money.  No overdraft, no credit card, just an account and a cash card. It’s a great way to make sure you only spend the money you have and don’t run up any more bills.

It doesn’t matter your credit history, you will qualify. It can be restrictive when it comes to certain types of spending, but this means you can more closely watch your budget. Most banks won’t advertise that they have this option; it can lose them money; this is why you need to ask for it yourself.

However before you start watching your money more closely you might want a little piece of mind, you might want to start getting some bills paid off.

Get Everything in Order

In this case it might be a good idea to get them paid off; why not take out a short loan. This means you can cover the bills and give yourself a little breathing room to take advantage of the basic bank account.

There really is a loan for everyone out there. You just need to find it. This is where AK Management comes in. AK is a service which you can use to find the loan that’s best for you. Simple make contact and a member of the team will ask you about what you need. Then they’ll let you know which loan is best for you.

A basic bank account is a great way to keep your money in order; take advantage today and watch your bills become so much easier to deal with.

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Does the Cost of Fruit Send You Bananas?

Everyone knows that they need to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, but with the price of food rising quicker than inflation, crafting a healthy dinner can be a real drain on the bank balance.

Consumer watchdog Which? agrees with the British public and in recent years criticised some of the pricing practices employed by supermarkets, which make it difficult to tell whether pre-packaged or loose fruit is cheaper.

With household budgets stretched to breaking point all over the country, shoppers are on the lookout for a bargain, in order to save money and live more comfortable lives, but according to Which? it is difficult to know how to get the best price.

In supermarkets, we often have the choice of buying fruit either loose, packed in bags or in punnets, or sometimes peeled, sliced or served in chunks. But the differences in the way that the supermarket breaks down the cost of each item, makes it impossible without the use of equations, to tell which is the cheapest purchase to make.

A punnet of plums in ASDA was one of the examples given by Which? A 400g punnet would cost a shopper £2.50 per kilogram, yet a punnet of six was priced at 25p per plum. Do you know how much a single plum weighs…?

Which? has highlighted the difficulties facing thrifty shoppers who are trying to make their pennies go as far as possible. Legislation means supermarkets must display a breakdown of the price. They get out of this though because it does not stipulate how this must be calculated. This means shops are free to use whatever unit prices they please, just to make it harder for all of us.

Shops are also not required to display a unit price when they are offering special deals, such as 'buy one get one free'. This can make it very challenging to work out whether the special offer is cheaper than buying an alternative brand.

The British Retail Consortium has denied the claims made by Which? and said that in some cases, the number in the pack matters more than how much it weighs.

However, according to the report from Which? it is the inability to compare the goods on a like-by-like basis which is at the heart of the problem.

Food inflation has caused problems in many households, with the cost of feeding a family increasing sharply. In some cases parents are even going without meals in order to feed their children, whilst others have had to cut corners just to meet the cost of bills.

Spend and Eat!

This really isn’t the way to go about getting your bills paid off; we all need to eat fruit and veg to stay healthy and live long lives. Why not try taking out a loan to ease money worries instead?

The great thing is that you won’t need a big loan for this, just a bit to cover your costs and ease your mind a bit. Loads of providers offer small loans at great repayment rates and great interest rates. However it isn’t always easy to find the best deal.

If you don’t know where to begin looking, let AK Management, a loan matchmaker, do the heavy lifting for you. Give us a call, talk to a professional on our team who’ll run through with you what you need and your circumstances. Then they’ll point out which loan is right for you. Nice and easy!

Don’t let a few bills take away from you the great feeling you get when you’ve eaten some fruit and veg. In this world we need to make sure we stay healthy, and that we enjoy it too!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. For other hints and tips from AK Management, why not visit our sister site Here.

How can Over 50’s Keep Working and Keep Earning?

Despite these being your golden years, figures show that a large number of over 50’s workers are swamping the market, snapping up jobs such as cleaning, property development and taxi driving, in an effort to ease the financial worries that carry on through their golden years.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the number of workers over state pension age is now twice the level recorded in 1993. Furthermore this research found that the number of older people still working rising faster than the population as a whole.

It’s a far cry from the previous generation. However the new trend for over 50’s is to restructure their job, either reducing their hours or starting up a new endeavour. Self-employment is particularly popular.

Put Your Wisdom and Lease on Life to Good Use

It makes sense for over 50’s to branch out on their own and become self-employed, or engage in some other independent venture. After all, if you want to be successful when striking out on your own, you have to have experience. No age group has the wisdom and experience as those in their golden years.

Furthermore, whilst extra costs play a part in the decision to keep working, some sources have suggested that improving health is also a fundamental factor. Many older workers are in far better health than in the past, a large number feel that pension age is simply too young to retire.

How Can You Make This Transition?

So you’ve got the experience and you want to keep working .It’s the best time of your life. How can you make sure that it’s not a drain on your finances?

Firstly, don’t dip into your pension. It will seem tempting; after all you’ve spent years earning all this money, why shouldn’t you use it? Because you need a safety net. You are going to retire eventually, don’t play around with your retirement funds.

Also, you need to do your research. Striking out on your own is no easy feat. You may have the experience but you don’t know everything. Make sure you do all the research, speak to all the experts. That way you are sure to make money, rather than lose it.

Also, make sure you have a good amount of cash to make the venture a success. Branching out on your own costs, you need money to make money. If you’re not in the position to provide the cash yourself, why not try a business loan?

How Can You Find a Business Loan?

These days there are so many loan providers out there ready and waiting to provide you with a business loan. It’s all about picking what’s best for you.

Make sure you can afford to pay all the money back comfortably. This means you should look for a loan with a healthy interest rate and a reasonable repayment plan. If you don’t know where to begin looking, why not get a little help.

AK Management is a company there to help you find the right loan for your circumstances. All you have to do is get in touch, speak with a member of the AK team. They’ll run you through a few questions on you, your circumstances and what you need. Then they’ll find the loan that’s best for you.

Your golden years may be years that these days you need to keep working, but they’re also the years you get the chance to brave it on your own. Take this chance to make sure they really are the best years of your life!

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AK Management: Smarter Shopping

We've all done it at times; shuffled down to the nearest supermarket rather than making a detour to the shop with the best deals.

But with many households still struggling to balance their income and bills and food which have risen more quickly than inflation, it's important to make the right decision when it comes to shopping.

Many people shop at a supermarket simply because it's the one they have always shopped at, never questioning whether it really offers value for money. But taking a closer look at how much things cost, can bring home some uncomfortable truths. Avoid the more expensive items and cut back on costs.

Another means of cutting back on the price of shopping without skimping on your favourite foods is to consider purchasing frozen goods.

Frozen food is often viewed as lesser in some way and more like convenience meals. However, a recent study by nutritionists found that even high end items such as prawns contained the same whether they were purchased frozen or chilled. With the price of meat being particularly hit by inflation, frozen food is a good way to reduce the cost without having to compromise.

How often have you gone shopping and ended up with a trolley load of items that you weren't planning on buying and don't really need? If this sounds like you, internet shopping might be another way of saving some money.

Most supermarkets charge a small fee for delivering your items but offsetting this against the price of the petrol you would use and the extra money you would spend, it could still work out cheaper.

In addition, for the first few shops you could find that you get it for free as different supermarkets frequently offer to waive the delivery charge for the first order.

The other advantage to home shopping is that you have more time to check out the best bargains without any pressures of time or children playing havoc in the aisles. This will give you more time to compare prices between different brands and, potentially, even different shops!

But no article on being a savvier shopper would be complete without a mention of the latest craze: couponing. Some people claim they can save literally hundreds of pounds!

Couponing can be a great way to save some money, but it's important to keep an eye on what you need to spend in order to get the discount. If, for example, you need to buy 10 tins of dog food to qualify for a free packet of breakfast cereal - and you don't own a dog - you could end up worse off.

Get more money

If these handy tips and tricks don’t cover the shopping bill, why not try increasing the amount of cash you have to put towards it. Why not look at taking out a loan?

You can get some fantastically reasonable loans that boast great interest rates and steady repayment plans that won’t stretch your budget too thin. However the market has so many options out there, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start.

This is why you should seek out a little helping hand. AK Management specialises in matching you to the loan that best fits your circumstances. All you need to do is get in touch and a member of the team will ask you a few questions to determine which loan is right for you.

With a bit of careful planning, it is possible to radically cut your shopping bill without having to go on a starvation diet. There are lots of different ways to save money and leave a bit more in your pocket, making household budgeting a little easier and less of a juggling act.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. For other hints and tips from AK Management, why not visit our sister site Here.

Creative Ways to Make a Little Cash

Most people could do with a bit of extra cash, but lack either the opportunity or the circumstances to make this a reality. Luckily, there are a number of other tricks you can use to stretch your budget and make a little extra cash.

1) Earn money while you shop

If you shop online, why not enjoy a bit of cash back every time you spend money. Rather than visiting sites directly, clicking through a link before you make your purchases could mean you earn up to 10% of what you spend.

2) Apps that earn you cash

If browsing through the high street is more your thing, you can still earn money simply for visiting certain shops. There is an app for both Android and the iPhone, which allows you to register a visit to a retailer, crediting you with up to 50p in the process. With many retailers a part of the scheme, you could earn cash without spending a penny!

3) Sell your unwanted goods

Whilst car boot sales and selling on eBay are great ways to earn money for things you don't want, it takes time and effort and there is no guarantee you will find a buyer. An alternative to getting rid of your old CDs, DVDs and books is selling them back to online sites such as Amazon and Music Magpie. You probably won't get quite as much as selling privately, but you will be able to flog your things immediately and get your hands on the money pronto.

4) Take out a Loan

Sometimes it’s a case of needing more to cover the shortfall than you can get your hands on. This is why loans exist. There are so many loan options out there these days that you’ll be able to find the right one for you. Make sure you get one with reasonable repayments plans and attractive interest rates.

Sometimes seeking out professional help is the way to go. AK Management is a company who you can turn to, and they will find the right loan or you. Simply get in touch, speak to a member of the AK team, let them know about you, your circumstances and how much you need and they’ll find the best loan for you. 

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. For other hints and tips from AK Management, why not visit our sister site Here.