Personal Finance Blog / Money Saving Blog << eComparison UK

Manicures for the Entire Family

Sarah Evans — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:33:22 +0000

I just finished giving myself a quick manicure. I am not sure why but every time I finish, I think of something I have to do right away. Of course, the polish isn’t dry and the whole thing gets all messed up. Then I end up redoing everything all over again.

Manicures aren’t just for girls or women. I know men who sometimes get manicures, particularly if they are going to be in a position where everyone is staring at them. Grooms commonly get manicures. Men with troublesome skin, skin that often cracks and bleeds due to weather or activities at work, do well to get manicures and the pampering of the hands that goes along with it.

There are many places that are dedicated to manicures and pedicures while some salons incorporate all of the services into one location. Some sites may offer discounts and coupons if one brings in children or other family members. Isn’t it worth a try?

If you’re like me and can’t get to a salon every time I need a manicure, you may want to look into purchasing your own manicure set. Surprisingly, you can get a good manicure set for very little money. Just be sure to keep the set clean as germs and bacteria can settle onto the tools. Standard household rubbing alcohol works just fine to keep things clean.

If you’re looking for sites to guide you along the way, you may want to try: Beautique.com and The Beauty Room.

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Manicures for the Entire Family

Gifts for the Garden

Sarah Evans — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:57:06 +0000

I was in a shop today and came across the garden section that had cute little statues to place around in flower beds and the like. I am not much of a cute little statue person, rather, I would prefer something quite unusual and maybe even bordering on bizarre like a scrap metal sculpture or strange looking rocks. Although I do have to say that the collection of frogs made me grin.

I don’t know what it is about frogs. It’s not just that they are cute. There is just something really comical about a frog dressed in strange costumes. They always make me laugh.

In addition to the frogs, I also looked at flowers, flower boxes, and other paraphernalia for the garden. I know it isn’t time quite yet but I am ready to get out there and plant things and play in the dirt. I love all kinds of flowers. Now I just have to find a way to put them into the ground and then not kill them straight away (as I usually do). I think perhaps some expert advice is required to stop the untimely deaths of my garden plants. While I’m at it, I just might have to go and find some frogs.

If you are looking in the same direction for all things garden, you may want to check out the sites in our retail directory. Here are just a few to get you started:

Home and Garden Gifts

Garden Chic

Garden Bliss

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Gifts for the Garden

Need Help with Education?

Sarah Evans — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:38:26 +0000

I don’t think anyone can overstress the need for a good education if one wants to succeed in life. It doesn’t matter what kind of education, necessarily. It could be a university degree, apprenticeship, on the job training, or whatever. It’s just that a skill set is important to compete in a difficult world.

One of the things I do on a regular basis is to write lesson plans and study guide for middle school literature and English teachers. It’s a great job, a lot of fun, and I get to marry my work to my great love of books. The guides help teachers with lessons and also give guidelines to the students to better understand the written material. The guides are not meant to be used as “cheats” of course. There are similar sites to the one I am talking about, ones that are geared toward higher education. Sites like Coursework.info offer insight into essays and other materials that could be of great help to the student who might otherwise struggle with a certain type of material. My former students often found this type of work very helpful when the language of the book proved to be too difficult or confusing.

There are many other sites that are devoted to education as well, including Whizz Education and NCC Home Learning. With at home learning on the rise, for secondary and university students, these resources are becoming more important than ever. And like I always say, work smart, not hard.

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Need Help with Education?

Do You Have Bathroom Remodelling Woes?

Sarah Evans — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:09:46 +0000

Last night I had drinks at the pub with a friend who had somehow gotten himself involved in helping a friend remodel two bathrooms at another friend’s restaurant. I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad except that they had to work at night to keep the restaurant open. Anyone who has ever remodelled a loo knows how difficult it can be. Doing it under such time and budget constraints is even worse.

Once upon a time, I had the attitude of “how hard can it be?” when it came to remodelling my bathroom at home. After all, it is typically the smallest room in the house, right? While that is true, it is also the most difficult. It is the most difficult to paint, to install new fixtures, and basically anything else one might have in mind. I cannot think that a larger, public bathroom could be much easier. In fact, after hearing my mate’s tales of woe, I am quite sure it is not easier at all.

While I certainly cannot add more hours into the day for anyone so unfortunate to be locked into such a project, I can help with the other obstacle, which is saving money. We have lots of sites to help with lovely items at a reasonable price. I know that after I finished my own bathroom, I swore I would never do it again. You will most likely feel the same way. Look here to make sure you get what you want the first time:

Big Bathroom Shop

UK Bathroom Store

Better Bathrooms

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Do You Have Bathroom Remodelling Woes?

Allergies and How to Deal with Them

Sarah Evans — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:37:22 +0000

I can’t say that I am an expert in many areas but when it comes to allergies, I know more than my fair share. I have had allergies all my life. Sometimes they were so debilitating that I could not get out of bed or could not breathe. I would not wish those things on anyone.

In the simplest sense, allergies are typically broken into two categories: environmental and food. Environmental allergies are the ones that are treated with shots, etc. The doctor will simply tell you to stay away from the foods that make you sick. But it’s not as easy as it sounds, particularly if one of those foods is soy or nuts or legumes or wheat. Those are especially difficult to avoid as many packaging a processing plants handle many types of foods so that an item that contains no peanuts for example, may be tainted because peanuts were used in a similar product using the same machines or in close proximity.

I am grateful that my allergies, as horrible as they can be, are not life threatening. I may not like getting stung by a bee but it will not kill me. Foods are the same way.

If you suspect you have any kind of allergies, you should get tested. After all, symptoms of allergies can be very strange from muscle cramps to fatigue, migraines, digestive issues, etc. The tests are relatively simple and painless. Places like YorkTest can point out the problem and put you on the path to a healthier life!

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Allergies and How to Deal with Them

Need a New Car Loan?

Sarah Evans — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:01:03 +0000

Every spring I look at my car and try to decide if this is the year I will buy a new one. I really don’t need a new car. In fact, I like mine quite a lot. It’s just that when I am driving by car dealerships and see all the pretty new cars on the lot, it is hard to look away. I like shiny. I like new. My car is great but it is neither of those things.

Before I get carried away, I quickly remind myself of two things. First of all, there would need to be a car loan. Car loans are usually fairly easy to get as a car acts as collateral for the loan. With the economy attempting to make a comeback, bank rates are better than they were and lending policies have loosened up a bit. I also think about car insurance. I automatically think that if I get a newer car, my insurance rates will go up. But is that really true?

After looking around, I discovered that it may or may not be true, depending on the make, model and year of the new car, plus the level of coverage. With so many plans out there now, it is easy enough to find a decent level of insurance without having to sell off your mum’s antique tea service. Shop around. There are insurances for all ages and all budgets. Meanwhile I’ll be browsing at new car brochures – just in case.

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Need a New Car Loan?

What is Organic?

Sarah Evans — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:29:16 +0000

There are many companies out there advertising “Organic” products though few seem to know what that truly means. I am a label reader by nature. It started with food because of allergies and eventually spread to other things. Now I take more notice than ever of what is supposed to be organic. By definition, anything organic must be grown and or manufactured using only natural ingredients: no pesticides, chemicals, etc. I am sure there are exceptions but for all intents and purposes here, that is how I see it. If that is the case, then how can some companies get away with selling decidedly UNorganic foods and products? To be perfectly honest, I haven’t a clue.

Tonight I went to the market to pick up a few things. With the “new” organic movement, there are so many brands that have appeared, how can one know which is good? My advice is to actually go to Your Health Food Store and ask questions. Ask a lot of questions. Most people in the market will not know. For example, what can you do if you simply have to have chocolate but refuse to eat all those chemicals? You might want to try Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate.

It is also wise to visit a dedicated store or website when looking for organic vitamins and supplements as many products on the shelf may contain unhealthy chemicals. Isn’t buying bottles full of chemicals exactly the opposite of what you are trying to do?

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

What is Organic?

Ready for Fishing Season?

Sarah Evans — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:36:25 +0000

Today I was reading a book about a man who decided to take a boat around the world, despite the fact that it kept sinking. I haven’t finished the book but I think I read where it actually sank eight times. I am not sure why the man kept trying to sail it other than the fact that he was obviously incredibly stubborn.

Part of the story takes place in Newfoundland. The author talks about how people from Britain and Ireland were among the groups of Europeans that settled in the fishing villages along the Atlantic coast to make better lives for themselves and their families.

Needless to say, all of that talk about ships, sailors and fishing led me to think about the people I know who like to spend time out on the ocean or in bays and inlets searching for fish. It’s not quite the same, I know but no matter where one fishes, one needs gear, no?

I do know the type of things people need to outfit themselves for being in the water or trying to get the fish out of the water. No matter how complete your tackle box is, there are always extra items you want or need to start off a new season, such as waders or new Wellies, lures, a pole, waterproof gear, etc.

Before you go out this season, are you prepared? Take a look here to make sure and maybe you’ll even see something you didn’t know you needed until now:

Lathams Fishing

Sea Fishing Supplies

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Ready for Fishing Season?

Recruiters are on Your Side

Sarah Evans — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:30:22 +0000

Recruiters and recruitment websites and services can be invaluable when you are out looking for a new job. At one time, many were one size fits all which made it difficult. For example, if you were an IT person, you would be put in a pile with all other IT people whether you were a webmaster, designer or programmer. There were few, if any distinctions. Now there are more choices and filters to use in order to find the right job or perhaps have the right job find you. In these difficult economic times, we can all use the extra help. If you are looking for a job and are tired of doing it the old fashioned way, try some of the recruitment websites such as Career Engineer, CareerBuilder or Monster.

What brought about the change in the way recruitment is being handled? I can’t speak from firsthand knowledge since I have never been directly involved in hiring more than a couple of people at a time. If I had to guess, I would say that people want to hire quickly and have as much information as possible up front. I used to think that interviewing and hiring people would give me some sense of power, that it would be fun to be on the other side of the interview table. Believe me, it’s not fun. It’s tiresome, time consuming and often frustrating. Screening applicants through an online process is easier all around and overall, more successful.

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Recruiters are on Your Side

Wine for all Seasons

Sarah Evans — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:40:39 +0000

This is a difficult time of year for many things. While we are still in winter, it is natural to want to dive into spring and all it has to offer. I have noticed over the years that with each season change, my choice in food and wine changes. For example, winter foods include soups, porridge and like foods; summer foods are lighter, like salads and other cold entrees. The only thing is that with such changeable foods, how is it possible to choose the right wine? I am not a wine connoisseur or a sommelier but I do know what I do like and don’t like. For me, a light Reisling is especially good in the summer but most certainly welcome at my house any time of the year. I might want a cabernet sauvignon in the winter but it may be too heavy for summer fare. What is a girl to do?

The easy answer is to find a wine that compliments your usual foods and stick with it. The other choice, and probably the best one, is to have a small collection of wines that are interchangeable throughout the seasons. These might include a full bodied red, a light dessert wine, or a crisp chardonnay. If you can’t go to a wine bar or find a place that offers tastings, such as a vineyard, you may want to try our online sites to make some choices. With discount prices, you can buy more for less, eliminating the cost of buying at retail. I’m interested to know what you find here:

Majestic Wine

Winesgift4U

Wine Hound

Personal Finance & Money Saving Blog

Wine for all Seasons