Every year in the UK, there’s a special week called Talk Money Week. It’s all about making it easy for people to talk about money. Talking about money can be hard, but during this week, everyone is encouraged to have open conversations about their finances.
Talk Money Week happens in November, and lots of different groups and schools join in. They organize events and workshops to help people learn about things like saving, budgeting, and understanding credit (which is like how you borrow money).
The goal of Talk Money Week is to make talking about money normal and not something to be shy about. Many people feel awkward discussing money, but it’s important because it helps us make good choices. By talking openly, we can learn how to save money, plan for the future, and deal with debts.
When we talk about money, we can make better decisions, and that’s what Talk Money Week is all about. It helps everyone, from families to individuals, be smarter about their finances and be ready for whatever comes their way.
To find out what’s happening in Leeds during Talk Money Week and other local organisations that can help you with your finances, visit…
Better Leeds Communities: a charity that aims to improve employability, support families and reduce child poverty in Leeds. https://betterleeds.org.uk/
Citizens Advice Leeds: https://citizensadviceleeds.org.uk/
Money Buddies: provides face to face, online and telephone help and advice on financial wellbeing, debt, budgeting and benefits. https://moneybuddies.org.uk/
St Vincents Leeds: provide help to people who are struggling financially, without employment, education and community support in Leeds. https://svp.org.uk/stvincentsleeds
Every year in the UK, there’s a special week called Talk Money Week. It’s all about making it easy for people to talk about money. Talking about money can be hard, but during this week, everyone is encouraged to have open conversations about their finances.
Talk Money Week happens in November, and lots of different groups and schools join in. They organize events and workshops to help people learn about things like saving, budgeting, and understanding credit (which is like how you borrow money).
The goal of Talk Money Week is to make talking about money normal and not something to be shy about. Many people feel awkward discussing money, but it’s important because it helps us make good choices. By talking openly, we can learn how to save money, plan for the future, and deal with debts.
When we talk about money, we can make better decisions, and that’s what Talk Money Week is all about. It helps everyone, from families to individuals, be smarter about their finances and be ready for whatever comes their way.
To find out what’s happening in Wakefield during Talk Money Week and other local organisations that can help you with your finances, visit…
Wakefield Citizens Advice – Citizens Advice Wakefield District offers free, confidential, impartial advice to anyone who lives in the Wakefield Metropolitan District. https://wakefielddistrictcab.co.uk/
Money Smart – Money Smart is a free Council service to help you become smarter at managing your money and making the most of your income. https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/housing/saving-energy/money-smart/
Cashwise – Cash Wise support is available to all WDH tenants and also any family with children aged under 12 living in the Wakefield district.
Every year in the UK, there’s a special week called Talk Money Week. It’s all about making it easy for people to talk about money. Talking about money can be hard, but during this week, everyone is encouraged to have open conversations about their finances.
Talk Money Week happens in November, and lots of different groups and schools join in. They organize events and workshops to help people learn about things like saving, budgeting, and understanding credit (which is like how you borrow money).
The goal of Talk Money Week is to make talking about money normal and not something to be shy about. Many people feel awkward discussing money, but it’s important because it helps us make good choices. By talking openly, we can learn how to save money, plan for the future, and deal with debts.
When we talk about money, we can make better decisions, and that’s what Talk Money Week is all about. It helps everyone, from families to individuals, be smarter about their finances and be ready for whatever comes their way.
To find out what’s happening in Barking & Dagenham during Talk Money Week and other local organisations that can help you with your finances, visit…
BD Money: is the council’s website dedicated to making it easier for you to manage your money. https://bdmoney.co.uk/
BD Money will be holding a pop-up at Barking Station on Thursday 9 November from 0930 – 1500, together with Citizens Advice, Debt Free Advice and the Homes & Money hub, so come and have a chat with us about anything money related.
Energy Advice London: support Londoners through the cost of living crisis by providing free advice for households on how to save energy, access financial support and manage their energy and heating bills. https://energyadvice.london/
International Credit Union Day
International Credit Union Day (ICU Day) takes place annually on the third Thursday of October, with the next installment scheduled for October 19th. First established in 1948, ICU Day’s aim is to make more people aware of the work carried out by credit unions around the world and the benefits they deliver.
But when, where and why was the first credit union established? And what do credit unions really do? Let’s take a look.
What is a credit union?
A credit union is essentially a bank which is controlled by its members and operates on a not-for-profit basis. This means that, unlike commercial banks which are either privately owned or publicly traded, credit unions typically offer their members lower rates on loans, fewer – and lower – fees and higher annual percentage yields on their savings products.
Like commercial banks, credit unions offer financial services to its customers, such as access to loans, savings accounts and expert advice. Credit unions vary in size and can have anything from a handful of members to hundreds of thousands of them. There are more than 230 million credit union members worldwide, with approximately 1.3 million in the UK alone.
How did they first come about?
The first credit union – known as The Household Association – was founded in Slovakia in 1845 to provide cheap loans to its members.
By 1859, more than 200 credit unions had opened up across Germany and, by 1888, they’d spread right across Europe, to countries including England, Italy, France and the Netherlands.
What about Leeds Credit Union?
We were established in Leeds in 1987 as the Leeds Council Employees Credit Union, where we offered savings and loans to local authority staff. We opened our doors to everyone living or working in the local authority area in 1997.
Leeds Credit Union has four branches across Leeds and also operates across Wakefield, an area we’ve covered since 2014. Our services are also available to individuals living or working in Harrogate and Craven and more recently, the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, as well as staff of certain other employers and housing associations.
Since 2009, we’ve been one of the UK’s largest credit unions, helping more than 37,000 members, by offering lower interest rates than many other lenders – we’ve saved our members millions of pounds over the years.
Why are credit unions so popular?
There are lots of reasons but some of the most common are:
Credit unions are also often more willing than banks to help you if you have a low credit score or are temporarily out of work.
This ensures nobody is encouraged to take out a loan with unaffordable repayment rates and everybody who needs support can access it.
Furthermore, members’ savings are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), meaning that if anything DID happen to your credit union, your money would be safe and your finances would remain intact.
Join LCU today
At Leeds Credit Union, we’re committed to helping our members become as financially stable as possible. To find out if you’re eligible to join, click here.
We all know how expensive Christmas can be, so it’s no wonder the ever-increasing number of sales on offer in November and December are so popular.
Another annual tradition that is often overlooked by shoppers still counting the cost of Christmas is the January 2023 sales. Deciding to hit the sales again so soon after Black Friday may seem excessive but, with plenty of discounts on offer on a wide range of products, braving the January sales can actually be an extremely worthwhile move.
With many retailers’ sales beginning on December 30th, it’s a good idea to start preparing now to give yourself the best chance of picking up a bargain. Here’s our best advice on getting yourself ready.
Hitting the shops in person during any national sales event is usually something of a scrum, with the best deals often only available in very limited quantities and likely to be snapped up by hardcore shoppers who are prepared to start queuing outside in the middle of the night.
To increase your chances of getting your hands on the best deals and reduce your chances of making costly impulse buys you later regret, do your shopping online.
The best way to keep abreast of the best online offers is to sign up to your favourite retailers’ newsletters. This will enable you to get a better handle on what discounts are being offered and which specific items are going cheap.
Knowing exactly what’s available, when, at what price and from which vendors before the sales officially launch will give you an advantage over other shoppers and help you get the things you want in your basket before they sell out.
A common mistake when shopping the sales is buying something you don’t need just because it’s got 70% off. This may sound obvious but it’s easy to get suckered in, regardless of how sensible a shopper you think you are.
Unless it’s a product you actually need at a price within your budget, walk away. Remember, an item reduced to £300 still costs £300, so the golden rule is: look at the price, not the reduction!
Yes, shopping is supposed to be fun but making a budget before you start is the most effective way of ensuring you don’t overspend and find yourself going into your overdraft or maxing out your credit cards.
Once you’ve established how much you’re willing to spend and able to afford, it’s important to be strict with yourself and stick to your budget. Making one then ignoring it isn’t going to help anybody except the retailer.
As well as adhering to the points above, make a list of things you want and don’t stray from it – this will stop you browsing other shops and websites and being tempted by products you don’t actually need.
And remember: exercising self-control is critical if you’re going to make a success of your January sales shopping.
If you approach the sales sensibly, you can usually find things you need at bargain prices, saving yourself significant amounts of money. So, as long as you can trust yourself not to get carried away – happy shopping!
If Christmas ended up costing you more than you anticipated, our small loans of £250 could be just what you need to help you take back control of your finances. For more information, click here.