The Spoon Drawer

Towards the end of 2012, all of the big six energy companies announced price rises of between 6% and 10.8%.Yet because earnings just haven’t kept up with the rising cost of living, to many people it will feel as if wages are £1,600 lower than back in 2009. To help soften the blow, it’s important to check that the cheapest power tariff has been chosen. What’s more, opting to pay by Direct Debit can also shave a little off the bill, as companies often give a discount if the customer pays in this highly efficient way. Perhaps surprisingly, the best Direct Debit service currently available in the UK isn’t from a bank – it’s offered by the Cashplus prepaid MasterCard . This prepaid card’s Direct Debit service is so special because unlike with banks, there’s absolutely no penalty fee to pay if the payment bounces. There are also free alerts if it looks likely that a Direct Debit is likely to be rejected due to insufficient funds in the account, giving time for the customer to top up

I speak from experience when I say that finding a house at University is never easy. During my time of study I went through all the usual mishaps of sharing a house in a University city. Mold, mushrooms growing through the bathroom floor, rats and mice and mountains of washing up that went ignored for weeks on end until it started to develop and become aware if own existence. Despite all of this, I can categorically say that it was the best time in my entire life. All of the above situations are part of the learning curve when it comes to finding your own place and being a student. Because being a student isn’t just about getting your name called out on stage and picking up a degree after three or four years’ worth of hard work. It’s about all the other things that you learn outside of the lecture room. How to get along with your peers, how to look after your own finances, how to live without your parents and of course, how to drink your own body weight in intoxicating liquor