Master your subscription game with my top tips
Taken advantage of a free trial just before Christmas? You could get a nasty surprise when you next check your banking app... It has long been a bugbear of the Young…
The real, youth-driven answer to Britain’s retail decline
As restaurants close & local shops get taxed out of business, we need a shot in the arm for young enterprise to stop Amazon & Netflix destroying our towns Iona…
Rachel Varey, Business Manager at One World Shop in Edinburgh which has just moved to a new site beneath St Johns Church, Princes St
Dreaming of an ethical Christmas
IONA BAIN Ethical shopping is growing at more than three times the rate of general retail spending, and local shopping is fighting back against online. So says the annual report…
The seven deadly sins of money & how to keep them in check
Iona Bain We're not necessarily the righteous or censorious kind here on the Young Money Blog. But as we approach Halloween, we thought "hey, why don't we jump on the ridiculous…
How to deal with social pressures to spend
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2014 FULLY UPDATED: 2017 Iona Bain Picture the scene: it’s Friday night and your friends want to go out to a bar or a fancy new restaurant. But…
What we REALLY should be teaching our children
Iona Bain Not that long ago, I contributed to a TV documentary about money issues for young people. When asked to talk about budgeting, I suggested that children should speak to…
The ultimate cupboard beauty haul – save £s & look FIERCE
Iona Bain Over the weekend, all I wanted to do was indulge in a bit of me-time. Last week, I was filming a mini money-saving series for STV up in Stirling…
Have we reached peak iPhone? Why mobile contracts are in decline
Iona Bain It is estimated that four out of five people in the UK now own a smartphone. But of course, we could have guessed that, couldn't we? You can't go…
How to get a smart deal on your smartphone
FULLY UPDATED: 2017 Iona Bain A lacklustre smartphone market?! A booming trade in second-hand phones?! A move towards sim only deals? These are words I never thought I'd write on…
Slash your food costs with these 8 super-smart tips
Iona Bain Relentless pressure on the pound is pushing up shopping bills for families, with inflation climbing to 1.8 per cent. Food prices are being hiked for the first time…
Why are girls more “moral” consumers than boys?
Iona Bain Another month, another timely reminder of the moral facets of our finances that we can all so easily forget - but are nonetheless there if we choose to examine…
Don’t believe the Blue Monday propaganda
Iona Bain Plunged into a pit of doom and despair, just because it happens to be just another Monday in January? Don't be. I know it's grey, wet and what we Scots like…
Don’t get X-maxed this Black Friday!
Iona Bain X-MAXED: (adjective) The unwelcome state where your credit card is maxed out after buying Christmas presents for everyone on Black Friday. Typical use: "OMG, I've got totes X-maxed…
Don’t get caught out by subscription traps
Iona Bain If you took advantage of a promotional offer over Christmas and new year, you could get a nasty surprise when you next check your bank statement. Angry consumers…
Shopping addiction is no laughing matter
Iona Bain An article in the Times today caught my eye - but then how could it fail to? It was entitled "Help, I can't stop shopping! How impulse shopping…
Are banks exploiting loopholes to reject PPI complaints?
Iona Bain Thousands of PPI complaints on old store cards may have been rejected too hastily. But shoppers can get the compensation they deserve thanks to a secret hack. Shoppers…
Rachel Varey, Business Manager at One World Shop in Edinburgh which has just moved to a new site beneath St Johns Church, Princes St
How will charities spend your Christmas donations?
Iona Bain This Christmas, more than a quarter of Scots will spread some festive joy by giving to charity. But how do they know if their donations will make a…
Black Friday bargain hunters – and Amazon shoppers – beware!
Iona Bain Shoppers hoping to grab a bargain in this months’s Black Friday sales need to be on their mettle for distorted discounts and the growing dominance of shopping giant…
BOOK VERDICT: The making of the high street
BOOK REVIEW by MATT BAIN HIGH STREET HEROES – THE STORY OF BRITISH RETAIL IN 50 PEOPLE By John Timpson Published by Icon Books £12.99 John Timpson, chairman of the…
Save money on your shopping with these tips and tricks
Iona Bain Money talks, but all it ever says is goodbye. So goes the American proverb, which sums up many people’s relationship with their finances. Most of us are great…
Credit Cards – The Simple Facts
Laura Evans There I was, raising a bread stick to my mouth, when my friend mentioned to me that her credit card is on 37% APR. “It’s on what rate?!”…
The £1000 shopping spree that takes 20 YEARS to pay off: the truth about store cards
Iona Bain Strapped for cash but determined to grab that must-have item? The first instinct is to whip out the credit card but many retailers would like you to consider…
Food for thought: how to stop waste in Food Bank Britain
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a "heritage" blog. That means we haven't updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
Fight the New Year debt hangover with our advice
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a "heritage" blog. That means we haven't updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
Is Lady Gaga and the like taking young fans for a ride?
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a "heritage" blog. That means we haven't updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
Quick tip – how to save bundles on your hairbuns
Iona Bain If you're in need of simple hair accessories (kirby grips, hairbands etc), it is tempting to pile these into your basket the next time you're in a major…
Traidcraft; how to shop ethically AND get good value for money
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a “heritage” blog. That means we haven’t updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
Should Vouchercloud have offered a discount on online gambling?
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a “heritage” blog. That means we haven’t updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
My Christmas Manifesto PART TWO: The easiest ways to be ethical and charitable this year
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a "heritage" blog. That means we haven't updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
My Christmas Manifesto: how to have a cheap, charitable and absolutely fantastic time this year
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a "heritage" blog. That means we haven't updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
