When I was not blogging, I was writing some ebooks. I might tell all about it in one of my future posts. While writing my ebooks and talking to other writers in the Kindle Direct Publishing community, I made a few friends . One of them is Ian Davies, a writer from the United Kindom. This is his guest post about his latest ebook on austerity.
Hi, my name is Ian Davies and I live in the UK. As a credit analyst, my career effectively involved making decisions about what others could afford and either allowing them to make a purchase or refusing permission. The basics of this can be used within the domestic budget, and I feel it is something in life we should all try to do on a personal level when deciding whether to buy that luxury item or not.
Having now brought up a family, which as many reading this will know, includes those decisions about what your child needs and whether you can make the money stretch to cover things they want as against the things they need, but at the same time not wanted to feel they are missing out.
In order to allow some of those luxuries (wants) there are often things that can be done to make the money go a little further. But in reality of these days, it can be the things they need which you have to now plan for as wages become stagnent and prices rise.
Over here, in the UK, we are, as many around the world are, gripped in our governments desire for austerity in an effort as they tell us, to reduce our country’s debt. This effectively is a restriction on increases in income running alongside ever increasing fuel, food and general living costs.
However, there are a few things we can all do, not just for this current period, but if taken as a long term view, can prove very beneficial in the long term to the individual. The idea to put together a few basic house-keeping self- help facts came about from talking with people face to face on a daily basis, and coming to realize that so many had not thought of some of these, and in fact were unaware of some of the possibilities that could assist them to help themselves.
Many of the suggestions are valid to most people, not just those residing in the UK, and many of these ideas have been tried and tested by myself as you may read within this self help guide. For example: using alternative fuels so far has meant a big saving in my house. There is the initial cost of putting in a wood burner of course, but the cleaner option of burning wood instead of using gas has over the past few years saved me over 34% of my annual winter gas units usage which at todays prices has been a big saving. Considering the past two winters were said to be the coldest we have had in the UK for many years, it was good to feel warm for a lower price, and that woodburner paid for itself within three years. I would dred to think what the bill would otherwise have been.
As you will read this is not a ‘cure all’, but every person may find at least one thing that they could use to help make their life just a little easier.
Trying to save money? (austerity today)
UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005S1XH7Y
USA http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005S1XH7Y
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Congratulations on the book. As a former credit analyst I can appreciate your perspective and think it applies perfectly well to personal finance. I wish we could save 34% on our winter heating costs, this is a major expense for us.
Hunter @ Financially Consumed recently posted..Money Coach Brings Out Your Best
Thank you, this particular saving was mainly due to the instalation of a wood burner. OK so that needs fule which has a cost, but that cost is far lower than the gas units it saved. If I balanced the two I can safely estimate the saving overall for the year is in excess of 29% and if the increases over the year for the cost of gas units is factored in then I would estimate the actual financial saving was in excess of 35%.If you have not already doen so, and assuming it is possible for you, take a look at wall insulation too. people do not realize this is a major loss of heat from within your home after the obvious loss through the roof..
Interesting, I can understand the 30% savings, but I always thought that natural gas burns cleaner than wood?
Either way, from a frugal perspective, burning wood from a cost/savings perspective is the clear winner.
Congratulations on your ebooks!!
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Sounds like a neat book. Thanks for sharing and congrats on publishing it. I think you have some really good frugal tips to share that would be easy for any family to implement. We have been trying to save money on our heating costs too since we live in Canada- so far we are getting better a bit each year.
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To Miss T, apologies for not keeping up here and thank you for your comments.
the books seems to tick over ok in the UK at least!
I think that as things are more people are having to start thinking on their feet to do what they can for themselves.
much like my grandmother, having lived through the second world war with all the shortages there were at that time, she continued to live her life with the ‘make do and mend’ attitude even though she no longer needed to in her later years.
I feel that more people living through these tough times today will continue in that way of thinking even if/when things do improve in the years ahead.
Hopefully those who have purchased the book will keep it for the better times also, just to remind themselves that they may still be able to do more to make their lives more financially secure and less wasteful.
Thank you for your interest.
Ian.
Ian recently posted..Three Steps To Heaven by Pam Howes currently free for two days. Grab it while it…
clean/green based on heat/waste product. Woodburners are very green in this respect. A lot of questions can be answered via this link for those who may wish to have a look, ok it is a UK site but much of the information is widely accepted.
Energy Saving Trust – Energy Efficiency & Energy Conservation to combat Climate Change.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Ian recently posted..Price fixed gas/electric till 2013. And gas use for past 12 months down 60% desp…
Many subjects are covered in this guide, and should it prompt you to adopt just one of the measures explained within it then you would immediately recoup the few pennies this guide costs…and it is only pennies. It’s a win win situation. Want more food for your money? want to save on phone bills? car insurance and running costs? Check it out.
Ian recently posted..As the UK government has without warning changed the feed in tariff rates for so…
For thise interested the index links in this guide are as follows:
THE WATER BILL
THE PHONE BILL
GROW YOUR OWN
SHOPPING
REDUCED ITEMS
VEGETABLES
MILK
MORE AMBITIOUS
CAVITY WALL INSULATION
CREDIT AND STORE CARDS
THE CAR
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[...] I foound out that my English friend, Ian Davies, whom you have already met in his post Austerity Today, visited the USSR back in a day, I got very excited. I wanted to hear all about his experience and [...]
That’s a great article. I would like to say thanks for telling us your thoughts. I will for sure bookmark your page.
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Thank you Mirabel, would appreciate if you ‘like’ the facebook page, there are lots of free books being posted there recently and adding a like will keep you upto date with these as they happen as well as other money saving tips
Ian recently posted..Three Steps To Heaven by Pam Howes currently free for two days. Grab it while it…