PROMOTION

Raising kids is hard, and raising them alone is even harder. That means you’re going to have high standards for your perfect car. It needs to be big enough for a growing family, have the best safety features available, be reliable and easy to maintain, easy to drive and handle and of course have kid friendly upholstery and the latest family friendly features while all at a single parent price.

By M 93 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

1. Hyundai ix35

The Hyundai ix35 is a great choice for a family car. It’s relatively cheap to buy and offers fantastic value for price. One of the best things about it is its space. The Hyundai ix35’s boot is one of the largest in its class which makes it perfect for soccer mums and dads and those with young children who need to fit in the stroller and groceries in the back. The Hyundai ix35 is easy to control, with light steering and responsive pedals. In a 2014 JD Power customer satisfaction survey, the ix35 came 23^rd out of 109 cars, and 5^th out of the 15 off-roaders in the survey. Hyundai i30 may give you a unique feature as well that may fit your lifestyle.

Tokumeigakarinoaoshima [CC0]

2. Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey is an award-winning minivan, so it’s no wonder it features on this list for the top cars for single parents. If you have a lot of messy kids, this is the car for you, with an in-built vacuum system. It’ll keep you and the kids happy on longer journeys with a rear-seat entertainment system and SiriusXM Radio. Of course, a family mini-van wouldn’t be complete without the best safety features and the Honda Odyssey doesn’t disappoint. It comes with a 5 star overall safety score from NHTSA and was recognised as a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.

TTSK.14 CC BY-SA 4.0

3. Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento, like the Honda Odyssey is perfect for larger families or single parents who frequently chauffeur their children’s friends around too. It has 3 rows of seating so perfect for larger getaways or big school drop offs. Like the Hyundai ix35 it’s relatively cheap and great value for money being just shy of $20k. If you love this pick and have a little more money to spend, you can also opt for the optional panoramic sunroof and DVD entertainment system.

Alistair Fernandez CC BY-SA 3.0

4. Buick LaCrosse

While many parents are now opting for SUVs, minivans or wagons, the humble sedan is still an excellent choice for parents on a budget and for those with smaller families. The Buick LaCrosse is just under $35k and is a lot of fun to drive with a sporty and luxurious presence. While a humble sedan, the Buick LaCrosse is still super roomy with a spacious back seat and a large enough trunk to haul sporting equipment, strollers and groceries. It also offers premium convenience features so you won’t be left wanting.

MTSRider18 CC BY-SA 3.0

5. Volkswagen Atlas

The Volkswagen Atlas is the perfect choice for larger families with a passenger capacity of 7 and a car seat capacity of 5. It has loads of legroom for your family’s comfort even in the third row and is easy to manoeuvre, handling like a much smaller car. Installing car seats is super simple with lower anchors. For those with mummy brain, you can check if your doors are locked and see where your car is parked with the Atlas Car-Net App. The standard warranty also covers 6 years or 72,000 miles – double that of many other brands.

PROMOTION

Starting a business and making it grow successfully is not an easy task that can be accomplished overnight. In fact, statistics indicate that most businesses fail within the first few years of start-up. This doesn’t only apply to fresh entrepreneurs trying their luck in business – it also applies to veterans who have seen other businesses grow.

There are a few fundamental aspects you ought to learn in order to grow a business. These include resource management, business skills, having a vision and implementing a working strategy. However, for a business to grow, you need help and support from different stakeholders such as the government, financial institutions, social media, suppliers and partners. You can also get impressive invoice factoring services with ease. Contact Key Factors if you’d like to find out more.

Here are four ways you can get help with a new business:

• Get funding

For a new business, funding may be insufficient because there are no profits as of yet. To finance your new business, you can get a loan from a bank, government or lending institutions. You can use the loan to cover expenses, reinvest in the business, keep the cash for future use, pay off employees, buy new equipment for the business or use the loan to hire new staff. However, ensure you consider the interest rate of the loan before applying for one. Some loans can overwhelm the business due to high interest rates.

• Invoice financing

This is a unique business model that allows businesses to borrow products or take on loans using money that has not yet been paid in by their customers. Invoice financing helps to improve cash flow in a business, pay salaries or reinvest the money to promote more growth. Delaney Street is a premier invoice financing company you can trust. They can help your business to pay unpaid employees and suppliers. This is an easy and convenient way to get help for your business without getting into debt if the customers are taking too long to pay for the goods or services.

• Use the internet

We are living in an age where everything is interconnected within the worldwide web. Creating a strong presence online will help your business to get an audience. It is from this audience that customers who are interested in your products and services will come from. Creating a community using social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or LinkedIn will create a sense of belonging and loyalty with your customers. The internet is a powerful and a very cost effective tool that can help your business to grow if used skillfully.  

• Hiring the right staff

Most business owners want to do everything for their business, from accounting, human resource, sales and marketing, technician and any other task related to the job. They own the vision and at times find it hard to trust it with other people. However, having one person do everything for a new business can be tiresome and overwhelming. To help your new business to grow, get the right people to do the work for you. You can outsource for tasks that are not daily business operation. Training the staff and orienting them in the business will help them to get the vision and make your business to grow.  

PROMOTION

Buying the perfect baby stroller can be easy for someone who is experienced, but could be a lot of work for a first-timer. You want to buy one that suits all your needs as well as your budget. Whether you are buying it for yourself or someone else, there are many things you need to consider first before spending your money. Whether you are buying a secondhand single stroller or looking for the best double jogging stroller, you have to ensure to check its functionality. That said, below is a guide on how to choose the perfect stroller;

Weight

When buying your first baby stroller, it is important to check the weight. Heavy strollers are perfect for bumpy terrains and good if you love jogging. They are made of high quality materials and with strong wheels. If you feel that you don’t need a heavy one, you can go for a lightweight stroller which is more portable and relatively cheaper. If you are likely going to use the stroller when in the mall, then you can buy a slim and lighter one as it will be easy to navigate a crowded area.

Folding capabilities

Are you a frequent traveler? Then you may want to find a stroller that easily folds to fit small spaces. This allows for portability and that is what you want. Also, some strollers require a little bit of work when folding, so if you will frequently have to get it in and out of the car, then ensure to get one that easily folds. If you are only likely going to use the stroller when taking walks in your neighborhood, then it may not be necessary to choose one that folds easily.

Cost

Cost is a major consideration when it comes to buying a stroller. Before setting out to go buy one, then ensure to slate a flexible budget for it. This way, you will have an easy time choosing your stroller because you have a specific amount of money you intend on spending. Also, before spending your money always ensure that your option is worth what you are spending. You can check Little Baby Gear for great strollers with ranging prices.

Your style

This may not be as important but there is no harm in choosing a stroller that suits your style. Having considered all the other important factors, you can choose one that you feel aligns with your sense of style. However, make sure that it functions to suit all your need and that of your baby as those are the most important things.

Wrap up

Choosing a stroller is not easy, and having the wrong one can be a headache especially after you start using it. That is why it is important to be keen when buying your first stroller. You want your baby to be comfortable and you also want to have an easy time while pushing it. The above things will set you at the right foot when buying your first stroller.

COLLABORATION

Teenagers can be confusing at the best of times, and as they get closer to the age where they are leaving home their taste in gifts can change dramatically. They might be starting to look towards things they may find useful for adult life rather than just cute little trinkets or luxuries. If you have an older teen who has a birthday coming up and don’t just want to give them cash, these ideas could help inspire you to think of the perfect gift.

A used car

Even if they haven’t yet passed their driving test, its always a good idea to be on the hunt for a cheap used car to get them started. Ask around with friends, family and neighbours as someone may be interested in selling but haven’t got round to advertising yet. Your teen will really appreciate this gift for years to come.

Personalised license plates

If your teen already has a car of their own that they love, why not get them a personalised license plate? They’re totally unique, fun and can be kept for years to come. You could even let them choose their own as part of the gift to make it even more personal to them. If your daughter or son doesn’t drive yet, then there are loads of different sorts of personalised gifts for her or him online.

Start them a savings account

Whether your teen is soon looking to head off to uni or rent their own place, starting them a savings account could be just the start they need. Put a little bit of money in it yourself to get them started and agree an amount with them to set aside each month to add to it for a new car, rainy day fund or even just uni nights out. After all, it’s never too early to start saving.

A camera

I know what you’re thinking – ‘what’s the point of a camera when everyone just has them on their phone?’ Well true, but there is also something very nostalgic about going back to basics with a polaroid camera and creating actual photographs that they can hold in their hand or pin to a noticeboard. Polaroid cameras are timeless and are more popular than ever at the moment. They were even voted as one of the best gifts for girls by Good Old Gifts!

Personalised champagne

If they’re turning 18, how about a bottle of personalised champagne? At Say It With Champers you can choose from a whole range of labels for different occasions and then personalise them with names, dates of births and your own messages. A really lovely keepsake and you might even get a glass yourself!

Hairdressing

Teens love to experiment with their look, but cheap box dyes and cutting hair themselves probably won’t get them the results they are after. Seal the deal on the next few years Christmas and birthday presents by paying for them to have their hair coloured and cut in a luxury salon and maintained twice a year. Lovely hair for them, no hard work present hunting for you!

PROMOTION

Winter is a great time to get outside and enjoy parks, woods, playgrounds and natural attractions (often with smaller crowds) but only if you and the kids are warm enough.

Outdoor clothing specialist Muddy Puddles has adopted the essence of the words of famous fell walker Alfred Wainwright in its motto: “There’s no such thing as bad weather only the wrong kit.” There’s a lot of truth in it too.

Even when its raining, being outside can be a great adventure providing you have all the gear to keep you warm and dry.

We all know the basics of what we and the kids need to kit us out for winter but considering a few details when you make your purchases can make all the difference.

1. A good winter coat

Obviously, our kids need a coat, but looking at the specific features of the one you buy will ensure it’s a wise purchase. You may have already learned the hard way and bought one that doesn’t quite do the job this winter. Remember now is a good time to grab a bargain on a winter coat as retailers begin to look towards the next season. Buying one that is a little roomier now means your child may even still get to use it next winter too.

A longer line coat that comes down below the waist will keep their backs warm and a fleece lining will make it extra snuggly.

Make sure the coat you choose is guaranteed to be waterproof. Coats that aren’t are really not worth it even if they’re super cheap. And a hood is an absolute must.

A dark colour and/or pattern are sensible to avoid showing every little mark and make sure it’s washable. Let’s face it, winter means mud and it’s easy for a coat to start looking grubby.

2. Waterproof all-in-one

Most of us buy a snowsuit for our babies but as kids get bigger all-in-ones become less common. Despite that, they’re a great investment.

A waterproof all-in-one can be slipped over whatever your little one is wearing to protect their regular clothes from being ruined when playing outside.

An all-in-one will also ensure kids remain warm and dry.

Waterproof trousers are a sensible alternative, especially to allow quicker action if there’s a rush for the loo! Those with braces will hold up better on tiny waists whilst still keeping kids’ backs warm. Similarly those with straps that hook under their feet provide extra protection.

A lightish weight waterproof suit or trousers mean you can layer up as necessary underneath and they’ll still be useful when the weather starts to warm up.

For skiing or really cold environments padded salopettes are a must.

3. Multiple pairs of gloves is a good idea

There’s a reason our mums used to send us to school with our gloves on a string that ran through the sleeves of our coat and across our backs – it stops them getting lost!

It can be a nightmare trying to keep track of your child’s gloves when they take them to school each day. Consider buying a few pairs of cheap gloves (perhaps even in the same style) so that when one inevitably goes missing it isn’t a disaster.

In addition, invest in a good quality, padded waterproof pair to keep at home and make sure your little one is ready to get out and enjoy the snow if we get some.

4. Make sure they like their hat

Kids are notorious for refusing to wear their hats in both summer and winter, but a good close fitting hat will keep them warm like nothing else.

Improve the chances of them be willing to wear it by letting them help to choose one they like. Consider one with ear flaps or under the chin velcro or ties to keep their whole head warm and help it stay in place. A balaclava can’t be beaten for ultimate warmth.

And remember, in our excitement at how cute they look, we all have a tendency to giggle when we see our child in their hat, but that might make them think they look silly! Is it any wonder they don’t want to wear them?

5. A fun scarf

Of course, scarves are a must for practicality and keeping the wind out, but they’re also an opportunity to brighten up an outfit and give your child a chance to express themselves.

If you’ve gone for a sensible darker tone coat, in particular, use the accessories to make your child’s outfit more fun.

6. Boots are so much warmer than shoes

A nice boot that covers the ankle provides so much more warmth than a shoe.

Good leather boots can be eye-wateringly expensive especially when, at the rate they grow, children are very likely only to wear them for one season. Do make sure your child likes the boots you choose and they fit well to ensure they’re keen to wear them and you get your money’s worth.

If you can’t stretch to a leather pair of boots consider getting a nice fluffy and comfortable  snow boot for your child to wear on the days when it’s particularly cold.

7. Wellies are a must

Even if you’ve invested in a good boot (or perhaps especially if you have) wellies are the only thing for some occasions. They’ll stop those good boots being ruined by jumping in mud and puddles.

Fleece lined wellies will offer extra comfort and some proper, nice thick welly socks will help for narrower feet. Consider a fluffy inner sole also to both provide a better fit and add some protection because whilst wellies are practical in water and mud, they’re not traditionally good at keeping feet warm.

8. A lighter waterproof coat

On the most cold of days your child will need their proper winter coat, but a lighter waterproof jacket is great for milder wet days or when they’re doing something particularly active outside.

A lighter jacket is less restrictive and you can remove layers underneath as your child starts to heat up whilst still allowing them protection from rain, snow and wind.

9. Invest in a thermal layer

A proper thermal layer is lightweight but will provide supreme warmth without bulk.

A lot of people make the mistake of wearing a light cotton layer next to the skin but it is actually likely to make you cooler.

10. A proper wool jumper is a must

There’s a reason fishermen still wear woolen jumpers – you can’t beat them for warmth.

Merino Wool is widely felt to be softer and less scratchy against the skin which will make kids more likely to be happy in it.

Inspiration to get outside

If you need some inspiration for where to take the kids this winter, try taking a look at the National Trust and Forestry Commission websites.

PROMOTION

Whether you live in a chic but compact apartment, a tiny flat or smaller-than-ideal house – you possibly battle the daily challenge of space. With small houses comes the constant struggle to keep your home looking clutter-free, which can be difficult when you consider things like storage, kids and large furniture to name a few.

You’ll undoubtedly have to make some compromises when it comes to decorating, and also your general lifestyle choices, fitting everything into your home that you need without it feeling too cramped.

If this is your current situation, then worry not: help is at hand. If you really feel the need to stretch out in your small space and give the appearance of bigger rooms, there are a few hacks that can help.

They won’t magically double your living room in size, but the tips below do offer a few changes which can make the area look and feel larger, without moving any walls! It’s all about playing around with colour, furniture arranging and knowing some secret hacks.

Let’s get your space looking less cramped…

1. Chooser Soft, Light Hues

Whereas dark, warm colours make a space feel cosy and intimate, light, cool colours make a space feel open and airy. If you want to make your house look larger, try to opt for light, neutral hues, like shades of white, yellow, and tan. You can play around with more exciting paint colours for the home too, but make sure you select them in muted shades, like soft tones of blues and greens.

2. Keep Furniture Minimum

By this, we don’t mean avoid having more than one key piece of furniture in a room, but ideally to use just a few classic, simple pieces of furniture or accessories in place of several smaller ones. The more you have, the more it would make a small space look cluttered.

A fine example of this is within the bathroom. Bathrooms are meant to look airy and spacious. To embrace the open space look, look at a clean white tradition bath which is of a small size. Bathroom retailer Bathdisc has an extensive collection online. By keeping the bath clutter free without any chunky cabinets or drawers around it gives the room a more spacious feel, appearing more calm and comfortable.

3. Consider Your Window Treatments

If you banish away any big, heavy, light-sucking curtains, you’ll notice your rooms will instantly appear bigger. And this doesn’t mean you can’t have curtains at all. If you wish to keep some form of curtains, start by swapping in floor-to-ceiling curtains with a subtle vertical stripe. The vertical stripe will suddenly make your room and window look taller.

Then, ensure you hang them from a pole that’s long enough so that they can be pulled right back past the window frame, making your window will feel wider, too.

4. Don’t Forget About The Floor

We all know that white walls reflect light and make a space feel larger. Which is why so many homes will have plain white walls. But there is another wall people forget: the floor. By picking flooring that also gives the illusion of light and space will instantly make a room feel larger.

Opting for a floor finish in a light colour is the most obvious way to go. You can either create this by striping and painting existing floorboards white or lay down a cream/white carpet or large-scale rug. Another route to go down is to choose a lime-washed look for engineered wood boards, laminate or vinyl.

If you really want to incorporate patterns, then a more interesting effect is to use diagonal lines on the floor to trick the eye into seeing the room as longer and wider than it is. A huge diagonal line rug would work wonders, or even laying floor tiles diagonally on the floor.

5. Keep Furniture Away From The Walls

While it may seem counterintuitive, moving furniture away from the walls and corners of your rooms can actually make the space look larger. Think about it: your stuff needs space!

By laying out your room with ‘floating furniture’ (furniture which doesn’t lean on any walls) even just a few inches from the wall keep corners clear and open. It also avoids piling things up in the corner of the room, on top of a chair or cabinet.

6. Look Into Clear Accessories

When it comes to making obstacles, rooms and spaces look larger to the eye, one of the key secrets is to utilise clear, see-through objects. This can mean sheer curtains, clear accent pieces, plastic clear chairs, glass-topped tables, and bathroom glass panels. By utilising anything see-through, sheer or clear, it will create the impression that a room is larger than its actual square footage.

7. Add Storage Furniture To Your Space

The worst thing you can ever do to make rooms look smaller is to fill with clutter. Clutter is the enemy of small spaces, making them look even more crammed in. Be clever with your furniture choices and choose furniture with built-in storage. Ottomans are great for bedrooms and lounges, and never underestimate the power of under-the-bed pull out drawers!

Look at large coffee tables which come in block shapes, where they have built-in drawers. The more you keep an eye out for furniture which has hidden storage, the more you’ll see it everywhere.

Follow the design tricks above, and watch your space seem larger in no time.

PROMOTION

Being a single parent is synonymous with being an expert juggling act in terms of time, resources and even finances. With a high percentage of the 1.7 million single-parent families in the UK grappling with the costs of raising children, being smart with their limited income is one of the best things they can do. When most people think of smart money management, they consider ways to save to money as a first step, and rightfully so. One of the first places you should be looking at is your kitchen. According to Money Service Advice, more than 50% of a household’s spend goes on food, housing and fuel, and recreation. So whether you’re a parent looking to save a house deposit or tackle your debt, here are a few ways you can be financially savvy in the kitchen.

Ditch The Branded

One of the top mistakes families are making is buying branded. Many of the supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco all have their own branded ranges with alternatives to many items, ranging from dairy to pasta, and if you take a second to compare against branded products, the ingredients and nutrition are exactly the same. In a few cases, the supermarket brand can actually prove to be better for you and your family’s health, with lower sugar content or caloric value. One example is the cost of a 500g branded pack of spaghetti, costing approximately £1.00, while the supermarket savers range offers a pack at the cost of £0.20, offering a saving of 80%. Even if multibuy offers are utilised at 2 packs for £1.50 compared to the equivalent £0.40, you are still saving a significant amount. So when you do head out to do the food shop, take a minute to consider the own brand alternatives on the shelves.

Use Your Appliances Smartly

The average gas and electricity bill for UK households stood at £1,137 annually, according to market regulator Ofgem. With an estimated 24% rise in energy costs last year, many customers are now finding themselves in debit with their suppliers and having their financial record affected due to late or default payments. Considering your household payments, this means that your energy spend is right up there with your council tax bill, mortgage, and car finance payments. In the kitchen, the UK uses more energy boiling their kettles than when using their ovens. Kettles account for approximately 6% of the electricity use in British homes, and 40% of us boil them at least five times a day.

We are also using more water than we need and wasting much of it each day. Fill only what you need, and time your use to align with when you will actually use the water while hot. Another great tip is to switch off your kitchen appliances when not in use. While microwave ovens are energy efficient, they are still using some energy when idle. By not leaving them in standby, you could be saving around £40 annually.

Employ DIY In The Kitchen

Continuing with the water and energy conservation theme, get into the DIY spirit while in the kitchen. When it comes to dishes, opt to do the washing up yourself rather than using a dishwasher. For prepping ingredients and vegetables, get familiar with a cutting board and carve out 30 mins in your week to cut and prep your fruits and vegetables for the week. Not only does this remove the need for processors and dishwashers, but it also reduces your food spend. Pre-cut ingredients carry a higher markup in the supermarkets to account for the convenience.

Go Shopping In Your Freezer Once A Week

Families toss out millions of tonnes of food, including leftovers, every year. In fact, cooked leftovers were fourth on the list of most wasted food by consumers. Hotpoint estimated that we are wasting 8% of our weekly shop every week. That comes to over £270 in perfectly edible food every year. While more consumers are turning to their freezers for long term food storage, we are still making the mistake of not using up what we put in there in the first place before we head out shopping or order a takeaway. Set a day each week to go through your freezer leftovers and get creative making a meal out of it. If you favour batch cooking, this is even easier, as its simply a matter of defrosting the meals.

Most of these changes take minimal effort, and with practice, can easily become a part of your daily routine. With all the savings you can make, think of what you can do for your family’s future.

PROMOTION

There’s no hiding from the fact that buying a car is REALLY  expensive. In fact, it’s probably one of the biggest financial outlays you’ll make this year. Or next. Buying a new car has so many benefits though, not least having a decent car warranty to cover you should anything go wrong.

A new car warranty normally covers your car for any faults that occur within a certain period, the length of which varies depending on the make of car and terms of the warranty. It doesn’t cover general wear and tear but nonetheless can still be extremely valuable should anything go wrong with your car that wouldn’t normally be expected to. This would usually includes parts that are defective due to poor workmanship or a manufacturer error.

But how do you afford it?

Unfortunately, not many of us have a big enough pile of cash just lying around to buy our car outright, although you may get some money by selling your car for cash or by trading in your existing car if you have one. You might be surprised at what you can get for it, even if it’s not in great condition, so it’s worth getting a damaged car valuation.

Ultimately though you may have to turn to finance to help fund our purchase. Herein lies the problem: if you’ve got a bad credit rating or have no credit history at all, you may struggle to borrow what you need. So what can you do when not having a car simply isn’t an option?

Rebuild your credit score

It may take time, but with some patience and a little ‘know-how’, it is possible to improve your credit score.

When companies are deciding whether or not to lend you money, they are essentially using your past financial behaviour to predict how you are likely to behave in the future. This is why it can be hard to get finance with both a poor credit history AND if you have no credit history at all.

In order to prove that you’re going to be a responsible borrower, you need to build up a history of responsible financial behaviour. It may sound a bit ‘chicken and egg’ but it is possible.

Credit rebuild cards or short-term finance

You could take out a credit rebuild card (basically a credit card for those with bad credit), then spend a little on it every month. Only spend what you would have spent anyway. Then pay it off in full to avoid paying any interest.

Normally, all other things being equal, your credit rating should start to improve after around 6 months.

Alternatively, short-term loans can be used in a similar way. Just like credit rebuild cards, taking out short term finance may help you to rebuild your credit rating. However, bear in mind that when you take out a loan, you will have to pay interest and maybe extra charges on it, so always read the small print.

Lenders specialising in bad credit

If you need to buy a car urgently and do not have the time to improve your credit rating, there are lenders who specialise in providing loans to people who have a poor credit rating. Often, you will end up paying more interest on these loans, so they could end up costing you more.

Make sure you only borrow what you can afford to repay

If you are going to take out any kind of finance, whether it be a credit card or a loan, make sure you only borrow what you can comfortably afford to pay back.

Buying a car if you have a poor credit rating, or no credit history at all, is difficult but not impossible. There are loan providers who lend to people with bad credit. Rebuilding your credit rating should improve your likelihood of being accepted for finance when you need it and give you more options when it comes to choosing a loan that’s right for you.

I had a look at her website and tried to stick to the style but let me know if anything needs changing.