| |
| |
|
Personal Finance Information |
|
|
|
The Changing Shape of Family Finances
Super-mums It seems that the proof of maternal efforts is no longer found in the pudding ? it's in the spending. Women are increasingly outsourcing personal grooming tasks and the pressure of looking good, feeling healthy, maintaining a tight ship and IQ level has meant that housecleaning and gardening are again fashionable methods to promote the family brand; housewifery is now a career, with all the attitude of 21st century post-feminism. It emerged in a recent BBC report, that a new type of parent was surfacing?.the "manager mum". Manager mums tend to use the internet to save time on tasks and streamline activity, using the Web to undertake jobs such as grocery shopping or banking. Once they've got their partner, it doesn't seem women can relax about their appearances, with women in relationships spending more on their appearance than their single counterparts. UK housewives spend a massive £5 billion on 'keeping up appearances', in terms of gardening, home furnishings and personal grooming, according to a study by Virgin Money Credit Cards. UK women are splurging out an average of £3,488 each on personal appearance and their home and garden. Of the £3,488, 47% is spent on the home and garden, whilst the remainder goes on clothes, haircuts, beauty products and treatments. The pressure to look good may be a factor in women being labelled as the worst savers, as reported by Guardian Unlimited. In an annual study by IFA Promotion, 63% of the women who stated that they were unable to put aside further savings, admitted to spending their spare cash on costly and unnecessary luxuries, whilst 28% of women get themselves into debt with expensive purchases. Women apparently seem to be content with spending up to 75% of disposable income and saving less than 20%, in contrast to men who save over 25% of their income and invest 8%. Peter Pan fathers Whilst fathers are not physically getting any younger, there is evidence that their mental age may be falling. The BBC recently reported that a new type of dad had emerged - the "gadget dad", whilst in November last year, the Guardian reported that men were significantly delaying fatherhood. In a study by Panlogic, "gadget dads" love technology and have all the latest tech toys, from Sky TV to a car navigation system. Perhaps this love of tech toys is also the reason inhibiting men from diverting funds to babies. According to the Guardian, 81% of men admitted that financial fears would make them postpone having children and if current trends continue, the average age of men becoming fathers will rise to 40 by 2065. Virgin Money Life Insurance also reported in their studies that new fathers were waiting longer to start families and that UK fathers are working the longest hours in Europe. Savvy kids A recent investigation by Halifax found a positive attitude towards saving is increasing amongst children. Whilst in 1998, a third of children saved more than they spent; now that figure is over fifty percent. The bank discovered that most children are prepared to save for an expensive item, though parents of younger children faced more of a struggle, as 22% of seven to eleven year olds pestered their way towards getting what they wanted. Piggy banks, it would seem, may become sentimental souvenirs, as more children save their money in a bank or building society. This trend of 'keeping up appearances' seems to induce individualistic behaviour in families, reducing co-operation on financial issues. This erodes family values in society and discourages future generations from investing in children. Without the motivation to invest in sustainable communities or even a sustainable standard of living, (currently supported by £1.1 trillion of debt), the issue of successful management of family finance remains trivial. Additional information: Useful brochures & fact sheets from http://www.unbiased.co.uk/website/brochures/ Family finance information: http://www.moneynet.co.uk/ Rachel writes for Cashzilla, a personal finance blog. Through Cashzilla, she expresses her frustration on financial matters and explores her alter-ego as a fictitious, money-wise dinosaur. If anyone is interested in this article or can offer professional counselling, please visit http://cashzilla.blogspot.com/ Cashzilla is an Aries. He has a flamboyant character and a tongue that could heat up any conversation. If Cashzilla was an A-Team character, he'd be Murdock. In the words of Cashzilla, "I'm hairy, scary and lairy."
MORE RESOURCES:
Personal-Finance - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Knowing Me, Knowing You: Why ID Protection Plans Are Flawed For Fraud ID theft is a major consumer concern, though there is apparently much confusion about proactive protection initiatives and apparently safe and unsafe spending behaviour. For example, many consumers remain reluctant about shopping online, but they may still give out personal details over the phone in a cold call, or they may have redundant or dormant accounts and financial products which are susceptible to fraud. Grocery Savings - Your Kitchen is a Goldmine! Your food budget is the most flexible area of your household budget. Grocery savings will free up a significant amount of money if you need to balance the budget, or fund your savings accounts. A Quck Lesson in Saving Money Did you have a piggy bank when you were a child? I did. Mine sat empty for a long time until my mother convinced me that I should really start putting my pennies and nickels into it in order to save my money for when I was older and wanted to buy something. Roth IRA Contributions - IRS Rules Confused about whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA? Try using these simple rules:IncomeTo contribute to a Roth IRA, you must have compensation (e.g. Money Matters - Really! One of the biggest challenges facing black RELATIONSHIPS today are finances. Many people mistakenly feel that money does NOT matter. Save Money Off Your Home Utility Bills Many don't realize that our basic utility bills provide the perfect money saving opportunity for practically every household!Especially with today's energy crisis so prevalent throughout many of the states, you've probably heard this term - conservation.Guess what, conservation really means "using less". Budgeting the Key to being Financially Stable Single Mother's in need of Financial GuidanceBudgeting is key to being financially stable. A budget is a systematic plan for the expenditure of a usually fixed resource, such as money or time, during a given period. 10 Steps To Improve Your Financial Situation Here are ten steps you can follow to help improve your personal financial situation and inevitably save more money:1. Pay Yourself WeeklyThis may seem a bit odd, but this is an excellent way to start building a substantial savings. Honor Those Who Serve with Checking Account Supplies Our global society has had a wake up call in the last five years regarding our safety. But there are those in our communities that fight to keep us safe from day to day. What's New in Checking - From Designs to Photos Just about everyone has a checking account. Checks present easy ways to make payments and they have simply become a way of life. Eight Ways To Sink Yourself Financially 1. Don't focus on your finances. Identity Theft - More Tips on How it Can Be Avoided Recent security breaches at several credit card companies continue to worry Americans, as stolen financial information can lead to identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone obtains your Social Security number and/or other vital information and uses it to pose as you. Budgeting: A Tough Love Way to Handle Your Household Budget Developing and living by a household budget is by far the best way to get your expenses under control which, in turn, can mean a much less stressful life.However, many families find it very difficult to stick to a budget. How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft Identity theft is a serious crime that continues to grow. If you become a victim of identity theft, you may spend months, or years, trying to repair the damage. Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Account? If you have a 401(k) account, it can be very tempting to borrow from your account especially when your balance is very high and a loan could easily pay off existing debt, fund a home purchase, or pay for college tuition. Before you make the decision to borrow money, there are several things you must keep in mind to avoid risking your funds. How to Save Money in a Grocery Store Now there are ways to save money in the grocery store, and they may or may not take much effort on your part to learn some great ways to save money. Your greater savings can often be found in the perishable departments of a grocery store. Bank On It: Places to Hide and Invest Money Today I passed a thermometer at a bank that read 110 degrees, but I am not telling you that to show you how hot it was. I am telling you that because this bank really needs to fix their thermometer. How to Draw a Personal Budget that Works Many people spend their little income haphazardly without any planning and end up getting broke before month-end. They then borrow to make ends meet and end up with more problems that they fail to repay their debts promptly. The Magic Of Compound Interest Christians are called to be good stewards of God's resources. A steward can be described as someone who manages the resources of another. I Want to Buy a Home - Now What? If you were to ask 100 women "What would you like to achieve financially?" Buying a home or apartment is usually one of the answers. Some women think that they can never own a home - which is not true! In fact, there are so many success stories of home buyers who never thought they would get there.
|
| home | site map | Privacy Policy |
| © 2006 |
