Snippets: The Gunpowder Plot

Finance

Money on my mind... the Martin Lewis column

He’s the UK’s leading money saving expert - a journalist and presenter who has kept millions of pounds in people’s pockets as well as lifting the lid on the threats and dangers we need to be aware of as consumers.

In this month’s column, Martin Lewis looks at the emotions we all attach to money, and how easy it is to let our worries guide us. Someone asked me the other day what it was that terrifi ed me most in life, and my fi rst thought was to pull out a large sheet of paper and get scribbling any number of possible options. I wouldn’t describe myself necessarily as one of life’s worriers, but by the same token I do like to take a cautious and protective approach to my family, my fi nances and myself. And for the most part I think that’s pretty much the same for all of us.

To return back to the question, I think what has worried me most in the past is mental health – to keep hold of that strand of sanity we seek to protect at all times; the ability to be able to function in a society that invites pressure in from all sides.

I have had some battles with mental health in the past, and have spoken about these at length – so I won’t bore you with them again now – but when your mental health is good then all the other challenges and trials in your life seem approachable, and offer the suggestion that you can win the battles that confront you. Unfortunately, the link between mental health and money is arguably the most tacit of them all – both affect and impact each other. Their cyclical nature means that when we are worried about bills it affects our own ability to focus and work, and that then further impacts wellbeing.

The opposite is true in reverse – good mental health means a positive, optimistic, creative frame of mind that can, in the right circumstances lead us to work more effi ciently, achieve more and earn more.

Yet the assumption that people with money are stress-free, and those on the breadline are shredded with worry, is also wrong.

When I sold my website, MoneySavingExpert, it’s fair to say I had enough in reserve not to worry about bills; yet as an advocate for fairness, for affordability and as someone who wants to protect consumers and the vulnerable, I’ve never once stepped away from the coalface, nor would I want to.

I feel a deep responsibility to people who have put their trust in me over the years, and never have those feelings intensifi ed more than to the level we are at now, where I feel there is so much wrong with the system and with the way people have been treated.

We continue to sit on the precipice of a real emergency, and I am one of millions who fears for the welfare of the average person in the street who has invested so much into this country. This isn’t about the rich, the poor, the middle-class – it’s just about people.

Do I believe we will emerge out of this crisis? Of course. Yet lessons have to be learned so that we don’t end up here again… for the sake of our communities, DO YOU NEED FINANCIAL ADVICE? our families, and our own mental health.

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Bag Printing

Mix three pastel colours in acrylic (lemon, pink, light blue) using white paint to make it light. Have a clean sheet of A4 paper ready and an A5 clear plastic bag. On one side of your plastic bag paint shapes ad patterns on it using your mixed colours. You will have to be quick as acrylics dry fast. Add water to your brush if paints are drying. While it’s wet press the image on top of your clean A4 paper. Use your hands or a roller to create a transfer onto your paper. Then gently peel off your plastic. If you have bubble wrap paint on top of it and press it down onto your paper to create another transfer. Once its dry you can paint on top of your textured background or you can paint an outline in black of your picture and transfer it to your paper.

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Winter Escapes

Looking for a diff erent place to escape to this New Year? Why not explore these unique winter getaways?

REYKJAVIK

Despite the fact we can all picture Reykjavik – its architecture, its traditions, its people – visitor numbers are surprisingly low, with 1.3 million people venturing to the Iceland capital in 2021 – that’s 20 times lower than London or Paris.

Most would have taken in the beach at Vesturbær that offers spectacular sunsets, as well as views of the mountains; some may have timed their trip to catch the New Year fi reworks from a three-tier ship; while others of a mind for fi ne dining would have taken in the city’s range of impeccable restaurants.

In addition, Perlan (The Pearl) hosts a huge gala dinner at which you will be invited to dress to impress.

What’s more, party animals can be safe in the knowledge that Icelanders know how to celebrate, and bars in the centre are all located close to each other.

VIENNA

The Viennese love New Year and their celebrations are unrivalled, so timing a visit to coincide with the start of 2023 could be just the ticket.

Once the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, the Pummerin bell of St Stephen’s Cathedral chimes.

Shortly afterwards, the city’s favourite song commences, and as Blue Danube echoes through the streets, thousands in attendance start to waltz along walkways and pavement.

Resplendence and celebration echoes in a swarm of fi reworks, as Vienna immerses itself in romance, in a way that few other cities can.

And if you’ve still got enough energy the following day, the city’s State Opera House hosts its annual New Year’s concert.

Otherwise, relax with a piece of famous Sacher cake in one of Vienna’s many striking coffeehouses.

LUXEMBOURG CITY

Luxembourg City offers the ability to slink away into quiet alleyways where, amongst cool bars and cosy restaurants, you can revel in the architecture and style of a city whose fortifi ed medieval old town tells a thousand stories.

The city is surrounded by breath-taking scenery, from farms to woodland to valleys to slopes. It means you can sample the buzz of city nightlife before switching to the rural calm of the countryside.

Perhaps combine the two by setting off on a journey of mindfulness in taking in Chemin de la Corniche. This is an illuminated walkway on the side of the Bock fortress, offering incredible views over the Alzette Valley, plus the Grund district, so renowned for its cultural and architectural heritage.

In addition, there is a Winter Lights Festival between November and the fi rst week of January, with ice skating available at the Place Guillaume II town square.