Before you can begin deciding how to invest your money or how to run a business, you need to be sure that you have the underlying numeracy skills required to make the right decisions. While we spend many hours of our younger lives learning different elements of mathematics, we can still sometimes struggle with the basics.

This is nothing to be ashamed off, as more people than you think could do with a little helping hand with their maths. So if you’re looking to start managing your finances better, here is how you can improve your numeracy skills.

Take Your Time

It’s important to not stress yourself out when learning any new skill, and this includes numeracy. Everyone has their own pace that they find it comfortable to learn at, and you should not try to compare yourself to others.

Rushing through calculations can also lead to making silly mistakes that you would not have made had you spent a little bit more time and care on the question or calculation. 

Believe in Yourself & Don’t Let Mistakes Put You Off

We all make mistakes. This doesn’t reduce our ability level, it just means we are human. Mistakes provide you with opportunities to improve your learning, and you should treat them as such. If you believe in yourself, nothing will be able to stop you. 

Playing Games

Playing games is a proven way to help people learn subjects in a fun and interactive way. For improving your numeracy skills, learners have many choices of famous games that can help them learn to add and subtract without it being too taxing. Classic games like snooker and darts are fun to play with friends, and give you different sets of numbers you need to add up.

For example, in snooker, each colored ball is worth a different amount, so you must add these together as you pot them. In darts, each section of the board is worth a different amount of points. There are then also double and triple score zones which can help you practicing multiplication without it getting too daunting. If you find you aren’t very good at playing, you can still watch dart games either in person or on TV. Looking at darts betting odds can also help you to get a better understanding of probabilities and fractions. This will help to give you an understanding of which fractions hold a higher value, as they can be counter intuitive to regular, whole numbers. It will also help you to use the odds to calculate the probabilities of different outcomes of a darts match.  

If you prefer your entertainment to be a little more sedate, then you still have options. Games like Scrabble and Monopoly can be fun ways to practice basic addition, subtraction and multiplication. If you’d rather play games alone, then there are mobile app versions of these games. You could also try your hand at puzzles like Sudoku. Sudoku requires you to work with numbers, reasoning and logic to fit the numbers 1-9 in the correct order of a grid. 

Use Numbers in Real Life

Numbers exist all around you, so there is always an opportunity to practice your skills. For example, while you’re doing your grocery shopping you can add up the cost of your bill every time you put something in your basket. Then you can see how close you were at the cashier.

Chunk, Partition, and Grid

For decades people were taught long division and multiplication methods to do calculations by hand. These have been replaced by newer methods of teaching, and can make it easier for people who are not as naturally gifted with numbers.

One of these tools is the grid multiplication method which allows you to break (or partition) larger numbers down into their constituent parts (or chunks) to make it easier to calculate. For example, you can work out 19 x 5 like this.

You then add up the numbers 50 and 45 to get your final answer: 95. This method can be used for larger numbers. You just need to add more columns and/or rows to your grid. 

In Summary

There’s no need to feel daunted by numbers. You just need to find methods and tools that work for you. Don’t let mistakes get you down, and remember to believe in yourself. If you make your learning fun by playing games, and break complex maths problems down using the grid method, nothing can stop you.

Thinking of travelling to London and want to see as much of the city’s sights and sounds as possible? You may have received a job posting that requires you to regularly commute to the city. Either way, everyone wants to know how to make their money go further. The modes of transport you choose determine whether your trip to London will remain within budget—therefore it’s essential to pick the right one for your needs.

There are various modes of transport to get around the city; each has its pros and cons when it comes to costs, travel duration and comfort—to mention but a few.  These are some of the best pro-tips on how to get around London in 2020.

1. Cycle Around the City Carbon-Free

Do you love to cycle? If yes, then this great city has a splendid bicycle rental program named Boris Bikes after the city’s previous mayor, and current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. These bikes dot every corner of London, with the program’s docking stations conveniently placed all over the city. To hire a bike for yourself, all one needs is to identify their nearest docking station, pay for the bike via credit or debit card, and return it to the nearest docking station once you arrive at your destination. Accordingly, you can easily travel from point A to B within the city, conveniently, and affordably, while also keeping fit, and contributing more to a greener earth, by hiring a Boris Bike. Safety should always be your foremost priority, though, so always stick to the designated bike lanes and familiarize yourself with the rules that come with road usage.

1. Book Coach or Train Tickets in Advance

Early birds will always stand to benefit and it is no different with London’s public transport system. To this end, booking your ticket for the train or coach in advance ensures you can secure the services cheaply when you travel to the city eventually. It is often possible to book the service up to three months prior to the travel date, but bargains are available for travellers that book the services even days or weeks before their travel date.

To get the best deals, however, one needs to have access to extensive information on the city’s public transport networks, including pricing, routes, travel times, and scheduled stops. With Omio, commuters can access all this information and more, in real time. The service allows subscribers to view transport information for air, road and rail services operating within the city. Once you identify a suitable option that suits your transportation needs at your specified date, you can proceed to book your ticket from the Omio platform with just a few clicks which is one of the best international travel apps.

• Ride a London Double-Decker Bus

You’ll know of it even before you get to London for the first time. The double decker bus is one of the most iconic pieces of London, and it’s also one of the cheaper modes of transport within the city with a single bus trip costing some £1.50, while an all-day pass charges £4.50. The buses run a service regularly from Zone 1 to 6, to allow you travel across the city with ease. However, you need to be sure to get on the right bus, and follow the correct time schedule. By using Omio, you will receive access to all this information before hand, to enable you commute smoothly all over London without ever missing a bus due to wrongful schedule information. You can also pay for the bus ticket well in advance with Omio, or pay directly using your travel day card, London’s Oyster card, or a regular debit card. Please note though that buses in London do not accept cash these days.

1. Walk

You heard right, if you’ve got nothing but time, walking to your destination is actually an option you need to consider. Not long ago, Walking was the most common mode of transport for the masses. What’s more, there are designated pedestrian paths all through London’s central business district meant to facilitate the walking masses so why not?

By getting your walking shoes on, you’ll get to take in the tourist attractions doted all over London without any rush, meet the people, get lost in all the amazing experiences that the city has to offer, and actually get to use a map for the right reason; find you way back after getting lost. Just be sure you are not in a hurry to reach your destination, and that the distances involved are achievable.

1. Use a Travel Card

If you plan to travel extensively through London, getting a travel card is advised for its much more economical compared to paying for your travels on a per-trip basis via debit card. There are two main card options to choose from while in London, namely: The Day Travelcard, and The London Oyster Card. These cards are both readily available at corner shops and underground stations all through the city. Their use also extends to all public transport means except air travel. By using either card, a commuter will automatically benefit from benefits such as free rides, discounted rates, lower fares and daily and weekly fare caps. These cards can also form part of your souvenirs for short term visitors, helping commemorate their time in the city.

With all 5 tips above, you are bound to save a lot more with your commute around London. So, go through the suggestions again, and start implementing the same as best as you can, and you’ll find yourself saving significant amounts on your travel costs. As well, remember to consider the official peak and off-peak times as prices are known to fluctuate according to passenger demand. Be advised to stick to the off-peak schedules especially when travelling outside Zone 1 of the city. The official peak times to avoid are mornings between 06:30hrs – 09:30hrs and evenings between 16:30hrs – 21:30hrs, Mondays through to Friday. As a tourist travelling outside these times will also help you avoid the masses moving to and from work, and in essence, allow you better experiences travelling from one corner of the city to the next.

In times of low interest rates and rising inflation, investors look to non-traditional sources to find investments that will yield large returns. With bank interest rates on cash savings accounts maxing out at around 1.3% these days, it’s no surprise that a few alternative options have started to become fairly popular in the current economic climate.

Innovative finance ISAs, a type of individual savings account, are rising in popularity, particularly as many are seeing returns of up to 7%. Whether 2020 is the year you want to start saving or you’re busy updating your long-term savings plans, considering an IF-ISA as a new investment may be a good place to start.

What Is an Innovative Finance ISA?

Innovative finance ISAs, or IF-ISAs, refer to a specific type of individual savings account that gives consumers the chance to earn tax-free interest through a peer-to-peer lending network. These ISAs pair up willing savers (investors) with individual and business looking to become borrowers

There are many IF-ISA providers in the market, each providing lenders with the chance to pinpoint exactly which industries they would like to invest in. IF-ISAs cut out the middle man (the bank) completely, reducing overheads and leaving leaving room for higher rates of return.

The Pros, the Cons and the Risks

As with all ISAs, there are pros, cons and risk factors to consider when it comes to IF-ISAs. Detailing a few allows us to get a holistic sense of IF-ISAs in general.

The pros of innovative finance ISAs

• On average, IF-ISAs earn higher rates of return (often more than double) than traditional savings accounts.
• The IF-ISA market is relatively new so it has low entry barriers. This ensures a multitude of investment options, as well as various competitive rates from possible providers.
• For basic taxpayers, the first £1,000 of interest earned through an IF-ISA is tax exempt. Higher rate taxpayers are offered £500 tax-free interest earnings. This amount can be reinvested right away, which will compound your earnings.
• If you are a company and you are making regular payments into an ISA, this may reflect well when it comes time for financial expansion in the form of secured-business, or revenue based loans, especially if your company is utilising open banking software to track your payments.

The cons of innovative finance ISAs

• Consumers are only allowed to open one new IF-ISA with a single provider per tax year. There is also a yearly cap of £20,000, which must be spread between all ISA types owned.
• IF-ISAs invest in different loan categories, so it can be hard to predict how loans will perform. This is mostly because there is little historical data to use as a reference.
• Other types of ISAs offer fixed returns (cash ISAs) and FSCS protection (as with stocks and shares ISAs), but IF-ISAs offer neither. Returns can vary and if the provider goes under, your money goes down with it.

Keeping these pros and cons in mind, IF-ISAs are generally considered to be medium to high risk investments. A convenient way to mitigate this is to secure an investment against a fixed asset, like a house or a commercial building, and to start investing with a small amount, growing your portfolio over time, rather than investing everything in one go.

How Can You Invest in an Innovative Finance ISA?

Opening an IF-ISA account is a relatively straightforward process that should only take a few minutes to complete. Once your IF-ISA provider has been chosen, the first step is to complete a registration form on their website. You will have to provide your name, email address and a secure password. 

With some providers, there may be an option to register as an individual or as a company. If this is the case, ensure that names given match up with existing ID documentation (for individuals) or with the registered business name (for companies). Applicants will need a valid UK bank account to qualify, as well as a valid photo ID. Some providers may perform a credit check, though this is not always a requirement. 

After registration is complete, you will gain access to an online portal that will allow you to transfer of funds from the bank to the IF-ISA provider – and just like that, your money is invested. Voila!

A View Towards Saving For the Future

It’s never been easier to kickstart a savings plan, and by beginning with an IF-ISA, it’s possible to start investing tax-free as early as today. Over 10 million households in the UK having no savings so there has never been a better time to start prioritising your savings account, particularly in the wake of relative uncertainty around Brexit and economic performance.

You only need a small portion of funds to get started, then you can begin monitoring your progress carefully, investing more as your confidence grows and ultimately developing a well-oiled personal savings strategy.

Every year, whenever people are eyeing up a major purchase or upgrade, they’ll pad their savings account until winter rolls around. Winter has become the sales season, with November through to January being the platform for many of the year’s most advertised and highly-anticipated offers.

It’s a crazy frenzy that’s centric to a national holiday in the United States, an originally Christian holiday, and the start of the new Gregorian calendar. While many of the sales of this huge shopping window are coming to a close, many industries layout promotions throughout the year – you just have to know where to look for them.

Finding the best deals from November to January

While the adoption of Black Friday in the UK was quite recent and only really became a fully-fledged event in the last few years, it is now utilised as a sales day by many of the biggest brands that offer their wares to the country. So, in preparation for catching some bargains, people in the UK, around October time, find themselves searching Google to find out when Thanksgiving is and when Black Friday will start – it’ll be on 27 November in 2020.

Amazon puts on a big sales event each winter, encouraging people to explore the website with this advertisement.

Black Friday 2019 featured deals such as a 75’’ 4K Philips TV reduced from £1499 to £899 at Currys, Apple MacBook Pro cut to £2179 from £2399 with BT, and an Xbox One X Forza Horizon 4 and Lego Speed Bundle only costing £299 instead of the £440 tag price at John Lewis. The main theme tends to be tech, but many retailers spread into other regions, as Amazon does with their Black Friday events.

If Black Friday wasn’t difficult enough to navigate, Cyber Monday kicks off on the Monday after Black Friday – 30 November in 2020. Cyber Monday is now effectively just an extension of Black Friday, with a focus on eCommerce sales. Some of the top offers on in 2019 included a £22 Amazon Echo Dot from Amazon and Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case from £139 from Argos.

There’s no rest from the sales, though, with some retailers putting on promotions and offers in the running to Christmas to get some late sales on the books.

After the respite of Christmas Day, the sales rush gets underway again on Boxing Day. This is closely followed by the January sales event, which is the traditional sales window in the UK, with some of the promotions combining them together with the Boxing Day sales. This year, big discount events like up to 70 per cent off at H&M and the Superdrug up to 50 per cent off sale were among the headline acts.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a leading retailer without a selection of big money-off deals during these now-staple sales windows, which can make it difficult for people to find the best deals on the day. There’s also the problem that many people simply don’t know until the day what will go on offer, so they don’t really know how much money they need to save. This is amplified by many retailers keeping their on-sale stock secret until the day to drive traffic.

Sales window closing, but there are plenty of offers to claim

Supermarkets are continually changing their offers and putting items on sale.

For big-name retailers, participation in the various winter sales has become more of a practice spawned from conformity than anything else, and for most, it’ll be their main sales event of the year. However, other big-name shopping brands are more than happy to stage their own sales events at other stages of the year.

Each year, at the exact opposite end of the year to that of Black Friday and the January sales, Amazon stages a massive sales event called Prime Day. It started on 15 July last year and will take place from 13-14 July in 2020. As if Amazon Prime customers didn’t get enough with the same-day conveyance, music platform, and video platform, Prime customers also get an exclusive sales event in the middle of the summer.

Outside of major sales events put on by some retailers, in other industries, sales and promotions have become such an ongoing feature that many people forget that they’re continually in the works. The most glaring example is in the iGaming industry.

As the scene is so incredibly competitive, brands need to find ways to stand out, with the promotions and offers pages being the primary battlegrounds in iGaming. You’ll see everywhere that online bingo brands will offer welcome bonuses and specialised sections for newcomers, otherwise known as ‘Newbies Rooms,’ but some go further to continually offer ongoing bingo promotions to existing players after they claim the welcome bonuses, such as mystery jackpots, reward tokens, free games, and Birthday bonuses.

Another obvious industry where offers are on the go at all times is in the supermarket industry. Due to the rise in prevalence of price comparison websites, big supermarket chains have almost been forced to battle it out on the offers front with their big-brand items. The practice has become so engulfing, in fact, that even the most premier of high-end food retail, Marks & Spencer, has launched a new line of value offers.

The future of deals and promotions

While a huge number of major outlets putting out offers at set times of the year can’t be a bad thing, it is very difficult to navigate the sales and work out the best offers. Some people even get so wrapped up in the events that they just end up buying things that they don’t really want or need.

The future of such events is in software which can not only streamline the process of finding the best offer during sales events but also throughout the year. This is why the browser extension Honey looks to be such an exciting prospect for online shoppers.

Honey has been reviewed quite well but does have its flaws. Its strengths are in its ability to search databases for coupons and purchase drops automatically, but it has also been noted that it doesn’t always find coupons. There’s also the additional flaw that Honey doesn’t have an app and is only for computer shopping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jjZWJqUcLc&feature=emb_logo

Honey claims to help people to find the lowest price when shopping online.

Anything that can help co-ordinate shoppers during clustered sales periods and direct them to the very best offers has to be the future of deals and promotions. This sector would also possibly help to reduce prices further due to outlets competing to be at the top of one comprehensive list per item.  

While many people have become accustomed to saving for the winter sales window, others understand that there are plenty of promotions and offers to be found every day.