quids in autumn edition

8/4/2019 Quids in Autumn Edition

1/8

www.yorqidsi.com

your money Be informed Take conTrol

DIYSPECIAL

Gills

ArecipesQuickandeasy

Quids in!ISSuE 12 Autumn 2011

FREE InSIDE!

Advice o:SpedigSavigBorrowig

Earig

CRAIGPhILLIPSPeople call me tigt,bt Im savig cas!

DIY?You

CAnFIxIt!Geispiredwihrreal-lifeDIYsries!

BRIGht

IDEASGadgesokeepyouromesafeforless

BuDGEtBootCAmPthedsaddsfDIYabdge

20%oFF!

vouChERS

FoRDuLux

DECoRAtoR

CEntRES

www.yorqidsi.com


2/8

welcome

What bttr way t prparfr th witr hibratitha by sprcig p thst a bit.

DIY ist fr vry, ad I kwfr bittr ad cstly xpric thatits iprtat t kw yr liits. Bt alittl cdc ca g a lg way. I ths glytis, givig yr h a frsh lick f pait ca rallylift yr d jst lk at th silig facs f thppl fr Fab Pads pag 5!

Thr ar DIY tips galr thrght this iss fQuids in!(chck t th ctts bx t s th fll listf fatrs). Ad if w ispir y t idlg i a bit fDIY, why t lt s kw hw y gt ?

I gss th ssag this iss is that thr arthigs w still d hlp with fr th gvrt.Bt thr ar als thigs w ca d fr rslvs. Ada littl bit f DIY ca ak s all fl happir!

AuTumn 2011

Jff Managing editor

Quidsin!Ass 3 mth Plac, Bath, BA1 2AT.T 01225 319799wsit www.faraghrjs.cPis y Faraghr Js, Scial Pblishig Prjct

maai eit Jff mitchll eai [email protected] La Hall eai [email protected] Rhia mcnaara eai [email protected] assiati it

Quids in!makes every effort to ensure content is correct at the time of goingto print. Readers should take specialist advice where necessary. Quids in!hasno political allegiances, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those ofthe publisher or editor.

Quidsin!

Joinuson

http://tiny.cc/qi_fb

ConTenTS

04reAl lIveSGt ispird t d it yrslf with r ral lif stris

06ToP TIPSGadgts t kp yr h scr fr lss tha 10

07budgeT booTcAmP

Quids in!shws y hw t b a DIY hr!08In The knowCraig Phillips shars his DIY scrts ad tp tips

Dulux Decorator Centres are on hand to provide you with the paint, wallpaper

and equipment you need. And our Quids in! readers can claim a discount too.

Youll be getting the best of everything too, because professional decorators know where

to find top quality products and Dulux Decorator Centres are where the trade goes first.

Well also make sure you get the right products and the right quantities. And you can

choose your own colours or leave it to our experts.

Is your landlord part of the Dulux Decorator Centres Refresh Scheme? If so, just show

this advert to your Housing Officer and say youre interested. Housing Officers: For full

details contact the Dulux Decorator Centres Business Support Team on 0845 603 6498.

To find your nearest store or buy the best in decorating products online,

visit www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk or call 0845 850 2200.

*20% off when you spend 20 or more using the unique code QUIDS1.

Valid until 23.11.11. Terms and conditions apply.

Use the following code to get 20% OFFany purchase online or in-store: QUIDS1

Twitter@DuluxDecCentre

www.facebook.com/duluxdecoratorcentres


3/8

safeashouses? ByKarenHolmes,WelfareBenetsSpecialist,Turn

2us

Quidsin!

news

ardg r

rsr, 670,000

s sg s b

d Gvrms

prpsd wr Rrm B

gs rg prm.TheideaisthatfromApril2013,peopleofworkingagewholiveinhouseslargerthantheyneedwillhavetomovetosomewheresmallerormakeuptheextraforrentbecausetheirHousing

Benetwillbebasedonasmallerproperty.Welfarerightsgroupsfear

thatiftherearenotenoughsmallerpropertiestomove

into,peopleonlowincomesmayfallintoarrearsorfaceeviction.ThegovernmentplanstoincreaseDiscretionaryHousingPayments,whichLocalAuthoritiescanusetohelpthosemostinneedtomeettheshortfall,butthiscanthelpeveryone.April2013isalsowhena

benetcapisplannedthatwilllimittheamountofbenetone

householdcanclaim.Thiscapwillbebasedontheaverageincomeofaworkinghousehold,estimatedtobe500aweek.Ifthetotalbenetsclaimedby

peopleinonehouseholdisabovethisthreshold,thedifferencewillbetakenoffHousingBenet.TheDWPestimatesthatabout50,000householdswillbeaffected,losinganaverageof93aweek.

Thelatestnewsaffecting

youandyourmoney

cheque it outBkrs v sd ynolongerbeaxingchequesin2018.ResearchbycharityAgeUKrevealedthat73%ofolderpeoplestillusecheques.ThedecisionhascomejustweeksafterMarkHoban,theFinancialSecretarytotheTreasury,saidchequescouldnotbescrappeduntilasuitablealternativeisfound.MichelleMitchell,fromAgeUK,said:WearedelightedthePaymentsCouncilhas

listenedtothemanypeoplewhosaidhowdifcultthelossofchequeswouldbeforthem.Thisisavitalrststepthatwillhelpmanyolderpeople.

newsINBRIEF

fuel fixn grs s

2009therewere5.5millionUKhouseholdsstrugglingtopaytheirfuelbills.Thisisanincreaseofonemillionsince2008.Despitetheseshockingstatsenergycompaniescontinuetoincreasetheirprices.ScottishPowerrecentlysaidtheyareincreasinggas

billsbyaround19%andelectricitybillsby10%.Manyothercompaniesareexpectedtodothesame.GillianGuy,ChiefExecutive

ofCitizensAdvicewarned:Livinginacoldhomehasadevastatingimpactonpeoplesphysicalandmentalhealth.WithenergypricescontinuingtorisetheGovernmenturgentlyneedstotakeactiontoimprove

theenergyefciencyofpeopleshomessothattheyarecheapertoheat.Ifyouareworriedaboutthepriceofenergybills,orifyouneedhelptopayyourbills,seepage6.

a skg rpr

s

uKs s s s

3.2 m sds r

r r ms bd

db rpym r r

g db .

Sadly,afurtherthreemillionpeoplearestrugglingtomakeendsmeet.Morethanfourmillionhavenosavings.LordStevenson,Chairman

ofdebtwatchdogCCCSsaid:Ourdatarevealsthestarkrealitiesfacedbymanypeoplewhostruggletomake

endsmeet.Itsimportantthegovernmentandnancialandcharitableorganisationsact.Stepsarebeingtakento

tryandsupportthoseonlowincomes.TheSocialMarketFoundationsaidanewno-loselotteryandsavingssmartcardshouldbeintroducedtohelppeopletosave.ReformsarealsogoingthroughparliamenttomakeiteasierforpeopletouseCreditUnions.Thechangeswillletcreditunionsofferservicesto

communitygroupsandextendservicestonewcustomerssuchashousingassociationtenantsandemployees.FindoutmorefromcreditunionassociationABCUL(01618323694;www.abcul.org).

hprttrvr

Recent gures show that growing numbers of people are struggling

to stay out of debt, but there is hope as a recent report shows

Working age tenants in social housing warned to plan ahead 18months before planned cuts to housing benet

Quids in! |

Quidsin!saysTheGovernmenthasto

makecuts, sopeoplewho

maybeaffectedmusttry to

getexpertadviceandplan

ahead. Tocheckthatyoure

claimingall yourbenets,

seetheBenetsChecker at

www.turn2us.org


4/8

GetF

or many people, the thought of

carrying out repairs on their

house is a scary one. Something

as simple as a leaky tap may

get you ringing your landlord or

the plumber and can cost you money and

time that you dont have.

Albert never thought hed be able todecorate his own at. But when he signedup for a course on interior decorating, herealised its actually much easier than he

thought. Plus he learnt loads of new skills!I never thought I could produce the workI have done on this project. I would alwaysgo out to buy items for my home but nowworking with my designer, I can see thebenets to making my own stuff. I amgetting designs to suit my taste and I amsaving money too!

So how do you go about learning howto Do It Yourself? There are plenty ofcourses available out there (see ourUseful Contacts box). The courses help

you learn new skills, save money and letyou make your house your own.

Get a fab pad!One scheme that helps people in socialhousing learn basic DIY skills is Fab Pads.Susan Aktemel, who runs the scheme inScotland, explains why its important forpeople to take care of their own home:Making your house your home is themost important and satisfying thing youcan do. Its the foundation for everythingelse in your life. Fab Pad participantsachieve great things every day, throughhard work and working with our talentedinterior designers.

Carol is a Fab Pads success story. Shelearnt how to make furnishings for her

real-liFestory

| Quids in!

house: I cant believe the things Ive madeso far. I love every minute of it! I wasreally afraid to use the sewing machine atrst, but after trying a few small items,I felt condent enough to make my ownbedroom curtains. I love them! Now Immaking cushions for my son and I amlearning new skills like zips and piping. .

Cashback!And learning how to look after your home

has never been more important. TheGovernment recently said they are goingto test a scheme that will give tenantsin social housing the chance to carryout their own DIY. Known as the TenantCashback scheme, the idea is to givetenants cash to do up their home, ratherthan getting their landlord or an agencyto do it for them. While there has beena mixed response to the scheme, manyprofessionals think it will give tenantsthe chance to make their homes better.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said:Tenant Cashback will allow house-proud residents to take over more oftheir repairs budget and carry out theirown DIY or choose a local handyman todo it. Any savings made will be theirs topocket. If youre handy with a screwdriver,paintbrush or hammer then its crazy thatyou have to call out your landlord to doeven the smallest of jobs.

Some Housing Associations are alsooffering courses where tenants can learnthe basic skills needed to keep theirhome in shape. Brighton and Hove Councilhave set up The Housing Centre, an oldwarehouse which has been turned intoa place where tenants can come and docourses on DIY and much more.

And as Lorraine from the East Endreveals, training schemes can work: Myhouse was a tip! I hated it. I didnt knowwhere to start. I didnt know what I wasdoing. Its great to have someone that cantell you stuff I didnt know you couldwash your walls with sugar soap!

Before I had a habit of startingsomething and not nishing it. Nowinstead of just rushing into it I plan it allout. My house is still not done yet but I

now know that at the end itll all be donethe way I want it. It makes you feel goodwhen you make things youve never triedbefore. Now Ill be able to do it myself!

tenan tranng CoureGe n ouch wh our local houngaocaon and ak f he offer

Diy tenan tranng Coure.

Fab Padt: 0141 575 3001www.mpacar.co.ukBaed n scoland, he chemeeache oung people n her renanc or a rk of homelenehow o peronale her home.

B&Qt: 0845 600 5428

hp://b.l/DiyclaB&Q run a choce of 20 coure aher 15 cenre acro he UK.Coverng everhng from xng aleak ap o lng.

Ueful conac

hands

on!Wanttoxthatleakytapbutdontkn

owhow?Or

maybeyoufancyanewpairofcurtains?Quidsin!

sharessomeinspiringstoriesfrompeoplewhove

learnthowtoglamuptheirpadthroughDIY


5/8Quids in!|

WhatyoUneeD:

A small woodenpicture frameA small piece ofmedium grit

sandpaper (120grit)

AdampdusterA smallat-bristledbrushA small pot of waterFree taster potsof whiteand

coloured emulsion paintYourchoice of decorations. This can

be glitter, sequinsor small stickers,PVAglue orclear varnish.

1Pullbackthesupport clips at theback of the frame and takeoutthebackingandglasscover.

2Takeyour sandpaper andrubalongthe grain of the entireframe toremove any surfaceimperfections.

3Wipeoff any sawdustwithyourdampclothor duster.

4Dampen your at-bristledbrush anduseit toapply athin coatof basicwhiteemulsionfrom yourtaster pot.

5When this isdryapplytwothin coatsof your chosen colour, allowing theframe todrythoroughlyafter each coat.

6You cannow apply yourchoiceofdecoration using PVAglue.

7Once the glueis completelydryyoucan add a thincoat of varnish tonish off and protect your design. Allowitto dry thoroughly.

8Replace the glass, insertyourchosenimage fasten the clips andreplace the backing.

saysProtectyoursurfacesandclothingbywearinganapronand spreadingnewspaper onyourworkarea.

Keepyour brushandwaterpot cleanto avoidanymessymixingofpaints.

For asmoothernish,you canusesandpaperinbetweencoatsofvarnish!

Quidsin!

IcantbelievethestuffIhavemadesofar.Iloveeveryminuteofit!Carol,whowaspartoftheFab Padsproject

howtodecorateapictureframe


6/8

Make the most of special

offers on late summer fruit andvegetables, especially in the

market or sold by the roadside.You could make them last by

using them in a pie and freezingit for later. And look out for the

last of the blackberries andapples growing in the hedges.

Just remember to give them agood wash before eating!

FreeFruit!

Gillstips

LiveweLL,spendless!

top

tips

| Quids in!

Brass security

door chain

tradiionally,Bubble&squeak is made

from a mixture ofleftover mash, cabbage

and onion. But its also good if made

with butternut squash or sweet potato,

broccoli, carrots and peas. The onions are

a must, but there areno rules really, sojust use whatever youve got!

nLeftover potatoes and vegetables

n3 4 tbsp sunower oil or

n1oz (25g) lard

1.Get a large mixing bowl, mash all the

leftover vegetables together and mix

withthe potatoes.

2.To fry:Pre-heat the oil in a very large

pan until itspractically smoking. Put

everything in the pan and fry untilheated throughandcrisp and brown

in places.Keep turning the Bubble &

Squeak over in the pan with avegetable

slice or spatula so it browns nicely

on both sides, without sticking and

burning.

3.Tobake:Putthe mix ina greased

ovenproof dish, dotting the top all over

withbutter. Bake in a hot oven at gas

mark 6/7 (200/220C) until its a deep

golden brown all over the top.

n

To serve: With sausages, or baked

beans and tomatoes ifvegetarian.

RecipeprovidedbyGillHolcombe

Bubble&Squeak

This heavy duty door

chain lets you safely

check whos at your door.

Remember to ask for ID

from any doorstep trader.

Available from Screwx:

0500 414 141

Quids in!rounds up some money-savinghome security gadgets that can offerpeace of mind for less than 10

bright

ideas

co9.25

Gillsrecipes

Most energy and waterproviders offer trust funds

to help out people who owe

them money but cant pay.

n If you get your electricity or gas

from British Gas, contact them

on 01733 421 060 or at www.

britishgasenergytrust.org.uk .

nSeveral companies also offer

grants through Charis. You can

contact them on 01733 421 021

or www.charisgrants.com.

nWater companies also offer

grants. For example, Thames Water

has the Thames Water Trust Fund.

Find out more at www.twtf.org.uk.

Tips by Community Money

www.communitymoney.co.uk

Avoid identity theft by

making sure you shred

all important documents

that may contain any

banking or personal

information.

Available from Staples:

0844 546 6666

Easy to use and simple

to install, this twin pack

alarm system is easily

concealed on any

window or door.

Available from

Homebase: www.

homebase.

co.uk

texet strip cut

shredder

swann window

and door aLarm

co8.33 co9.99

needheLpwithenergyBiLLs?

under3!

recipecost:


7/8Quids in! |

Times are getting tougher but there are lotsof ways to give your home a low-cost facelift.

Quids in!offers some handy and simple tips

Quidsin!

Think about touching up the paintwork.Its asimplejob

that doesnt need to cost a lot of money and makes your house

look smarter.

Try making your own furnishings. Cushion coversand

decorated picture frames are quick and easy to do see page

5 for more details.

Try to declutter. Half the time you can spruce up your

house for free just by getting ride of some old junk and

clearingthe shelves. It will give you

more space and makethings look

tidier plus you couldthink about

taking your old stuffto a car boot

sale to makesome money!

Always read the instructions.If you know exactly how

something works, or howit

ts together, then you can

save yourself time, effort

and money.

Check out Freecycle (www.uk.freecycle.org) where you can

get household items for free!

DOStartajobwithoutthinkingabouthowmuchitwillcostandhowlongitwill taketonishresearchandplanningcostnothingsomakesureyouare fullyprepared for theworkyouaregoingtodo.

DIYifyouhaventgot thetoolsforthejob!Toolscanbeboughtcheaplyandbuyingamultipurpose tool thatcandomorethanonejobis agoodplacetostart.Ormaybeyoucanborrowfromfriends,familyorneighbours? Just remembertoreturnthemassoonas thejobsdone!Orwhynotaskneighboursiftheywant tochipintobuyasetoftools?

Trytocarryoutmajorstructuralwork, orattempttoxbrokenplumbingorelectrics!Doingcomplicatedjobswithoutbeingtrainedcanleadtoaccidents,oritmight

endupcostingyoumoremoneytocorrectthingsiftheygowrong.

Workonyourpropertywithoutcheckingwithyour landlordorHousingAssociationrst.Therearerulesinplaceandyoudontwant tobreakthem.

Drillintoawallwithoutcheckingwhatyouaredrillinginto!Therecouldbecablesorpipes inthere!

DOnt

BudgetBootcamp

ReaDeRs tipsThere are plenty of places where you can get training and learn more about basic DIY, but if you cantafford to pay to do a course, check out B&Qs YouTube channel, where youll see loads of videos which offer DIY tips and advice seewww.youtube.com/bandq. Watch videos on xing tiles and putting up fencing, and get inspirational ideas for decorating your home.

saysThere are plenty of things youcando to give your home afacelift for less. A great placeto start is a charity shop, whereyou can pick up everything fromfurniture to knick-knacks.

Wooden furniture can bepaintedor given a coat of varnishtojazz it up.Ifyou need a newcarpet, tryasking for offcuts

froma carpet shop which you cangetfor a fractionof the price.

Quidsin!yOu can Be aDiyHERO!


8/8

QCan you te u aboutyou atet TV ow?A Im lming If Its Broke,Fix It and Celebrity DIY.In Celebrity DIYI go to celebs

houses and teach them some

DIY skills in their own home.

One show we did was with

Frankie Dettori, and we got to

see his home, meet his family

and his horses! So not only do

you get to see the celebritys

lifestyle but also the look

on their face when you put

a cordless drill in their hand

they dont look so condent

all of a sudden!

QWat ot of DIY kiwee you teacin tem?

AI put in some decking with

Linda Robson, tted somelaminate oors with Sam Fox

and did kitchen work surfaces

with Yuri Geller just some

very light, basic DIY skills.

QWo woud you ay wate wot DIY dode?A Russell Grant! He washopeless! It wasfun though. Hed

been given his

own family crest and wehung that on the wall while

he told me all about it. He

didnt enjoy the drilling

and painting though!

QDo you tink peope aeoin tei DIY ki?A It does worry me. WhenI was a kid I grew uparound my father and uncle

and there were always hand

tools around. Kids now mainly

spend their time on computers

and I feel that young people

are losing their physical skills.

There are a lot of rst-time

buyers whove never even

picked up a hammer!

QDo you tink you owep to teac DIY ki?AIn If Its Broke, Fix it, weran workshops for peopleto come and learn DIY skills

so they could take care of a

DIY dilemma at home. It was

normally something theycouldnt afford to get xed.

We had teams of middle-

aged and married couples and

we taught them all the basic

skills they needed. I must

admit, I was a bit alarmed

at their lack of knowledge

some of them didnt know the

difference between

a trowel and a

hammer! But in

the end they alldid a brilliant job one team

plastered their entire garage! It

was much better than my rst

attempt at plastering!

| Quidsin!

Big Brother winne tunedceeb buide Cai Piipoffe Quids in!eade ometip and advice fo ome

impovement on a budet

InTheknoW

QWat ave you eantove te yea aboutbudetin and DIY?

A You have to be strict.Some people call me tightbecause I always try to get the

cheapest deal but I always try

to save cash, even if its only 5

here or there.

When you think about it, if

Im building a 27-room house

for a client, if you add up every

5 I save, it can end up being

thousands of pounds.

My advice would be that

whether its a small job paintinga wall or laying a laminate oor,

always shop around to nd

the cheapest prices. Everyone

is feeling the pinch at the

moment so people really are up

for negotiating over the cost of

building supplies.

I started off with one house

14 years ago and now I own

more than 30, but still, each

time I buy I learn more and

become more cautious withmoney and plan every detail.

And if you plan ahead like

that, you can guarantee youre

looking after your cash.

Ialwaystry

to savecash,

evenifitsonly

fivequidhere

andthere...

1Take a look around yourhouse and see whatsold. Youll save money if youstop things that are wornfrom breaking for example,wallpaper and paintwork.

2Make sure you do yourresearch. Ive done loadsof step-by-step video clips forUKTV on tiling, ooring andpainting, and theyre free! Youcan see them at http://bit.ly/craigsvideos.

3Shop around and try to buya multipurpose tool that cando more than one job.

4If you have to do some DIY,plan how long it will take anddont do it if you dont have thetime. If you rush to get it done,you could make mistakes whichcost money to put right.

5Dont try to go out of your

comfort zone. Start withsmall tasks and when you getmore condent, then look attaking on bigger jobs

CrAIgPhIllIPs

Craigstop

DiYtips

quids in autumn edition

Documents