Pounds and Sense
@poundsandsense.bsky.social
Pounds and Sense is a UK money blog covering making money, saving money and investing from an older person's perspective. I'm Nick, a three-quarters retired freelance writer and editor.
New on PAS: Planning a UK Holiday This Year? Here Are Some Ideas For You! www.poundsandsense.com/planning-a-u...
Planning a UK Holiday This Year? Here Are Some Ideas For You! - Pounds and Sense
For many of us 2025 was another difficult year, with a cost-of-living crisis driven especially by rising gas and electricity costs. With the festive season behind us now – and a cold and miserable sta...
www.poundsandsense.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:12 PM
New on PAS: Planning a UK Holiday This Year? Here Are Some Ideas For You! www.poundsandsense.com/planning-a-u...
Reposted by Pounds and Sense
Eligible households must apply for the payment before a looming deadline.
Households urged to claim £200 cost of living payments in January
www.express.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Eligible households must apply for the payment before a looming deadline.
Reposted by Pounds and Sense
Opinion | Motability is a luxury that's being abused
It is unsustainable for the state to maintain a gold-plated programme when the welfare bill is ballooning
🖋️ By Lana Hempsall
trib.al/Hj4iPoc
It is unsustainable for the state to maintain a gold-plated programme when the welfare bill is ballooning
🖋️ By Lana Hempsall
trib.al/Hj4iPoc
January 13, 2026 at 11:34 AM
Opinion | Motability is a luxury that's being abused
It is unsustainable for the state to maintain a gold-plated programme when the welfare bill is ballooning
🖋️ By Lana Hempsall
trib.al/Hj4iPoc
It is unsustainable for the state to maintain a gold-plated programme when the welfare bill is ballooning
🖋️ By Lana Hempsall
trib.al/Hj4iPoc
Reposted by Pounds and Sense
A trade body has warned the equivalent to six hospitality venues could be forced to close every day due to crippling property tax hikes.
Reeves leaves 2,000 hospitality venues facing closure after refusing bailout
www.express.co.uk
January 13, 2026 at 11:36 AM
A trade body has warned the equivalent to six hospitality venues could be forced to close every day due to crippling property tax hikes.
New on PAS: What Are Investment Trusts and How Can You Invest in Them? www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-inv...
What Are Investment Trusts and How Can You Invest in Them? - Pounds and Sense
When most people think about investing, they picture stocks and shares, funds, ISAs and perhaps ETFs. But there’s another long-established option that often flies under the radar: Investment Trusts. D...
www.poundsandsense.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:07 PM
New on PAS: What Are Investment Trusts and How Can You Invest in Them? www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-inv...
Switch to EDF Energy and get a FREE £50 credited to your energy account. Zero-carbon energy at low online prices. Terms and conditions apply edfenergy.com/quote/refer-... #ad
Gas & Electricity Quote | Compare Energy Prices | EDF
EDF Energy My Account
edfenergy.com
January 11, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Switch to EDF Energy and get a FREE £50 credited to your energy account. Zero-carbon energy at low online prices. Terms and conditions apply edfenergy.com/quote/refer-... #ad
New on PAS: What Are Index Funds and How Can You Invest in Them? www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-ind...
What Are Index Funds and How Can You Invest in Them? - Pounds and Sense
Today I thought I would take a closer look at Index Funds. These are among the most straightforward and cost-effective ways to invest in the stock market – especially for long-term savers and beginner...
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January 9, 2026 at 12:32 PM
New on PAS: What Are Index Funds and How Can You Invest in Them? www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-ind...
New on PAS: My Top 20 Posts of 2025 www.poundsandsense.com/my-top-20-po...
My Top 20 Posts of 2025 - Pounds and Sense
As is customary for bloggers at this time of year, here are the top twenty posts on Pounds and Sense in 2025, based on comments, page-views and social media shares. They are in no particular order. I ...
www.poundsandsense.com
December 22, 2025 at 11:56 AM
New on PAS: My Top 20 Posts of 2025 www.poundsandsense.com/my-top-20-po...
New on PAS: What Are the Best Video-Calling Tools for Older People? www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-the...
What Are the Best Video Calling Tools for Older People? - Pounds and Sense
Christmas will soon be here. But with flu and other respiratory infections at high levels – and the Covid pandemic still a fairly recent memory – many older people will be understandably cautious abou...
www.poundsandsense.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:27 AM
New on PAS: What Are the Best Video-Calling Tools for Older People? www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-the...
Reposted by Pounds and Sense
The future of the triple lock has been under scrutiny as the cost of the policy continues to soar.
State pension triple lock update as Rachel Reeves makes huge statement
www.express.co.uk
December 10, 2025 at 11:16 AM
The future of the triple lock has been under scrutiny as the cost of the policy continues to soar.
New on PAS: Can You Wear the Same Socks More Than Once? A Microbiologist Explains www.poundsandsense.com/can-you-wear...
Can You Wear the Same Socks More Than Once? A Microbiologist Explains - Pounds and Sense
A few months ago I published a guest post on the subject of how often you should wash your bedding. The article generated quite a lot of interest, so today I am publishing another by the same author: ...
www.poundsandsense.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:05 PM
New on PAS: Can You Wear the Same Socks More Than Once? A Microbiologist Explains www.poundsandsense.com/can-you-wear...
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It is not just a defeat for net zero ambitions but for Ed Miliband personally, given that he had fought hard in cabinet to advance the project.
✍️ Ross Clark
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...
✍️ Ross Clark
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...
The day net zero died
Quietly this afternoon, the government’s last remaining hope of achieving net zero by 2050 drained away. BP has abandoned its project to develop a ‘blue’ hydrogen plant on Teesside which was supposed…
www.spectator.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 11:30 AM
It is not just a defeat for net zero ambitions but for Ed Miliband personally, given that he had fought hard in cabinet to advance the project.
✍️ Ross Clark
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...
✍️ Ross Clark
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...
New on PAS: My Investments Update - December 2025 www.poundsandsense.com/my-investmen...
My Investments Update - December 2025 - Pounds and Sense
Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my November 2025 Investments Update here if you like. I’ll begin as usual with my JP Morgan Personal Investing (previously Nutmeg) S...
www.poundsandsense.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:51 AM
New on PAS: My Investments Update - December 2025 www.poundsandsense.com/my-investmen...
New on PAS: Twelve Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Older People (That Aren’t Socks) www.poundsandsense.com/twelve-great...
Twelve Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Older People (That Aren’t Socks) - Pounds and Sense
It won’t have escaped your notice that Christmas will soon be here. It’s well known that older friends and relatives can be the hardest to choose gifts for. But don’t despair – as an older person mys...
www.poundsandsense.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:17 PM
New on PAS: Twelve Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Older People (That Aren’t Socks) www.poundsandsense.com/twelve-great...
New on PAS: Why Growing Numbers of Over-50s are Buying Park Homes www.poundsandsense.com/why-growing-...
Why Growing Numbers of Over-50s are Buying Park Homes - Pounds and Sense
Today I’m looking at a growing trend among older people: the switch to park home living. I am grateful for their assistance with this article to my colleagues at Compass Insurance – leading specialist...
www.poundsandsense.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:35 PM
New on PAS: Why Growing Numbers of Over-50s are Buying Park Homes www.poundsandsense.com/why-growing-...
Enhanced offer! Switch to EDF Energy via my link and get a FREE £75 credited to your energy account. Offer ends 22 December 2025. Terms and conditions apply edfenergy.com/quote/refer-... #ad
Gas & Electricity Quote | Compare Energy Prices | EDF
EDF Energy My Account
edfenergy.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Enhanced offer! Switch to EDF Energy via my link and get a FREE £75 credited to your energy account. Offer ends 22 December 2025. Terms and conditions apply edfenergy.com/quote/refer-... #ad
Reposted by Pounds and Sense
Check your student loan account NOW! Over a million of you can reclaim £100s or £1,000s you've paid!
For more info including when you can’t reclaim watch the full episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show this came from on www.itv.com/watch/the-ma...
For more info including when you can’t reclaim watch the full episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show this came from on www.itv.com/watch/the-ma...
Martin Lewis: Check your student loan account NOW! Over a million of you can reclaim £100s
YouTube video by Martin Lewis
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Check your student loan account NOW! Over a million of you can reclaim £100s or £1,000s you've paid!
For more info including when you can’t reclaim watch the full episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show this came from on www.itv.com/watch/the-ma...
For more info including when you can’t reclaim watch the full episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show this came from on www.itv.com/watch/the-ma...
New on PAS: Are You Ready for Amazon’s Black Friday Sale? www.poundsandsense.com/are-you-read...
Are You Ready for Amazon's Black Friday Sale? - Pounds and Sense
Black Friday is fast approaching, and Amazon UK is gearing up for one of the biggest online shopping events of the year. This year Amazon’s Black Friday Sale extends over 12 days, from Thursday 20 Nov...
www.poundsandsense.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:54 AM
New on PAS: Are You Ready for Amazon’s Black Friday Sale? www.poundsandsense.com/are-you-read...
New on PAS: Winter Fuel Payment 2025/26 – What Pensioners Need to Know www.poundsandsense.com/winter-fuel-...
Winter Fuel Payment 2025/26 - What Pensioners Need to Know - Pounds and Sense
As you doubtless know, one of the first acts of the new Labour government last year was to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) for all but the very poorest pensioners (those eligible for pension credi...
www.poundsandsense.com
October 28, 2025 at 11:36 AM
New on PAS: Winter Fuel Payment 2025/26 – What Pensioners Need to Know www.poundsandsense.com/winter-fuel-...
New on PAS: Get up to 25 Hours of Free Electricity with Uswitch’s ‘Power Hours’ Scheme www.poundsandsense.com/get-up-to-25...
Get up to 25 Hours of Free Electricity with Uswitch’s 'Power Hours' Scheme - Pounds and Sense
If you’re looking for ways to ease the pressure of rising energy bills, here’s a scheme you might want to check out. The online price-comparison service Uswitch has launched a new offer giving househo...
www.poundsandsense.com
October 28, 2025 at 11:35 AM
New on PAS: Get up to 25 Hours of Free Electricity with Uswitch’s ‘Power Hours’ Scheme www.poundsandsense.com/get-up-to-25...
Win one of 3 ukuleles, and other great prizes too, in the Ukulele Project 2025 Prize Draw. It's a fundraiser for a UK ukulele charity and a very worthwhile cause 🪕 www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/qW8258B...
Strum Up a Win! Ukulele Project 2025 Prize Draw
Strum, support & win! Every ticket helps The Ukulele Project spread joy, tackle loneliness & build community through music
www.crowdfunder.co.uk
October 11, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Win one of 3 ukuleles, and other great prizes too, in the Ukulele Project 2025 Prize Draw. It's a fundraiser for a UK ukulele charity and a very worthwhile cause 🪕 www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/qW8258B...
Reposted by Pounds and Sense
October 6, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Enhanced switching offer! Right now if you switch to EDF Energy you can get a FREE £75 credited to your energy account. Offer ends 14 October 2025. Terms and conditions apply edfenergy.com/quote/refer-... #ad
Gas & Electricity Quote | Compare Energy Prices | EDF
EDF Energy My Account
edfenergy.com
October 6, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Enhanced switching offer! Right now if you switch to EDF Energy you can get a FREE £75 credited to your energy account. Offer ends 14 October 2025. Terms and conditions apply edfenergy.com/quote/refer-... #ad
New on PAS: My Investments Update - October 2025 www.poundsandsense.com/my-investmen...
My Investments Update - October 2025 - Pounds and Sense
Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my September 2025 Investments Update here if you like. I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest...
www.poundsandsense.com
October 4, 2025 at 2:17 PM
New on PAS: My Investments Update - October 2025 www.poundsandsense.com/my-investmen...
New on PAS: Get a Free Share Worth Up To £100 With Trading 212 www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-s...
Get a Free Share Worth Up To £100 With Trading 212 - Pounds and Sense
Offer reopened September 2025! Today I’m featuring a way you can get a free fractional share worth up to £100 by signing up with an online share trading platform called Trading 212. Trading 212 is unu...
www.poundsandsense.com
September 17, 2025 at 10:19 AM
New on PAS: Get a Free Share Worth Up To £100 With Trading 212 www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-s...