Interesting Facts

According to figures released by the Circle Housing organisation, about 7 million people in the UK are expected to take out a loan to cover the crippling cost of Christmas. (It gets worse; according to the Money Advice Service, one million Brits will use a payday loan to cover the cost of Christmas while a third of adults will use credit cards.  Two of the most expensive ways of borrowing money. In 2012 Brits spent an average of £1,000 per household on Christmas and some of them haven't paid that back yet. The harsh reality is, if you can't afford to buy something without paying with credit, don't buy it.  If you are feeling pressured into buying presents you can't afford, be honest and tell people, including your children, you simply can't afford it. They will be more understanding than you think, and you can offer to start a fund to buy their "must have" item later when you have enough to buy it with hard cash.  If you have to have something to wrap...

According to a survey carried out by Esure home insurance, couples in the UK bicker and argue around 2,455 times a year. That's equal to almost seven times a day. (The most likely topics for conflict were: over-spending, money in general, laziness, snoring, and even what to eat for dinner. So if you are married to a profligate, lazy, snoring glutton, you are doomed.)

According to researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), education spending in the UK is facing the largest cut since the 1950s. (According to their research, public spending on UK education will fall by 14.4% between 2010-11 and 2014-15. School and college building projects will suffer the most from cuts to funding. The budgets for these projects will be more than halved. Universities will fare the next worst with a 40% cut, although this will be offset by higher tuition fees of up to £9,000. The education of 16 to 19-year-olds and the under-fives will each suffer a 20% funding fall in real terms, the study found. The Conservative Party - Tough on education, tough on the causes of education.)

The average German household spends €2,358 a month. (That's why I can't really afford to live here.)