Many people find that they may just want to get back to work and go on as before but this may not be entirely possible and it can be easy to feel down but there are actually so many options available that are worth looking into.

Working Hard from Home

There are a great many jobs that can be done from home and allow a great deal of flexibility when it comes to health appointments and days when you are unable to work comfortably. As business becomes more mobile with laptops and smartphones allowing employees to work at home comfortably, there are many more opportunities to work from a home office.

While on certain benefits it is even possible to do a small amount of permitted work per week and continue claiming benefits as long as the hours or pay does not breach the weekly limits and is declared to the Department of Work and Pensions and Tax Office. This can be particularly useful if you are looking to ease gradually back into work and can be very therapeutic, allowing you to gain more confidence and even learn new skills as well as helping to top up your finances.

Learning to Earning

While also on benefits, some funding is available to put towards education so you could always retrain in another field and your new qualifications could take you a great deal further as you attempt to get back into work.

If you want to go freelance and fit your job around your health commitments, you could always consider being self employed. This is a particularly useful thing to do if there are few jobs around; many companies look for contractors and freelance staff for pieces of work so it can be beneficial for both parties to be able to offer your services.

Not too Taxing

You may think that self employment could be difficult or that you may struggle with filling in your tax return but HMRC is very helpful and there is plenty of free advice in your local area when it comes to filling out tax returns.

In certain roles, if you are paying for your own travel to reach particular sites to perform your job and you are using your own vehicle or travel on public transport which you pay for yourself, you could even apply for a tax refund and sites such as http://riftuk.com/CIS/index.aspx can be a great help with this.

There are many roles that can be done from home and when diagnosed with an illness or disability, it may not always be practical for you to work but if you are itching to get back in the thick of it on a flexible part time basis, it is worth pursuing various opportunities.

Ben Freeman is a freelance writer writing articles on everything ranging from looking after your finances to advice on getting on in the world of technology.

What is medical negligence?

Any error that resulted in greater harm to a patient seeking medical care is categorized as medical negligence. Because you are placing your life in the care of another, you have the right to expect that it be treated with the utmost professional courtesy. While some events are unforeseeable and doctors cannot control everything, cases of egregious medical error or when the standard of care is lower than the accepted industry standards are on the rise.

For example, in one notable case from 2009, a woman was admitted to the hospital due to complaints of numbness and discoloration in her hand and arm. She had seen a rheumatologist earlier in the year for osteoarthritis and was advised to begin a course of steroid injections in her hands. However, after her first injection when the needle was inserted into her thumb, she began to experience the pain and tingling. After a two-week stay in the hospital, the patient’s thumb continued to turn black and she was told it would have to be amputated. In addition to the loss of her thumb on her dominant hand, she still experiences pain and tingling in her arm. With the help of a solicitor, she was able to secure £85, 000 in compensation for these drastic injuries.

If you are the victim of medical negligence, you should consider filing a medical negligence claim for compensation. Injuries incurred as a result of poor-quality health care should not bankrupt you or prevent your ability to live your life. Keep reading to learn more about how to file a medical negligence claim.

How to file a medical negligence claim

If you feel that you have been impacted by medical negligence, your first step is to meet with a solicitor who specializes in medical law and negligence cases. In many cases, attorneys will offer the first meeting free of charge to determine whether you have a case. If you do, your lawyer will set up meetings with the hospital personnel to determine what happened. Your lawyer will also help you determine an appropriate amount for compensation. Some cases can be settled out of court while others may need to be settled before a judge.

Either way, nobody should have to suffer due to medical negligence. Even if you win your case, money may not be able to correct the wrong that was done to you, particularly if the mistake led to major health problems. But pursuing compensation is also a way to see that health care practitioners pay for their mistakes. In a way, these claims force the entire industry to be more careful about avoiding medical negligence. So if you have a complaint, make sure you meet with a lawyer and learn about the different options for pursuing your case.

How? By downloading the very latest and the very best money saving apps. To give you a head start on your frugal living we’ve compiled a list of the most helpful apps.

1. My Supermarket Mobile – There’s no doubt about it, food is an absolute necessity in life. Make your life a little easier with this app that will tell you the supermarkets with the best deals that’ll help you to save a few pennies.
2. 0870 – This app enables you to turn costly 0870, 0800 and 0845 numbers into local numbers, making you massive savings on your mobile phone bills.
3. Nosey Parker – Sick of paying a fortune for parking? Use this app to find all of the free parking areas in the area you’re in – perfect for those times when you visit new areas for a spot of shopping.
4. Fuel School – This app uses GPS tracking to analyse your routes and advise you on the most fuel efficient driving styles and routes as well as offering eco driving tips.
5. Account Tracker – Do your finances require a little analysing? Use this app to control your accounts, showing you clearly when money goes in and when monkey is due to come out.
6. Cashpointer – Sometimes it’s difficult to find a cash point, this app shows you where the nearest one is as well as whether or not you’ll be charged to withdraw. Get us a tenner out, will you?
7. Skype – You can now get the skype app on your phone and tablet devices allowing you to make video calls all around the world for absolutely free.
8. Hot Deals – The Hot Deals app checks out all of the very best deals and money-off offers from a variety of different retailers.

Get these apps downloaded on your mobile or tablet device ASAP to start saving the pennies, then the pounds will take care of themselves.

Shop Around and Compare

It is easy to become complacent and stick with what you know, but this is exactly what your energy, insurance and phone providers are banking on. When they raise their prices they are quite complacent in the knowledge that very few of their customers will take the time to shop around and research cheaper providers.

But it is not as time consuming as you think. Just set aside a morning or afternoon and shop around online for the cheapest deals on all your household bills. A great place to start is with a price-comparison website, which will conveniently list the majority of service providers and their prices in one place, making it easy for you to compare like for like.

You can use comparison websites for almost any utility bill. Perhaps you have been using the same energy provider for years. If so, you are almost certain to find a cheaper deal by switching to a more competitive provider. You could save up to £200 a year on your electricity bill simply by switching. You can also save money by paying by direct debit.

And on the subject of energy consumption, don’t forget to take the simple but effective steps of switching off lights in empty rooms and changing your light bulbs to low-energy ones, saving approximately £6 a year for every bulb you change. By turning your appliances off instead of leaving them on standby you could also save £37 a year.

Bundles

Another great way to make some savings is to look for telephone and internet providers that offer their services in bundles. Often an all-inclusive charge for line rental and broadband will be cheaper than paying for them separately. Many companies also often have special offers running where you could get a mobile phone or even a laptop thrown in with the deal.

Insurance

Home and car insurance is another area where it pays to shop around each year when you need to renew your policies. Just because your current provider gave you a great deal last year, it doesn’t mean they will have the same offer this year. In fact, that great deal you got last year may only have been to lure you in and meant that they would raise your premiums the following year. Always shop around for your insurance every year as you could potentially save a few hundred pounds by switching to another company.

So why not try shopping around for cheaper deals today? It’s easier than you think to switch providers and in the battle for your custom there will always be some good bargains on offer.

This guest post was written by Tony on behalf of IVA Expert. Tony hails from the UK and has an interest in money management and saving tips.

IFA’s often have years of experience in dealing with financial products and can offer unbiased advice on a wide range of options tailored to your personal circumstances. In most cases, they can give you better advice than most high street lenders who tend to just plug their range of products, reducing your choice and thus reducing your chance of making the most of your financial situation.

What’s an IFA?
The term Financial Advisor includes three categories of people. There are ‘tied’ advisors, who work for a particular institution such as a bank or insurer, and offer only financial products provided by that company. There are ‘multi-tied’ advisors, who offer a broader range of products, but are still limited to certain companies. Then there are independent financial advisors (IFAs) who are not tied to anyone and can therefore offer whole-of-market advice.

The advantages of this are obvious: with more products on offer, an IFA is better placed to find the one that will best suit you. But crucially, this independence also removes an element of self-interest, because the financial advisor is not necessarily paid by the owner of the financial product he or she recommends. The option to charge by fee rather than commission is one of the defining characteristics of an IFA, and the reason they can be considered properly independent.

Getting Genuine Financial Advice
If you are about to spend money on getting the right financial advice, you will want to make sure the advice they give is genuinely independent, rather potential influenced by the IFA’s own degree of self-interest. Buy selling you products that could earn him commission and tied benefits. Before you exchange any money for the services of a IFA – they should initial offer you a free consultation to discuss your financial circumstances and their fees. If you subsequently decide to take the advice offered, you will need to pay the quoted fee, or opt to pay by commission (which may affect the value of any investments over time, since it can come out of your regular payments). Many financial products can only be organised through the services of an IFA, which means you cannot simply take the free advice and arrange them directly yourself.

Above all, you should expect transparency from your financial advisor. Their job is to give you the best possible advice on matters of investments, pensions, insurance, tax, inheritance planning, and so on. You should receive illustrations and projections of your chosen financial products, as well as clear explanations for why these products have been chosen. There should be no reason to doubt their impartiality, which is why the elimination of potential self-interest by charging a fee rather than commission can bring peace of mind. In other words, an independent financial advisor works for you – not for a big financial institution.

This article was supplied by impartial, trusted financial advisors in Norwich, Norfolk, SGWealthManagement.co.uk who serve individuals and organisations throughout Norfolk, East Anglia and the south-east.

This article was supplied by FSA regulated financial advice Norwich specialists SG Wealth Management who serve individuals and organisations throughout Norfolk, East Anglia and the south-east.

Making a personal commitment to ensure Valentine’s Day 2013 will be one to enjoy means cutting down on spending, paying off those debts on  bad credit cards and freeing up some cash to squirrel away.

Paying off debts can seem like an impossible task, especially if you have multiple bad credit cards or different creditors. However, by prioritising one at a time, it is possible to slowly tackle the mountain of borrowing and get your finances back on an even keel.

There are different ways to go about deciding where to start. If you need a morale boost, opting for the loan with the smallest balance will mean that you clear it far more quickly, giving you a lift and spurring you on. However, the most sensible way to go about it economically is by identifying which bad credit cards or loans charge the highest rate of interest and aiming to pay them off first.

Once you have paid for all your essentials, putting all of your spare cash into paying off one debt – while ensuring you have paid at least the minimum on all of the others – is a sure-fire way to reduce your borrowings, one step at a time. And having a structured approach will also make you feel more confident that you will be able eventually to become debt-free.

To enjoy a more financially stable future, you need to show your money a bit of love. Finances need as much TLC as relationships in order to flourish. Simply ignoring them means you will inevitably end up in a mess.

Research has shown that if you label your savings you are more likely to put money away and at a greater rate. Therefore, rather than just having a ‘savings account’ in the bank, you could have ‘Rainy day money’ and ‘Holiday in Europe’ funds. By separating your savings goals and labelling them, it is much easier to see the progress you are making and visualise the end result.

You may think that you have absolutely no spare cash to save but if you scrutinise your spending habits you will probably find you waste a fair bit of money on needless expenses. Ask yourself whether you have the best deal on your mortgage? Do you pay more for your energy than you should? Would a different bank account provide you with more benefits?

Many people stick to the same providers out of habit and familiarity when they could save a lot of cash by switching. Even changing the supermarket used for the main shop can provide substantial savings and having several loyalty cards means you don’t lose out on special discounts or points.

There’s many ways to both pay off debts and to start saving and the most important thing is to give your finances the attention they deserve. Looking after your money properly needn’t be hard work and could be the start of a beautiful relationship.

The first step in planning is assessing how much money you currently have in your account. Do you have a savings account which you can readily transfer money into on a monthly basis? If not it is definitely worth setting one up and shopping around for those with the best interest rates. If things are really bad you might consider taking out short term loans after carefully selecting a good deal.

For those of you in permanent full-time employment, it is relatively easy to work out how much money you will have coming in based on your wages. Whether you get paid by the hour or you have an annual salary, take some time to look back over your pay slips and think about the regular income that you rely upon. How much money is taken off for example in tax and national insurance or a student loan and what are you left with after this? Your spouse or partner’s income can also be included in this if you have a joint bank account that you both contribute to.

Now that you know exactly how much you have to work with, your monthly expenditures have to be taken off. Everybody has payments they make regularly for mortgages or rent, council tax, television licenses, broadband and other essentials. Costs for childcare can be expensive, particularly for those with several children who are not yet in school. Even if your child only needs afterschool care this can add up.

Once you have completed these steps you should have a realistic idea of how much will be left over for additional expenditures such as food, ad hoc bills or car fuel, to name just a few. One good way of figuring out how much you need for these types of costs is to try and keep receipts for all your outgoings, at least for one month. That way it will be simpler to budget and attempt to save some money at the same time. You may realise for example that you are spending a massive amount on those coffees you buy every day, an easy thing to cut out of the routine.

Finally, the benefit of saving will be that you can start making plans for that holiday you’ve always wanted to go on but could never afford. Make sure you set some money aside for a regular weekly or monthly treat, this will make it all worthwhile!

You can convert your pension to a lump sum through a buy-out if you want to take early retirement. To do this, you’ll need to calculate its present value, that is, what it would be worth on the day you want to convert it. The calculations would include the number of years the pension is due to be paid out and the interest rate that would be paid on the pension. Using a series of calculation steps, you can determine the figure you’d receive if your pension were paid today in a lump sum. You can follow the formula yourself or ask your investment counsellor to do it for you.

Conversely, you may be asking yourself if your pension will provide the income you want when you retire. Conventional wisdom says that a comfortable retirement requires about 20 years of savings at your current salary. However, this is often unrealistic. What you want to know is whether your pension plan will run out before you die, and if you need to step up your savings plan.

First you’ll need to determine your expected monthly expenses after you retire. You need to include basic needs such as housing and transportation. Don’t forget to add in health care costs. Then you’ll want to add in extras such as travel, home upgrades, hobbies or similar costs. Then you’ll need to calculate the income you can expect from the pension, other retirement savings plans, Social Security and investments. If your estimated expenses far outpace your income, don’t panic. You have several options. You can start saving more now, change the ways you’re investing or scale back your anticipated lifestyle.

Knowing what your pension is worth and deciding whether you want a pension release or what it will take to retire comfortably is critical, even if you have just a handful of years before you reach retirement age. You’ll be able to make informed decisions in a timely and judicious manner instead of reacting quickly and foolishly if you find your pension doesn’t meet your needs.

To give you some inspiration or an idea of what you have been missing out on by heading abroad, this post looks at the great locations and activities which are right on your door step and which happen to be affordable; having an action packed holiday doesn’t need to cost you the earth as this blog explains. So why not take advantage of what is right on your doorstep?

Great Holiday Destinations

From the Norfolk Broads all the way to the Peak District, we have a wonderful and awe inspiring array of locations in Britain that should be grabbed with both hands and explored. If trekking up a hillside doesn’t appeal to your sense of adventure, or sailing in the blustering wind fails to revive you – there are many hidden gems in the form of City break in the thriving city of London to name just one. So before you sidestep the UK as a potential holiday location, do a bit of research and you might find yourself hooked.

Fun and Affordable Activities for the Whole Family

If you want to please the whole family, you might believe that this requires a lot of money, but you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s surprising what is right in front of you, and once you realise, you might find it’s a struggle to go back to the generic beach holiday abroad, and opt instead for the cheap and cheerful holidays which are a short car journey away

There are lots of fun activities to suit families with young children, those who are young free and single and even the loved up couples.

Some of the activities which are readily available in the UK include;

• Go Ape
• Paintballing
• Bowling
• Rock Climbing
• Canoeing
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Sailing
• Theme parks
• Water Parks
• Beach Days
• Exploring Caves
• Shopping centres
• Hot air balloon rides
• Zorbing
• Helicopter Rides
• Zoo Day Trip
• Restaurants and Bars
• Spa Retreats
• Quad Biking

As you can see – the UK has it all. It’s not just about location and available activities, you will also find some of the best holiday homes, apartments, hotels and bed and breakfast establishments around. You will always find something to match your budget, style and personal requirements with ease.

Top Tip: If you are still struggling to find a holiday which suits your budget, then it’s often worthwhile keeping an eye out for hot deals and online vouchers. There are lots of sites which are aimed at giving you the best deals, Groupon, myvouchercodes.co.uk and Hotukdeals.co.uk being among the top ten.

Thrifty Travelling Ideas

Although traveling by car is more affordable then a plane, depending on what time of year you decide to go away the traffic can seriously bump up your petrol usage. This is one of the top reasons why going away at the end of September, October and start of November are great for going away on holiday, as the kids are back at school, the majority of people have already been on holiday, giving you the chance to travel down the motorway completely uninterrupted. It also increases your chances of getting a fantastic deal.

If you don’t feel like driving, public transport is a great and affordable alternative and one that if you’re holidaying on a budget should definitely be considered. You can get a bus or a train down to your chosen location. However coaches in particular are really cheap, especially if you are savvy enough to book far enough in advance.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your walking boots, your suitcase and your pre-booked coach ticket and start travelling. A UK break in a stunning holiday home or cheap hotel deal from hoteley.com could be the perfect holiday for you, but you never know until you’ve tried it.

P.S. Let me know how you get on.

This article was written by Gayle Brown on behalf of StoneHills; providing luxury holiday homes across the UK.

It’s only natural that when buying a house the last thing on your mind will be how much you can sell it for. However, it’s never too early to start thinking about ways to bump up the eventual sale price and save yourself a decent lump of cash over the years.

It’s important to differentiate between the aforementioned shutters, and the extremely unappealing metal fixtures pulled down over shop windows at nights. Whilst these are ghastly, industrial fittings, the interior shutters are an extremely nice window treatment which can be customised in a variety of ways with a wide variety of colour schemes and designs.

One way that shutters are extremely cost-effective is when it comes to utility bills. If you look at it from a scientific point of view, the close proximity in which the shutters hang to the window allows for very little heat to leave a room and, likewise, hardly any cold air to enter from the outside. This allows a home-owner total control over the temperature in a room, meaning they can have the heating on as low as they like.

From a more human perspective, there’s potential for insurance companies to be more generous on home insurance quotes if you have a set of shutters fitted. These quotes can be based on a strenuous inspection of the home and shutters are likely to work in your favour as they are a potential deterrent to burglars. If you were a burglar, would you rather negotiate shutters or a simple pair of curtains? As a result of this, you shouldn’t be surprised to see people selling homes sometimes list the shutters as a key feature.

Buying a home is a stressful experience, and most likely to be the biggest purchase of your life. Whilst in the short term you may not want to consider spending even more money on home improvement, it’s important to consider the long term benefits of shutters which, over the years, could end up paying for themselves.