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UK sole traders: what admin task steals the most time each week?
Hi all, I’m researching workflow friction for UK sole traders/non-employing business owners basically. Where time gets burned during a normal week. This is not a promotion. I’m trying to understand the real day-to-day reality before building anything. Would love your input: * What part of running your business steals the…
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Shorten trousers
I've bought a pair of leather jeans with unfinished long leg hems, I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion on how to temporarily shorten them securely so I can wear and decide on length I finally decide I want to turn them up to. Also how best to shorten them - simply cut? or a smarter way? I've searched and glue or tape…
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Lose weight with Slimming World in 2025, You know you want to.
Time for a new Slimming World thread as we go into 2025. Feel free to join in. We are all at different stages of our journey & some are awesome target members. We are a lovely supportive wee group. Some go to group & some go it alone. As we move into new year feel free to pop in to our lovely thread. All welcome.
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Another Britannia Parking Charge
Received a Britannia Parking Charge. See amended URL's below showing redacted…
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I have no clue how to best partition my savings.
Hello All, I am 21 and in a relatively privileged position. I work within the NHS and earn a good salary; my specific job role is about as recession-proof as they come. I live with my parents and have minimal overheads. The main objective for my savings is to afford a mortgage. I have no immediate need to move out, but…
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All change for 2025
I thought I'd start a new diary to have a fresh start. After almost 21 years in my job, I've recently been placed at risk of redundancy. I'll find out for sure in the new year. If I manage to successfully challenge the redundancy, things will be very different at that employer next year, and if I do go, there will be a…
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Large income gap, would you expect the lower earning partner to still work for money?
At what point does expecting the lower-earning partner to work and contribute financially start to become a bit… pointless, or even controlling? Say Partner A earns around £290K a year (desk job), while Partner B can realistically max out at about £31K even with all the overtime in the world (manual job). If you were…
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Limited number of withdrawals accounts - close and reopen
I just opened a triple access savings account with my bank, having opened the same account, made 3 withdrawals, closing it on the 3rd withdrawal, earlier in the year. I was half expecting the application to be blocked on the basis that I had already held the same account during the same year and closed it, but no, it was…
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Fixed rate accounts
My Father in law has Dementia and is in a care home, my wife has both lasting power of attorney, so she has access to his bank account. We hope to complete on the sale of his bungalow early January, so, around £280k will go into his current account, so I was thinking about opening a fixed rate ISA and some fixed rate…
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NST December 2025 A Different December
NST December 2025 A Different December I'm quite taken with some of this year's adverts - 2 adults reverting to childhoood and arguing over who's mum's favourite, remembering the forgotten item once you're outside the SM and mum and turkey entering to complete silence and enquiring "What happened?". The reply "I expressed…
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Nationwide or Barclays
I am thinking of remortgaging to one of these two (from HSBC) so my 3 mortgage accounts with HSBC combine. I notice Barclays don't do execution only and I have done an AIP with nationwide and the link says further valuation assessment needed. Does this mean both lenders send out valuers for a straight forward remortgage?…
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Uber eats service
Recently ordered food from a fast food restaurant app who used Uber Eats to deliver the food On arrival the food was completely cold so I contacted Uber eats who said that as it came within their set delivery time this was considered acceptable and so no help or refund would be granted . How is it considered acceptable to…
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Scottish Power urgent help needed
Hi all, I’m looking for advice on a billing dispute with ScottishPower. I’ve been charged £3,443 for electricity over the past year, despite not having a smart meter and charging my EV overnight — which should qualify me for an EV-friendly tariff. Here’s the situation: • My actual usage is ~13,600 kWh/year (split ~7,300…
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MF Just Shy of 40??
Hi. I am currently 37 (So is my partner). Always been financially savvy and earn very good money - Occupation - (Projects Engineer/Manager - O&G Pipelines). We live in our forever home and have two children, (Daughter 9.5y & Son 2y). Lived here since March 2014, over the years paid around £15,000 in overpayments. Our…
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Aviva final bonus query
I've got an old deferred Aviva stakeholder pension. It's worth £189k and given that I will likely be drawing from it from 2030 to 2040, I've recently de-risked from what was almost all equities plus some old with-profits, to a more balanced set of funds, retaining the with-profits fund. I am contemplating moving to an…
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Google Nest > New modem
The details for the nest/mini (have one of each) (on Google Play/mobile phone) still show the old modem details, hence no connection. How to change to the new network connection/router? Have looked at all the helps/tutorials, but stilll no flipping good ! TIA
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8.5 kW Bifacial PV System: ~7 year ROI: Fact OR fiction?
Updated system size is 8.45kW at a total installed cost of £10.5K. Current ROI is forecast at 6.5 years. Hi there, I've recently been quoted for solar panels from 3 installers referred by Solarguide. My guidance to these companies was maximum solar power yield per panel for their proposals. Quote: The LG panels are dual…
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A Very MSE Advent 2025
Welcome old and new faces to A Very MSE Advent 🎄 Our advent runs from the 1st December to the 24th I originally set this diary up because while pleased for my friends, I was envious of their fancy advent calendars and wanted to appreciate what I did have- and save a few quid! Your advent can be anything you like, such as…
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Mellow Fruitfulness
Our Autumn OATs (Outstanding Annoying Tasks) thread With thanks to Keats and the Met Office for the thread title https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/seasons/autumn/autumn-facts I think my main OAT aim this autumn is to get a lot of foodstuffs out of the cupboards and not wasted, which is going to have to…
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Will HMRC check the untaxed interest that I have given them?
On 7 December 2025 HMRC issued my P800 for 2024/25 with an untaxed interest amount of £666. This figure was incorrect and I phoned them the next day. We compared their actual figures with mine and discovered that they didn't have anything from RBS, Naitonwide and First Direct. The revised interest was £1,195 and their…
