It is known to many that car insurance for 18 year old drivers are very high since they are associated with the 17-21 group which has a very high risk profile. It is quite common for a person within that age group to receive quotes in excess of £2,500 and when you think that the young driver has only spent £1,200 to buy a car, the premiums are quite significant compared to what the car is really worth. So the question is whether the young drivers should go ahead and purchase the insurance cover at this extortionate price or find an alternative.
Driving without insurance is not an option because it is illegal and if you’re caught, you can face a prison sentence and lose your licence. It’s not worth the trouble and what drivers who are only 18 years old should be focussing on is how to make their insurance affordable. Many of these young drivers under-estimate the importance of doing the pass plus course which can potentially reduce their premiums by upto 40%. The reason for not doing the course is probably because they no longer want to be learning again and just want to go ahead and drive. If that’s possible, then by all means, do so but if you’re struggling for a reasonable car insurance quote, then don’ t forget that the pass plus course can be really beneficial.
There are other things which you can do to help lowering your quote like adding extra security devices to help prevent your car from being stolen or make it easier to track if stolen. You can also increase your voluntary excess in an attempt to bring your quote further down.
As with everything else, patience is a virtue and by driving safely over a period of time, 18 year olds can get cheap car insurance quotes when they’ve accummulated enough no claims bonus to reward them.
Having purchased my washing machine in 2004 the 5 year parts and warranty had now expired as well as the 3 year warranty that you purchase when you buy it but my Hotpoint washing machine was playing up. I preferred to have a Hotpoint engineer come out to repair it rather than a cowboy who may have charge me more. I had a quick look on the website and it stated ‘fixed price repairs’ £74.98, when I called they said it would cost around £105, I said it was cheaper on the website and they said that it was from£74.98.
Cost of repair from Hotpoint
There are two options for payment when I called, the first was a one off fee of £105 but if the engineer found nothing wrong the money would not be refunded. The second option was 10 monthly payments of £16.49 totalling £164.90 if the engineer couldn’t repair the machine the money would be refunded. I went for the second option just in case it was something silly; the washing machine also gets a year’s cover when purchasing the second option.
Washing machine problem
The problem with my washing machine is that after the wash cycle it refuses to rinse and spin, I thought maybe I had overloaded the machine one too many times and the bearings had gone stopping the drum from spinning. The only way I could get the machine to work is to select half load where less water would be used and the drum would actually spin. The policy did say that if the machine couldn’t be repaired I would have been able to purchase one half the price through Hotpoint rather than full price on the high street. I was hoping this would not be the case as it was a very good washing machine that had given me no problems until now.
The repair
When the engineer came out he asked about the problem and checked the drum, all was fine so he tilt it forward to check the motor and drainage. You guessed it the filter was so clogged up that the water would not leave the drum. That’s why my washing machine would not spin because the water couldn’t penetrate the filter and had nowhere to go. I felt so silly that I have now got to pay £164.90 for a year’s unnecessary cover and all that was wrong was the filter got clogged up!
Verdict
The engineer also told me not to use colour catcher or whitener as the paper casing clogs up the filter, I saw this also as he cleaned out my washing machine filter. He also said that all Hotpoint washing machines have a sensor and if the machine is not balanced it will not spin, the same applies of you only have one item to wash! I do think it was a rip off when I could have fixed the problem myself and I would advise others to check the internet before calling out an engineer. Chances are you can repair it yourself. Only attempt to repair it if the warranty has expired otherwise you may not be covered for tampering with it.
As my friend prepares for her imminent labour one of the silliest questions she felt she had to ask her midwife was will I poo during labour and if I do what happens? This is actually a very common questions that midwives are often asked. The answer is simple most women you do have bowel movement during childbirth don’t really know unless their partner or midwife tells them so. Midwifes have seen it all, and when a women does a poo during labour they just take it away without even mentioning it.
Pooing during water birth
Some women also have the fear of opening their bowels during a water birth, if the baby is born is soiled water it could have serious implications. Luckily when you have a water birth the midwife will be present so she will simply remove it with a net, similar to what you use to remove fish from a fish tank. If you decide to have a home water birth you will also receive a net as part of the package in case you do accidently do a poo.
How to prevent opening bowel during labour?
Some women claim that the body cleanses itself before going into labour and you will open your bowels a lot before the actual birth. As all women are different many women have stated that this is just not true and they were so embarrassed to have done a poo whilst in labour. Many women have claimed that taking iron supplements have made the problem worst, so if you suffer from anaemia you will have no choice than to take iron supplements. Avoid taking iron if you can as too much can make you open your bowels too often. Doctors advise you to eat plenty of fibre and drink a lot of fluids the week before you’re due as your body will cleanse itself that way. Once you are in labour avoid eating solid foods and drink plenty of water and soups instead. This should help preventing you from accidently pooing during labour.
Having an enema before childbirth?
Women who have had bad experiences of pooing during labour may be offered an enema before going into labour. It has been said that sometimes this is not offered and you may need to speak to your midwife beforehand. An enema will clean out your body prior to labour; it’s just like diarrhoea but a lot worse. When you are in labour you don’t even want to get up and use the toilet so it’s best to use the natural methods rather than have an enema as they are not really needed.
If your television, fridge or even car breaks down what would you do? I know most people would say that they could go without a television but with such crazy prices compared to just a few years ago you’d be stupid not to just buy a new one. A 50’’ television would cost well over £3000 a few years ago now they are selling for as little as £500, don’t believe me then shop around and see for your self.
When my dad’s fridge broke down a few weeks ago it was a little unexpected as it seemed to be fine, as my dad is a pensioner I offered to buy him a new one. As I set out to find a good reliable fridge he could use for years to come, he suggested I buy a second hand one instead to save some money.
When I had a look at second hand fridges they were really dated and you don’t really know how old they are. You could get a one for about £80 minus a year’s warranty so if anything should go wrong you’d have to fork out for the repairs.
I decided to buy him a larger fridge so he could store more food in the fridge and the freezer to save him going out every few days. I really wanted to buy him a branded fridge such as Hotpoint, Hoover or Samsung but I couldn’t really justify the £800 price tag. I shopped around online and found quite a few good deals under £300. As my dad is a very good handy person who has fixed many washing machines, bikes and even TV’s I knew a cheaper one would do as he could fix it should anything go wrong.
I narrowed the search down to three and one that stood out was FRIDGEMASTER MTRF200A WHITE 6.9 cu ft Fridge Freezer. The reviews were ok and for a single pensioner it should be ok. I never get extended warranty as appliances are most likely to break down after 5 years and in most cases you can purchase this directly from the manufacturer at a cheaper cost.
Fridgemaster MTRF200A
At the cost of £189.99 (2008) it was very reasonably priced, I did read the reviews and they were mixed. I do not really advise this for families as there isn’t really much room in the fridge compartment but the freezer size is very good. It’s not noisy and as my dad lives in a very small flat the fridge has to be in the open plan living / dining room where the TV is and we have never found it noisy. I would recommend this product as it has had no problems and is well suited for my single father who is a pensioner.
I have wanted to have some professional photos taken for me and my husband for a very long time now but I’m so lazy and don’t have the time to trawl through all the companies near me. My sister won a free makeover a few years ago and took my mum along with her. The pictures were amazing; she purchased a few of them but also got one free when she won. Since then I have seen many friends and a few cousins have professional makeovers and they all look really stunning! The latest were my two cousins who are sisters, I’m not sure if it was free but the pictures look really good and one of them even recommended I try it.
I got a call from The Studio based in Central London, Oxford Street today asking me if I was interested in a free makeover. I was as it was something I am looking into, he said that my cousin who had recently had hers done had referred me and he was just calling me trying to entice me over. He asked if I was over 18 (which I am) and asked if I was willing to travel into Central London, Oxford Street. I live around 2 hours away from Central London and taking the train is out of the question when I told the guy it was too far he started to tell me my options (as if I didn’t know). He really wanted me to travel a ridiculous distance to make it to this makeover.
Turning down a free makeover
I must be the first person in the world to turn down a free makeover! The sales guy then told me he travels 2 hours a day to get into work but even it was free I was not willing to travel into Central London by a manky train plagued with delays and faults. The sales person was extremely disappointed to say the least and gave up in the end.
I asked my husband if I made the right choice and he said it was up to me. I thought I had made a mistake by turning the offer down and went online to do some research. I have found that it is a rip off and a scam. You have to pay a refundable deposit of £30-£49 and pay for all your photos, I mean I knew I would have to pay for them but the prices are ridiculous. You can expect to pay up to £310 for just pictures! I knew nothing in the world is free anymore and I’m glad I declined. I would much rather pay for a professional photographer to take my pictures than go for a supposedly ‘free’ makeover. Beware it’s a money making scheme that seems to keep drawing in suckers!