Mums Finance

It is predicted that a record £400 million will be spent online today as Xmas shoppers take part in Britain’s busiest ever internet sales bonanza. The ‘Mega Monday’ figure is predicted to be up by 25% to a year ago as shoppers vote with their feet over the high cost of using the High Street stores. Soaring petrol prices and the prohibitive costs and stress of parking the car have fuelled the shift to online shopping for gifts this year.

A study published today suggests that Xmas parking charges will add up to a staggering £70million as some greedy councils cash in on the festive season. Also,  a 15% increase in petrol prices will increase the fuel bill for simply getting to the shops to around £8million. According to the credit card company, Visa, there will be almost 2.4 million online sales today which is the highest figure on record. The busiest period will be around lunchtime with a second peak around 7pm.

As usual it will be books, clothing, CDs, DVDs, toys, computer games and consoles that will top the sales lists with the online stores and companies like Amazon will be offering their usual free delivery service within the UK. I am  a dedicated Amazon shopper so will be taking advantage of this especially.

Popularity: 15% [?]

The online university has flourished in recent years and has fast become the most convenient way to gain a university degree. The biggest advantage these facilities offer is that they specifically cater to adults who otherwise, for some reason or another, were unable to attend mainstream university previously. For married women, retired folk – and mothers especially – untold opportunities for success have been opened to them.

But which one to choose…? you could consider Western Governors University for, say, an online teaching degree that will open up a whole new world for you. And that’s just a quick example. The Student body is a diverse range of individuals from many walks of life with the average age of the students being 36 and encompasses the range of ages from people in their 20’s to people in their 60’s. Accreditation is what counts when choosing an online university and WGU is fully accredited both regionally and nationally so that your eventual qualifications are recognised right across the States. For those who are interested in studying Nursing you can now apply to study for their degree that now carries full national recognition from the CCNE.

Student life is as full and vital as on any other campus only meeting with fellow students who already have life education and skills makes the experience all that more interesting and fulfilling. Just because you are studying for an online degree does not mean there is no integration – you do get plenty of opportunity to mix and meet with your fellow students. WGU also offers various options for financing with tuition and financial aid as well as that all important Student Survival Guide – maybe one day you will become a member of the Alumni. Check them out and start building a new future today.

Popularity: 19% [?]

We women might tease our men about their passion for the latest gadgets and gizmo’s but when you take a look around your house you realise that these things make up a large part of our own lives – and life would be a hell of a lot harder without them!

There’s your washing machine – something Gran would have loved to have had when she was a young bride; the mobile phone, your microwave, tumble dryer, coffee machine (and how would we survive the mornings without our coffee…?), and even the humble toaster which can not only toast but grill, defrost and cook as well. You might not consider these things as ‘high-tech’ so much but our mums and Grans from only one or two generations back certainly would. These ‘must haves’ have now become fashion accessories as much as necessities.

Cookware has gone ‘designer’ and sexy thanks to the likes of Jamie Oliver and Nigella, Alessi has transformed the boring hand held vacuum cleaner and geeky-girlies will all want the new Vivienne Tam Laptop. No longer is it enough to have all the mod cons to make our lives less hectic, we need them to look great as well.

Popularity: 15% [?]