{"id":330,"date":"2020-09-15T11:20:35","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T10:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.redstareducation.co.uk\/blog\/?p=330"},"modified":"2020-09-15T11:20:35","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T10:20:35","slug":"look-after-your-finances-in-a-recession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redstareducation.co.uk\/blog\/look-after-your-finances-in-a-recession\/","title":{"rendered":"Look after your Finances in a Recession"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With the UK currently experiencing the biggest financial slump on record, the corona virus lockdown measures have pushed the UK into an official recession. The period between April and June saw the economy shrink by over 20% compared to the first three months of 2020. Household spending reduced dramatically as shops were forced to close their doors, and manufacturing and construction output declined.<\/p>\n<p>As anyone who experienced the UK\u2019s last recession in 2009 will no doubt recall unemployment and personal debt rose, while earnings fell. And once the recession had been brought under control, it took at least five years for the economy to fully recover, illustrating the length of time that households need to be financially prepared for. A recession is a worrying time for anyone, but there are things we can all do to ensure our finances are in the best shape possible when facing economic challenges:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Focus on existing debts<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use any spare money to pay down any expensive debt you have, such as credit cards or personal loans. Begin with the debt that has the highest interest rate and start paying that off first, before moving to the next highest interest rate. Reducing this burden off your finances could really help if times get tough. If there is simply no spare cash to funnel into paying off debt, your focus should be on reducing the cost of the debt. Interest rates are at record lows right now, which means the cost of debt has fallen too. People with better credit scores will find they have more options, but shifting debt to a zero per cent interest credit card or a personal loan on a cheaper interest rate is a great option, meaning you can use more of your capital to pay down the actual debt rather than just servicing the interest. Interest-free overdrafts and payment holidays on loans and credit cards are also available from lenders but be aware that payment holidays will still charge interest, so it can cost more in the long term.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Build up an emergency savings pot\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s always good advice to build up an emergency pot of cash that can be utilized if income is reduced or unexpected costs suddenly appear. In the UK one in eight adults have absolutely no savings at all, while 45 per cent of the population have less than \u00a32,000 in cash, meaning a large proportion of the country could be financially exposed during a crisis. Aim to build up between three to six months of outgoings; add up all your bills and work out how much you need.\u00a0If this is just not possible then save any amount that you can. This money should be readily available, so use an easy-access current account rather than one where access to the money might be restricted.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shop around for the best deals on all your services\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Generate extra cash each month by making sure you\u2019re paying the cheapest price for all your services and utilities. Start firstly with the big expenses such as mortgage payments. Check you\u2019re on the most competitive mortgage rate, which could mean savings of hundreds of pounds each month.\u00a0Extending the term (or the length) of your mortgage can ensure the monthly repayments are lower. This method will cost more in the long run, as you\u2019ll be paying interest on the debt for longer, but it can be an effective strategy for saving for the short term. Next, look at any unnecessary direct debits or bills that have increased. Cheaper energy and streaming\/satellite TV deals are available \u2013 access new, cheaper deals by checking the many price comparison websites and see what deals are out there.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cut out the \u2018Invisible Spending\u2019<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Spending money regularly on things that are simply not needed is very common. With cash payments becoming less frequent, and online shopping and card transactions on the rise, it can be very easy to lose track of just how much we spend on unnecessary items. This is Invisible Spending. Take a look at the previous few months\u2019 bank statements and work out where your money is going. You may be surprised at how much money is being spent on items that are just not necessary. Once the amount of invisible spending has been clearly identified, the next step is to cut it down, or to completely eradicate it. This will free up more cash to either ensure the essential bills can be paid, or to contribute to the emergency savings pot.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Explore alternative sources of income <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Generate extra income by looking at the possibility of a second job, or by learning a new skill. With job security declining, an alternative source of income can provide extra revenue at a time when it is most needed. As well as this, online opportunities to access extra income are plentiful, such as selling old clothes, household items or collectibles on one of the many buying and selling websites available on the internet.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Although a recession is a hugely worrying time, investing some time and thought into adjusting your finances and constructing a viable financial plan could prove crucial in successfully navigating these latest economic challenges.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the UK currently experiencing the biggest financial slump on record, the corona virus lockdown measures have pushed the UK into an official recession. The period between April and June saw the economy shrink by over 20% compared to the first three months of 2020. Household spending reduced dramatically as shops were forced to close [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Look after your Finances in a Recession - Red Star Education Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.redstareducation.co.uk\/blog\/look-after-your-finances-in-a-recession\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Look after your Finances in a Recession - Red Star Education Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the UK currently experiencing the biggest financial slump on record, the corona virus lockdown measures have pushed the UK into an official recession. 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