Monster success

by on December 17th, 2010

We previously recommended StoryBird, a collaborative story making website, for parents and children to exercise their imaginations and learn in a fun way. Well, this one goes a bit further and is even more monster centric.

Described by some as Tamagotchi meets Facebook for 7-12 year olds, but with education thrown in, Moshi Monsters is a virtual world and online game, where people adopt and care for their very own pet monster.

With over 30m worldwide registered users, over 15m in the UK alone, users select and customize a monster, decorate it’s world and share it with friends.

Moshi Monsters

Recently the site was cruelly pipped for first place at the Bafta Kids awards in the web category, however with the launch of a merchandising line in time for Christmas, and a phenomenally successful gameplay that integrates an educational streak , the playful company, which takes it’s inspiration from the masters of animation Pixar, seems set for great things in 2012.

If you have children, the chances are they would adore it.  It’s free to join and but paying members can get all the cool extras.

Why we like it

OK, so it’s high on the monster quotia which always curries favour with us at ClearDebt, but the gameplay teaches some valuable lessons about managing your resources.

Caring for a points based virtual pet means playing with it and also feeding it. Overfeeding your monster will deplete your points, but under nourishing it can lead to hunger and foul moods, so the principles of being mindful of your resources is a valuable skill for children to learn.

Read a fuller review about Moshi Monsters here and visit the site at www.moshimonsters.com

ps. If you’re interested in the backstory of this company, I recommend viewing this video interview with the affable founder of Mind Candy, the company behind Moshi Monsters, Mr Michael Acton Smith.
P62NKJYTHN7Y

At ClearDebt, we take the issue of personal debt seriously. We also believe moments of humour are affordable to everyone, including those in a serious situation. This Friday blog post is part of the monsters series. If you are concerned about your personal finances, we recommend you get in touch by completing our online contact form or ask a ClearDebt advisor.

Tags: moshi, pet monster, virtual pets
Posted in Monsters | No Comments »

How to check the license of a debt management company

by on December 13th, 2010

With the recent news that the Office of Fair Trading has refused to permit debt management companies to use misleading trading names, the issue of quality continues to dog the debt management industry.

All UK debt management companies are obliged to display their license number. This video screencast shows how you can check the license of a debt management company in less than 2 minutes.

Display this video on your site using the code below:

Tags: license OFT
Posted in Managing Your Money | 1 Comment »

Do you prefer to pay with cards or cash?

by on December 9th, 2010


A new report released this month showed that plastic has overtaken cash when it comes to paying for goods. The number of debit card purchases has also risen ten percent over the summer of 2010 compared to last year.

It’s easy to see how cards can be a lot more convenient than carrying cash – personally I don’t like to carry around a big bulky purse full on coins if I can just take one card out with me instead. However I have to ask what effect this increase in card spending has on people’s ability to manage their finances and keep a track of their spending.

The differences between paying with cash and cards

Whether it’s a credit card, debit card or a prepaid card, there’s no denying the difference between the process of handing over your shiny plastic to pay for your purchase and then putting it back where it belongs in your purse or wallet and the action of paying with cash and not seeing that £20 note again. Having said that it is possible to keep a track of your budget when spending on cards (prepaid cards in particular like the ClearCash card have built-in budgeting tools and text message balance notifications) but for a lot of people all they receive is their monthly statement in the post from the bank and a lot of these go unopened and ignored.

Cash used as a budgeting tool

To further illustrate the power of cash, the BBC3 programme “Spendaholics” from a few years ago used the tactic of showing the spendaholics their weekly outgoings in cash. When presented with this pile of notes laid out in front of them, most of the spendaholics were shocked at how much money they were spending. I’ve also seen spending in cash being used a tip for people trying to manage their money – take your cash for essentials out at the beginning of the week and stick to that set amount as your budget, the theory is that having a set amount of cash on you will limit any unnecessary purchases.

So, are you a cash or a cards type of person? Leave your vote in our poll above and if you have any budgeting tips of your own to add please leave a comment!

Tags: budget tips, budgeting, cash, Credit Cards, prepaid cards, shopping, spending
Posted in Managing Your Money | 5 Comments »

Bargain-hunting more talked about than splashing the cash!

by on November 23rd, 2010


A report released last week by uSwitch claimed that Brits are no longer bragging and boasting about having the biggest and best possessions, instead, they’re comparing who’s got the best bargains.

The report suggested the reason behind this change is that people don’t want friends or family to think they are escaping the recession lightly and as such 79% of the people surveyed said they were more likely to show pride at how cheap their possessions were rather than the expensive cost.

Bagging a bargain

I’m not sure how many people were polled for this report and whilst I agree that in certain circles it’s becoming more fashionable to have bagged a bargain than to have paid full price, I don’t think the same is true when it comes to discussing debts.

From my experiences here at ClearDebt, I think being in debt is something the majority of people aren’t happy to admit and discuss proudly. Owing money and struggling to pay it back is very much different to finding a bargain and telling your friends how much you saved.

Thrifty with your money

The two could almost be complete opposites – showing that you are thrifty with your money is a sign that you’re surviving the recession, whilst having unmanageable debts show that you’re struggling.

We want to know how you feel when it comes to talking about your debts, vote in our poll and tell us if you’re comfortable discussing your debts with friends and family.

Tags: bargains, debt, Personal Debt, recession, Saving money, spending
Posted in Personal Debt | 1 Comment »

Marriage, Divorce and Debts

by on November 19th, 2010

With the announcement of the royal wedding this week everyone appears to have gone wedding mad! Many other couples are planning their weddings for 2011 (I have four in my calendar for next year already!) and for those with debts there are lots of questions and concerns.

We’ve answered a number of questions on the ClearDebt Community about getting married, going through separation and divorce whilst being in debt and here’s a selection:

Jen was in an IVA and engaged to be married. Her debts were all her own and she was concerned about how her change in marital status would affect her IVA and wanted to know if her husband would have to take responsibility for her debts. You can view the answer to her question here: my partner and I want to get married, how will this affect my IVA?

Michelle had a question about the debts her partner had run up before they met and wanted to know if she would become liable for these. She also asked if it would be best for her to hold off getting married until these debts had been cleared. You can view the answer to her question here: Am I now liable for the debt my partner accumulated before we met?

Anonymous was in an IVA and had decided to separate from their partner. They wanted to know if any allowances could be made to their IVA payments to account for the financial changes caused by the separation. You can view the answer to that question here: I am in an IVA but my partner and I have decided to separate.

Similarly, another anonymous poster was in an IVA for joint debts with their partner when they decided to separate. They wanted to know what would happen to their IVA. You can view the answer we have them here: I have an IVA with my partner – they are individual IVAs but with joint debt. We have now broken up…

These are just a few of the questions we’ve answered, you can view all the community activity on the ClearDebt Community homepage and if you have your own question about debts or have some advice of your own to offer you can leave a post anonymously or using a nickname. Visit the ClearDebt Community page now!

Tags: divorce, IVA, marriage, Personal Debt, separation, weddings
Posted in Personal Debt | 1 Comment »

Page 20 of 59« First...10...1819202122...304050...Last »