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Picture the scene: you’re sitting at the table eating your breakfast, and catching up on the latest news; which section catches your eye? If you’re a consumer news junkie or would just like to be better informed, then you need ‘Consumer Education’.
There is something for everyone on this news blog, from details on the latest budgets and political campaigns, to advice on banking and savings, and details on the latest computer software to hit the market. From product news, to the latest advice for holidaymakers and details on the latest consumer court cases, all are here at the click of a button.
Offeroftheday.co.uk provides consistently updated information on the latest and best offers from around the web including offers from some of the biggest retailers. The site uncovers huge discounts and excellent value deals, saving consumers the hassle of visiting individual retailer sites to find the best deals.
Below are a selection of some of the current offers available on the site as well as some discount codes.
The theme for this year’s World Environment Day on the 5th June, is Think Eat Save: a campaign aimed at stopping food waste and food loss.
The campaign is aimed at reducing the 1.3 billion tonnes of food that is wasted each year globally (1), when 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry.
In the UK we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food each year – that’s about 120kg of food each, almost a third of that is fruit and vegetables worth about £680 (2) – much of which could be saved.
It’s bad for the planet, and costing UK households £billions.
Fruit and vegetables emit harmless ethylene gas as they ripen, which speeds up the rotting process – especially when kept in enclosed spaces like your fridge.
The average UK family throws away £680 worth each year. “One third of food that is grown in the UK ends up in the bin,” says Nigel Berman, MD of Nigel’s Eco Store.
“Fruit and veg savers are small sachets that absorb ethylene gas, dramatically slowing the rate at which produce goes off, and double or tripling the storage life of fruit and vegetables.”
2. Keep your fridge at the best temperature
Incorrect storage is one of the biggest reasons we waste food. Keeping your fridge at the correct temperature can help food to stay fresh for longer. Your fridge should be kept below 5 degrees Celsius for optimum storage, use a fridge thermometer to help.
3. Use your freezer more
Using your freezer is a great way to make the most of your food, if plans change at the last minute, or if you make too much of something. Freeze in portions to make it easier to re-use. Use a frost-free anti-ice mat to ensure that the freezer compartment doesn’t get clogged up with ice which means less space for food (it’ll save energy too).
4. Make lists
Checking your cupboards and your fridge, and making a list before you go to the shops can help reduce the risk of buying too much of something you already have. Remember to take the list with you. Sometimes old fashioned methods are the most effective, like a kitchen chalk board (this one’s recycled).
5. Compost your leftovers
If you do have food which is going to be thrown away, try to compost it instead of putting it in the bin. This compost bin looks great and doesn’t have to be banished under the sink – use it for peelings, greens, tea bags and egg shells.
For something more heavy duty, use a Bokashi composter, it turns food ALL kitchen leftovers into odourless nutrient rich compost for the garden. This includes meat, fish, dairy products and cooked food too!
6. Keep your food in the right place
Nigel says “Many of us don’t store our food in the best place to ensure that it stays fresh for as long as possible. Bread is best kept in a cupboard or bread bin, fruit (except bananas) is best in the fridge, and potatoes should always be kept in a cool dark place. In order to protect our world, we need to do our utmost to look after what we have. Our food saving products show just how easy it is to help stop as much food going to waste, and will save you money.”
Here are some online shopping discounts, including deals for PC World, Clarks, Forever 21, Radley, Tesco, Interflora, Halfords, Dorothy Perkins, Lipsy and Whittard of Chelsea.
Retailer: PC World
Discount: 10% off all desktop and laptop orders over £600
Starting a new life in a new country is a huge decision for you and your family. It takes a lot of thought and research and it is never an easy or risk free thing to do. However, if it works out, it can be the best decision you ever made.
More and more Brits are choosing to start over in a foreign country in the search for a better life. It is a decision that everyone needs to be 100% behind and not something to be taken lightly. It means packing up your entire life and moving half way across the world to a place you are unfamiliar with surrounded by people you don’t know… what could be more exciting than this once in a lifetime adventure. The thrill of reinventing yourself and your lives is so great that thousands of people every year are leaving this country for warmer climates.
There are so many reasons why it can be the right decision for you and your loved ones. Although it is a scary prospect the good has to outweigh the bad…
Starting Over
Many people are unhappy with the way their lives are running. Whether they are tired of the same mundane routine, unhappy with where they live or the job they are in, leaving the country means leaving your previous troubles behind and completely starting a fresh.
New Way of Life
Foreign countries tend not to have as fast paced a lifestyle as people in Britain. Countries such as Spain, Australia, for example, have an entirely different attitude and are all about enjoying their lives and their surroundings rather than letting life pass them by.
Warmer Climate
One of the biggest factors in the desire to emigrate, is leaving for higher temperatures. The cold and gloomy winter months of Britain can be enough to encourage even the most patriotic of people to flee for the Sun.
Cheaper Property
The cost of living in Britain is substantially higher than many foreign countries. You are able to get so much more for your money and who doesn’t long to live in a house with its own swimming pool? Or a four bedroom dream home? This may not always be possible in this country and the only way to have your dream property is too look much further afield.
Move as a Family
Nothing unites a family like moving away. It is a family decision and the fact you are undertaking something so big, together unites you as a team and as a unit. When you arrive you will only have your family until you are more settled, relying on each in this way will create a bond, which can never be broken.
Friends and Family
On rare occasions, family or friends may have already taken the plunge and emigrated. Following in their footsteps is the ideal situation as you have someone who knows the area, how you feel, what you need to consider and a real support system and you settle into your new home and country.
Education
Lots of schools in this country are over populated and children are less likely to have one on one time with teachers and tutors. Foreign schools are known for having smaller classes, and although in some cases your children will have to learn a new language, this will only benefit them later on in life.
Hopefully the considerations mentioned above will be able to help with your final decision whether to stay or go. Once the decision has been made, property has been bought and sold the move is imminent you need to consider the logistics. Moving your entire life abroad is no simple task, courier services, removal services (such as UShip), and an army of helpers will all be required but you will surely see the benefit when you arrive to your new home and your new life.
Having used a special tool to assess how readable text is, it has been discovered that when it comes to the terms and conditions of online bookmakers, at least two fifths of users in Britain cannot understand them when reading them due to complexity of the way they are written. It was also revealed that one third of terms were written in such a way that they are deemed only suitable to be understood by those who have reached a graduate level of education.
The SMOG formula was used to assess the T’s & C’s of 36 prominent online bookmakers. This system is used to gauge how readable text is, whilst at the same time estimating the level of education someone needs to understand a specific piece of writing.
According to the assessments made, each of the thirty six bookmakers’ terms require a literacy level of at least Level 2 or higher – a level that means at least 43.4% of the English adult population would not be able to read the text. Thirteen of the bookmaker terms and conditions assessed in the study were suitable for a graduate level audience.
The research was undertaken by betting tips website www.bettingexpert.com, after finding that the average bettingexpert user has accounts with four bookmakers. As such, the community accept bookmaker terms and conditions frequently, but may not be reading nor understanding the complexity of the sites’ terms of service.
According to the research of thirty six of the most prominent online bookies, the longest terms and conditions, coming in at almost 40,000 words – or half an average-length novel – belong to BetClic. The SMOG formula estimates that BetClic’s terms are as complex as Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. The shortest is eleven book pages long and belong to BetVictor, estimating 250 words per book page.
In a brave bid to promote their local, independent businesses, a couple from Beverley in East Yorkshire decided to stop shopping at chain stores and supermarkets for a month. Amalia Booker and Antony Barton, who run their own business in the town, have been reporting daily on what they have done during that days shopping activities, and the result is a blog they have names Little and Local.
Surprisingly, with rising competition between supermarkets and their competitive reductions, small and independently owned businesses provided the couple with spare change at the end of the month compared to their regular expenditure.
Amalia says: “During April, we spent a total £228.59 on what we’d call our ‘weekly shop’. That’s an average of £57.15 a week. We’d rarely spend less than £60 a week in the supermarket so our conclusion is that shopping little and local works out cheaper for us. I think this is mainly because we don’t waste stuff because we only buy what we know we’re going to use and there isn’t as much temptation to pick up appealing packages.”
The couple encountered various problems throughout the month including the search for independent suppliers of tin foil and breakfast cereal but the overall project has had a life-changing effect on the couple who have proved that if others resorted to shopping locally it would have a jaw-dropping effect on the local economy.
“We worked out that if every adult in the area spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops instead of online or at the supermarket, it would be worth an extra £6.2 million per year going into our local economy.”
Here are ten of the top discounts currently available from MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, including deals for Park and Go, The Entertainer, Claire’s Accessories, Urban Outfitters, easyJet, Thorntons, Savile Row, Tesco Direct, Disneyland Paris and Sunglasses Shop.
The history of asbestos is long and tangled. The naturally occurring mineral was used widely during the 20th century as an incredibly effective insulator. Being waterproof, heatproof and even soundproof, it was seen as something of a miracle in construction.
It was also highly dangerous and, from the 1960s onwards, little by little there has been a push back against it. It was in the 1970s that it became apparent that mesothelioma cancer and other respiratory illnesses were being caused by asbestos. However, it was not until the nineties that laws were passed to make sure only trained professionals could handle the product and its usage became seriously limited.
Where are you exposed?
Because buildings built before regulation can still contain asbestos and certain traces of it are still used, there are multiple professions where one could be exposed to asbestos. Insulation, mining and railway work are all typical of jobs where exposure can occur.
Workers who work with insulation products, where asbestos fibres are present, are left open to a chance of serious disease. Mesothelioma and other cancers of the lung occur when the fibres are inhaled and can even cause secondary exposure. This means not only are those in these professions at risk, but also their families.
The use of asbestos in products frequently used in shipyards was rife. In fact, there were several controversies and legal disputes throughout the 1980s with regard to the US Navy’s use and cover-ups of asbestos and the health risks it brings.
That the material was able to resist corrosion and high temperatures made it ideal for the shipping industry. It was used to insulate everything from incinerators to steam and water pipes. The dust that built up from the machinery would be ingested by the workers causing widespread examples of lung cancer.
While asbestos isn’t used as frequently as it was in the mid 20th century, it is still a problem and anyone who comes into regular exposure to asbestos fibres should take heed and get checked. Illnesses can slip under the radar and if left untreated can grow much worse. Precaution is the key.
The hacking of emails is now one of the most common attacks that are made against users on the internet, and the reports of such incidents are reportedly on the rise. During March of this year, it was revealed that those who use Yahoo!, the third largest providers of emails in the world, were the latest victims of what is termed a ‘large scale hacking attack’, and cyber criminals have hijacked users accounts as part of a global campaign using spam emails.
But how do these attacks happen? And more importantly, what are the immediate steps that users can take should they find themselves victims of an attack? Here, we will look at some of the more common methods cybercriminals use to gain access to personal email accounts and the implications a successful hack may have for the account holder. We will also outline a few simple yet effective steps to take in the event of an attack.
Breaking and entering
A successful email hack makes itself known relatively quickly. Your email contacts may alert you to strange spam messages that have seemingly been sent from your account. Alternatively you may find your provider has blocked you from sending messages, or worse still you are completely unable to log-in to your account. But how exactly is an unknown entity able to gain access to your email account? There are many ways an email account can be hacked, though bizarrely they are almost always facilitated in some way by the account owner:
Guesswork (and weak passwords)
Probably the simplest and most common method of attack is sheer guesswork. Internet users are often far too naïve when it comes to choosing passwords. Phrases such as ‘password1’ and ‘let.me.in’ pose no real challenge to a hacker trying to access an account. Alternatively, cybercriminals may use ‘password dumps’ which are essentially databases of common passwords compiled by other hackers.
Phishing (and clicking)
Another way of eliciting users’ passwords is via spam messages or bogus websites that request personal information. Users will often innocently click on a link or pop-up and, convinced by whatever is being offered, be fooled into supplying log-in data. In such cases, hackers don’t need to waste time on guesswork; the password has been freely handed over by the account owner!
Malware (and no anti-virus protection)
A slightly more sophisticated method of attack, malware (often inserted into websites) can dupe Internet users into copying viruses or spyware. If the malware goes undetected due to the absence of up-to-date antivirus software, users will inadvertently infect their own system with a program that allows hackers to monitor key strokes, thus revealing data such as account log-in details.
‘Into the breach’ – consequences of a hack attack
Methods and sources of attack are undoubtedly varied; and in the majority of cases a victim unwittingly assists in the breach. From innocently clicking on a link within an email from an affected account, to making poor choices when creating passwords; sometimes it’s simply a case of users being careless with their password details. Regardless of how your account was compromised, the consequences can be dire.
The primary concern following a hacked email account is the potential for identity theft. Once they have obtained access to a victim’s emails, cybercriminals often make use of automated programs, designed to scan email content and extract any data that may then be used to assume the victim’s identity or access financial accounts. But the problems don’t end here; According to an article published on SecurityWeek.com, studies have shown that over 60% of all Internet users use a maximum of three login name / password pairs throughout their entire Internet journey. Consequently, assuming an attacker manages to discover your favourite password, all of your online accounts may be at risk, not just your email. PayPal, eBay and online banking sites may quite possibly be the attacker’s next port of call. As SecurityWeek points out, “your email address and password will be checked against thousands of eCommerce and financial sites within minutes”.
An additional problem caused by email hacking is the potential threat it poses to others in your network. Think about who you email on a daily basis; friends? family? colleagues? As soon as an attacker gains access to your account, your contacts are immediately placed at risk as their addresses are harvested for Spam lists. If any messages from contacts contain sensitive information, this too will be exposed to the attacker.
Road to recovery
So, if your email account has been hacked, what should you do? Time is certainly of the essence as the period between discovering an attack and acting on it can make all the difference in preventing an inconvenience from turning into a complete nightmare.
The first step is to regain control. If you find that you are locked out of your account, try the password reset process by clicking on the “forgot password?” link. If the attacker hasn’t changed your password reset or your password hints, then you should be able to just click on the link and re-access your account. However, this may not work if the attacker has already changed the reset address and security questions. Most email providers offer some high-level process to help users regain control of their accounts. Of course, depending on the provider, that process may vary in complexity. Hotmail/Outlook.com users can answer a few questions to verify their identity. Google requires more detailed information in order to verify you are the owner.
Once back in your email account, change the password to something strong. “Password1,” “let.me.in,” or surnames are not good choices. Pick a long, complex password that contains a mix of characters, upper and lower case letters, and numbers. Where possible, try to use different passwords for different types of websites. Your online banking password should never be the same as your social media password!
Another important step is to check your password resets. Sometimes hackers will alter the email address listed as the recovery address. If this happens, change it back to your own, and make sure the attacker didn’t add any additional ones. Make sure the security questions are still questions you know the answers to. This may be a good time to change them so that someone just looking at your Facebook page won’t be able to just guess the answers.
‘Prevention is better than cure’
Following an email hack (or just having heard about somebody who has been the victim of an attack), it’s often worth re-assessing your Internet habits. In doing so, you may be able to avoid your email account being compromised in the future.
Think about your overall approach to sending emails and using the Internet; do you exercise caution when browsing the web? Any request to supply personal information / set up an account –either via email or on the web- could be a ruse to harvest data. Always be wary when there is an unexpected request for your password, and if in doubt, check with the organization in question e.g. bank, retail site. In addition, make sure your system is running an up-to-date antivirus program to help detect and block malware.
With regard to email accounts, some providers such as Google/Gmail offer the option of using two-factor authentication. Here, users supply their chosen password then receive a SMS message containing a second code, which is also required for log-in. Two-factor authentication is a great way to add an extra layer of security and keep your data safe.
Finally, passwords should always be chosen very carefully. As mentioned earlier, it’s crucial to use ‘strong’ passwords that are complex in composition; use obscure phrases with a mixture of characters and digits. Most importantly, try to use different passwords for your email and other online accounts.
Starting a new life in a new country is a huge decision for you and your family. It takes a lot of thought and research and it is never an easy or risk free thing to do. However, if it works out, it can be the best decision you ever made.