Well it seems as though the deal is going through after management announced they would support the Kraft proposal to takeover Cadbury. This is despite comments by Gordon Brown and, the trade union, Unite’s warning that Kraft plans at least 10,000 job cuts worldwide to slash costs and repay the cash it will need to borrow for the deal. This assertion is predicated on Kraft’s history when it bought Terry’s, another well-know British chocolate company, in 1993 and then closed its York factory shortly afterwards.

In advance of the take-over, a professor at Henley Business School also publicly expressed fears over Cadbury’s UK jobs, the possible ‘food security’ implications, as well as highlighting that, “the company has rejected fair trade as a model for their coffee and chocolate” and that this “may impact on the reputation of the UK in areas of strategic importance such as India and Africa.” If this is the case, then it may also significantly affect the highly respected Green& Black’s brand which Cadbury’s currently own.

Worries over the deal appear to be widespread, with few people actually welcoming the news.

The main fear of this old dinosaur though is whether the good old bar of Dairy Milk will end up tasting like American chocolate. Yeuch! I changed to munching on chocolate some time ago after I gave up eating tourists because it seemed that most of them were now American and I am not really a fan of fast food. Now it looks like I may have to find something else again.

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The case, which is currently undergoing discussion in the House of Lords could cost British banks billions of pounds should the Lords rule against them and Mr Cameron is believed to be considering a plan to introduce automatic payback of charges should the Tories win the general election. The Tory leader has already instructed the shadow Chancellor George Osborne to investigate the possibility of automatic compensation which would do away with the need for consumers having to raise a claim.

In an email sent in response to Martin Lewis of website MoneySavingExpert.com, Mr Cameron said:

“Once the legal issues have been resolved I agree with you that bank customers must be compensated quickly and fairly for any unfair charges that they have had to pay. So I’ve asked my Shadow Treasury Team to look at your suggestion that banks should pay money back automatically if the courts do rule that the charges are unfair.”

The full wording of Mr Cameron’s response can be found here.

The Tories’ promise could see the amount of compensation being paid back by banks far surpass the original figures claims Mr Lewis. Should automatic compensation occur, the banks could be forced to pay back as much as £10billion or even more; whereas if consumers were to continue to claim against their banks, the likely payout would be much less – perhaps £2-3billion.

The Lords’ verdict is expected sometime in Autumn.

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It seems as though everything just keeps getting worse and worse for the 20 and 30 something generations.

As I look around at the economic landscape I just have to dispair these days. On the one hand the government suggests a bright future with great high paying jobs available for all graduates, and on the other hand there is the reality of Britain’s and the indeed most of the rest of the world’s economic situation.

- Difficulties getting onto the first rung of the property ladder
- Younger workers representing the majority of those losing their jobs in the current economic climate
- Increased debt at the start of working life due to the removal of student grants
- Few genuine “graduate” level jobs which actually provide the increased pay rates and prospects widely touted
- and now announcements about pensions deficits meaning companies can no longer provide decent final-salary schemes to either new or existing members of staff and that the retirement age will have to rise too.

Even the safety net of the public state pension, and all those index-linked civil service pensions, which have for a long time been seen as sacrosanct, are in serious difficulties due to shortfalls. The Adam Smith Institute seems to be despairing at the situation as well, “The government’s pension schemes would not even pass its own laws and regulations. Indeed, if the cabinet were private-sector pension trustees, they would all have been carted off to Pentonville Jail long ago. Now there’s a thought to keep you happy in an impoverished retirement.”

This dinosaur knows that there have always been financial difficulties for those just starting out on their working lives, but currently it seems as though almost everyday something new comes along to compound the issue.

There must be some good news out there? Surely.

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As everyone tries to find ways to save money and be environmentally friendly, Brazilian advertisers have taken the bold step of trying to encourage people to pee in the shower as a way of conserving water.

On the face of it, this is a simple logical idea to help save water by reducing the number of flushes, and could be a way of saving a few pennies as households with water meters spend a penny.  According to Ananova, Metro has reported that, “if a household avoids one flush a day, it can save up to 4,380 litres of water annually”.  However following the furore which blew up a few years ago following a situation Big Brother (pardon my swearing) when one contestant was appalled by anothers use of the shower as a loo and the fact that there appears to be some healthy online debate on the subject (http://isitnormal.com/story/roomate-urinate-in-shower-3279/ ) including questions being asked on Yahoo! Answers, on whether this behaviour is normal, it seems unlikely that it will catch on outside of Brazil.

For anyone who can get past the social mores which dictate that you do not wee in the shower, the Guardian has even come up with a set of etiquette rules to ensure you are never rude when not tinkling in the toilet.

As an old dinosaur myself who currently does not have a water meter , I think I will try to focus on saving money by finding better finance deals, keep an eye on my credit card spending and vow to never use anyone elses shower again.

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Every year as summer comes upon us, and cold blooded dinosaurs seek the warmth of sunnier climes, the age old question of what is the best way to pay for things abroad arises.

If you bank in the UK, and shop in the UK, then you don’t expect any additional charges to be added when you go shopping or take money out of most cash machines, however the same cannot be said when you leave the safety of the UK. Even though international banking means getting cash and making card payments around the world is generally relatively easy these day, it can still cost you as your card company, overseas cash machine owner, currency exchange and even individual shops, often want to make some extra money from the tourist abroad.

Probably the most obvious fee that will be charged is that of the currency exchange rate. Before going away it is always a good idea to check with your bank to see what their current rate is. This can give a good comparison figure to help decide how to pay for things abroad, however you also need to check whether there are any possible flat-rate or percentage rate transaction costs for each time you use your credit or debit card for purchases. These additional costs can quickly mount up, especially on small purchases, making it possibly better to simply change a chunk of money to pay for smaller items and take a single transaction charge hit rather than always relying on using your card.

Regularly check and compare exchange rates, and any commission charges. It is can be surprising the difference between rates abroad vs the UK, and as this rate constantly changes, there is unfortunately no hard and fast rule as to when or where it is best to convert your holiday money.

Beware when withdrawing cash out from machines abroad – in addition to the exchange rate, there will also often be an additional charge made by your card company, as well as possibly another fee charged by the owner of the cash machine.

Another possible costly situation you may be confronted with is when spending on plastic you then get offered the option of paying in pounds instead of the local currency. While this means you have a good idea of how much you are spending, is it worth it? As Martin Lewis succinctly answers on the ever helpful MoneySavingsExpert

“No. This is called dynamic currency exchange, and should be avoided. Often the rate you get will be appalling and someone’s making big money out of it. If you’ve got one of the specialist overseas cards you’ll get a much better rate paying in the foreign currency not pounds. And even if you’re using a normal card as you’ve no idea of the relative exchange rates they could be playing you for a fool; so it’s always best to stick with paying in the foreign currency.”

He goes on to say something which many may find a bit of a shock.

“If you’re travelling to Spain, be especially careful. Some Spanish banks, particularly giant Santander, have started to ask UK cardholders if you want to have your money converted into Sterling when withdrawing Euros from ATMs. Always say No; the rate you’ll get is often much worse than the rate you’d be given by your own plastic provider when it converts Euro withdrawals, although the exact rates depend on which plastic you’re holstering.”

Another point to bear in mind is safety. Paying by card may sometimes be more expensive, but can also provide the chance of getting your money back, should things go wrong.

“As a rule of thumb, you are going to be better off using your credit card for purchases – especially those over £100 – and taking cash out of cash machines with your debit card.” (Source: BBC – Paying with plastic overseas)

It is all a bit of a mine field, so before going away, check with your bank/card company or look at their website to see what their rates are and which fees may apply to your cards. Maybe look into getting a specialist overseas credit card to just be used abroad. And check out some of the helpful online advice and guides available through the banks as well as more independent sources like the BBC and MoneySavingsExpert.

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I’ve definitely picked the right girl – no doubts about that. All the major things for the ceremony are sorted – we have a venue, the future Mrs MoneyRaptor has picked out a lovely expensive dress to wear once in her life and we know more or less who we’re going to invite – but we still have a lot of the smaller things to finalise. We don’t know who we’re getting to do the catering, we don’t know what types of flowers we’re going to get (I didn’t know you got different types of flowers) and the bridesmaids have still got to choose their shoes. Decisions, decisions! Thankfully, the future Mrs MoneyRaptor and her mother (literally a fire breathing dragon) are taking care of most of it.

I am still worried though, and I’m typing the next part of the sentence touching as many different pieces of wood as possible – what if something goes wrong?

Now, I know this isn’t Hollywood – we’re both in love and we’re both going to turn up, neither of us has a secret lover or a horrid past that’s going to burst in the church to interrupt proceedings (wood, wood, wood), but what if one of us gets ill and can’t make it? What if someone – the dressmaker, the florist, the baker – doesn’t deliver on time and we’re lacking something to make our day perfect? What if part of the memorabilia – the photos, the video or the guestbook – goes missing? What happens to our day, our memories, our money?

The same goes for our new house – we’ve found one we like, we just have to hope no one else has spotted it yet – but we are worried about future problems. As well as all the normal and obvious needs, we need some sort of cover that will includes our garden equipment, protect us against accidents (dinos are very clumsy, you know) and, perhaps most importantly, a policy that doesn’t charge us extra every time we make a direct debit payment.

Coming back to our inherent clumsiness (mix clumsiness with sharp teeth and you don’t get a pretty sight), we’ll probably need some sort of policy to cover ourselves (do raptors need life insurance or pet insurance?), just in case, and neither of us are very medically minded so a policy that gives us access to information or a helpline.

Still, hopefully none of these thoughts will come to fruition and the firm grip I have on my desk will have fought off any fate that I may have tempted. I wonder if I can find an insurance policy that covers claw marks…

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In the area where this old dinosaur lives, the cost of a litre of unleaded petrol, driven by increases in global oil prices, rose by about 6 pence before the supermarkets stepped in to spark off a fuel price war, taking the costs back down again.

Sometimes you have got to love the supermarkets. Especially ones like Sainsbury who are temporarily still offering 5p per litre discount vouchers if you spend over £50 on shopping.

While the discount vouchers will probably not last for musch longer, one of my favourite money saving websites petrolprices.com will show you where the best prices are in your area, and have recently added a few useful extras such as additional motoring news, and a blog facility of its own.

Check it out, it is free to use and can lead to big savings over time.

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As part of their latest survey of soon-to-be students, they discovered that about 11% of the respondents were seriously considering the idea of taking advantage of the relaxation of the UK bankruptcy laws to get them out of trouble, should they get into too much debt during their studies.

The trouble is that a bankruptcy declaration will follow them for many years to come, and can often block possible future career options, such as the financial or legal services, where self control and the ability to maintain effective management over personal finance is seen as very important.

A better way to deal with debt is to to be careful and if in serious trouble, contact the Citizens Advice or National Debtline.

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