By cobalt123

Most people assume that in order to collect art you’ve got to have millions of pounds to squander away. This assumption is entirely wrong and in actual fact it’s better to collection art from new artists in order to maintain the industry and showcase new talent. If you have a passion for art collecting it could bring you great pleasure and could be an extremely beneficial investment.

There are a couple of things you should think about, however, before you decide to start collecting art.

How do you start?

First and foremost, if you are considering investing in original art pieces you should definitely have a keen interest in art. Whether it is paintings, photography or sculpture, having a general understanding of artistic production and technique is always a start.

Before you decide to buy your first piece of art it would be worthwhile to visit art museums, fairs and potentially read a couple of art magazines. This way you can establish the kind of art pieces you’d like to invest in. During this process hopefully you will find art pieces that really draw you in and resonate with you.

Where to invest

Most collectors will buy their art directly from a dealer but if you are new to art collecting, art galleries and international art fairs might be the better option. Exhibitions such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition has been established for over 200 years and is the largest open submission contemporary art show in the world. Emerging and established artists exhibit their art at the show through a variety of media types including sculpture, printmaking, film and many more.

Exhibitions such as this are fantastic for people wishing to invest in art as the artists themselves are often there to talk about their work along with art dealers, and the staff and gallery curators are always very helpful and knowledgeable without being pushy.  With so many entrants showcasing their work, be prepared to see something you like. It’s a good idea to bring along a 0 interest credit card in case you see something that sparks emotion and you feel like you must have it before somebody else snaps it up. If you feel like you have to have it, it’s a good sign that this is the piece for you.

Invest in contemporary or vintage?

If you are looking to collect art on a relatively small budget it is more likely you’ll find contemporary art more approachable and attainable. When looking to collect older pieces of art it is suggested you work with an advisor or dealer, buying older pieces isn’t just about the artwork, it’s about the history, the artists intentions and the reputation that comes with the piece.

By BFLV

Emerging contemporary artists will approach you with enthusiasm and even established artists will be willing to compromise on price if you show interest in their work. There are now a variety of online stores where up-and-coming artists are selling their original work, Esty is very popular with contemporary art and can be a great way to find attractive, niche art pieces that you might not see in established galleries or exhibitions.

Why invest?

Finally, if you are considering investing in art you should probably know why you’re doing it. Even though collecting art is an investment, you shouldn’t think of it like that. Buying art should be personal and should be a passion, buy art that you love not that you think everybody else would love.

If you buy a piece that happens to skyrocket in value while you have it, think of it as good taste.

Have you thought about investing in art or do you own any? What advice do you have for people looking to collect? Let us know in the comment section below.

When it comes to making your office greener, it’s the little things that count. Small changes in work habits can make big changes for the world’s environment, and doing your bit may just contribute to a healthier planet for all of us.

Although many of us would love to make our offices more environmentally-friendly sometimes it’s hard to know where to start.

Image by "blog.eoffice.net" via Pinterest

Taking part in Green Office Week 2012 has been a great way get started and it feels like we’ve learned many ways to make a difference. So we’ve put together our top tips – each day of the week focusses on a different aspect of making your office greener.

Here is a rundown of the energy saving priority each day, plus some great tips for how you can contribute…

Monday

Kick off the week by focussing on energy saving. Start a campaign to turn off lights when not in use and have a light-hearted penalty for those caught disobeying the rule. Turn the radiators down a notch – perhaps you could run a ‘Most Embarrassing Jumper’ competition to keep away the chills?

Set the display on your computer monitor or office phones to switch off after several minutes of being idle – you’ll save energy without even noticing.

Tuesday

On your bike! Find a greener way to get to work and leave the car at home – make friends on public transport, up your vitamin D intake on a leisurely stroll or improve your cardio with a brisk cycle to work.

Alternatively you could arrange a car share with those who live in the same direction as you – great for the pennies, great for the environment and even better for office gossip!

Wednesday

Waste not, want not. Wednesday is all about reducing office waste, so why not start a competition to see who can come up with the most imaginative way to reuse things which would normally end up in the bin?

Take any unused furniture or office equipment down to the local charity shop too, they’ll find it a good home instead of it gathering dust in the store cupboard.

Thursday

Think about what you buy on Thursday – is it eco-friendly? Look at your current office supplies and consider which could be switched to an environmentally sound alternative, like recycled paper or refilled toner cartridges.

Friday

Get creative because Friday is the day of innovation. Divide into teams and try to find five things in your office that need changed to save energy. Invite some local art and design students to get crafty with your office junk and you could end up with a nice new piece of artwork for the reception area.

Do you have any other tips for saving energy in the office? If so it’d be great if you shared them in the comments box below.

The age-old advice to never lend your friends money is sometimes ignored but always the best advice in the end. You could be the best and closest friends, but a simple money lend can always go wrong.

It’s along the same lines as: “Don’t move in with your best friend” and “Never go into business with family”. These gems of wisdom are often tried and tested and in some cases, proven wrong. But the average person with average friends should think twice before handing over any cash.

Friends and money come together in awkward situations in various forms and it doesn’t always have to be about a loan. Friends who make different salaries can often forget that one of them is at a lower pay scale than the other. For example, in an episode of Friends, the group is split down the middle on the income ladder and the friends on top don’t seem to notice.

Source: tvrage.com via Jack on Pinterest

Watch the clip here.

Sometimes a loan isn’t welcome, either. The wealthier friend sometimes pays for an item or two without asking. This can be misinterpreted like in this Seinfeld scene when Elaine is just trying to be nice.

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Jack on Pinterest

Watch the clip here.

But there are times when a loan between friends doesn’t end in resentment and hurt feelings between friends. In an episode of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon lends Penny a significant amount of money to help her stay afloat and doesn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest.

Source: sara-stc.livejournal.com via Jack on Pinterest

Watch the clip here.

It might be worth noting, however, that it’s likely Sheldon and Penny’s situation worked out because of Sheldon’s serious lack of social skills and awareness of social protocol. While this situation ended peacefully between the friends, the test subjects are skewed and don’t portray the realistic or likely response to friends entering into a financial agreement of this nature.

Friends and money are bound to collide once in a while, but to save your friendship, it might be wise to seriously consider making any promises, assumptions or deals that one of you might not be able to keep. Enter into an agreement with clear expectations and perhaps even a specific time frame. (And don’t tell your friend, but it might be wise not to expect the whole amount back). This may sound cold and business-like and counter-intuitive when dealing with friends, which supports the point that friends and money don’t always mix.

Has a friend ever borrowed money from you? How did it turn out? Tell us about it in the comments below.

I believe that art is one of the best ways of investing your money. I currently can only afford buying work from small independent artists, but if you have the cash, I would recommend spending it on a promising emerging artist.

Not sure? Well, have a look at the most expensive works of art.

Edvard Munch

Edward Munch's The Scream via Wikipedia

Edvard Munch’s The Scream has become the most expensive painting sold at an auction. It was sold for $119,922,500 at Sotheby’s Sales on 2 May 2012. This work of art is one of the four versions of The Scream (tempera on cardboard, pastel on cardboard, tempera on cardboard and crayon on cardboard) and the only one that is privately owned.

Pablo Picasso

Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves and Bust via Wikipedia

Picasso’s pieces have reached incredible prices at some of the most famous art auctions, but his painting ‘Nude, Green Leaves and Bust’ held the record for the most expensive work of art until a week ago when The Scream was sold. Picasso’s painting was sold for $106,482,500 two years ago at Christie’s in New York.

Alberto Giacometti

Giacometti's L'homme qui marche i via The Kick it Spot

Although paintings are the most popular pieces at art auctions, sculptures such as ‘L’homme qui Marche I’ have been sold for record prices. Alberto Giacometti’s work of art reached £65,001,250 at Sotheby’s in London 12 January 2010.

Jeff Koons

Koons' Hanging Heart via Arch Daily

Jeff Koons holds the current world record for selling the most expensive piece by a living artist. The American artist sold one of his five ‘Hanging Heart’ pieces for $23.6 million in November 2007 at Sotheby’s New York.

Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping via Wikipedia

Before his death in July 2011, Lucian Freud held that record with ‘Benefits Supervisor Sleeping’, sold for $33 million just a few months after Koons’ ‘Hanging Heart’ was sold.

Andreas Gursky and Cindy Sherman

Although photographs aren’t usually sold for the same money as paintings or sculptures, photographers Andreas Gursky and Cindy Sherman have several of their works on the list of the most expensive photographs.

Gursky's Rhein II via Wikipedia

Andreas Gursky’s ‘Rhein II’ sold for $4,338,599 in November 2011 at Christie’s New York and Cindy Sherman’s ‘Untitled #96’ sold for $3,980,600 in May 2011 at Christie’s New York as well.

If you had the money, which work of art would you like to buy? Let us know in the comments section below!

You’ll be financially exhausted after a down payment or deposit, finalising all your bills from your previous property, not to mention all the odds and ends that you forget you will need upon moving in.

So if you’re moving home soon and you need to pinch the pennies, here are a few tips for moving on a budget.

When putting your place on the market, try using word of mouth via your friends, family and colleagues. You will need to hire a lawyer or estate agent to deal with the legal proceedings but you can advertise your property by yourself.

There are also many free, online sites where you can arrange for people to come to viewings, and buyers can express interest in your property. Letting agencies can charge thousands for this every month that your property remains on the market.

Image via Alan Cleaver

If you can, try to get a few days off work at the beginning of the week in order to get the best possible price when it comes to choosing a mover. There are many moving services on the market and they will be cheaper Monday – Thursday if you are flexible on your moving date.

If you are moving to a furnished property, keep hold of little bits and pieces. Garden tools, kitchen utensils, even the kitchen bin! Hold on to as much as you can fit into the movers lorry or the back of your car.

Don’t assume that because it is furnished it will have pots and pans, cutlery, glasses etc. If they fit in the van, take them with you, you can get rid of them once you arrive at your new pad if they are included.  Sometimes boxes are included in the price of your removal, but most local supermarkets will give you them for free, never pay for them.

If you are moving from a rented property, always put aside a few days to thoroughly scrub the place, inside and out, to ensure you get your full deposit back from the landlord.

On the other hand, if you are moving to an unfurnished property, it’s a good idea to hold a car boot sale to sell off some of your unwanted goods and contribute to the moving fund at the same time.

Try putting old clothes, shoes, books, DVDs on EBay or even put a mention up on Facebook with a picture, there is always someone who will find a use to the belongings you no longer need.

It’s too easy to call in a Chinese takeaway or nip out to the local shop and get a ready meal, but doing this every night as you pack/unpack can be a strain on your wallet. If you have a big freezer it’s a good idea to cook up a few big meals and reheat them to snack on whilst you’re grafting. Things like lasagne, chili con carne or stews go a long way, and will stop you from spending a lot of money on convenience food when you have already packed away the kitchen utensils!

Do you have any top tips for moving house on a budget? Don’t forget to share them with us in the comments box below!

The content within this article is for information purposes only and should not be used to make any financial decisions.

If you are like me and don’t have much in the way of savings, a holiday means a couple of months of scrimping and saving beforehand.

How much you will need to save depends on the destination and the type of holiday you are planning. Here are some top tips for saving up money for your next big adventure.

Set up savings goals

The technology of banking has hugely improved over the last few years, you can now manage all your accounts online. Online banking allows you to manage a number of accounts including current and savings accounts as well as safely transfering money between your own accounts and to other payees. It is updated live and you can also see any direct debits you have set up.

The best thing about these online banking platforms is that most allow you to get savings goals, attached to a chosen bank account. A ‘Savings Calculator’  will calculate how much money you need to save each week to meet your desired goal. You can set money to automatically come out of your current account for your savings goal and it will remind you if you are not saving enough. This is a great way to keep tabs on how much you are saving and how much you still need to save.

Photo by Tax Credits via Flickr

Reassess the little things

Do you really need that can of coke at lunch every day and could you walk home from the pub instead of getting a taxi? It’s the little things you do on a regular basis that can build up a lot of unexpected spendings. For instance, instead of going over your phone contract allowance to speak to you friends in Australia, why not try Skype and get a free call and save yourself a bit of money? If you can recognise and cut down on these things you will have enough money for a holiday in no time.

Don’t indulge (as much)

I don’t know about you, but I like to indulge a couple of times a month by going out for a really nice (and sometimes expensive) meal. You will save a lot of money if you can resist doing this as much. An alternative is to get something really nice from the butchers and cook it at home or get a takeaway instead of going out for an expensive meal. The same goes for if you treat yourself with a new item of clothing every month, instead of buying a brand new pair of trainers why not go bargain hunting in a charity shop or check out thrift stores instead.

Sell stuff

We’re not talking about selling your souls here! Everybody has something in their home that they don’t want to use any more. We have over 100 DVDs in the flat and most of them haven’t been watched in over a year. You can also save all your music on external hard-drives and computing ‘clouds’ so there isn’t really any need to have hundreds of CDs sitting on your shelves. You can sell all these things on websites such as MusicMagpie and get money really quickly. Even better, most websites like this offer free postage so you’re not loosing out on any money.

If you combine all these things you’ll be saving more money than you ever imagined. The most important thing is to be realistic about your goal, evaluate all your mandatory costs before you set yourself a goal and budget. You’ll be on that beach in the sun with a cocktail in no time!

Being a football fan is hard enough as it is. Week in and week out, those who love the sport must navigate a range of challenges in pursuit of their passion.

Whether it’s fending off all invites to non-football-related weekend events, having to remember to change their fantasy team on those random mid-week gameweeks or  genuinely stressing over the hamstring health of grown men, football fans already have a lot on their minds.

Image via www.footballtradedirectory.com

Well, adding to this strife is new evidence that shows the cost of following football is at an all-time high.

Virgin Money’s “Football Fans’ Inflation Index” (isn’t it just wonderful that such a thing exists?) has revealed that the price of being a football fan increased by 11.7% since the 2010/2011 season, which is 3.5 times faster than the rate of inflation.

The data is based on a total cost of a basket of football-related goods, which includes a match ticket, a replica kit, a gallon of petrol, a pint of lager, a train fare, a bacon roll, a match programme and the cost of watching football on TV. The basket currently costs £112.87.

In a press release, Scott Mowbray, a spokesperson for Virgin Money, commented on the figures:

“When prices are rising generally in the economy they are going to rise in football as well. However, while inflation has fallen below 3.5% across the economy as a whole, inflation for football fans is running over three times higher than that. This is another squeeze on people’s pockets and while some clubs are taking steps to help their fans, others need to think carefully about what else they can do to help.”

Despite the rising costs, I highly doubt football fans are going to lured away from the sport any time soon. In fact, in unstable economic times, football is a dependable escape from the daily grind.

What do you think of the rising costs of being a football fan? Will they deter you from supporting the sport? If you were president of the world, how would you change the business model of the game?

It could be that you’ve found a lovely little place by the sea in your favourite holiday town, or that you want to invest in somewhere that will make you some money in rent.

Whatever your reasons, getting a second home can be as exciting as it is frustrating.
Before you decide to go down that route, here are some factors to consider before making a decision on getting a second home.

I’ve got my mind set on you

If you’re looking to get a second home as a holiday home for yourself and your family, then chances are that you already have a place in mind. Having a second home in an area where you normally go on holiday will take away all the stress of having to book hotels or worrying about going during the peak seasons. A second home is also likely to have extra space for relatives or friends to visit you as well.

However, going somewhere on holiday and living there (even temporarily) are different things. Having a second home means that you’ll be stuck in a fixed place for most of your holidays, so make sure that you choose an area that you know well and are unlikely to lose affection for over time. It would be a shame to get your holiday home and after a few years decide that you don’t like the area.

If there’s a possibility of you renting out your second home to someone else, consider the fact that they are unlikely to have the same tastes as you. Think about proximity to local amenities and locational features such as parkland or a lake to enhance the appeal of the new house to prospective tenants.

Money

Owning one house is one of the most expensive things that you can do, so owning a second home will also feature somewhere near the top of that list. In addition to the extra expenses involved such as utilities, second home insurance and maintenance costs, you could end up paying out more than you expected if you rent your home out to bad tenants.

On the other hand, the extra income that you get from renting out your second home while you’re not there could help to pay for its mortgage, or it can be used to pay for maintenance costs on the house.

If you do decide to rent out your property, make sure that you have the right level of landlord insurance to cover yourself against any unpaid rent or any damage to the building itself.

Time

If you’re thinking of getting a second home purely as a means to lower your holiday costs, then think again. How often do you holiday to this area? The chances are that the costs of getting a second home far exceed any savings that you would make. Unless you’re looking for some sort of investment from the property, or have the disposable income to buy a second home without thinking, then you may want to reconsider your options. Give yourself a cooling off period before you enter into any decisions so you can weight up the pros and cons of getting a second home.

Are you thinking of buying a second home, or maybe you already have? Was it a good investment? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Many people rely on their car, either for work, or, in rural areas, it is sometimes the only way to get from A to B.

With the cost of petrol ever rising, it has become prudent to find ways of reducing fuel bills, this can include a change of driving style as well as ensuring your car is running as efficiently as possible.

Source: Postcode Anywhere

The first thing to do is give your car a once over. As well as having it serviced regularly to keep the engine running sweetly, check the tyre pressures, get rid of the excess baggage that accumulates in the boot and remove the roof rack if it is not needed. All of this will make your car lighter, more aerodynamic and therefore more fuel efficient.

So, now the car is sorted, we now need to concentrate on the way we drive.
Top tips include:

• Avoid rapid acceleration and heavy braking, between traffic lights for example. This is a sure way to empty your fuel tank quickly as well as making for a less comfortable ride.
• Change up a gear at lower revs – 2,500rpm in a petrol engine and 2,000rpm in a diesel.
• Turn off your engine instead of letting it idle. An idling engine uses more fuel in 10 seconds than switching the engine off and on.
• For short trips, try walking or cycling instead of driving. A cold engine uses twice as much fuel as a hot one.
• At slower speeds, open a window to cool down rather than using the air-con. On a motorway however, it is more efficient to use the air-con due to the drag created by the open window.
• Keep to the speed limits. Driving at 85mph is not only against the law, it also uses approximately 25% more fule than driving at 70mph. Try to plan ahead and leave plenty of time to get to your destination to avoid stress (and speeding tickets).

Adopting these techniques could save up to 20p per litre of fuel, which will add up to quite a significant saving over a year.

What steps are you taking to reduce your fuel costs? Share your tips in the comments below!

Some report that the panic buying has in fact left petrol stations low on fuel and in turn made things worse. With Easter holidays coming up this week, people will travelling across the UK and petrol stations expect to be buys once again.

Image Via Club RACC

There are mixed signals as to whether or not the strike will go ahead. But I’ve been wondering, where are all the electric cars we’ve been hearing so much about over past five years? Shouldn’t fuel strikes have less of an impact in this day of age? Sure, there are electric cars available on the market. But I don’t know anyone who owns one, nor have I heard anyone talking about getting one. I’ve seen numerous power points in shopping centres which allow you to recharge your car, but most lay vacant.

How soon will we adopt the electric car?

Simple answer: not soon. The top rated models last year – GM’s Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf – had poor sales; both failed to reach their 10,000 sales target. Even in Europe, where the price of fuel has skyrocketed, alternative fuel cars only make a splash in the car market sea. After a few years of showrooms mimicking ghost towns due to the recession, the US market experienced a slight rise in sales. But even then, the sales of alternative fuel cars barley rose.

There are apparently more charging points than electric cars in the UK, which explains why I’ve seen few cars charging at shopping centre car parks. Last year the government offered £5,000 subsidiary towards the purchase of an electric car, and while this has helped sales figures from 138 in 2010 to 1,082 last year, only £3.9m of the £300m set aside has been used by the Government.

One problem is the technology: a full charge on most models won’t get you past the 100 miles mark; a full recharge takes about eight hours and then there’s the cost of purchasing one of these planet saving vehicles. The Nissan Leaf costs about £30,000. And that’s where the problem lies. For this price you can get a BMW or Mercedes.

In fact, a YouGov Sixth Sense survey has shown that 75 per cent of UK motorists and car insurance policy holders think electric cars are not the best solution for replacing petrol and diesel powered vehicles.

If you are considering investing in an electric car then check out our list of things you should know about electric cars before you make a purchase so you are equipped with as much knowledge as possible.

Much like any new technology, adoption rates are slow to begin with. I feel this will be the same with electric cars, once they become more affordable and in line with normal cars, we should start to see more energy efficient cars on the road. It seems we are a lot further away from a society where electric cars are the norm than I once originally thought.

Would you buy an electric car? Do you think electric cars cost too much? Tell us in the comments section below.