Tell Us About Your Blog.
My blog is called ‘The Reverend‘. The name was just something different as I didn’t want to be lost in a sea of ‘The Money…..’ or ‘Cash…..’ or ‘….Invest’. It also allows me to blog about other things and not just money. I write about ‘gentle’ money topics – how to get a bit of extra cash or get an extra discount – with a bit of home cooking & restaurant reviews. They are just for me though.
Why Do You Write About Money?
There are lots of blogs out there that specialise in investing choices, or maximising your pension, or detailed analysis of the current bank accounts. I wanted something a bit more ‘fun’ and relaxed. I’ve also seen a lot of what I think is ‘bad’ money advice out there and I wanted to offer something different.
What made you become a blogger?
£50 for 3 years hosting and a web address. The company I was working for was also going through a big change and redundancies were on the horizon so I used some of my spare time to write content. I also decided that it was always better to write and post something rather than aim for perfection before it is posted.
What is your most popular post?
My posts giving competition answers always do very well. Currently my top ‘money’ related post is how to get extra points from Costa Coffee.
What is your favourite post from your blog?
I went on holiday and noticed on the safety handout that you aren’t supposed to use bluetooth headphones on the plane (I still did and the plane didn’t crash). When I got back I decided to look into whether you are actually allowed to or not. I contacted a number of airlines and then blogged about it in a post This was more a ‘consumer’ piece and has done quite well for my blog. I have since written about the takeaway delivery rip-offs, the dangers of cheap phone chargers and the change in the Cycle to Work Scheme.
What’s your best blogging advice?
Write. Write. Write. Then write some more. Ok, that’s not entirely fair. Write about stuff you are interested in. If you aren’t interested in it then you’ll find it becomes a chore very quickly. And the biggest tip I can give any blogger is …’write and don’t care today about the money you could get.’ With time you might make some money but focus on writing and getting content out there. Too many people think that within a week of starting a blog they’ll be earning thousands and can give up their day job!
Why are you part of UK Money Bloggers?
I wanted to be part of a community and a couple of bloggers I knew online were also part of the UKMB. Since joining I’ve tried to be an active member and also support people with their questions. A community is only as good as its members and its obviously got some great members as it is a great community!
Who are your 3 favourite UK money bloggers?
Andy Webb – BeCleverWithYouCash
Jennifer Kempson – Mama Fur Fur
Naomi & Ricky Willis – Skint Dad
All 3 have been open and honest about their journeys and never fail to support new bloggers. A ‘we all rise together’ attitude helped make me feel part of a real community and the chats we’ve had really have made me focus on what I’m doing and trying to achieve.
What is your number 1 money tip?
My personal tip is to make money in the gaps. Find ways to utilise the ‘waits at bus stops/for the kids to get out of school/during the ad breaks‘.
What is the best bargain you have ever bought?
My best bargain was when a ‘national supermarket’ used to pay me to take their oranges away. When they did ‘2 bags for £1.50’ I’d go in at the end of the day when the bags were reduced down to 10p and they would run through the till as 10p but then every two bags would trigger the multi-buy discount and deduct £1. So they paid me 80p for every two bags. I always made sure that I had other items in the trolley so over-all I did have to pay them some cash at the end of the shop. It took them about 3 weeks to cotton on when eventually someone followed me round the shop and a manager ran my huge orange haul through manually. 20 bags at 10 = £2. I didn’t mind as they were donated anyway (not thrown away!).
What product or service are you happy to spend more on?
Toilet Paper, restaurants, jeans – there are loads. There is a false economy in a lot of cheaper items and that’s before we look at the environmental/human cost. I’m trying to buy less/buy second hand but it does mean I would pay more than going to Primarni and picking up 10 tshirts for 50p.
Tell us something about you unrelated to blogging.
I enjoy Retro Video Games. I don’t blog about them but you will see them on my Youtube channel.
And finally, where can we find you on social media?
Twitter – https://twitter.com/TheReverendBlog
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheReverendBlog
YouTube – https://thereverend.co.uk/blog/YouTube