Business confidence has fallen to a record low, again

Money Talk is intended to inform and educate; it's not financial advice. Affiliate links, including from Amazon, are used to help fund the site. If you make a purchase via a link marked with an *, Money Talk might receive a commission at no cost to you. Find out more here.

What to read right now…

The number of Buy Now Pay Later users has gone up to a quarter in the last year; it was just 14% the year before.

Along a similar vein, business confidence has fallen to a record low amid rising costs.

Meanwhile, public sector borrowing has gone up again. And by a lot.

All of this means it’s more important than ever to brush up your CV, and to have an emergency fund in place.

On a different note, a £46,800 premium is how much you can expect if you have a home within 500m of a Tube station in London.

And finally, an uplifting story about buying a woodland as an alternative form of investment.

The deal that’s a steal…

People are (apparently) obsessed with The Oodie*, the oversized and uber-comfortable hoodie that you can basically live in if you’re planning a couch day.

Anyway, they’re having a 30% off sale* at the moment.

There are savings on lots of items, including weighted blankets like the one pictured, dressing gowns and of course actual Oodies.

Perfect if, like me, you’re ready for hibernation mode.

If you only do one thing…

The Energy Price Cap went up again at the start of October, just as temperatures have started to cool.

It’s therefore a good time to resurface this guide on how the Energy Price Cap affects your actual bills.

It’s also a good time to shop around for a fixed tariff that might be cheaper than what you currently pay.

On a different note, if you’re struggling to pay your energy bills, you might be able to get financial support for it.

Here’s a list of the options available.