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May 2026 update

Bit more of a chilled out May compared to the previous month that kinda took it out me. Trip with the Beavers to Forbidden Corner Every once in a while I get to go on trips away with the Beaver scout group that I help out with, normally it's going away on camp but sometimes it's somewhere different. We've been to sleepovers at Gullivers Valley theme park and The Deep in Hull where we got to sleep feet away from sharks and manta ray! This year we chose to go to Forbidden Corner in North Yorkshire. It's an absolutely mad place that's quite hard to describe, probably most like an Alice in Wonderland-like labryinth, walking through narrow tunnels and passageways, getting lost in mases and exploring different follies and castles. If you're in the area and have a couple of hours to kill then I'd highly recommend it! I'm already planning on taking my 2 kids there in the future. May Half term: Prestatyn Every few years my parents hire out a big Airbnb to accomod...
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April 2026 update

  April was an absolute rollercoaster; financially speaking, emotionally speaking, and at some times literally speaking! Easter holiday in The Netherlands: Efterling, tandems and nature reserves I mentioned on my last update that we headed off to The Netherlands during the first week of the kids Easter holidays. We drove across to Hull and got the ferry overnight to Rotterdam. First up, we headed north to Zandvoort staying in an apartment. The owner of the apartments showed us around, including getting to hold the 1-day old guinea pigs! The next day we picked up a couple of tandem bikes and set off on a 30km route across the tulip fields at Keukenhof and on to the beach and sand dunes, very cool! Had some amazing fish at a place called Hoogies. The morning after we popped in at the Formula 1 track at Zandvoort, free entry and literally no one about, apart from half a dozen people out on the track in their own cars, very fun to watch! We then headed south to Gouda, did a Sirupwaffle...

Best UK Shareholder Perks (and how much you need to invest)

So, I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole recently.  Having been an "index tracker and chill" kinda guy for the past 5 years, I've recently discovered the hidden benefits of owning individual shares. These benefits are aside from the usual (hopeful!) growth of the shares in question, as well as any dividends paid out, I'm talking about Shareholder perks! P remier Inn free breakfasts, Ferry and Eurotunnel discounts, restaurant and wine vouchers, you name it! Top picks for me Obviously the top picks depends on what kind of thing you buy! However the stand out ones for me are: Whitbread Free Premier Inn Breakfasts (for up to 4 adults) Minimum amount 64 shares ( ~£1,600) Mitchells & Butler Pub/restaurant vouchers Minimum amount 1 share ( ~£2.75) Distribution: Sent once per year (late December / early January) Notes: You receive one booklet with ~12 vouchers per year Must be on the shareholder register by late Nov / early Dec I know, I know, I hear you cry:  "don...

March 2026 update

A bit of an earlier one this time round, we're heading off to the Netherlands this evening for a week so thought I'd sneak this one in! 48 hours in Salzburg with Travel Dad With the kids having an inset day on a random Monday mid-March, we decided to give Skyscanner a shake a few weeks back to give us a long weekend away somewhere. A couple of options came up but we eventually went with Salzburg as the favourite and weren't disappointed! We've been to Bavaria a few times and love the mix of food, culture and amazing surroundings, but we've never been to Austria before. Salzburg is almost the perfect place for a short weekend getaway, the city is very compact, and you can even walk less than 20 minutes and your out in the countryside! Not that you need to rely too much on walking if you're staying there, as Salzburg have a tourist mobility scheme which gives anyone staying there free public transport for the duration of their time there, and this doesn't just...