1 week agoViral XComments Off on Urgent warning for home owners who could be facing a £2k bill – and the £6.99 job that’ll fix it
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Seal any gaps or cracks
Gaps in doors, windows, and corners can let water seep into your shed, leading to dampness inside, according to the expert.
He shared: “Regularly inspect these areas for any cracks and seal them using caulk, or a weatherproof sealant.
“If you find any soft or rotting wood, remove the affected area and fill it with a high-quality wood filler before sanding and repainting or staining for added protection.”
GettyIf your shed sits directly on the ground or an unsuitable base, water can pool around it, leading to moisture absorption[/caption]
1 week agoViral XComments Off on Man Utd transfer news LIVE: Osimhen swap deal ‘unlikely’, Amorim eyes Trincao reunion United set to SELL Onana exclusive
MANCHESTER UNITED are braced for a HUGE summer transfer window – with Ruben Amorim expected to overhaul the squad with players both in and out.
And the former Sporting boss is eyeing a reunion with £35 million-rated winger Trincao.
Meanwhile, SunSport can exclusively reveal that the Red Devils are ready to sell Andre Onana to Saudi Arabia this summer.
In other news, trasnfer guru David Ornstein has shut down the possibility of a striker swap deal with Rasmus Hojlund and Victor Osimhen despite Napoli’s persistence.
He said on Instagram: “Just wanted to give a little opinion on everything I’ve been seeing on social media lately.
“Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua – just wanted to come on here and remind everybody that that bum couldn’t even beat me when I basically had a broken hand.
“I had one hand and he still lost. Jake Paul, I’m still your daddy and everybody weighing this fight up, don’t bother because he ain’t worth a shilling.
1 week agoViral XComments Off on Living at home for financial reasons, income inequality & housing concerns – life in Ireland for 25-year-olds laid bare
AN ANALYSIS by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) earlier this year shed new light on the lives of Ireland’s young adults.
It found that almost all 25-year-olds who were surveyed as part of the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study say they are concerned about the housing situation.
GettyLiving in or outside the family home had a small effect on the levels of ease or difficulty reported in making ends meet[/caption]
GettyJust over 85 per cent of 25-year-olds surveyed were in regular employment with a median weekly income of €558[/caption]
The report captured the views of a group of people who were born in 1998 about life in Ireland.
The findings provide valuable insights into the financial realities of young adults navigating the current economic landscape.
From employment and earnings to financial stress and long-term planning, the data highlights significant disparities based on education, gender, and living arrangements.
As the cost of living continues to rise, these figures offer a snapshot of the challenges and resilience of Ireland’s 25-year-olds.
Here, Dr Katie O’Farrell, a Senior Statistician with the CSO, who produced the CSO’s Growing Up in Ireland survey, provides a snapshot of what we learned about the financial life and incomes of 25-years-olds in Ireland, their financial stress, savings, and pensions, and their thoughts on topics such as the cost of living.
How much are these 25-year-olds earning today?
SOME of the aspects that really stood out from our research were how many of our respondents had successfully transitioned from school and higher education to the workforce, and the difference in earnings among those with and without a degree.
Just over 85 per cent were in regular employment with a median weekly income of €558.
Given the life stage of those surveyed involved, the number of weeks worked did vary significantly, with just over two-thirds holding their primary job for at least 24 weeks in 2022, while just over one-third held that job for at least 50 weeks.
You mention education having an impact on earnings. Yes, the amount of weekly income from employment differed by sex and educational qualifications.
A gender gap in pay was already starting to emerge among our group of 25-year-olds. We found men earned a median weekly income of €589 and for women it was €525 – a difference of €64 per week.
There was also evidence of significant income inequality already emerging within this group based on their educational attainment.
For instance, those with a degree or higher qualification had a median weekly income of €128 more than those without such a qualification (€613 compared with €487).
This difference was even greater for women compared with men.
For example, women without a degree or higher qualification earned €154 per week less than women with such a qualification, whereas men without a higher qualification earned €79 per week less than men with one.
When we look at all forms of income, it was interesting to note that four out of five of respondents who were among those in the top 20 per cent of earnings had a degree or equivalent qualification.
Are they finding it hard to make ends meet?
WHILE financial situations among our group of 25-year-olds varied considerably, nearly two-thirds said they found it fairly easy to make ends meet.
However, just under one in ten respondents said they made ends meet with difficulty, while just over one in twenty had great difficulty or found it impossible to make ends meet.
When we met this same group a few years back at age 20, less than one in ten said they found making ends meet was difficult or of great difficulty.
Respondents were also asked if they had skipped a meal or cut the size of their meal in the past year because they could not afford to buy food. One in four women reported skipping meals due to such financial concerns compared with one in seven men.
When asked about different social issues, poverty in Ireland had the second highest rate of concern after housing. Just over 94 per cent of this group cited poverty in Ireland as a matter of concern.
Does living outside the family home affect their ability to make ends meet?
LIVING in or outside the family home had a small effect on the levels of ease or difficulty reported in making ends meet, with 12.8 per cent of those who lived in their parental home reporting they found it difficult to, or were incapable of, making ends meet compared with 17 per cent of those who lived outside the parental home.
Of those still living in the parental home, 62.4 per cent were doing so for mostly financial reasons. Only 12.4 per cent of respondents said that living in the family home had nothing to do with finances, with little difference between men and women.
What about savings?
LOOKING at savings, we found nearly three-quarters of the respondents reported saving regularly with men (76.9 per cent) saving more regularly compared with women (69.6 per cent).
Again, savings levels were impacted by career and educational choices. For example, when you look at those in the top 20 per cent of earners in 2022 surveyed, most respondents said they saved regularly. Of those in the lowest 20 per cent of earners surveyed, two-thirds said they saved regularly.
We hear a lot about pension planning, is it a subject today’s 25-year-olds are thinking about?
THIS is an interesting area as according to the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland, planning for retirement should begin in your 20s.
Overall, from our results, 44.3 per cent were contributing towards a pension in 2023 and there was very little distinction between rates of men and women contributing towards a pension.
Notably, the amount earned distinguished between those who were and were not saving for a pension. Of those in the lowest 20 per cent of earners surveyed, around 22 per cent were contributing towards a pension in 2023 compared with around 85 per cent of those in the highest 20 per cent of earners.
