Ladybird plague in the garden. It’s crazy out there.

This week's Commentator of the Week is @sarahcolesmoney.bsky.social, Head of Personal Finance at Hargreaves Lansdown! Sarah comments on the reasons for the gap in savings between households containing singles and couples. tinyurl.com/2v6a3uzh

This pint is definitely feeling more festive than I am. If I don’t perk up soon, I’ll need to pull the emergency cord on The Muppets Christmas Carol.

The Xmas tree fell over and smashed loads of baubles - including the heart my late Dad bought for me in Russia about 20 years ago and the one my husband and I bought after we got engaged. It’s just stuff. It’s the people and the memories that matter. I’m officially not sad. It’s just dusty in here.

I was delighted to be asked to talk to Holly and Lucy about windfalls for their fab podcast: Feel Better About Money. We covered everything from advice and ISAs to pensions and holidays. If you haven’t tried this brilliant podcast yet, I really recommend it! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...

When the builders removed the cladding on the renovation house, they found something surprising lurking there - sealed in behind the wall. It feels like the result of a sibling feud to me…

The ‘insulation’ phase of the house renovation enters it’s 6th week. The money we’re saving on heating bills means the work will pay for itself eventually…after maybe 2 or 3 hundred years