A BIG THANK YOU!

Wow, what a journey this has been. Started in November, about 70 hours worked in 4 days. Sleepless nights, blood, sweat and tears.

I'm pleased to finally announce that Gift Fuse is officially open for business. It's obviously still in it's early stages and still over 9000 products to be added to the site in the coming weeks but it's done. Officially self employed and 'living the dream' or that's the plan! It wouldn't have been possible without the NEA scheme and pure determination.

I need to thank some individuals directly as this wouldn't have been possible without them. Firstly Mum and Dad Diane Wayne, wow, the support you 2 continue to provide to me is unreal. I love you both so much and thank you for believing in me and for constantly pushing me. Adam after everything, you still never fail to amaze me with the support, help and guidance you provide me but more importantly as my best mate! Lillian, reconnecting after years apart and for always reminding me not to take life too seriously. And Shane top fella and always there for me to rant at ha!

A few more (sorry if ive missed any) David, Esther, Ben, Steve and Joan. Your all one in a million and im privileged to have you in my life. No matter how hard it gets just keep smiling.

Now what you waiting for, get to www.giftfuse.com and do some shopping #getyourgiftout

Does your bag really need a seat?

I've just got back from the big smoke, for those of you that don't know that normally refers to London. For those of you that commute to London on a daily basis or frequently this will probably not come as a shock. The train journey was to be expected, sat on the floor by the train entrance as the carriages were already full by the time I boarded. It's OK, its only 1.5 hours, I don't mind sitting by the entrance, standing up at every stop to let passengers on who indefinitely would become the person (or people in this case) sitting next to me for this journey. And you guessed it, after a few stops we were no longer able to sit but was all stood packed together like sardines in a tin! It got to the point our door would open and we all just stood there looking at these potential sardine passengers eagerly trying to cram in to the tiniest gap, even if this meant the door closing on their bag and only delaying the train further. Eagerly trying to board the sardine tin as to not be late for work on their daily dreadful commute to the capitol city.

Anyway, this I can deal with as it's kind of the 'norm' at rush hour going from Cambridge to London. I was only travelling to London Liverpool Street and to be honest, this journey isn't normally that bad and I don't have to do it that often. What I can't deal with are the passengers who insist that their bag has the right to a seat? What, really? Yes! There are some delightful people out there who couldn't possible have their bag on their lap, in the bag storage or under their seat. So to add to an already stressful commute this only added to my fuel. I then see a woman ask an old man if he would like to take HER seat (to get a vision this woman was 2 rows down on the opposite side from the guy with the bag, but facing him). The chap with the bag clearly saw this happening and did nothing. A few more stops, lots more sardines and someone finally asks the chap if they could sit next to him and he replied "The seat is taken, for my friend". This guy was already on the train when I got on, so I am unsure if he was actually with a friend. But what I do know is that from Whittlesford Park Station to London Liverpool Street his only friend was his bag! Now it is possible that his friend was on the train and lost with the many other sardines but I highly doubt it.

Are we in the day and age where we can't sit next to strangers? OK I understand this is unpleasant sometimes, under certain circumstances, and I get that some people have personal space issues but come on! I vaguely remember buses been the same when I was younger and people just value that extra space. If you value your extra space, take a taxi or drive your car!.

Chasing the dream or back to Sunday karaoke?

Hi All,


So it's been a little while since I last wrote here and now seems the perfect time. I sometimes struggle for things to blog about and am always looking for some inspiration. I have a few posts 'saved as drafts' but don't yet feel the need to post them as there not really 'great' content. But who know, maybe in the future! My first intention was to blog about everything that annoyed me but I soon realised I would be blogging all day!


A lot has changed in the past few months, new job, new car, new friends, turned 30 and generally feeling happy with my life... Anyway, for Christmas a certain individual thought it would be funny to buy me a studio experience. If you have heard me on karaoke then you will probably laugh... for a snapshot of what i'm like drunk on karaoke, head over to my YouTube channel and look at some of my first videos or just speak to my parents or friends ;).


So, for me this was fantastic! Finally it was time to show the world what I could sound like with the appropriate equipment and minus several pints of lager! The experience was with a company called Songmaker and they offer these experiences throughout the UK and hire out the experience to small studios to help cover the UK. The experience includes a digital download, a CD and they release you into their official chart. The only bad thing to say about the experience is I never received my VIP lanyard or other 'goodies' I was supposed to receive before the experience, as you can imaginge I was gutted!

 I attended a little studio in Duxford not far from my now home town of Cambourne, Cambridgeshire. The experience was fantastic, I was made to feel really welcome and the whole experience was a good one. It's great to see how everything works and the actual detail and time that goes into making and recording a track. I was a long way from just listening to my favorite artist on Spotify! I must just stop here and give credit to Richard Hinks at Zen Chapel Studios for making my experience so great ( I even paid for an extra hour on the day to record a second track! very accommodating and highly recommended).


For me, the hardest part was picking a song! I love to sing, if i'm really honest it's my passion and it's something I would love to do full time however, I seem to be somewhat like Marmite as in you either love me or hate me!


In the end, I ended up choosing Ed Sheeran, Don't. It's a catchy tune and one I sing along to in my own version of carpool karaoke, ha! After a week of learning the lyrics and learning to breath properly whilst singing I was ready to go. I also got to perform my first chosen song John Legend All of Me after extending my visit which topped the day off nicely.


I would really appreciate it if you like the video to vote for me in the chart. Either for one song or both. I have included the links below, just click on the song.


Ed Sheeran, Don't

John Legend, All of Me


The official chart can be found here.


What next for Sam you say? Hmm I dunno, maybe the XFactor? Sell out concerts? Number 1's? or probably back to my own studio (the car) or drunken Karaoke.. watch this space.


Anyway, I have included the videos in this post for your viewing :) Enjoy... I think.

Are companies losing talent because they're not advertising the salary?

 Is it just me or does anyone else feel the frustration when they read the perfect job advert but are then automatically put off applying because crucial specifics relating to the vacancy are missing? You know the vital facts like salary and the working or shift pattern? We live in an era where the internet is now the first choice for most job seekers, we now live in a digital world so why is it companies are still unable to input a salary?

Some companies refuse to pay more than they have to. That is the bottom line! Unfair but it happens every day. Take this scenario: Company X have just lost an employee and have to advertise the position. They leave out the salary range and put ‘competitive’ for a reason, that reason being money. If Joe Bloggs applies for the vacancy and is earning 18,000 per year currently, you can almost guarantee most employers will pay less to employee who takes the position.

Companies don’t want to advertise salary for some of the following reasons:

·         To determine what to pay when they want

·         Not wanting to disclose where they are in the market

·         The salary is poor and the job is probably commission  based

In a way, it can allow a company to be competitive when a job hunter reads the DOE (Depending on Experience).  This is likely an indication that an employer, if they think you’re worth it, will offer you a competitive salary to entice you in.

But in answer to my own question yes, companies are losing out on the best candidates for the job. It’s like having a product on the shelf at Tesco with no price on the shelf edge.  Would you spend your valuable time finding a store attendant to find out the price for you, or simply walk away? It’s a similar scenario. Do you spend your time ringing the companies to find out the salary does not match your current circumstances? For me, when actively job seeking, I skip past them, even if the job sounds like your dream job. Maybe I’m not having the last laugh and should indeed at least call these employers to find the salary but personally I don’t have time in what already is a busy life / work routine.

As humans, most of us are always trying to find the work / life balance… Wouldn’t it be so much easier if everything you needed was there without always having to do a little extra! Maybe the likes of Monster, TotalJobs, CV Library and Indeed should make this a compulsory field with defined values, or at least a defined salary range.

If you need help working out your annual salary to a monthly take home The Salary Calculator is a great tool to aid in this. It takes into consideration the current tax year and will even tell you what you are earning by the day, week month and year. 

Have you been affected by this and has it stopped you applying for that specific job?

#Jobsearch #jobs #totaljobs #indeed cvlibrary #jobhunting #vacancy #recruitment #employment #salary #jobboards #linkedIn #monster

Want to monitor calorie intake and weight loss?

I have recently been using an app religiously and I think I should share my experiences and how it has helped me. After the excessive eating of last Christmas (Dec 2012), as everyone, I knew it was time to diet. My trouble is I love food and hate denying myself the things I like. So, I searched the app store and came across a great app called MyFitness Pal. This app really is amazing. You start by setting your weight goal, this should be something realistic you are able to stick to and manage, from this point the app will generate a daily calorie intake. This intake is measured on your weight loss goal and the period you state you want to lose the weight in. From this point it is very simple, you need to input all of the food and drink you consume, the majority of products from restaurants, supermarkets and shops are already loaded within the app. All you need to do is select the product, choose the amount consumed (usually in weight or packet size), this will be added to your daily intake and removed from your daily allowance of calories, allowing you to see exactly how many more you should or should not consume to be within your goal. The app also lets you record exercise and weight manually so weather its walking the dog or hovering you can input the activity and have the burned calories reallocated to your daily allowance. The app also shows off other data including fat, carbohydrate and sugar intake as well as all other nutritional information. It is also possible to use the app for blood pressure monitoring.

The app has many features, it consists of a bar code scanner to easily add products to your intake, you can also add your own meals and foods if you’re a wiz in the kitchen and regularly make homemade food. The app is of course social friendly and you can connect via Facebook and share your goals and achievements with friends and let’s face it, virtual motivation is probably as good as face to face motivation these days.

The app is also compatible with many gadgets for you gadget lovers including some top brands including Withings, Fitbit and Fitbug. These all allow easy access of data synchronization and will update the app and remove any cardiovascular or exercise undertaken and reallocate the calories burned to your daily allowance. The app really is amazing and I would suggest and recommend it to anyone who is wanting to take a hold on their weight, exercise and for people who just want to monitor their calorie intake.

I am yet to buy gadgets to sync with the app however, a friend of mine uses the Withings scales and Fitbit tracker and they really are awesome. I intend to buy a Fitbug or Fitbit myself very soon and will happily share my experiences with you.

So this app has so far helped me lose 1 stone in 4 weeks, just by monitoring what I eat, it’s amazing the amount of calories some foods have! This was an eye opener for me and it doesn't necessarily mean you have to cut out the foods you love.

MyFitness Pal is totally free to download and use on the App store and is also available for android and other platforms. Give it a try today!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

#myfitnesspal #health #nutrition #fitbit #fitbug #withings

Ever used the #cashconverters buyback service or had a #paydayloan? This one's for you.

Ever had a #paydayloan or used the #cashconverters buy back service? This one’s for you.

I wanted my first blog , other than my introduction, to be something many can relate to. What better subject to use that pay day loans. I recently realised something that may save you, the consumer some money. Payday loans are currently in and out of the news and let’s face it, it’s not always good publicity they receive. I am in no way supporting payday loans. The subject I am about to blog about is directly related to myself as I have used both of these avenues.

Cash converters offer a ‘buy back’ service. This allows individuals who desperately need extra cash for emergencies, food, unexpected bills, healthcare etc to borrow money against some of their valuable personal belongings. This is a good service, or is it? I recently hit financial difficulty myself and found myself using the buyback service as I had no other options and it was my only means of raising some money at the time. So, I put my Samsung (brand new) laptop into the buyback scheme. I borrowed £100 for 28 days and paid back £132.50. That is £32.50 interest for a 28 day loan that is an APR of 2828.13%. If you find yourself in even more financial difficulty Cash Converters will allow you to pay back the interest on the loan to extend it however, you will also have to pay the interest the second time round also making the total to pay back including money borrowed £165.00. If for any reason you cannot pay this or are late with payments again you lose your valuable item.

Payday loans fall into a very similar category. Normally you borrow £100 and pay back on average £25.00 a month, this loan this has an APR of 1355.2%. Cheaper than a cash converters loan and you don’t lose any valuables if everything should go pear shaped on payday. However, this is not advisable, payday loans add interest and late fees, a lot higher and more frequently than cash converters if you were late to pay your balance. They are also known to use bully tactics and threatening phone calls, letters and emails to try and bully the cash back from you that you simply don’t have.

In my opinion stay clear from both of them, maybe even seek a credit card? Some credit card providers will provide ‘bad credit’ credit cards, these normally carry a higher APR than someone with good credit however, they are a great way to build your credit score if payments are paid each month, If you can’t pay the balance in full then pay at least the minimum payment and a little more, if not, then again high late fees will be applied. The best way to borrow on a credit card, whatever the interest (unless interest free) is to pay the balance back in full each month.

The best thing to do is seek help from a friend or family member.

Something to think about: Cash converters look on eBay when calculating the value of your possessions, they will only give you an amount that is around the cheapest on eBay. It may be wise to set up an eBay account yourself and cut out the middle man.

A quick note I took from the Martin Lewis website today – if you borrow £100 from #wonga and make NO repayments, in 1 year you will owe them £4200!!

I hope this post helps someone out there who may find themselves in this situation. As I said previously this post is from personal experiences and I wanted to share it with you guys.


#finance #debt #payday #paydayloans

My fist personal blog… A quick introduction to me. 

So, I decided to start my very first personal blog. I currently blog for Camlab (Camblab the Laboratory People), the company I work for and offer technical advice and support on our products and blog about real life customer questions or queries. I will now be blogging on a personal and business level. I am a northerner at heart and was born in Hull, or more politically correct, ‘Kingston Upon Hull’ in 1986. I have a sister and a brother and a niece and nephew. My parents decided to split when I was 2 and I went to live with my Nanna in a town called Withernsea. She brought me up for the best part of my life until moving to my Mum's in Aldbrough, a small coastal village.  In 2009 I relocated to Cambridge and worked for the University, since this time my life has rapidly changed, some good and some bad. I have a little dog a Jack Russell cross Chihuahua called Tess (pictured below) and currently live in Camborne in Cambridgeshire with my wonderful boyfriend! My life has been full of ups, down, life changing events and experiences that I’m sure I will be sharing with you via my blog. I intend to blog about real life issues affecting people on a day to day basis, I will also be blogging about certain things I find interesting and hope you do too. I will be blogging about everything and nothing and the plan is to have an article on my blog for everyone. I have chosen the name Urban Northerner as my blog name as it ties in my love for urban exploration and obviously my love for the North.

I am happy for you to follow me on Twitter @sam_c86, Facebook and Google+ I also have a LinkedIn page and YouTube channel.

Look out for my first blog post coming very soon. I believe it won’t disappoint. You can contact me via the social media avenues or sclubley6@gmail.com. Have a question? I will be happy to blog for you!

#socialmedia

#money

#finance

#reallife

#friendship

#exposed

#exposure

#sites

#apps

#urbanexploration

And many more…