December 2022
£130bn
It is estimated that the UK loses £130bn a year to fraud, which could potentially be enough to run the NHS for a year.
Ofwat says ‘water companies lose over one trillion litres of water to waste each year’ which, for reference, is the same as 17 full Grafham lakes.
These are just two examples of systems that do not work. Add the cost of these two to the estimated £233bn in the UK shadow economy (which equates to about 10% of GDP). You can understand what an enormous mess companies and government control are in.
We are told to get our houses in order, but have you ever wondered how loose your control is of your finances and utilities?
Do you leave the tap on when you clean your teeth?
How much water do you use when you wash your hands?
How much water is in a toilet flush?
You’ve probably never thought about it and, to be honest, why would you?
But if we all did, just imagine the water saving!
Being SMART
We now have smart meters to regulate our energy usage, reminding us to turn off our switches, rather than leave them on standby.
If inflation and interest rates keep going up, perhaps we will all start noting where our money goes, and how we can save it by making simple changes like making sandwiches for work or driving more economically.
There are so many things we could do on an individual level to improve things, but will the world ever change to this way of thinking?
Unfortunately, I doubt it. World demand will keep rising, and so will the cost.
Will you be able to afford the life you want?
Can you already?
Do you have any idea what your life really costs?
Before you think ‘of course I do’, it surprises me all the time when most people I speak with don’t know what their life costs them each month or year, or how much wealth they need to live the way they want.
This is the starting point of a financial plan. The fun part is working out how to pay for it. If you want help with this, let us know. Remember, there are usually many different ways to achieve a goal.
