Cupidopolis

“I have been overweight as long as I can remember. But now I am worried about my health. What can I do?”

There are several stages of being overweight and each stage means different levels of actions should be taken. This would be dependant on your BMI - Body Mass Index. If you BMI is slight above average, the first and most basic steps would be to eat healthily and try to include some exercise.

If you feel you need to lose more than a couple of kilos, you might want to consult your doctor who might be able to recommend more drastic treatment such as medication, gastric banding or liposuction!

I have always maintained that education is extremely important. In fact I am not the only one, which is why education is compulsory until 16. But education does not need to end there. Today without a degree there is very little that one can do. I have heard people say but I cannot afford it. Yet there are websites which can help you find a grant to help you continue your education such as the Pell grants. The truth is that unless you want it and unless you try, you will not get anywhere. So spend a little time and think about where you want to be in 10 years time and then think about your next step!

I cannot help but wonder how many visitors actually come to this website, and how many people actually benefit from my advice. I have been thinking of installing a free hit counter but that would only tell me how many people visit the site. It is up to you my visitors to tell me what you think. Do feel free to leave comments and email any problems you have. I cannot promise to answer all problems, but I will do my best.

“My son is driving my car with a learner licence and therefore no insurance. I am worried that he will get caught and go to prison. How can I stop him?”

As you are aware, it is illegal to drive without both a licence and without insurance. On top of which, not only does your son stand a chance of getting a fine and a possible jail sentence but you also run the risk of having your car seized by the police and crushed. That would soon put a stop to his driving but it would also stop your driving.

Do explain the situation to your son as it can affect the rest of his life. You can always offer him an incentive to get his licence like paying for his insurance. You can easily get Discount Car Insurance to cover him. Last but not least, do hide your keys from him to make sure he does not take your car. After all, your car is your responsibility!

“My husband wants me to get him National Final Rodeo tickets for his birthday, and he wants me to go with him. I am not sure that I want to go. Should I just buy him something else?”

I am not going to say what you should do and what you should not do. What I am going to do is give you some points to ponder and some other possible options. The choice will be up to you.

First of all, just buying him another gift without consulting him, seems a bit disrespectful. He is also likely to be very disappointed if he got a different gift especially if it is something which does not appeal to him.

Have you considered getting him a couple of tickets and suggesting he takes a friend who will appreciate it instead of you?

Try to speak to him and tell him how you feel. You might be surprised what other options he might come up with.

Last but not least, consider going with him. Perhaps he can return the favour and go with you somewhere he is not keen to go eg the ballet or theatre or that Spice Girls concert! It is a win win situation!

“I was in a shop and ended up getting hurt. I cannot do much till I get better and I am feeling depressed. I was told that I could sue them and get some money.”

You could get try to go to court and get Commercial Lawsuit Finance but I am not the best person to speak to. You should ideally speak to a lawyer. However, you should be aware that even if you are awarded a sum of money this might not make any difference to how you are feeling. You might wish to mention it to your lawyers, as they may be able to organise finance to fund some therapy dealing with your depression.

“I am in a tight financial situation this Christmas as we had a ridiculous amount of unexpected expenses. I don’t want the kids to go without this Christmas but do not know what to do?”

First of all if your children are old enough to understand, you could explain things to them. If they are too young to understand then they probably have not yet understood the concept of our commercial Christmases.

However, if you really cannot face not buying Christmas presents for the children, you could always try getting an Unsecured Line of Credit. These tend to be easy and fast to get. However they are best suited for a short term loan rather than long term. Only take out the loan if you really feel that you can afford to pay it back.

Remember there are things you can make and do that cost practically nothing and will not detract from the joy of Christmas.

“Money never stretches to the end of the month. I know you cannot help me because I am sure that you won’t give me money. But it gets so stressful at the end of the money I never know what to do. And now Christmas is everywhere!”

Payday Loans could probably help you through the odd month here and there to cover those stop gap periods when the unexpected happens. However you must not rely on the solely. You must learn to budget. Cut out those unnecessary expenses and start trying to save. Even saving £20 a month can start to make all the difference.

If you think but there is nothing I can do without. Think twice. Think that lunch I bought cost £3 when if you make your own it would cost less than that. What about that take away because you could not be bothered to cook. Have half pints instead of full pints (or have a shandy) instead. Take a bus instead of a Taxi or walk it if you can. Go with a value brand instead of a finest brand. Lower down the temperature by one degree, and wash your clothes at 30 instead of 40+.

They are small changes but could make a world of difference.

As for Christmas, it is the thought that counts. There is no need to buy expensive gifts, consider making your own. They are bound to be more appreciated.

“My family is so messy. I am simply going out of my mind. Help me please!”

Most of the time, messiness is a result of lack of storage space. If you can organise some storage solutions, you will find that you are half way there. The rest will boil down to be strict and insisting that until they tidy their mess they cannot get dinner / dessert / go out / do something fun etc! You will need to put your foot down but get organised first so that they cannot have any excuse for not tidying up.

“I am a 42 year old man who is single. I have difficulty when it comes to dating. I really try but cannot ask a girl out. I particularly like Russian women but they seem unattainable. It would be really nice to have a relationship. What should I do?”

Sometimes dating can be hard but it is about getting yourself out there onto the market. If you find you have difficulties asking women out directly, you could try a dating site. This eleminates asking out people who are simply not interested and you can date someone with things in common.

Although you might have a penchant for Russian women, you must ask yourself if you like them because they are out of your league (far away / language barrier / unlikely to meet) and so less likely to face rejection. If this is not the case, you will find dating services that can cater to your needs.

I would still recommend dating someone based on friendship and not nationality!