Victor writes about money, work, business and the everyday decisions that affect how we spend, save and live. Money in Perspective uses relatable examples, simple explanations and a bit of humour to make money easier to understand.
Money
Monthly subscriptions are designed to feel harmless. A few pounds here, another tenner there. But once they start stacking up, a collection of “small” payments can quietly become one of the biggest drains on your disposable income.
Work
Higher pay is valuable, but so is time. At some point, an extra salary increase may improve life less than shorter hours, additional leave or greater flexibility.
Work
Commuting, food, childcare, clothing and convenience spending can make going to work surprisingly expensive. Here’s how to calculate the real cost.
Tech
Premium tech often has better specifications, but that doesn’t always mean better value. Here’s how to judge when the upgrade is worth paying for.
Money
Spending gives immediate rewards. Saving often gives you nothing visible at all—until something goes wrong. That is when boring money suddenly becomes extremely useful.
Work
Extra work can be an excellent way to earn more, but the financial return is sometimes smaller than the headline pay suggests. The full cost of additional hours deserves attention.
Life
The cheapest option is not always the lowest-cost option. Poor durability, replacement costs, wasted time and missing features can make bargain purchases surprisingly expensive.
Sport
Replica football shirts have become increasingly expensive products shaped by licensing, product tiers, annual releases and fan demand.
Life
Sometimes a product solves a genuine problem. Other times, we discover the problem only after seeing the product. That distinction can save a surprising amount of money.
Tech
Product launches and marketing can make perfectly usable devices feel outdated. Here’s how perceived obsolescence affects spending.
Work
More pay does not automatically mean a better financial outcome. Commuting, childcare, longer hours, relocation and lost flexibility can all change the value of a new role.
Money
Many budgets fail because they are built around an imaginary month where nobody has a birthday, nothing breaks and every decision goes perfectly. Real life needs a more flexible plan.
Work
Your commute costs more than fuel or fares. Time, parking, car wear and convenience spending can make travelling to work surprisingly expensive.
Life
From weddings and phones to cars, subscriptions and social plans, many purchases feel necessary because everyone around us makes them too. But normal spending is not always useful spending.
Tech
Annual phone upgrades can cost far more over time than they appear to each year. Here’s how to think about the long-term cost.
Life
Social comparison can quietly increase spending on cars, homes, clothes, holidays and technology. The problem is that you rarely know the finances behind what you are comparing yourself with.
Travel
Cheap holidays can become expensive once baggage, transfers, food, activities and airport spending are included.
Work
Overtime can boost income, but extra tax, childcare, transport, fatigue and lost time can change its true value.
Business
Tax relief can reduce the effective cost of a genuine business expense, but it does not make unnecessary spending free.
Business
DIY can save money, but owner time has value. Learn when doing everything yourself starts costing the business more.
Sport
Tickets are only part of the cost of supporting a football club. Travel, TV subscriptions, shirts and away games add up quickly.
Travel
Budget flights can become expensive once baggage, transfers, parking, food and inconvenient airports are included.
Travel
Some travel upgrades offer genuine value by saving time, improving sleep or reducing stress. Here’s how to judge them.
Tech
Apps, cloud storage, streaming and premium services can turn your phone into a bundle of recurring monthly costs.
Travel
Enjoy your holiday without financial regret by planning food, activities, spending money and a realistic buffer before you travel.
Money
Small spending matters, but the largest opportunities in your finances often sit in housing, transport, debt, insurance and other recurring costs—not in the occasional cappuccino.
Sport
Premier League matchdays cost more than the ticket once travel, food, drinks, parking and merchandise are included.
Money
Cards, phones and one-click checkout make paying wonderfully convenient. They can also make spending feel less real by removing the small moments of friction that once forced us to notice money leaving.
Life
“Treat yourself” can be a healthy way to enjoy money. But when rewards become the automatic response to stress, boredom or inconvenience, an occasional pleasure can quietly become a permanent expense.
Money
A ten-pound purchase does not feel like a financial event. But when the same kind of spending happens several times a week, the total can become surprisingly large without ever feeling dramatic.
Tech
A new iPhone can be impressive without being necessary. Here’s how to decide whether an upgrade actually improves your life.
Life
As income rises, comfort and convenience often rise with it. That can improve life—but if every extra pound becomes part of the new normal, financial breathing room may never arrive.
Travel
All-inclusive holidays can be excellent value for some travellers and expensive for others. Here’s how to decide.
Work
Office work creates expenses that rarely appear as one large bill. Travel, food, clothing and time can turn workplace attendance into a meaningful annual cost.
Tech
Unused gadgets reveal how easily novelty can become clutter. Here’s what your gadget drawer can teach you about future tech purchases.
Travel
Airports combine waiting, convenience and captive customers in a way that makes spending unusually easy.
Money
Being good with money is often presented as though it is simply a matter of discipline. In reality, financial behaviour is shaped by habits, stress, environment, income and dozens of competing decisions.
Money
Most people would think carefully before handing over £1,000 for a phone. Put the same phone behind a monthly payment, however, and the purchase can suddenly feel much smaller.
Money
Payday often creates a temporary feeling of wealth that can encourage bigger spending in the first few days. The problem is that your salary still has several weeks of work left to do.
Business
High sales do not automatically mean a business has cash. Understand the difference between revenue, profit and cash flow.
Business
Some low-paying customers require disproportionate support, revisions and administration. Here’s how to assess true customer profitability.
Life
Boredom has become remarkably easy to monetise. Shopping, food delivery, scrolling and entertainment can all turn an empty hour into a transaction before we realise what we were trying to fix.
Business
A busy business is not always a profitable business. Underpricing, low margins and slow payments can create constant work with little cash.
Life
You needed milk. Somehow you came home with snacks, cleaning products, something from the middle aisle and £47 less than you had before. Here’s why small shopping trips expand so easily.
Sport
Modern sports fandom can involve TV packages, memberships, tickets, merchandise and recurring services all year round.
Life
Delivery, taxis, prepared food, premium services and instant access all sell one thing: less effort. Convenience can be valuable, but buying it constantly can become surprisingly expensive.
Life
A £10 purchase rarely feels important. The phrase “it’s only a tenner” makes it even easier to dismiss. The trouble starts when the sentence becomes a habit.
Money
A pay rise should create more breathing room. Yet many people find that a few months later, life feels just as expensive as before. Lifestyle inflation has a remarkable ability to keep pace with income.
Work
A headline salary can sound impressive while the amount that reaches your account feels very different. Tax, pension, commuting and work-related costs all affect what a salary actually means in everyday life.
Tech
Monthly financing can make expensive technology feel affordable by hiding the total cost behind smaller payments.
