Shane Hickey

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Shane Hickey

Plan aheadPreparing meals in advance and portioning out meat, fruit and vegetables to be frozen can save money, avoid waste and cut the time you spend cooking. Some foods freeze particularly well, says Lisa Marley, a chef. “Soups, stews, casseroles, and baked goods are great because they maintain their flavour and texture after freezing.”The key to making savings is to cook in large batches, Marley adds.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Shane Hickey

Tax rules introduced last week mean many drivers – especially owners of electric vehicles (EVs) and new high-end cars – face hefty bills to get on the road. Someone who is buying a new 1-litre Ford Puma, for example, now has to pay £440 tax for the first year – up from £220. An overhaul of the vehicle excise duty (VED) system came into effect on 1 April, introducing a number of new charges.

3 weeks ago | msn.com | Shane Hickey

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.

3 weeks ago | msn.com | Shane Hickey

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Shane Hickey

On a shelf between Alexander McQueen shoes, Louis Vuitton handbags and Versace heels in the police evidence room are an 18-inch machete and a serrated zombie knife. Alongside the expensive fashions bought with the proceeds of serious fraud are the tools needed to achieve it, says DCI Paul Curtis. “These are serious offenders and for whatever reason they felt the need to have these to protect themselves,” he says.