FINANCE
Money Matters
Money makes the world go round , or so the saying goes .
In our latest finance feature , we talk to former BBC Tees , TFM and Magic presenter John Foster , now a freelance voiceover artist , presenter and event host . John , whose voice will soon be heard on the new Vita Radio , is married to BBC Radio 5 Live ’ s Anna Foster .
Does money make you happy ? I thought having a well-paid job with a comfortable amount of money would but it doesn ’ t .
As I ’ ve got older and the kids have come along , I ’ ve realised that yes , cash is important to make sure they have the basics , but true happiness comes from seeing them smile and having fun .
What was your first paid job ? At 15 I managed to get a Saturday job at BBC Radio Cleveland on the sports programme . I worked from 1pm to 5pm for the sum of £ 4 . It was paid cash and they only ever had £ 5 notes , so I always had to make sure I had £ 1 on me .
What ’ s your best financial tip ? I ’ ve got two ! 1 . If you haven ’ t got it , don ’ t spend it . I grew up in the age of the credit card and I did go a bit daft with it . The credit card statement would come through the door and I wouldn ’ t open it . I was trying to fool myself . Of course , the day of reckoning came and it wasn ’ t nice . 2 . If you ’ re selfemployed , put enough aside for tax . The HMRC - they come …
Are you a saver or a spender ? I ’ m a lot more frugal now because of wild days earlier . And having children is a real wake-up call to your spending habits . Since leaving a well-paid job at the BBC through health issues I ’ ve gone freelance and trying to build a business from scratch takes some time . Anna is an absolute rock and I couldn ’ t have done the last 12 months without her .
What ’ s the biggest drain on your resources ? Childcare , without a doubt . Until 2016 both our children were in nursery and the fees are BIG !
What ’ s the most you ’ ve splashed out on a single item ?
For our wedding anniversary Anna and I went to the UAE , Oman and Dubai . As a massive treat we booked ONE night at the Burj Al Arab . To this day I don ’ t know the cost exactly !
What has been your biggest financial mistake ? Selling my house in Sedgefield when I did . A few months later it had nearly doubled in price . I had a very low mortgage . D ’ oh !
What ’ s been your best investment ? Where we live now in West Yorkshire , I have a little studio . A lot of the kit has come from radio stations when they ’ ve been upgraded so it ’ s been little or no cost to me . I ’ ve presented radio shows from there and recorded voiceovers too . It ’ s definitely paid for itself .
johnfostervoice . com
Kings of customer service
Hunters Estate Agents are celebrating winning The British Property Awards for Middlesbrough after judges said their staff “ performed outstandingly ”.
The Hunters team impressed throughout the extensive judging period , which focused on customer service levels .
Hunters have now been shortlisted for a number of national awards , which will be announced later in the year .
The British Property Awards provide agents throughout the UK with an invaluable opportunity to compare the service that they provide against that of their local , regional and national competition .
Agents who go that extra mile and provide outstanding levels of customer service are rewarded with the accolade , which acts as a beacon to highlight these attributes to their local marketplace .
Hunters manager Lisa Preston said : “ We ’ re absolutely thrilled to win this award , which is an accolade for the full team .
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Lisa Preston ( left ) and her team at estate agents Hunters Teesside have been lauded for their customer service .
“ The award confirms that we do what we ’ ve always set out to do – provide the best customer service in town .
“ My team are very customer servicedriven and do go that extra mile . This award tells us what we already knew – but it ’ s great to be independently judged too .
“ We were mystery shopped for several weeks and each team member scored highly . The team welcomed the feedback . It has given them a real boost to know their efforts have been recognised .”
The British Property Awards are one of the most prestigious estate agency awards providers as they do not charge to enter .
The team personally mystery shops every estate agent against a set of 25 criteria to obtain a balanced overview of their customer service levels .
Robert McLean of the British Property Awards said : “ If an agent has been attributed with one of our awards , it ’ s simply down to the fantastic customer service levels that they have demonstrated . Congratulations to Hunters .”
For more details about the range of properties for sale or let at Hunters Teesside , visit hunters . com , call 01642 224366 or call in at 146 Linthorpe Road , Middlesbrough , TS1 3RA .