Dinner times: Survey suggests more people eating earlier
It seems like this trend for an earlier dinner time isn't completely new either.A poll in 2020 by company YouGov also asked people when they were most likely to have dinner, with the most popular option being between 6-6.59pm.The second most popular time was between 5pm-5.59pm, closely followed by 7pm-7.59pm.
Families eating earlier could be linked to having younger children with earlier bedtimes, or the adults in the house wanting to also have an earlier night themselves.Others think that an increase in people working from home or doing hybrid working following the Covid pandemic, means people can eat earlier as they aren't spending as much time travelling home from work.Experts also say there could be some health benefits to eating earlier.Eating late at night can sometimes lead to increased weight gain and higher risks of weight problems.We want to know what's it like in your house - what time do you eat at? Do you all eat together or do different members of your family eat at different times?Let us know in the comments below...
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
I'm 27 with £120k in savings – but I don't work 9-5 and I'll even retire at 40… anyone can do it
Maria Psarkis, 27, has saved £120k by becoming a SHINER. She explains how it works and how YOU can use it to retire sooner SAVVY SAVER I'm 27 with £120k in savings – but I don't work 9-5 and I'll even retire at 40… anyone can do it WE'VE all fantasized about retiring from work early - but for most of us it's more of a dream than a possibility. But you don't need a high-flying job or rich parents to make it happen. Maria Psarkis, 27, explains how she has built up £120,000 in saving and plans to retire at just 40. Advertisement 6 Maria Psarkis has built up £120,000 in savings in ten years by becoming a SHINER 6 The 27-year-old began building her side hustle empire when she was just 17 6 Maria has gradually increased her income over time to boost her savings Maria is just one of a new breed of SHINERs - Side Hustlers Habitually Investing - nurturing income and retiring early. It might not sound catchy - but this group of savvy savers use side hustles and multiple income streams to build their wealth - and avoid the traditional nine to five. Advertisement In their case, it's their forties when they plan to stop working, or cut their workload to just a few hours a week. Maria explains: "I've upcycled, grafted, and used SEVEN side hustles to build £150k in savings, businesses and investments. "I don't and won't do nine to five. I'm creating my own 'side hustle retirement fund' and building investments by multitasking. "It's not about quitting forever. It's about freedom and being able to choose how and when I work." Maria is not alone. Advertisement Around 14% of Gen Z - those born after 1996 - want to soft retire in their 40s and stop full-time work before they hit 50, according to a 2024 YouGov survey. But rather than dreaming of sitting on the beach or enjoying a round of golf, many younger people like Maria see soft retiring as a flexible lifestyle shift – not a full stop. They want to be their own bosses and do fewer hours, work remotely and use side hustles to give them financial freedom. Psychic's path to manifesting money and getting rich | Talking Money For Maria this means being a landlord, running a fashion business and working in hospitality, consultancy and content creation. Side hustle empire Maria started to build up her side hustle empire while she was in school and still lived with her parents. Advertisement "I don't come from a rich family," she said. "When I was 17, I started working on Saturdays doing admin tasks. I tried to save 60% of my wages." When she turned 18, her gran also gave her £2,000, which, when added to her Saturday job and holiday work, brought her savings up to £7,000. How Maria manages her money Maria keeps a close eye on her monthly finances and spending to maximise every penny. Here are her monthly finances: Monthly income Social media & sponsored content: £2,000 Fashion brand (XX-Attire): £600 Photo studio & makeovers: £400 Event planning & hospitality: £400 Travel consultancy: £200 Online reselling (Vinted, eBay, etc.): £175 Rent from 2-bed house: £850 Total Income: £4,625 Outgoings Rent (her flatshare room): £600 Mortgage on owned property: £309 Council Tax (half share): £65 Gas & Electric (half share): £60 Water (half share): £18 Broadband & Mobile (half share): £25 Groceries: £200 Transport: £60 Insurance (home + contents): £40 Pension Contributions: £200 Miscellaneous: £60 Social Spending: £400 Subscriptions: £30 Business Expenses: £400 Total Outgoings: £2,467 After leaving school, Maria worked for twelve months as a waitress, doing event management, part-time modelling and social media marketing. "I am not the typical blonde-haired model," Maria explains. "Agents liked my dark hair, nose and what they called 'Arabic looks'. Advertisement "I was living at home, so I could save almost 70% of what I earned. I used that year to develop multiple skills at entry-level positions." In 2017, Maria began her hospitality management and marketing degree at the University of Chester. On top of her classes, she also worked four or five shifts a week as a waitress or at hospitality events. "I budgeted £100 a week for travel and food and saved what I could," she said. "I was modelling for fashion students, did catalogue modelling, swimwear and clubwear for fashion companies, and was helping people market themselves on social media." Advertisement As part of her degree, Maria won the Entrepreneurship in action competition with her business plan for a sustainable clubwear and Gen Z fashion brand. "The judges told me my idea could be launched on a budget and would work," she said. "It was the first time anyone had really praised my business nous and money-making ideas." My financial rock bottom inspired me. I had the savings, but I still was not investment smart Maria Psarkis During that time, Maria became obsessed with side hustles, spreading investment risk and saving. She explains: "I did go out, but limited my spending. "I had fun, but on a budget. I moved in with relatives in the second year to save even more money and cut my student loan liability." Advertisement By this point, Maria's savings had reached £40,000, so she decided to start investing. But she ended up learning the hard way that investments can go wrong. She chose to try bitcoin trading and invested £7,000 - but soon lost it all. "I ended up being scammed. I was gutted," she said. "Meanwhile, two friends I'd loaned money to could not pay back the £300 I lent them. Advertisement "Losing £7,300 was my financial rock bottom. I was furious with myself and that anger fuelled my plan to take control and aim to soft retire at 40. "It made me hungry to make sure I was financially protected, never suffered stupid exposure levels, and was always making, not losing, money." The situation made Maria even more focused on her finances. She decided to pay £4,500 upfront for her Master of Science in Management and Marketing to avoid having to pay interest on a student loan. She made extra cash to cover the costs by working as a waitress, events manager, model, travel agent and in social media marketing and advertising. Advertisement Saved thousands She says: "I made back what I lost and added to my savings. "I had money in a savings account and was using an investment Isa. "I also regularly switched current accounts when offers came up on interest rates or cash bonuses." Maria also took out a credit card with a £2,000 limit to build up her credit score, but made sure to always pay off the balance in full. By 2022, she had amassed £70,000 in savings, including earnings from part-time work, interest from her Isa and side hustles. Advertisement "I worked and saved hard for the money," she admits. "My financial rock bottom inspired me. I had the savings, but I still was not investment smart." Maria decided to move in with her grandmother in Manchester to save thousands of pounds in rent payments. She used £5,000 of her savings to launch her fashion brand, XX-Attire. The company initially offered clubwear and swimwear, but now sells work-friendly fashion to customers who want sustainable but edgy fashion. Advertisement Maria said: "I did pop-up shops and catwalk shows in Manchester, London, Greece and Thailand. "I worked on the clothes myself, and the business is now making a profit. "I keep an eye on costs daily, develop only ranges I know will sell out using social media algorithms and client feedback. "I also make customised outfits which can earn me more than £500 per outfit." Property portfolio Maria also realised that the way to really put her money to work was to develop a property portfolio. Advertisement Two years ago, she bought a two-bedroom house in Manchester for £89,000 and rented it out. She put down a deposit of £29,000 and took out a £60,000 mortgage over 20 years at a five-year fixed rate of 2.2%. Her monthly repayments were £309.25 and she earns £850 a month in rent. "I put that rent money into the mortgage each month and was always paying extra," she said. "I added a spare tenner or fiver weekly and it's cutting years and interest repayments off my mortgage." Advertisement In total, Maria is able to overpay her mortgage by £61 a month. "This means I can pay off the mortgage four years early, save £3,789 in interest, and gain 48 months of financial freedom," she explains. "Each month, I try to add even more money. The snowball effect of doing this will have a real impact on soft retirement." Maria is also looking to buy a two-bedroom flat in Manchester this year, and plans to live in one of the bedrooms and rent out the other. She plans to put down a £30,000 deposit and take out a £40,000 mortgage. Advertisement She explains: "Property is a solid investment, and not buying in London means I can get into the property market early, especially as my credit rating is excellent." Clutter into cash She also sells at least £3,000 of old clothes on Vinted or eBay each year, maximises club card points and swaps credit cards or utility suppliers when there's cash to be made or a cashback incentive. "I've made £2,000 doing that. I love charity shop buying and decorating. "I have a budget and stick to it, but if I can make money, even selling old books to a book-buying site, I'll do it. "People don't understand, Gen Z are not about one job, we're about multiple jobs or side hustles. Advertisement "I earn money from my social media platforms, monetising them so instead of freebies, I get paid from the creators' fund or sponsored posts. "This can pull in £2,000 to £3,000 a month. I also earn a percentage from clients I've built social media content for, through their creators' fund payments." Maria has continued to run specialist hospitality events and says the skills she's learnt since she was 17 now help her to turn a profit. "I've also developed a new side hustle with my partner, who is a chef. "I help people to plan unusual date nights, hire someone to cook for them at home or use simple recipes to recreate restaurant-style food themselves. Advertisement "It's a unique idea that adds another side hustle to my businesses." I have fun. I go out. But I never miss an opportunity or let an idea slip away Maria Psarkis She also earns £200 a month by working as a travel agent. Meanwhile, she makes £400 a month from a photo studio that she leases and uses for photo shoots, makeovers and social media marketing. Maria saves a minimum of £1,000 or more a month. "I learnt to do my own accounting at university and have an accountant sign off on it," she said. Advertisement "I also pay £200 a month into a self invested personal pension and top it up when I can." Maria's now on track to build an investment portfolio, including multiple side hustle businesses, Isas and her fashion brand, and expects to be worth more than half a million within five years. "I have fun. I go out. But I never miss an opportunity or let an idea slip away," she said. "Many people want to be different. They want a side hustle but are scared because the last generation told them nine to five jobs. 'I don't want a rocking chair in my forties. I plan to be soft retired, bossing it on a beach with a laptop." Advertisement 6 Maria worked as a model during university to increase her income and savings 6 While she was studying Maria also designed clothes for her boutique XX-Attire 6 By the time she turns 40 Maria hopes she will be able to reduce her workload Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Dinner times: Survey suggests more people eating earlier
What time does your family normally have dinner? And do you eat together or at different times?New data from an online restaurant booking service, OpenTable, seems to show that more people are having dinner at 5pm or is much earlier than they have seen in the past, when 9pm was a popular time for people to eat. It seems like this trend for an earlier dinner time isn't completely new either.A poll in 2020 by company YouGov also asked people when they were most likely to have dinner, with the most popular option being between second most popular time was between 5pm-5.59pm, closely followed by 7pm-7.59pm. Families eating earlier could be linked to having younger children with earlier bedtimes, or the adults in the house wanting to also have an earlier night think that an increase in people working from home or doing hybrid working following the Covid pandemic, means people can eat earlier as they aren't spending as much time travelling home from also say there could be some health benefits to eating late at night can sometimes lead to increased weight gain and higher risks of weight want to know what's it like in your house - what time do you eat at? Do you all eat together or do different members of your family eat at different times?Let us know in the comments below...
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Gen Z has brought us the 6pm dinner – and I am not ready for it
Whenever I arrange dinner with one particular friend, we haggle. The date and venue are easy to sort out, but when it comes to what time we should convene, it's always a lengthy negotiation. I make snide 'jokes' about Grandma's Earlybird Special, she reminds me we do not live in Spain, and slowly we meet in the middle, where neither of us is happy. Now it turns out that by wanting to have dinner at 6pm, she is extremely fashionable. Curses! It's all down to pesky gen Z, of course. Not content with slating our no-show socks and banning the French tuck, they're now making early evenings the new late nights when it comes to dining. According to the Times, online restaurant reservation service OpenTable reports a steep rise in 6pm bookings, up 11% in London and 6% across the UK compared with the same period last year. And Zonal, the hospitality tech service, reveals the new national average dining time is 6.12pm. Joe Laker, the savvy chef and co-founder of Counter 71 in Shoreditch, London, has introduced a £50 early evening set menu as a result, and will surely not be the last to do so. The benefits here are clear: you get to socialise without staying up till all hours and being forced to skip your 972-step skincare routine; commuters don't risk missing the last train; and eating a large meal after 8pm is generally considered to be worse for your health than dining earlier. But what about the inevitable knock-on effects of this new trend? After all, you're unlikely to be hungry at 6pm if you had lunch at 2pm. At this rate, we might have to start setting our alarms for the middle of the night and having breakfast then, in order to squeeze in all our meals. But if that's what it takes to keep up with gen Z, who am I to argue? Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
