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Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
See if you're 'Polite Pippa' or 'Generous George' with social spend quiz
A new quiz has been created to help you find out how your spending on other people compares to the rest of the nation - and the results could surprise you Are you the most generous person around when it comes to chipping in for group presents, or do you prefer to stash your money elsewhere, perhaps towards your own savings targets? In classic British style, some folk are terrified of turning down invitations and go along with costly plans to avoid seeming impolite - and this quiz will show where you sit on the spectrum. Scenarios involving office farewell gifts, kids' birthday celebrations and dividing restaurant bills will determine whether you're a 'Polite Pippa' or 'Generous George'. It comes after thousands of Brits to get shock letter from HMRC after drastic new tax rule comes into force. 'scammers tried to trick me out of £1,600 but four words gave the game away'. This follows research involving 2,000 adults, commissioned by new savings app Spring, which revealed Brits fork out £1,025 annually on others, including covering hen and stag parties, colleagues' departure gifts and children's celebrations. Half (52%) feel under pressure to turn up at pricey social gatherings, with guests typically spending £207 on weddings, £191 on milestone birthdays and around £150 on hen and stag events. Others feel compelled to show up or contribute towards group dining experiences, baby showers and housewarming parties, plus making donations to fundraising efforts. The app's head of money, Derek Sprawling, commented: "Many of us feel pressure to say yes to social events that are becoming more and more expensive. "While the quiz questions are hypothetical, it features occasions we can all relate to from the sinking feeling of seeing another wedding invite come in to dipping into savings for another person's birthday. "In a social media world, many people want to celebrate landmark events in style and not down the local pub, which is putting more and more pressure on budgets. "One way consumers can manage this is by learning to say no to events they don't want to go in a gracious way that doesn't offend." The study also revealed 51% would rather splash their cash elsewhere than on other people, with 59% of those preferring to stash the money away. Meanwhile, 47% would choose to put it towards a getaway and 33% would rather splash out on their pastimes. Amongst the leading occasions people have attended when they didn't really fancy it were group dinners (21%), weddings (18%) and major birthday bashes (17%). And the maximum individuals have ever forked out on an event which they didn't want to take part in is £239. Nearly half (46%) have had to raid their savings to cover the expenses, resulting in postponing or shelving their own ambitions of travelling (36%) or purchasing a property (19%). In typical British fashion, the dread of appearing rude (34%), tight-fisted (28%) or being the 'awkward' one (28%) made people feel compelled to contribute to or attend occasions. But many have felt frustrated (22%) and aggravated (29%) about social spending pressures, with 41% feeling there are too many celebratory events nowadays. And items such as gender reveal gifts (44%), overseas hen and stag dos (38%) and evenly splitting restaurant bills (18%) are viewed as pointless expenditure. The research also revealed that 35% of those surveyed, via OnePoll, have experienced anxiety when they had minimal time to fund something they hadn't anticipated, with the perfect advance notice being nine weeks prior to the occasion. Derek added: "Given the pressure on finances these events can create, if you are going to attend, making sure your money is working as hard as possible is vital, including the interest from your savings. "We find too many people accept a poor rate of return from their bank when they could be generating much more from a higher interest account, helping to contribute to these unexpected costs."
Metro
04-06-2025
- General
- Metro
Body found in search for British man who went missing on stag do in Portugal
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A body has been found in the search for a man who went missing on a stag do in Portugal. Greg Monks, 38, went missing on the first night of a five-day stay in Albufeira during the early hours of May 28. The Scotsman told friends that he was heading back to the apartments where he was staying, but was not seen again. A major search was launched, while his parents and girlfriend Nicole Ashleigh Kelso flew out to support. A body was found this afternoon in a ravine in Cerro da Aguia, to the west of Albufeira, close to where he was last seen. It was removed from a steep wasteland area by firefighters and has been taken for an autopsy. His sister Jillian Monks paid tribute to her brother and told the Daily Record: 'We are truly heartbroken. Everyone who knows Greg knows how much he will be missed and what an amazing guy he was.' A FCDO Spokesperson told Metro: 'We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities.' Portugal's Policia Judiciaria police force said in a statement: 'The PJ has located the body of the missing Scottish tourist in Albufeira. 'The disappearance of the 38-year-old UK citizen was reported to the Albufeira GNR at 8pm on May 28 by another man who was accompanying him on holiday in the area. 'After carrying out various enquiries and establishing the presumed route taken in the early hours of that day since the last sighting, the body was located on steep wasteland. 'After the appropriate judicial inspection, the body will be removed and taken to the nearest Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.' His sisters Jillian and Carlyn appeared on Sky News yesterday before today's police announcement. Carlyn said: 'As a family, we're worried sick. It's just so unlike him, but myself and Jillian are just trying to hold each other up back home.' Jillian said: 'He deserves to be found, he deserves to be looked for, we need him home. 'He's a big part of our family, and it's just unimaginable if he's just lying somewhere and we can't find him.' Jillian described Greg as a 'really hard worker' in his job and a 'quiet guy' whose disappearance immediately 'threw up a red flag'. She added that he has a Thor-type Viking unfinished tattoo at the top of his right arm which would be visible if he was wearing a vest top or had no shirt on. Hospitals have been checked without success, but police are not thought to have yet carried out an exhaustive search of medical centres. A GoFundMe has been set up on behalf of the family to help support the search which has so far raised £24,125. More Trending Organiser Gillian McCallum wrote: 'Our son Greg Monks went to Portugal for a stag do on Tuesday, May 27, and on the first night back out there he never returned to his hotel and has now been missing for three days. 'We are desperately seeking Greg's safe return and need your help. 'There are professional search teams out looking for Greg and the family have all flown out to try to help find him but don't know how long their stay will be. 'They are doing everything they can. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in our efforts to bring Greg home.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Gorgeous town in Portugal is a foodie paradise with flights from £27 MORE: Student spends £129 on a Wowcher mystery holiday – to the city where she lives MORE: What Madeleine McCann's twin siblings are doing now after 'living in her shadow'
The Irish Sun
04-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Body of missing Scot Greg Monks found at bottom of ravine a week after he vanished on stag do in Portugal
MISSING Scots tourist Greg Monks has been found dead on the Algarve. The plant mechanic, 38, was discovered by police today at the bottom of a ravine Advertisement 5 Missing mechanic Greg Monks has been found dead in Portugal 5 The Scot vanished while on a stag do in the party hotspot of Albufeira Credit: Alamy 5 The tragic last known picture of Greg was revealed Greg, from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, disappeared in the early hours after travelling to Albufeira for a stag do with friends. The Policia Judiciaria police force said in a statement: 'The PJ has located the body of the missing Scottish tourist in Albufeira. 'PJ police, through the Southern Directorate and with the collaboration of the Albufeira GNR police force, today located the body of a man who had been missing since May 28 in the Cerro de Aguia area of Albufeira. 'The disappearance of the 38-year-old UK citizen was reported to the Albufeira GNR at 8pm on the 28th by another man who was accompanying him on holiday in the area. Advertisement 'After carrying out various enquiries and establishing the presumed route taken in the early hours of that day since the last sighting, the body was located on steep wasteland. 'After the appropriate judicial inspection, the body will be removed and taken to the nearest Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.' It comes after Greg's sisters revealed the "alarm bells" moment after he vanished from the party hotspot. Just hours after arriving in Portugal for the five-day stag do, he told pals that he was heading back to his holiday apartment on his own after several hours of partying and drinking. Advertisement Most read in The Scottish Sun Exclusive The last official sighting of Greg was at around 3.27am on Wednesday, May 28, near the Cerro de Aguia area as Greg's last known picture was revealed. This is more than an hour's walk west of the popular party resort where Greg is thought to have left his friends, while the Novochoro Apartments, which he had checked into on Tuesday night, are a 30-minute walk north. Police put me through horrific treatment after Portugal rape ordeal, I deserve answers & apology, says Hazel Behan His worried parents and girlfriend Nicole Ashleigh Kelso flew out to the Algarve in a bid to trace him. Hours before his death , Greg's sisters Jillian and Carlyn told Advertisement Jillian said: "We were contacted on Wednesday afternoon asking if there was any way we could track his phone because he hadn't come home from the night before. "This immediately raised alarm bells. It's just not like him. He wouldn't normally do something like this. 5 The 38-year-old vanished while on a stag do in the Algarve 5 The tragic plant mechanic's sisters Jillian and Carlin Advertisement "It had only been twelve hours since he was seen, but we were just so worried." She and Greg's mates then tried to report him missing to the police but "it wasn't really taken as seriously at first because it hadn't been that long", Jillian said. But as time went on and fears for Greg's safety grew, cops have been "working day and night", "putting every resource they can" into the search for Greg.
Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Missing Brit who vanished after stag do in Portugal found dead in ravine
A British tourist who went missing for over a week on a stag do has been found dead. Scottish man Greg Monks, 38, was discovered at the bottom of a ravine after he was last seen in Albufeira, Portugal. Greg, from Glasgow, vanished in the early hours of last Wednesday morning after travelling to Albufeira for a stag do with friends. His parents and girlfriend flew to the country to help with the search. Portuguese police today confirmed a body has been found in "steep wasteland" and is believed to be that of Greg. His cause of death is not yet known and an autopsy is set to be carried out. Police have not revealed what they believe to be Greg's cause of death. More information is expected to be released after the autopsy takes place but privately, while the hunt was still on for Greg, police said there was nothing pointing to his disappearance being a crime. Police in Portugal have confirmed the body of Greg Monks has been found after a week-long search. The Policia Judiciaria police force said in a statement: 'The PJ has located the body of the missing Scottish tourist in Albufeira.' It added: 'PJ police, through the Southern Directorate and with the collaboration of the Albufeira GNR police force, today located the body of a man who had been missing since May 28 in the Cerro de Aguia area of Albufeira. 'The disappearance of the 38-year-old UK citizen was reported to the Albufeira GNR at 8pm on the 28th by another man who was accompanying him on holiday in the area. 'After carrying out various enquiries and establishing the presumed route taken in the early hours of that day since the last sighting, the body was located on steep wasteland. 'After the appropriate judicial inspection, the body will be removed and taken to the nearest Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.' Greg's family has insisted his disappearance was out of character and he did not suffer from mental health problems. Jillian said: "He's not got any mental health issues or issues with depression. Nothing like this has ever happened before. That's why when I got the phone call from one of his friends on Wednesday to say he had gone missing it immediately threw up a red flag." Jillian also said she and her sister have children and Greg was a "great" uncle to them. "My daughter particularly has got a very close bond with him," she said. '"She dotes on him." Greg Monks was a 38-year-old man from Glasgow. He was a "plant mechanic" who "fixes big diggers and HGVs and things like that", according to his sister Jillian. She said that Greg, who attended a stag do in Portugal as part of a group, is generally a "quiet" and "content" person who lives with his girlfriend. "They have a bulldog and they just go out walking the dog," she said. Another of Greg's sisters, Carlyn, told Sky News last night: "As a family, we're worried sick. It's just so unlike him, but myself and Jillian are just trying to hold each other up back home." Jillian also admitted their "unimaginable" fear that Greg may be "lying somewhere and we can't find him". Portuguese newspaper daily Correio da Manha is reporting Portugal's Policia Judiciaria force is at the scene. Greg disappeared after the first night of the stag do. He was last seen on CCTV in the residential area of Cerro de Aguia, located roughly four miles away from the main club and bar strip of Albufeira, on Tuesday 27 May His sister Jillian sounded the alarm on May 29 and she described his disappearance as "completely out of character". She wrote on an Albufeira expat site: "My brother has not been since Tuesday evening. If you are currently there and have any information place contact me with any info." Greg Monks' body is understood to have been found by police at the bottom of a ravine. Greg, 38, vanished on Wednesday morning in the Algarve while he was away with friends on a stag do. His sister Jillian said: 'There are about 10 to 15 friends all from Scotland on the stag do and Greg was due to be a groomsman.'
