Wales named UK's gardening capital and Cardiff top city
Kevin Mountford, co-founder and personal finance expert at Raisin, said: "While at first savings and gardening might not appear very similar, there are many elements to gardening that translate to saving.
"It's not just about personality traits like being calm, organised and adaptable—it is about the long game.
"In both cases, taking time up front to research your options based on your specific situation can see you make great rewards down the line."
Cardiff was named the most green-fingered city, with residents spending a full day—24 hours—gardening each month.
The research, commissioned by savings platform Raisin, explored the similarities between gardening and saving habits, with Welsh residents spending an average of 17 hours a month researching savings options.
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2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Sainsbury's launches huge baby clothes sale with prices starting from 90p
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SAINSBURY'S has launched a huge baby clothes sale and some of the products cost just 90. The brand's sale has seen them halve the cost of some of their products and some of them are perfect for summer holidays. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Sainsbury's has launched a huge babywear sale Credit: Alamy 4 The brand is selling adorable leggings for just £1.50 Credit: Sainsburys 4 The My First Holiday T-shirt is perfect for summer vacations Credit: Sainsburys Sainsbury's has a massive collection of clothes, available through its fashion brand Tu. Their babywear is particularly popular and the supermarket has slashed the price of many of its products as part of a massive sale. Its collection of bibs - which can read 'I love you mummy' or 'daddy' - now cost just £1.50, after a 50 per cent price reduction. However, some products now cost even less than that. The My First Holiday T-shirt is perfect for vacations with your baby and costs just 90p. Other products in the sale include animal themed leggings, which come in a variety of colours and designs. The blue leggings have elephants printed on them, while the yellow pairs have giraffes included on their design. The leggings, which can also have apple designs on them, cost £1.50. Sainsbury's is also selling baby bodysuits with the flags of UK nations, including the Welsh and Scottish flags. There are several more expensive products in the range too, with Sainsbury's halving the price of its baby sleeping bags from £30 to just £15. Moment idiot raider gets 'STUCK' lowering himself into Sainsbury's store in bungled Mission Impossible-style burglary The baby sale is part of a wider Tu promotion, which is slashing the costs of some of its menswear and womenswear too. Tu regularly goes viral for its low-cost, high-quality clothes. One dress in particular went viral on TikTok, after Sainsbury's slashed the price to £15. The White Structured Midaxi Summer Dress is perfect for brunches or sight seeing abroad and comes in a lightweight cotton. It has a structured bodice and flared hem to create a classic shape. On the product's official description, it says: "This white dress is an elegant choice for summer outings. 'Designed with a structured bodice and a flared hem for a flattering shape. "Cut to a midaxi length, it has been made from a lightweight, cotton-rich fabric, perfect for warmer days."
Scottish Sun
12-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
We left the UK & bought a three-bed in Bulgaria for £6k, we'll homeschool our kids there – but the garden terrifies me
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has shared an inside look into the home she and her partner purchased without even viewing it. The Welsh family ditched the UK in favour of the affordable property in Bulgaria. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A British family shared an insight into the home they purchased for just £6,000 in Bulgaria Credit: TikTok/@therollingrucks And while the massive three-bedroom home only set the couple back £6,000, they shared their fears that they may have bitten off more than they can chew. Posting on the family's TikTok account The Rolling Rucks, the mum-of-three gave viewers a virtual tour of the home. She explained that they drove from their native South Wales to the property in their camper van to inspect their purchase. However, upon arriving at the home, she wondered aloud if they had made a mistake. She revealed that the property is "much much bigger" than they had expected. While the TikToker was only able to show one room inside the home, she did give her followers a look around the garden. Garden woes She shared her concerns that they would have to knock down some of the structure to create room for their camper van. The mum added that they would also need "a chainsaw or five" to tackle the overgrown garden. However, her main concern with the outdoor space had nothing to do with the extensive work required. "I am freaking out about the snakes because this garden, there's going to be tons of them in there," she said. I've moved to hidden historic town where houses are the price of handbags & pints are cheaper than Tesco sandwiches The mum revealed that once they had tackled the garden, they would inspect the home to determine if it was worth saving. She explained that they were considering knocking it down and replacing it with a log cabin instead. "Now we knew we had a challenge on our hands but I'm not going to lie, this is a lot worse than what I was expecting," the TikToker said. She added that they were going to get to work on the property straight away, with the hopes of homeschooling their three children in the process. Viewer reactions TikTok users shared their thoughts on the property in the comments section. 5 Tips to Get on The Property Ladder Saving for your first property is tough, but it is possible. Here are a few steps for first-time buyers. 1. Cut back on luxuries and start saving Consistent monthly saving is the best way to accumulate enough money to get on the ladder, for a deposit and purchase fees. To do this, you need to take a look at your monthly outgoings and think about what can be cut out - holidays, new clothes, weekly takeaway. Using a savings calculator can help you to establish how long you will need to save for a deposit. Based on your income, you can figure out a realistic amount to save each month. 2. Have a realistic property search Set a budget for the property price you would like to buy, and think realistically about the location and size of your property. While we all may want that house with a view or extra bedroom, can you afford it? 3. Research Help To Buy and Shared Ownership schemes The government has introduced a few ways to help first-time-buyers get on the property ladder and they're great for those on lower incomes or to buy a property in more expensive areas like London. 4. Consider buying with another person Investing with somebody else you know is a sure way to get onto the property ladder. You only need to save half the amount you would otherwise, so you can work towards getting your property sooner. You can invest with a friend, family or partner. Naturally, it is a big step and a huge commitment so be open and honest about what you expect from living together — if you haven't already. 5. Talk to a mortgage broker and get your documents in order A mortgage broker can tell you exactly how much you can borrow for a mortgage, what you will need to pay monthly and in upfront costs. "Best to clear your garden, knock down and rebuild," advised one viewer. "The potential is amazing. Stay positive and remember Rome wasn't built in a day," said another follower. "I'm a builder and I wouldn't take on that. But best of luck with it," commented a third person. More stories from Brits living abroad And there are more Brits opting to live in Bulgaria over the UK, with one family transforming their home on a budget. Another couple shared their plans for the Italian mansion they purchased at half the asking price. One woman shared the lavish life she now leads after leaving Britain for Thailand. And a man left his life in the UK to work in the sunshine state, earning triple his previous salary.
Wales Online
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- Wales Online
I dropped out of university – my business turns over £6m a year
I dropped out of university – my business turns over £6m a year 'I make more in one hour on TikTok Shop than during a day in my physical store' Laura Mallows started off as a history student but now she is the founder of a multi-million-pound company (Image: Matthew Horwood ) Before her skincare brand became a TikTok sensation and hit the shelves of Boots and Superdrug Laura Mallows was just a girl from Cowbridge trying to figure out what to do with her life. "I was a fashion girly – I have done so many pivots in my life," Laura laughs, reflecting on her unconventional path. It is a winding journey that took her from a university dropout to founder of Mallows Beauty – one of the UK's fastest-growing self-care brands. If you've spent any time scrolling TikTok in the past couple of years chances are you've come across Mallows Beauty. Now turning over millions Mallows is instantly recognisable with its playful packaging, intriguing product names, and unapologetic commitment to self-love with its various body products. Yet behind the bright aesthetic is a story far from the glitz and glamour of a thriving entrepreneur but of self-doubt and starting over more than once. The Welsh entrepreneur has seen rapid expansion with her brand which has gone from her kitchen table to the shelves of Boots (Image: Mallows Beauty ) Speaking to WalesOnline from her bubble-gum pink office Laura claims she very nearly went down a different route. "When I was in school I was really good at history," she recalls. "My school encouraged me to go to Oxbridge to do it but I actually ended up picking Southampton because the nightlife was better." Article continues below However Laura quickly came to the realisation that this wasn't what she wanted to do with her life. "Three months into my history degree I was like: 'I don't like this'. I was falling asleep in my lectures. "There was a boy in my class and I told him: 'I'm going to have to copy your notes'. He just said: 'You're not listening in your lectures – you're snoring. This is bad – you need to stop.' "After that I just decided to drop out. I rang my mum and dad and was like: 'I'm not enjoying it.' They asked me what I wanted to do and I said: 'Fashion. I love fashion.'" Laura then switched to a fashion design degree and finally felt like she had found her place. After university she went on to land a job in London's Dune branch buying handbags and accessories. During this time, though, Laura was battling some internal demons. "I have always struggled with my body image," Laura admits. "From a young age I always wanted to be perfect. I struggled with eating disorders, yo-yo'ed in weight and was always trying to fix myself." Not long after her big city move she developed a case of acne, which only served to enhance her self-doubt. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here . "Every single product that I bought didn't work and every single counter I went to sold this dream," Laura says. "I just kept looking to these models and campaigns and thinking: 'Why don't I look like them? Why is my skin so bad? Why do I have such big pores?' I have suffered with anxiety for most of my life and had no idea why I felt the way I felt or what it even was." Her mental health hit a breaking point prompting Laura to have a complete breakdown. "It was really difficult but I came to realise that that wasn't real. That the girls in the pictures didn't actually look like that – they were airbrushed and filtered." The realisation sparked a question: what if there was a brand that embraced perfect imperfections? Laura says: "I started to think about how cool would it be if there was a brand that was showing spots and showing what real skin looked like – cellulite and stretch marks – so that people could look at their own stretch marks and breathe a sigh of relief." Laura wanted to make a brand everyone could see themselves in This thought stuck with her when she decided to move back to Wales. Laura briefly took on a job as a skincare buyer in Port Talbot. This lasted for just 20 days before she decided to quit with the dream of a genuine self-loving product still very much at the forefront of her mind. "There were so many influencers at the time doing that body-positive self-love thing but there was no brand doing it," she says. "That's when I decided I'd be the one to start it." Armed with little more than a homemade scrub recipe and her parents' credit card she started Mallows Beauty at her kitchen table in her former Llantrisant home. "Very naively might I add," she admits. In August 2020 she released her first product, a pineapple mask, and quickly orders started rolling in from big names like Skinny Dip and Harrods. Mallows can now be found across major retailers across the UK (Image: Mallows Beauty ) As the brand expanded Laura introduced a wider range of products including body butter, scrubs, and shaving butters sold both through her Cardiff flagship store and online via TikTok. A major turning point came in 2023 when Mallows Beauty won Superdrug's Marketplace of the Year award. "I remember it was at the top of the Gherkin. Around that time our TikTok Shop just boomed. At first it was steady but when affiliates really started working, and with the ads function, everything just exploded." Sales leapt from £50,000 a month to around £300,000. "Suddenly we were in 700 Superdrug stores. It just felt like we were going viral, viral, viral non-stop. It felt like magic. That was kind of my year I suppose." Mallows gained a cult following since going viral on TikTok with its brightly-packaged pink products (Image: Mallows Beauty ) When she realised she was making more in one hour on TikTok Shop than in a full day at her Cardiff store she shifted her entire strategy and closed the physical location to focus solely on her digital audience. It was a risk but it paid off. Five years later, at 33 years old, Laura has built a multi-million-pound brand with a fiercely loyal following. On Black Friday in 2024 alone she made £450,000. In the past two years Mallows Beauty has turned over about £6m (including VAT) and is now stocked at major retailers like Boots and Superdrug with a launch set for Morrisons in two weeks time. Online, though, remains a boom trade. "It has connected me with people from all over the UK and I'm expanding," says Laura. "I'm so lucky to have built such a supportive community online." To meet soaring demand the company initially employed 22 people but Laura has since streamlined the workforce to 15. "It was a lot to manage and there was crossover in roles," she explains. "Now it feels right. We're smaller, tighter – a real family. Everyone here cares about the brand. At some point they've all struggled with body image or mental health. They believe in me and the journey, which is beautiful." That shared passion has helped the team develop and launch a wide range of successful products – all rooted in Laura's personal experiences and instincts. "I just do what feels right to me," she says. "For example I wanted to make our pineapple facemasks because I wanted my skin to be glowing to help my blemishes and my scarring at the time. I was obsessed with pineapple enzymes – vitamin C, vitamin A." The Cardiff-based beauty brand has become well known for its quirky packaging and eclectic fragrances (Image: Mallows Beauty ) Her curiosity extended beyond the UK market too. "I saw shaving butters trending in the US and I thought: 'That's a really cool product – can I make it?' The US made them brightly coloured and smell incredible so it really aligned with our brand. So we made them but when I was using it I was using other branded razors so then I thought: 'We need our own.'" The result? A sell-out product. "I think we sold a razor every minute until we sold out of 10,000 units. It was nuts," says Laura. Today the brand has evolved to include everything from hair removal products to accessories like their increasingly popular makeup bags. And it's not just Laura leading the change – Mallows' customers have become co-creators in the brand's development. "Our shave butters are now customer-led," Laura says. "We ask our followers what fragrance they'd like to have next – what sort of product that they would like to see. This year everyone was obsessed with vanilla and they loved ice cream so things like ice cream flavours and banana splits became a priority." Some of the most successful ideas have come from Mallows' community. "Pool Side did incredibly well... I never expected it to do as well as it did. Same with banana, I didn't really think much of it but now I have all banana-fragranced products in my bathroom. We make sure to ask on our Tiktok Lives and make sure we take notes." The brand has taught Laura a lot about 'self-love' and body positivity, which she hopes to share with customers (Image: Mallows Beauty ) Social media, especially TikTok, has been instrumental in building that connection – not just for marketing but for cultivating a brand that feels real. "TikTok and Mallows go hand in hand – it kind of feels like if there wasn't a TikTok there wouldn't be a Mallows. "The massive spikes of success on TikTok come from showing the ins and outs of running the business – the good days and the bad days," she says. The tough days are all a part of the journey, which is what Laura wishes she could tell her younger self. "I'd love to go back and hold my own hand or give myself a hug. Tell myself that it's going to be okay. That I should enjoy the good moments more. "Managing a team, worrying about profits, keeping the lights on... I was always so terrified. I don't think I fully enjoyed the magical moments. That's the advice I'd give myself now: enjoy the journey a bit more. Really soak in the highs." In light of this Laura has clear advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. "If I was an entrepreneur starting out I would be just storytelling as transparently as I can. I saw an amazing new brand the other day and they were talking about their launch, visiting suppliers, how they've held events and no-one has turned up... I think that's the beauty of social media – it's that honest transparency that everyone loves to see and relate to. "It's hard to be that open – it's nerve-wracking. Especially as your brand grows you want people to believe you're doing great. But the community-building is so important – you'll find even in the bad days your fanbase will stick by you. Everyone really pulls together." Mallows is a testament to that having recently ticked off another major milestone with the brand's products now set for supermarket shelves. "Morrisons is a massive thing for me – I said that at the end of this year I wanted to see our product in a supermarket so it's surreal," says Laura. Article continues below From viral scrubs to supermarket aisles Mallows continues to grow not just as a brand but as a movement grounded in authenticity, self-love, and a whole lot of pineapple.
