There are a lot of different types of saving. The aims and objectives of them all differ, as do the priority they should be given, but all are a good idea and important to financial well being.

Long Term

Saving for retirement is an obvious place to start. Reaching old age is something that most  aspire to, though an old age without adequate provision is not what anybody deserves after a life time of working.

One of the most important things about long term saving is that it is an investment. Risk and reward have to be carefully balanced to ensure a good return. It is almost always also a good idea not to have all your eggs in one basket – which is of course something that a well managed pension fund will take into consideration.

Rainy Day

Saving for a rainy day means preparing for the unexpected – which does kind of mean that you are expecting it. Leaving aside the logical contradictions, being prepared for various expensive eventualities is surely a good thing.

Lots of costly eventualities can crop up out of the blue. Cars dying, having children, this kind of stuff happens every day and could happen to you. Rainy day saving is like insurance, only with one very important difference: with insurance you pay to have somebody offer to lend you an umbrella, until it rains and they find some small print to get out with it. With savings you can buy your own umbrella without delay.

Differed Consumption

A shorter term type of saving is simply building up cash reserves to be spent at a later date, perhaps on luxuries rather than necessities. It is the sane alternative to buying yourself treats or holidays on credit and then taking years to pay it off with interest.

Having money put aside for holidays and luxuries means that you get to enjoy those things for less. You might not be able to get the things ‘right now’ but when you do it can be guilt free. It is also a good way to budget. Decide the set amount that you are happy to fritter away on entertainment and so on and have that go into a separate bank account each month. That way going easy one month can mean going wild the next and you know that you wont be getting into any trouble. You can even apply for a bank account online these days.

The thing with money is that you only get to spend it once. By saving rather than borrowing you don’t have to carry on paying. It won’t be easy, buy if you can find ways to break the habit of non-mortgage borrowing and replacing it with saving your future self will thank you.

Yes, daft decisions are sometimes made. There will always be occasions where an organisation can combine the unwieldiness of a complex structure with the questionable competence of its members to  arrive at an outcome that can seem surprising to an outsider. It is said that the IQ of a mob can be found by dividing the lowest IQ out of its participants by the number of participants – unfortunately that can often be the case with council committees too.

Imagine however a world without health and safety. It actually does not take a great leap of imagination, as we can simply look overseas to less fortunate parts of the world, and to our own past. In a world where employers are free to take no regard of the welfare of their employees, then that is exactly what happens. The toll on the workforce both in terms of accidents and in industrial diseases is terrible .

Many of the dafter decisions that are taken in the name of health and safety are done so  because the rules are being interpreted by people with insufficient training. Health and safety training is not just to inform workers how they can go about their jobs in a safer way, but also to help managers and those that have top make risk assessments do them in a rational, evidence based and proportionate way.

The Harbour is at the heart of what makes Sydney the place that it is. A visitor that did not head down to the waterside would be missing out (and would be rare indeed). There are plenty of shops and restaurants in the harbour area, but it is also great to take the opportunity to leave the land behind.

There are a large variety of cruises that are available to take from Sydney harbour. There really are ones to suit every taste and every budget. Ranging from five star champaign sipping elegance to a quick tootle round in an old fishing boat. The headlands and beaches around Sydney are absolutely beautiful, and taking the opportunity to see them from the vantage point of the sea is something that even the biggest landlubbers will thank themselves for doing.

Of course it is not just cruise boats that operate out of Sydney Harbour. This is pretty much one of the best spots to go fishing. Sitting by a rainy canalside in Britain is nothing like heading out into Sydney harbour on a bright cloudless day. Equipment rental is no problem, and you can find guides who will help out the novice. Be sure to find out about the fish that you are catching, ask for some tips to ensure that you get the best out of it when you are barbecuing it on the beach later!

The marine life in Sydney harbour is fascinating in its own right. Taking a SCUBA diving trip is an amazing chance to have a glimpse into this magical underwater realm. Diving is serious business however, so if you have never done it before you need to be aware that you will need to allow time to be trained using the equipment, as responsible diving instructors will not ‘throw you into the deep end’ without making sure that you will be safe.

Yacht racing is a popular sport in this part of the world. There are many races throughout the year and the harbour provides many excellent vantage points to watch. Just the views across the harbour to the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and opera house are worth taking time to drink in.

Nobody understands seafood like the Australians. Sydney Harbour has a very high concentration of absolutely amazing restaurants. Prices are high as a rule, but with that comes very high standards. Don’t hesitate to ask for wine recommendations to go along with your meal – Australia has become one of the great wine producing nations and there will certainly be a bottle that will perfectly compliment what you eating.

One way to get to Sydney Harbour is by sea. If you don’t happen to have a yacht and six months free then flights to Sydney are among the standard options for flights to Australia.

With the year coming to an end, just where are we? According to a hard hitting assessment from Scotland’s private bank Adam & Company, things are still looking sketchy. There is not much in the way of immediate amelioration for the euro crisis as a whole, and there are some specific sticking points.

The most notable failure so far has been the ability of Europe’s leaders to reach an agreement regarding the long term future of ECB bond buying. Rating downgrades are very much still on the cards, with the kinds of measures that would prevent such occurrences held back behind all kinds of political roadblocks. The kinds of austerity measures and so forth that are being pushed for are being held back by the need for parliamentary seals of approval and in some cases even referendums.

Of course there are those that long predicted this kind of impasse would result from the euro project. The different nation states that comprise the eurozone and the wider union have different and sometimes competing interests.

There does seem to be some indication that a certain amount of progress is being made towards a deep level structural reform. In the shorter term however this progress is not doing much good, with a large amount of nervousness and uncertainty in the markets.

It seems as though the general plan for the EU (excluding the UK of course, after Cameron laid down the veto) is not to make an amendment to the Lisbon treaty but to instead come to what is being termed an ‘intergovernmental agreement’. Comparisons between this and the 1985 Schengen Agreement are being made.

This prediction comes from an analysis published by the estate agency website Rightmove. The reason that they think that prices are going to rise is because there is a shortage of fresh properties coming onto the market. It is thought that the number of new sellers in 2012 will be 1.2 million, even less than this year.

A bullish prediction for house prices is not universal. Others have stated that they believe that the market would in fact stagnate. There are a number of factors that are thought to be keeping prices down.

There is undoubtedly a lot of uncertainty in the economy. It has also proved tricky to get good deals on mortgages for many. The most worrying factor however is the shortage of first time buyers entering the market.

It is considered that for the housing market to be ‘healthy’ that there need to be about 40% new buyers entering the market each year. The percentage of first time buyers has fallen below 25%.

The news that prices are set for  an increase could give the impetus to those that have been holding off from entering the housing market. There are first time buyer mortgages that cater specifically for this market, but having a reassurance that a negative equity trap is not lurking may help make up some minds.

There will also be new restrictions on mortgage lending coming into force in 2012. The effects of these on the market are not known yet, b but long term not lending to those who cannot afford repayments can only be a stabilising factor, and possibly the reduced levels of bad debt in the system will keep the costs of mortgages down for those that can afford to make repayments.

Experience a different culture

There are many in the west who have little or now experience of other cultures, their ways of life, and what they have to offer. Abu Dhabi is perhaps the best place in the Arab World for outsiders to come and see because it is both safe and welcoming to outsiders.

See the desert

Nothing can prepare you for how different it is in the desert compared to anywhere else. It is an unforgiving environment, but it is stunningly beautiful. Whether it is going on a peaceful camel trek or blasting through the dunes in a vehicle, getting out into the desert is highly recommended for thrill-seekers.

Hit the beach

Being where it is, there is sunshine year round in Abu Dhabi. There is also no shortage of sand. The combination of these things with the azure waters of the Persian Gulf makes for an ideal beach experience. There are plenty of opportunities for water sports, as well as all kinds of cruise available, including on traditional ‘Dhow’ boats.

Shop ’til you drop

The shopping malls of Abu Dhabi have to be seen to be believed. Gigantic palaces of everything consumer. If a brand is not here, then it is a brand that is not worth owning. It is an intoxicating experience, many is the visitor that has found that they need an extra suitcase for their journey home!

Ice skate in the desert

Where else are you going to get the chance to do this? Worth doing just to say that you have, but for what it is worth the facilities are actually very good, and it makes an ideal activity for families especially.

Learn to shoot

Marksmanship and shooting are not very accessible sports most of the time, and many folks, especially in the UK will have no opportunity to experience them. The Caracal Shooting Club offers well supervised and safe lessons for as little as AED 205 for first time shooters. This is open to anybody aged 12 and up and is a great chance to experience target shooting.

Just about any time of the year is a good time to visit Abu Dhabi. The ‘flag carrier’ airline Etihad Airways is now operating flights to Abu Dhabi from a large number of cities worldwide, including London and Manchester.

In the heart of every person is part of themselves that dreams of adventure. That part that imagines doing battle against all the odds, of looking the grim reaper squarely in his terrible visage, and dismissing him with a cavalier smile. Perhaps we need that, to carry on that is, in the face of apparently meaningless, arbitrary, and constant threat.

Those that meet a violent end are most likely to do so at the hands of someone that they know (and possibly love). Most accidents happen in the home. We know these things as being true, but still we find them hard to accept in our orderings of fears. Likewise, the most mundane of activities, simply venturing out onto the roads is something that for the most part we give no mind to, whilst at the same time it bears the gravest risk.

A parallel can be drawn between safety on our roads, and in the sport of motor racing, There was a time when in top flight motor sport the endless parade of casualties became too horrible to contemplate. That was the time when the drivers spoke up and said “no more”. As recent events have tragically shown, death will never be far away – but, with determination of will and constant effort, it does not have to be  the norm.

As in motorsport, in motoring. Colossal advances in safety have been made. Great advances, however that are struggling against a tide of ever increasing numbers. Despite the problems undoubtedly caused by the larger number of vehicles that are competing for space on the roads of today compared to, say, the ’60s, it is still worth taking a moment to look at all the things that make the wholly necessary but spectacularly risky enterprise of motoring so much safer.

Motor vehicle technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. This is thanks, coincidentally, in no small part to the world of motorsport. Innovations such as anti-lock brakes, ‘crumple zones’ and others were all born of the track. Recently great progress has been made in the so-called ‘driverless car’, with technology giant Google putting prototype vehicles on the street and the state government of New Mexico putting in place legislation that could allow autonomous vehicles to operate.

The tireless work of the men and women work patrolling the highways and byways should not be forgotten either. Without there being those willing to take on the thankless task of policing the roads, they would certainly be a much worse place.

Those who fight for justice for those who are harmed on the roads because of the carelessness of others should also be given consideration. It’s an ugly truth, but  road traffic accident claims are essential in providing restorative justice.

We can’t stop driving. We can’t give up on getting to where we need to go to. Neither though can we cease trying to take some of the danger out of it.

The benefits of health and safety training are many. Ensuring staff are up to date with issues, likely problems and other health and safety issues can make a huge difference to the work place, before, during and sometimes after a problem arises. So, what are the pluses of having a well trained staff?

The most obvious reason for health and safety training – it increases awareness of health and safety issues and prevents them. With hundreds of thousands of health and safety issues being common place in the UK and up to a million injuries per annum – health and safety training is welcome in changing that. By ensuring your workers are trained and up to scratch this can reduce the amount of injuries in your business.

For Employees this means that they aren’t injured obviously, which in the case of minor and major injuries can cause significant issues. Such issues can destroy families, livelihoods and cause all sorts of harms and problems – especially if they are taken to their fullest extent.

Employees who are well trained in health and safety are also more employable – a huge plus in this day and age. From smaller courses to larger diplomas, a well trained employee is at a huge benefit when looking for a job if they have certain health and safety qualifications.

For employers the benefits are also huge. Obviously they won’t have to deal with any moral issues if there staff are trained as people will have been given the best opportunity to avoid injury. Other pluses around the health and safety issue revolve around money. Employers who have offered training to their employees may receive lower insurance premiums as companies see them as at less of a risk of having a claim.

Employers will also have less workers taking sick days and so the issues of people not being in and work not being completed won’t come about. This can only be a plus for businesses in areas where certain people with specialist knowledge are key to a day’s work.

Obviously ensuring employees aren’t at risk lowers the chances of a severe injury and the compensation that goes with that. Employers won’t have to pay for an injured person who is out of work, as they will be trained to avoid issues.

Employees who feel they have been trained to a good standard and feel their employer is looking out for them will also be happier at work and so more productive, cooperative and overall better employees.

Many of the courses that are completed under health and safety are law and must be completed for legal reasons. Employees and employers who don’t do the courses mightn’t be eligible to work in an industry and so are at risk of fines, unemployment and sanctions.

The importance of health and safety training cannot be ignored. It  offers benefits in welfare, saving money and in attitude for both employees and employers and should be adhered to and training should surpass the necessary for best effect.