CarDrive

ALL ABOUT YOUR CAR (OR BIKE...)

This section is all about your car. We cover how to get your next car, and some of the options open to you. Believe us there is always some company who are wanting to attract new customers and will offer discounts – the trouble is it could be a different company every year. We also cover the options on how you can sell your car.

Insurance
You will also have to insure your car – it’s a legal requirement. There are different types of cover – third party (covers others but not you), third party fire and theft (covers others and your car if it’s stolen or damaged by fire) and fully comprehensive (also covers your car, even if the accident is your fault). Oddly, comprehensive isn’t always the most expensive!

Some Initial Thoughts

cars

High level decisions

When it comes to getting your next car, there are a number of alternatives, which are explained in more detail below.

There are many different ways to run or buy a vehicle; Cash, Loan, Hire Purchase, Personal Contract Hire, Personal Contract Plan.

Some people love to drive a brand new car or prefer nobody else to have driven it but remember the car will depreciate quickly and you are paying brand new car tax as well. Depreciation is the difference between a car's value when you buy it and when you come to sell it. This drop varies between makes and models but typically is between 15-35% in the first year and up to 50% or more over three years.

Some people will wait 3 years until the 50% depreciation has come out and then buy. But vehicles will continue to depreciate up to 10 to 12 years before the vehicle stops losing money.

Facts About Cras

licensed vehicles
0.1

September 2021, there were 39.2 million licensed vehicles in Great Britain

nearly 1

nearly 2 million vehicles are scrapped in the UK every year.

premium
£ 1

The average premium paid for comprehensive motor insurance in 2021 was £434 down 15%

to £36,350
£ 0.1

Average Car Accident Payout; Back Injury Moderate £11,730 – £36,390

cost of two cars

Buying a car

If you buy a car. you do own it, but we advise you to do the numbers. Today many thousands of drivers are opting for leasing or PCH or PCP. Whereby you can lease a vehicle each month and at the end of a given time hand the vehicle back and get a new one and start all over again. There are lots of benefits and peace of mind about leasing a car.

You can take a loan or Hire Purchase and pay for your car that way but again remember the longer the loan term and the depreciation on the car could leave you losing out. Often Leasing, PCP, PCH are not good if you’re doing high mileage and there are penalties for going over the prescribed mileage.

Always check the interest rates and read the fine print. We strongly recommend you never buy impulsively you might have to wait 3 to 5 years to regret it. Don’t be tempted to sign on the day when buying a vehicle. Salespeople want to hook you in and get you to sign whilst emotions are running high. Take your time, at least overnight to check the interest rate and the details on the agreement.

Also be on your guard for all the glitzy extras such as warranties, Super water-resistant coatings, GAP insurance. Legal cover, etc etc. Some are important to cover and some need your thought but you don’t need all of them and the salesperson and company earn very good commission from the extras. So read the details overnight and go back or call the next day.

You’ll need to pass a credit check to secure your agreement. You’ll often be able to get a better interest rate with a higher credit score. Find out more about how to improve your credit score.

car to buy

Pay cash

This way the car is yours immediately. You will spend less time in the dealership buying it, although it may not be the best deal (if the dealer offers cheap finance) or special offers.It's great if you can afford it. You're free of monthly repayments and interest. You can also often negotiate a discount, especially when buying privately.

There's a strong argument NEVER to mention that you're paying cash if you're buying from a car dealer. That's because dealers only make 28% of their profits from the car: the rest is from warranties, service. extras, etc. See the video - it's a US video but the logic is the same. It explains how you negotiate with a dealer if you pay cash.

Be sure to research prices if you're buying a new or used car using WhatCar or Parkers.

Firstly if you are lucky enough to buy a car with cash then think about your investment for a moment. What sort of investment would you do whereby you invest and 3 years later the thing you invested in is only worth 50% of its value. You would not do it would you. But yet millions of people each year buy a car and then get a surprise 3 years later and it’s worth half its value. Even high quality expensive cars drop by this level and some of the cheaper brands can drop as high as 65%.

You can use actual cash – but that’s not often practical! A Cashiers cheque always works. You can use a credit card, or even a debit card, if the amount is below your limits. Most dealers don’t accept personal cheques (above guarantee).

You might also be trading in an old car, which could reduce the balance.

  • First work out how much you can afford
  • Research the value of the car – if it’s new the list price – check Parkers or What Car (see links above)?
  • Sort out the exact specification you want – don’t get talked up
  • If you’re selling your car – check the price – see Parkers above)
  • Check other dealers nearby to see if they have any special offers

When you talk to the dealer

  • Don’t say how you want to buy the car – they will give better prices for finance deals so let them think that’s possible
  • Never say what you’re prepared to spend
  • Start with a low price – you can always go up!
  • When you’ve made an offer, shut up until the dealer speaks!
  • Be prepared to walk away

You can buy from a dealer or from an individual. You’re likely to get a better price from an individual, but there’s more risk involved, as you have less consumer rights.

Try and find out how long the car has been on the market. Check the service history. Then point out any possible potential issues.

Taking out a loan to buy the car

If you want to borrow money to buy a car, your bank or building society is likely to be cheaper. You should make sure you can afford the repayments (see BudgetDrive) and you get the best rates.

Often your bank or building society is the cheapest way to get a loan. Careful if you’re looking at other spending, and don’t let this affect your mortgage.

Sometimes car dealers offer cheap (sometimes 0%) finance deals to help them shift their stock. Check the APR they offer. Often these deals are better than paying cash or taking out personal loans, as they can reduce the price as they get commission on the loan.

  • Easy to arrange – over the phone, online or with a broker / bank / building society
  • Can shop around for best interest rates / fees
  • You can borrow the whole cost of the car or part of it
  • You can determine the term of the loan, depending on how long you want to keep the car and how much you can afford
  • You own the car while you repay the loan
  • You might not have the funds available when you want to borrow the car
  • Until you see the car you might not know how much you need to borrow
  • A loan might affect your credit rating
  • You might be turned down for the loan

Personal Contract Hire PCH

If you’re looking to hire a car long term and don’t want to buy it, the cheapest option is likely to be using PCH.

What is personal contract hire PCH?.

According to Arnold Clark "Personal Contract Hire (PCH) is the long-term lease of a brand-new vehicle. PCH is different to Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) as a PCH vehicle cannot be purchased at the end of a lease, unlike PCP vehicles. During the lease agreement, fixed monthly payments of a PCH vehicle will be discussed, as well as an agreed mileage and time period for the lease."

• The lease agreement lasts 2 to 5 years.
• You will need to undergo a compulsory credit check.
• You have to pay around three months’ lease upfront.
• You never own the vehicle during the agreement and have to hand it back at the end of the term.
• Monthly payments are normally higher than for equivalent vehicles leased through PCP, but over the entire contract you’ll typically pay less on a PCH.
• Sometimes you can get a maintenance package that covers things like annual car tax (road tax) or servicing.
• There are strict terms and conditions, like limits to the number of miles you can do.

Monthly payments are normally higher than if you had leased the car through PCP. This is because you’re borrowing the full amount of the vehicle and with PCP you’re borrowing part of the value.

However, the total amount you pay over the contract is often less than with a PCP. But every deal is different so make sure you shop around and compare the total cost including running costs.

To get out of a PCH deal early you may not be able to just walk away from the agreement. There may be additional costs to pay before you can leave that you hadn’t budgeted for.

This can be a problem if you’re ending the agreement because you can no longer afford the payments.

Personal Contract Plan PCP

PCP is similar in many ways, but lets you purchase the car at the end of the agreement.

It's a way of financing new or used cars. It effectively works as a long-term rental, meaning you'll be able to drive the car until the contract ends. PCP deals have become a popular type of car finance as they typically offer lower monthly payments, making newer and expensive cars feel more affordable.

PCP is also another way that can be used as a way of leasing a car, it also gives you the opportunity to buy the car and become its legal owner at the end of the leasing contract. PCH does not.

  • The agreement lasts 3-5 years
  • You’ll need to pass a credit check
  • You pay a deposit up front
  • There are mileage limits you’d be wise not to exceed

With PCP the total amount you repay in monthly instalments is based on an estimate of how much the car will lose in value though depreciation between the start and end of the contract.

You can get a quote at CarLonsUK.

At the end of the contract you can buy the car. To do this, you have to pay a ‘balloon payment’ – also known as the Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV). This is in addition to your deposit and monthly payments, and will be a few hundred or thousand pounds.

If at the end of the contract you don’t want to buy the car, you simply hand it back. As long as the car is in good condition and hasn’t exceeded the agreed mileage, you won’t have to pay any more money.

With both PCH and PCP the lender can repossess the car without a court order. But with PCP, once you have paid at least a third of the total amount payable, they can’t repossess it without a court order.

Four out of five people with PCP plans don’t opt to buy the car at the end of their contract (Source: the Finance and Leasing Association).

car HP

Traditional Hire Purchase?

For many years people who could not afford to buy the car outright would take out a car loan or hire purchase agreement.

Hire purchase (HP finance) is a way to finance the purchase of a new or used car. Usually, you put down a deposit and then pay the cost of the vehicle in monthly instalments, with the finance secured by the car's collateral. This means you do not own the car until the last payment is made.

You can get a quote from CarPlus

• Hire purchase is a way to finance buying a new or used car. You (usually) pay a deposit and pay off the value of the car in monthly instalments, with the loan secured against the car.
• This means you don’t own the vehicle until the last payment is made
• You need a good credit rating to get hire purchase deals at the lowest interest rates and always check the total amount repayable when comparing hire purchase with other finance method.
• In most situations, you first need to put down a deposit on the car you want to buy. This is usually 10% of the vehicle’s value.
• The rest of the value of the car will then be paid off in instalments over a period of 12 to 60 months (one to five years).
• Hire purchase is arranged by the car dealer, but brokers also offer this service. The rates are often very competitive for new cars, but less so for used cars.
• The loan is secured against the car, which is why you can’t own it until you’ve made your last payment.
• Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of your loan before signing the contract.

• Flexible repayment terms (from one to five years) to help fit in with your monthly budget – but the longer the term the more you’ll pay in interest.
• Relatively low deposit required (normally 10% of the car’s price).
• Fixed interest rates so you know exactly what you’re paying every month for the length of the term.
• Once you’ve paid half the cost of the car, you might be able to return it and not have to make any more payments – find out more about cutting car finance costs.

• You don’t own the car until you’ve made your final payment, which means if you get into financial difficulties the finance company could take it away.
• Your deposit and term length will affect your monthly payments. Your monthly payments are likely to be higher the smaller the deposit is and the shorter the term of the loan.
• Until you’ve paid a third of the total amount payable the lender can repossess the car without a court order.

insuring a car

Insuring your car

The first thing is getting you the best deal to meet your needs and that is important; it is also worth considering maintaining the search for future by having specialists search for the best suitable product every year.

You can see more about car insurance and other forms of insurance in InsuranceDrive

Let’s look at some basic points; It’s not just about price!!! Why – often you’re not comparing apples with apples. Comparison websites do a good job, but not every company is on there, and the small print hides a lot of differences – and that’s just the initial price! There are other things you can do to affect the price – for example having telematics (a monitor for you driving and speed) can reduce the cost, especially for young drivers.

When we have a crash or accident, we might then realise the problems with what we paid for. Smaller companies often have their own claims team and get on the case quickly and talk to you. As opposed to larger companies who are so massive, they outsource even making the tea. You will struggle to find the person to talk to because they are so big.

Vehicle insurance is fickle in that each company changes its rates each year based upon risk, vehicle costs, claims experience etc. So because they are brilliant this year does not mean they are brilliant others.

Some companies are really good with paperwork and keep it English and keep the Terms and conditions down to a minimum whilst others do the complete opposite, I think it’s fair to say that I have never seen the small print benefit a customer. However, small print usually means restrictions. Having restrictions usually means they do it cheaper.

So, I know we switch every year without reading the small print but it’s important to make sure we understand these otherwise if a claim happens the first thing most insurers do is reach for the rule book. So read your document. If there is a £100 difference between prices there is usually something missing, so take the time out to read the excesses and exclusions.

But do switch every year or two because it will save you money. Our switching service takes the hassle out of finding the best deals every year.

Selling your car

There are many options for selling your car. You need to decide on how is best for you.

In summary some options include:

1. Word of mouth – this can be one of the best and easiest ways to sell a car, but you have to be aware that relationships can be damaged if there problems down the line.
2. Sell privately offline – place an ad in your local community or in specialist magazines.
3. Sell privately online -place an ad on AutoTrader or similar, or use eBay or an online car auction .
4. Instant cash offer – fairly easy (e.g. WeBuyAnyCar.com) and hassle-free but be aware you won’t get the best price
5. Sell at an auction – go to a physical car auction.
6. Sell to a dealer – dealers often prefer certain makes , and be prepared to negotiate!
7. Part exchange it with a dealer – trade in your existing car for another – you need to understand car values.
8. Scrap it – if it’s failed its MOT, or you can use a scrappage scheme – see a list at Parker’s

Sell privately

You’ll probably get a better price selling a car privately, but it can be time-consuming and there are some pitfalls, Here are some thought

You’ll need to:

Before you start, there are some things you should do with your car that will make a difference:

  • Make sure it’s in good working order – you can arrange an inspection with the RAC or AA. If it has a short MOT, get it done.
  • Clean it! Outside and in. Properly.
  • Check for cosmetic damage.  You’ll have to decide whether it’s worth getting it fixed.

 

– Talk to friends, family and work colleagues and ask them to spread the word
– Put information on social media – Facebook, Twitter, or whatever you use
– Advertise – locally ( a sign in the car window, a local shop, local paper classified ads.
– Advertise online – on car sale websites e.g. Gumtree, AutoTrader and Motors.
– Make sure you put the right contact details everywhere and monitor replies!
– Describe your car correctly and make sure that you can prove you’re its legal owner.
– Be careful with test drives and viewings and if possible make sure you have company when meeting prospective buyers.
– Make sure you’ve arranged a way to be paid.

cars at auction

Sell privately online

These days there are an enormous number of choices for selling your car online.

You can place an online ad in Auto Trader (which costs you money - £36.95 to £74.95, so make sure you read the guidelines) and as they have 7 million web visits a month it should sell. It connects buyers and sellers, so see previous section!

There are other sites but they don't have the same traffic - look at Motors.co.uk

You can also use eBay and Gumtree. These days eBay allows you to create a resrve price and auction your car off to the highest bidder, and there are other online auctions, including salvage cars and seized vehicles .

Instant Cash Offer

You will have seen or heard these sites advertised - basically you enter your registration number and get an offer. The car has to be inspected and then the offer is finalised.

Sometimes the company do it themselves - webuyanycar has a network where you take your car to be assessed.

Motorway value your car immediately then get the highest price from dealers; your car is picked up from home and the service is 'free' as the dealers pay! Carwow is similar and Motorway value your car immediately then get the highest price from dealers; your car is picked up from home and the service is 'free' as the dealers pay! Cazoo are more like webuyany car.

cars at auction

Sell at auction

You normally pay an entry fee (c. £30). You set a reserve price, take it to the auction and then they try and sell it.

If someone buys it, they pas for it immediately and the auction company gives you the sale price less its commission, which can be up to 10% of the sale price.

Bigger car auction companies such as British Car Auctions have branches throughout the country, but there are independent auctioneer which may be more local.

There are some things you MUST be aware of before going to an auction (especially for the first time. Look at 12 essential tips on Hagerty - a US site which makes some good points.

CAR DEALERSHIP

Selling to a dealer

One of the most popular ways of selling your car to a dealer is to part exchange when you trade in your old car for a new one.

This essentially involves two deals being done in one transaction. Normally, you’ll trade in your old vehicle, for a newer, more expensive one. You then pay the difference – either by paying the extra money to the dealership or by taking out finance on the new car. This might be easy but it isn't always the most cost-effective way of doing things - dealers will make money on both transactions and it may be better to sell outright first then buy.

You can sell your car to a dealer without buying another car; some dealers prefer certain makes. You will also have to negotiate!

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What you need to know about car finance

Car financing

The top ten ways of buying a car are explained briefly in this video.

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves"
Albert Einstein
Scientist

Next Steps

It doesn’t matter what stage  you’re at – it’s important to be the best you can be.  At the end of the day it’s about taking personal responsibility – You Drive!

It’s really your choice. You can find out more information about the subject, or see other institutions that can help by going to Support. There you will find organisations, training, coaching, self-help courses and other items to support your personal change. We have also started developing a panel of experts to provide info, advice, help and support. 

Get Support

There are times when you need some help to meet your aims –  a helping hand. That might be  an organisation that can provide you with some help,  some specialised information, a particular book or tool to help, or just getting some background reading material.

We have a lot of items which appear on our Drives and other pages, which you can go to by clicking on the picture or link.  Some contain affiliate links and we may receive a tiny commission for purchases made through these links.

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Car Buying Guide

Save Time and Money By Learning How to Find the Best Car Buying Opportunity and Negotiate the Best Price While Avoiding the Car Dealer’s Attempts to Get the Most Money Out of You


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Car Buying Made Easy

A Simple, No-Nonsense, Proven Process to Help you Negotiate the Car of Your Dreams at Your Price!

Learn effective tools for mastering the car buying process and learn how to negotiate properly, easily saving you thousands of dollars on one of the biggest purchases of your life.


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Buying A Car Guide

Car Buying Secrets, Tips and Help Choosing Right

Buying a car is a challenge for many people around the world, but it can be made much easier. Learn the valuable tips and advice you need to confidently choose a car and be comfortable with the purchase you make. With a stroke of luck, you will have your chosen car for many years to come!


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MoneyHelper explain financing a car

Direct Line offer car insurance with explanations

Money Advice service offer advice on taking out a personal loan to buy a car 

Arnold Clark have a good summary including the pros and cons of both buying or leasing a car

Stuff you might want on weight control

Now you’ve read about weight you might want to make a bit of a statement.  Have a look at some stuff below we think has some humour value!  We may make pennies on commission, but that’s not the point really.  Click on the image to see more details.

LOFTILLA Digital Bathroom Scales

Weighing Scales with Smart App, Scales for body weight with BMI, 396lb/ 180kg, Bathroom Scales with Step-on technology and LED display, Black

Weight and BMI tracking: Loftilla digital bathroom scales measure your weight and BMI.

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Mind Over Mood

Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think

Life changing book

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How to Change

The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

How to Change is a powerful, groundbreaking blueprint to help you – and anyone you manage, teach or coach – to achieve personal and professional goals, from the master of human nature and behaviour change and Choiceology podcast host Professor Katy Milkman.

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Some things never change Long Sleeve T-Shirt

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Fat Burner Weight Loss Pills

Metabolism Booster, Appetite Suppressant – Green Tea Extract Lean Slimming Diet Supplement for Men & Women – UK Premium Manufacture – 60 Vegetarian Capsules – GSNG


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All areas of health are interlinked

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Find your initial focus

You might think that physical, financial and mental health are quite separate, and for some people they are. However, often a problem in one area has a knock-on effect on others. Losing your job can lead to anxiety and depression, which can turn you to drink and impact your health.

You might have a severe issue in one area but that can lead to problems in other areas, and the people treating you for the first problem won’t be equipped to deal with these linked issues.

For example, doctors and nurses can treat you for a physical problem but can’t advise you about your job or finances.  Nor for the anxiety that comes with it, apart from prescribing some drugs, which might or might not be the best solution.

We encourage you to take a holistic view – we look at all areas and offer support across the whole spectrum.

health areas interlinked

Even this view of health is simplistic, as you’ll discover later if you go down that route.  You might want to consider overall health, or wellness or wellbeing, which include additional types of health, such as occupational health (how you are in your job).   Then there’s happiness and quality of life – how do these fit?

If you’re interested in that, click the link here to see more information.

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Stuff you might want on cars

Now you’ve read about cars you might want to make a bit of a statement.  Have a look at some stuff below we think has some humour value!  We may make pennies on commission, but that’s not the point really.  Click on the image to see more details.

Just One More Car

I Promise Funny Car Lover Mechanics Gift T-Shirt

Available in many sizes and colours

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Funny Car Wish List Cars

Owner Driver Gifts T-Shirt

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I’m Not Old I’m A Classic

Funny Classic Car Shirt Men T-Shirt

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Old Banger 60th Birthday BBQ Cooking Novelty Apron

MACHINE WASHABLE HIGH QUALITY APRON:

Available in many colours

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Car Buying Made Easy

A Simple, No-Nonsense, Proven Process to Help you Negotiate the Car of Your Dreams at Your Price!

Learn effective tools for mastering the car buying process and learn how to negotiate properly, easily saving you thousands of dollars on one of the biggest purchases of your life.

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Used Car Buying Guide

In Frugal Guy’s “Used Cars Buying Guide” J.K Bryant equips you with a comprehensive guide to navigate the complex world of used car purchases. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned pro, this ebook offers invaluable insights and strategies to ensure you get the best deal and a reliable vehicle.

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Buying A Car Guide

Car Buying Secrets, Tips and Help Choosing Right

Buying a car is a challenge for many people around the world, but it can be made much easier. Learn the valuable tips and advice you need to confidently choose a car and be comfortable with the purchase you make. With a stroke of luck, you will have your chosen car for many years to come!

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buying a car guide

Health Areas in Domains

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Domains

We break down the overall concept of health or wellness into ‘bite-sized chunks’ that we can actually do something about.  The first level we call health domains. 

We like the Life of Wellness site and we have chosen the following domains.

1. Emotional Wellness: Awareness and acceptance of feelings
2. Spiritual Wellness: A search for meaning and purpose
3. Intellectual Wellness: Recognition of your creativity, knowledge and skills
4. Physical Wellness: Need for physical activity and balanced nutrition
5. Environmental Wellness: Positive awareness and impact on your environment
6. Financial Wellness: Debt reduction, cash flow balance or financial future planning
7. Occupational Wellness: Personal achievement and enrichment from your career
8. Social Wellness: Contribution to your community

Health Areas

Within each domain, we have included a number of health areas. These are specific issues that you can tackle.  Within each health area, e.g. Depression, we have built additional information and exercises which you can do to help in the area. You can create your own Action Plan to address this area, and see

Emotional: Anxiety, Compassion Fatigue, Depression, Gambling, Laughter, Narcissistic, Personality Disorder, Sleep, Stress

Environmental: Environmental Issues, Greenness

Financial: Debt, Family Finance, Financial Planning, Financial Wellness

Intellectual: IQ, Personality, Procrastination

Occupational: Jobs for Different Personality Types, Retirement Income, Work Life Balance

Physical: Alcohol, Disabilities, Dizziness, Drugs, Fitness, Food Preferences, General Health, Healthy Ageing, Illness, Nutrition, Sleep Apnea, Smoking

Social: Communication Skills, Communication Styles, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Love Partnerships, Mental Abuse, Parenting Styles, Sexual Addiction

Spiritual: Are You Sensitive, Mystical Guidance, Spirituality

Each health area has supporting information and its own questionnaire.

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Understand Health

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Physical, financial and mental health

One definition of health is:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. 

The NHS define health as: ‘We use a broad definition of health that encompasses both physical and mental health, as well as wellbeing. This means we are not only interested in whether or not people are ill or have a health condition, but also in how healthy and well they are.’

We believe we also have to consider financial health, as this can easily impact physical and mental health. Click the button to see an example of how these are connected.

 It gets more complicated…

What is Health? How about Wellness, Wellbeing or Happiness?

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) define Health as a state of the overall mental and physical state of a person; the absence of disease. They define Wellbeing or wellness as a way of life that aims to enhance well-being and refers to a more holistic whole-of-life experience which also includes emotional and spiritual aspects of life.  We expand on this definition of health to include financial health and mental health, to make it synonymous with wellbeing or wellness.  

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Health domains

You need to scroll down to see all the info in this popup – sorry for going on so much!

We break down the overall concept of health or wellness into ‘bite-sized chunks’ that we can actually do something about.  The first level we call health domains.

We like the Life of Wellness site and we have chosen the following domains.

1. Emotional Wellness: Awareness and acceptance of feelings
2. Spiritual Wellness: A search for meaning and purpose
3. Intellectual Wellness: Recognition of your creativity, knowledge and skills
4. Physical Wellness: Need for physical activity and balanced nutrition
5. Environmental Wellness: Positive awareness and impact on your environment
6. Financial Wellness: Debt reduction, cash flow balance or financial future planning
7. Occupational Wellness: Personal achievement and enrichment from your career
8. Social Wellness: Contribution to your community

wellness wheel

Health Areas

Within each domain, we have included a number of health areas. These are specific issues that you can tackle.  Within each health area, e.g. Depression, once you have subscribed we have built additional information and exercises which you can do to help in the area.

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See which domains you should address

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Having established that we use 8 domains, you need to understand which you should concentrate on.

The 8 are:

  • Emotional
  • Environmental
  • Financial
  • Intellectual
  • Occupational
  • Physical
  • Social
  • Spiritual

 

You can take a questionnaire, which scores you in each domain.  You can decide which domains you are strong in, and which you need to improve.

Another analysis shows which domains you should look at, but also which domains you want to look at.

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Locus of Control

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  • We want to help people in all aspects of their health  – physical, financial and mental. We also provide detailed explanations of how overall health (or well-being) is measured.
  • We believe these things are often linked, so we try and address health holistically. We are building templates, questionnaires and exercises to help you identify what’s important to you.
  • We think people should try and take responsibility for  of their own health as much as they can.  See below for what that means.

People look at things differently.  Some people believe things happen to them, while others believe they can influence what happens to them. Technically this is called the ‘locus of control’.  People can have an Internal or external Locus of Control

So how do you see things?

Psychology Today have a 15 minute test which gives you a summary of your position you can buy the detailed results if you want to.

My Personality Test have a 10 minute test which gives you a summary.

People tend to take more responsibility (locus gets more internal) as they get older.  However, external isn’t always bad – for example if you are physically unable to do some things you can accept it and focus on the things you can do.  This American video explains the concept and gives examples of how this can affect relationships.

locus of control

Internal

  • More likely to take responsibility for actions
  • Tend to be less influenced by others

External

  • Blame outside forces for what happens
  • Don’t believe they can change their situation themselves

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Add your attitude to change - see how you view changes in your life

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Do you need to change?

No matter how healthy you are at the moment, the chances are that there are some areas you could improve. It may be that you have a real problem in one or more areas, and you would like to make some improvements.

At YouDrive we accept that there are many different degrees of ‘not wellness’ in a large number of different health areas, ranging from physical illness such as covid-19 through mental illness such as anxiety through to financial problems like debt.  We try and help where the problem ranges from ‘slight’ to quite bad’ – after this expert help and intervention may be needed.

However, especially in these times, we have to try and make these changes ourselves, possibly with some help from others, whether remotely or face to face.

The thing is, to make an improvement we have to change some things.

This involves changing our behaviour in some respects, and that’s not always easy.

Henry Ford, the creator of the assembly line, is quoted as saying “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got”.  

henry ford

Another way of looking at this: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” – attributed to Albert Einstein.

Consequently we need to make some changes.  The problem is that we have already developed a lot of habits, some of which we need to break and replace by better ones.  Some of our bad habits have become entrenched, and the bad results they create in turn engender further bad habits to develop – in effect the bad habits can feed on themselves.

We need to understand how we can make changes and stick to them, and that’s what this part of your health profile is about.

It will involve some learning, through reading, some videos and some additional information and also seeing how you react to change currently.

It will also ask you to consider whether you feel you are in charge of your future, or whether you feel it’s all fate.

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Assess your overall health using a health questionnaire

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At YouDrive we try and help people improve their health. We use ‘health’ but we understand there are other terms such as wellbeing or even happiness that reflect how we are doing in our lives – if you’re interested in the different definitions and ideas see our page on the subject.

We want to help whether you have a particular problem – physical, financial or mental – or if you just want to improve some specific part of your life or just make some improvements overall.

You’d be surprised, but there has been a serious amount of scientific work done in this area over the last twenty years.

So first we allow you to assess your current health (or wellbeing, or happiness).  We do this by questionnaire.  Which one is determined by the type of person you are:

  1. You understand yourself well and want a quick overview of your health and wellness, and will drill down in any areas needing work
  2. You want to do a more detailed assessment and then focus on areas you’re already aware of
  3. You want to look at the whole situation in more detail across all the health domains.

By the way, we take your privacy seriously – we collect information that you choose to provide but we de-identify it as much as possible and will never share it with anyone without your explicit consent.

You can then drill down into some specific areas and there are more questionnaires to see your situation in these particular areas.  We provide you with specific information and refer you to other potential aspects of help. Our next step is to build a personalised action plan – for now we will make a suggestion for you to develop your own plan and then after a time you can see whether this has had a positive impact by retaking the test.

In future we will be engaging with medical and behavioural specialists to devise action plans for individual people with specific situations.

We have an overall questionnaire which you can complete which will assess your current state.

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Values, Attitudes and Beliefs

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We all have our beliefs, attitudes and values – these have developed throughout our life based on who we are and what we have done. Let’s look at what these are.

The University of Reading explain: “People’s values, beliefs and attitudes are formed and bonded over time through the influences of family, friends, society and life experiences. So, by the time you’re an adult, you can hold very definite views on just about everything with a sense of “no one is going to change my mind”.

The combination of your personal values, beliefs and attitudes are your moral principles that guide you in life and affect your behaviour. However, your views can wildly differ to others and in an institution such as a school, these beliefs may be counter to the values of the school, child development or indeed the law.” 

Let’s look more closely at the differences between beliefs, attitudes and values.

Beliefs

These come from real experiences – we think our beliefs are based on reality, but in fact our beliefs colour our experiences; also, an original experience e.g. when we were a child is not the same as what’s happening now. Beliefs can be moral, religious or cultural and reflect who we are. They can be rational (‘it gets colder in winter’) or irrational (‘I am never going to make something of myself’).

Attitudes

This is an immediate belief or disposition about something specific. It is a recurring group of beliefs and behaviours aimed at specific groups, people, ideas or objects. They will normally be positive or negative and we will always behave that way to the target group. Examples of attitudes include confidence (I can or can’t do something), grateful (I an entitled to / grateful for XXX) and cheerful (I am generally happy / miserable).

Values

These are things (principles or qualities) that we hold in high regard or consider to be worthwhile or right / wrong. They are formed by a belief related to the worth of something – an idea or behaviour. Some values are common (e.g. family comes first, the value of friendship) or cultural (which the whole community have – see video at Study.com here)

The theory

Links to Wikipedia

Expectancy Value Theory suggests you balance your beliefs about something with the value you attach to it. The Theory of Reasoned Action suggests that beliefs and evaluation about behavioural outcomes determine attitudes, and intentions lead directly to behaviour.

Beliefs

Expressions of confidence – can change over time

Attitudes

Learned predispositions to something – are subject to change

Values

Ideals that guide our behaviour – Generally long lasting and often need life changing experience to change

Iceberg demonstrating implicit and explicit bias – from Owlcation

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A Butterfly Life: 4 Keys to More Happiness, Better Health and Letting Your True Self Shine

Times of change can be a challenge, no doubt! Whether it’s a relationship breakup, job loss, or being diagnosed with a serious health issue. Or you may WANT things to be different, but it feels a little scary or overwhelming. The butterfly reminds us change can be beautiful, even necessary, in order to realize our full potential and live our best life.