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1,900 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | null | 0.223046 | 0.241762 | 0.332018 | null | 0.895752 | 0.740714 | 0.994908 |
1,901 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | -0.187669 | -0.480168 | null | -0.346687 | 0.069757 | 0.192538 | null | 0.316203 |
1,902 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.295764 | null | 0.118507 | -0.50811 | 0.55319 | null | 0.617459 | 0.154781 |
1,903 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.618221 | -0.647857 | null | -0.622474 | 0.875647 | 0.024849 | null | 0.040416 |
1,904 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.446906 | null | 0.266019 | -0.635713 | 0.704331 | null | 0.76497 | 0.027177 |
1,905 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | null | -0.299951 | -0.424189 | 0.102565 | null | 0.372755 | 0.074763 | 0.765456 |
1,906 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | null | -0.519947 | -0.486414 | -0.328492 | null | 0.152759 | 0.012538 | 0.334399 |
1,907 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | null | -0.597371 | -0.285088 | -0.158524 | null | 0.075336 | 0.213864 | 0.504367 |
1,908 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | null | -0.617516 | 0.475793 | 0.246845 | null | 0.05519 | 0.974745 | 0.909735 |
1,909 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.138918 | -0.574835 | null | -0.293977 | 0.396344 | 0.097871 | null | 0.368913 |
1,910 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.17826 | -0.28042 | 0.319244 | null | 0.435686 | 0.392286 | 0.818195 | null |
1,911 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.523895 | 0.126851 | 0.132527 | null | 0.781321 | 0.799557 | 0.631479 | null |
1,912 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | -0.157337 | -0.196323 | -0.139477 | null | 0.100089 | 0.476383 | 0.359474 | null |
1,913 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.133871 | null | -0.412431 | -0.461611 | 0.391296 | null | 0.086521 | 0.201279 |
1,914 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | null | 0.103828 | -0.460111 | -0.141936 | null | 0.776534 | 0.03884 | 0.520954 |
1,915 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.110276 | null | -0.258307 | -0.483312 | 0.367702 | null | 0.240645 | 0.179578 |
1,916 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.360698 | -0.386805 | null | 0.307949 | 0.618124 | 0.285901 | null | 0.97084 |
1,917 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.278656 | 0.163364 | null | -0.224641 | 0.536081 | 0.83607 | null | 0.438249 |
1,918 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.505568 | null | -0.450014 | -0.538155 | 0.762994 | null | 0.048937 | 0.124735 |
1,919 | 1,570 |
(CNN)New Zealand are on course for a first ever World Cup title after a thrilling semifinal victory over South Africa, secured off the penultimate ball of the match. Chasing an adjusted target of 298 in just 43 overs after a rain interrupted the match at Eden Park, Grant Elliott hit a six right at the death to confirm victory and send the Auckland crowd into raptures. It is the first time New Zealand has ever reached a World Cup final, and it will play either Australia or India on Sunday. Te pair face each other in Sydney on Thursday. Not the first time in the sport, rain played a part. South Africa were motoring with the bat before a two-hour delay for poor weather. Though its total was escalated by the Duckworth/Lewis method -- used to calculate a revised target in the event of a rain delay -- New Zealand held firm thanks to Elliott. His 84 not out underpinned its innings and it was fitting that he delivered the final blow, smashing Dale Steyn for six off the second last ball to spark jubilant scenes at Eden Park. "I don't think this win is for myself or the team, but everyone here," Elliott said at the post-match presentation. "The supporters have been amazing. "I think we timed the pace of the innings to perfection. I wasn't as calm as I looked. When you have 45,000 fans screaming at you every ball... "It has been an absolute pleasure playing in front of this crowd. We have had a good run. It is the first final we have been in as New Zealand. "We are a very level team, we will approach it as any other game. Nothing going in my mind when I hit the six. I don't even know where the ball went." South Africa, who themselves have never reached the final, have been accused of choking in past installments of the one-day competition. But that indictment cannot be leveled at it after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history. It had recovered from 114-3 in the 27th over to 216-3 after 38 overs thanks to some fierce hitting from captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, before the rain came. With the game stopped for two hours, it finally reached 281 off its reduced 43 overs, du Plessis top scoring with 82. New Zealand's target was upgraded via Duckworth/Lewis, a calculation that takes into account how many overs were left and how many wickets had been lost, to 298. Kiwi skipper Brendan McCullum got it off to a fast start with a 22-ball half-century but after he was dismissed it wobbled, and needed 139 from 22 overs. But Elliott was the steadying hand, judging his innings perfectly. And though he was dropped in the penultimate over, he struck the telling blow off Steyn to seal victory and inflict a fourth semifinal defeat on South Africa. "It was a great advertisement for cricket," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "Everybody involved will remember this for the rest of their lives. "What a great innings from Grant. He came out of wilderness not long ago. The greatest time of our lives. We have enjoyed the experience. "I hope the crowds are all dreaming the way we are. Gee it would be nice to win it. We don't mind whom we face in the final. "They are both quality sides, but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance." Should Australia beat India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the joint hosts of the World Cup will meet in the final in Melbourne. "It was an amazing game of cricket," AB de Villiers said. "Probably the most electric crowd I have ever heard in my life. I guess the best team has come out on top. We gave it our best. No regrets. "We left it all out there. It is hurting. It is going to take a while to recover. The bigger picture is for the people back home. We play for them. I hope they can still be proud of us."
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 5.4 | 101.149567 | 792 | 59.429825 | 0.257426 | 0.672706 | 0.498952 | 0.66289 | 0.000157 | 1.306054 | 0.277241 | null | -0.194244 | -0.310911 | 0.534667 | null | 0.304708 | 0.351979 |
1,920 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.36693 | 0.537991 | -0.636855 | null | 0.495643 | 0.740658 | 0.269504 | null |
1,921 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | null | 0.518474 | -0.259319 | 0.339288 | null | 0.721141 | 0.64704 | 0.520638 |
1,922 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.204197 | null | -0.125211 | 0.419642 | 0.33291 | null | 0.781148 | 0.600992 |
1,923 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | -0.121767 | -0.16071 | null | -0.132329 | 0.006945 | 0.041957 | null | 0.049021 |
1,924 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | null | 0.245391 | -0.11841 | 0.23578 | null | 0.448059 | 0.78795 | 0.417129 |
1,925 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.328987 | null | -0.685533 | 0.630341 | 0.457699 | null | 0.220826 | 0.811691 |
1,926 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.397868 | 0.325345 | -0.183564 | null | 0.526581 | 0.528013 | 0.722795 | null |
1,927 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.3375 | 0.118501 | null | 0.293412 | 0.466213 | 0.321169 | null | 0.474761 |
1,928 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.659477 | 0.664796 | null | 0.670398 | 0.78819 | 0.867463 | null | 0.851748 |
1,929 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | null | 0.451433 | -0.67915 | 0.624291 | null | 0.6541 | 0.227209 | 0.805641 |
1,930 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.474668 | 0.449537 | null | 0.365013 | 0.60338 | 0.652205 | null | 0.546362 |
1,931 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.329384 | null | -0.254548 | 0.665235 | 0.458097 | null | 0.651811 | 0.846584 |
1,932 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.662354 | 0.265981 | null | 0.193066 | 0.791067 | 0.468648 | null | 0.374415 |
1,933 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.486645 | 0.253484 | null | 0.101469 | 0.615358 | 0.456152 | null | 0.282819 |
1,934 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | null | 0.140997 | -0.649425 | 0.441109 | null | 0.343664 | 0.256935 | 0.622458 |
1,935 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.16393 | null | -0.691463 | 0.551527 | 0.292643 | null | 0.214896 | 0.732877 |
1,936 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.581988 | null | -0.256285 | 0.314046 | 0.710701 | null | 0.650074 | 0.495396 |
1,937 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | null | 0.433959 | -0.59291 | 0.534353 | null | 0.636627 | 0.31345 | 0.715702 |
1,938 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.101223 | 0.671283 | -0.656875 | null | 0.229936 | 0.87395 | 0.249484 | null |
1,939 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.638508 | null | -0.400891 | 0.257128 | 0.767221 | null | 0.505468 | 0.438477 |
1,940 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.436149 | 0.155754 | null | 0.44513 | 0.564862 | 0.358422 | null | 0.626479 |
1,941 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.333366 | null | -0.573677 | 0.249452 | 0.462078 | null | 0.332683 | 0.430801 |
1,942 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.424423 | 0.414094 | -0.476611 | null | 0.553136 | 0.616761 | 0.429748 | null |
1,943 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.243366 | 0.120088 | null | 0.154539 | 0.372079 | 0.322756 | null | 0.335889 |
1,944 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.469775 | null | -0.470447 | 0.240655 | 0.598488 | null | 0.435912 | 0.422004 |
1,945 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.220678 | null | -0.148658 | 0.485854 | 0.349391 | null | 0.757701 | 0.667203 |
1,946 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.53931 | 0.583623 | -0.489019 | null | 0.668023 | 0.78629 | 0.41734 | null |
1,947 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | null | 0.129907 | -0.358574 | 0.522515 | null | 0.332574 | 0.547785 | 0.703865 |
1,948 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.563971 | null | -0.39254 | 0.441745 | 0.692683 | null | 0.513819 | 0.623094 |
1,949 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.586505 | 0.532336 | null | -0.175841 | 0.715218 | 0.735003 | null | 0.005508 |
1,950 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | 0.346342 | 0.177247 | null | 0.639711 | 0.475055 | 0.379914 | null | 0.821061 |
1,951 | 6,038 |
so this really highlights the disparity between me and my father. we never really shared any of the same interests, and it's really uncommon we find something we both enjoy. he likes planes and architecture, i like software engineering. he likes simple action movies like mission: impossible and anything remotely like tom clancy, and i like game of thrones and rick and morty. he likes bowling and golf, i like video games.
so he also works a hard job, long hours, and doesn't get much time to spend with me, but this weekend is different. he's just finished up a few emails when he comes into my room. i'm watching the overwatch world cup, and he sits on my bed quietly for a while, maybe a minute. eventually he speaks up.
"so trumpsinnerthoughts, what do you want to do today? i've got some time, and we can do something together... if you want.. my heart drops. usually whenever he suggests this, there is a movie that's come out (we both agree that the mcu is great). but doctor strange hasn't come out yet, so i can't fall back on that. i sit there for a while, thinking. i don't particularly enjoy golfing or bowling, and don't want to leave the house anyway because i don't want to miss united states play in the ow world cup. but it’s looking like i've got to take one for the team, how can i say no to hanging out with my dad?
"we can do that, if you want." my dad says, unexpectedly. i look around to where he's pointing. he's pointing at the tournament, currently following one of the players. i was about to compromise, and go bowling with him, but it looked like he actually wanted to play video games with me! i had tried introducing him to minecraft a few years back, but he hadn't quite gotten it and never really wanted to play it again, so i let it go. but if he was willing to try video games again, i wasn't going to say no!
"okay, i'll find us a game" i respond. i close the stream, and scroll through my steam library.
braid? no, too abstrac. tales from the borderlands? no, too much cursing (my dad hates swearing because my mom hates swearing, and i get the feeling my dad would be more passive if it weren't for her, but that's beside the point. portal 2? perfect! it's got witty quips, just like his favorite movies, and just enough action while being slow. i load up the game.
"keyboard and mouse or controller?" i think. i have an xbox 360 usb controller, which is more simple. he's less likely to forget where the buttons are. but he is already used to a keyboard and mouse for work. i want this to go as smoothly as possible; if he can at least understand my love of video games, maybe we'll bond more? i turn around to ask him which he prefers.
"oh, you're supposed to play with a controller, aren't you?" he says as he takes it from me. i help him navigate to the start new game button in the menu.
the tutorial goes as well as i could have hoped. he has a bit of trouble learning the movement, and can't really track wheatley as he moves across the ceiling, but he laughs at all the right moments and manages to slowly progress through the first few levels. he has trouble with some of the levels; whenever he pushes a button i have to point out what changed in the level. at one point, he was holding a cube, walking around looking for a button, and walked right over it. i didn’t want him to feel silly, so i let him walk out of the area and try again. eventually it became clear he wasn't going to get it, so i help him solve it and we proceed through the next few levels.
we finally make it to the first portal gun. for me, this was one of the best parts of the series. as he's walking up the steps to grab it, i'm explaining to him the importance of it. “it opens up a whole range of opportunities. you can do so much more once you can shoot the portals.” suddenly, he falls off the steps. he tries to go up again. and fails. and tries again and falls off again.
“well that was fun, what do you want to play next?. he has completely given up on it. he can’t go up the stairs. he can't solve any of the puzzles. i need to find him a game that involves nothing more complicated than walking.
luckily, i have just the game.
the first time we go through the stanley parable, he decides to follow the narrator. he does everything he is told to, and we end with a nice happy field with trees and a cobble path. then, as you do, we restarted the game and began to play again. i told my dad that at any point, he could rebel. he could completely ignore the narrator, and mess with his plan. so we go through, and he takes the right door through the employee lounge, and we listen and chuckle as the narrator chastising us for detouring from his perfect story. after the narrator finishes, my dad turns to me and says “you know, i kind of already know the ending, so i don’t really see the point of playing if i know what i’m getting, you know?. at this point i’m like, fuck it, let's just play some lego. so i boot up lego marvel super heroes and take the controller. my dad needs the seat next to my desk, and that’s where my keyboard is, so i take the controller and he takes the keyboard.
i load in as hulk, and he’s playing iron man. we start playing, and he needs to fly to a specific part of the level as iron man. i tell him he needs to use wasd to move, and double tap j to fly. i show him how to position his fingers (he first tries to put his thumb on d), and iron man hops into the air. he flies around a bit to get used to the controls, and flies into a corner. he keeps looking back and forth between the screen and the keyboard, pressing each key individually and in short bursts to try to free himself. after about a minute of this he gets up and leaves to go “finish some work stuff”, and i shut down the game.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions guys. i'm going to have a look through some of these 2d sidescrolling games and see if i can find something to play with him.
|
Dataset: ctr4si/reddit_tifu/short/train
| 4.1 | 61.807228 | 1,375 | 45.585664 | 0.128713 | 0.202667 | 0.906359 | 0.18135 | 0.000351 | 2.914743 | null | 0.124232 | -0.67694 | 0.206059 | null | 0.326899 | 0.229419 | 0.387408 |
1,952 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.47185 | -0.366595 | null | -0.652808 | 0.86789 | 0.235112 | null | 0.041994 |
1,953 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | null | 0.343754 | -0.528448 | -0.353076 | null | 0.945461 | 0.471552 | 0.341726 |
1,954 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.314493 | -0.206849 | -0.282072 | null | 0.081547 | 0.394858 | 0.717928 | null |
1,955 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.158671 | 0.271873 | -0.693782 | null | 0.237369 | 0.87358 | 0.306218 | null |
1,956 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.119068 | -0.363002 | -0.305444 | null | 0.515108 | 0.238704 | 0.694556 | null |
1,957 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.250674 | -0.576831 | null | -0.324594 | 0.646714 | 0.024876 | null | 0.370208 |
1,958 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.238999 | 0.13506 | null | -0.293192 | 0.635039 | 0.736767 | null | 0.40161 |
1,959 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.274607 | null | -0.298981 | -0.51226 | 0.670646 | null | 0.701019 | 0.182542 |
1,960 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.142142 | 0.368497 | null | -0.417601 | 0.253898 | 0.970204 | null | 0.277201 |
1,961 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.280505 | 0.375073 | null | -0.231075 | 0.676545 | 0.97678 | null | 0.463726 |
1,962 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | null | 0.318818 | -0.357857 | -0.402005 | null | 0.920525 | 0.642143 | 0.292797 |
1,963 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.467317 | -0.281841 | null | 0.162056 | 0.863356 | 0.319866 | null | 0.856858 |
1,964 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | null | -0.331192 | -0.549465 | -0.219764 | null | 0.270515 | 0.450535 | 0.475038 |
1,965 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | null | -0.342626 | -0.318082 | 0.210434 | null | 0.259081 | 0.681918 | 0.905236 |
1,966 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.230273 | 0.205578 | -0.242164 | null | 0.626312 | 0.807285 | 0.757836 | null |
1,967 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.199369 | 0.291724 | -0.438235 | null | 0.196671 | 0.893431 | 0.561765 | null |
1,968 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.200349 | 0.210732 | -0.65852 | null | 0.19569 | 0.812439 | 0.34148 | null |
1,969 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.359342 | 0.312374 | -0.319761 | null | 0.755381 | 0.914081 | 0.680239 | null |
1,970 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | null | -0.109606 | -0.671561 | -0.204624 | null | 0.492101 | 0.328439 | 0.490178 |
1,971 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | null | 0.322018 | -0.414944 | -0.515651 | null | 0.923725 | 0.585056 | 0.179151 |
1,972 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.486477 | -0.398478 | null | 0.172621 | 0.882516 | 0.203228 | null | 0.867422 |
1,973 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.149006 | -0.273576 | null | -0.601682 | 0.247034 | 0.328131 | null | 0.09312 |
1,974 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.364923 | 0.177926 | null | -0.468909 | 0.031117 | 0.779633 | null | 0.225893 |
1,975 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | null | 0.354298 | -0.107397 | -0.316054 | null | 0.956005 | 0.892603 | 0.378748 |
1,976 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.445922 | 0.187642 | null | -0.647952 | 0.841961 | 0.789349 | null | 0.04685 |
1,977 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.281995 | null | -0.261272 | -0.163334 | 0.114045 | null | 0.738728 | 0.531468 |
1,978 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.291521 | 0.110238 | -0.236709 | null | 0.104519 | 0.711945 | 0.763291 | null |
1,979 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.385455 | 0.145873 | -0.688541 | null | 0.010585 | 0.74758 | 0.311459 | null |
1,980 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.312457 | -0.483029 | -0.240327 | null | 0.708497 | 0.118678 | 0.759673 | null |
1,981 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.465079 | -0.392163 | -0.286689 | null | 0.861119 | 0.209543 | 0.713311 | null |
1,982 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | -0.124178 | -0.199392 | -0.422129 | null | 0.271862 | 0.402315 | 0.577871 | null |
1,983 | 2,057 |
Spring officially starts this week and households up and down the country will no doubt been thinking about giving their homes a good dusting, de-cluttering and getting rid of any lingering winter blues. But this year, why not go a step further and give your finances a spring clean? It really could slash hundreds of pounds off your annual household expenditure and help you save more for the luxury items such as holidays and clothes. Here, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and founder of blog MummyMoneyMatters.com, reveals her top tips to help you cut the cost of living and become savvy savers. Scroll down for video . There are several things mums can do to spend less and save more this Spring, says Kalpana . 1) Go second hand for children’s goods . Ever wondered where the smart mums shop for their children's clothes and toys? Well, the savviest are heading for table-top sales boasting excellent-quality goods for bargain prices. Parenting charity NCT holds regular nearly-new sales offering clothes at knock-down prices - such as baby grows from as little as 50p for not one, but five. Toys - often in very good condition - cost as little as £2 and children's DVD are on offer from just £1. And it's not just baby bargains savvy shoppers will find - there is a great selection for children too. There's little point buying all-new clothes for little ones as they grow out of them so quickly. The NCT has strict quality guidelines for sellers, plus buyers can inspect the items before purchasing. For those who are good at haggling, you'll walk away with more bang for your buck. Check the NCT for details of locations and dates of these sales. They are held nationwide and throughout the year. 2) De-clutter and sell unwanted goods . Now is the time to go through your cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. To make a few extra pennies that could go towards pocket money for the kids, or spending money for your family holiday, why not consider selling these items? At NCT sales, table hire is around £20, but, if you have plenty of decent things on offer, you could walk away with hundreds of pounds. You can sell furniture - so for mothers with items like cots and even wardrobes, it's the perfect marketplace. Don’t worry about having to fit everything into your car. Instead, take pictures of any bulky goods to place on a noticeboard on the day. You’ll be surprised at just how popular these are. For non-child-related goods, try a boot sale. They start up in spring and run until October, with an entrance fee to pay. Just be prepared to get up early to bag a space! Check out CarBootSales for locations and dates. Car-boots sales are a great way to have a clear-out of unwanted goods and also pick up a little extra cash . 3) Buy school uniforms from the supermarket . School uniforms are expensive – but there are ways to cut costs. The first tip is to avoid buying items such as plain shirts, dresses and bottoms from uniform shops where the prices are significantly higher. For example, a plain polo shirt from a niche shop may set you back about £5 each, but a pack of two from the supermarket costs as little as £2.50 – that’s just £1.25 each. You could put the savings towards other expenses, such as school trips. Some school uniform items do have to be purchased via a uniform shop because a certain logo or style must be adhered to. If this is the case, and if you're looking to save some pennies, see if you can get them second-hand. Many schools will sell once-worn clothes, but you may have to ask. You could also ask other parents if they are willing to sell anything that their child has outgrown. 4) Use cashback sites . These aren't anything new, but if you're not already using a cashback site, it's the perfect way to easily save some money and earn rewards. They work by giving shoppers a percentage of their purchase total every time you shop online via a specific cashback site. Simply register for free, then click through to your chosen retailer, such as Mothercare or Argos, and then shop as normal. The purchase is tracked and the cashback site will give you back some money; rates can vary from as little as 1 per cent to as much as 10 per cent. Some stores also offer you a cash lump sum. And it's not just limited to retailers, you can also earn cashback for utilities (broadband, TV, phone), insurance and even days out. New Sky customers, for example, could get £151.50 cashback for TV and broadband packages via Topcashback, £30 cashback for using Uswitch via Quidco and 2 per cent back on Amazon purchases using Kidstart. You really could end up with hundreds of pounds back into your pocket - but only ever use reputable cashback sites. 5) Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out . If you’re collecting Tesco Clubcard points, then use your vouchers to pay for days out using Clubcard Boost. It’s tempting to stick them in your purse and pay for everyday groceries when you go shopping, but they are worth a lot more if you use Clubcard Boost – you could exchange them for up to four times the face value. Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for days out instead - these can be exchanged for cinema tickets . A £4.50 voucher is worth just £4.50 if you use it to pay for groceries, but if you boost it online, that will get you a day pass to a Sealife Centre where a child ticket otherwise costs around £20 – that’s a saving of more than 75 per cent. You could also use your vouchers to exchange them for cinema tickets or eating out. Take a look at Tesco to see the deals. 6) Plan your meals . For a family, food is a huge weekly cost. But it is also an area where you can easily save some money. As well as shopping smart and buying own-brand products where possible, the next thing to do is to plan your meals. Devise three or four and rotate them every week to ensure there is variety. But, this way, you won't get tempted by expensive treats while wandering around the supermarket - and it will ensure all food is used; rather than wasted or thrown away. Always go shopping with a list - and stick to it. Better still, do your shop online – that way you can avoid all those 'buy one get one free' or 'half price' deals, not to mention it will probably reduce stress and give you more quality time with your children. 7) There’s still time to make use of childcare vouchers . Childcare costs are rising faster than the rate of inflation. Recent research from the Family & Childcare Trust showed a 33 per cent increase in the past five years, and a report last week from single parent charity, Gingerbread, found half of single parents have had to borrow money from friends, family or banks to pay for childcare in the last two years. With costs so high, it’s important to make use of all the financial help you can get. If you are working and are not making use of childcare vouchers, then you should – you could save as much £933 a year, per parent, towards the costs of childminders, nurseries, play groups and after school care or clubs. Childcare vouchers are essentially salary sacrifice schemes and you make savings through tax. It is offered by employers, so talk to your HR department about it. The system is, however, changing in Autumn 2015, with a new tax-free childcare scheme being introduced, after which you will not be able to apply for childcare vouchers, but existing users will be able to continue using them if they want. Some parents will be better-off with the existing childcare voucher scheme, as the new system will not help you if you have children over the age of 12 for instance – so, it is a good idea to apply for childcare vouchers now and then choose what is better for you in the Autumn when the new scheme kicks in. Some parents may also be able to get tax credits, but childcare vouchers can affect the amount of tax credits you get, so check the Gov.uk calculator to find out whether you would be better-off. This article does not constitute financial advice.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 6.8 | 95.206897 | 1,626 | 60.347271 | 0.39604 | 0.601707 | 1 | 0.694802 | 0.000475 | 3.945959 | 0.27621 | 0.192695 | -0.149875 | null | 0.67225 | 0.794402 | 0.850125 | null |
1,984 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | null | -0.131583 | 0.260613 | -0.2985 | null | 0.57787 | 0.840627 | 0.394791 |
1,985 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | null | -0.353795 | 0.293968 | -0.215978 | null | 0.355658 | 0.873982 | 0.477313 |
1,986 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | 0.363725 | -0.553537 | null | -0.370026 | 0.779567 | 0.155916 | null | 0.323264 |
1,987 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | 0.307067 | null | -0.478159 | 0.132337 | 0.722908 | null | 0.101855 | 0.825627 |
1,988 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | 0.558534 | -0.446981 | null | -0.404598 | 0.974376 | 0.262472 | null | 0.288693 |
1,989 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | -0.401867 | null | 0.221964 | 0.25638 | 0.013975 | null | 0.801978 | 0.949671 |
1,990 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | -0.345882 | null | -0.376909 | -0.582044 | 0.069959 | null | 0.203105 | 0.111247 |
1,991 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | -0.240657 | -0.243251 | -0.527906 | null | 0.175184 | 0.466202 | 0.052108 | null |
1,992 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | -0.307659 | -0.484436 | null | 0.21309 | 0.108182 | 0.225017 | null | 0.90638 |
1,993 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | 0.350567 | 0.18656 | null | -0.44256 | 0.766409 | 0.896013 | null | 0.250731 |
1,994 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | -0.111372 | null | 0.199749 | -0.413473 | 0.30447 | null | 0.779763 | 0.279818 |
1,995 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | null | -0.227141 | -0.231014 | 0.291384 | null | 0.482312 | 0.349 | 0.984675 |
1,996 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | -0.130839 | -0.214687 | null | 0.299185 | 0.285002 | 0.494767 | null | 0.992476 |
1,997 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | 0.140247 | -0.198691 | -0.478637 | null | 0.556089 | 0.510762 | 0.101377 | null |
1,998 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | null | -0.34535 | 0.326492 | 0.283151 | null | 0.364103 | 0.906506 | 0.976442 |
1,999 | 1,641 |
The SFA’s new performance director, Brian McClair is being paid generously for his expertise. But many would have paid a penny for his thoughts on Tuesday night. The moment he read the quotes of his colleague Ricky Sbragia on young Jack Harper. To the uninitiated, Harper is Scottish football’s new wonderkid. Islam Feruz without the attitude. Mark Wotte – McClair’s predecessor – dubbed the Real Madrid youth player Scotland’s answer to Robin van Persie. Real Madrid youngster Jack Harper in action against Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League match . Scotland Under-19s manager Ricky Sbragia has left Harper out of his squad for the upcoming games . He did so because, by all accounts, Harper does not fit the typical Scottish mould. He is not quite a No 9, not entirely a No 10. He is a creative type who scores goals under the watchful eye of Real coach Zinedine Zidane. So far this season he has scored three goals for Real in the UEFA Youth League and is midway through a five-year deal signed in 2012. Born in Fuengirola, near Malaga, the 18-year-old is Spanish. And Spain’s Under-19 coach Luis de la Fuente has used his birth certificate to try to recruit him. Marvellously, however, Harper does not want to play for Spain. His parents are from Barrhead. He wants to play for Scotland. Incredibly, Scotland seems less keen on him. Sbragia’s Under-19 squad are currently preparing for UEFA European Championships elite round with games against Austria, Italy and Croatia this week. And Harper, dubbed a ‘luxury’ player, is nowhere to be found. In a throwback to the old school thinking which preceded the SFA’s high-profile 2020 performance strategy, Sbragia explains his absence by saying: ‘Our concentration is on the opening game with Austria and we’ve deliberately got more height in our squad. That’s one of the reasons why Jack isn’t in. Highly rated forward Harper has already been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool . ‘The last time he was with us, he did okay, but I wanted a little more impact. At Real Madrid, he can float all over the place. But with us, he has to be more disciplined. ‘It’s purely tactical and there certainly hasn’t been a lack of enthusiasm from Jack about playing for Scotland.’ There might be now, of course. Most of all when Harper learns that young Oliver McBurnie, an 18-year-old striker who plays for Bradford City is in the squad. Currently McBurnie, six foot two in his stocking soles, is on loan at Chester City – a non-league club in the English Conference Premier. Within the SFA, there is a recognition of how damaging and old-fashioned all this looks. Regarded as a progressive, forward thinking and intelligent coach within the corridors of Hampden, Sbragia’s quotes on Harper hint at something else. For McClair, a cerebral former Manchester United colleague of Sbragia’s, the Harper conundrum represents an early test of his diplomatic skills. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan – no giant himself – washed his hands of the matter on Tuesday, saying: ‘I’m not involved in that at all. I let the other guys get on with it. I’ve no idea if it’s physical or whatever.’ Harper is currently midway through a five-year deal with Real Madrid and is tipped to have a big future . Pointing out that most of the country has never seen Harper play, Strachan added: ‘I’ve seen a few people at Chelsea who never get a game anywhere. They go on loan somewhere and disappear into no man’s land.’ That was the fate of Feruz – the ‘wonderkid’ who turned his back on Scotland and was last heard of having a loan deal at Blackpool cancelled. Before leaving his post last October, Wotte urged Scottish youth football to rid itself of the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and develop skills. An appeal which fell on deaf ears with at least one SFA colleague. ‘We have to match these teams physically,’ said Sbragia of the challenge facing his under-19 side. ‘The more I’m seeing games, the more I see things going back to physicality and the height factor.’ The irony, of course, is that Harper is no midget. He is six foot tall. Taller than Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, the Glasgow-born Everton stars allowed to slip through the SFA’s fingers and play for the Republic of Ireland instead. The worry is that when the SFA host European Championship games at Hampden in 2020, the nation will finally get the chance to see the prodigious talent of Jack Harper. In the red shirt of Spain.
|
Dataset: ccdv/cnn_dailymail/3.0.0/validation
| 7 | 104.225275 | 908 | 60.303831 | 0.415842 | 0.709453 | 0.580014 | 0.693291 | 0.0002 | 1.657345 | 0.123816 | null | -0.537335 | 0.184768 | 0.539658 | null | 0.042679 | 0.878059 |
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