Air fryers use less power than ovens, making it cheaper to cook your favourite meals (Picture: Getty/Amazon/Robert Dyas) Amid the cost of living crisis, many people are looking to save money on their energy bills. Among the tips touted, switching from the oven to an air fryer to cook meals has really caught on, as the devices are more energy-efficient and therefore cheaper to run. Research by Iceland and Utilita found that an air fryer would cost £52.74 per year to power, while electric and gas cookers cost about £316 and £264 a year respectively. And when you consider that air fryers can make ..read more

For three months, I restricted and restricted food, exercised every day (Picture: Rose Stokes) One cold and dreary day during the winter lockdown, I mentioned offhand to a GP that within the next year or so, my partner and I would be trying for a baby. ‘Oh you’d better try to lose some weight before you do,’ they told me, mentioning fertility issues in higher BMI women. It’s something that former Bake Off star Laura Adlington has faced too, being told she would need to lost 14st to qualify for IVF. My heart breaks for Laura, who has admitted that trying to lose weight was a struggle – so ..read more

Alex McCurry, 36, posted the footage after suffering a series of bizarre encounters with people who refused to believe her daughter is hers (Picture: SWNS) A Black mum has hit out at strangers who question if she is really related to her pale-skinned daughter. Alex McCurry, 36, shared a TikTok video after suffering a series of bizarre encounters with people who refused to believe her daughter is hers. Project manager Alex, who wants to protect her four-month-old daughter’s anonymity, says their child seems to have taken more after her husband Rob, who is white. Alex, from Frederick, Maryland ..read more

They say ‘dress for the job you want’ – why not apply the same mindset to the work itself? (Picture: Getty) From ‘quiet quitting’ to widespread strike action across industries, it seems many of us have lost our zest for work. Pushback against unfair practices is inevitable, but particularly understandable given how the cost of living crisis, ongoing pandemic fallout, and global unrest have impacted our lives outside of our jobs. However, insecure employment contracts and a job market that’s seeing hundreds apply for a single role means that taking action isn’t always an option for everyone; so ..read more

After getting sacked from her job as a talent manager, Emily Valentine switched to full-time influencing (Picture: SWNS) When Emily Valentine got sacked from her job as a talent manager, she was devastated. ‘I was 26 years old, living in London, and I didn’t know how I was going to feed myself,’ she remembered. ‘I was asking myself: “how am I going to make this work”?’ When she left university in 2012, Emily, now 34, took a job at a marketing agency for £17k, but absolutely hated it, handing in her notice after just 10 months. She moved to London and landed the talent manager job, but got fire ..read more

The future is bright, but there is a barrier to these drugs and it is inertia (Picture: Getty Images) Looking after our mental health is now seen as an integral part of our wellbeing. Yet depression is still the predominant mental health problem worldwide, followed by anxiety, according to the Mental Health Foundation (MHF). In fact, University College London has reported a substantial increase in people reporting generalised anxiety and depression, particularly women, and yet MHF data shows only one in eight adults receives mental health treatment whether it’s medication, psychological therap ..read more

We’ve got engagement rings for every budget The general rule for how much you should spend on an engagement ring tends to be the equivalent of three months’ pay. So if you’re on a salary of £25k that would equate to around £4,800 for a ring, which is an awful lot of money. Our motto here is pay whatever you feel comfortable with, and remember that while you should spend more than you would on the average purchase, you shouldn’t bankrupt yourself. Try to learn what cut of diamond they like, maybe oval or emerald, as well as if they prefer gold bands or platinum bands. It’s also important to not ..read more

Left to right: Survivors Leanne Pero, Caroline Shaw, Phil Alderson and Hannah Gardner (Picture: Moonpig) Moonpig has teamed up with four breast cancer survivors to demonstrate how self-checks can save lives. The cheeky four-card range the survivors helped to launch is busting with puns to remind people to check their breasts. In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month the cards are free to send throughout the month of October using the code FREECHECK. The four survivors bared all in a fruity photoshoot to launch the collection and are determined to use their stories to encourage others to get ..read more

Women have been rating their exes (Picture: Getty) Wanting to create a hub for women to share stories about their dates, one woman has decided to set up what she calls ‘Tripadvisor for exes’. Tracy Tegan, from the US, decided to set up the page after dating someone she says had an affair and stole rent money from her. The site, called the Ex Boyfriend List, reads: ‘We all have that loser ex we want to warn others about, and now you can do just that with the ex boyfriend list.’ It allows women to leave detailed reviews – and you can even search by name. ‘We all go through that bad breakup, and ..read more

Be smart with these products (Picture: Metro.co.uk/Supplied) As autumn takes hold and winter approaches, our latest selection of wellness buys is ready to help. If you want to remain in fine form as the days get shorter, we’ve got the smartest self-care suggestions. From digital detoxes and mindful drinks to skincare solutions and the latest sports fashion, here is our selection of fitness must-haves and must-dos to take care of your mental and physical health. Get away from it all in an eco-cabin Switch off from it all (Picture: Pasco Photography) Looking for a digital detox? Unplugged a ..read more