Helsingin Sanomat's most-read story on Wednesday is about people going nowhere. More specifically, those who visit Helsinki Airport simply to shop, dine, and even stay overnight.
"You get to pretend you're going on a trip," Hanna Starck, who was trying out a new kebab restaurant at the airport food court, told HS.
Finland's largest airport has increasingly come to resemble a shopping mall. Leasing commercial spaces is a lucrative business for airport operator Finavia, which uses profits from the facility to sustain smaller, unprofitable airports.
Some airport visitors come for drinks at the new hotel right next to the terminal. One couple told HS they enjoy the bustling atmosphere of the place. For them, getting a drink at the airport hotel is a warm-up for their upcoming trip to Thailand. There are still a few weeks until departure, but at the airport, they said it already feels like their vacation has begun.
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Going carless
In which capital city neighbourhoods do the fewest people own cars?
"I'd rather pay more to live in the city centre without a car than the other way around," Kaija Junttila told Hufvudstadsbladet.
In her neighbourhood, Alppila, barely one in four households has a car.
Other residents in the area told the daily they couldn't justify the costs of owning a car — gas, insurance, taxes and parking — when living so close to public transport.
"It has been surprisingly easy to manage without a car. Initially, arranging rides for my daughter's hockey practice was a bit challenging. But you can get almost anywhere using public transport — it just takes a little planning," Outi Mäkinen said.
Timo-Jussi Hämäläinen shared a similar sentiment.
"By saving on insurance costs alone, I could afford to take a taxi more than I'd ever need."
Rising electricity costs
Spot electricity prices are on the rise again on Wednesday, reports Kauppalehti.
Households with spot electricity contracts enjoyed relatively low prices on Tuesday, with rates staying below 10 cents. But the party ends on Wednesday, as prices surge between 9 and 10am, reaching nearly 21 cents per kilowatt-hour.
After that, the price will hover around 15 cents until 5pm, dropping to eight cents by 8pm, further decreasing to five cents by 10pm.
The All Points North podcast explored strategies for tackling the cost of living, including tips on reducing electricity costs. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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