Money Saving Tips

If you find that you are struggling keeping up with your debts or just simply finding that your money doesn’t go as far, then it’s time to have a look at your outgoing with a bit of diligence and effort you could quickly find them extra couple of pounds to make life a bit easier.

Have a look through our money saving tips and we are sure using one or more of these money saving tips it will give you more cash in your pocket.

There are also a number of excellent sites with in depth information on how to expand on these money saving tips. Unfortunately we can not list these sites as they object to anyone referring to them for any advice on money saving tips.

If you feel that even with a bit of good housekeeping you find that your debts are still unmanageable then get in touch with us and we will have a look at your particular situation and will be more than willing to offer the appropriate advice for you.

We have helped thousands of individuals with serious debt problems and in our experience sometimes just a bit of refinancing can help with how you’re spending that hard earned cash and can solve some of your problems, so browse through our money saving tips and if any look like they apply to you Then Make It Happen!

Our money saving tips are updated on a regular basis so keep checking back as you never know some of these tips just might save the day.

Have a serious look at your food shopping

1^st tip is checkout Lidl or Aldi Food shopping forms a significant part of our monthly outgoings and the supermarket is where the bulk of the money is spent. Tesco takes £1 in every £8 spent by UK shoppers. But be warned, stores spend a small fortune studying ways of making us part with more of our money than we would otherwise intend to. Have you ever wondered why your favourite song is playing in the background as you navigate the aisles? Have you even noticed the background music? Possibly not, but you will have noticed at the checkout that the bill is often more than expected. To circumvent this, simply make a shopping list. Dig out the cookery books, plan a few meals and only buy what you need.
Saving: £10 a week = £520 a year Consider own-brand goods
You can buy a tin of Asda own-brand baked beans for 14p and a loaf bread at Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's for 19p. Enough said.

Consider getting stuck into DIY
We're a nation of obsessive DIYers and for around £100 you can take a course at your local adult education college to improve the skills needed to tackle most household repairs. DIY is also very self satisfying and good for the mind more importantly it will save you a fortune.

Thinking of Flying? Book early!
Low-cost airlines have created a market in holidays for people prepared to fly to any destination provided it's cheap. You can benefit from this too. Just remember, only a few seats on each flight are sold at bargain-basement prices and once they're sold, the prices rise. So book early.

Do not attempt to keep up with the Joneses

This has got to be one of mankind’s biggest errors don’t get sucked in.
Trying to keep up appearances is little more than a costly illness. Remember, you cannot judge someone by what they have because you don't know how they got it. Chances are they're in more debt than you are.

Consider Trading down your car
At the time that new car seemed a must, all the classic’s “I need a good car for work”  “sick of spending money on that wreck” and so on. But can you honestly justify the ongoing expense? If not, get rid of it. Then visit a car supermarket, where you can choose from thousands of cars at knock-down prices. If you're a true money saver, consider an ex-rental model which you can pick up for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Cancel your gym membership

Can you really justify that monthly expense when a good walk or bike ride would be a lot cheaper
If you pay your £35-£40 a month by direct debit and you use the gym three times a week, great. If not, cancel your membership immediately. You'll soon save enough to buy your own bike and, if you're so inclined, a rowing machine. Consider running home from work three times a week. It's free.

National lottery

Forget doing a tenner a week in the mad hope you are going to win and all your problems will cease cut it down to one ticket £1 and put the difference in a little piggy and by the end of the year you will be the real winner.

Cut the costs of your Fuel & Water bills

The recent hike in utility bills has made the utilities companies more profits & made things tight on your pocket, lets face it we have all felt the pinch over the last few years. Being clever with your fuel costs can save you 100’s every year. Don’t be scared to switch to the cheapest to save on the £££’s. There are many price comparison sites out there that will help you chose the cheapest supplier for your needs.

Consider installing a water meter
We take our tap water for granted. And why not? The companies behind the supply exist to make a profit, we pay them to supply water and have every right to expect it to flow from our taps. But if it doesn't rain, supply runs dry and the price goes up. So you may want to consider the possibility of installing a meter. If you have a big home with few occupants you may be surprised to learn you could halve your annual bill.

Learn to say 'NO'
Learn to say no more often, instead of that treat that costs £50 why not treat yourself to £50 into your savings account or ISA. Saying 'no' a few times a year will do wonders for your bank account.

Cut down on your drinking
A few beers after work a few nights a week is a financially debilitating state of affairs. Set limits and stick to them. Let’s face it; if you stick to a limit you can dodge that hangover!!

The three-for-two trick
Now, there's a lot to be said for buy-one-get-one-free (bogof) deals, especially if they pass the 'Do I really need this?' test. Remember you get nothing for free in this day and age!! Then there's three-for-twos: a particularly cynical way of stores to entice shoppers to buy an extra item they would not otherwise buy. The 'offer' is always priced into the deal so do your sums and shop around.

Claim your benefits and tax credits
Forget the stigma in Britain attached to claiming benefits. The Government has put benefits at the heart of the family budget and it's your money so make sure you're claiming it. That includes Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and other employee-related tax benefits worth a quick look at http://www.completedebtguide.com/benefit-entitlements.html

Do you need all those TV channels?
Britain is switching to digital-only television and time is running out for you to choose your new digital TV provider. The choice is already bewildering and with telephone-based services now being launched it's going to get more complicated. Packages range from £10 to the full  monty, including every sports and movie channel costing around £50 a month, down to Freeview, which is free. Choose wisely. Remember you can’t watch them all at once!!

Open a high rate ISA

There are some great deals on ISA’s out there on the market. For example ING DIRECT offer one high rate of 6.0% AER* for everyone 6.55% per annum guaranteed for 6 months from the day you open the account, reverting to their Cash ISA variable rate of 5.13% p.a., equivalent to 6.0% AER* Have a good look around to get a good savings rate.

Find the cheapest Home Telephone & Broadband supplier.

Shop around; the internet is littered with companies who will compare both telephone & broadband suppliers. Some suppliers offer free 24/7 calls landline to landline if you have both phone & broadband with them. Don’t pay over the odds but remember sometimes cost can mean compromise so be careful you read the terms & conditions. BT may seem to behave like a monopoly but it most definitely is not one. If you must use your phone there are scores of cheaper alternatives from cable companies that package your telephone, television and even broadband internet access to low-cost dial-up services that give you access to cheaper calls using your existing BT line.

Sell unwanted items on Ebay

If you have unwanted items lying around the house sell them! Ebay is easy to use and very effective. Turn clutter into cash.

Credit Cards

The only people who benefit from credit cards are the credit card companies. Pay off all of your credit & store card bills and cut the cards up! Credit/store cards are the most expensive ways to borrow money.

NS&I Premium Bonds

In June 2007 NS&I are giving away three extra £1 million jackpots, on top of the two £1 million prizes that they normally pay out each month.

What are Premium Bonds?

Premium Bonds are an investment where, instead of interest payments, investors have the chance to win tax-free prizes. When someone invests in Premium Bonds they are allocated a series of numbers, one for each £1 invested.  The minimum purchase is £100 (or £50 when you buy by monthly standing order), which provides 100 Bond numbers and, therefore, 100 chances of winning a prize. You can hold up to £30,000.

To give yourself a chance of winning one of the five £1 million jackpots in the June anniversary draw, you’ll need to buy your Bonds by midnight on 30 April 2007 at the latest. See http://www.nsandi.com/products/pb/pb50.jsp

Shop around for cheaper insurance

Spending some time shopping around for all of your insurance needs can save you £100’s. Don’t pay more than you have to! There are many websites on the World Wide Web to help you compare insurance. A little bit of effort can save you ££££s

Reclaim Bank Charges

If you have incurred any penalty charges from your bank, even if they are up to 6 years ago, you will find that it is likely that those charges were unlawful. Thousands of people are reclaiming bank charges. We previously would have pointed you in the direction of certain money saving expert’s website where you could get help to reclaim your charges but unfortunately he will not let us use his name on our site.

Remember it’s no good reading through our money saving tips and thinking that’s a good idea, and then doing nothing, get on with it!

 Money Saving Tips