As the credit crunch
continues it is important to get your
finances in to shape.
Applying simple methods to your spending
could save you £1000s on your annual
spend.
Here you'll find a selection of money
saving tips to help you make the most of
your money. Save on your bills,
groceries, holidays, purchases and more.
Your Groceries
It is
widely accepted that doing your grocery shopping online can save you
money.
mySupermarket.co.uk
aims to get you the best deal on your online
grocery shop, comparing the contents of your virtual trolley at
leading supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys as you shop,
and making recommendations along the way to help you get the best
value for your money. Once you have finished your shop simply click
to send your trolley to your supermarket of choice for payment.
mySupermarket.co.uk is easy to navigate and much more user
friendly than the supermarket's own websites.
Shopping through the mySupermarket website will also earn you
ipoints
which can be exchanged for high street vouchers,
magazine subscriptions and more.
ipoints is a
premier internet based rewards program
offering
rewards for shopping, online surveys,
signing up to
newsletters, visiting websites and more.
Prepare a Weekly Meal Plan
Taking
the time to make a weekly meal plan along with a list of the items
needed will not only save you money, but also save you time on
shopping and cooking. Think about where you can carry one evenings
meal into two, either using leftovers in the following evenings meal
or freezing for a later date.
Swap Brands
Swapping expensive brand items for the
supermarket's own label products where
possible can shed pounds of your weekly
spend.
Your Purchases
The first step in getting
good deals on your purchases is to
compare the prices of products across a
range of stores. Price comparison
websites such as
Kelkoo
will search 100s of retailers to find
you the best deals available. Whether
purchasing one-off items such as
electrical goods, or smaller items such
as DVDs and games, getting into the
habit of using price comparison sites
can save you a packet.
Once you have an idea of what you want
and from where, check to see whether it
can be purchased via a cashback website
such as
GreasyPalm or
RPoints to earn cashback on your
purchase.
Your Mobile Phone
If you're looking
for a new mobile phone, be sure
to visit
OneCompare.com. Simply
choose whether you are looking
for pay-as-you go or a monthly
contract, choose a handset and
they will show the best offers
currently available from various
suppliers.
If you are tied
in to a contract, make sure you
are using your mobile phone to
it's full potential. Take a good
look at your last few bills to
see if you are incurring
unnecessary charges and to see
where savings can be made.
Get paid to
recycle your old mobiles at
envirofone.com. Simply enter
the make, model and condition of
your mobile phone to receive a
cash offer.
envirofone.com also pay cash
for damaged and broken mobiles.
If you have
broadband, you can use
Skype software to make free
calls over the internet.
Your Household Bills
Switching providers could save £100s a year. Use a price comparison website
such as
Beat That Quote to find the best deals on energy, phone, home
insurance and more.
TOP TIP
Once you
have an idea of who the cheapest providers are, take a look at
cashback websites such as
GreasyPalm or
RPoints. Switching providers through the links on their website
could earn you up to £75 cashback per switch, on top of saving you
money on your bills.
Your Energy Bills
Make sure you are getting any grants and other benefits you
may be entitled to. Visit
energysavingtrust.org.uk to check
if you are eligible for an energy grant. Energy grants may
be available for a new boiler, loft insulation or new
kitchen appliances.
Most energy providers offer a cash incentive if you pay by
direct debit. Paying your energy providers by direct debit
could save you around £50 per year.
Simple measures such as making sure unused lights are turned
off, electrical items are not left on standby when not in
use and drafts are sealed, can make a significant difference
to the amount of energy your home consumes over a year. Find
more tips like this at
energysavingtrust.org.uk.
Upgraded
Bank Accounts
Many people are paying around £12 a month for an
upgraded bank account and not using it. Upgraded bank accounts offer
perks such as free mobile phone insurance and free travel
insurance. Use it! Or cancel it and
save yourself over £100 a year.
Your Credit Cards
Cashback credit
cards pay you from 1% to 5%
cashback on all your purchases,
usually paid annually by cheque.
Purchase everything you buy on
your cashback credit card to maximize
your free money.
Cashback credit cards only work
if you pay off your balance in
full every month to avoid paying
any
interest charges. Interest rates
on cashback credit cards can
often be higher than on a
standard credit card.
If you can not
pay off your balance in full
each month then you should be
looking for a long term 0% deal
to reduce the interest you'll
pay, and never miss a payment to
avoid unnecessary charges.
Shopping around
could knock £100s off the cost
of your holiday. Once you have
an idea of the holiday you want,
check it out online, visit and
revisit different travel agents
quoting your best price to see
if they will beat it.
The cost of a
holiday is higher with demand.
If you can holiday outside of
the most popular weeks or months
you can significantly lower the
price you'll pay.
Booking far in
advance can get you the lowest
prices and allows you to spread
the cost. Ideal for family
holidays.
For those with
flexibility, last minute
holidays are available at
massive discounts.
Useful Travel Websites
Skyscanner
helps millions of users a month find the
cheapest flights around the world by
searching over 600 airlines - budget and
scheduled - and 6000 routes.
HotelsComparison.com is an
independent hotels comparison service,
comparing hotel prices across a range of
travel companies.
Days Out
daysoutguide.co.uk offers 2
for 1 tickets for attractions in
London and the South East.
daysoutuk.com has
1,000s of suggestions of places
to go and 100s of discount
vouchers.
Use Your Local Library
Your local library can
save you money on books, DVDs, music,
games and more.
The first and
obvious way that you local
library can save you money is by
allowing you to borrow books for
free rather than having to buy
them. Many libraries now also
allow you to borrow magazines
for free.
For a small
rental fee, you can also borrow
games, CDs and DVDs.
Most libraries
hold free weekly activity
sessions for pre-school children
and for older children during
school holidays.
For adults the
opportunities available could be
joining a book club or learning
a new language.
