Money saving tips 

As the effects of the credit crunch set in, we're all having to watch how much we spend. But have you thought about how much money you might waste on the basic things you hardly think about?

Follow our simple tips, and you'll be pocketing the difference in no time!

Back to basics

One of the easiest ways of saving money, as well as helping the environment, is to ensure you turn off appliances rather than leaving them on standby. But how else can you conserve energy?

Energy saving light bulbs are an obvious way forward, and if you only turn on lights when you absolutely need to, this is a great way of saving some money on your bill. Why not add a little bit of romantic mood lighting with a candle?!

Be conscious from the very beginning, and only buy appliances that show the Energy Saving Recommended Logo. You can check the ratings at www.energysavingtrust.co.uk, where you can also do a free home energy check, which demonstrates how you can save up to £250 a year on household bills!

It’s good to talk…

We all have to stay in touch somehow, but are you paying too much to do so?

For instance, do you get your money's worth for your mobile phone contract? Maybe you use up all of your free texts, but none of your free minutes? Why not contact your tariff supplier, and see if you can negotiate a deal more suited to your usage.

Similarly, how important is your landline to you? With the associated line rental, it could be a needless money-waster. If you could get by with just your mobile, why not get rid?

Modern solutions could also help you to save money. Internet based VoIP telephone services such as Skype offer free or very cheap calls.

Don’t let your money go down the drain!

Water is probably one of the main ways you waste money, and the chances are you don’t even realise it.

Let’s start with the basics - when you boil a kettle or fill a saucepan, do you use more water than you need? Think of all the cuppas you have over the course of a year, and it soon mounts up.

And what about your morning routine? If you prefer a relaxing bath each day, take note... at 18p a time, it comes in at twice the price of a shower, which costs a mere 9p.

Along similar lines (and we’re sorry to lower the tone!), even your trips to the toilet could be costing you too much money! Flushing your loo uses nine litres of water, but a Hippo, available from your water supplier, could save three litres each time.

Speculate to Accumulate

In an article about saving money, it seems strange to advise you to spend your hard-earned cash, but an outlay in order to achieve long-term savings is a very wise move indeed, especially if you intend to stay in your home for a number of years.

Improving the insulation in your home generally pays for itself within two years, and from thereon-in, it’s pure savings all the way! Double glazing, although a little more pricey, is also a fantastic way of saving up to £100 per year on household bills.

10 Simple Steps

Finally, here’s some easy ways of instantly saving with minimum effort:

1. Keep furniture away from radiators – it blocks the heat!

2. Only charge your mobile phone when you need to charge it – what’s the point in wasting the electricity when the battery’s nearly full anyway?!

3. Turn your thermostat down by 1°c - you won’t notice the difference, and it could save up to 10% on your heating bill!

4. Fix your dripping taps! A leaky hot tap not only costs you money on your heating bill, but also wastes enough water to half fill a bath every week!

5. Switch your gas or electricity supplier – it could save you up to £100 a year! Find out more at www.energywatch.org.uk

6. Do your research, and don’t waste money on expensive gimmicks. For instance, water-saving showerheads can cost up to £30, but all they do is reduce the water flow, and make you more likely to stay in the shower for longer!

7. Only get what you need – When shopping for a computer for instance, you may find that some high-end models use a hefty 1Kw power supply. Could you get by with a less power-hungry model?

8. Reduce your broadband speed – if you could cope with your internet being a little slower, this is a great way of reducing the cost. You could even get a pay-as-you-go dongle, now available from most mobile phone networks.

9. Ditch the car – if you’re travelling a short distance, why not walk or cycle? You’ll save money on petrol, and get fitter too!

10.  Don’t be afraid to spend now to achieve long term savings – ever bought something that didn’t cost much, but ended up breaking after a few weeks? Don’t be afraid to pay more if you’ll benefit from it in the long-term!