Money Saving Tips for the hard times

There are plenty of money saving tips and ideas out there; from
the coupon code to websites that give you the best deals through
price comparison. The major problem with many of these types of
websites is that they are interested in their commissions so, by
urging you to buy online, you may not be getting the best deals
available.

I know that, for many of us, ecommerce (online shopping) is the
ultimate way to easily shop for what you want - no walking to 10
different stores to find the best deal on you LCD TV; simply
point, click and pay. But what are we missing out on? Next time
you are in town stop for a minute and look around. How many
small, independent stores can you see? I guarantee that plenty
of them have prices that are equal to and, in many cases,
cheaper than the big high street names. Even if you're looking
for large items such as kitchen appliances, you may be able to
get a reduction on delivery charges if you haggle.

Here's 5 practical money saving tips; some still require you to
spend money, others will not.

1. Home utilities - how much are you paying for gas and
electricity? Can you find another energy supplier that will give
you the same for less? This is relatively easy to answer. There
are plenty of price comparison websites that will list all of
the pro's and con's of listed utilities companies so all you
have to do is select the one that gives you the best deal. Tip:
with any energy money saving tips; always go to each suppliers
website and check that there are no nasty surprises that may not
be listed on the comparison site you use.

2. Save money on credit cards - free and easy credit. It's our
Achilles heel. Got a large debt to pay off and being hit for
high APR? Switch you card to a 0% interest credit card. There
are plenty of offers around so make you sure you pick the one
that's best for you.

3. Give up those brand name purchases - let's face it, we pay a
premium for buying a brand name. A simple way to save money is
to pick a 'stores own brand' product. If you're not sure of the
quality, ask someone who knows and has used the product. Don't
be ashamed to ask - even mulit-millionaires are counting their
pennies now so why shouldn't you?

4. Eat at home - do you really need to go out for a meal on a
regular basis? Add up the cost of eating at your favourite
restaurant and then compare the cost to the price of buying the
ingredients for home preparation. Now, unless you eat at a
really cheap, fast food chain you will likely see a significant
price difference between eating out and home cooking.

5. Save money on your mortgage - the repayment costs of
mortgages are now slowly falling so now is the time to take
advantage of new offers. If you have money left in the bank at
the end of each month why not grab one of the deals that lets
you pay it off early; like the One Account?