Since the collapse of the world economy last year and the massive increase in food and petrol prices we are all looking for new ways to save money. This article was written to help those of us who are suffering to try and save some money through a few practical tips.

Find Your Basic Foods Costs
As with any project, the first thing to do is to do your research. Visit your local super market and make a note of all the basics such as bread, milk, butter etc. This will give you a base rate to work from and thereby tell you how expensive your store is in comparison from another one. I would also recommend making a note of the food and drink items you personally value. I love my whisky and pork scratchings. Having made a note of these products visit the other nearest supermarket and compare prices.

Ditch The Supermarkets
Shopping at the big stores can be expensive. Supermarkets are very convenient because you can buy everything in one location. However, whilst the large stores might be more convenient they have forced many small stores to close, thereby preventing competition.

In today’s economic climate the local corner shop is seeing a resurgence. The local butcher and grocers are seeing an increase in trade as people look for bargains further afield. Don’t expect to find lovely straight carrots or perfectly shaped bananas. Instead you will find cheap, honest food, sourced from the local area. Not only is this produce fresh but it also puts money back into the community.

Online Bargains
We all love something for free, or at least discounted. Unfortunately discounts and offers only seem to be offered on a seasonal basis in the shops, such as at Christmas. However, if you need a bargain here and now why not try online. This becomes even more relevant when you consider the cost of petrol these days.

The money comparison sites are an obvious place to visit when doing your research. These sites compare products and services across the range. Watch out however for comparison sites that in reality will cost you more than if you had gone direct to the manufacturer. For example, there are many cases where you can get cheaper insurance by going direct to the seller.

The savvy surfers can also save themselves money by checking online vouchers or discounts for their normal high street shops. Web sites regularly highlight offers that are available in their stores. This is useful to know as the spotty teenager serving you in the store is highly unlikely to be aware of any particular promotions.

Price Wars
Always keep an eye on the news for a bargain. It seems like every winter all the gas and electric companies are fighting for our money. . Go to an energy comparison site and see which energy company can beat your existing bill. Make sure your loft is correctly insulated so that you don’t spend too much money on energy.

Economies In The Fridge
When we think of being thrifty we all probably remember the older generation, especially those who had to endure the last World War. Firstly, don’t throw items out of your fridge once they have reached the “Best before date”. This will save you an absolute fortune. You only need to dispose of old food once the “Use by date” has expired as this is a health warning. Having said that, you don’t need to dispose of ambient products like tinned food or pasta until well after the “Use by date”. Just use your common sense on this one.

DIY Vegetables
Something else that can save money is to grow your own vegetables. This might not be for everyone as not all of us have gardens. Nevertheless, you can grow your own veg in pots. So no excuses! The planting season for vegetables is usually around February. This is however a good time to plan your garden for next year. You can plant some seeds as early as February. In the mean time you can prepare the ground. In the mean time you can grow herbs in doors throughout the year.

Other Options To Look Into
For those in financial difficulty one possible temporary solution to ease your debt is to look into getting a short-term loan. A second option is to do some research into a 0 balance transfer credit cards as these can be used to restructure your finances.

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Organising your holiday money
Most of us plan our holidays meticulously in terms of where we go on holiday, what we pack, and where we stay. Why is it therefore that before we go on holiday we just don’t bother to take the time to get a good deal on foreign exchange despite the money it could save us.
This article gives top tips to how you can make your money stretch further whilst abroad.

Why take cash on holiday?
Cash has its advantages and disadvantages. An obvious draw back of cash is that if you lose it, its gone, and that is that. The reality is that we all need to take at least some cash with us before we go so that we can pay for food or taxis when we arrive

If you are thinking of getting foreign exchange you don’t need to worry about the bureaux de change commission but you do need to keep an eye on the exchange rate. You also need to do your research before you go. Don’t just go to your own bank and don’t get your foreign exchange from the airport - both probably don’t do the best deal.

As the exchange rates vary you must do your research. To find the best exchange rates you need to go online. If you use a comparison site make sure you compare the charges when you look at the exchange rates.

Pro’s and Con’s Of Travellers chaques
If you are going to the back and beyond travellers cheques are probably not a very good choice. Taking cash or a credit card gives you a greater deal of flexibility as you don’t need to go to a bank. American dollar traveller’s cheques are probably the only exception as they are a widely accepted form of cash payment in the US.

Pre-paid debit cards
A prepaid debit card is a useful option when going overseas. It is a card that is already pre-loaded with currency prior to your departure so you just spend and withdraw as you go.

The benefits of the prepaid credit card are that you can get one what ever your credit rating and they are far more secure. If you lose a card the issuer merely cancels it and sends you a new one.

Debit cards
Debit cards are what most of us would usually take on holiday. Most of us have one, little thought and planning needs to take place, and your bill arrives in your bank statement the following month with all the rest of your purchases.

Unfortunately the average debit card rate is about 2.75 to 2.99% which makes this option not the cheapest method of getting foreign exchange. In the UK withdrawing money is free but when you are abroad this will cost you up to 3%.

Using credit cards overseas
Just as debit cards, most credit cards will charge you about 3% but there are some exceptions. Certain cards will not charge you any fees on foreign transactions. Some will not even charge you for foreign transactions.

All the above assumes that you payoff your balance at the end of the month so that the interest charges don’t cancel out the gains made on the foreign exchange rates.

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