10 Ways to beat the credit crunch!

This weeks blog will look into saving as much money as possible in these times that we now know as 'The Credit Crunch'.

NO. 10 - Eat Less!!

Sounds pretty obvious when you think about it, but do your weekly or monthly shop, and live with it. How many people do their regular shop, but still go to the local store on a regular basis? - True, it might only be the 'odd couple of quid', or even pence, but at the end of the day, it adds up what you spend.

NO. 9 - Don't shop at the 'better' branded supermarkets.

Do you go to Tesco / Asda / Morrisons for your weekly or monthly shop? - If the answer to this is 'yes', then don't! There seems to be astigmatism attached to people who shop at the 'cheaper branded' supermarkets, but the bottom line is that you will save money going to them instead of the 'big' ones. You don't even have to necessarily buy the 'store branded' goods if you don't want to (not that there's much difference to the 'big branded ones'), as the 'cheaper' branded shops still sell all your 'well-known' products - the only difference being they are mostly cheaper than the 'big named' stores.

NO.8 - Do you drive? - If so, get more for your money.

First things first, only fill up your car in the morning, before the midday sun has had chance to shine. A little known fact is that petrol in petrol pumps actually expand with heat, so when you get your 20 litres, your probably only getting about 19.5 - not a lot you might think, but it definitely adds up! Also, when your driving, do a lot more 'coasting' or 'free wheeling' - i.e don't use your accelerator as much.

NO.7 - Ever considered getting rid of your Pay Monthly mobile phone contract?

Do you have a pay monthly phone contact offering you 'free minutes' and 'free texts'? If so, and if you have had it for some time, consider how much you actually use your 'free' allowances. On a lot of operators bills, it normally tells you how many 'free' minutes and texts you have used - look at this, and see if it is actually worth your while. Most people will actually notice they don't use these full allowances. If this is you, phone your operator, and tell them. If they don't offer to reduce your bill / monthly rate, tell them you are leaving - you will find that in 99% of cases, you will end up with a cheaper monthly tariff which actually suites you!

NO.6 - Family / Friend birthday coming up? - Spend less!

It may sound like your being a scrooge, but set a limit to what you spend on family / friends for birthdays and other events. The vast majority have a figure in mind (£20) for example, then go out, and spend that £20 on a present. They then realise they have to get a card, some wrapping paper and even make their way to see their friend - more than likely costing at lease another fiver - take this into consideration, and buy a preset for £15 instead of the original £20 - thus meaning the total cost is £20 - not £20 + the 'little things'!

NO.5 - Change your energy supplier - it's free!

Much has always been said about this as a way to save money, but the surprising thing is, a lot of people still want to be 'loyal' to their energy provider. The thing to think is - would they all be loyal to you? - no - that's why they put their prices up whenever they can - regardless of the hundreds of millions of pound profits they have just recorded. You could seriously knock money off your energy bills by switching, so visit one of the popular websites to find out how. Failing that, you want to at least investigate the possibility of 'fixing' your bill for the next couple of years - if one things for certain, they will go up!

NO.4 - Got a Credit Card you've had for ages? - Change it to a 0% interest one.

Simply Google '0% credit card' - you will find tons of offers from credit card companies who want you to switch to them. Basically in doing this, you are paying off the amount you actually owe - not the amount you owe + interest. You win on two fronts - 1, you don't get charged interest, and 2, you pay off your credit card earlier!

NO.3 - EBay is your friend!

How much 'stuff' do you have that you could live without? - Most of us have a cupboard full of things somewhere in the house, cluttering it up! - Put it on EBay - no matter how worthless you think it is, people will pay money for this stuff! How many CD's or Video's do you have in your collection? - do you listen or watch them anymore? If the answer is no, then get rid on EBay!

NO.2 - Switch your electricals of at the mains - don't use Standby!

Millions of people are guilty leaving things in standby mode over night which is plugged into the mains. The only thing you really need power to 24 hours a day is your fridge! - everything else potentially can be unplugged / switched off at the mains until you actually use it - this will save you money on an annual basis. Things such as TVs and phone chargers always seem to be plugged in, and costing you money - don't do it, unplug from the mains until you actually need to use them!

NO.1 - Do you really get paid enough for your job?

For obvious reasons, we are sometimes afraid to ask for a pay rise at work - not only does it look like you are a 'money grabber', but it can also seem as though you are more dedicated to your salary than your duties. The way to approach this is to 'compare' your role with other organisations in a similar field to that of yours. If you can see there is a difference in pay, you should increase your workload slightly and go that 'extra mile' when at work. After a few weeks of consistent improvement, show your boss what people in other companies get paid for the same job, when doing this, don't demand a pay rise, simply ask the question how come you are not on the same pay as them. In most cases, your boss will realise that you are worth more for you role, and hopefully, your pay will increase. If not, you might consider 'pastures new', and start applying for jobs that will earn you more money!

Hopefully, this will hep you beat the 'crunch', but if anyone else has any more ideas, please feel free to add comments on how to do so.