How to save money

It's so easy to over-spend these days. You see something in a shop maybe that you cannot afford yet a little voice just niggles inside, 'Well, I COULD treat myself just this once'. Sound like you? Well, you're not alone! Millions of people in the U.K overspend and simply do not know how to budget their money properly.

Here are some starting TIPS on how to manage your money to last you until the next pay-day.

Draw up a budget plan

Might sound daft, but trying doing it this way. Open an Excel document (or buy a cheap notepad for you technology dinosaurs), and start making a list. Firstly, list any income you get a month, be it your wage, or benefits, or some other type of income. Next list your essential expenditure (your NECESSARY outgoings a month), i.e. mortgage/rent, bills like gas/electricity/water/telephone and food and travel (petrol, bus/train fare). Then list your other outgoings that aren't completely necessary to survive i.e. Film rentals, magazine subscriptions, website subscriptions, expensive mobile phone contracts. Alright, you can't do anything to change your mobile contract if you're on a yearly but you CAN cut down on things that are not completely necessary, like film rentals.

What's Your Income? What's Your Expenditure?

Next bit is to add up all your expenditure and take it away from your income. What have you got left? Can you now think about stopping these unimportant outgoings? If you can cross something off the list and compromise, then well done. Next job is to divide the amount of money you have left over a month into 4. Because this is how much you're going to let yourself spend a week. If you're still struggling with what you have left over then you need to compromise further, be it spend less on food (go to a less expensive supermarket and cut back on the takeaways and bottles of wine!), or spend less on the phone (certain phone companies like Talk Talk do deals where it's free to talk after 6.pm and at weekends).

I Find It Hard To Find Good Deals

Look no further! This is why we are here to help. The Money Express has been set up especially for people such as yourself. What we have done, is searched the web to find the BEST deals for you. Things like, comparing credit cards, comparing loans, comparing mortgages, comparing utility bills, comparing bank accounts, comparing travel insurance, comparing home insurance, comparing car insurance, comparing pet insurance, comparing van insurance to name but a few. Our mantra simply is; why pay more when you can pay less? It's really as simple as that.

Come and visit our site; www.themoneyexpress.co.uk/money

You won't be disappointed. There is also an online forum and chat room where you can talk to people in the same boat as you! :D

I'm Still Struggling :(

STILL struggling? Now's the time to think seriously then. If you're living on a tight budget and cannot afford to do ANYTHING or eat nice foods or go out with friends then you're going to be miserable. Life is supposed to be enjoyable, not feeling down because you have no cash. You need to think about if you can change this. Is it time to ask for a promotion? Start looking around at new jobs with a higher wage closer to home? (To cut back on fuel and travel costs). Or maybe a second job? At a pub/cafe? Or can you be an entrepreneur and think about starting your own business working from home? This takes time however and in the meantime DO NOT give up your day job. Are you living alone? Maybe time to think about moving your partner in, or a friend/lodger? Is your rent too high? Time to move out? Mortgage too costly? Time to downsize? Are you in debt? TIME TO GET HELP!