Top Money-Saving Tips, A helping hand from Halifax

When money is tight, its hard to justify saving for that proverbial 'rainy day.' Yet, many UK consumers, even those on modest incomes, could be missing a trick. By adopting some simple money saving tips it's surprising how quickly you can build up a little nest egg.

Budget clever

As the saying goes...from small acorns grow big trees, and when it comes to looking after the pennies, it's surprisingly not necessarily the big, luxury items we forego that can save the most cash over time. Look to your everyday spending habits and you'll be stunned to discover that even the most minor adjustments can keep wads of cash in your pocket. Here are just a few money saving tips to get you started.

• Feast daze: Did you know that giving up your daily take-away cappuccino - which costs on average £2.60 a pop - could save you a whopping £874 per year? The same applies to packed lunches; many workers spend around £5 on sandwich bar fare every day - you do the maths!
  
  
• One good turn...The same rules apply to the exchange of skills. Pool the talent resources of your friends and family network to bring bartering into the Noughties. If you're an IT whizz why not offer to design a website for a friend who, in turn, could paint and decorate your home? And don't forget to share your own saving tips!
  
  
• Savvy switching: Take a careful look at your standing orders for utilities from your mobile phone to gas and electricity to car insurance and home contents insurance bills. Make good use of price comparison websites to shop around for the best deals. And remember; many providers do not have a policy of informing existing customers of new deals but will swiftly oblige in order to keep your custom. Ring them direct and ask them what they can offer you.

Smart planning

Set yourself a realistic savings target factoring in all your essential living expenses. Then make a monthly budget plan and stick to it.

Read up: The Internet is awash with excellent savings advice and financial guides to help you ride out the recession with money to spare.

• Do your sums: Figure out how much you can save every month and how much your money can earn based on the amount you save with the handy Halifax Savings Calculator.
  
  
• A helping hand: Halifax offers a Saving and Investing Review Service to assess your accounts and discuss the right balance to meet your financial requirements. You can book an appointment at any Halifax branch to talk through your needs with a savings expert and compare savings accounts with the latest rates available.

Have a look at what's on offer from Halifax - its comprehensive range of online savings accounts offer you the flexibility to manage your money whenever you need to, which will make keeping track of your finances so much easier.

Halifax offers a complete range of bank account and personal investment products. Whatever you're looking for: from high interest savings accounts to personal loans, a mortgage or a credit card at Halifax we aim to give you a little extra. We even offer help with your home insurance and travel insurance too.