COMMENT
Five Great Money-Saving Tips!

By Alison Hunt (TMFAlly)
December 21, 2005

If your wallet is feeling decidedly lighter these days after recent shopping trips (I know mine is!), you're bound to be considering going on a major economy drive, come January. After all, there's nothing worse than starting a New Year in debt, especially when we're bombarded with statistics concerning the number of people still paying off bills from last year's Christmas!

Interestingly, many of us are becoming more organised regarding our finances around the festive season, choosing to spend less in order to be able to take advantage of the January sales. After all, if you have a large item or two to buy for the family, why insist on paying full price in order to have it on Christmas day when you know you'll potentially save a fortune by waiting for just a few days?

Regardless of your attitude there's one thing that everyone appreciates, and that's some good money saving tips. So if you fancy saving a few quid, try these:

1. Shopping

Firstly, the best way to save money is to not even think about shopping until you know exactly what you want. Then stick to it. You can save a fortune by making yourself sleep on the idea of a purchase -- and remember, a bargain item that you don't need is a waste of money.

If you intend to purchase items from High Street retailers online, check out SendMeDiscounts.co.uk. By signing up (it's free) you'll be entitled to enter its member's area where you can find a number of discount vouchers and codes including saving £5 when you spend £50 at John Lewis, £20 off your first order over £250 with Currys and £20 off at Laithwaites.

Always make sure you shop around before making a purchase -- try Kelkoo or Pricerunner to quickly compare prices and if you'd prefer to buy from a particular retailer, ask them if they'll do a price match. And don't forget to barter; if you're paying cash ask if they can knock a little off the price.

And why not take advantage of CDWow's current voucher giveaway -- simply enter your email address and you'll be sent a code for a value between 25p and £8.75 to be used against your next purchase -- you could get a chart CD for free.

2. Save money on fuel

If petrol/diesel costs make up a large chunk of your expenses each month, even a tiny saving each time you fill up will add up to a lot over a year. Check out how to slash your petrol costs and register with petrolprices.com to find the cheapest fuel in your area.

3. Cheaper days out

If you have a gaggle of kids to entertain or visitors that need to be taken out, there are many ways to do so cheaply. For a start, check out DaysOutUK for bargain deals at hotels, restaurants and of course, days out -- simply search for offers in your region. And remember, clever use of loyalty card vouchers can provide free tickets to a number of attractions including Alton Towers and Cadbury World.

If you're planning a trip to London there is plenty to do for nothing -- the Natural History museum, Victoria and Albert and Tate Modern gallery are just a few of the attractions that can be experienced for free. And you can find a wealth of information and ideas of things to see by checking out the free LondonTourist guide - it will even give you an example itinerary of things to do over a day, or weekend.

4. Save money on books

If you're a bookworm, remember you don't have to buy every book you read. Swap books regularly with friends and you can save a fortune. Alternatively, join your local library -- you'll have access to thousands for free and you can even renew online these days (as well as hire CDs and DVDs for very little).

5. Make some money!

Finally, why not try making money instead? Most of us can look around our homes and see a wealth of clutter that serves no real purpose. If it's in excellent condition and you simply don't use it, why not sell it? Books can be sold at the Amazon Marketplace and practically anything can be advertised on eBay for a small charge. Alternatively, if you're an early bird consider having a car boot sale -- you can offload a carload of stuff in just a few hours.

Of course it takes a bit of effort and if the prospect of a clutter free house isn't enough, consider putting the money you make towards something you'd really like, such as a holiday or new camera.

So there you have it, a few money saving tips to get you started. We are often informed of fantastic tips by Foolish readers, which have prompted us to set up the brand new Money Saving Tips board. If you have any ideas that you'd like to share, why not post them?