When you want to cut the costs of your monthly bills, you may be unsure where to start. There are a number of ways in which you can view what you currently pay, and what you are getting for your money. When you need every penny from your income to count, paying extra for services you don’t want, need, or where you are not wholly satisfied, may seem a little redundant. This is where budgeting can help. By making a list of your current expenditure, you can figure out what you do and don’t use, and what you feel you could get a better deal on. Broadband A good broadband connection can be ... read more

Business electricity rates are different to domestic electricity rates because businesses require a much greater amount of energy overall. As a domestic customer, you would usually be charged a set rate based on your demographic. However, as a business owner, there are a number of factors to take into account. This not only includes your demographic, but how much energy you require, when you need it, and the type of business you run. Electricity rates for a coffee shop in Manchester are going to be very different when compared to those of a tech firm in Cambridge. The best way to make sure ... read more

It's fair to say that the Internet is full of deals and special offers. Opportunities to save money are all over the place, but finding out about them isn't always easy. They can pop up as fast as anything and that's where new deals comparison site Sign Up Offers aims to help. The facts are that may of the deal comparison sites make money by receiving a commission for every sale that a site they link to makes when a customer clicks through from them. This means that they obviously promote the links that make them the most money. But this isn't necessarily to the end customer's advantage. ... read more

Saving is a highly praised virtue by it is highly probable that you are selling yourself short by ignoring investing. Famed author Robert G. Allen once asked if any knew of several millionaires who got their wealth by keeping their money in a savings account. Your guess is as good as mine.   Because having to continually rummage through old jackets and the back of your sofa for some spare change at the end of each month is not fun, most people learn the virtues of savings fast. A lucky few did pay attention to their parents' warnings on the dangers of blowing every single coin that they ... read more

If you are finding that you are reaching the very limit of your bank account at the end of every month, you may need to reassess your household budget. With grocery bills ever increasing, a need to keep your home warm in winter, and the all important car maintenance to ensure that you can ferry your little darlings from A to B, it can be hard to manage your budget effectively. However, by shaving your expenditure you can find yourself with more money at the end of the month. This can go into savings or be put towards a big ticket item like a holiday, kids college fund or new motor. Take a look ... read more

One of the biggest expenses in family life can be when you have a new addition to the family. Everyone knows that having a baby comes with costs, but just how much might you need to spend? And how much of it is really necessary? It's a while back since I first wrote on here about how you can have a baby without it costing the earth, and I think that many of the tips and tricks I gave then still hold true today. This time around, my financial situation is very different to when I welcome Little Miss C into my life. This time around I don't still have everything from my first two babies, ... read more

Where would we be without our gadgets? A few years ago, it seemed bad enough – TVs in most rooms, a computer in the study, a games console and handhelds for the kids. Today, the tech has completely taken over, with smartphones, tablets, a TV with so many boxes under it, you’ve no idea what half of them do, laptops all over the house and, as if that wasn’t bad enough, Alexa, the Queen of All She Surveys, lording it over everything and everyone.  OK, so it’s not actually so bad, and 90 percent of us who moan about the technology taking over would probably complain even more loudly if it ... read more