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Beat the Credit Crunch – Tips for saving money

send us your favourite tips

· If you are still with your original energy supplier, now is the time to see if you could get a cheaper deal by switching your supplier.

· You could save around £5 per quarter by paying by direct debit and buying gas and electricity from the same source

· Changing your lighting to low-energy bulbs could save up to £6 per year per bulb

· According to the Energy Saving Trust (http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/) if you live in a semi-detached house you can save up to £150 by fitting a new boiler

· Turning your central heating thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bill by 10%

· Only boil as much water as you need, but make sure you cover the element in your kettle

· You can find help from the Consumer Council for Water (http://www.ccwater.org.uk/) to work out whether you would benefit from a water meter. It is estimated that doing so reduces the average person’s water use by about 20% and could save you money

· If you think that your house is in the wrong council tax band, you can apply to have it re-assessed. Only one in twenty appeals are successful, and you could have your band increased.

· Consider a pay-as-you-go phone tariff if you do not make two hours worth of calls per month

·  Combine your broadband Internet provider and telephone call charges if this will give you a cheaper package

· Don’t assume that last year’s best buy insurance will still be the cheapest when you renew – shop around

· If you are over 60 use your free bus pass to get around – saves fuel and parking charges

· If you have reached 60 consider a network railcard. For an initial outlay of £24 you will get a third off most rail fares. If you make regular journeys check the cost of a season ticket

· The Waste & Resources Action Program (WRAP) estimates that  we throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food each year – a third of what we buy

· Love food – hate waste. See how you can save money on your shopping bill at http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

· Make a shopping list and stick to it – no impulse buys

· Shop at a cheaper store – Aldi and Lidl beat the the big four supermarkets in terms of customer satisfaction according to a Which? survey in February 2008 and saved money when they compared the cost of a typical basket of weekly grocery items

· Spend less on non-essential items e.g. magazines, DVDs, CDs, clothes and entertainment

Commit to saving a regular amount with the

Manchester Unity Credit union.

You will then have something for a rainy day

Please note the Manchester Unity Credit Union Limited takes no

responsibility for the information provided in external web sites