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Saving money may sound extremely hard, but in actual fact it isn't, it is amazingly simple. It is overrated because one thinks that one should invest in a huge amount weekly or monthly which they do not have in order to make a difference. However, this is not true; saving a little each week can result in a tremendous lump after a while. Here are tips to help you save money in even this tough economy when you do not even realise that you are spending it:

1. Heating, Gas and Electricity Bills
In winter, the bills you receive for gas and electricity increase because of the demand for it, in summer they deplete because there is no need for heating or lighting until after dark hours. On comparison sites it is easy to find out what is the best deal in your local area; thus you may be able to save quite a bit by switching to an energy efficient provider. On the other hand you may be getting the best deal possible or a great service, in which you'd need other tips;
- In the winter wear an extra layer of clothing around the house and turn the heating down by 3-4 degrees.
- Open your curtains to let light filter through instead of using a light bulb or lamp, only close them when there is no sunlight outside.
- Turn off the light when you leave a room.
- Switch of appliance via the switch instead of leaving it on standby.
- Insulate your loft and walls.
- Use energy efficient light bulbs, they will last much longer than the regular ones and can be 60% cheaper to run.

2. Grocery shopping
Around 10% of what we buy at the local supermarket are impulse buys. You see an offer and you go for it for no apparent reason, as a consequence you end up spending more than you really have to. In order to demolish all impulse buys, these may help you:
- Writing a grocery list and stick to it
- Setting a budget that you are allowed to spend
- When buying items such as tissue paper, search around for multiple buys and offers, even better buy in bulk so you'll save more in the long run.

3. Insurance
Being loyal to one company is what insurance companies love, but what are they really offering you for being loyal? It could be absolutely nothing. Start comparing the insurance that you are paying online to other insurers who may be able to offer you great prices with great insurance policies. Or you can call your insurer and ask them for discounts. You could also tell them that you are paying a fixed rate each year and that you may as well look around if they cannot offer you anything cheaper.

4. Monthly Bills
Everyone has a lot of monthly bills which are on contract and some which are not. However we just may have too many bills to keep up with per month. In your household you may have:
- Mobile phone contracts
- Internet
- Landline
- TV Satellite
Do you really need three contract phones in the household or can you find offers for the whole family that are suitable and offer great prices? Bundles that offer phone, internet, landline and TV packages work out to be cheaper overall. Also paying off all your bills immediately means you will not be getting an overdue fee. Companies like Vonage require the internet, but if you already have internet connection, you may as well get a VOIP service; they are much cheaper than landlines and offer you free rates to foreign countries.

5. Debt or Mortgage

It definitely will be harder to save money with debts and mortgage, so try paying them off as soon as possible so you can be free of debt or mortgage payments. The longer you leave of paying debt the more difficult it will become to pay it. Prioritise these payments in your home so you will be able to pay them off as quickly while getting the least amount of interest accumulating as possible.

Learn more about this author, Manal S Ali.
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