Best Savings Rates Available In The UK

March 15, 2010 by Ben Janke  
Filed under General Finances

Would you know what a amazing rate would constitute? Make sure you stay on top of the savings world to ensure you find the best savings rates.

The best savings rates you can get personally may depend on the amount you able to invest and how long you can not withdraw the money for for however. Always have the figure ready before you compare rates because this will help you through the process so you can search for the best savings rates for that amount.

You will also find the best savings rates will vary almost constantly. Fresh savings products will get introduced and the accounts will only be open to the public for a certain length of time. This proves that you need to research the savings financial world to ensure you find the best savings accounts for your capital and not get stuck with one that was just the best at the time and savings rates go up the month after.

Most of the time you will see that better savings interest rates will have restrcitions on the account For example you might not be able to access the account for a certain amount of time without receiving a penalty. Another restrction would be that you are only allowed to withdraw from the account a couple of times a year this may seem better but be careful because each withdrawal may mean a reduction in your savings interest rate.

Different accounts offer different condition but to find the best savings rates in this country it is best to look for website that compare accounts for you to ensure you find the best savings rates. To ensure you stick with the best savings rates available in the UK be prepared to switch accounts the moment you find a better deal.

In short, most people can probably get better interest rates on their savings than they currently have. You just have to be prepared to look for the best savings rates and do something about it.

Set Up a Rainy Day Fund

February 28, 2010 by Ben Janke  
Filed under General Finances

A Savings Need

Saving money in anticipation of life’s difficulties is as old as the concept of money itself. People have been hoarding money since the its inception. It is now required to save money. It is a major requirement of life to have enough cash to handle the tough times. Indulging in the luxuries of life has now forced many people to selling off their possessions in order to have shelter and food. Setting up some kind of savings for the tough times is a good idea when the money is flowing.

Come up with a strategy

The economic downturn was not anticipated, as it was a result of many miscalculations. Pay cuts and people laid off from work are just two of the many events in the recession aftermath. When people planned for such a day, they were able to use their savings rather than look elsewhere for money. While looking for a job, they were able to live off their savings. Those who spent money instead of saving it were not as fortunate. They went into debt because they had no savings to rely on. Just to clear off those debts, they took on more debts. Setting up a savings account would have been a good idea, but they did not plan to take advantage of these opportunities. In an emergency, if you do not have enough money stashed away, you may find yourself in need of a loan.

Current Financial Facts of Life

With people facing wage cuts and unemployment, money is not flowing as fast as expected. Saving for retirement must include extra money put away to allow for a longer life span. With the cost of living on the rise, you must factor this in your retirement savings. As prices of essential supplies and other bills go up, so does the burden for those with reduced or nonexistent incomes. Recovery hopes are strong, even though reports do not indicate that it will happen soon. These are current facts that you need to keep in mind while you start planning well ahead of time.

Use your expenses to save

Savings do not have to take up your entire earnings. If you write down what you spend money on, you may be able to start making adjustments in your budget, and will be able to start saving money. Keep adding even small amounts of savings, and soon you will see your nest egg be as large as you want it to be. Reign in your spending or you will regret this should your situation change. You may feel deprived at first, but eventually you will be glad you saved your money when times are tough.

Save for Retirement

After you retire, how are you planning to live a comfortable life? During your retirement years, if you have saved your entire life, you will have a comfortable life. During retirement, you will be able to buy things that you couldn’t do while saving for retirement. Lack of money will not stress you out over even the worst situation if you have saved your money. Today is the time to start saving if you want a brighter future.

Eighteen Ways to Save Money in a Down Economy

August 9, 2009 by Ben Janke  
Filed under General Finances

Economic downturns are never much fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although none of us can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of sparing your wallet in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving techniques tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do part of our shopping online now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Web. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at retailers across the Net.

 

2. Use price-comparison websites such as Shopping.com, Pricegrabber.com, mySimon.com, and Google Product Search to find the best online deals.

 

3. When you’re at a brick-and-mortar store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the product you’re looking at. Google will reply with a text quoting its online prices. To compare prices at local stores, go to ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s and buying things in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizable family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is often in the marketing hype and not the products, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be located on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-sourced food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce and meat. Prices are often lower there since the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a hard time finding one nearby since they’ve been popping up all over the place recently.

 

9. Buy discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying less than half as much for the generic medications available at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medicines at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your vehicle is seven or more years old and/or worth $2,500 or less, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be closing in on the value of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Today’s kids love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messaging.

 

12. Use online classifieds to find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are excellent resources for finding everything you need, from used furniture to baby gear. By buying from locals, you can save on shipping costs too.

 

13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are often more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the energy consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, have a romantic picnic instead of going to a high-end restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a low-cost rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of wine.

 

16. Instead of spending money on software, look for (legal) free software from websites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of program, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the paid versions.

 

17. If anyone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and it will get the holder 10% to 15% off in dozens of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will save energy when you’re asleep and out of the house. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll reduce your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

The Top 19 Ways to Save Money in a Weak Economy

August 9, 2009 by Ben Janke  
Filed under General Finances

Economic downturns aren’t ever much fun, but as Adam Smith noted centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though no one can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of sparing your wallet in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving ideas tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do part of our shopping on the Internet now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting on the Web. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at merchants all across the Web.

 

2. Use price-comparison websites such as Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, Google Product Search, and mySimon.com to find the best deals online.

 

3. When you’re at a brick-and-mortar store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s text number) and enter the letter “f” followed by the name of the item you’re looking at. Google will reply with a message quoting its online prices. To compare prices at local stores, go to ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s and buying things in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizeable family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing ballyhoo and not the product itself, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your green from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be found on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-sourced food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce and meat. Prices are often lower there since the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a difficult time finding one nearby since they’ve been turning up all over the place recently.

 

9. Buy discount prescription drugs at online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying well under half as much for the generic medications stocked by these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medications at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your vehicle is seven or more years old and/or worth $2,500 or less, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be approaching the worth of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk yard and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Today’s kids love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messages.

 

12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are excellent resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs as well.

 

13. Go to matinees. The matinee showing is frequently more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the energy consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, plan a romantic picnic instead of going to an expensive restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a cheap rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of vino.

 

16. Instead of spending money on software, look for (legal) free software from places like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of software, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the commercial versions.

 

17. If someone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and will get the holder 10% to 15% discounts in scores of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will reduce energy usage when you’re asleep and out of the house. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll lower your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. More economical options may include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby park and recreation center.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.