Ten Ways to save money-

1- Plan your week, you can alter your plan as you go along but have a plan as to how much you are willing or able to spend.

2- Set a daily budget. This may seem obvious but the only way you can save money is to limit what you spend today. We can all keep track of a daily budget but weekly budgets can get out of hand if we don't 'pay' attention to them!

3- Don't use store cards. Most store cards don't give great discounts anyway and are only designed to keep you buying their products. In fact they will lure you to buy even more because your buying habits enable the big retailers to bombard you with offers via email which will make you spend more if you are not careful.

4- Don't use credit cards. Interest paid on you purchases often means that if you don't get your balance on the card reduced quickly you could be paying for your item 2 or 3 times over before you clear your credit card balance. If you have a card, transfer your balances to a 0% interest card and get it paid off pronto.

5- Use independent retailers. You may think that this is counter intuitive but I have found that you pay over the odds for a coffee in say a 'Costa' or a 'Starbucks'. In fact many people spend 10% of their wage in coffee shops. However over the road you can get an identical coffee for a lot cheaper with often a more comfortable relaxing atmosphere. Big chains are always busy and you can spend your lunch hour just queuing for your coffee!! Save money and time and go to an independent.

6- Shop near to your home. If you have a local shop it will often be cheaper to pay a little more for your goods because you will save fuel costs just getting to the big stores. If you do go to the big stores then go once a month with a list of what you need for the next four weeks. Less trips to the store will save on travel costs and time and stop you being tempted by offers for things you don't need.

7- Buy online. Postage costs are nothing compared to personal travel costs. Don't get hooked though. Only buy online for things you really need. If you have an I phone then get the price comparison application to get the best deals.

8- Have personal goals. If you have nothing to save for chances are you will spend your wage quickly. In order to save you need rewards. Your reward could be saving for a holiday or a house or a laptop or whatever you want. If you have a goal you will find it easier to pass on the next round of drinks and enjoy the present without harming your future. Live for today plan for tomorrow. Easier said than done but we must all try and follow it to some extent.

9- Go out less and find a hobby that you can spend time on. We often spend because we don't think there is anything else to do. Try and find ways to keep yourself busy and you will spend less.

10- Above all be realistic. Saving money is not easy for most of us, almost impossible for some of us but with a just a bit of effort you can save considerably. Don't lose heart, just keep trying and don't get to worked up if you find it hard to do at first.