Quick tips

Feeling the pinch? Read on for 30 practical ways to start saving money and beat the credit crunch

As the credit crunch starts to bite we all need to reduce our spending. If a little bit of belt-tightening is in order for you, read on for our essential list of money saving tips...

• Ditch your expensive card (APR 20%+) and switch to a 0% credit card with a low interest rate after the "free period" has expired using sites such as uSwitch.com. Transfer your balance and pay no interest - you'll be amazed at how much you can save
• Never shop for food when you are hungry - it can increase your spend by an average of 20%!.
• Switch your household energy supplier or suppliers using a service such as Uswitch.com - extra savings to be made if you combine your electricity and gas supplier and pay by direct debit. Many customers can save as much as £150 a year by switching
• Look at the "reduced to clear" items in your supermarket. Buy them, especially if they are freezable, and stock up for the future at a fraction of the cost. 
• Consolidate your debts into one loan - find the cheapest ones (APRs from 6%) using search sites such as Uswitch.com
• If the tyres on your car are under-inflated, they're eating up fuel and your money. Also remove your roof-rack and try not to use the air-condition in the summer
• A five-minute shower uses around a third less water than a bath, though remember a power shower can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes
• Try not to leave appliances on standby - up to 10% of the total electricity used in your home is due to appliances left on standby
• Turning the thermostat down by one degree C can cut more than 10% from the average central heating bill
• Organise your own travel insurance after you've booked your package deal or holiday break. Comparison sites will search thousands of policies and come back with the best deal. Tip: Buy an annual travel insurance policy if you're planning more than one trip abroad a year
• Sell your clutter on auction sites like eBay or eBid
• Thinking of upgrading to broadband, or is your current ISP anything but high speed? Find the best deal for you using Uswitch.com Good unlimited packages are available from as little as £8.49 a month
• Is your monthly mobile bill out of control? Compare tariffs using sites such as uSwitch.com
• Use price comparison sites like Kelkoo to compare products at different retailers. Hundreds of pounds can be saved - especially on more expensive electrical items
• If the tyres on your car are under-inflated, they're eating up fuel and your money. Also remove your roof-rack and try not to use the air-condition in the summer
• Use cashback sites when buying products and services - earn while you spend!
• There's no need to buy new books - borrow them from your local library. Remember, they can order new titles for you!
• Switch your mortgage - especially if you are on a relatively high interest deal (5%+ on a repayment mortgage). Switching bank or building society could slash your monthly repayment by hundreds of pounds. See for yourself using a comparison site
• Collect points of loyalty cards when you're shopping and swap them for money-off coupons and cut-price offers and products
• Avoid using fee-charging cash machines (ATMs). Think ahead and use cashback in supermarkets or withdraw cash from bank cash machines which must tell you if a fee is charged. It's crazy to pay as much as £1.50 to withdraw £20 cash!
• Switch your home phone supplier and save up to 90% on your calls using services such as Uswitch.com
• Shop around before renewing your motor or household insurance. Pay up front if you can - otherwise chose a monthly plan with a low annual percentage rate - some APRs can be as high as 25%!
• Take a shower - a bath can use up to five times more water. Tumble driers are big consumers of electricity - if you have a garden, dry your clothes for free!
• There's no need to fill your kettle right up if you're just having a cuppa. Semi fill it - it will boil much quicker and use a lot less energy in the process
• Make use of rain water by attaching a water butt to a downpipe. Use this free resource to water your plants in the summer
• Look out for free coupons, online vouchers, discount codes before buying products or booking trips on the internet. Try sites like Couponstar, Free in UK and VoucherCodes.com
• Are you making enough use of your gym membership? Are you watching all the sports and movie channels on your Sky TV package? Think about your monthly commitments
• When did you last check to see how competitive your mobile phone contract or pay-as-you-go deal is? See what you can save here
• Go to the cinema on Wednesdays if you've got an Orange mobile phone - 2-for-1 tickets
• Unexpected central heating and broken boiler bills can throw you right off course - shop around for insurance cover