As part of Devon County Council’s efforts to help everyone in the county weather the financial storm, we have dedicated this space to YOU. It is your chance to share your money saving tips with other people around Devon.

Below are some tips that have already been submitted and you can submit your own hint or tip here

• Instead of having a cut and blow-dry, have a wet cut, it's usually at least £5 cheaper, they still dry it off they just don't style/straighten it for you, which, if you were going to tie it up anyway isn't such a problem.
  Clare, Exeter

• Question every single price you are offered, on things you really need and threaten to go elsewhere if you don’t get a discount. Many retail companies particularly rely on customer laziness to swell profit margins.
  Chris, Exeter

• Buy lots of stamps now - they go up in April but as long as they've got Ist and 2nd on them they're still valid.
  Annie, Exeter

• Hold a swishing party and swap clothes with friends. Mums can do it for children’s clothes as well. A great fun way to spend an evening.
  Ali, Starcross

GENERAL MONEY SAVING HINTS AND TIPS
We are all having to tighten our belts in one way or another, and the best ways are the simplest - taking a long hard look at the cash coming in and the money going out and stripping down spending to the very basics. Take a tip from our grandparents and be very careful before borrowing or lending, keep track of payments, think “Do I really need this?”, consider if you can reuse something before throwing it away, make food go further and most importantly GET ADVICE.

There are numerous other places to go for inspiration on how to make your money go further.

ENERGY SAVING IN DEVON
Among the schemes Devon County Council is backing is RE4D, a project which supports the growth of the renewable energy industry in Devon. It offers help for individuals and organisations wanting to install renewable energy technology, as well as training and support for suppliers. RE4D offers free independent advice through a team of mentors and has a new capital grants scheme, funded by Devon County Council, for small businesses and communities. More information at www.regensw.co.uk

BBC DEVON
The BBC’s local website has devoted space to finding ways of economising – whether it's using energy saving lightbulbs or re-using tea bags, it has all sorts of measures to help survive the credit crunch.

www.bbc.co.uk/devon

MONEY SAVING EXPERT
Martin Lewis is the Money Saving Expert behind this father of all finance advice websites.

Go to www.moneysavingexpert.com for advice and information on everything from cutting fuel bills and sorting out credit card debt costs to haggling on the high street and finding freebies.

Martin’s mantra is “Budget like the worst has happened”, and he urges everyone to act now in case they have to cope with a cut in income.

There is also a new work and benefits forum section for anyone who has lost their job.

THIS IS MONEY
Another easy-to-use website with a clear list of topics and advice including investing, mortgages, debt, credit cards, bargains versus rip offs, pensions, tax, savings and a useful jargon buster. Go to www.thisismoney.co.uk

LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE
We throw away £420 worth of food every year. National research has shown that a third of all the food we buy ends up being thrown in the bin. . Successfully tackling the food waste issue could mean the energy equivalent of taking 1 in 5 cars off UK roads – and saving hundreds of pounds in the average household.

Devon County Council is supporting the Love Food Hate Waste Campaign and offering a free booklet full of practical advice on reducing food waste.

Telephone 0845 4502477 or go to Recycle Devon for the free booklet and more information.

ONE MAN'S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE
Freecycle is a sort of online community swap shop.It was started in May 2003 in Tucson, Arizona, to help promote waste reduction and save desert landscapes from becoming landfills. The first British site started six months later. Now the Freecycle Network is made up of 4,675 groups with 6,356,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely non-profit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for FREE in their own towns. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer and membership is free.

There are over 17,000 members around Devon, more than ten thousand of them in Exeter.

Go to www.freecycle.org and find your community by clicking on “Browse Groups”

Devon County Council's Trading Standards service advises to take care over second hand electrical items and child car seats.

FRUGAL LIVING
Frugal Living looks more closely at how we live our lives day to day with sections on food and recipes, around the house, days out, finance, making a few pounds, freebies and tips on saving.

Whether you want to reduce your debts, save for a holiday, stay at home with your children, live more simply or just beat the system a little and end up with more cash, the website has lots here to help www.frugal.org.uk

Name
Comment