10 effortless ways to save money on the sly!

Quoted from Emma-Lou Montgomer, contributor, MSN Money

If you've noticed in the past how quickly your hard-earned cash slips through your fingers, then get set for it to get even worse. With inflation making the cost of almost everything much, much more expensive, it's essential you do everything you can to hold on to your pennies.

But if, like so many of us, you find saving a drag then don't despair. Here are 10 failsafe ways to save without having to make any effort at all. In fact, none of them require you to change your lifestyle at all. Sounds too good to be true? It's not. And it's simple too:

1. Make money as quickly as you spend it

If you do use a credit card, get yourself one that gives you cash or vouchers back on everything you spend. If you do the weekly shop on your credit card, as long as you clear the balance in full at the end of the month, you can make some money back from your spending.

The John Lewis MasterCard is one of the best, giving you vouchers to spend at John Lewis and Waitrose. You earn one point for every £1 you spend at John Lewis, Waitrose or Ocado and one point for every £2 you spend everywhere else. Then every 500 points you earn is worth £5, which they'll convert into vouchers. The card has just been voted best credit card provider at the second annual Which? awards.

2. Become an automatic saver

Set up a regular monthly standing order. You won't notice the money going out, but you will notice how quickly, easily and effortlessly it grows into a nice little nest-egg.

To kick-start the savings habit Lloyds TSB has introduced a scheme called Save the Change. Once registered, every time you use your Lloyds TSB Visa debit card the bank will round up the amount you spent to the nearest pound and transfer the difference into your Lloyds TSB savings account. Sainsbury's offers a similar scheme that lets its customers top up their savings at the checkout. Although, with the soaring price of food leaving most of us feeling less than flush once we've forked out for our weekly shop, it will take a firm constitution to shell out even more. But it's a good idea if you can do it.

3. Keep your outgoings the same when your circumstances change

If you have a regular outgoing - such as a loan or credit card repayment or a subscription or gym membership - that comes to an end, keep going with the monthly outgoing. Only this time set up a standing order to siphon it off into a high-interest savings account for your benefit. You'll soon see the money add up and you won't miss it as you're already used to the monthly outgoing.

Warning: don't do this if you have other outstanding debts. You need to clear these first. There's no point earning 6% at the bank on savings if you're paying 18% on debts.

4. Get a piggy bank

Every night, or at least once a week, empty your purse or wallet of your small change and stick it in a piggy bank. Once it's full, bank it. Simple, old-fashioned - but remarkably effective.

5. Learn to wait

Wait before making expensive and non-essential purchases. There are two methods - you can either wait 30 days (yes, mark them off on the calendar) or wait one day for each £10 of the total cost for purchases under £100, or one day for every £50 for purchases that run into thousands. Your self-imposed "cooling off" period will enable you to make a less rash decision and chances are you could find the item cheaper elsewhere in the meantime, or, if you're even luckier, find that it's been reduced in the past 30 days. Then put the difference into your savings account.

6. Become a haggler

No matter what you're buying (OK, not your weekly supermarket shop, but bigger ticket items) ask for some money off.

But don't then fritter the money you saved away, put it into a savings account. Then you have a double incentive to haggle - to keep your spending down and boost your savings at the same time.

7. Change your timing

When buying airline tickets, train and coach trips, holidays, hotel breaks or even meals out, go "off peak" and you'll save money.

The more flexible you can be the better. After you've made a saving, pat yourself on the back and put that money aside for a rainy day.

8. Get your scissors out

It might seem like something your granny would do, but collecting money off coupons is regaining in popularity.

The coupons you often get in magazines and on promotional packs of food can slash a few quid off your shopping bill. Often you don't need to buy the product to get the money off. As long as the supermarket stocks the product you should be able to claim it off your bill at the checkout. And while we may only be talking 30p here and 45p there, why not take it? After all, every little helps, as one of the supermarket giants likes to tell us.

9. Be "loyal" to everyone

Sign up for the loyalty card scheme with every retailer you shop at and then make sure you flash that piece of plastic when you shop.

They might say loyalty doesn't pay in the financial services industry, and that is true 90% of the time, but when it comes to shopping it can save you money. One of the best is the Boots Advantage card, it costs nothing to get hold of, but you get four points for every £1 you spend and these points equate to 1p off your shopping.

Savings add up faster if you take advantage of double and triple points promotions.

10. Don't fill-up on a Friday

It's a little-known fact that petrol retailers add a penny or two to the price of petrol and diesel on Fridays, when it's busiest at the pumps with everyone filling up for the weekend. And with prices already at an all-time high, you don't want to pay a penny more than you need to.

Stay one step ahead and buy your fuel the day before. You can also keep tabs on who's the cheapest at petrolprices.com.

Notes …

* This newsletter has been prepared with all possible care to ensure its accuracy. It is based on our current understanding of legislation and HMRC practice. 
* Neither Aisa Direct Ltd nor any of its employees can accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. You should seek further professional advice prior to action.