Use Save Energy and the Energy Saving Trust to find out how much fuel you are wasting every day. They have vast selection of energy savings tips.

Reasons NOT to use their site:
Some tips require you to spend money to save money, where as others demand a very strict change in habbits.

Reasons why you should use the site anyway:
Good sources for energy saving tips that ultimately will save you money.

In the long term, changing habbits is the ONE thing that will solve your financial problems. This could be an easy introduction to change if for instance all you tell yourself to do is use the TV off button every evening.

Now take action:
Visit  Save Energy and the Energy Saving Trust and pick one single energy savings tip that you think you can do. Just keep it simple. If you try too much it’s easy to loose focus. The Best Trick we found is to just tell yourself to try if for a little while. Your goal is to develop the habbit of thinking about saving energy. What you start with is irrelevant.

Do This NOW:

Here is a recent financial advice report for people lucky enough to have savings:

Cash ISAs

Cash ISAs are a good place to invest as your
money earns interest without being taxed.
You can put away up to £3,600 a year and
you will generally earn interest upwards of
6% depending on which ISA you choose.
However, interest rates on instant-access
ISAs are variable and many change in
accordance with the Bank of England’s.
You can choose a fixed-rate ISA, which
guarantees a specific rate provided you do
not withdraw funds for an agreed term
(typically 1 to 5 years). The best thing to do
is shop around and choose an ISA that can
earn you the best interest rate while suiting
your needs.

Savings accounts

Another place to keep your money is in a
savings account. Although, interest earned
on this money will be taxed, competitive
interest rates are on offer as banks compete
to get hold of your money in the current
financial climate. The different types of
savings accounts are:-

Instant access: With this type of account you
can access your money on demand without
incurring a penalty. Make sure you read the
small print as some so-called ‘Instant Access’
accounts may punish you for withdrawals by
docking your interest. Others only offer an
introductory rate of interest that will be
reduced after a certain period of time.

Fixed term savings: You will be able to earn
higher rates of interest if you agree to lock
your money away for a certain period of time.
However, you need to be aware that if you
do need to withdraw before the end of the
agreed term some accounts may punish you
by taking some or all of the interest earned.
Regular

Savings: If you plan on putting
money away every month you may be
eligible for some of the best rates available.
However, regular saving accounts often
come with some of the most stringent terms
and conditions, such as limits on
withdrawals and mandatory monthly
deposits, you have to pay attention and keep
on top of your regular savings.
Keeping your savings safe

The legacy of the collapse of Northern Rock
means more and more people are concerned
with the safety of their savings. It is possible
to protect your savings so you can sleep a
little easier at night.

The most important thing is to save with
those covered by the Financial Services
Compensation Scheme (FSCS), an
independent fund coordinated by the FSA
(Financial Services Authority).

Under the FSCS, as at the beginning of
October, your first £50,000 is protected
(£100,000 on a joint account), but due to
the economic climate these figures may
change. However, it is important to realise
that this amount applies to your savings per
institution as opposed to per account.

Outlook

There is always an argument for taking
things too far and blowing the fear of
economic crisis out of proportion. The best
thing to do is to become educated, know
what’s on offer and choose the best savings
plan that suits you and your personal
financial position.

Provided by DeverauxMontague Financial Advisors

We all manage stress differently and some of us fail to manage stress and suffer physical symptoms because of that failure. The same way that other skills for life are taught during high school or college, coping mechanisms should be something taught to us. Learn skills that will help us to reduce, prevent or to cope with stress as it presents at home, work or school can be done by each and every one of us.

One way to cope is to plan strategies to prevent or avoid those things that have caused stress in the past. The ability to say "no" to personal and professional added responsibilities over an above what is normally expected of us may be included in avoiding stress,, and by avoiding those individuals who tend to stress us out and by taking control of the environment in which we live, work and if applicable go to school. If hearing about terrible news stresses us out we can avoid reading the newspapers or turn off the news on the TV. In relationships we can avoid those topics that usually start arguments. We can also rearrange daily tasks or delegate responsibilities so that our “to-do list” doesn’t stress us out.

Incorporate fun and relaxation into your daily routine, practice saying “no” so that you don’t over-commit yourself of your time or abilities, of the tasks that you do accept make sure that you prioritize the tasks that you do accept, when possible break down these tasks into smaller projects and then reward yourself for completing each smaller segment and lastly, learn how to delegate responsibility and supervise so that you are not stressing over whether or not it was done right.

You can also learn how to accept things that you cannot change by trying not to control those things that are not in your control. Look for the positive in all things. Share your feelings with others. Practice the art of forgiveness. Anger and resentment will only harden you and create negative energy that binds you to stress.

Identity theft is an issue that we all need to take seriously. There are thousands of people around the world who have been made a victim of this crime and have suffered greatly for it. It involves stealing, misrepresenting or hijacking the identity of another person.

Your personal computer is the most recent setting for identity theft to take place. A smart identity thief will have no problem accessing your personal information. With it, he can destroy your credit, which could take years to repair even if you can prove you are a victim.

Getting a new computer is a common situation in which thieves can gain access to your personal information. It’s not uncommon to just unplug the old computer and dump it somewhere before disposing of it properly.

This is a very bad idea. That old computer has all of your passwords, bookmarks, emails, and internet history. Someone just has to take it home and plug it in to see what you have been doing, buying, and looking at.

The internet itself is used to gain access to all kinds of personal information. College students are at very high risk because their personal information and grades are often posted on the internet so they can check it. All it takes is someone to figure out their password and they now have everything they need.

It isn’t difficult to keep this from taking place. Choose passwords that are complicated. Don’t select a combination that can be easily tied to you. Don’t use names, numbers or dates. Your password should be 8 to 10 characters in length, using both letters and numbers. This is very difficult to figure out.

Another way to prevent identity theft is by monitoring your credit report. Check it every two or three months for suspicious activity. Make sure that all of the activity reported is legitimate.

A good tip is to be highly careful about your credit card details when buying anything online. Be careful where you shop, sticking to only a few stores that you trust. Be certain that the sites you buy from are secure and that they protect your privacy.

As well, be careful which emails you answer. Frequently, scammers will send you a bogus email that is trying to obtain your personal information fraudulently. They might say that you were accepted for a job that you applied online for, or pretend to be banks or other financial institutions, in order to get your personal information.

Even though there’s no guarantee that you will completely avoid online identity theft, following these tips should help you to feel more secure.