Saving money on your car insurance cover doesn’t have to be difficult. Most people try to make this into a game with the insurer, but it’s actually pretty simple to cut down your premiums. All you need to do is change your driving behavior a bit and make a few phone calls.

Change Your Excess

You’ve probably noticed that you have to pay a specific amount of money before the insurer kicks in and covers repairs. If you raise your excess as high as the insurer will allow, and don’t file claims on small damages, you’ll keep your premiums low.

Anything up to $500 isn’t worth claiming with your insurer. Worse yet, if you do claim small amounts like this, it will likely only raise your insurance cover the next time your policy is up for renewal. By raising your excess to the maximum allowed, you will have to pay more out of pocket before the insurer pays for any damages.

However, your reward is lower premiums since the insurance company doesn’t have to pay out as much in benefits. Insurers know that most claims are for smaller dollar amounts. Of course, there are plenty of cases when catastrophic damage happens, but “fender-benders” and small dents happen all the time – and these are very draining on an insurer’s cash reserves.

If you pay for these out of your own pocket, you’re actually saving yourself money over the long-term.

Don’t Jump On The Renewal Notice

There is no loyalty in the insurance industry. When your insurer sends you the renewal notice, hold onto it, but don’t take them up on their offer. All the big insurers chase new customers by offering a discount. So, you can use the renewal notice to negotiate a low rate with a new insurance company.

It seems odd that your current insurer wouldn’t offer you a discount, but the insurance marketplace is incredibly competitive. Often times, you can pick up insurance at half the price you’re paying right now, assuming your driving record is decent.

You could even try applying with your current insurance provider as a new customer – see how much the new premiums are. You might be surprised by how much your insurer is overcharging you.

Add A Driver

An experienced driver can lower your premiums substantially. Sometimes, an older person is the perfect addition to your policy – think about adding your parents. If you’re young, they may have experience that you don’t.

Insurance companies tend to look at this sort of thing similarly to how a credit card company looks at a co-signer. You have little experience. An older driver has more. Therefore, that person lends credibility to you by implication. A more experienced driver is willing to take on the risk of sharing a policy with you.

Because of this, the insurer assumes that you’re a good risk. It’s like the opposite of “guilty by association.” You’re “good by association.”

Gillian Kearney is a personal finance consultant. She enjoys sharing her money saving tips and ideas through blogging. Visit the Monkey link to learn more.

Image credit: Phil and Pam on Flickr

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and that might bring about of mixed emotions. You’re probably excited to shower your beloved mother with love and presents; however, you might also be getting very antsy and nervous about what you are going to get her. If you are striving to get your mom something different than the typical Mother’s Day gift of flowers or chocolate candies, then these 5 unique gift ideas for Mother’s Day will surely help you out.

1.  Crystal Mother’s Day Flower

Forget the old way of giving your flowers. If a bouquet of roses isn’t your style yet you still want to give your mother a beautiful flower she can enjoy for years (instead of a few days), then you might want to look into getting your mother a crystal flower. These stunning flowers are made of crystal so they are guaranteed to look incredibly lovely while being able to last for years. She’ll love staring at this wonderful statue in the shape of a beauteous flower or rose of your choosing. However, a bouquet of flowers is still a wonderful gift for mom.

2.  Customized T-Shirt

Every lady loves clothes, so why not give your wonderful mother a customized T-shirt with your own personal message? It is a fascinating idea and there’s no way she won’t love it. She will be able to wear your heart filled, customized t-shirt wherever she goes. And the go-to store for such T-shirt is Threadless. Plus, when you use Threadless coupon code FREEDELIVERY you can get free shipping when you spend over $45.

3.  Name a Star

Every time she looks in the sky, she will remember the thought you put into naming a star after her. If you really feel like your mother is a star and she shines through her hard work as a mom, then this is an excellent gift. It’s very reasonably priced, too!

4.  Family Tree Frame

A mother is proud of her family. She has put in a lot of hard work, time, and effort to raise her kids throughout the year. She thinks all of her little one’s are perfect and beautiful in every way. So what is better than show her how special she is with a lovely family tree frame? She will love being able to place this frame in her bedroom and see her wonderful kids any time she wants.

5.  Spa Day

A mom puts in a lot of hard work to raise a family, and rarely does she have time or money to pamper herself. Treating your mom to a special spa day where she can get a massage, relax, get her nails and hair done, and lay in a mud bath is a perfect gift. She will adore being able to relax away from the family momentarily, and best of all, she will come back refreshed and ready to take on the everyday challenges a mother has to face.

Author bio: Tiffany Faming is a freelance writer. She loves to write for Fashion, Home and Garden and money saving sites. She currently writes for many online publications pertaining to areas of fashion, children, pregnancy and other related topics.

Images source: http://www.noahsanimalfigurines.com/catalog/ima…

Today’s economic scenario is such that every penny saved counts. Considering this, several money saving apps have been developed by clever and concerned developers that help save money. Though the amounts that you save may be small, when consolidated they do make a difference and leave you with some extra spending money. Here are a few apps that may interest you.

Fuel School

Spending on fuel is inevitable and can always leave your wallet short of cash. You may be driving a hybrid eco-friendly car, or a gas guzzler, however the expenses on gas will keep mounting. Fuel School is here to help save up to a good 10% on fuel bills by telling you how to drive efficiently. This intelligent app makes use of a GPS connection to monitor and keenly analyze the way you drive. In addition to giving you valuable tips, the app advises on eco-friendliness and helps you go that extra mile.

Home Budget

This app should be downloaded onto the phones of householders who are keen to constantly monitor all their incomes and expenses. The app syncs all the accounts and keeps track of the payment history and leaves you with valuable information at your fingertips. It helps monitor various accounts, including the ones in foreign currency. The exclusive feature in the app helps you share vital information with your family members, who can be added to the group.

Vouchercloud 

This app helps you locate the best bargains in town. After shopping, the vouchers are directly dispatched to your smartphone. Vouchercloud uses GPS to locate the places that are closest to where you are, and updates you with the latest promotions and discounts on offer.  Right from offers at leading restaurants to the promotions at the local department store, almost everything is covered by Vouchercloud.

Onavo

More often than not, you are so immersed in whatever you do that you fail to keep track of your data usage. This app helps you get more than ever from your data plans. The claims are that you can save up to a good 80% on whatever data plan you have. The app efficiently compresses the data usage, thus automatically lowering the costs. You can use the app for generating mobile internet usage reports. With this app installed, you can browse the Internet for hours without having to worry about usage of data.

Skype

Skype is probably one of the most downloaded and used apps till date, as far as saving on calls is concerned. You no longer have to rely on the traditional landline to make your phone calls and run up outrageously high bills. You can now make both voice and video calls and enjoy talking to friends and family. Instant messaging is also available, making communication very simple and absolutely free. All you need to have is a good Internet connection and you will be able to communicate with anyone who has Skype.

Tip N Split 

This is an app that shows you a new way to go “Dutch”. Turn all your future outings into pleasurable ones without having to be embarrassed about who is going to foot the bill. Tip N Split helps you quickly calculate how to share the total cost fairly amongst the group. It even works calculates the service charges and tells you how much exactly you owe.

Author’s Bio:

Tina Reeves currently works at cox tv, a site that enables everyone to learn about how to save on broadband and internet cable.

If you are living in a mortgaged home, it might seem to be a pretty hectic thing for you, since you have to pay a regular mortgage or otherwise, risk eviction. However, did you know that there are a variety of different positives of going for a mortgage scheme too, such as a remortgaging deal!

Now, many people might think that this is some gibberish that ‘fancy’ bankers have come up with in order to make more money off you, but in reality, a remortgaging deal could allow you to get a number of different extra benefits that would otherwise be unavailable to you.

For instance, are you looking for some extra cash in order to invest in your home, perhaps for some renovation? Thanks to a well- drawn out remortgaging scheme, you can now actually get that. In order to learn more about it, here’s how the remortgaging deal works:

How does remortgaging work

If you are looking to release some of the equity from your home, you can go for cash out refinancing. For instance, let’s say that your outstanding balance on a home with original value $250,000 is currently $100,000. This means that you already have $150,000 in equity. Now, if you apply for a mortgage loan that is larger than $100,000, you can pay off the mortgage using the refinancing and then use the remaining money as you see fit.

Now, the question that comes to most people’s mind is, why should I release equity? Well, there are a number of reasons because of which people tend to go down that road. For instance, if you have a large amount of credit card debts, lots of personal loans or any other expenditure that you are unable to meet, releasing equity from your house is a great idea.

Primarily however, the most common reason for which people release equity is because they want to make improvements and changes to their home. Obviously, getting out money for carrying out large scale repairs and changes might seem a bit extra, which is why people prefer to go for releasing equity.

What to do if you are looking to remortgage

Now, remortgaging might seem like a pretty good idea, and it definitely is when you consider the positives related to it, but in order to find the best remortgaging deal, it is important that you look carefully.

If you have been paying up your mortgage gradually and have been making all your payments on time, it is quite probable that you have already unlocked a decent chunk of the equity for your house in your name.

Therefore, if you are looking to remortgage, it is a wise idea to hire professionals who are able to ascertain the exact value of the amount of equity that you can release, hence making it much easier for you to get a more beneficial remortgaging deal.

On a whole, remortgaging is a great idea for people who are looking to invest some extra cash in their houses, and it allows them to gain a good deal of money without having to do much at all, and it is also perfectly legal and documented!

Hugh Tyzack is the Founder as well as the Managing Director of loansforbad-credit.co.uk. Here’s the link to his website, which generally deals in guarantor loans at no fees. You can get more information about him on his site. In his spare time, Hugh likes listening to music and he also enjoys playing the piano. You can follow him on Twitter @badcreditloans8 as well as on Google+.

Image credit: Images_of_Money on Flickr

Online shopping is a convenient and cost effective alternative to shopping at the local mall, as it allows the shopper to purchase products from all over the world with just the click of a mouse. Additionally, most online retailers provide their customers with a variety of money-saving discount codes that can be applied at check-out for substantial savings. Here are some great online gifts that can be purchased using special discount codes, allowing for some great savings across the web.

Perfume/Makeup

What woman doesn’t enjoy pampering herself every once in awhile? If you have a friend or loved one that loves to shop online for beauty items, places like Drugstore.com and Sephora.com offer a variety of coupons and discount codes for their products. You can even include a gift message with your Sephora purchase, adding a nice personal touch.

Clothing

If you have a fashionista in the family who has a birthday coming up, there are a variety of online retailers that provide coupon and discount codes for their customers. Delia’s, a popular online retailer specializing in junior fashions, provides their customers with discount codes that are sent directly to their email inbox, allowing for substantial savings.

Electronics

In today’s technological world, there are definitely a lot of electronic items that make amazing gifts. While certain items can be a bit costly, using a promo or coupon code can definitely save you money. Hewlett-Packard offers promo codes totaling as much as $100 off for PC computers, allowing for incredible savings. Best Buy also accepts offer codes for electronics, and they are a great place to shop for that electronics lover that has everything!

Romantic Gifts

Flowers and candy are not just for Valentine’s Day, and by using a promo code or online coupon to make your purchase, you can treat your special someone to the beautiful gift of flowers several times a year! Pro Flowers is a trusted online retailer, and shoppers can save up to 20% off by using one of their coupon codes. Edible Arrangements is another great idea if you are looking to send a romantic gift. With arrangements made entirely out of fruit and other delicious treats, you can send a bouquet and candy all in one. Edible Arrangements offers coupon codes that provide $5.00 in savings site-wide, and that is definitely a bargain.

Baby Gifts

When expectant parents register for gifts online, they typically sign up with both expensive retailers and budget-friendly retailers, allowing potential gift-buyers a choice in how much money they spend. From Miles Kimball to Babies R Us, you can definitely find coupon codes that offer significant savings, so you just may be able to purchase more than one item in the registry.

Coupon Codes are Worth Your Time

Many times, online shoppers will quickly delete emails that contain specials, coupons, or promo codes, brushing them off as spam. These promo codes can actually save you lots of money, as well as provide free shipping, and sometimes even a free gift. You can sign up for coupon code offers through your favorite online retailers, and you can also check out sites like gopromocodes.com that offer shoppers the most up to date savings on the web. Taking a little time to find the best deals available is definitely worth it in the long run.

Shelly Masterson is an online shopping addict. She loves sharing her tips on where to find great deals on women’s lifestyle blogs. To learn more about how to save money on everyday items visit gopromocodes.com.

Image credit: IntelFreePress on Flickr

Homeowners are always looking for ways to make their homes more energy efficient.

Whether it’s because you want to do your bit for the planet, save some extra cash, or a combination of the two; the secret to saving energy in the home starts with smart home design. If a property is built and designed with green principles in mind, it will be much easier to lower your carbon emissions.

That doesn’t mean to say though; there is little you can do with an existing property to make it more ‘green’. On the contrary, you can use these smart design tips to help maximise your homes green potential. Here are some top design principles that save energy that you can begin implementing today:

1. Insulation

We all know that loft and cavity wall insulation is a great way to maintain the heat in our homes, and keep our carbon footprint down.

By installing the correct insulation, in the right amount, in the right place; you can trap heat in your home. This will mean that you won’t pay unnecessary heating costs, and can drive down you annual bills considerably.

Make sure you do your research though, and find the type of insulation that will work best for your home. You don’t want to make a rushed decision and end up paying a small fortune for a repair job. When fitted correctly, insulation is a really smart design principle that will help you save energy and money.

2. Flooring

Did you know that the floor in your home can have a huge impact on your energy efficiency?

The right flooring can save you both energy and money, and is a simple but effective way to ensure your house follows green principles. In the winter months, carpets and rugs can help trap heat and keep your rooms much warmer.

If you think carefully about the flooring you choose to install in your home, it can be an inexpensive and effective way to save energy. This then, is one change every home owner can make to cut costs and help save the planet.

3. Bathroom and kitchen fittings

The bathroom and kitchen are perhaps the most important rooms in your home. But they are also the rooms where the majority of your energy consumption takes place. However, this is another design principle that is easy to amend.

When you need to purchase appliances and fixtures, consider their energy efficiency rating. Most products are marked with a rating – with A being the best – allowing you to make an informed decision.

Buying products earmarked as energy efficient can help you save a substantial amount of money on your bills every year. Just be sure to do your research before you make a purchase.

4. Window treatments

Smart home design goes further than the obvious energy saving efforts.

Did you know that curtains can actually reduce your homes energy costs? Thick curtains can help prevent heat loss, and keep your home warmer in the winter. Other window treatments can also help you keep both cool and warm air inside the house.

Factors to consider include the material, colour and how they open. This is really simple and purse-friendly way to drive down your bills and save energy.

5. Skylights

The final piece of smart home design that can help you save energy comes in the form of skylights. Many home owners are already aware that a skylight can help improve their homes’ energy efficiency, but are not always aware of their full benefits.

As well as allowing more natural light into a room – helping to reduce your electricity bill – skylights also improve your homes’ heating and ventilation. However, before you install one; you need to ensure it follows the recommendations outlined by government.

By following these cost-effective design principles, you will be able to save energy in your home. As you can see then, it is easier than you might think to drive down your bills and do your bit for the planet.

Auriga Services helps UK businesses provide the best possible support for their vulnerable customers, struggling to pay their bills. To find out more about their services, visit their website: www.aurigaservices.co.uk. 

Image credit: Krzysztof Urbanowicz on Flickr

Most people probably think that it’s impossible to save yourself $1000 in 30 days without being obsessively over the top and frugal with every aspect of your life.

Actually, you can make massive savings without resorting to home made soap, hand-me-down clothes or baking your own bread (unless you really want to).

In the last 30 days, I managed to save $1000 without doing anything complicated or frugal, and it didn’t really impact my daily life. At all.

Here’s how I did it.

Saving Money on Big Expenses

Credit card balance transfer.

The average credit card balance is nearly $16000 right now, and most people just forget or can’t be bothered to keep track of exactly how much you’re repaying!

This is a huge amount of debt to have hanging over your head. Where I live in Scotland, trust deeds/bankruptcy is available for similar debt levels.

Now imagine if your balance was only $2000 and you paid back $100 at 12.78% (the average APR) you’d be paying $242 in interest. Plus it would take you two years to pay it back. But if you transfered it to a 0% credit card, it would cost you $0 interest and you’d be clear a full 6 months early.

Total saving: $242 a year

Cheaper car insurance.

Like with credit cards, we just let car insurance renew. It’s easy isn’t it? But easy doesn’t always equal cheap. First thing to check is your cover and see whether you need to be covered for everything on it.

When you know exactly what you need, take an hour to shop around and phone different insurers to get the best quote. You could even use a comparison site to easily compare offers. I reduced my car insurance bill by 30% just by spending an hour actually doing it.

Total saving: $194 a year

Use less energy in your home.

Of all the tips, this can be the hardest to follow because it’s not a one-off. You have to change your habits in the home to really make it worthwhile.

An easy way to save on energy is to just switch your supplier. Compare offers and look for a better package. If there is a saving to be made: switch. Other than that, you can:

• Take shorter showers. Limiting showers from 30 to 10 minutes can cut water heating costs by 50%.
• Wash clothes in cold water. Use a cold water detergent and you’ll save big by not heating the water in your washer.
• Hang clothes on a washing line or airer to avoid tumble dryer energy waste.
• Turn off computers, monitors, TV’s, games consoles when not in use.
• Seal leaks in doors and windows to prevent air escaping and you can lower the thermostat.

Total saving: up to $500 a year

Remortgage your home.

If you have a home, then remortgaging could save you a substantial amount of money each year. It is said that for every 1% you can reduce from your rate, you save $1000 a year.

Consider the fact that the current mortgage rates are around 3.7% right now. Yet in July 2011 they were 4.55% and in January 2009 they were 5.05%. If you’ve had your mortgage for 4-5 years, you might save by switching.

Total saving: Up to $2000 a year

How much will you save?

These four money saving tips could save you around $3000 a year and it would only take you a month (maybe less) to put them all into action. That’s a monthly saving of about $250.

What could you do with that extra money?

It’s fair to say that I am a total shopaholic. Many girls love to buy shoes, many love to buy jewellery, but the thing that really gets me going is coats. I cannot walk past my favourite high street stores without looking at the gorgeous coats on offer. And I will freely admit that I have a wardrobe filled with my favourite coats of all time. Despite this, I don’t actually buy every coat that I see, I can simply respect their brilliant craftsmanship and decorative details; let’s face it we all have bills to pay don’t we? So for the past couple of years I have been compiling a list of the different coats I will need and want in that year, and simply stick to my list. It’s now time for me to share with you the coats that will be popular in 2013 and what they look good with…

The Leather Jacket
The edgy look is “in” this year so a leather jacket will keep you looking bang on trend in 2013. Whether you use it to layer up in the colder weather, or wear it by itself over a dress during the spring and summer, a leather jacket is a versatile item that is worth its price tag. If you don’t want to buy real leather, you can buy leather look jackets that will give the overall same effect to your outfit.

The Trench Coat
If you want to show off a smart and sophisticated look, you might like to buy a trench coat instead. Trench coats have well defined lines and will work for both work and leisure events. They are commonly in neutral tones such as black, navy and stone, but you will be able to find them in bright colours too which will work well with your summer outfits.

The Utility Jacket
Another look that is catwalk friendly this year is the military style. When you come to finding jackets in military chic, you’ll find a utility jackets cut in feminine styles with plenty of additional bling. For example you will find khaki green jackets with diamantes, and stone colour jackets with badges and studs. The utility jacket is a brilliant weekend coat that fits well with jeans and Converse.

The Blazer
Another jacket that works well for different occasions is the blazer. I have a number of blazers in different colours and cuts that works with different outfits.

The best shade of blazer to buy is definitely black though so if you are going to buy any blazer, make it this one. You’ll find that you can wear it with dresses, as well as weekend outfits for the cinema such as smart jeans and peplum tops. Try a couple on to find the best cut for you as some of them have differing numbers of buttons or different lengths to your waist and hips.

About the author
Susie Walters is a part-time magazine assistant in London, UK. She is a self-professed coat collector and currently looking for a cream leather jacket to add to her collection of leather coats.

Fuel efficient, ‘eco’ cars are increasingly affordable and are a great way to save money on your daily commute. Here, we take a look at five of the most popular models on the market today. You’ll be amazed at how stylish these cars are, and how much they can save you:

1. Toyota Prius C

Anyone who knows anything about fuel efficient cars will have heard of the Toyota Prius.

Perhaps the most popular eco-car, this hatchback-style hybrid has a great gas mileage for such an affordable car. According to FuelEconomy.gov, your annual fuel bill will cost around $1, 100 a year – the tank itself only costs around $32 to fill.

With prices like that, its clear how much money you can save in the long run.

2. Ford C Max Hybrid

The Ford C Max Hybrid is another everyday family hatchback with a difference. This car is said to have a smoother ride than the Prius and, as it’s a Ford, you know it is reliable. Full of features and with quick acceleration, you get more than you barged for with this fuel efficient care. FuelEconomy.gov reports:

• 47mpg
• A full tank costing just $43 (that will get you 571 miles)

3. Peugeot 1.4 e-HDi 70 EGC

Peugeot is famous for its city cars, and their latest model is everything you’ve come to expect, coupled with a pretty fuel-efficient 1.4 e-HDi engine. This car is being hailed as the ‘supermini’ market leader and it’s easy to see why.

The stop-start system helps keep fuel consumption to a minimum, you can expect to get 83mpg, and the engine only emits 87g/km. This clever car will help you save money in the long run, and help you do your bit for the planet.

4. Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is one of the most reliable models on the road, and is now available with increased fuel-efficiency.

The economical CX NGV runs on compressed natural gas and gives you an estimated annual fuel cost of just $884. The mpg on this model isn’t as impressive as the others on this list, but still makes for a very fuel-efficient and economical car.

5. Renualt Clio 1.5 dCi 90 ECO

The final fuel-efficient car on our list is the Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 90 ECO. The newest model of this popular car has a 1.5 litre diesel engine that offers you 88mpg. It also emits just 83g/km CO2, meaning the car is great for your wallet and the planet.

This car is contemporary, stylish, and budget-friendly. Perfect for helping you save money in the long run.

Fuel efficient cars are officially cool. Why not look at these, and some of the other models on the market to see which one will save you the most money in the long run?

Payday Agency is an online loan provider, offering short term loans for people who need money in a hurry. Check out their blog for more tips on personal finance and saving money.

Image credit:  lotprocars on Flickr

Ever wondered just how much money you could actually save with a higher credit score? Having a FICO score over 650 or higher means having “good credit” in the eyes of the world. High credit scores can help you keep more of your cash in your wallet with lower interest rates, down payments, deposits and monthly payments. Need more inspiring reasons to start raising your scores? Well, here are some great reasons to have good credit that will benefit you financially:

Lower Interest Rates

When you borrow money or use credit cards to make purchases, you must pay a cost. This cost comes in the form of interest rates. The interest rate you receive on credit cards, mortgage loans, car loans and personal and business loans is directly related to your credit score. The higher your score, the lower the interest rate you’ll be required to pay. The lower your interest rate, the lower your monthly payments and the overall cost of the loan.

Easier Rental Approval

Most savvy landlords and property management companies look at credit scores when screening potential tenants. If your score is low because of outstanding balances or previous evictions, they just may not rent to you. And, if they do, they may require that you pay a larger deposit as insurance that you’ll pay your rent on time.

Lower Car Insurance Premiums

Nowadays, auto insurance companies obtain credit scores before providing customers with policies. They need to feel confident that you’ll make your payments on time. They also believe that people with lower credit scores have a tendency to file more insurance claims than those with 650 scores and above. If you have bad credit, be prepared to pay more for your auto insurance than you would if your raised your score.

Get a Cell Phone Plan Without a Security Deposit

If you have a low FICO score, you know just how difficult it can be to get a cell phone plan under contract. Many people have been known to pay $200 security deposits for Sprint plans, and up to $800 for Verizon plans. Although you do get your deposit back after making a certain amount of on-time payments, you’re out of that cash in the meantime. Your only other options are is to get a prepaid plan, or pay-as-you-go plan. Prepaid plans don’t offer those high-tech phones at the low prices offered by big name providers. And, pay-as-you-go plans can be very expensive if you use your phone daily.

No Security Deposits for Utilities

Today, electricity, gas and water companies run your credit report before turning on your service. Your credit score will be the determining factor for the amount of the deposit they’ll require from you. These deposits can run you $50, $200 or more, taking money out of your pockets. The higher your score, the lower they will require from you. If your score is above 650, they won’t require any deposit from you at all. This rule also applies to other types of services such as internet providers, telephone companies and cable companies.

Author Bio

This informative article was written by Joshua Thomasson. Joshua writes quality content for Doctor650. Visit Doctor650.com to learn about how to get a great credit card for people with a 650 credit score today.

Image credit: meddygarnet on Flickr