Link building is a tricky deal. Links may either shoot up your website popularity or raise red flags with search engines standards and make your site slide down in search results.
But why is it that link building cuts both ends when it comes to website optimization and what's the point behind it all?
Years ago link building was just about getting as many links as one could. But the times have changed and link building is a different beast today. Now Google makes everyone who is engaged in link building process sweat the big stuff. It practices the quality approach evaluating each link to numerous criteria to surface the sites having only premium quality backlinks profiles.
That's why every website promoter must keep in mind: one must either do link building right or don't do it at all.
However some folks are tempted to get quick results overnight. They utilize link building practices that may actually hurt their SEO campaigns a great deal over time. Here is the list of 5 commandments that will help you avoid committing 5 deadly link building sings.
# 1 Keep it relevant
No matter how many links are pointing to your website they won't mean squat if they are sitting on irrelevant industry websites. The point is that Google tries to think like an ordinary website visitor. If a visitor sees the link pointing, let's say, to the website about second-hand cars on the site about dieting pills he is unlikely to click it.
Google acts the same way that's why such a link is not going to bring any SEO benefit. Google made large strides to enhance relevancy criteria in its algo, so that unscrupulous website promoters can't blanket links across vast amounts of irrelevant sites any more.
# 2 Check who your neighbors are
Always take care of your web-neighborhood. Keep away from the places called Link Farms or FFA sites! It may be tempting to get some links fast and free but that may slash your link building efforts and you'll have to start everything from scratch.
Neighborhood with sites that have bad reputation (e.g. porn or spam distributing websites) can negatively reflect on your website's rankings. Google may automatically assume that you are one of the bad guys and lower your positions in search results.
# 3 Avoid mass link exchange
Never rush when running link building. If you send mass link exchange requests you may get the reputation of a spammer. And if you get lots of links within a short time period that may raise suspicion with search engines as they consider this a counterfeit way of getting to the top result pages. Keep your link building natural, don't run link exchange at high speed and make sure you exchange links with really worthy websites.
# 4 Properly place your links
One shouldn't get links pointing to their homepages only. Getting deep links to any other webpage may significantly improve your website rankings. The approximate ratio of all links on a website's backlink profile should vary between 30-40% of links pointing to a homepage and 60-70% being deep links.
# 5 Don't forget about the anchor text
The backlinks with the right anchor text can help search engines understand what your website is about. Anchor text is like the nuggets of gold that search engines look for in a river of content. If there are lots of backlinks pointing to your website with the appropriate anchor text that may significantly increase the chances to get high rankings in search results.
And mind that doing careful backlink research and planing out link building activities few steps ahead, not only lets you make your link building campaign manageable, but also keeps your link building program on track.
Besides there are lots of SEO tools that can be a real leg-up in link building. They can help you run all-rounded competition research to discover the juiciest link sources, evaluate each links in terms of SEO-usefulness and manage all your links. Among the most popular links for link building are IBP, SEO PowerSuite and Market Samurai.
About the Author: Patrick Mccord - Visit this site to discover cutting edge SEO tools for link building. Download SEO PowerSuite for free.
The Top 7 Facebook and Twitter Strategies That Are Working Right Now
One of the great things about the work I do is that I have a bird's eye view of what's working and what's not when it comes to social media. Every so often I like to give sort of a "state of the union" on Facebook and Twitter best practices, because as I am sure you know, social media is constantly growing, changing and evolving.
As you'll see, some of the strategies I am recommending are tried and true-they have been working since day one and will probably continue to for the considerable future.
However, there may be a few here that you've never considered-or may even be surprised by. But they are what I see as being the biggest keys to success and results for business owners on the two hottest social networks on the planet: Facebook and Twitter.
1. Find your peeps.
What this means is that you want to become part of the community you are looking to serve. The first step of course is to be clear on whom it is you want to serve and what problem you are solving for them. Once you know that, the goal is to go where they are hanging out.
There are specific tools you can use to easily find and interact with your target market. Two of my favorites for Twitter are wefollow.com and search.twitter.com.
2. Concentrate on conversing and building relationships, instead of broadcasting and selling.
One of the most common yet biggest mistakes that people make when they are first introduced to social media is to focus on pushing their product or service in a spammy way. That approach fails miserably in social media because most people are there to build relationships and interact.
There's nothing wrong with letting others know what's going on with you or your business sometimes--just be sure to intersperse your tweets or Facebook updates with some two-way conversation.
3. Use a Facebook personal profile AND a Facebook business page TOGETHER.
This might be a little "controversial" - and don't get me wrong, your business SHOULD have a Page -- but when you have a personal profile, you are able to interact with other people much more easily.
As a business Page, a Page can't go comment on another person's Wall or profile or in their Group or on THEIR Page AS that Page. You are really contained inside the space of your own Page. This might be something to consider because a lot of the magic of Facebook and the relationship-building and rapport-building comes from that ability to interact.
4. Cross-post and cross promote.
Once you've decided to make social media a part of your marketing strategy, you don't want to keep it to yourself.
There are lots of ways to spread the word, for example: you'll want to advertise your social presence on your blog, add links to your email signature and use one social media platform to post to another.
5. Use a social media dashboard like Hootsuite and other productivity tools to accomplish more in less time.
Hootsuite.com is my hands-down favorite, free social media tool, and the reason why is because it does so many different things. For example, you can use it to update many social networks at once, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; you can use it to pre-schedule tweets and status updates and more.
6. Get them on the list.
In most cases, people aren't going to buy from you right off of sites like Facebook and Twitter. You need to shift your thinking from "how can I get this person to buy from me or hire me now?" to "how can I bring this person into my community and strengthen the relationship with them on an ongoing basis?"
One of the best ways to do this is to offer people a way to provide their email address via your blog or website so that you have permission to keep in touch and build an ongoing relationship with them.
7. Measure and track your social media results.
Measuring the ROI of social media isn't exactly cut and dry. I am often asked how you can tell whether the time you've spent on social media activities is really making a difference.
Some of the best metrics? Blog comments, blog subscribers, newsletter subscribers, social media profile engagement, number of friends and followers and website traffic to name a few.
No matter who your target market is, you can be sure that at least some segment of them is using social media. The important thing is to understand that social media is a great way to get in front of that target audience.
And remember, you may not be able to equate your interactions to dollars now, but what you are doing is planting seeds which can have big payoffs later on.
Most of the strategies I've mentioned here aren't really "strategies" unless you keep applying them over time-so stick with it to reap those results you've been searching for.
About the Author: Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For free tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com/subscribe.
As you'll see, some of the strategies I am recommending are tried and true-they have been working since day one and will probably continue to for the considerable future.
However, there may be a few here that you've never considered-or may even be surprised by. But they are what I see as being the biggest keys to success and results for business owners on the two hottest social networks on the planet: Facebook and Twitter.
1. Find your peeps.
What this means is that you want to become part of the community you are looking to serve. The first step of course is to be clear on whom it is you want to serve and what problem you are solving for them. Once you know that, the goal is to go where they are hanging out.
There are specific tools you can use to easily find and interact with your target market. Two of my favorites for Twitter are wefollow.com and search.twitter.com.
2. Concentrate on conversing and building relationships, instead of broadcasting and selling.
One of the most common yet biggest mistakes that people make when they are first introduced to social media is to focus on pushing their product or service in a spammy way. That approach fails miserably in social media because most people are there to build relationships and interact.
There's nothing wrong with letting others know what's going on with you or your business sometimes--just be sure to intersperse your tweets or Facebook updates with some two-way conversation.
3. Use a Facebook personal profile AND a Facebook business page TOGETHER.
This might be a little "controversial" - and don't get me wrong, your business SHOULD have a Page -- but when you have a personal profile, you are able to interact with other people much more easily.
As a business Page, a Page can't go comment on another person's Wall or profile or in their Group or on THEIR Page AS that Page. You are really contained inside the space of your own Page. This might be something to consider because a lot of the magic of Facebook and the relationship-building and rapport-building comes from that ability to interact.
4. Cross-post and cross promote.
Once you've decided to make social media a part of your marketing strategy, you don't want to keep it to yourself.
There are lots of ways to spread the word, for example: you'll want to advertise your social presence on your blog, add links to your email signature and use one social media platform to post to another.
5. Use a social media dashboard like Hootsuite and other productivity tools to accomplish more in less time.
Hootsuite.com is my hands-down favorite, free social media tool, and the reason why is because it does so many different things. For example, you can use it to update many social networks at once, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; you can use it to pre-schedule tweets and status updates and more.
6. Get them on the list.
In most cases, people aren't going to buy from you right off of sites like Facebook and Twitter. You need to shift your thinking from "how can I get this person to buy from me or hire me now?" to "how can I bring this person into my community and strengthen the relationship with them on an ongoing basis?"
One of the best ways to do this is to offer people a way to provide their email address via your blog or website so that you have permission to keep in touch and build an ongoing relationship with them.
7. Measure and track your social media results.
Measuring the ROI of social media isn't exactly cut and dry. I am often asked how you can tell whether the time you've spent on social media activities is really making a difference.
Some of the best metrics? Blog comments, blog subscribers, newsletter subscribers, social media profile engagement, number of friends and followers and website traffic to name a few.
No matter who your target market is, you can be sure that at least some segment of them is using social media. The important thing is to understand that social media is a great way to get in front of that target audience.
And remember, you may not be able to equate your interactions to dollars now, but what you are doing is planting seeds which can have big payoffs later on.
Most of the strategies I've mentioned here aren't really "strategies" unless you keep applying them over time-so stick with it to reap those results you've been searching for.
About the Author: Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For free tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com/subscribe.
The Top 7 Facebook and Twitter Strategies That Are Working Right Now
One of the great things about the work I do is that I have a bird's eye view of what's working and what's not when it comes to social media. Every so often I like to give sort of a "state of the union" on Facebook and Twitter best practices, because as I am sure you know, social media is constantly growing, changing and evolving.
As you'll see, some of the strategies I am recommending are tried and true-they have been working since day one and will probably continue to for the considerable future.
However, there may be a few here that you've never considered-or may even be surprised by. But they are what I see as being the biggest keys to success and results for business owners on the two hottest social networks on the planet: Facebook and Twitter.
1. Find your peeps.
What this means is that you want to become part of the community you are looking to serve. The first step of course is to be clear on whom it is you want to serve and what problem you are solving for them. Once you know that, the goal is to go where they are hanging out.
There are specific tools you can use to easily find and interact with your target market. Two of my favorites for Twitter are wefollow.com and search.twitter.com.
2. Concentrate on conversing and building relationships, instead of broadcasting and selling.
One of the most common yet biggest mistakes that people make when they are first introduced to social media is to focus on pushing their product or service in a spammy way. That approach fails miserably in social media because most people are there to build relationships and interact.
There's nothing wrong with letting others know what's going on with you or your business sometimes--just be sure to intersperse your tweets or Facebook updates with some two-way conversation.
3. Use a Facebook personal profile AND a Facebook business page TOGETHER.
This might be a little "controversial" - and don't get me wrong, your business SHOULD have a Page -- but when you have a personal profile, you are able to interact with other people much more easily.
As a business Page, a Page can't go comment on another person's Wall or profile or in their Group or on THEIR Page AS that Page. You are really contained inside the space of your own Page. This might be something to consider because a lot of the magic of Facebook and the relationship-building and rapport-building comes from that ability to interact.
4. Cross-post and cross promote.
Once you've decided to make social media a part of your marketing strategy, you don't want to keep it to yourself.
There are lots of ways to spread the word, for example: you'll want to advertise your social presence on your blog, add links to your email signature and use one social media platform to post to another.
5. Use a social media dashboard like Hootsuite and other productivity tools to accomplish more in less time.
Hootsuite.com is my hands-down favorite, free social media tool, and the reason why is because it does so many different things. For example, you can use it to update many social networks at once, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; you can use it to pre-schedule tweets and status updates and more.
6. Get them on the list.
In most cases, people aren't going to buy from you right off of sites like Facebook and Twitter. You need to shift your thinking from "how can I get this person to buy from me or hire me now?" to "how can I bring this person into my community and strengthen the relationship with them on an ongoing basis?"
One of the best ways to do this is to offer people a way to provide their email address via your blog or website so that you have permission to keep in touch and build an ongoing relationship with them.
7. Measure and track your social media results.
Measuring the ROI of social media isn't exactly cut and dry. I am often asked how you can tell whether the time you've spent on social media activities is really making a difference.
Some of the best metrics? Blog comments, blog subscribers, newsletter subscribers, social media profile engagement, number of friends and followers and website traffic to name a few.
No matter who your target market is, you can be sure that at least some segment of them is using social media. The important thing is to understand that social media is a great way to get in front of that target audience.
And remember, you may not be able to equate your interactions to dollars now, but what you are doing is planting seeds which can have big payoffs later on.
Most of the strategies I've mentioned here aren't really "strategies" unless you keep applying them over time-so stick with it to reap those results you've been searching for.
About the Author: Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For free tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com/subscribe.
One of the great things about the work I do is that I have a bird's eye view of what's working and what's not when it comes to social media. Every so often I like to give sort of a "state of the union" on Facebook and Twitter best practices, because as I am sure you know, social media is constantly growing, changing and evolving.
As you'll see, some of the strategies I am recommending are tried and true-they have been working since day one and will probably continue to for the considerable future.
However, there may be a few here that you've never considered-or may even be surprised by. But they are what I see as being the biggest keys to success and results for business owners on the two hottest social networks on the planet: Facebook and Twitter.
1. Find your peeps.
What this means is that you want to become part of the community you are looking to serve. The first step of course is to be clear on whom it is you want to serve and what problem you are solving for them. Once you know that, the goal is to go where they are hanging out.
There are specific tools you can use to easily find and interact with your target market. Two of my favorites for Twitter are wefollow.com and search.twitter.com.
2. Concentrate on conversing and building relationships, instead of broadcasting and selling.
One of the most common yet biggest mistakes that people make when they are first introduced to social media is to focus on pushing their product or service in a spammy way. That approach fails miserably in social media because most people are there to build relationships and interact.
There's nothing wrong with letting others know what's going on with you or your business sometimes--just be sure to intersperse your tweets or Facebook updates with some two-way conversation.
3. Use a Facebook personal profile AND a Facebook business page TOGETHER.
This might be a little "controversial" - and don't get me wrong, your business SHOULD have a Page -- but when you have a personal profile, you are able to interact with other people much more easily.
As a business Page, a Page can't go comment on another person's Wall or profile or in their Group or on THEIR Page AS that Page. You are really contained inside the space of your own Page. This might be something to consider because a lot of the magic of Facebook and the relationship-building and rapport-building comes from that ability to interact.
4. Cross-post and cross promote.
Once you've decided to make social media a part of your marketing strategy, you don't want to keep it to yourself.
There are lots of ways to spread the word, for example: you'll want to advertise your social presence on your blog, add links to your email signature and use one social media platform to post to another.
5. Use a social media dashboard like Hootsuite and other productivity tools to accomplish more in less time.
Hootsuite.com is my hands-down favorite, free social media tool, and the reason why is because it does so many different things. For example, you can use it to update many social networks at once, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; you can use it to pre-schedule tweets and status updates and more.
6. Get them on the list.
In most cases, people aren't going to buy from you right off of sites like Facebook and Twitter. You need to shift your thinking from "how can I get this person to buy from me or hire me now?" to "how can I bring this person into my community and strengthen the relationship with them on an ongoing basis?"
One of the best ways to do this is to offer people a way to provide their email address via your blog or website so that you have permission to keep in touch and build an ongoing relationship with them.
7. Measure and track your social media results.
Measuring the ROI of social media isn't exactly cut and dry. I am often asked how you can tell whether the time you've spent on social media activities is really making a difference.
Some of the best metrics? Blog comments, blog subscribers, newsletter subscribers, social media profile engagement, number of friends and followers and website traffic to name a few.
No matter who your target market is, you can be sure that at least some segment of them is using social media. The important thing is to understand that social media is a great way to get in front of that target audience.
And remember, you may not be able to equate your interactions to dollars now, but what you are doing is planting seeds which can have big payoffs later on.
Most of the strategies I've mentioned here aren't really "strategies" unless you keep applying them over time-so stick with it to reap those results you've been searching for.
About the Author: Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For free tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com/subscribe.
Web Design Issues - The Client Who Wants To Make Millions
We often get requests in to assist people with building their websites - no surprises there; we are, after all, a web design company.
But these requests often need to be translated from some form of Klingon or other alien language since often it feels as if the potential client is just making a fleeting visit to planet earth.
Some examples:
"Hi, i would like to start an advertising buisness (sic) that allows me to generate money while people are surfing into my web. The problem is I just do not have enough info about Enzine."
"I require a website that I can use to have customers registering and bidding online, also need to have a feature where users can buy tokens."
"I want to have a web, graphic and search engine software. If you can't you can't design me the software, how about you give a search engine quote. I just want only 5 pages and the rest I will do. I am a web designer so I find it difficult to design search engine for my self."
We also get requests from people who want to have Facebook clones, Ebay type sites or a shopping cart 'like Amazon'.
One of the biggest problems seem to be that of unrealistic expectations of what a website can do or cannot do, and how much it will cost.
What people do not realize are some of the following factors:
1. It is a lot more difficult to 'make money on the Internet' than other people would want you to believe. It is in Internet Marketers and other 'gooroos' best interest to let you believe that making money with a website is as easy as pie.
The hard truth is that turning a profit from a website is really, really difficult, especially one that is aiming high. Even wildly successful internet endeavors such as Facebook and Amazon took years and years before they started to show profit.
2. In a lot of cases, people just do not know enough about the Internet and how it works to start up such a venture successfully.
That is not to say that we are belittling people who want to start ventures such as these. We all have to start somewhere, and even Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg at one stage knew nothing about the Internet or websites, but come on... there is a wealth of information available out there today as well as these sites that can be used as case studies. How much did Facebook cost to implement? It is reputed that angel investors poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the site.
We then get requests for social networking types of sites with clear 'want to make millions' aspirations behind it and when we try and understand the client's budget it is in the region of about $1000 - if we are lucky.
3. People seem to really think that getting the site built is enough. They suffer from the classic 'build it and they will come' fallacy. There is no clear understanding of what it takes to get visitors to a site, or how to market the site either online or offline.
This leaves us, as the web design company, with an ethical dilemma. Do we implement the site and leave the client to his own devices? A version of 'take the money and run'? Or do we tell the client that his brilliant idea is just never going to fly.
Unfortunately that means that we will probably go out of business too since about 50% of the websites we build are based on some crazy business idea. The other alternative is to act not only as a web design company but also as a consulting firm, dispensing advice, coaching and guiding the client.
After all, that is really what customers expect from a web design company, not so?
The question is - how much is this advice worth and how does one work it into the business model of the web design company?
This type of advice and consulting takes up an inordinate amount of time and effort and working that into the costing of a website tends to push the costs up even more - try and work those costs into the 'new cool social networking site that will merge Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, to be called YouTwitFace, site' and see what happens to website costs!
About the Author: Christine Anderssen is the owner of Tailormade4you, a website design and hosting company specializing in building cost effective websites for small business owners in South Africa.
But these requests often need to be translated from some form of Klingon or other alien language since often it feels as if the potential client is just making a fleeting visit to planet earth.
Some examples:
"Hi, i would like to start an advertising buisness (sic) that allows me to generate money while people are surfing into my web. The problem is I just do not have enough info about Enzine."
"I require a website that I can use to have customers registering and bidding online, also need to have a feature where users can buy tokens."
"I want to have a web, graphic and search engine software. If you can't you can't design me the software, how about you give a search engine quote. I just want only 5 pages and the rest I will do. I am a web designer so I find it difficult to design search engine for my self."
We also get requests from people who want to have Facebook clones, Ebay type sites or a shopping cart 'like Amazon'.
One of the biggest problems seem to be that of unrealistic expectations of what a website can do or cannot do, and how much it will cost.
What people do not realize are some of the following factors:
1. It is a lot more difficult to 'make money on the Internet' than other people would want you to believe. It is in Internet Marketers and other 'gooroos' best interest to let you believe that making money with a website is as easy as pie.
The hard truth is that turning a profit from a website is really, really difficult, especially one that is aiming high. Even wildly successful internet endeavors such as Facebook and Amazon took years and years before they started to show profit.
2. In a lot of cases, people just do not know enough about the Internet and how it works to start up such a venture successfully.
That is not to say that we are belittling people who want to start ventures such as these. We all have to start somewhere, and even Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg at one stage knew nothing about the Internet or websites, but come on... there is a wealth of information available out there today as well as these sites that can be used as case studies. How much did Facebook cost to implement? It is reputed that angel investors poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the site.
We then get requests for social networking types of sites with clear 'want to make millions' aspirations behind it and when we try and understand the client's budget it is in the region of about $1000 - if we are lucky.
3. People seem to really think that getting the site built is enough. They suffer from the classic 'build it and they will come' fallacy. There is no clear understanding of what it takes to get visitors to a site, or how to market the site either online or offline.
This leaves us, as the web design company, with an ethical dilemma. Do we implement the site and leave the client to his own devices? A version of 'take the money and run'? Or do we tell the client that his brilliant idea is just never going to fly.
Unfortunately that means that we will probably go out of business too since about 50% of the websites we build are based on some crazy business idea. The other alternative is to act not only as a web design company but also as a consulting firm, dispensing advice, coaching and guiding the client.
After all, that is really what customers expect from a web design company, not so?
The question is - how much is this advice worth and how does one work it into the business model of the web design company?
This type of advice and consulting takes up an inordinate amount of time and effort and working that into the costing of a website tends to push the costs up even more - try and work those costs into the 'new cool social networking site that will merge Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, to be called YouTwitFace, site' and see what happens to website costs!
About the Author: Christine Anderssen is the owner of Tailormade4you, a website design and hosting company specializing in building cost effective websites for small business owners in South Africa.
New Digeous software - snapit screen capture
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Digeous software is new snapit and screencapture that helps business professionals especially in writing posts and blogging with the following benefits as follows
It is a very convenient tool for bloggers. When you write posts on your blog you need to
capture and crop images from different sources - this tool is for you.
- Supports hotkeys, auto-saving, clipboard
- Automatically copies screenshots to the clipboard
- Tracks capture history, auto-saves captured images
- Saves files in BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG and TIFF formats
- Auto-names captured images
the link
http://www.digeus.com/products/snapit/snapit_screen_capture_3_5.html
Feel free to get information about product here:
http://www.digeus.com/products/snapit/snapit_screen_capture_3_5.html.
It is a very convenient tool for bloggers. When you write posts on your blog you need to
capture and crop images from different sources - this tool is for you.
- Supports hotkeys, auto-saving, clipboard
- Automatically copies screenshots to the clipboard
- Tracks capture history, auto-saves captured images
- Saves files in BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG and TIFF formats
- Auto-names captured images
the link
http://www.digeus.com/products/snapit/snapit_screen_capture_3_5.html
Feel free to get information about product here:
http://www.digeus.com/products/snapit/snapit_screen_capture_3_5.html.
Ways of Managing Business meetings Effectively
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Business Meetings are hectic in this business world making life for executives or professional people to meet deadline or making it happen. There is need for proper planning for and chairing meetings. Special arrangements are needed to follow for large meetings such as board meetings or annual general meetings.
Types of meetings
1. Conference calls, telephone, video and conferencing.
2. Discussing the issue via email by sending messages to all relevant parties.
3. Webinars ,
Step in making it a success
1. Think carefully about whom to invite – very important people making decisions, those significantly affected by those decisions or those who have some specific knowledge to contribute, limit the numbers.
2. Provide relevant information to attendees
• Plenty of notice of the meeting’s time and venue
• Outline and circulate a draft of agenda and time on each topic
• Set objectives of the meeting ,start and end of meeting especially if you are holding a lengthy meeting asking people to drop in and out
• Relevant information documents such topics to be discussed may have to be sent to attendees publications send your contact details and others staff members such as staff in case of emergence.
3. Think about catering requirement if appropriate
• Provide lunch during long hours and asking for special dietary
4. Delegate taking minutes
• Find someone other yourself in taking minutes this makes it easier in handling the meeting.
5. Find and prepare the venue
• Other essentials required include enough tables, chairs, flip charts enough paper, there is enough light, heating or ventilation enough power points over head projector or laptop.
6. Cross check very thing is okay
• Begin on the time
• Welcome every one introduction on how to use the facilities
• Taking of mobiles phones
• Set back on the objectives of meeting
7. Keep a tight rein on the proceedings
• Making sure that attendees keep to one agenda point at a time
• Summarise at the appropriate intervals and restate agreed action points
• Firmly move the discussion forward if the subject became exhausted
8. Take control and monitor
• Make sure no one dominates the meeting by removing all small meetings in the crowd (sabotage)
9. Wrap it up
• The meeting by thanking everyone for their attendances and contribution. If possible let the attendances know when the next meeting is.
10. Make sure every one is clear on the follow up action required make sure that the person taking the minutes to write them up as possible so that they can be distributed to all the attendees. Bear in mind that most of the attendees will only glance briefly at the meeting minutes or refer back to them in order to locate specific piece information.
• Agreed actions
• The people responsible for them
• Deadline if appropriate
• Date of next meeting if you agreed to arrange another
11. Common mistakes
• You shouldn’t leave the arrangements to the last minute. Plan in advance and make sure every thing is in place early and spend the time you need.
Best sources of help
12. book
• manage meetings positively : how to take change and come up with results steps to success series
London: A & C Black, 2006.
• Websites
• It –analysis .com: www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articled=3728
• and www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articleid=3729
• Vista:www.vista.uk.com/virtual_meetings.html
Types of meetings
1. Conference calls, telephone, video and conferencing.
2. Discussing the issue via email by sending messages to all relevant parties.
3. Webinars ,
Step in making it a success
1. Think carefully about whom to invite – very important people making decisions, those significantly affected by those decisions or those who have some specific knowledge to contribute, limit the numbers.
2. Provide relevant information to attendees
• Plenty of notice of the meeting’s time and venue
• Outline and circulate a draft of agenda and time on each topic
• Set objectives of the meeting ,start and end of meeting especially if you are holding a lengthy meeting asking people to drop in and out
• Relevant information documents such topics to be discussed may have to be sent to attendees publications send your contact details and others staff members such as staff in case of emergence.
3. Think about catering requirement if appropriate
• Provide lunch during long hours and asking for special dietary
4. Delegate taking minutes
• Find someone other yourself in taking minutes this makes it easier in handling the meeting.
5. Find and prepare the venue
• Other essentials required include enough tables, chairs, flip charts enough paper, there is enough light, heating or ventilation enough power points over head projector or laptop.
6. Cross check very thing is okay
• Begin on the time
• Welcome every one introduction on how to use the facilities
• Taking of mobiles phones
• Set back on the objectives of meeting
7. Keep a tight rein on the proceedings
• Making sure that attendees keep to one agenda point at a time
• Summarise at the appropriate intervals and restate agreed action points
• Firmly move the discussion forward if the subject became exhausted
8. Take control and monitor
• Make sure no one dominates the meeting by removing all small meetings in the crowd (sabotage)
9. Wrap it up
• The meeting by thanking everyone for their attendances and contribution. If possible let the attendances know when the next meeting is.
10. Make sure every one is clear on the follow up action required make sure that the person taking the minutes to write them up as possible so that they can be distributed to all the attendees. Bear in mind that most of the attendees will only glance briefly at the meeting minutes or refer back to them in order to locate specific piece information.
• Agreed actions
• The people responsible for them
• Deadline if appropriate
• Date of next meeting if you agreed to arrange another
11. Common mistakes
• You shouldn’t leave the arrangements to the last minute. Plan in advance and make sure every thing is in place early and spend the time you need.
Best sources of help
12. book
• manage meetings positively : how to take change and come up with results steps to success series
London: A & C Black, 2006.
• Websites
• It –analysis .com: www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articled=3728
• and www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articleid=3729
• Vista:www.vista.uk.com/virtual_meetings.html
50 ways to save money
Friday, 20 August 2010
British credit card holders now owe an average of £2,200 on their plastic and with retailers reporting a slump in sales not seen for two decades, it is clear that shoppers are reining in their spending. In short, it's payback time.
To clear a debt of £2,200 on a card that attracts an interest rate of around 15% will take more than two years assuming a monthly repayment of £100.
There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear the debt many times over in less than a year.
Here are This is Money's top 50 money-saving tips.
1. Change your attitude to your mortgage
The most expensive item you are ever likely to buy is your home. If you're not in the privileged position to pay cash, make sure the loan you use to finance it is the best available. For example, if you are paying your lender's full standard variable rate (SVR) you are probably paying hundreds of pounds a year more than you need to.
There are thousands of deals to choose from and while it is vital to check the small print for hidden catches, this is a relatively easy way to save a lot of money. Remember: loyalty to your bank benefits your bank, not you. Even better, if you can afford to make overpayments on your mortgage, you'll clear your debt several years early and make massive savings. For example, if you borrow £100,000 at 6% over 25 years, you'll pay it back at £643 a month. The total charge for credit will be £93,000. But if you can overpay by £100 a month you'll clear the loan in less than 19 years, giving you 6 years of mortgage-free living and saving a staggering £25,000 in interest.
Saving: £1,000s
Links: This is Money mortgage finder; mortgage calculators; mortgage guides
2. Clear your credit card debt
One of the golden rules of financial planning is to clear your most expensive debts first, in other words your credit cards. OK, credit cards offer a convenient way to pay for goods and services but if you can't clear the balance every month, consider a low-cost loan as an alternative. Do the sums: a credit card debt (APR 15%) of £2,200 over three years will cost £545 in interest. A loan at 6% will cost £209. A saving of £336.
Saving: £100s
Link: This is Money credit card finder
3. Cut the cost of your fuel bills
As the global demand for power threatens to outstrip supply, prices are rising. But that doesn't mean you need to be ripped off. The domestic market for fuel is a competitive one and you can change supplier with a few clicks of the mouse. Your new supplier will take care of the formalities - you just pay less every month.
Saving: £100
Link: Slash your fuel bills with This is Money
4. Consider installing a water meter
We take our tap water for granted. And why not? The companies behind the supply exist to make a profit, we pay them to supply water and have every right to expect it to flow from our taps. But if it doesn't rain, supply runs dry and the price goes up. So you may want to consider the possibility of installing a meter. If you have a big home with few occupants you may be surprised to learn you could halve your annual bill.
Saving: £100s
Link: water calculator
5. Cut your home phone bills
BT may seem to behave like a monopoly but it most definitely is not one. If you must use your phone there are scores of cheaper alternatives from cable companies that package your telephone, television and even broadband internet access to low-cost dial-up services that give you access to cheaper calls using your existing BT line.
Saving: £100
Link: Cut your phone bills with This is Money
6. Consider a pay-as-you go mobile
Ask yourself this: is your mobile phone absolutely necessary? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself whether you really need all those minutes and texts that come as part of your package. If you hand over £50 a month to your mobile phone company, that's £600 a year – or around £1,000 of your gross salary. But you can buy a pay-as-you-go phone for as little as £30 and only pay for the odd call as and when you need to.
Saving: £100s
Links: mobile phone deal finder
7. Make a shopping list
Food shopping forms a significant part of our monthly outgoings and the supermarket is where the bulk of the money is spent. Tesco takes £1 in every £8 spent by UK shoppers. But be warned, stores spend a small fortune studying ways of making us part with more of our money than we would otherwise intend to. Have you ever wondered why your favourite song is playing in the background as you navigate the aisles? Have you even noticed the background music? Possibly not, but you will have noticed at the checkout that the bill is often more than expected. To circumvent this, simply make a shopping list. Dig out the cookery books, plan a few meals and only buy what you need.
Saving: £10 a week = £520 a year
Link: Mysupermarket for price comparisons
8. When was the last time you went to the market?
One way to beat the supermarkets - that is, to eat healthily for less - is to use your local market stall. Lower overheads should mean lower prices. At the time of writing, cherries were on sale in Asda for £2.99 for 400g, the equivalent at the local market was going for just over £1.
Saving: £100+
9. Consider own-brand goods
You can buy a tin of Asda own-brand baked beans for 14p and a loaf bread at Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's for 19p. Enough said.
Saving: £100
Link: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's
10. Don't buy designer labels
Celebrities are given expensive clothes to wear. You're not. At the end of the day, and let's face it you may only wear the outfit once, can you justify paying hundreds of pounds over the odds because a top designer has had his or her name sewn on the label? And can you honestly say you can tell the difference at a distance between a £600 designer bag and a £9.99 one from the market? Think about it.
Saving: £100s
Link: Prada - note the total lack of prices
ASOS.com offers discounted brands
11. Sell your clutter on eBay
Take this quick test: You're at home. Open a cupboard. Look inside. If it's full of clothes you haven't worn, or 'good ideas a the time' you haven't used, for, let's say, three years - you don't need them. So why not sell them to someone else who does? Ebay, the online auction house, has opened individual sellers to a world of buyers. And you can flog anything for the cost of a small commission. Tip: you may want to buy a few items first to build up your rating as a respectable eBayer before you start selling.
Income: Will depend on what's in your cupboard
Links: www.ebay.co.uk; 'I'm making money from eBay'
12. Use your talent to earn extra cash
Let's face it, if you're not a pop star by the time you reach your 20s you're never going to be. But you may be able to use your talent as a guitarist to teach other wannabes the rudiments of the 12-bar blues.
Income: It's not unreasonable to charge £20 an hour
13. Do DIY
We're a nation of obsessive DIYers and for around £100 you can take a course at your local adult education college to improve the skills needed to tackle most household repairs. If the college runs plumbing courses you could soon be on track to wiping out costly call-out charges and extra insurance policies once and for all.
Saving: £100+
14. Shop around for the cheapest household insurance
Unless you drive – car insurance is mandatory - you don't need insurance. But it's strongly advisable. Can you afford to foot the bill if your house burns down? Probably not. Similarly, can you afford to pay over the odds for the same policy available elsewhere because you can't be bothered to shop around? Possibly, but it's not advisable. The internet has made finding cheaper insurance easy and you can compare hundreds of policies in minutes.
Saving: £100s
Link: This is Money's insurance finder
15. Don't automatically renew annual travel insurance
If your annual holiday insurance policy is about to expire and you don't have a holiday booked, DON'T renew the policy. You're handing your money over to cover an eventuality that won't happen. You wouldn't have car insurance if you didn't own a car. Simply restart the cover again the next time you book a trip.
Saving: £50
Link: This is Money's travel insurance finder
16. Choose cheaper breakdown insurance
The breakdown sector is dominated by big names such as the AA and RAC. But being towed home if your car breaks down is just another form of insurance like any other and there are scores of cheaper alternatives.
Saving: Up to £100 a year
Link: This is Money's breakdown insurance finder
17. Are you paying too much for your life insurance?
We're living longer. As a result the cost of insuring the unthinkable is getting cheaper all the time. If you were sold a policy when you took out or mortgage you may have been under too much stress to shop around. You could be missing a trick.
Saving: £100
Link: This is Money's life insurance finder
18. Book early
Low-cost airlines have created a market in holidays for people prepared to fly to any destination provided it's cheap. You can benefit from this too. Just remember, only a few seats on each flight are sold at bargain-basement prices and once they're sold, the prices rise. So book early.
Saving: £100
Link: Skyscanner - the air fares comparison site
19. Book your own 'package' holiday online
The popularity of High Street travel agents is waning as more and more people warm to the benefits of researching and putting together their own holidays on the internet. If your holiday consists of flights, accommodation, transfers and possibly car hire, then take this test. Order a brochure from a leading holiday company and work out the price of your holiday including all the complicated supplements. Now go online and, starting with the flights, try to put the same package together.
Saving: £100+
Links: This is flights, HotelClub.co.uk, Shuttle Direct, Holiday Autos
20. Learn to say 'no'
It's easy to capitulate to the demands of a screaming child in a packed Woolworths on a Saturday afternoon. But don't do it. Similarly, how often does a 'swift half' after work turn into a £40 drinking session? Saying 'no' a few times a year will do wonders for your bank account.
Saving: £100
23. Don't pay full price for theatre or theme park tickets
If you are prepared to tolerate the unwieldy website and hit-and-miss customer service, lastminute.com regularly boasts some amazing deals for London's theatres and the nation's theme parks. At the time of writing you can see top West End show The Producers plus a two-course meal for less than £20 a head, a saving of £60 per person, and tickets for Chessington World of Adventures cost from £12, a saving of nearly £50 for a day out for a family of four.
Saving: £100s
Link: www.lastminute.com
24. Beat the ticket touts
Ticket touts earn their living by getting hold of tickets that are 'otherwise unavailable'. Well, here's the news: they are available to everyone when they first go on sale. You just need to know when they go on sale. Simply sign up to for the free ticket alert newsletters from the main agents to ensure that you're first in the queue.
Saving: £100s
Links: Ticketline; Ticketmaster
25. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses
Trying to keep up appearances is little more than a costly illness. Remember, you cannot judge someone by what they have because you don't know how they got it. Chances are they're in more debt than you are.
Saving: £1,000s
Link: This is Money's guide to getting out of debt
26. Trade down your car
So, you bought an American sports utility vehicle (SUV) that nets 15 miles to the gallon on a whim. Obviously we're all very impressed – especially by the personalised number plate. But can you honestly justify the ongoing expense? If not, get rid of it. Then visit a car supermarket, where you can choose from thousands of cars at knock-down prices. If you're a true money saver, consider an ex-rental model which you can pick up for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
Saving: £1,000s
Links: Daily Mail find a car service; Cargiant
27. Ask yourself: do I really need this?
Imagine the scenario. It's lunchtime and you've got an hour to kill. You find yourself in a department store and there's a sale on. You pick up a beautifully packaged selection of barbecue tools and associated garden paraphernalia. And it's half price. Now, stop! Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Exactly. Now, put it down and walk away.
Saving: £100
Link: This is Money's money savers' guides
28. Walk/cycle to the station/work
It maybe a bit of hippie notion to many people but it's free.
Saving: £100
Link: Cycle Campaign Network
29. Get off the station before your usual stop and walk
We may be creatures of habit but isn't it worth tinkering with the routine if it's costing more than £50 a month in unnecessary fares?
Saving: £100
Link: Living Streets
30. Cut down your drinking
A few beers after work a few nights a week is a financially debilitating state of affairs. Set limits and stick to them.
Saving: £100s
Link: Calculator: Pleasures v treasures
31. Pack up smoking
Never mind the health implications, the guilt and the smell, your 20-a-day habit is costing you nearly £2,000 a year. Pack it in.
Saving: Nearly £2,000
Link: Givingupsmoking.co.uk
32. Cancel your gym membership
If you pay your £40 a month by direct debit and you use the gym three times a week, great. If not, cancel your membership immediately. You'll soon save enough to buy your own bike and, if you're so inclined, a rowing machine. Consider running home from work three times a week. It's free.
Saving: £100s
Link: Compare prices for rowing machines on Kelkoo
33. Use your library
The local library is a mecca for the money saver. You'll never need to buy another cookbook, guidebook or lifestyle manual again and if you can bear to wait a few weeks in the queue for the latest blockbuster, you never need to buy books again. CDs and videos are great value too.
Saving: £100
Link: www.whichbook.net - find a book and check if it's available at your local library
34. The three-for-two trick
Now, there's a lot to be said for buy-one-get-one-free deals, especially if they pass the 'Do I really need this?' test. Then there's three-for-twos; a particularly cynical way of stores to entice shoppers to buy an extra item they would not otherwise buy. The 'offer' is always priced into the deal so do your sums and shop around.
Saving: It's a principle at stake here
Link: Discuss deals and scams with other readers
35. Buy clothes and presents in the sales
So you need a new suit and the one you like comes in at a cool £300. Wait! The chances are that you can pick it up in the sale – and there's always a sale just around the corner – for £150. The same applies for birthday and Christmas presents. Buy in bulk in the sales and you not only save money, but you enjoy stress-free pre-Christmases and no last-minute birthday worries.
Saving: £100s
37. The Christmas lottery
Instead of trying to buy a present for every relative in your family, consider getting together beforehand and picking one name from the hat. You then buy one thoughtful gift for that one person rather than attempting to please everyone at considerable cost. Everyone gets a present, everyone saves money.
Saving: £100
38. The National Lottery – it won't be you!
The odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are stacked 14m to 1 against each ticket. Some highly organised syndicates buy 14,000 tickets a week, which reduces the odds to 1,000 to 1 - but that's no guarantee of a win. For the rest of us, the difference to the odds between buying, say, 10 tickets and one is so insignificant that you should limit yourself to the one and save the extra money in a Cash mini Isa.
Saving: £100
Link: Are you sitting on a winning ticket?
39. Use your Isa allowances
If you're not already aware, you can save up to £3,000 a year in a tax-free savings account called an Isa (for the more financially savvy there's also a stocks and shares Isa). It means you don't pay any tax on the interest accrued so, if you have spare cash in your current account, this is the difference between earning next to no interest and up to £150 a year.
Saving: £100+
Link: Best Isa rates
40. Claim your benefits and tax credits
There was once a certain stigma in Britain attached to claiming benefits. Well, not any more. The Government has put benefits at the heart of the family budget and it's your money so make sure you're claiming it. That includes Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and other employee-related tax benefits.
Saving: £100s
Link: Confused? Ask a This is Money Expert
41. How saving £50 a month now can save you £120 next year
Do you pay your insurance premiums by monthly instalments? If you do, then consider this: you are probably being charged a premium of between 15% and 20% for the privilege. In other words, if your home and car insurance bill for the year is £600, you're paying up to £120 a year in interest by paying monthly. If you are in a position this year to save up for next year's premiums in advance, you can save money by paying the whole lot in one go.
Saving: £100+
Link: This is Money's best savings rates
42. Do you need all those TV channels?
Britain is switching to digital-only television and time is running out for you to choose your new digital TV provider. The choice is already bewildering and with telephone-based services now being launched it's going to get more complicated. Packages range from full the monty, including every sports and movie channel costing around £50 a month, down to Freeview, which is free. Choose wisely.
Saving: £100+
43. Bin the ready meals
If TV chefs such as Ainsley Harriott can knock up a meal from a bag of random groceries including an aubergine and a packet of sultanas – so can you. Ready meals may be convenient, but preparing your own food saves money. A visit to your library will reveal scores of books dedicated to cooking proper meals in minutes.
Saving: £100+
44. Take up a money-saving hobby
Hobbies not only open your mind to new experiences but they also take up your time – important if you would otherwise spend it in the pub drinking away your hard-earned money. If a painting takes 20 hours to complete, and you normally get through a pint an hour. That's a saving of a least 40 quid a picture. Think about it. Get painting. Go fishing.
Saving: £100+
45. Avoid the payment protection racket
Banks and other lenders are selling expensive insurance policies to cover loan repayments to people who don't need it. Don't be a victim of the hard-sell.
Saving: £100
46. Avoid extended warranties
Electrical goods are more reliable than ever. If your new radio won't last three years perhaps it's not worth buying in the first place. Think about it: how many times has your fridge broken down in the last five years? And do you really need the hassle of claiming for repairs to a £15 toaster?
Saving: £100
Link: Read our guide to extended warranties
47. Shop online
The internet is gradually taking over. Online grocery shopping is getting better all the time and there are plenty of comparison websites to help find the best prices for bigger items. Give it a try, unless of course you like fighting your way through supermarket crowds.
Saving: Your sanity
Links: Online grocery service rated; PriceRunner - price comparison site
48. The Citizen's Advice Bureau is your friend
If your debts are out of control please seek help immediately from your local CAB – their advisers can help you work out a sensible strategy to get you back on your feet.
Saving: It could save your life
Link: Find your local CAB
49. Have I missed any money-saving ideas?
You can now add your comments to the Money Saving Overflow
Link: Find out more at 50 more ways to save money
50. Save this article or send it to a friend
Use the links at the bottom of the page to send these money-saving tips to a friend or save it for yourself for later.
Created: July 2005
Last updated: August 2006
source http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/50-ways
To clear a debt of £2,200 on a card that attracts an interest rate of around 15% will take more than two years assuming a monthly repayment of £100.
There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear the debt many times over in less than a year.
Here are This is Money's top 50 money-saving tips.
1. Change your attitude to your mortgage
The most expensive item you are ever likely to buy is your home. If you're not in the privileged position to pay cash, make sure the loan you use to finance it is the best available. For example, if you are paying your lender's full standard variable rate (SVR) you are probably paying hundreds of pounds a year more than you need to.
There are thousands of deals to choose from and while it is vital to check the small print for hidden catches, this is a relatively easy way to save a lot of money. Remember: loyalty to your bank benefits your bank, not you. Even better, if you can afford to make overpayments on your mortgage, you'll clear your debt several years early and make massive savings. For example, if you borrow £100,000 at 6% over 25 years, you'll pay it back at £643 a month. The total charge for credit will be £93,000. But if you can overpay by £100 a month you'll clear the loan in less than 19 years, giving you 6 years of mortgage-free living and saving a staggering £25,000 in interest.
Saving: £1,000s
Links: This is Money mortgage finder; mortgage calculators; mortgage guides
2. Clear your credit card debt
One of the golden rules of financial planning is to clear your most expensive debts first, in other words your credit cards. OK, credit cards offer a convenient way to pay for goods and services but if you can't clear the balance every month, consider a low-cost loan as an alternative. Do the sums: a credit card debt (APR 15%) of £2,200 over three years will cost £545 in interest. A loan at 6% will cost £209. A saving of £336.
Saving: £100s
Link: This is Money credit card finder
3. Cut the cost of your fuel bills
As the global demand for power threatens to outstrip supply, prices are rising. But that doesn't mean you need to be ripped off. The domestic market for fuel is a competitive one and you can change supplier with a few clicks of the mouse. Your new supplier will take care of the formalities - you just pay less every month.
Saving: £100
Link: Slash your fuel bills with This is Money
4. Consider installing a water meter
We take our tap water for granted. And why not? The companies behind the supply exist to make a profit, we pay them to supply water and have every right to expect it to flow from our taps. But if it doesn't rain, supply runs dry and the price goes up. So you may want to consider the possibility of installing a meter. If you have a big home with few occupants you may be surprised to learn you could halve your annual bill.
Saving: £100s
Link: water calculator
5. Cut your home phone bills
BT may seem to behave like a monopoly but it most definitely is not one. If you must use your phone there are scores of cheaper alternatives from cable companies that package your telephone, television and even broadband internet access to low-cost dial-up services that give you access to cheaper calls using your existing BT line.
Saving: £100
Link: Cut your phone bills with This is Money
6. Consider a pay-as-you go mobile
Ask yourself this: is your mobile phone absolutely necessary? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself whether you really need all those minutes and texts that come as part of your package. If you hand over £50 a month to your mobile phone company, that's £600 a year – or around £1,000 of your gross salary. But you can buy a pay-as-you-go phone for as little as £30 and only pay for the odd call as and when you need to.
Saving: £100s
Links: mobile phone deal finder
7. Make a shopping list
Food shopping forms a significant part of our monthly outgoings and the supermarket is where the bulk of the money is spent. Tesco takes £1 in every £8 spent by UK shoppers. But be warned, stores spend a small fortune studying ways of making us part with more of our money than we would otherwise intend to. Have you ever wondered why your favourite song is playing in the background as you navigate the aisles? Have you even noticed the background music? Possibly not, but you will have noticed at the checkout that the bill is often more than expected. To circumvent this, simply make a shopping list. Dig out the cookery books, plan a few meals and only buy what you need.
Saving: £10 a week = £520 a year
Link: Mysupermarket for price comparisons
8. When was the last time you went to the market?
One way to beat the supermarkets - that is, to eat healthily for less - is to use your local market stall. Lower overheads should mean lower prices. At the time of writing, cherries were on sale in Asda for £2.99 for 400g, the equivalent at the local market was going for just over £1.
Saving: £100+
9. Consider own-brand goods
You can buy a tin of Asda own-brand baked beans for 14p and a loaf bread at Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's for 19p. Enough said.
Saving: £100
Link: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's
10. Don't buy designer labels
Celebrities are given expensive clothes to wear. You're not. At the end of the day, and let's face it you may only wear the outfit once, can you justify paying hundreds of pounds over the odds because a top designer has had his or her name sewn on the label? And can you honestly say you can tell the difference at a distance between a £600 designer bag and a £9.99 one from the market? Think about it.
Saving: £100s
Link: Prada - note the total lack of prices
ASOS.com offers discounted brands
11. Sell your clutter on eBay
Take this quick test: You're at home. Open a cupboard. Look inside. If it's full of clothes you haven't worn, or 'good ideas a the time' you haven't used, for, let's say, three years - you don't need them. So why not sell them to someone else who does? Ebay, the online auction house, has opened individual sellers to a world of buyers. And you can flog anything for the cost of a small commission. Tip: you may want to buy a few items first to build up your rating as a respectable eBayer before you start selling.
Income: Will depend on what's in your cupboard
Links: www.ebay.co.uk; 'I'm making money from eBay'
12. Use your talent to earn extra cash
Let's face it, if you're not a pop star by the time you reach your 20s you're never going to be. But you may be able to use your talent as a guitarist to teach other wannabes the rudiments of the 12-bar blues.
Income: It's not unreasonable to charge £20 an hour
13. Do DIY
We're a nation of obsessive DIYers and for around £100 you can take a course at your local adult education college to improve the skills needed to tackle most household repairs. If the college runs plumbing courses you could soon be on track to wiping out costly call-out charges and extra insurance policies once and for all.
Saving: £100+
14. Shop around for the cheapest household insurance
Unless you drive – car insurance is mandatory - you don't need insurance. But it's strongly advisable. Can you afford to foot the bill if your house burns down? Probably not. Similarly, can you afford to pay over the odds for the same policy available elsewhere because you can't be bothered to shop around? Possibly, but it's not advisable. The internet has made finding cheaper insurance easy and you can compare hundreds of policies in minutes.
Saving: £100s
Link: This is Money's insurance finder
15. Don't automatically renew annual travel insurance
If your annual holiday insurance policy is about to expire and you don't have a holiday booked, DON'T renew the policy. You're handing your money over to cover an eventuality that won't happen. You wouldn't have car insurance if you didn't own a car. Simply restart the cover again the next time you book a trip.
Saving: £50
Link: This is Money's travel insurance finder
16. Choose cheaper breakdown insurance
The breakdown sector is dominated by big names such as the AA and RAC. But being towed home if your car breaks down is just another form of insurance like any other and there are scores of cheaper alternatives.
Saving: Up to £100 a year
Link: This is Money's breakdown insurance finder
17. Are you paying too much for your life insurance?
We're living longer. As a result the cost of insuring the unthinkable is getting cheaper all the time. If you were sold a policy when you took out or mortgage you may have been under too much stress to shop around. You could be missing a trick.
Saving: £100
Link: This is Money's life insurance finder
18. Book early
Low-cost airlines have created a market in holidays for people prepared to fly to any destination provided it's cheap. You can benefit from this too. Just remember, only a few seats on each flight are sold at bargain-basement prices and once they're sold, the prices rise. So book early.
Saving: £100
Link: Skyscanner - the air fares comparison site
19. Book your own 'package' holiday online
The popularity of High Street travel agents is waning as more and more people warm to the benefits of researching and putting together their own holidays on the internet. If your holiday consists of flights, accommodation, transfers and possibly car hire, then take this test. Order a brochure from a leading holiday company and work out the price of your holiday including all the complicated supplements. Now go online and, starting with the flights, try to put the same package together.
Saving: £100+
Links: This is flights, HotelClub.co.uk, Shuttle Direct, Holiday Autos
20. Learn to say 'no'
It's easy to capitulate to the demands of a screaming child in a packed Woolworths on a Saturday afternoon. But don't do it. Similarly, how often does a 'swift half' after work turn into a £40 drinking session? Saying 'no' a few times a year will do wonders for your bank account.
Saving: £100
23. Don't pay full price for theatre or theme park tickets
If you are prepared to tolerate the unwieldy website and hit-and-miss customer service, lastminute.com regularly boasts some amazing deals for London's theatres and the nation's theme parks. At the time of writing you can see top West End show The Producers plus a two-course meal for less than £20 a head, a saving of £60 per person, and tickets for Chessington World of Adventures cost from £12, a saving of nearly £50 for a day out for a family of four.
Saving: £100s
Link: www.lastminute.com
24. Beat the ticket touts
Ticket touts earn their living by getting hold of tickets that are 'otherwise unavailable'. Well, here's the news: they are available to everyone when they first go on sale. You just need to know when they go on sale. Simply sign up to for the free ticket alert newsletters from the main agents to ensure that you're first in the queue.
Saving: £100s
Links: Ticketline; Ticketmaster
25. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses
Trying to keep up appearances is little more than a costly illness. Remember, you cannot judge someone by what they have because you don't know how they got it. Chances are they're in more debt than you are.
Saving: £1,000s
Link: This is Money's guide to getting out of debt
26. Trade down your car
So, you bought an American sports utility vehicle (SUV) that nets 15 miles to the gallon on a whim. Obviously we're all very impressed – especially by the personalised number plate. But can you honestly justify the ongoing expense? If not, get rid of it. Then visit a car supermarket, where you can choose from thousands of cars at knock-down prices. If you're a true money saver, consider an ex-rental model which you can pick up for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
Saving: £1,000s
Links: Daily Mail find a car service; Cargiant
27. Ask yourself: do I really need this?
Imagine the scenario. It's lunchtime and you've got an hour to kill. You find yourself in a department store and there's a sale on. You pick up a beautifully packaged selection of barbecue tools and associated garden paraphernalia. And it's half price. Now, stop! Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Exactly. Now, put it down and walk away.
Saving: £100
Link: This is Money's money savers' guides
28. Walk/cycle to the station/work
It maybe a bit of hippie notion to many people but it's free.
Saving: £100
Link: Cycle Campaign Network
29. Get off the station before your usual stop and walk
We may be creatures of habit but isn't it worth tinkering with the routine if it's costing more than £50 a month in unnecessary fares?
Saving: £100
Link: Living Streets
30. Cut down your drinking
A few beers after work a few nights a week is a financially debilitating state of affairs. Set limits and stick to them.
Saving: £100s
Link: Calculator: Pleasures v treasures
31. Pack up smoking
Never mind the health implications, the guilt and the smell, your 20-a-day habit is costing you nearly £2,000 a year. Pack it in.
Saving: Nearly £2,000
Link: Givingupsmoking.co.uk
32. Cancel your gym membership
If you pay your £40 a month by direct debit and you use the gym three times a week, great. If not, cancel your membership immediately. You'll soon save enough to buy your own bike and, if you're so inclined, a rowing machine. Consider running home from work three times a week. It's free.
Saving: £100s
Link: Compare prices for rowing machines on Kelkoo
33. Use your library
The local library is a mecca for the money saver. You'll never need to buy another cookbook, guidebook or lifestyle manual again and if you can bear to wait a few weeks in the queue for the latest blockbuster, you never need to buy books again. CDs and videos are great value too.
Saving: £100
Link: www.whichbook.net - find a book and check if it's available at your local library
34. The three-for-two trick
Now, there's a lot to be said for buy-one-get-one-free deals, especially if they pass the 'Do I really need this?' test. Then there's three-for-twos; a particularly cynical way of stores to entice shoppers to buy an extra item they would not otherwise buy. The 'offer' is always priced into the deal so do your sums and shop around.
Saving: It's a principle at stake here
Link: Discuss deals and scams with other readers
35. Buy clothes and presents in the sales
So you need a new suit and the one you like comes in at a cool £300. Wait! The chances are that you can pick it up in the sale – and there's always a sale just around the corner – for £150. The same applies for birthday and Christmas presents. Buy in bulk in the sales and you not only save money, but you enjoy stress-free pre-Christmases and no last-minute birthday worries.
Saving: £100s
37. The Christmas lottery
Instead of trying to buy a present for every relative in your family, consider getting together beforehand and picking one name from the hat. You then buy one thoughtful gift for that one person rather than attempting to please everyone at considerable cost. Everyone gets a present, everyone saves money.
Saving: £100
38. The National Lottery – it won't be you!
The odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are stacked 14m to 1 against each ticket. Some highly organised syndicates buy 14,000 tickets a week, which reduces the odds to 1,000 to 1 - but that's no guarantee of a win. For the rest of us, the difference to the odds between buying, say, 10 tickets and one is so insignificant that you should limit yourself to the one and save the extra money in a Cash mini Isa.
Saving: £100
Link: Are you sitting on a winning ticket?
39. Use your Isa allowances
If you're not already aware, you can save up to £3,000 a year in a tax-free savings account called an Isa (for the more financially savvy there's also a stocks and shares Isa). It means you don't pay any tax on the interest accrued so, if you have spare cash in your current account, this is the difference between earning next to no interest and up to £150 a year.
Saving: £100+
Link: Best Isa rates
40. Claim your benefits and tax credits
There was once a certain stigma in Britain attached to claiming benefits. Well, not any more. The Government has put benefits at the heart of the family budget and it's your money so make sure you're claiming it. That includes Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and other employee-related tax benefits.
Saving: £100s
Link: Confused? Ask a This is Money Expert
41. How saving £50 a month now can save you £120 next year
Do you pay your insurance premiums by monthly instalments? If you do, then consider this: you are probably being charged a premium of between 15% and 20% for the privilege. In other words, if your home and car insurance bill for the year is £600, you're paying up to £120 a year in interest by paying monthly. If you are in a position this year to save up for next year's premiums in advance, you can save money by paying the whole lot in one go.
Saving: £100+
Link: This is Money's best savings rates
42. Do you need all those TV channels?
Britain is switching to digital-only television and time is running out for you to choose your new digital TV provider. The choice is already bewildering and with telephone-based services now being launched it's going to get more complicated. Packages range from full the monty, including every sports and movie channel costing around £50 a month, down to Freeview, which is free. Choose wisely.
Saving: £100+
43. Bin the ready meals
If TV chefs such as Ainsley Harriott can knock up a meal from a bag of random groceries including an aubergine and a packet of sultanas – so can you. Ready meals may be convenient, but preparing your own food saves money. A visit to your library will reveal scores of books dedicated to cooking proper meals in minutes.
Saving: £100+
44. Take up a money-saving hobby
Hobbies not only open your mind to new experiences but they also take up your time – important if you would otherwise spend it in the pub drinking away your hard-earned money. If a painting takes 20 hours to complete, and you normally get through a pint an hour. That's a saving of a least 40 quid a picture. Think about it. Get painting. Go fishing.
Saving: £100+
45. Avoid the payment protection racket
Banks and other lenders are selling expensive insurance policies to cover loan repayments to people who don't need it. Don't be a victim of the hard-sell.
Saving: £100
46. Avoid extended warranties
Electrical goods are more reliable than ever. If your new radio won't last three years perhaps it's not worth buying in the first place. Think about it: how many times has your fridge broken down in the last five years? And do you really need the hassle of claiming for repairs to a £15 toaster?
Saving: £100
Link: Read our guide to extended warranties
47. Shop online
The internet is gradually taking over. Online grocery shopping is getting better all the time and there are plenty of comparison websites to help find the best prices for bigger items. Give it a try, unless of course you like fighting your way through supermarket crowds.
Saving: Your sanity
Links: Online grocery service rated; PriceRunner - price comparison site
48. The Citizen's Advice Bureau is your friend
If your debts are out of control please seek help immediately from your local CAB – their advisers can help you work out a sensible strategy to get you back on your feet.
Saving: It could save your life
Link: Find your local CAB
49. Have I missed any money-saving ideas?
You can now add your comments to the Money Saving Overflow
Link: Find out more at 50 more ways to save money
50. Save this article or send it to a friend
Use the links at the bottom of the page to send these money-saving tips to a friend or save it for yourself for later.
Created: July 2005
Last updated: August 2006
source http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/50-ways
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