Have you set aside money for a rainy day?  In many Irish households, there is very little chance of setting aside a regular amount of money into a savings account.  In fact, we all seem to be living from pay packet to pay packet. In this current economic climate, for many, the days of saving for a rainy day are over.

You may be able to change that, if you look at your current spending habits and see where there are any areas that you can make savings.  Plan your spending in advance so that you are only making necessary purchases and not frivolously throwing your money away.

There are a number of areas that you might not be aware of how much money you could make savings.  Although they will seem very obvious, take this opportunity to sit and write out what you spend your money on and see if there are any areas you could cut down on.  Keep track of your income and expenditure using the free online tool at BillsManager.com.   This will help you to budget all your household costs.

Bring your lunch into college or work.  Treat yourself once a fortnight; you will be amazed at how much money you will save.  Stop buying takeaway tea or coffee, buy a good travel mug and make your own tea or coffee to bring with you.

When embarking on the weekly shopping trip, always make a shopping list and stick to it.  Think about switching some of the branded products to store’s own brand.  Stop buying books.  Join your local library where you will have access to every book you could possibly want.  In fact you can also borrow CDs and DVDs and as many as 12 items at a time on an adult membership and best of all membership is free!