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Top money saving tips

Follow our tips below to help you save money.

You can also view festive money saving tips, on the NI Direct website, to help keep your spending under control this Christmas.

1. Save on heating costs

• Turn your thermostat down by 1°C
  Save up to £65 on your heating bill.

• Fit energy saving glazing
  Save around £140 per year.

• Replace your boiler
  Consider getting a condensing boiler as they are the most energy efficient on the market and you could save around £170 per year.

• Insulate your home
  Insulate cavity walls, lofts, tanks and pipes. Use draft excluders and curtains to stop heat escaping.

More ideas on how to cut your energy bills
Find energy saving grants and discounts

2. Save on electricity costs

• Don't leave your appliances on standby
  Save up to £37 per year – check standby costs
  

• Use energy saving lightbulbs
  Save up to £50 per year.

• Use energy efficient appliances
  Choose energy efficient appliances when it's time to replace your old ones. Look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo to find the most energy efficient products on the market.

3. Save on car costs

• Save fuel
  Cut your speed, turn off the air conditioning, keep your tyres fully inflated and take off the roof rack if you're not using it.

• Car sharing
  Car sharing can help to reduce petrol, car maintenance and parking costs. Check how much you could save by using Car Share NI's cost calculator

• Use public transport
  Translink offer reduced travel fares such as their Metro Smartlink tickets and travel cards. Seniors citizens (60 and over) can travel for free.

• Alternative travel
  Cut the cost of travel by walking the children to school or cycling to work.

4. Reduce, reuse and recycle

• Avoid food waste
  The average UK household spends approximately £680 a year on food that ends up in the bin. Tips to reduce food waste

• Sell your old stuff
  If you want to de-clutter your house, and make some money at the same time, why not take part in a car boot sale, use buy and sell websites or sell your goods in your local free paper?

• Reuse items
  Reuse items such as wrapping paper and gift bags. Also, why not swap magazines and books with friends?

• Join the library
  Borrow books, CDs and DVDs for free. Libraries also offer free computer and Internet access. Join the library online

• Reusable shopping bag
  Some shops now charge for plastic bags so make sure to take a reusable shopping bag with you when you go shopping. Some shops also reward you for reusing bags.

• Home composters
  If you're a keen gardener, make your own compost and save money. Home composters are used to recycle garden waste and some food waste. You can buy one of our composters online for just £5.

• Switch to Direct Debit and paperless billing
  The cheapest way to pay your energy bills is by monthly Direct Debit. Many energy companies offer discounts to customers who agree to pay this way. Another way to cut down on your costs is with paperless billing. Speak to your energy company to see if they provide discounts.

5. Help with paying rates

You may be eligible for allowances or reliefs from the Land and Property Services – these reduce the amount of rates owed.

• If you're aged 70 or older and living alone, you can get a 20% reduction on your rates through the Lone Pensioner Allowance.

• Disabled Persons Allowance gives a 25% reduction in rates for any household where a person with a disability lives and where the property has been adapted or additional facilities added.

• If you're a householder on a low income, or in receipt of certain benefits, you can apply for Housing Benefit, even if you own your home (if you have savings of less than £16,000).

• The Rates Deferment Scheme allows anyone over 60 with at least 40% equity in their home to defer their rates for up to 30 years.

You can find further details at www.nidirect.gov.uk/rates or by phoning 0300 200 7801.

6. Be healthy

• Stop smoking
  Stop smoking and save thousands of pounds a year, as well as improving your health. A 20-a-day habit can cost you nearly £2,000 a year.
  
  Get help and advice from www.nhs.uk/smokefree, by calling the Smokers' Helpline on 0800 858 585 or by talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

7. Shopping

• Always make a shopping list
  A shopping list can help stop you buying more than you need.

• Shop around and compare prices online
  Compare oil prices
  Compare petrol and diesel prices
  Compare gas and electricity prices

• Loyalty cards
  Many shops offer points everytime you buy something. These points can then be used to pay for your shopping when you've collected enough.

• Vouchers
  Keep an eye out for money off vouchers in magazines and on websites.

• Buy secondhand goods
  You can buy books, cds and dvds from charity shops.

8. Free events and stuff to do

We've pulled together a range of things you and your family can do for free

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Useful links

• Energy Savings Trust - useful tips to help cut your energy bills
• Being green - lots of tips and ideas on living a greener lifestyle and saving money at the same time
• Love Food Hate Waste - recipes to use up your leftovers