So, Valentine’s day is nearly here and the shops are bombarding us with all the things we “should” be buying in order to show our loved ones just how special they are; because clearly no one will know how special they are unless they have been gifted an overpriced heart shaped box of chocolates, a cuddly toy too big to fit anywhere in the house and a tacky cupid emblazoned card complete with insipidly sweet sentiment of just how amazing and gorgeous said person is!

And the worst thing about all this valentines tat? It comes at a price.

Image by: danielmoyle

If you too are wishing Valentine’s day would just disappear off the calendar because you simply can’t afford to buy into this stupid sickly sweet, hearts and roses, nonsense of a  day so soon after Christmas, (but your other half has a different idea) then we are here for you!

There is no need to spend an arm and a leg to show your other half how much you love them (because that is the point of Valentine’s day right? Not chocolate and roses) here are a few tips for getting through Valentine’s Day on a budget:

Discount vouchers

Now this may seem like a bit of a cheat but there are many Valentine’s day dinner worthy restaurants that offer discount vouchers online, why pay full price for a dinner out just because it is Valentine’s day when you can get two meals for the price of one.

If your other half doesn’t think you should be using vouchers for your special dinner, just point out that the money you will save means you can take them to the cinema too (which you can find vouchers for as well of course).

Free dates

If a special date is what your other half values most about Valentine’s Day and you simply can’t afford a nice meal (even with the wondrous discount vouchers) there is no need to panic.  There are plenty of options for a special Valentine’s Day date that you can take your special someone on, and it’s absolutely free.

If your Valentine is an outdoors type (and it isn’t raining) plan a special walk in the park, hike in the woods or a picnic on the beach. If they are the cultural type you can take them to a free art exhibition or for a day visiting museums or a poetry reading.

Does this all sound awful to you? Good… your other half will appreciate the gesture all the more if the activity is one they normally have to drag you to kicking and screaming.

A special night in

No… a special night in is not just a way to be lazy and not bother taking your other half out for a romantic night; at least it isn’t if you do it right! Choose a DVD to watch, but don’t choose one you will enjoy, choose the one that never comes off the shelf because you hate it so much you will never let them watch it.

Then either cook their favourite meal for them, or if cooking is just too much like hard work or would result in them having food poisoning, get the take away menu out. Again, the choice of take away menu is what takes this option from being the lazy way out to being a thoughtful gesture; make sure you choose their absolute favourite even if you hate it.

Then all you need is to arrange some comfy pillows, light some atmospheric candles and Bob’s-your-uncle, you have a special and not at all lazy special night in.

Make your gift

Now that you have saved all that money on your Valentine’s date you could in theory buy a super amazing present… or you could spend minimal money and make one instead!

Here is a little secret the shops don’t tell you, your Valentine will appreciate a thoughtful handmade gift more than a generic box of chocolates or fluffy teddy. This however is not true of ladies and flowers, all women love to get flowers, I’m not sure why. It is just the way we are made.

But you don’t need to buy the flowers; if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where flowers are growing freely a lovely bunch of handpicked flowers would be perfect (and free!).

Say I love you

Unfortunately one thing you can’t avoid on this wonderful day of love and romance is being a little bit sappy. It is after all the whole point of the day. But the best thing is, saying ‘I love you’ is completely free!

Finding adorable and cute ways to say I love you all day long could even be enough to allow you to not bother with all the rest of the Valentine’s Day guff.

Here are a few ideas; you could write it on the mirror for them to see when they step out of the shower, you could write it on a note and slip it in their wallet/purse to find when they buy their lunch. You could steal the newspaper they take to read on their commute and write it over their horoscope (If they bellieve in that sort of thing).

So there you have it a few simple tips to get through Valentine’s Day without having to shell out a fortune, or even put it that much effort!

Do you have any great ideas for a great Valentine’s Day? Let us know below!

Image by: o5com

The recession has hit everyone hard. From individual people to businesses, everyone is feeling the pinch. Today we are going to look towards a more business orientated view of some money saving options that every business should be looking into.

First up is taxes, perhaps the bain of every small business. There are measures that can be taken to help lower these outgoings.

• Stock valuation – Stock is normally valued at cost, but can be valued at net realisable value if this is a lower figure. If you have stock which can be valued on this basis then this will reduce your tax bill.
• Company cars – You can claim 100% capital allowances for cars which have CO2 emissions of 120g/km or less. Such cars will also produce lower taxable benefits for employees who have company cars.
• Fuel/water efficent equipment – As for cars, if you buy energy/water saving equipment, then 100% tax allowances can be claimed.

These are just a few examples of some commonly overlooked tax breaks that are available to everyone. The next points to look at are how to market your company on a budget. Marketing may take a huge part of your budget but there are ways of obtaining excellent results with a bit of research and thought.

• Embrace web 2.0 – Social networking websites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are all the rage and are being used by businesses to promote their products and services. A group on Facebook, for example, allows you to network with people looking for the sort of thing your business is offering. Use it to promote your offerings and keep people up to date with the latest content on your website. You could also consider posting promotional videos on sites such as YouTube.
• Share your expertise – There are always thousands of events which need speakers, and publications which need content, so why not offer your expertise? Seek out events and exhibitions focusing on your sector and contact the organisers about being a speaker. Similarly, publications – particularly local ones – will generally be happy to consider articles. Find out the names of local journalists on the publication’s website and get in touch. And if you are particularly knowledgeable sign up to media contact agencies which put journalists in touch with experts in particular fields.
• Testimonials – If you’ve got lots of happy customers, shout about it! Get them to give you a quote saying why they liked your product or service and put it on your website or promotional literature. You should also consider fuller case studies which new customers can read to find out how great your company is. Whatever you do though, don’t make up testimonials. You will get found out!

Web 2.0 and social media engagement are becoming very important in today’s business markets, but to look at a more technical view point, the efficiency of your entire business platform is of the utmost importance. Application modernization is an important process which many businesses are taking advantage of as budgets are slashed. The video below gives a brief explanation of the process.

When it comes down to the brass tacs it is up to you as the business owner to look after its financial affairs. To finish-off, here are some simple but necessary points that every business should be taking care of during this time of the recession.

• Keep on top of your bookkeeping – Don’t be tempted to put-off your paperwork, otherwise you risk forgetting crucial costs or even worse failing to invoice a customer.
• Use technology to help – Do your banking online, it saves time and money. Make sure you check all your bank statements and don’t go over your authorised bank balance limits.
• Make sure you pay yourself and your staff on time – And keep accurate records. Cut down on hassle and worry by keeping up-to-date with tax and national insurance payments.
• Golden rule – Cash is king when you start a business, so plan ahead. Anticipate key costs and save time by scheduling recurring invoices and purchases. This will help you to plan your cash flow and keep good relationships with your key suppliers

I hope that some of these tips will help or make you think about where your business is going, and create a mini-checklist to go through to ensure that you are saving as much as possible in these penny pinching times.

What do you think of our money saving ideas? Do you have any top tips that you can share here? Let us know in the comments section below.

Image via Mike Knell

Both super markets and high street stores are reporting a surge in their Christmas saving schemes. The idea is that you’re supposed to save up all year then the store adds up to a 10% bonus. The schemes vary from store to store with some only allowing you to redeem your savings or stamps at set times and others will let you spend any time.  Obviously the real advantage to these schemes is the bonus that you receive at the end, normally a month or 2 before Christmas.

This might sound all good and well but remember this isn’t the store being super generous. The store will earn interest on your money and eventually give you a bit back; it also ensures that the store has secured your custom. Some stores also require you to spend your entire saving in one lump or you’ll lose the rest – therefore you will need to do some careful Christmas planning.

The other very important factor to understand is that these schemes do not have protection like saving your money in a bank. There have been a few high profile examples of these companies going bust and savers losing everything. If you are looking to save a large amount of money over the entire year it’s probably best to save it in a saving account. If however you are looking to have a smaller amount of money over a shorter period of time the risk of a large supermarket going bust is much reduced. Just don’t lose your saving card!

If you are feeling the pinch this festive period then you could look into a Christmas saver scheme or think of cheaper ways of giving gifts. Handmade gifts are a great way to save money but also give a more meaningful present. Checkout channel 4 on Wednesday at 8pm for the new series of Kirsties’s Homemade Britain for some inspiration!

Picture by Images_of_Money

When you’re already strapped for cash there is one utterly soul destroying event that can come out of the blue and ruin your day and the rest of the month. I am of course talking about bank charges. It’s easier than you might think to get a charge slapped onto your account. The most common reason: going over your overdraft limit.

Just one penny into the red (or over your agreed limit) will incur an average fine of around £30, which if your finances are already stretched as far as the horizon, will only help your money woes spiral out of control. It’s important to know your rights with the banks. Reading the small print is always a good idea, but you should also know where you stand  if you think you’ve been unfairly charged.

In these times of bare cupboards and moths living in your wallet, here are some simple money saving tips so you’ll hopefully  avoid catastrophe:

1. Be a Scrooge – he’s not just the tight-fisted principal character in Charles Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol, it’s a way of life. If you’re as fastidious with money as old Ebenezer you’ll know where every penny is and where it’s going. But if you get visited by three spooks at Christmas, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

2. Eat cheap – Make a shopping list. If you plan what meals you’re going to make before you go shopping and stick to the plan, you’ll save an average of £520 per year. Comparing the price of certain products from different supermarkets  will save you money, it’s worth the extra time . If you stick to own-brand stuff, you could save as much as £1800 per year. Need I say more?

3. Sell! Sell! Sell! – Do you see that wardrobe full of clothes you never wear? Sell them on an online auction. A few pence for a t-shirt is better than nothing for it going in the bin.

4. Out of puff – There are plenty of reasons to quit smoking, but did you know that 20-a-day habit is costing you around £2000 a year?

5. Work it out – Working up a good sweat two or three times a week is good for the soul, but a gym membership will cost an average of £40 a month. You could just save the money and buy a bike.

6. Cash ISA  – You can invest up to £3000 per year in your personal ISA, and the great thing is it’s tax-free. What does that mean? You don’t pay tax on the interest, so if you squeeze a little out of your current account every month, it’ll generate up to £150 a year.

Do you have any advice on how to cope with a personal debt crisis? Tell us in our comments section.

As everyone tries to find ways to save money and be environmentally friendly, Brazilian advertisers have taken the bold step of trying to encourage people to pee in the shower as a way of conserving water.

On the face of it, this is a simple logical idea to help save water by reducing the number of flushes, and could be a way of saving a few pennies as households with water meters spend a penny.  According to Ananova, Metro has reported that, “if a household avoids one flush a day, it can save up to 4,380 litres of water annually”.  However following the furore which blew up a few years ago following a situation Big Brother (pardon my swearing) when one contestant was appalled by anothers use of the shower as a loo and the fact that there appears to be some healthy online debate on the subject (http://isitnormal.com/story/roomate-urinate-in-shower-3279/ ) including questions being asked on Yahoo! Answers, on whether this behaviour is normal, it seems unlikely that it will catch on outside of Brazil.

For anyone who can get past the social mores which dictate that you do not wee in the shower, the Guardian has even come up with a set of etiquette rules to ensure you are never rude when not tinkling in the toilet.

As an old dinosaur myself who currently does not have a water meter , I think I will try to focus on saving money by finding better finance deals, keep an eye on my credit card spending and vow to never use anyone elses shower again.