Plan your meals ahead
If you have less money to spend on food, plan your meals a few days ahead, make a list before you go shopping and stick to it so you don’t buy too much.
Short messages on Finance and money issues from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
APR stands for the Annual Percentage Rate of charge. You can use it to compare different credit and loan offers. The APR takes into account not just the interest on the loan but also other charges you have to pay, for example, any arrangement fee. All lenders have to tell you what their APR is before you sign an agreement. It will vary from lender to lender.
If you borrow money at a 5% interest rate for a year, it will cost you 5% of the amount borrowed to do so. This will need to be repaid along with the original money you borrowed.
British Gas, EDF and Npower all have Energy Trust schemes for their account holders in hardship, which award grants to help those struggling to clear gas and electricity debts.
Installing and correctly using a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves could save £70-£150 and 310kg to 630kg carbon dioxide a year.
Turn down your room thermostat by one degree: save around £75 and 310kg carbon dioxide a year.