Dont waste your free texts

Contract mobile phone users routinely fail to get the most suitable deal. Research from the price comparison website omio.com has found that 47% of phone users use less than half their contracted talk minutes and text, rising to 82% of contract users. This is made worse by the loyalty packages offered to customers that usually involve yet more free minutes and texts, says Matthew Wheeler of Omio.com in The Independent on Sunday. Rather than accepting more freebies you aren't going to use, ask for a reduction on your bill, or shop around for a deal that does suit you.



Get what you're owed.

As much as £9.9bn of tax credits and other means-tested benefits went unclaimed last year, says Melanie Wright in The Sunday Telegraph. It's well worth checking if you are missing out, especially if you are a pensioner. Almost half of all those over 65 are entitled to some form of pension credit. But act quickly. From 6th October those applying for pension credit, housing benefit or council tax benefit will only be able to have their claims backdated for three months, rather than a year.



Rent out your parking space.

if you have a garage or driveway but no car, consider renting them out. You can let your garage through a property-letting agent if you live in a major city, says Jasmine Birtles on Moneymagpie.com, or you can place advertisements in newspapers or on website such as parkatmyhouse.com. Contact a few local letting agencies who should be able to give you an idea of what to charge.

Collect coupons.

As the credit crunch bites, newspapers and websites are awash with coupons to save you money at the supermarket, says Martin Lewis on MoneySavingExpert.com. Visit Moneysavingexpert.com/tipnote/supermarket-coupons, where Lewis is rounding up all the latest coupons on anything from dog food to nappies, so you can just click, print and save.

Get Cheap Electricals

You can get the latest electrical goods at knock-down prices from Clearance-comet.co.uk, says the Daily Express. The auction site sells Comet's clearance items at significantly reduced prices. Items are on the site because they are end-of-line, ex-display, scratched, dented used, returned or refurbished. But all are in full working order and come with a one-year guarantee. Cookers and washing machines often sell for half the original store price on the site. Its well worth checking the site before forking out the full-price for an item, especially as some items are brand new and still in their boxes.