Piggy Bank is a not-for-profit site dedicated to helping you save money and live more sustainably. You'll find our site packed full of useful ideas, tips and suggestions on how to save money on a vast range of everyday goods and services including books, clothing, fuel bills, water bills, driving and mobile phones.

Our site is free and easy to use and you do not have to register with us.

Natural air conditioning Some of the worst air quality is to be found in the home. Plants filter out many air impurities and give off oxygen, so why not grow a few indoors? The green spider plant, peace lily and philodendrons are particularly good air filters (source: FoE).

The very best air freshener? Fresh air! Open the window for a while - its free. Air fresheners do not contain fresh air, but many contain toxins.

Did you know? There are many ways to obtain free stuff. For example, many of the large washing and shampoo manufacturers offer freebies from time to time. Try typing in their names in Google and 'free sample'. See our freebies section!

Lift sharing is becoming especially popular with escalating fuel costs and 'two-person only' lanes on major roads. Car-sharing not only reduces carbon dioxide emissions - it is also an excellent way of saving money. Visit our driving section for more ways to save money on motoring.

Pause for thought! The four-day rule works. If you are about to buy something which isn't a necessity, and you have a niggling voice somewhere whispering to you, listen to it. Wait four days before you make the purchase. That gives you enough time to compare prices elsewhere, or to come up with an alternative, or even to decide that you didn't need it after all. Don't be careless with spare pennies They clutter up your pockets and purse and often get thrown in a drawer or lost. Try collecting them up in a piggy bank and then when it is full go and exchange them for pounds instead.

 

"Today, there are three kinds of people: the have's, the have-not's, and the have-not-paid-for-what-they-have's.” - Earl Wilson

Did you know? Almost a billion pounds of electricity is wasted in the UK every year by people leaving appliances on standby! Energy saving electrical devices can save you money around the home and office, and also help to reduce carbon emissions. In most cases, the initial cost of the device is recovered in savings within a short timeframe.

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” - Benjamin Franklin

Save water and cut your water bills Rain water is free! Water butts are inexpensive and gather huge amounts of water for your garden.

Avoid paying full price for cinema tickets Many cinemas offer cheap weekend or daytime prices, and if you know someone with an Orange mobile phone you can get 2-for-1 tickets on Wednesdays.

Remember to take your own sweets and drinks to the cinema to avoid paying their own high prices!

 

Can't find credit or store cards listed on our site? That's because we don't believe in them! Many of these cards charge very high rates of interest. If you do have one of these cards always try to pay it off in full before interest is added. Try leaving your credit card at home when you next go out shopping.

“Creditors have better memories than debtors.” - Benjamin Franklin

Write your own Will Wills.org.uk allows you to write your own fully legal Will online without the expense of a solicitor.

There is no such thing as 0% interest! Whenever you see 0% interest advertised, it just means that the cost of the interest is already included in the purchase price. If you are able to pay cash then ask for this money back.

“A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.” - Bob Hope

Have a clear out: Make money by selling all your unwanted gifts, clothes and accessories on eBay. Local newspapers have pages of small ads for items people don't want anymore. It's always worth checking these out before rushing out and buying new.

Say “no” to packaging: Loose fruit and vegetables tend to be cheaper in the stores than when packaged. It is also kinder on the planet if you avoid plastic and unnecessary packaging.

Don’t fall for the marketing hype of bottled water brands Britain has some of the cleanest tap water in the world and is perfectly safe to drink. Alternatively filter your own. Bottled water in the UK is ridiculously costly. Discarded plastic bottles are also a landfill nightmare!

Stay in: Almost every activity at home is less expensive than going out. Its becoming increasing popular to invite friends over and get everyone to bring their own food and drink, with TV programmes even being made on the subject! Everyone will have fun, you will bond, and the cost will be low.

Old furniture Buying old furniture, and then cleaning, stripping and repairing and polishing it will give you something unique and different. If you buy new furniture at twice the cost you will have something that is pretty ordinary.

 

“It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy.” - George Horace Lorimer