Formby Online

Finding cheaper car insurance can be quite simple and very rewarding. The feeling of saving yourself some cash from your shopping around can be great. Here are a few simple steps to take.

There are several steps that you can take to shop around and save yourself a tidy sum on your car insurance. Here are a few steps that you might like to consider when next your car insurance is up for renewal.

Shop around

The first thing to do, quite obviously, is to shop around. When your next car insurance reminder arrives take a look at it and then try out a couple of the larger price comparison websites. These each cover a good number of the insurance companies on the market, but by no means all. There are plenty of good insurance companies that avoid these sites and prefer to work on their own. So to get the full picture of policies on the market you have to also approach the companies directly.

Don’t just accept the renewal offer that comes through your door. If you find a cheaper offer then also point this out to your existing insurer. They might just be willing to reduce their offer to match what you have already found. Also, don’t just believe the flyers that drop through the door. These quite often claim that they are so much cheaper than another company, but in my experience these claims do not apply to everyone. So shop around with every company you know about!

Review your cover

Take a look through the cover you are getting quoted on and make sure it is accurate. Are you insuring for the correct annual mileage? What about drivers – are you insuring extra drivers that no longer drive the car?

If you have the opportunity to park the car at night in a locked garage rather than leaving it on the road, then this can also be a useful cost saving. It could be well worth your time emptying the junk out of your garage so that you can put your car away at night!

Check your cover

Are you insuring a car for fully comprehensive that is so old that it only needs reduced cover? I cannot say that for any situation fully comprehensive insurance is or is not right for you, but it is something you might like to consider.

Also look at your voluntary excess. This is the amount you pay if there is a claim on your insurance, although usually if someone else is at fault and you successfully claim on their insurance, you should get this back. By increasing your excess your policy price generally drops. This is very easy to check when looking online, as you can keep altering the excess and then seeing what the new price is.

Insure online

Not only do a lot of companies give discounts for insuring online, you can try out different options better. Adjusting the mileage and the excess and getting a new quote is easy on a website, although with an operator on the end of the phone it can be very tiresome.

Keith Lunt

I was in London last week to watch the filming of a certain new Saturday night TV show and the journey times meant that we decided to opt for a hotel on the edge of London. No doubt later in the year we’ll be back for one of our regular trips there.

But out of the many London Hotels, where do you stay and how do you choose? Well have a look at that site as it has been brought to my attention today and it has some interesting reviews of London hotels and the trains serving the city.

So if you want to know more about traveling to and from London or want to know more about the hotels, read what is on offer.

Thanks to today’s sponsor

The weekend is almost upon us and some people will no doubt be heading out intending to visit the Casino, but if you prefer to stay in and still want the excitement, why bot look at the reviews of casino games online that are available?

Mike has put together reviews of his 5 selected real cash casinos to help you decide where to play. Well worth a look if you want a dabble.

Thanks to today’s sponsor, please don’t risk more than you can afford to lose.

Yes, a strange sight in Southport today, the tide was actually in… Driving past the pier and it was actually surrounded by water. Almost felt like stopping a taking a photo!

And that made me think that the summer is coming, with walks along the front, the air show and crowds of people up and down the pier! What an audience that must be for the arcades, it is so easy when you are enjoying the evening, maybe grabbing a fish and chips, to then pop into the penny arcade and spend a few pounds on the Quicksilver Games or whatever takes your fancy.

Walking around the arcades and the gardens really is a summer activity and has been since I was little. I remember when I was small my parents telling me to get my pennies out and we would drive into Southport, go to the arcades. They were always a good way of spending a wet day on holiday as well. I always used one pocket for the money to spend and the other for the money to save and nearly always walked out in profit – much to the amusement of my parents! I never have been one to miss an opportunity.

Thanks to today’s sponsor. Don’t spend more in the arcades than you can afford.

Many people assume that the only way to get a car loan is to arrange one with the salesman that you are taking the loan from, but this is not the case. There is a reason why the salesman wants you to get your car loan from him and that is his commission.

Before you head out looking for a car, have a quick look around at third party car credit providers. Ask a few for quotes based on what you expect to be spending. You are not committing to a loan, just shopping around for the best deal. Then, when your salesman offers you a loan with your car, you straight away have a deal to compare it against.

If your other deal is better, then a shrewd salesman is either going to back off and leave you to arrange your loan if he knows his is more expensive, or he is going to start bargaining. But be aware that any bargaining must leave you better off, not just earn him his commission.

Shop around for your car loan before you hunt for your car, it could go towards saving you a few pounds!

Thanks to today’s sponsor.

I recognize that a lot of people are spending excessive funds on eyewear that should cost a lot less. If you are about to renew your spectacles – stop right now and glance at the review I have just been reading!

I was just reading a review concerning purchasing low cost but high class eyeglasses. Everyone assumes that when purchasing new eyeglasses you have to get your eyes tested and then buy your new spectacles from there.

But this is not the situation!

If you want to save yourself a small fortune. Stop right there. Have your eyes tested and then request the prescription. You do not have to obtain your medicine from your doctor, so why pick up your glasses from the individual giving the prescription? They can be just as high class elsewhere and if your optician will not give you the prescription to go somewhere else, then go to another place for your prescription.

The variety of glasses and the charge that you pay should not be restricted to only the one shop that you happen to get your eyes tested at. Shop round and you can get exactly what you yearn for, for the price you are content to pay.

It may well save you a fortune. If you are not convinced, read the evaluation and witness how pleased he was afterwards.

thanks to today’s sponsor

There are many internet sites about these days in which you can look for used cars, but I specifically like this one. There is an tremendous choice of used ford cars and used volkswagen cars to peek through and they are really straightforward to navigate.

If you are in the market to begin searching for a used car, whether you are just thinking or in dire need of a new to you car, give today’s sponsors a look over.

You may think that the junk piling up in your cupboards and attic is nothing but rubbish, but sort it out and you might just make a tidy sum of cash from your efforts. Here are some ideas to get you moving!

What can you do with all of that junk that is littering your house, that you no longer need and you probably are wondering why you stored it at the time. Some of it could be worth a tidy sum if you take care. Some of it a surprising amount!

Antiques Fairs

If you are very lucky on your clear-out, there may some items of real value. Taken down to suitable antiques fairs or auctioneers, these can be valued and you can then decide whether you want to sell them or not. Friends have recently taken old golf clubs, antique books and other items and been offered a decent price. For anything of potential value, make sure that you get a proper valuation before getting rid of it any other way!

Car Boot Sales

These have been around for years and are a really good way of getting rid of your unwanted items and earning a few pounds here and there. From regular organised car boot sales, which are full of professional car booters that will clear you out of anything that can be sold in seconds, to the more leisurely school and charity run events that will have less passers through. Whichever you choose, pack your car with as much old junk that you can fit into it, get down early for a good spot and set up your items so that they are on show. Then settle down, with a flask of warm drink to hand and hope that it all sells.

Be prepared for people to haggle the best prices off you and do not expect them to make an offer until you have first offered your price. The seasoned buyers will huff and puff in your face at the prices, even if they are rock bottom. Ignore this show of force and sell to the regular buyers that are buying for themselves, rather than the hardened buyer who is buying to resell again that day!

Ebay

Who could have missed this new phenomenon over the last few years and it probably does not need much of a description. Not as easy to shift a huge bulk of items as car boot sales, but it avoids getting out of bed on a Sunday morning at 4:00 to go and stand in a rain soaked muddy field for a few hours whilst haggling face to face.

Instead, prepare the items, photograph each, write up a nice description and post to Ebay. If you are clever, wait for a free posting session! Then it is monitor what sells, collect the payments and then package them up and take each to the post-office.

Yes, OK Ebay is not that simple, but you can sell odds and ends from the comfort of your own home.

Old and Broken Jewellery

Left to last because this is the newest of these ideas, at least to the mass public. There are suddenly lots of sites appearing and loads of adverts telling you how you can easily sell your gold for fast ready cash. How does this work and why has it suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

Well, over the last year, maybe eighteen months, during this worldwide financial meltdown one item above all others has maintained its value. Whilst stocks and shares have taken a tumble and banks virtually stopped paying us interest on our balances and our properties have lost value, gold has actually bucked the trend and risen drastically. The demand for buying gold is great and it has made it worthwhile for people to buy small quantities off the public, melt them down and resell. Gold does not lose its value and is rising rapidly.

It does not matter whether your gold is jewellery or a trinket. Broken, perfect working order or one of a pair. Someone out there will buy it and you can make a profit there!

Keith Lunt

These days with costs going up, wages staying the same, interest less than inflation and the risk of job losses, it makes sense to be frugal with the cash we do have and to save a bit of money where possible. Here are our suggested steps to take to reduce your outgoings.

A report this week indicates that 28%, almost a third, of all UK businesses are considering making staff cuts this year. This means that there is a good chance that your company could be affected and will be making cost cutting savings by reducing staff. With this rate of staff cuts on the horizon, there is unlikely to be much room for negotiating decent pay rises. The only solution, therefore, is to reduce your household costs.

One step to consider is to look at your savings. Are they earning interest? Could they be earning more? Some banks are offering staggering rates of interest, although not for your entire balance. You might be able to earn 6% interest on a thousand or two in the bank. Not much overall, but a little bit a month can help. Just watch what the maximum balance is that they will pay the fantastic rate for and for how long. It might be worth splitting your money and moving accounts if the rate ends in a year.

A lot of effort is being put into advertising at the moment to make sure we are all aware of the environmental and financial impacts of ensuring that you are correctly insulated. Grab a leaflet from a local DIY store and check what level of insulation is recommended for your property and what you currently have. Then go back to that store, buy the necessary extra insulation and fit it. Ceiling insulation is a good starting place, but also check that hot water pipes are properly lagged. Even in new houses many pipes are incorrectly lagged. I know – my hot water pipes are bare!

Staying on the environmental and financial theme, as your lightbulbs break replace them with the energy saving variety. It might not be worth rushing out and replacing all existing traditional bulbs, but as they break it can save a lot by replacing them with long life bulbs. Or even just replace the most commonly used bulbs for now.

Another good money saver is to review your car and home insurance as they come up for renewal. Do not just renew your existing policies. Have a look through the cover provided and use a few price comparison sites and visit a few independent brokers to see who can offer you the best deal.

The same also applies to your utilities. Gas, electricity, water, telephone, broadband etc can all be compared by comparison sites to see if you can find a cheaper alternative. As long as there are no existing tie-ins, moving can be a good money saving move.

Another good tip is to watch what you are buying on your supermarket trips. If you always pick the same branded items, this could be costing you a fortune. Look instead for the supermarket own labels and the cheaper brands. Try one or two substitutions every time you go to the supermarket. Buy a couple and take them home to try. If you like them, then start to buy them regularly. Eventually you might have a huge selection of alternative options in your shopping basket which might reduce your weekly shopping bill significantly.

There are many money saving tips and tricks that you can try out. By experimenting with a few you might save yourself a lot of money to help carry you through these difficult times.

Keith Lunt

It is a while since I was injured in a car accident. In my case I saw the other driver coming down a narrow single track road. I pulled over to stop and to give him credit, so did he. But whereas I was trundling along and approaching the corner at about 15 miles an hour, he admitted to the WPC who later attended the scene that he had entered the corner at over 40mph. The skid marks showed what had happened and he thought he was fine to be doing such speed. I suppose having passed his test less than 3 weeks before, he was lucky it was a large car he hit, not a child or a horse.

But anyway, our insurance company was useless and tried to wash their hands of it all. But I was determined and contacted a solicitor who secialised in Compensation claims and in the end all was sorted.