How to save money - A good website

I'm a little bit obsessive over certain things. Anybody who knows me can confirm that for you. One of those things is not spending more money than I have to. Or, even better, spending less money than I have to. If I have to make a new purchase, especially big ones, I put inordinate amounts of time into researching the best route, financially, for doing so.

In time I'll make some posts about specific things I do regularly to shave off a few pence (even pounds) here and there, and maybe a few one-offs as I come across them. But for now, I'd like to introduce you to a website that has given me the inspiration to try a number of the money-saving things that I have, and is usually my first port of call when I have any of the larger financial decisions looming.

The website is Martin Lewis's MoneySavingExpert.com. Martin Lewis is an expert and enthusiast on all things financial. He has a regular Friday afternoon slot on Jeremy Vine's BBC2 radio show, which is where I was introduced to him and his website. The site contains obscene quantities of advice, facts and figures on everything you can possibly think of (and a few more besides) on the subject of money, with a distinct bent towards spending less of it.

From buying new cars to choosing a new credit card; from buying insurance to reclaiming bank charges; from calculating your budget to stashing your cash, it's all there. It's well worth taking a look whether you see yourself as financially savvy or a complete savings-novice- I can guarantee there'll be something there for most people that will open your eyes.

There's a mailing list that you can join, various online financial calculators, links to resources, and even a forum that you can join to talk to other avid moneysavers. The best thing about the website, though, is that although it's a brilliant, useful, accurate and well-researched resource, it's also absolutely free to use.