In this my fourth installment of how to save money blogs, I look at finance. Finance does not have to be complicated, it just requires a bit of prior planning to make sure you are always getting the best deal for your money:

1. Use cash: If you are worried about overspending on cards, don’t use them. Take all your pay out in cash, then you can see how much you are paying out for everything, literally. In the age of apple pay, where you can swipe away a hundred Pounds in a few minutes without even realising it, cash is the only foolproof way of seeing how much money you are spending every week.
2. Check your direct debits. Are you paying for a mobile phone or Amazon subscription you no longer use? If you don’t know how to cancel them, or aren’t sure what the difference between a standing order and a direct debit is (most people don’t so don’t worry), why not pop in to your local bank and ask.  
3. Look at your bank statement every month. Banks charge lots of interest on overdrafts if you have one, do you know how much you are paying in bank charges every month?   
4. Shop around for store cards. If you have a stack of store cards in your purse or wallet, check how much interest you pay if you don’t pay off the balance every month. Some cards charge even higher rates than credit cards. Don’t use the store cards that charge high interest rates.   
5. Buy your glasses from Southern Seas: southernseasglasses.co.uk (Disclaimer: I am biased as I work for Southern Seas).
6. If you are not working, or are unemployed, you can often claim National Insurance credits, which count towards your pension. The rules are quite complex, but its very much worth finding out more info.
7. To get a state pension you need to have at least 10 years of National Insurance credits (depending on when you retire). No credits equals no state pension when you retire. More details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility 
8. Don’t go overdrawn without telling your bank. Not only will you get hit with all sorted of “unathorised overdraft charges”but it will affect your credit rating too. This means the next time you apply for a phone on credit, or a new loan, it is more likely to be refused.
9. Don’t borrow money off friends or family.
10. Don’t buy on hire purchase or on “easy repayment terms” if you can possibly avoid it. That phone which costs 700 Pounds new, might actually cost you 1200 Pounds if you pay “only” 50 Pounds a month for 24 months.  
11. Write a budget. This item should be first, but I’ve put it last so as not to put you off. A budget does not have to be complicated. For example, my pay is 400 Pounds a week, my rent is 100 Pounds, my food is 50 Pounds, and my bus fare is 30 Pounds. So I have 400-100-50-30=220 Pounds left a week. 

The author is the founder of Southern Seas Glasses. The views expressed above are entirely those of the author and do not in any way constitute legal, medical, professional or financial advice.