Save £2,011 in 2011

Switch your energy tariff

The 5 per cent increase in Npower energy bills that came into force on Tuesday followed similar increases at the tail-end of last year from Scottish Power, Scottish & Southern Energy and Scottish Gas. But most households can take steps to significantly reduce their energy bills, most notably by switching supplier. Consumer Focus Scotland recently estimated that about a million Scottish households could save 100 a year, on average, by transferring to a cheaper tariff. The potential savings are even bigger if you've never changed supplier before, with a difference of 385 between the cheapest and most expensive tariff on the market. The lowest tariffs are online deals that are paid monthly by direct debit. Saving 385

Search for cheaper fuel

This week's VAT hike rubbed more salt in the wound for drivers also hit by a 1 January rise in fuel duty, which is set to edge up further in April. Drivers can soften the blow by going online to search for the cheapest fuel in their area. At petrolprices.com, which is also available as a smartphone app, you can enter your location to compare fuel prices in your area and identify the lowest cost option. For example, yesterday the most expensive unleaded price in Edinburgh was 129p, with the cheapest exactly 10p a litre lower. Using the latter rather than the former would save 4 for a driver filling up a 40 litre tank, equating to 16 a month and 192 a year, based on buying petrol once a week. Saving 192

Review your gym membership

The average gym costs 442 a year, yet millions of people fail to use memberships they are paying for every month. It's estimated that people typically stop using their gym membership after 18 months, with some 200 million wasted every year on unused memberships, according to research by Sainsbury's. If you don't use yours but you still pay for it, cancel it. If you do use it but you're concerned about the cost, there are cheaper options available such as local council and university gyms, with monthly deals from around 28, and no-frills gyms such as Pure and Factory, with monthly deals starting from 17 and 25 respectively. Saving 238

Buy in bulk

The emergence in the UK of warehouse stores such as Costco and Makro has made it easier than ever to save money by buying in bulk. The stores, which are membership based, sell everything from fresh food and domestic products to electrical items and clothes. The key is to understand the prices compared to those elsewhere and not allow the scale to obscure the true cost. Similarly, some products are more suited to bulk buying than others, with fresh food an obvious example of a purchase that can go to waste quickly if too much is bought. Combine this with some of our other tips, such as buying non-perishables in bulk, making a list and comparing costs before you go, and buying in bulk could prove a canny move. Saving 50Cashback

Getting paid for shopping seems too good to be true but cashback websites make it a reality. There are several sites in the market, including Quidco and Topcashback, and many of the UK's biggest retailers, restaurants, entertainment brands, travel companies and financial services providers are now linked to them. Once you sign up to a site (in some cases paying a small membership fee), simply check it before you buy a product or service online to see if the vendor is an affiliate. If it is, click through to the firm's website from the cashback website to claim a discount, which can range from 2 to 25 per cent. How much you make depends on how much you spend online – but don't let the promise of cashback tempt you into purchases you don't need. Saving 40

Check your direct debits

Paying by direct debit can help you cut the cost of regular bills, but millions of pounds are wasted every year on direct debit and standing order payments that have been wrongly set up or not cancelled. There are countless examples of people who find they have continued to pay for gym memberships, insurance policies and magazine subscriptions that they thought they had put a stop to, only to find the provider hadn't cancelled the arrangement.

Regularly review your bank statements to ensure you're not paying more than you need. You can save 60 a year simply by removing an unnecessary monthly 5 direct debit or standing order from your bank account. Saving 60

Make a shopping list

There's nothing more perilous to your finances than going food shopping on an empty stomach and without a list. The big brand supermarkets are skilled at luring us into buying more than we intended, either through heavily trailed offers or by manipulating prices. Impulse buys mount up rapidly and unless you make a list of all the items you need and resist deviating from it, you'll get home to find your bags full of things you don't want. If this adds 10 to the monthly supermarket spend, a simple list can cut the annual cost by 120. Saving 120

Shop around for car insurance

Car insurance premiums have risen sharply over the past year, making it important to weigh your options. This is most easily done using a price comparison website, such as moneysupermarket.com, confused.com and gocompare.com. Once you've found the most competitive policy, check it offers the cover you need – a rejected claim could prove very costly. Moneysupermarket.com claims shopping around can produce savings of 286 a year. Saving 286Don't let your cash rot

Low interest rates mean the returns currently offered by savings accounts look paltry. But if you've got cash that you don't need access to lying in a current account and earning no interest at all, you're throwing money away. The best way to maximise returns is to use an individual savings account (Isa), as the interest earned is tax-free on cash savings up to 5,100. Several Isas currently pay interest of around 2.5 per cent, which, if you pay in 100 a month for a year, adds up to 30 more than you'd get otherwise. Saving 30

Voucher codes/coupons

The recession sparked a resurgence in the popularity of discount vouchers, with websites including discountvouchers.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk offering savings of up to 50 per cent. Voucher code apps for the iPhone offer a new way to take advantage of voucher codes. These use GPS to help shoppers track discounts and codes that can be used in shops and other facilities near them at a particular time.

If you consider that Scottish mothers and daughters spend 54 on their average shopping trip, according to Morgan Stanley Credit Cards, and typically go at least four times a year, the average discount of 20 per cent could save them at least 43 a year. Saving 43

Check your receipts

Scams in which cashiers add cashback to the bill when it hasn't been requested by the customer are on the rise. This is thought be most likely in the big supermarkets and white goods retailers, where customers spending large amounts on debit and credit cards are less likely to notice an extra 20 on the bill and are often in a rush. Saving 20

Clear your credit cards

Britons are paying down their debt at the fastest rate in years. The average credit card charges interest of around 16.9 per cent, 169 a year on a balance of 1,000. One option is to transfer the balance to a card offering 0 per cent on balance transfers, so you can repay the debt without piling up more charges. But avoid spending on the card, as purchases attract higher interest, and try to clear the balance during the set period, usually between ten and 18 months. Saving 169Buy non-perishables on offer

The buy-one-get-one-free deals promoted in supermarkets tend to lure people into spending more than they intended, with some of the extra purchases inevitably going to waste. When it comes to non-perishable items, however, such as toothpaste, cleaning items, toilet roll, pet food and tinned goods, stocking up can pay dividends.

Even if you don't need a tube of toothpaste immediately, it's worth taking advantage of any 2-for-1 deals when they arise to avoid paying full price when you run out. The typical family of four using two tubes a month at 1.50 each can halve the annual spending on toothpaste by doing this. Saving 18

Make your own lunch

This is one of the oldest money-saving tips in the book and, once you get in the habit, one of the easiest and most effective. It doesn't need to be a couple of sandwiches stuffed into a Tupperware box, as many people use leftovers from their evening dinners or make extra food each night to keep aside for the next day. It's also a good way to stay healthy, keeping you away from the temptations of the canteen or the shops. Making a packed lunch most working days, or even every day, can cut at least 10 a week from your expenditure over a working year. Do this for even for just six months and you'll quickly notice the difference. Saving 240

Change your phone

Mobile phones are being upgraded all the time, but it's not just those wanting to keep with the times who can benefit from getting a new deal. The savings that can be made from switching to a new mobile phone tariff are increasingly impressive, as suppliers trade blows in a fiercely competitive market. But perhaps the best savings are made by not having a contract at all. Many people pay around 20 a month for their phone but only use it for a few texts and phone calls. If your usage levels are low, consider moving to a 10 a month pay-as-you-go deal. Saving 120