Within your home or your business do you find that money is pouring away at times? In many peoples lives money is just such a difficult thing to control and look after, it is much easier to spend it!

But are you using your money in the right place? Perhaps your saving it, or using it to invest. Are you taking measures to make sure your not paying out for things you don’t need?

When you do research on money issues many places first suggest you right down a budget. A list with all your monthly outgoings and all your incoming money. It always shocks me that many people don’t already do this. And a lot of the time when people do right a budget down when they don’t usually, they find that they have money being spent in random places, or on random things that they didn’t realise was being paid for.

There are so many comparison sites online now that you can search for the best deals for everything, from utilities to your weekly shopping. Now I am not suggesting your should sit with your weekly shopping list, work out where all the items come up cheaper and save money that way necessarily. But it is worth checking that you are spending your money in the right place.

So search on these sites, find what suits you best and make those changes. We all need to start saving money in different areas today, energy saving can save you time and money in many ways. Here at Enigin Plc we encourage businesses to take their part in energy saving and save themselves time and money by becoming energy efficient.

Here at Enigin Plc we work hard to help people and businesses to save energy, time and money. Everyone is looking to save money in some way or another. Therefore with the world wide web being the way to go in today’s world there is the advice, tips and sites out there to help anyone and everyone learn more about money.

Whether it is advice on spending money, saving money, tips for setting up bank accounts, using credit cards and getting a loan, if you want it it is out there for you.

There are advisor’s you can talk to, even online. There are websites which list frequently asked questions which answers your problems and queries. There are numerous companies with their own websites which offer you all sorts of options financially. Whether your having financial difficulties or are looking to place your thousands in savings in the right place these companies want your business and are there to help you, really.

So if you need advice on money where do you go? One piece of advice to everybody is do your research. Your money, and your businesses money is important. You need to know what you are doing and where you are putting it. So with all of these websites available online, there is the opportunity there for you to research all aspects of money advice, forums to find out what other people have experienced.

We all wish, don’t we!

Some people really do fall on their feet financially, while many others struggle throughout life to make ends meet. Circumstances make such a difference to how your life pans out, so many decisions, choices and paths take you the right way or not.

A friend of mine had quite a difficult childhood and a very difficult time as a teenager and young adult. Her situation in life in the last few years has taken a wonderful turn to leave her happy, contented and settled. She has family around her, her circumstances and choices took her the best way they could. Financially, because of this, she is sorted, for  life. And it is wonderful to see!

On the other hand, somebody perhaps makes a different decision, takes a different path and it affects the rest of their life and position as they get older. But it always seems to end up coming down to finances doesn’t it?

Position in life, where you live, how you live and how comfortable you are. It isn’t really ideal that all things are affected by money but I suppose it is the way this world has developed. The world wouldn’t be how it is if it wasn’t for money.

In all honesty we can’t really comment on how life would be and whether it would be easier and better if money just didn’t exist.

Defining wealth as “disposable income” - comparing what people are taking home with the cost of living - Money Watch found examples of a minority who had borne the brunt of the recession - struggling financially as they dealt with pay cuts or redundancy.

But in terms of spending power, the average family was in fact £1080 a year better off.

Yet since the recovery began at the end of 2009, that effect has gone into reverse. And that applies even before spending cuts and new tax rises start to bite.

And now we are starting to be hit with tax rises and spending cuts it is difficult to see where this will take us in the next couple of years. We will see general living rise due to the VAT rise. Although it is only a small percentage, and will add amounts as little as 10-20 pence to items. When you add that to a weeks shopping, your looking at potentially your household shop rising by at least £5.

When you then add that one weeks shop to just spending money, clothes, alcohol and going out. Not to mention the rise in bills. As I said, it is hard really so see how the general public is going to be out of the recession.

People are becoming more aware and careful with their money. Although this is very hard in todays climate, of “want it, buy it”. I don’t think for everyone the sudden hit of the recession has actually “hit” them completely. A lot of blame of the last couple years has gone on the fact that the UK especially has become, well, greedy for material things. People have been able to get loans, credit cards, mortgages with a click of a button. And it is definitely true that this has changed peoples view of money and use of it.

With the ease of access to money we have all found the ease of access to things we “want” so much easier. And so as a result, many of us have been hit by the recession. Unfortunately, although this doesn’t really apply to businesses, it has affected businesses. People are cutting back on what they don’t need, to a degree, and this is resulting in small businesses then losing business.

So people are trying to save, save the money they have and not spend it on what they don’t “need”. Here at Enigin Plc we want to encourage businesses to save their money, and at the same time save energy.

For Homeowners there are numerous suggestions to save money within the home. Cut energy bills, changes appliances and light bulbs, which can all add up in how much that can save you. And it is no different for businesses, you too can save energy and save your money at the same time.

Simply by cutting your energy use by upto 30% a month could save on a bill of £1000, giving you a saving of around £300. Money that in todays climate is important and needed! So start saving today, contact your local Enigin Distributor to find out how you can save money, energy and time.

I start daydreaming yesterday about just having loads of cash. Imagining having a big bundle of cash in my purse to just spend as I wanted. But obviously that is not going to happen. Although it is true some people in the world do have that sort of money.

We always say that don’t we - “that sort of money”. What on earth does that mean? Well I mean in this instance, people who are in a position to just have piles of cash in their purse or wallet and able to walk into a shop, but what they want without a second, of even first, thought. But do you or I really want to be there, with “that sort of money”?

We dream about that situation but what does it entail. With a family at home, it is there I want to be. Working is a means to an end. If you can find, like here at Enigin, something you enjoy, and feel good about it is a bonus, and makes life enjoyable and work so much easier. But still work needs its place.

Finding a balance between work and normal life. Is it worth working so much and so hard so that you can have luxuries, nice holidays, and amazing home and car? And therefore miss out on your children growing up, taking their first steps, saying their first words? Your are in the office or at work from 8am until 8pm, so you can have a 5 bedroom house, a BMW, lovely furnishings, a big expensive gas bbq in the garden, a gazebo and a house in spain? But when do you get to enjoy that?

That is what I mean by “that sort of money”. And questions such as the above, I must admit, I must ask myself regularly, so I don’t become jealous and envy those people with “that sort of money”.

A headline today stating the UK deficit is lower than previously thought, that the country has had to borrow less, therefore their debt not being as bad, as previously thought.  Well obviously that is good news. But the sort of amounts they are talking about just throw all that good news out the window really.

They say that today most households in the UK have a family debt of at least £25,000. A lot of money, an amount that isn’t going to be too easy to pay off and take a bit of time.

The United Kingdom have borrowed £156 billion, in one year! The news story begins with the good news that this is less then they originally thought it would be. Originally that estimated it would actually be £163.4 billion! Wow, what a saving. Do you think then on that saving we could maybe have a few reductions in what we have to pay then? No chance, it only goes up.

But really my point is that those sort of amounts, a loan for one year of £156 billion, and then in April the country only borrowed £10 billion, a news article informing the country of this wonderful financial progress and achievement, it really makes money seem and sound just worthless. There really is no surprise that the people of the UK are in so much debt personally.

Personally it does make me feel better about any personal debt I might owe, I don’t feel so concerned about it or worried. But really that is the problem, it makes people just see money as easy, easy to spend, easy to borrow. And therefore it is just worthless. But really how long can this continue for? How much debt can the UK get into before money actually is completely worthless?

The recession, strikes, then the volcanic ash problem, now the hung parliament. It is all costing everyone, together and individually dearly. Time is being taken, money is being spend and wasted. But no one is going to be able to tell how much all these things are costing?

They have put a price on the volcanic ash “disaster”, so far, but no doubt it is much more then they have said. People keep referring to the credit crunch and recession as being in the past, but is it? It isn’t as though anyone can or has been able to categorically say it is over and it cost the country “so much” and individuals “this much”. And now the debacle of the last week due to the election? And I bet no one mentions how much all this is costing?

The endless debates, the endless travelling around the country trying to gain votes. Now the arguements and discussions over what should happen. And these chats aren’t just happening between those in charge, everyone is doing it. I currently have BBC news on in the background, no surprise as three people are sat there discussing what they think. How much are they getting paid to do that?

So how much is all of this costing us? But then do we really want to know the answer to that. No doubt more is to come anyway!

At least at Enigin we focus on saving people money. What is even better is it is not saving people money like the banks “save” you money, we do not take your cash and misuse it.

Enigin also do not provide “savings” by selling you something for less than they have sold it before - i.e. “Save £100 on this TV - it was £599 but now £499.” We all realise shops do not give away £100, they just sell it at the higher price for a set time and then reduce it to its true price (this is a generality of course, before i start getting contact from lots of retailers).

Enigin will charge you for their products, but with a return on investment usually within two years and often far less, very soon you have paid for the products and now you start to save and you do truly save.

The savings came from the reduced amount you send to the utility company through reduced energy use - the money is not paid out but retained by you, it remains in your control as part of your profits - a true saving that has ultimately cost you nothing at all.

A debate is now under way as to whether it is truly the airlines responsibility to pay out to customers, whether they should receive state aid or whether is can simply be put down to an “act of God”.

What about the banks? Can’t they help - they are the peoples banks after all, and more then happy to help themselves out when in a crisis.

Lloyds Bank today announced they have made a returned profit for the first 3 months of the year. And apparently, according to them the economic conditions are “more benign”. Well not for the airlines and 1000s of people stranded around the world, coming back to huge bills and overdrafts they have had to use!

So come on Labour, Lib Dems and Conservative, your well into your race now. Your decisions and suggestions on this huge crisis for the nation can maybe save our souls - not just yours!

It has only truly hit me in the last day or so the impact this has really had on so many people. On the news they were discussing the financial implications. Many of the airlines are most likely already bankrupt due to the amount of money they are losing on a daily basis. As well as the cost at sending the naval ships, and extra ferries, coaches etc. And then the burden being added to all the holidaymakers as they have to extend time away or find other means to get home. Many of them starting to run out of money! Then what?

And the effect on businesses. It must be costing them a bomb! Apparently taxi companies are making a lot from this “disaster” as many business men are instead using a taxi to get around, including to europe as it is there quickest and easiest option. I can’t even begin to imagine the cost that must involve.

It is actually quite daunting to think how long this could go on for plus the ongoing problems afterwards. Individually for the public, the governments, businesses, airlines and countries! Lets hope it sorts itself out soon and all consider all those people stranded, basically all around the world.