Do your own Spending Review

In light of yesterday's Comprehensive Spending Review, Money Dashboard bring you 10 ways to cut your own spending: Shop around for small loans – you often don't get the advertised rate on small (less than £5000) loans so be careful and always read the small print Turn down your central heating thermometer by 1 degree – saves 10% on heating bills and make sure your house is well insulated Save money on Gym membership and get healthy at the same time – some of the health insurance companies offers discounts if you are a member of an affiliated Gym Get up to 13% discount by paying by direct debit where possible – most companies like the recurring revenue and offer discounts Make your own lunch – supermarket sandwiches are easy but more expensive than getting up 10 minutes earlier and making your own Shop around for your travel insurance – don't just take what's on offer – same goes for payment protection insurance Get rid of your store cards – consolidation of store cards debt into one loan payment saves you a lot of money Consider a Child Trust fund as early as possible – £500 from the government can't be bad! (£250 at the start and another £250 after 7 years) Take your bike rather than drive – good for you and the environment - lots more people doing it nowadays Check out your local charity shops – in amongst all the usual stuff there is usually a gem or two to be had - designer labels, that CD you just never got around to buying, fantastic teapots.