Since our last finance round-up there?s been the annual Budget plus the start of the new tax year. For many it seems the cost of living has gone up considerably. A few pence on the price of stamps, an increase in petrol and diesel costs, higher council tax bills ? before we know it our weekly or monthly household budgets have taken quite a pounding. To help us all get back on track here?s some suggestions on saving money and making a few extra pounds.

For some people cutting down the weekly grocery bill is one of the easiest ways to save money. However what do you do if you have given up all costly treats but still need to trim your food bill? Paula from Mummy vs Work has been investigating the benefits of ordering meat online in bulk. 

Have you got a freezer but find you don?t utilise it enough? Instead of filling of it with ice cream (however yummy!) and ice cubes you could be saving money by using it to store food bargains. Helen at Mummy to the Max has shared her top foods which you can freeze which often you will find in the reduced section in supermarkets.

Even if you cut out all excess spending and try to trim your grocery bills down to the bare minimum you can find you are still wasting money. Without doing anything your home could be costing you money so Rebecca from All about U has been sharing her tips on how to save money from making your property more energy efficient.

Emma at Emma and 3 Saves has also been looking at how to make your home more energy efficient through the use of thermal imagery. If you?re still feeling cold in your home even though the heating is on it could be time to find out where you are losing heat before you spend money on turning the thermostat up.

As we all know babies are expensive and continue to be for the rest of their lives! One trap every new mum or mum-to-be falls into is buying baby things which we don?t need. Lauren from Belle du Brighton has given us the low down on deciding what is necessary and how to grab a few baby essentials bargains. 

Finally, Cass from The Diary Of A Frugal Family has been giving some tips on how to make a bit of money. A good declutter of the house can be good for the soul and also for the purse. If you find you have a selection of unwanted items such as furniture, clothing or other items then Cass has found selling them on Facebook is a great free and quick way to get rid but pocket some cash at the same time. 

Have you found things have got more expensive in the last month? What ways do you use to save money around your home? If you want to feature in a future finance round-up contact me via Twitter or through my Facebook page. 

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