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Anyone can perform an internet search to look for credit cards with poor credit and find hundreds of results; there are so many choices and the “small print” is so varied it can be hard to understand exactly what a consumer is agreeing to.

Many credit cards offer guaranteed acceptance regardless of credit, but the consumer must read through a list sometimes several pages long, to try to find the information they are looking for most.

Below is some information to help distinguish one kind of “credit card with poor credit” offer from another; each company will have its own small print naturally but this should clarify some of the common terms used for credit cards.

Pre-Approved And Acceptance Guaranteed*

Credit cards for poor credit offers which include the terms pre-approved or acceptance guaranteed are almost always followed by an asterisk (*); this is because the terms and conditions will state that the card holder must meet certain qualifying conditions.

Common qualifying conditions will include income, time of employment, time at residence, and of course credit rating; the exact amount will vary by credit card, most will require a minimum of 12,000 dollars annual income and six months of continuous employment.

When residency is an issue the company may also require a minimum of six months at the address and most charge a higher annual percentage charge the lower credit rating the applicant has; while the company will accept any credit they will charge the people with poor credit higher annual fees, annual percentage rate, and possibly require a deposit.

Secured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards for poor credit applicants may charge a higher annual percentage rate like the unsecured variety; the major difference will be that there is less qualifying information because the “credit” available on the card is pre-paid in full by the card holder.

This type of credit card for poor credit applicants works much like a debit card to a checking or savings account except balances left on the credit card are charged a monthly fee based on an annual percentage rate; these balances are also subject to minimum finance charges.

Pre-Paid Credit Cards

Pre-paid credit cards are somewhat different from secured credit cards because a pre-paid card will have no annual fee; it is more of a gift card with a Visa or Master Card logo than a true credit card.

These credit cards for poor credit applicants can seem like a good option because the company doesn’t check credit or employment history; but because this isn’t a true credit card it will not improve any credit rating or good spending and payment habits will not be reported to credit agencies.

Why Get A Credit Card

Credit cards for poor credit applicants are a good tool to turn poor or terrible credit around after time; the trick is to get a credit card with a small limit to start and try to pay off new debt each month instead of carrying a balance.

This is debatable by credit experts, some credit experts say to carry a balance and pay just a bit more than the minimum to build credit, while others suggest paying off the balance monthly.

Credit cards for poor credit applicants should be paid off monthly because this lessens the risk of getting into further financial trouble, establishes a good payment pattern, and shows future creditors on time regular payments; many creditors look for regular on time payments, when considering offering credit.

There are many ways to get lowest rate credit cards, but most of them involve fixing your credit. This assumes that your credit isn’t all that great, which unfortunately is the case for a lot of people. There are many credit card companies out there and they are more than willing to lend you their money for a small fee. That fee is in the form of an interest rate that you pay along with your bill. When your credit isn’t so great, the companies will offer a higher interest rate. That means they don’t trust you as much with their money and want to charge you more to cover the risk. When you have good credit, however, you can often qualify for the lowest rate credit cards and that’s a very good thing.

Use Your Cards To Fix Your Credit

If you need to fix your credit, take the lowest rate credit card that you own and see if you can combine all of your debt into one entity. Then, you can pay it off while enjoying that lower interest rate. By doing so, you have repaired your credit to an extent. As you pay your lowest rate credit card off, you again begin to fix your credit. Soon, your credit will be back to a better standing and you will then qualify for the lowest rate credit card offers.

The lowest rate credit card offers are usually somewhere around two percent. That’s great when you consider than some people have fifteen percent or more interest on their credit cards. That is ridiculous when you consider that fifteen percent of every purchase goes to the credit card company. That can quickly add up to a lot of money. For this reason, don’t just sign up with any credit card offer that comes your way.

If your credit is important to you, and for most people it is, you want to make sure that you read the fine print. Make sure that your lowest rate credit card isn’t going to jump to fifteen percent or more in a couple of months as some enticement to sign up with them. Make sure that you are treated fairly, and that includes obtaining lowest rate credit cards whenever you can.

Fixing your credit can be a daunting task but it can be done. Just be patient, try to pay more than the minimum payment when you can and in no time at all your credit will be where you want it to be and you can then qualify for the lowest rate credit card offers.

How much would you end up with if you took a penny and doubled it every day for a month? The answer to this question demonstrates quickly why your creditors have the upper hand in your relationship with them.

Taking a mere penny and doubling it every day for 31 days, you end up with $21,474,836.48.

Day 1 the original penny turns into two, Day 2 those two turn into four, and on Day 3 the four turn into eight … The amount the original penny is worth accelerates rapidly because not only does the original penny collect interest, all the pennies being added to the original are earning interest as well and so each day the growth of the original penny is being compounded.

This is why banks and credit card companies make so much money at your expense. They don’t just earn interest on the amount you spend. They also earn interest on the amount of interest your charged when you only make minimum payments.

There are three key components to the amount you’ll give to the banks and credit card companies when taking on a debt:

1. How much you owe.
2. Your interest rate.
3. How long you stay in debt based on the payments you make.

The importance of 1 is obvious. If you don’t take on debt you’ll never owe the bank anything. Most people place to much emphasis on 2. Yes, if you receive a 0% interest rate you won’t pay the bank much. And everything being equal a low rate is better than a high one. Were the banks get you however is with 3.

By setting the minimum payment low relative to the balance the banks stretch out your payments for years and sometimes decades. Now they are not only charging you interest on your balance they are charging you interest on the interest you owe them compounding their money and supercharging their profits.

When you hear stories about a consumer spending $15,000 interest on a $5,000 purchase the low minimum payment the bank or credit company set is the reason they ended up spending $20,000 for $5,000 worth of stuff.

The key to keeping money out of the pockets of your creditors is to pay a bit more than the minimum payment each month.

In the example above about the penny compounding over the course of a month. The penny sees most of its gain towards the end of the month. On day 20 its worth $10,458. By day 27 this amount has grown to $1,342,177. And then by Day 31 it hits $21,474,836.48.

Instead of using days like in the penny example let’s think in terms of years. If you have a $200,000 30 year mortgage with a 9% interest rate your minimum payment every month would be $1609. At the end of thirty years you’d finally own your home having spent a total of $579,322. The $379,322 of interest you’ll pay represents 65% of the money you’ll spend.

However if you were to put an extra $100 towards your mortgage per month you’ll spend a total of $479,780 purchasing your home and avoid $99,542 of interest charges reducing your interest costs to 58% of your total payment.

Plus you’ll own your home in 23 years and 5 months instead of 30 years. So by investing $28,100 in extra payments you’ll avoid $99,542 in interest charges, a return on your money of 354%.

The gains only compound as you increase your additional payment. Increase it to $200 and you’ll avoid $151,988 in interest charges, own your home in 19 years and 9 months, and earn a 329% return on your money.

Creditors may set the payment terms when offering you money. They can't dictate that you abide by them though. Use the power of a moderate monthly payment increase to avoid padding your creditors bottom line and save the money for yourself.

The amount you spend (up to the overdraft limit) will only charge interest as long as you don’t cover for it with a deposit. If you deposit the amount the next day or a few days later, you’ll only be charged some cents. It is an ideal solution for emergencies and the costs are extremely low.

Overdraft Agreements Are Personal Lines Of Credit

The nature of overdraft agreements is discussed. Unless there is a special arrangement with the bank, the overdraft agreement is an unsecured loan. But, given the revolving nature of the loan amount, truth is that they are much alike personal lines of credit. It’s just like a home equity line of credit only it is unsecured and for smaller amounts.

Being unsecured, it’s strange that the interest charged is significantly low. This is mainly due to the fact that the overdraft agreement amount limit is small enough to be considered of no risk. The amount can range between $300 and $2000 so the bank has nothing to worry about and thus charges interest rates around 8% to 15% depending on the borrower’s credit history with the institution.

How They Work?

The way overdraft agreements work is rather simple: Once approved an overdraft agreement is immediately associated to your bank account. From then on, your bank account will report a balance, an overdraft agreement balance and the overall money available. For example: If you have $500 deposited into your savings account with an overdraft agreement of $1000, then you’ll have $1500 available for withdrawal, issuing checks or paying with a debit card.

Once your own money is used up, your overdraft agreement begins to be used and any amount debited from your account is deducted from the agreement’s limit. Any amount over the limit and up to 10% over it (when the account is blocked) will generate additional higher interests in the form of penalty charges. As soon as you repay the total or part of the agreement’s amount, the money will be available again when you need it.

Where To Get Them?

You can easily get an overdraft agreement for your savings account by contacting your local bank and requesting it. Provided that you have a steady income and a good credit history with the institution (no credit check is needed) you’ll surely get approved for at least $300, higher amounts may require some checking of your overall credit history.

Some banks offer accounts that already come with an overdraft agreement for a little maintenance charge or fee. Moreover, sometimes these agreements come along with a whole account package that consists of a saving account, a checking account, an overdraft agreement, one or more credit cards and a pre-approved personal loan for a certain amount that you can obtain without having to fill any paperwork (sometimes even through the ATM)

Walmart, Target, and Kmart have all jumped on the retail store credit card bandwagon. These discount stores are vigorously promoting their store credit cards as well as mastercard's or visas with their logos on them. What a great way to save money you might think however, these store credit cards must be used with caution to prevent runaway spending and buyer’s remorse.

Discount stores do a tremendous amount of business, as consumers find it more convenient to get all of their shopping done in one place. What better way to increase customer loyalty and spending than offering them instant credit at the checkout? Target, Walmart and Kmart each have some type of discount or rewards program for using their cards, but you can incur stiff penalties for late payments and over the limit balances. Also, while the introductory rates may be low, they can quickly rise if you don’t pay on time. Alot of savvy shoppers are finding that using regular credit cards with the reward features on them can save them hundreds of dollars each year simply by offering better interest rates and reward features.

Target introduced its Redcards to shoppers with the intent of building brand loyalty and profits. The store credit card can only be used at Target, while the Target Visa can be used most anywhere. When customers use their Target credit cards, 1% is donated to the schools of their choice. A 10% discount on purchases is given when you are approved the same day, and you receive the same 10% discount when you order from Target.com Every $1 you spend at Target with your Target visa equals one rewards point, and every $2 you spend elsewhere earns you a rewards point as well. Once you reach 1000 points, you get another 10% discount shopping day.

Along with these benefits comes a high 21% APR that can jump as high as 25% if you have 2 late payments in a 6 month period. The Target store credit card and Target visa are worth getting if you pay in on time every month and don’t carry a balance. However, unless you do a huge amount of shopping on that 10% off day you will usually come out ahead going directly through the card issuers like Chase, Citi an Bank of America reward cards designed to reward good paying clients.

Kmart has a similar credit card issued by Capital One that gives you an APR of 11.9% on purchases in store or online at Bluelight.Com. Again, the low rate goes to 25% or higher if you are late paying 2 times in a 6 month period and a $25 late will apply. Walmart offers a Mastercard from Chase that gives you 9.99% fixed APR on balance transfers within a 9 month time span. Apr for purchases on the credit card varies depending on your credit worthiness, and ranges from 13.48%-21.48%. Late fees and an interest rate increase to 24.49% occurs when you make late payments.

If you are a disciplined shopper and make your payments in full and on time each month, these discount store credit cards are worth your while. Be honest about your ability to pay off the balances and research the terms and conditions thoroughly to avoid nasty surprises when your bill arrives. Compare deals and don’t apply for the credit card at the register, instead, take home the information and decide if the credit card is right for you.

Loans are easy to apply for and receive in our society. So easy, in fact, that sometimes we don't give a second thought whether this, or another loan, is in our best financial interests. There are 5 key questions that can tell you whether a loan is right for you, financially.

If you answer these questions honestly and creatively, you may be surprised at the outcomes.

Ready to start? Let's go.

Question #1. Can I really afford it?

This basic question is sometimes overlooked. Some folks think that as long as there is some money left over from the pay each week or month that it's fine to put this towards another loan. Wrong! Unless you understand your true income, expenditure, savings goals and retirement goals, how will you know whether the money you have spare after each pay can really be applied to a loan?

Setting up your personal/family budget is necessary if you want to know what you can afford. These can be found by searching on the Internet.

There are certain basic laws that apply to spending whether you know them or not. Some of these are:

a) If you regularly spend more than you earn you are setting yourself up for lifelong poverty.

b) If you borrow to buy short-lived assets (e.g. TV, DVD, car, boat, etc) the interest and repayments can continue at the same rate long after the asset has lost its value. That makes them a very expensive item.

c) If you pay for items like clothes and other household items by credit card it makes the items a lot more expensive than you think. Especially when the interest rate is around 13 - 15% per year.

d) Credit card debt, while easy to acquire can be very dangerous if you only pay the minimum each month.

Question #2. Do I really need it?

Advertising today is so sophisticated that it makes you think there are so many things that you just cannot do without. However, just take a minute to ask yourself these questions:

Do I really need the updated car? Isn't the current one good enough?

Isn't our furniture still serviceable without resorting to an upgrade?

Do I really need all the latest electronic wizardry?

Are all the latest fashions a necessity? Am I really a better, more likeable person by buying them?

The purchase of these items is often made at the expense of your future financial well-being and overall happiness. Surely, the fleeting happiness of today's purchase wears pretty thin, compared to the worry and stress of over-extended credit and unpaid bills.

It is best to try every avenue before resorting to a loan.

Question #3. How will this loan affect my financial future?

A loan can have an adverse effect on your financial situation through many ways. Some of them are listed below:

a) If you default on a loan it can make it much harder in the future to borrow again.

b) If you damage your credit rating your borrowing costs can increase.

c) Borrowing for an asset whose useful life is less than the life of the loan is a sure way to pay a lot more than the worth of the asset. Money that could have paid down credit cards or been used for savings.

d) Saving for things you need will put you in a better financial position and increase you borrowing potential for your mortgage.

Question #4. What else could I do with the repayment money?

If you were to decide to defer or not purchase the item on credit, imagine what you could do with the money?

- You could put it in a savings account. Save for holidays, the car upgrade, kids college fees or home renovations.

- You could start a retirement savings plan.

- You could pay off the credit cards in double quick time. If their interest rate is higher than any other of your debts, pay them off first.

- You could pay extra cash each month or fortnight off your mortgage. Imagine how you'd feel once all the debt was gone and you were free to purchase those things you need for cash.

Aren't these ideas better than committing yourself to more debt and worry?

Question #5. Can I still purchase this item without resorting to a loan?

If there are items that you really need and you do not have the funds to pay for them, what else can you do?

Try these ideas:

- Do you have some other assets that are no longer being used? Sell them and use this money for your new purchase.

- Do you really need 2 cars? Why not sell 1 and use that money for your new purchase?

- What about increasing the 'cash-in'? You could apply for a higher paying job. You could get a second income. Maybe start a home based business on the Internet.

- Why not cut down on your weekly or monthly living expenditures? Buy generic products, only buy necessities, bargain with sellers and commit to only buying items at less than list price.

These are just a few suggestions to help you think twice or even three times BEFORE you go to apply for that loan. Your financial future is at stake here. If at all possible live within your means and save for what you need. You'll be happier and more stronger financially as a result.

Loans are easy to apply for and receive in our society. So easy, in fact, that sometimes we don't give a second thought whether this, or another loan, is in our best financial interests. There are 5 key questions that can tell you whether a loan is right for you, financially.

If you answer these questions honestly and creatively, you may be surprised at the outcomes.

Ready to start? Let's go.

Question #1. Can I really afford it?

This basic question is sometimes overlooked. Some folks think that as long as there is some money left over from the pay each week or month that it's fine to put this towards another loan. Wrong! Unless you understand your true income, expenditure, savings goals and retirement goals, how will you know whether the money you have spare after each pay can really be applied to a loan?

Setting up your personal/family budget is necessary if you want to know what you can afford. These can be found by searching on the Internet.

There are certain basic laws that apply to spending whether you know them or not. Some of these are:

a) If you regularly spend more than you earn you are setting yourself up for lifelong poverty.

b) If you borrow to buy short-lived assets (e.g. TV, DVD, car, boat, etc) the interest and repayments can continue at the same rate long after the asset has lost its value. That makes them a very expensive item.

c) If you pay for items like clothes and other household items by credit card it makes the items a lot more expensive than you think. Especially when the interest rate is around 13 - 15% per year.

d) Credit card debt, while easy to acquire can be very dangerous if you only pay the minimum each month.

Question #2. Do I really need it?

Advertising today is so sophisticated that it makes you think there are so many things that you just cannot do without. However, just take a minute to ask yourself these questions:

Do I really need the updated car? Isn't the current one good enough?

Isn't our furniture still serviceable without resorting to an upgrade?

Do I really need all the latest electronic wizardry?

Are all the latest fashions a necessity? Am I really a better, more likeable person by buying them?

The purchase of these items is often made at the expense of your future financial well-being and overall happiness. Surely, the fleeting happiness of today's purchase wears pretty thin, compared to the worry and stress of over-extended credit and unpaid bills.

It is best to try every avenue before resorting to a loan.

Question #3. How will this loan affect my financial future?

A loan can have an adverse effect on your financial situation through many ways. Some of them are listed below:

a) If you default on a loan it can make it much harder in the future to borrow again.

b) If you damage your credit rating your borrowing costs can increase.

c) Borrowing for an asset whose useful life is less than the life of the loan is a sure way to pay a lot more than the worth of the asset. Money that could have paid down credit cards or been used for savings.

d) Saving for things you need will put you in a better financial position and increase you borrowing potential for your mortgage.

Question #4. What else could I do with the repayment money?

If you were to decide to defer or not purchase the item on credit, imagine what you could do with the money?

- You could put it in a savings account. Save for holidays, the car upgrade, kids college fees or home renovations.

- You could start a retirement savings plan.

- You could pay off the credit cards in double quick time. If their interest rate is higher than any other of your debts, pay them off first.

- You could pay extra cash each month or fortnight off your mortgage. Imagine how you'd feel once all the debt was gone and you were free to purchase those things you need for cash.

Aren't these ideas better than committing yourself to more debt and worry?

Question #5. Can I still purchase this item without resorting to a loan?

If there are items that you really need and you do not have the funds to pay for them, what else can you do?

Try these ideas:

- Do you have some other assets that are no longer being used? Sell them and use this money for your new purchase.

- Do you really need 2 cars? Why not sell 1 and use that money for your new purchase?

- What about increasing the 'cash-in'? You could apply for a higher paying job. You could get a second income. Maybe start a home based business on the Internet.

- Why not cut down on your weekly or monthly living expenditures? Buy generic products, only buy necessities, bargain with sellers and commit to only buying items at less than list price.

These are just a few suggestions to help you think twice or even three times BEFORE you go to apply for that loan. Your financial future is at stake here. If at all possible live within your means and save for what you need. You'll be happier and more stronger financially as a result.

Money truly makes the world go round and how you manage your money decides on whether or not you get credit and the interest rate you pay on loans. The better you manage your finances the easier it becomes for you to get loan approvals and better interest rates.

To make money work you need to develop the mind of a millionaire. One important factor is self control and the other is hard work. To begin life on the right foot you need to master financial planning. You need to set financial goals and put an action plan into place that leads towards the set goals:

1. Create an effective organization system that tracks money in and out and also sounds alarms for when payments are due. Set aside one day of each week to deal with receipts, income statements, payments, and so on. Use online tools such as those at finance.cch.com .

2. Apply for and get a credit report and credit score. This will help you get a clear picture of your financial health. Be sure to get a report annually and learn how to analyze a credit report.

3. Take expert help in setting up financial goals.

4. Create a budget and stick to it.

5. Set small investment goals and every year create a small pool of savings and invest the savings wisely.

6. Use a credit card prudently and wisely. Think hard before spending money you don’t have. Pay for purchases in cash only. Use a credit card only in an emergency and not as additional funds to live the high life.

Learn how to evaluate your financial health regularly.

• Make an assessment that reflects your net worth and debt: income ratio.

• Analyze your cash flow statement. This will tell you whether you need to cut back on expenses, earn more to make ends meet, or whether your budget is working perfectly.

• Design a workable personal finance plan which will take care of expenses and create investment and savings.

• Be sure to monitor and introduce improvements into your financial plan at least once every quarter.

Use online tools like financial planning tools to create a workable plan. Regulate the extent of student loan availed. Take on part-time work to help meet expenses and make small and steady investments.

The key to successful money management is to: stay away from temptations, always pay all bills on time and in full, learn how to save money by sharing expenses and rooming, avoid unnecessary expenses like eating out every other day or purchasing clothes that you don’t really need. If you instill a modicum of discipline and avoid taking loans just because they are easily available you will be able to manage your finances well.

Learn the essentials of interest rates, credit health, insurance, and stock investments. Read up as much as you can on money management essentials. When in doubt seek help from financial aid counselors and other professionals. Most pros are happy to give free guidance to students in need to help.

Plan your loan payments, expenses, and income well and you will find that your credit report and score reflect that you are a dependable individual

Every year more families are going to the brink of financial ruin because they never properly considered their financial future. For some, it’s just to stressful or emotionally uncomfortable to think about and important financial decisions get put off indefinitely. For many, they don’t know and were never taught some basic financial planning tips to keep them out of debt in the future. Here are five financial mistakes you should avoid now to keep your financial future bright:

5 Financial Mistakes To Avoid:

1. Buying on credit: Today’s interest rates are fairly low, but this does not mean you should buy excessively on credit! Carrying a large balance on credit cards month to month is a recipe for disaster. Finance charges alone can slowly eat you up. Buying a car on credit ties up even more of your future earnings for debt repayment.

Just a few decades ago buying so much on credit was unheard of. Children were taught early on what a huge mistake this was. We all need to relearn this lesson and eliminate buying on credit to keep ourselves out of debt

2. Making financial decision based on emotion: When you are going through great stress or emotional turmoil you are most vulnerable to making disastrous financial decisions. It is when you are feeling some king of pressure that you are most likely to make silly decisions that get you into trouble later. Don’t make a big money decision when you are emotionally vulnerable.

3. Not adequately insuring against catastrophic risk: Every year families are financially ruined because they are not protected against disaster. Loss of home and assets to fire and flood are very common events that a surprising number of people don’t protect against with insurance. You should also protect against disaster common to your area. Earthquakes and tornadoes for example. Just as important is some kind of life insurance to protect your loved ones in case of death.

4. Falling for the slick salesmen pitch: They say a sucker is born every minute. And you can be sure there is a slick salesmen waiting to take advantage of every one of them! You should never enter into any financial decision based on salesmen pressure tactics or one-time offers. Great deals that can’t wait for you to think on it or obtain a second opinion are often financial disasters waiting to happen.

5. Not planning out your financial future: For many people it is so much easier to put off the tough financial planning right now and get to it someday in the future. Well we know how that story goes. Years into the future many families are neck deep in debt with no relief in sight. And it could of all been avoided with some sensible planning. Talk to a financial planner today so you can be debt free tomorrow!

There you have it. Five important financial mistakes to avoid so you can be both debt and worry free in your future. No matter where you are at right now financially, it’s not to late to get started. Make an appointment with a financial planner today and get your financial future properly planned out. It’s one of the most important things you can do for your family and for yourself.

Saving money is probably one of the most misunderstood topics in personal financial history. One of the most effective ways to be able to save money is to be able to go hand-in-hand with a strict household budget. In order to start saving, one should be able to take a thorough inventory of the different needs that one has. If one is able to do that, then it will follow that you will be able to take off the extra dollars that could go into the bank instead of the “unnecessary expense” list. One should be able to begin with the most expensive or the biggest items on the list. If one could have moderate savings on the house and car and accompany it with savings on the smaller items such as food and clothes, one will be able to find that the financial savings that will follow after will be quite rewarding.

One of the most important things to follow is to be able to distinguish one's wants from one's needs. It will follow that if you lessen your wants and never substitute it for your needs, you will not have to incur an unnecessary expense. For example, the needs of someone is pretty straightforward to define. These are the things that are essential and they are the things that nourish and maintain. These are shelter, food, clothing and transportation. On the other hand, wants are those things which enhance or improve one's family life or comfortability. A car is essentially a need however a $35,000 sports car is most likely a want unless it is actually necessary for the individual's business trips, etc. There are instances that a phrase like this is heard, “Without a doubt, I absolutely need to get the newest iPod.” And if the people who talk like that hears themselves, they will actually hear themselves say, “I want the newest iPod.” It will be extremely difficult to save up if this essential difference is not resolved in the consumer's mind.

For the most part, it only requires a change of lifestyle. Instead of going to that fancy restaurant with the $100 meal, then a $20 alternative could prove to be much more practical. Besides, the food could be as delicious as the expensive main course in the trendy restaurant. Rather than watch ever blockbuster movie that Hollywood coughs up, it would be better if one would limit his or her movie viewing to just about 2 movies per month. This will go a long way if it is continued through an extended period of time. It would very well be practical and the money that you save will surely go a long way in any case of an emergency. As much as it is pleasurable to keep up with the Joneses, it is much wiser to have extra money for your family and for yourself. Forget about the ego and the branded shirts. They won't be of any use to us when we desperately need the money for some other expense. Saving money starts with the little things and, if done correctly, it ends in a big paycheck which is well worth the little sacrifices.

I would say one of the most annoying moments for students is when a big night out is coming up, all of your friends are going, but there is a slight doubt in your mind because of one issue......CASH!

If you don't have enough cash to go out, my usual advice would be don't give in to peer pressure or temptation and stay in to put in those valuable study hours, but if going on a bender is unavoidable or you actually really DO want to go, here are some tips on how to survive the night on a tight budget and have a good time too.

Stick to your Budget
Before going out, plan ahead and choose how much you can afford to spend on the night out. This should be based on how much money you actually have, and can you afford to live until the next bit of cash comes in.

Now you have chosen your budget, stick to it! Here's the best advice I can give you....do not take your cash/credit card out with you. Get your cash out from a machine in advance, so the temptation to withdrawl more than you have budgeted wont be there. And of course don't go spending all of your budget at once or too quickly. Oh yes an nearly forgot, don't borrow money from your friends, especially if you can't afford to pay them back.

Stretching your Budget
To make your money go further, take advantage of special offers in pubs and clubs, such as buy-one-get-one-free offers, or money off offers, this will get you more booze for your buck. Another way would be to go to student friendly pubs and clubs or even the student union, these places usually offer good reduction on alcohol prices and are usually free entry, or money off entry for students. But it could be as easy as just choosing to go to the cheapest places possible, you should take into consideration the entry free and the price of your favorite tipple.

Taxi
This is usually a stumbling block, let me guess how many of you out there, including myself have gone out on a budget when suddenly closing time comes and it hits you really hard in the face when you realise you didn't take into account that you needed a taxi at the end of the night. My advice would be to place your taxi money in a separate pocket or a separate area of your wallet and DO NOT under any circumstance spend it.