Switched on to screen savers

The trouble with the internet is that there is too much information out there. How do you know which sites are most reliable or most relevant to you?
Most banks offer financial advice on their websites and the following six sites offer financial and budgeting advice from experts, plus handy hints from everyday people who are also battling to balance their budgets.
If you do have money to spend, there are also websites that will help you get a good deal and save money on those special treats.
www.sorted.org.nz
Virtually any money-related query can be answered using calculators on this site - from seeing how your savings will accumulate over time, to finding budgeting advice, working out how much an item will cost using different payment methods and assessing how much you need to save for your retirement.
There are even pages designed specifically for children, students and the 60-plus age group, reflecting the different economic situations associated with each life stage.
What's more, it's actually fun putting all the numbers in and pushing the "calculate" button, wondering what results or advice the site will arrive at (my money personality profile was uncannily accurate!).
You do not have to register to use the site, but by doing so you can save calculations, budgets or financial goal-setting for future reference.
Knowledge is power and sorted.co.nz gives you that.
You can even download bank and credit card statements into the site's secure Money Tracker function to find out where your money really does go every month.

www.guide2.co.nz/money/guides
Although lighter on specific details, this series of blogs by a range of authors offers sound general advice.
Topics range from grassroots-level, such as more economical grocery shopping and managing your credit card, through to weathering one-off expenses such as mortgages and weddings.
It also caters for people with money who want to better understand their investment options.
This is a guide-to rather than a how-to site, but will provide a bit of inspiration and general advice to get you started.
www.simplesavings.com.au
Much of the advice on simplesavings.
com.au is available only if you register, but there are still plenty of free helpful hints if you hunt a bit.
Ignore the constant reminders about what you could have access to if you become a Vault member for $47 (presumably Australian dollars) and head to the "downloads" section for instructions on how to set up an efficient bill-paying system and templates for keeping track of gift-buying, budget travel, hosting a garage sale and planning menus.
You can also register, for no charge, to receive regular newsletters. The Save-O-Meter and Hints and Tips sections can be accessed without registering and contain ideas submitted by members - sometimes with an indication of how much they have saved.

www.grabone.co.nz
If you are on a tight budget, discount sites such as grabone.co.nz can put temptation in your way and cause you to spend more money.
But for shoppers who are looking for gifts or to reward themselves for coming in under budget for the month, this offers affordable treats.
From six doughnuts for $7 in Palmerston North to a $25 round of golf in Auckland or an $8 ten-pin bowling/mini golf combo in Marlborough, bargains can be had, with goods and services at up to 90 per cent off.
Offers are posted on the site for most regions daily and, if enough people sign up to a particular deal, it goes ahead, with coupons sent out electronically.
Also try onedaydeals.co.nz, which highlights the best deals of the day on sites such as grabone.co.nz.
www.oilyrag.co.nz
The sheer volume of tips on how to get by "on the smell of an oily rag" could be off-putting on this site, but the hints have been conveniently separated into various categories in the Oily Rag Index.
As well as sage advice from Oily Raggers Frank and Muriel Newman, there are hundreds of savings tips from the general public.
These range from cold remedies from the garden or pantry to ideas for making a bit of extra cash through home-tutoring, re-selling bargains from garage sales or entering free competitions.
There is also an Oily Rag Club, which costs nothing to join, and members receive regular newsletters.
You can also buy the Newman's two books on Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in New Zealand through the site.
www.familybudgeting.org.nz
The New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services website has a number of useful documents to download.
As well as a spreadsheet to help you tally up incomings and outgoings, there is a table to record all your debt, a shopping plan to make your grocery dollar go further and a handy "cookbook".
Low-budget, healthy meal ideas are complemented by explanations of what types of foods are most important, tips for finding the time to cook and substituting ingredients to help you cook with what is in the house, instead of having to buy extra bits and pieces.
But the most useful part of the website is advice on finding your local budgeting service for some one-on-one help if you need it.