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Four ways to cheer yourself up on Blue Monday!

The third Monday of January is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. Whether you believe that or not, the long nights, cold weather and trying to keep to new year resolutions are all probably getting to you a little by now. To make matters worse many will still be recovering from their Christmas spending. So how can you make today – and the rest of January – a little better for you and your wallet? Well, if times are tight, a little extra in your pocket should make the month more bearable...

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Revealed: The hidden habits that cost you money

Did you know the average adult spends more than £72 a month without really knowing what on? That’s cash that could come in really handy when the credit card bills blow in at the end of January. So, where does all the money go? Don’t waste time searching for holes in your pockets or down the side of the settee, that’s not where most of the money you can’t account for goes. It’s more likely to have disappeared thanks to little habits you don't even realise are quietly adding up...

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In the news: this week’s top money stories

Have you been out enjoying the sunshine instead of keeping up with this week’s money stories? We don’t blame you! But if you want your news distilled, here is our round-up for you. Changes this year means there is more freedom in how you can access your pension. But with this extra flexibility comes the potential for scammers coming out of the woodwork. To mark the start of Scams Awareness Month, which urges those saving into a pension to scam-proof their savings...

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How does your household spend compare to the UK average?

The ‘cost of living’ is a phrase that’s rarely out of the news, and our wallets and bills appear to back up the claims that our household spending is on the rise. The Office of National Statistics has taken a look back at the nation’s household spend for 2013 – and it shows that we did spend more than the year before. The average amount spent by each family was £517.30 per week – that’s £16 more than in 2012 after inflation is taken into account, and the second most expensive year since 2009...

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Are you losing out by underestimating your bills?

It’s easy to underestimate things – the calories in a slice of cake, or how long your journey will take for example. But not considering the full amount of your household bills could end up costing you much more than you think. Bill payers estimate their annual household bill costs to be £2,528, but in reality they spent an average of £3,987 according to research from Santander Current Accounts. This is a difference of £1,459 a year. Would you know where you could find this money if you did misjudge your costs by this much?

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