With summer on the horizon, fashion-forward people are planning well ahead for what clothes they’ll be wearing after the month is up. Luckily, you’re in a great position to buy cool-weather clothes at a great price from stores like this one, given that they’re not suited to the warm climate you’ll have to “endure” over the next couple of months!

So, what do you need to target when shopping on a budget? Here are a few bullet points to follow if you’re drawing a blank!

Length matters. If you want to cover up your legs, prioritise the purchase of a long coat. Then again, if you’re a fan of short skirts and dresses, it may be worth considering a smaller option – it’s up to you, really!

Look for a snug lining. Then again, you may want to have it feeling a little lighter in the warmer days of autumn, so consider a coat that has a removable lining.

Ensure the coat fits. It’s often a silly point to make, but don’t get anything too tight. You need to be able to raise your arms and be able to draw them back too. It also needs to feel good when sitting down and buttoned or zipped up.

Consider a trench coat. These just don’t seem to go out of fashion. What’s more, they are water-repellent so can double up as an excellent raincoat.

You would be absolutely insane to overlook the delights that the UK has to offer your typical holidaymaker in 2012. While travel destinations like the US, France and Spain will remain bastions of many people’s diaries this summer, it’s worth thinking of what Great Britain has to offer. With more public holidays than usual owing to the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and great weather promised for July and August (if predictions come true for once), what’s stopping you staying in the UK?

You can go cheap and cheerful with the Caravan Club, get a simple B&B or – if you’re very lucky - fall back on a cottage that you rent out at other times during the year (if you haven’t done this and you have the money, by the way, it’s certainly worth thinking about). Whatever you do, consider the great sights and events the UK has to offer in 2012. Here’s a couple to give you even more of a reason to save money!

Olympic Games, London

Okay, so a ticket to the Games may cost you a lot of money, but just being in the city when it’s all going on will be an exciting multicultural hot-pot of events, great nightlife and all the associated free sights and museums that London has to offer. Go here if you’re short of ideas – you’ll soon realise how silly you may be for thinking there’s nothing interesting there!

Diamond Jubilee, nationwide

There are plenty of great goings-on around the UK to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. While many will take place over London, there are plenty of other local parties organised. Even if you don’t do it, it’s a lovely long weekend for you!

Dickens 2012

As with the above, there are national celebrations hailing the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth. To get involved, simply get on the Dickens 2012 website to find out more!

Summer’s just around the corner. We had a taste of it just a few weeks ago, when everyone suddenly decided they were on the set of Jersey Shore for a week, wearing flip-flops and sunglasses as if it’s acceptable in town centres such as Bradford or Kettering in the middle of March.

Still, it highlights just how people really do want to bust out their summer clothing when they get the chance. However, the lack of preparation for hotter weather means many have resorted to past trends, instead of using a new wardrobe. I’ve never really cared for fashion, yet trends definitely exist and you can look silly wearing certain things. Here are a few items to avoid when you’re heading online so you don’t waste money, whether you’re a larger lady, someone going for an altogether more pretentious preppy look or someone with a slightly bigger budget looking for quality threads.

So, don’t…

…get those short-shorts.

Last year, people started showing off their legs in 80-style short-shorts that came in one of two shades: garish, and a little bit more garish. It was a one-hit wonder that was only carried off by women with little regard for classiness, or people who were doing serious exercise at the gym.

…buy seasonal sunglasses.

People find themselves buying a new pair of sunglasses every year, whether it’s Kanye West-style slat-like plastic frames or retro John Lennon-esque offerings. Get a decent pair of Ray-Bans – Wayfarers and Aviators seemingly never go out of fashion.

…get expensive flip-flops or sandals.

Most pairs of flip-flops will only last one summer anyway, but chances are you’ll end up throwing them out during the winter because you never use them, and they’re a little worse for wear. Get cheap ones from a high-street shop instead.

With utility bills higher than ever before and with the threat of further rises from energy companies, who are covering supposed maintenance costs, it seems like we all need to save as much money as possible. Even Nick Clegg is demanding that the aforementioned firms help consumers get the best deal for themselves (as if that’s going to happen any time soon…). However, there are certain things that you simply can’t avoid paying, and you need to focus your money-saving prowess here.

Alongside utilities is food shopping and – if you’re a homeowner or landlord – buildings insurance. Sadly, many people lose money on this requirement – for silly reasons too. Luckily, because we’re brilliant, we’re going to help you save even more cash.

What is it?

If you’re not too clear on what buildings insurance is, it covers any possible damage to a house’s structure as well as its permanent fixtures. It safeguards against floods, storms, fires, malicious damage and even explosions, among other problems you can’t predict. While it’s necessary to have, it’s still tailored to different groups – homeowners will get several options, while landlords will get tailored deals much better for their circumstances.

Avoid the convenient option

Buildings insurance is a basic mortgage requirement, but you’ve got to remember that the mortgage provider will try to squeeze a lot of money out of you for the sake of a convenient tack-on policy. It’s a lot cheaper to go elsewhere (especially specialist companies) – do that instead.

Insure the correct amount

A common mistake people make is covering their house by its market value, even though prices fluctuate and rarely – if ever – reflect its true cost. The amount you actually need to cover should be the rebuild value alone – how much it’d cost if your home or rental property was knocked down. Of course, this doesn’t include your possessions (contents insurance applies here), but you need to consider the cost of materials, labour and architects’ fees. A relatively accurate and quick way to figure this out is by using the calculator tool at the Association of British Insurers’ site.

For current students who don’t want to accumulate more debt, student-friendly banks such as Secure Trust Bank are a wise option. Stories are emerging that highlight just how difficult it can be to shift student debts. On March 6th 2012, the BBC reported an unbelievable story of two Cambridge graduates who set own up their business to overcome their student debt as soon as possible. Their pair’s novel approach was to begin selling advertising space – on their faces!

It is important as a student to avoid any extra debt in the first place. Many students are tempted by credit card deals with low interest rates, under the false impression that they will be able to pay off debts after graduating. But with today’s difficult economic climate, graduate jobs are not always guaranteed. It is better to opt for prepaid credit card schemes while you are at university, as they allow complete control of finances and there is no risk of accumulating debt.

A prepaid credit card scheme is a great option for students as it allows division of finances into essential monthly outgoings, and variable monthly spends. Simply keep a fixed balance in the account for essential direct debits, and put the remainder of the money onto your prepaid credit card for other variable costs like textbooks and food.

Student debt from tuition fees and maintenance loans are unavoidable, but at least with prepaid credit card schemes you can be in completely control of the finances you have and not worry about accruing extra financial commitments.

It’s not just keeping your car and home in a good state of repair that can be expensive, maintaining your body can also be a pricey and time consuming affair. As you age, new health issues can emerge and existing conditions can worsen, so it’s best to keep on top of potential areas of concern with regular checks.

In particular, deterioration in the quality of your vision, hearing and even your teeth can prove problematic and expensive. Often, catching issues early can stop them from escalating and with this in mind conducting a regular health MOT could save you time and future pain. You can get some of your vitals checked for free – such as your hearing. You’ll find you can have your hearing checked on the high street with names like Amplifon.  You are likely to have to pay for eye and dental checks, though if you don’t need any treatment you will only need to pay for the price of the check-up itself.

When it comes to maintaining your overall health, regular visits to your GP can make a contribution, but you may also want to take a more proactive approach. Investing a few pounds in a fitness class each week or even paying for a basic gym membership may mean you are able to stay more active in your later years. This will pay you back in convenience when you are able to enjoy a greater level of mobility and of course save you cash on bus and taxi fares.

Not everyone wants to save cash on their biker gear – for some, having the flashiest and most expensive kit at any given time is part of the pride of owning a motorbike. For the rest of us, however, budgets dictate that sometimes we need to be thrifty when buying new clothing, although you should never compromise on safety. Along with cover from a company like MCE Insurance, your bike clothing is your first line of defence if you should have an accident.

One of the best ways to get top-quality motorbike gear for less is to go to meets and trade shows, where there’s often a few stalls selling second-hand, but still highly usable gear. Failing that, car boot sales and charity shops are a good source of clothing, but make sure the armour is still in good condition before you take it for a ride. If you can afford to pay a bit more, official Harley-Davidson and Yamaha stores might have discount goods around winter time, when sales typically slump.

Finally, motorcycle magazines usually have a classified section where riders are selling off unwanted gear – these are well worth checking if you’ve exhausted all other avenues.

Hit TV series Mad Men is due to return to our screens later this month and for many the question is:  Will Don and Peggy do the Dirty? However, what the fashion conscious among us are eagerly awaiting is the return of the fantastic 60s styling that shape and celebrate womanly curves, as well as those sharp suits that make the ad men gents not to be messed with.

If you want to celebrate the return of the ad men and women by wearing some 60s inspired fashion, you can do so without heading for your local pricey vintage boutique. One of the newest collections at http://www.simplybe.co.uk/ features simple piexes that are based on the very essence of the decade’s style, complete with a modern twist. Here you’ll find smart tailoring, bold colour blocking and monochrome a-plenty.

Key items include tunics, midi dresses, wide ankle length trousers and fun and flirty jumpsuits, which are all available in up to a size 32. So, if youve got killer curves to rival those of Christina Hendricks, you can now be the best looking secretary around without blowing your entire month’s paycheck. Hopefully that should leave you enough left over to buy yourself the Mad Men boxset.

The high profile illness of Cheryl Cole in 2010 went some way towards highlighting the importance of having recommended and necessary vaccinations and treatment before holidaying in exotic climes, but there are still many holidaymakers and travellers out there who aren’t aware of the risks and the precautions they can take.

As Cheryl Cole’s bout of Malaria showed – the potential impact of not preparing for a holiday abroad properly can extend far beyond a mere case of holiday tummy. For what can often be prevented by a trip to your GP or a visit to your local Lloyds Pharmacy, you could find yourself tackling a host of problems.

As well as the prospect of falling very ill and perhaps spending time in hospital, depending on the disease or infection you contract, you could also make those around you ill. You could even be unfortunate enough to have to spend time in quarantine. So in addition to being a potential health risk to others – you could find yourself being forced to take time off from work and unable to support a family, all as a result of not planning effectively.

Buying a new laptop is often quite a pricey investment, but one that is well worth it as long as you pick the one that is right for you. If the up-front cost is too much for you to bear, it’s also a good idea to look into buy now pay later deals on laptops from retailers like Misco.

First of all, are you using your laptop for business or pleasure? If you’re a student or using your laptop for your job, you’re unlikely to have any high-end system requirements – something with a dual-core processor and 4GB of RAM should be plenty, and consider whether you’ll want a built-in webcam or whether you can save money by buying it separately. If you’re on the go a lot of the time and want to take your laptop with you, think about getting a netbook instead – they’re much faster and more portable than a laptop, although of course the trade-off is in lower power and less storage space.

Alternatively, if you’re a gamer who doesn’t want a desktop PC, you ideally want to get the best specifications you can afford. Usually this means searching by graphics card, as gaming laptops usually have the other specs built around them, but you should aim for a 2.4GHz CPU or even a quad-core. It may be more expensive now, but it’ll be a lot more future-resistant than a less advanced model.