Get savvy about saving with our useful tips and guidance.

Take control of your savings

While you're doing the hard work of saving, there are a few simple measures you can take to make sure you are saving effectively.

Why not read through this helpful checklist to discover if you have already taken control of your savings?

Have you maximised your ISA allowance for this tax year? If not it is a great way to save without paying tax on any interest earned. You can save up to £3,600 each tax year in a Cash ISA and from the 6 October 2009 year if you were born on or before 5 April 1960 your Cash ISA limit will be increasing to £5,100. Set up a standing order to go out of your account and into a savings account as soon as you get paid. And don't forget, if your income increases, by increasing the amount of your standing order at the same time, you will be able to save more without noticing it in your monthly budget.

Have you tried working through a monthly budget to see where your expenses are? This is a great way to see how much you can afford to save once all of your necessary outgoings have been accounted for. Try our excel budget calculator to help you keep track of your finances. If you need a simpler version or do not have excel use our online budget calculator.

If you get a windfall of money think about putting a percentage of it into your savings.

Look into really easy ways to save. For example, Save the Change® automatically rounds up Lloyds TSB Visa debit card purchases to the nearest pound when your account is in credit and transfers the difference into an eligible Lloyds TSB savings account.

If you haven't already tried it why not use our helpful savings tool where you can find out how quickly you can achieve your savings goal.

As well as thinking about this checklist, take a look at our savvy saver tips and discover over 100 ways to save on everything from food to fuel.

And if you'd like to speak with an expert about your money situation, our financial health specialists are specifically trained to help you make the most of your money. The service is free and even available on Saturdays. Not only will they give you expert assistance, they'll be happy to create a financial action plan for you too.

To find which branch nearest to you has a financial health specialist, just use the locator, then call us to make an appointment.