With prices for utilities, petrol and housing becoming ever higher in Devon, it’s unsurprising that many people are finding it tougher these days to make ends meet and find ways of generating savings from their overall living expenditure. One of the best ways to source cheap deals on fuel, utilities, house insurance and services is to use a comprehensive price comparison website to identify the latest deals.

People who have managed to save an amount of money over the years will also benefit from finding sensible ways of investing their cash to ensure the best possible rate of return for the future. Esme Smith (46), a learning and development consultant from Devon, did just this, and managed to invest a significant sum of money as a result. She consulted a price comparison website to identify ways in which she could best maximise returns on savings, safeguarding her nest egg against future loss.

Esme had recently purchased a new car and computer, and realised that her remaining savings could best be utilised by investing carefully and keeping an eye on the interest generated. Having come in to an inheritance of around ninety thousand pounds, Esme needed a way of locating the ideal packages for savings and investments to protect her inheritance.

Esme commented:

"My financial concerns are more positive than negative at the moment: my only problem is to what to do with my money. I would like to lock some away so I don't dip into it for daily living costs but I don't want to lock it all away just in case I decide to buy a larger property."

By undertaking a series of steps to protect her savings, Esme was able to achieve an increased profit generation of almost five thousand pounds per year by consulting a price comparison website for advice. Here is how she achieved it…

• Moving from a current account to savings schemes, spreading her investment
• Depositing a large sum in to a two-year HiSAVE Fixed Rate bond with ICICI Bank, which pays 4.25%
• Opening an Investec High 5 Account, for those with large balances
• Opening a 1st Class Postal Account with Coventry Building Society which pays a rate of 3.15%
• Investing in a NatWest Cash ISA Plus account, which pays a competitive rate 2.97%
• Speaking to an independent financial adviser to discuss other options such as equity and bond investments
• Saving £277 per year on her comprehensive Car Insurance, by consulting the price comparison website
• Switching utilities providers to benefit from the latest deals
• Using a price comparison website to find the best possible deal on house insurance, leading to a saving of £65 per year.

Overall, Esme was able to achieve both savings and interest beyond her expectations as a result of undertaking a series of simple steps to research her current economic situation. Esme’s story demonstrates the wide range of options which people in Devon have when it comes to reducing their annual spend, making the most of their savings, and protecting themselves for the future.