I have mentioned before that I use a prepaid credit card to help with my budgeting. Because I have to load it in advance I don't have to worry about getting into credit card debt.

That doesn't mean it is easy to manage. I normally spend just about every penny it's loaded with each month so the online management facility is particularly helpful, especially approaching the end of the month.

For people with credit problems a prepaid credit card is definitely the way to go. There are no credit checks and 100% acceptance for many prepaid cards. 

A prepaid card also enables you to rebuild your credit record. Following credit problems, even if they have been sorted out, there is usually a black mark left on your credit file. This can slowly be repaired with good financial management - a prepaid card helps in this respect.

Prepaid cards can be used in exactly the same manner as normal credit cards. They will carry either the VISA or MasterCard logo and be accepted at millions of outlets worldwide. They can also be used for online shopping.

You can find out more information at the Credit card debt plan website - prepaid credit cards page.

As well as dealing with credit card debt this site also offers ways in which to avoid debt in the first place and to recover your credit rating following completion of a debt solution.

I consider myself to be reasonably lucky, all things considered, and one area in which my luck has been good is that of debt. I did get myself into debt when I was in my early twenties, but not so badly that I couldn't get out of it.

In fact being in debt at that time made me vow never to do it again and so far I have stuck to this, although it gets harder every year as living expenses continue to rise faster than my meagre salary!

The problem with debt is that if you leave it unchecked, making minimum repayments for instance, the interest continues to pile on and you make no headway in clearing the initial debt, the situation just gets worse and worse. If you're not careful you can get into a very steep downward spiral and lose control over your finances.

I hope no-one reading this has reached that stage, and if you are in debt now is the time to try and regain control and sort out your finances. It might mean tightening your belt and enduring more hardship than normal but clearing the debt and becoming debt free is well worth it.

I have some contacts in the financial services sector, having worked on a number of financial websites, and one which has recently re-launched is IVA Debt Problem dealing specifically with debt and how to get out of debt.

The three areas they concentrate on are:

• Debt Management
• Debt Consolidation
• IVAs (Individual Voluntary Arrangements)

Which option is best for you will depend upon your current circumstances and the amount of debt. They will guide you through all of your options and discuss the best way forward.

So if you are in debt, looking for a debt solution, get in touch with them via their debt advice helpline or online enquiry form and see if they can help you regain financial control.

It's been slow going updating the website as I've been busy with work and family commitments (this is also my main excuse for failing miserably in my weight loss endeavours!).

I should have more time soon and I hope to be focussing on the main reason why this website was set up - to help people make more money.

I want to feature a range of different ideas. Over the years I have tried many of them myself plus I have my father and sister who have also tried out different ideas themselves.

As none of us are now rich you will gather that they have not been spectactularly successful, but some of them were only to make a part-time income.

Having been through the process I can also point out some of the pitfalls, scams etc. which many people don't manage to avoid.

I will also be putting up a page about saving money. If you are currently struggling to make ends meet, as many of us are, it may be that you could save enough money to balance the books and get on top of your finances.

These pages should be up this week so keep your eyes open and keep coming back.

I've added a new page to the website about personal finances. It definitely pays to think about your future finances and getting them in order will lead to a happier future.

One of the things in my life I regret is getting into debt when I was younger. I spent well beyond my means, mainly on a succession of credit cards, and it was only by luck of selling my house during the housing boom that I managed to get it repaid.

Since then I vowed never to get into debt again and this is why now I am very keen on budgeting, buying bargains and getting free stuff.

Now I have a son I realise that I don't just have to worry about managing on a day-to-day basis but I very much have to plan for the future of the whole family. Not easy when your wages barely cover the bills.

However I have set up a child bond for my son, plus I pay in a small amount every month into his bank account. Although the amounts are small they should accumulate over the next 18 years into a reasonable start for him. Maybe a university fund.

I'm also considering a savings bond with a Friendly Society for us as a small part of my "retire at 50" campaign, although "semi-retire at 50" is probably nearer the mark.

To find the extra money needed to put aside I have already embarked on a series of cuts to the household budget. Not sure my wife is too happy about everything coming from charity shops, markets or car boots but she is just going to have to live with it.

The budgeting tool I'm using for our monthly shopping is a prepaid credit card. Normally these are seen as only being for people with bad credit histories who cannot get a "normal" credit card but people need to think again.

My wife recently ran up a large bill on her visa card with a number of small impulse purchases which she bought and forgot about. Her statements come every three months and when it arrived it came to £500, all in small amounts of £7 here and £12 there.

These unnecessary purchases have now been cut out! We have a monthly budget and we are going to stick to it, come hell or high water.

Loading your card up-front with a fixed amount does make you think harder about what you are buying, it really feels like you are spending REAL money rather than the normal mindset with a regular credit card of worrying about it when the bill comes.

It does involve a more hands-on approach and, if you are running a tight budget (like me), you need to keep on top of it. However the reward will hopefully be an earlier retirement so that will spur me on.