Useful Snoops have given me a better outlook for February

The ghost of Christmas past has come back to haunt me in the form of a depressingly high January credit card bill. I am now regretting the extravagance of Tiny Tim's goose. Even with a couple of extra shifts my overdraft was in use two weeks before payday. Snoop won't hand me money for nothing (useful app update?) however I have found a couple of useful Snoops which have improved my outlook for February.

My home insurance is due, joy of joys. The complexities of this onerous task have, however, been elucidated by a recent Snoop. Auto-renew? No. Get a quote three weeks before renewal for the best possible price? Yes. After experimenting with the level of excess I've struck a balance between what I can afford now and what I could afford if I needed to use the policy. Using a cashback site to do the comparisons I should get £24 back (not-guaranteed and in many months time though).

With some ethical dissonance I still use Amazon. One of the main drivers has always been price. Recently I have been surprised to find lower prices on competitors sites and a Snoop about CamelCamelCamel was revelatory; Amazon prices fluctuate a lot. When I needed some exciting new work shoes I searched for the ones I bought last year. They had increased in price but by using another feature of the site (the 'Amazon price drop') I found a much better deal on a similar pair. I did a quick search of competitors and Amazon was the cheapest; saving £20.

With five days left until payday I may be in the red but with only £5 in regular payments left there is light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe with some sensible planning and saving this year (along with Snoop's help) Tiny Tim can have his goose and I can avoid the spectre of financial ruin.