Features

www.elance.com
Planning to work for yourself? The intuitively designed Elance is a one-stop portal for all things freelance, bringing thousands of professionals and projects to your screen, be it a one-off computer programming job or a series of creatively written newsletters. Outsourcers post projects online for free, suppliers then bid for the job (credits need to be purchased to place a bid), leaving the outsourcer to make a decision based on the supplier's pitch, previous project history and, most importantly, star rating. Agreed payments are made once the work is complete. The transparency, straightforwardness and community atmosphere of Elance means you can go about your business with peace of mind.

www.moneysavingexpert.com
Gordon Brown might give with one hand and take with the other, but this site is all about genuine savings. It's a goldmine of information covering topics such as the cheapest electricity or mortgage suppliers and the best current credit card deals to more in-depth articles, such as how to reclaim council tax or bank charges - even years after you've paid them. The user forums are also full of invaluable unbiased advice and recommendations on which companies to use or avoid.

www.fool.co.uk
Numerous websites offer financial advice and "the lowest mortgages on the internet", but Fool.co.uk has the advantage of easy navigation and a (ahem) wealth of well-written advice. And if you sign up to be a Fool - that is, register with your email address - you can access a lively forum that offers constructive advice for your particular situation. There's good, clear comparison of pretty much any financial service we can think of, but make sure you always click on the Search All tab to avoid being directed to sponsored packages.