Ideally, we would all like to have surplus money left over at the end of each month - even if we did have a good time in the pub, club or restaurant along the way and maybe spent a bit more than we should have done.

But there are other more useful things we can do with our spare cash - and saving and investment are ways of not only keeping our money safe, but of growing it as well. If you end up with more money than you put in then it surely has to be worth the effort to understand saving and investment.

Financial services providers offer a range of products to help us do exactly this and here you will be able to find the best savings account, compare savings accounts (by using a savings calculator), and survey the exciting UK investment scene to maximise your chances of making the best investment with your funds.

Savings accounts are probably the easier to understand and if you click on the savings button (the piggy bank) you will find the products explained in more detail. Similarly, if you click the ISA button (the appealing piles of cash), you will find out about how to save tax-free in these individual savings accounts and pick the best ISA for yourself.

Investments are generally regarded as more complex yet they do not necessarily have to be so, certainly in the UK.  Investment is easy to understand in its basic principles, even if the City whizz-kids who run funds would soon lose most ordinary people when it comes to the daily detail of the jobs they do. Anyone for a collateralized debt obligation? I thought not.

Still, there is a wealth of investment advice available and we will look at the basic types of products and services here. Just remember though that for any saving and investment in the UK, investment decision will involve some element of risk.

Finally, we have dedicated a section to pensions, although this vital subject probably demands a website of its own. The important thing is to get pension advice for your own needs, whether you have a personal pension, a Stakeholder pension or are looking for a pension fund. The key is to start as early as you can, because the more you put in the more you will get out.