You would have to be exceptionally astute with your finances to realise it, but this year, you benefit from an extra days' insurance cover for the same annual cost. That's because 2012 is a leap year which means you are getting 366 days' cover instead of the usual 365.
You could choose to celebrate this fact on February 29 - the 'extra' day we get every four years. Or you could choose to use the extra day to switch all your household bill providers and save yourself more than £1,000 - that's at least £2.75 every day.
Head of banking at MoneySupermarket, Kevin Mountford, said: "Despite the current economic climate, many Brits still make the mistake of sitting on average deals with average providers which cost them much more than they need to. This is the last thing householders need having faced a winter of rising bills and unemployment.
"Using the 'extra day' in 2012 to really go through your household bills and work out where you can save could be the best thing you do all year."
So where do you start?
Don't auto-renew with your car insurance provider
On March 1, the new '12' car registration plates will hit the nation's forecourts, triggering a flurry of drivers looking for annual motor insurance. And if you bought your car in previous new-registration seasons, your insurance will be coming up for renewal.
But sticking with your current provider - known as 'auto-renewing' - could prove a costly mistake. Recent independent number-crunching by Money Supermarket found that customers who got online and shopped around for the best deals saved themselves an average of £375 a year.
Take a look at MoneySupermarket's car insurance channel to see how much you could save.
Dig out your home insurance documents
Your buildings and contents insurance can often feel as engrained as the bricks, mortar and pipework in your home - but this doesn't have to be the case. Dig out your documents and have a look at how much your combined buildings and contents insurance is costing you every year.
Then log onto MoneySupermarket's home insurance channel, input your details and see how much you could save. The average, according our figures, is more than £126 a year. If your policies are from separate providers the saving is likely to be even higher. You can save a typical 10% on your quoted premiums by buying buildings and contents cover from the same provider - while at the same time, ensuring no claims fall through any 'gaps' in cover.
Transfer credit debt to a cheaper card
One of the most wrenching ways of losing money is through debt on a credit card you can't clear that is racking up sky-high rates of interest - typically north of 18%. In this case, look at transferring it onto a 0% balance transfer card.
The market-leading card for balance transfers is currently Barclaycard Platinum Credit Card with Extended Balance Transfer. This deal offers 0% on balance transfers for 22 months in exchange for a fee of 2.9%.
You'll need a good crediting rating to be accepted for this card though. If you're not sure you'll qualify, Capital One's new Balance card could provide a good alternative. The deal, which offers 0% on balance transfers until September 2012 for a 1.7% fee, is aimed at borrowers with credit scores that are only 'average to good'.
Whatever your situation, it's certainly worth investigating. Our most recent figures show that average savings made by balance transfer for one year, total £269.
Find out for yourself what you can save at our credit card comparison channel.
Get a better personal loan
If you have an outstanding unsecured loan, paying it off with a loan from a cheaper provider could save you a further average of £225 for borrowing taken over a five-year timeframe. This is by making sure you pay the market-leading rate on the market, rather than the market-average.
Take a look at our loans comparison channel to see what deals are out there. Bear in mind the cheapest borrowing is usually reserved for loans of between £7,500 and £15,000 and taken over the maximum timeframe.
For example, the current market-leader for a £7,500 loan is currently M&S Money which is offering borrowers a representative APR of 6% over a five-year period.
For the same loan amount and repayment period, the next joint best providers are Tesco Bank and Sainsbury's Finance both of which offer slightly higher representative APRs of 6.1%.
Transfer savings to a superior account
Savings can be shifted too. Cash that is sitting in a poorly-paying easy access account, could be earning an average £42 extra if moved to the market-leading deal, according to our figures. You'll need to look carefully at bonus rates on easy access accounts, though, as many expire after the first 12 months, when you'll need to move your money again.
Virgin Money's Easy Access E-Saver account pays a 'clean' rate of 2.85% on deposits of £1 so you won't have to bother switching. However, make sure you've used up your full ISA allowance first. You've until April 5 to use this year's cash allowance of £5,340.
You can compare all types of homes for your cash at our savings channel.
Turn down the heat on energy costs
The cost of energy has fallen in recent months - though the effects of some of the cuts take place in March, just when the weather is getting warmer! What's more, despite the price drops the cost of gas and electricity is still considerably higher than it was a year ago.
In fact, prior to the round of price cuts announced by energy suppliers in the past couple of months, gas and electricity had risen by 17.4% and 10.8% respectively.
The cost of heating and powering our homes therefore remains a major financial bugbear for consumers all over the country - but it's not too late to take action. You can add to your annual household savings an average of £224 by switching to a cheaper provider or tariff, according to our figures.
Check out MoneySupermarket's energy switching channel.
Secure some extra savings
Don't forget other savings you can make during the year, for example, when buying holidays and travel insurance. Our research shows that shopping around for both of these deals can save around £180 a year.
With over £1,000 extra in your pocket and no 'real time' lost, 2012 could be the best leap year in a lifetime.
Please note: Any rates or deals mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing. Click on a highlighted product and apply direct.
By Laura Howard, Content editor for money and lifestyle
