Thanks guys!
Forgot to mention have been doing the obvious with regard to shopping around and so far have saved a fortune on apartment contents insurance and on car insurance - gives me a great sense of satisfaction!!
Also recently attended a Frock Swap event and got rid of some old clothes and picked a couple of second hand bits for myself.
I refuse to get down and depressed about the state of things. As a country we are doing a lot of "hating" at the moment - Guards, Teachers, Public Sector (me), politicians, developers, bankers...the list is endless. People (and i include the Poster who is adamant about the value of my apartment in this) seem to get a sick thrill from telling people how dire the situation is and i refuse to go under!!!