Martin Lewis

Tips, Tricks & Treats

Full compendium of MoneySaving bargains, loopholes and special deals

updated monthly

All new top deals go in the weekly e-mail


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Masses of loopholes, bargains, discount vouchers, new offers and just plain ol' good sense are crammed into our Forum. The best new ones get included in the weekly money tips e-mail; and those that last are collected up and listed right here. This is a treasure trove for the top tips.

All the latest top tips & treats go in the weekly e-mail

It's Free, Ad Free and Spam Free View Past Emails, FAQ


If you find one of the tips below is no longer available, please help by reporting it to brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com




Whether it's toilet training your children, making savings on tax or getting your health checked out for free, the forum's full of top tips for families. If you're new to the site, first check out the big family savings; give yourself a Money Makeover to ensure you're getting the best deal on all your finance products, and aren't paying over the odds for utilities.

Use the 5-Minute Benefits Check-up article to make sure you're getting what you're entitled to, and if you've over-spending teens, the free-to-print Teen Cash Class PDF guide's definitely worth checking out.

hints

Darkblue bullet
Stop Smoking. Quitting smoking isn't just good for your health; it'll make your pocket feel a whole lot better too, as you'll save on a whole range of financial products as well as cigarettes. The Stop Smoking article includes info about the hidden costs of smoking, and how to kick the habit quickly and cheaply.

Darkblue bullet Cheaper Prescriptions and medications. There are a host of ways to cut the cost of medicines without compromising on their quality. From getting prescription 'season tickets' to buying generic products rather than big-name brands, the Cheaper Prescriptions and Medications article shows you how.

Darkblue bullet Getting Married. The ultimate romantic gesture doesn't come cheap, but it's possible to have a dream wedding without totally breaking the bank. This article's full of top tips on getting the best value out of your big day, so you don't spend the rest of your married life paying for it. Read Getting Married: How to have a MoneySaving Wedding

Darkblue bullet Pruhealth loophole. There's a loophole which can save you up to £400 a year on gym membership, even if you're an existing member. You just need to take out a private medical insurance policy for as little as £20/month to get gym membership worth up to £80/month for free. Full details in the Less Than Half Price Loophole article.


Darkblue bullet Toilet Training Balls keep it clean
Darkblue bullet Schooldresses for £2 at Asda
Darkblue bullet Open University via Tesco clubcard vouchers
Darkblue bullet Free beauty workshops for cancer patients
Darkblue bullet Free eye test from Boots
Darkblue bullet Free wedding video in some areas
Darkblue bullet The cheapest spectacles where to find them
Darkblue bullet Cheap pregnancy tests where to buy
Darkblue bullet Tax-saving tips for married couples


Darkblue bullet Bargain Beauty Make-up finds

Darkblue bullet Laser eye surgery find the cheapest
Darkblue bullet Having a baby old style tips
Darkblue bullet Boots parenting club how to join
Darkblue bullet Debt Ads on Kid's TV petition to stop them
Darkblue bullet Made to order specs get em cheap
Darkblue bullet Choosing engagement rings what to spend
Darkblue bullet MoneySaving for carers top tips


greenbar1


If you know where to look, and book in advance, you can make massive savings on getting from A to B whatever your mode of transport. For big train savings, read the Cheap Train Tickets article; for big plane savings, read the Cheap Flights article, or use the FlightChecker.

If you're going by car; read Cheaper Petrol & Diesel to cut the cost of fuel, and use my 4-step Cheaper Car Insurance system to drive down insurance costs.

forum

Greenbutton Halfords discounts for mechanics
Trade Card
Greenbutton Discount Bus fares for rail travellers
Plusbus
Greenbutton Possible 40% off a new bike
Tax Incentives
Greenbutton National space centre Free annual pass
Greenbutton Cheapest London parking
Find it!
Greenbutton Discounted travel for
16-18 yr-old scots
Greenbutton 500 ClubCard points
Just get a quote
Greenbutton £9 RAC cover
Via cashback deal
Greenbutton Free MSE car sticker
(with an SAE)
Greenbutton Cheap car/booster seat
Where to find them
Greenbutton £5 Central Trains tickets
For over 50s
Greenbutton All Rail discounts
In one thread
Greenbutton 2 for 1 Days out
And more
Greenbutton £1 London train fares
Megatrain
Greenbutton £5 Eden Project entry
For locals
Greenbutton What to do with kids
Cheaply
Greenbutton 50% off airport express tickets
Get away!!
Greenbutton Top Tube travel tips
Underground tips
Greenbutton Cheaper cars for those
In the forces
Greenbutton Five Dover-Calais Rtns
For £190 or £38 each
Greenbutton Holiday auctions, £1 start
Balearic bid


Greenbutton Black country attractions
Free for kids
Greenbutton Going to Blackpool
Hints and tips
Greenbutton Breakdown cover
Get it half-price
Greenbutton London Attractions
2for1
Greenbutton Diesel Vs Petrol
What's the saving?
Greenbutton Save cash by
Sharing your car
Greenbutton Thetrainline.com
Unneeded insurance
Greenbutton Free MOT date
SMS reminder service
Greenbutton Does half-filling make a
Fuel tank lighter?
Greenbutton Save 4k on a new car
Buy in Europe
Greenbutton Avoid motorway services
Nearby eateries
Greenbutton Theme Park MoneySaving
Insider's Note
Greenbutton £1 Coach tickets
From London
Greenbutton London
On the cheap
Greenbutton Car hire
Excess insurance
Greenbutton UK speed camera
Database

Greenbutton Airport Parking Hunt
Greenbutton Eastern Europe
Pdf City Guides

Greenbutton Backpacker farmstays For a few hours' work
Greenbutton Cheap US cruises
Play the exchange rates
Greenbutton Budgetflyer's ebook
Travel industry tips

Greenbutton Cheap Airport Parking Find it


All the latest tips, tricks and treats go in the weekly e-mail

It's Free, Ad Free and Spam Free View Past Emails, FAQ



lightblue1


It can be complicated to sort out phone and Internet providers; there are so many packages on offer and so many levels of service it's a bit of a minefield. You can find info about things you should watch out for and detailed best buys in the Cheap Home Phones, Cheapest Mobiles, and Cheapest Broadband articles respectively.

However, before switching, check MoneySavers' suggestions and feedback on the Telephones Board to ensure you're going to get value for money.

hints


bluebutton Say no to 0870.
Named NationalCall, numbers beginning in 0870 are actually more like premium rates, costing up to 6p/minute. Since they're often used by companies which keep you waiting on hold anyway, their cost mounts up quickly, and is especially irritating when you're trying to solve a problem the company created in the first place.

Luckily, there's often a secondary, local-rate number available, and even if not you can still cut the call cost. Read Say No To 0870 for full information.

bluebutton Free texts. If you're a bit of a textaholic and you've a recent mobile handset, there's a nifty loophole which'll let you send texts from your phone for 0.5p each. Plus, send 'em from the net and you can do it free. The Free Texts article includes all the details you need to slash your text costs by more than 95%.

lightblue3


bluebutton Free Caller
Display
bluebutton Free PC phone number
Cut your friends' bills
bluebutton Line rental providers:
Switching
bluebutton Alert: don't dial
1471 then 3

bluebutton Free International calls from your mobile
bluebutton Free O2
texts and ringtones
bluebutton In Case of Emergency (ICE)
Campaign
bluebutton O2 PAYG customers get
10% cashback
bluebutton Call18866 and Call1899 questions
answered

bluebutton Need to fix something? Nifty site
bluebutton Nifty
virtual pedometer
bluebutton Free wifi when you buy a pint
Beer Googles
bluebutton Free Audiobook downloads from
Librivox
bluebutton Find Free
Wireless Access
bluebutton eBay fee calculator
See if you're quids in
bluebutton Free Google advertising
worth £20
bluebutton On dial-up?
Protect your modem



bluebutton Talk Talk users
reduce your bills
bluebutton Orchid Dialler
Discount
bluebutton Free Fax machine
(Sort of)
bluebutton Unlock mobile phones for Free

bluebutton PAYG mobile top-ups 4% off
bluebutton Free Orange international calls
bluebutton Free Orange texts for
Contract users
bluebutton Three Mobiles: feedback
Three
bluebutton Cheaper
Mobile charger

bluebutton Onspeed: does it work?
bluebutton Virgin broadband:
Free upgrade?
bluebutton Free
Antivirus software
bluebutton Free Google
Desktop
bluebutton Upgrade your NTL broadband
1 call
bluebutton Most popular articles & topics
See the Stats
bluebutton Spam-stopping software
Tip
bluebutton Website legitimacy
Check it out


entertainment

The forum's a great place to spot deals on entertainment as and when they happen, be it at home or out and about. Big articles to check out are Pay Less For Going Out, which includes details on all lasting family day out deals and how to get hold of them, and DVD Rentals, which'll show you how to get a steady supply of films for next to nothing.

hints


orangebutton Orange Wednesdays: 2for1 cinema loophole.
Anyone with an Orange mobile phone tariff can get 2for1 entry at Odeon cinemas on Wednesdays by simply sending a text and getting a discount code.

Yet, due to free sim offers, it's possible to get the discount without the orange tariff too. Read Orange Wed 2for1 Film Tickets

forum tips

orangebutton Evening Standard Discount
Eros Card
orangebutton Selling Books on
Amazon
orangebutton Magazines for
£1
orangebutton Free £10 cashback:
Lucky Me bingo
orangebutton £2 off Costa Coffee: Prepay Card
orangebutton £4.50 West End
Cinema Tickets
orangebutton Starbucks
Secret tips
orangebutton Free burger/sandwich
with a drink
orangebutton Nandos loyalty card
Some like it hot!

orangebutton Find a Wii
Wii Locations
orangebutton Free Download
Radiohead
orangebutton Free Download
Sweet Credit Card
orangebutton Website stock trading
Alexadex info
orangebutton See me
Change my clothes
orangebutton I've bought a well
More info
orangebutton Jokes:
Waxhoff
orangebutton Think your computer
annoys you?
orangebutton Freeview users get More4
Free
orangebutton Jokes: Not quite the
redesign
orangebutton TV: "pay quarterly?"
discussion
orangebutton Keystroke analysis
tool
orangebutton Free Spider-Man 2 DVD
if you've a PSP
orangebutton Read Martin's Blog



orangebutton Gambling without
spending money
orangebutton Free Money with
matched betting
orangebutton Book review
Martin & the Beauty Book
orangebutton Free newspapers
(P&P)

orangebutton Double tip charging boycott restaurants?
orangebutton Great Cultural Trip Out
Hunt
orangebutton Name and Shame:
Restaurant Service
orangebutton Disabled? Companion tickets for the
Cinema
orangebutton Pubbing and clubbing
Credit card security
orangebutton Martin's broadcast appearance date list
orangebutton This site: how it used to be
orangebutton Top of the MoneySaving Pops:
add ideas
orangebutton Jokes:
What Skeletor did wrong
orangebutton I had a
fight with Alvin Hall and I won!
orangebutton Free DVD rentals
Be a DVD rental tart
orangebutton Diary of a
MoneySaving Extremist
orangebutton Old school photos:
find yours
orangebutton Reply from Santa
Letter details
orangebutton Cut your
Sky bill
orangebutton Great No-risk Free Cash Casino
Hunt
orangebutton DVDs through the
post
orangebutton Free Food: Tim's side-splitting
account
All top entertainment deals will be listed in the free weekly email
It's Free, Ad Free and Spam Free View Past Emails, FAQ





The household is a key MoneySaving area, since almost everything can be saved on, from small items like light bulbs to big ones like the house itself. The big articles to check are the comprehensive Mortgage Guide and Remortgage Guide, Cheap Home Insurance, and Cheapest Gas & Elec.

For more savings on the day-to-day running of your house, also read the Old-Style Tips Section below.


hints

lightgreenbutton Council tax reclaiming. The council tax system in England & Scotland is fundamentally flawed; many people are in the wrong band. It only takes 10 minutes to check if you're one of them. If you are, dropping a band will save you £200 a year. Read the full Council Tax Reclaiming guide.

lightgreenbutton Free House Price Info. Property companies use expensive tools to get the full lowdown on houses. Yet you can find similar info on the 'net for free. The Free House Price Valuations article shows you where to go to get the best property info for nowt.

forum articles

lightgreenbutton Save used stamps and
Donate them
lightgreenbutton Seed Swapping
Seedy People
lightgreenbutton £4 Clubcard Deals for Printer Carts
lightgreenbutton Pimpmybin
Challenge
lightgreenbutton Freelancers:
Charge interest on late-payers
lightgreenbutton Find elected representatives
Have a word!
lightgreenbutton Should I clean before leaving?
Discuss
lightgreenbutton Free Energy Grant
Search
lightgreenbutton Direct Mail:
Don't trust it
lightgreenbutton Free cavity wall insulation:
Over 60s
lightgreenbutton Improve clarity on your
computer screens
lightgreenbutton Fran's techie
FAQ




lightgreenbutton First Aid Training
in Notts
lightgreenbutton Cooking for one
Cut your costs
lightgreenbutton Don't chuck,
recycle
lightgreenbutton Advent Calendar:
Xmas savings
lightgreenbutton Fluorescent lights -
on or off?
lightgreenbutton Feed 6 for
£1.62
lightgreenbutton New fridge for
£50
lightgreenbutton MoneySaving
recipes chat
lightgreenbutton Energy
grants
lightgreenbutton Furnish your house
for buttons

lightgreenbutton Matt printer paper (100 sheets) £2 Free P&P
lightgreenbutton Techie
Money-saving chat
Old Style


The Old-Style Board proves that it's possible to live an ethical lifestyle on the tightest budget, by simply doing things how they used to be done.

Taken as a whole, the tips form the basis for a modern way of living thriftily, yet just picking out a few can help keep household expenditure down and teach you a thing or two about cooking as well.

If you'd like to see more tips from Old-Stylers, check out Thrifty Ways For Modern Days, a book choc-full of their ideas (all proceeds go to the MSE Charity Fund).

purplebutton Ice Cream Make your own
purplebutton Moo2moo's
Camping Challenge
purplebutton Storing vegetables
How do you do it?
purplebutton Make washing
smell scrumptious
purplebutton Feed a family of 6
for £50/week
purplebutton Wine and
Walls
purplebutton Mung Beans
What can I do with them?
purplebutton Old Style Vs
USDA challenge
purplebutton Giving up
Fizzy drinks
purplebutton Food Prices
Increasing
purplebutton Radical Laundry
Reduction
purplebutton Cupboard & Freezer Musthaves
purplebutton Old Style
Days out
purplebutton How do I roast a chicken?
purplebutton Single living
Old Style
purplebutton Pimp that
snack
purplebutton Food you can make with a
Kettle
purplebutton What's your best
Old Style tip?
purplebutton Too many veggies
what to do?
purplebutton Meal building blocks
for freezers
purplebutton What do you have for
packed lunch?
purplebutton Pink recipes for
breast cancer
purplebutton Out-of-date
sausages?
purplebutton Lose Weight the
Old Style Way
purplebutton Toilet cleaner than your
home?
purplebutton Overlocking
sewing help
purplebutton Tidying a
flat?!
purplebutton Living on £6000 a
year
purplebutton Old style school
summer holidays
purplebutton What can I grow
in July?
purplebutton What not
to iron?
purplebutton Don't be afraid to
haggle!
purplebutton Creating an OS
household
purplebutton Which 'value' things are
decent?
purplebutton Basic cleaning
materials
purplebutton Is OS really
cheaper?
purplebutton Piadine-
Cheap OS meal
purplebutton OS Marital ethical
dilemma
purplebutton Thai
Food!
purplebutton Dishwasher vs.
Hand washing
purplebutton Make a meal for two
for 50p
purplebutton Running a home:
Only just worked it out
purplebutton Weetabix
Brownies
purplebutton I'm proper
OS now
purplebutton Washing at 30 degrees:
how to do it
purplebutton Old bottles of aftershave:
what to do?
purplebutton Are we being
short changed?
purplebutton 23 odd socks:
what to do with them?
purplebutton How to cut food bills &
freezable meals
purplebutton Creepy crawly things
in your flour
purplebutton The wonders of
nail varnish!
purplebutton Saving gas & electricity
tips
purplebutton World Cup
Cooking
purplebutton Home-made
beer/lager
purplebutton Spots: old style ways to
clear them
purplebutton Growing veggies
in bags & pots
purplebutton Airing Cupboards:
How to organise
purplebutton Milkmen:
Can be cheaper
purplebutton Tea bag cleaning for
Toilets
purplebutton The change a week
Challenge
purplebutton Saving money on
Lunch


purplebutton Remoskas. Do you have one?
purplebutton Ultimate Old Styling
purplebutton Elderberries. What to do with them?
purplebutton What if things get Tougher?
purplebutton Value Brands. Do you disguise them?
purplebutton OS things you never thought you'd do
purplebutton Buying a Woodland
purplebutton Cooking with Toddlers/Pre-schoolers
purplebutton Buying in bulk Is it worth it?
purplebutton Don't waste Potatoes
purplebutton Sneaky ways to save the pennies
purplebutton Shabby Chic
purplebutton Why I love Chinese Supermarkets
purplebutton Confessions of an Oldstyler
purplebutton What's your
wierdest tip?
purplebutton Barkeepers' friend
purplebutton How much is a cup?
purplebutton New Years' Resolutions
purplebutton Christmas Party on a Budget