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Tips, Tricks & Treats

All top bargains, loopholes & deals

Updated Quarterly

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 email, and those that last are listed right here. This is a treasure trove for top tips.

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Marriages, families, general health & wellbeing

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 & tricks articles

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

Forum tips

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Travel & motoring

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.

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

Forum tips

Phones & internet

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 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 & tricks articles

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.

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%.

Forum tips

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. 

Hints & tricks article

  • 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

In the home

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 & tricks articles

  • 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.

  • 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 topics

Old style tips

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).

Shopping

Everybody loves a bargain, but few realise that getting the best price is just as often about how you shop as it is where you shop. Read Cheap Online Shopping and Supermarket Shopping to learn top techniques, and Cashback Sites and Cashback Credit Cards to finesse them and get maximum value.

To find the latest top bargains, check out Hot Bargains and for great finds by forumites, the Quick! Grabbit While You Can forum board.

Hints & tricks articles

  • Perfume. Fancy fragrances are the same wherever you buy them, so why pay top dollar? This article collects the cheapest places to buy legit perfume & aftershave online, and on the high st, in one place. Read Perfume Buying: Cut The Cost

  • Festive Fivers. Don't get caught up in buying Christmas gifts you can't afford; with a bit of thought and invention you needn't spend the earth. Each Christmas the hunt is on for your best gifts costing less than a fiver, and the winner gets £100. This article's packed with top ideas, and includes info on how to enter. Read Festive Fivers

  • Boots Treasure Trove. Boots' various promotions mean that a discount is nearly always available if you know how to find it. This article's packed with top tricks to keep the cost down. Read Boots Treasure Trove

Forum tips

All things financial

By ensuring you've top-paying financial products, and they work for you, you'll save a fortune each year, and it needn't take long either.

Start with some of the site's biggest articles: Best Balance Transfers, Top Savings Accounts & PPI Reclaiming, and if you've a good credit rating, check out Credit Card Freebie Loopholes and Stoozing, which show you how to play plastic for profit.

Forum tips

Debt-free chats

At times debt can be all-pervasive and depressing, yet there's always a way out and lots of support's available for those on their way back to the black. The Budget Planner's a good place to start, or, if your debts are getting out of control, try the Debt Problems: Where To Go, What To Do article.

Each week we pick a top discussion from the Debt Free Wannabe forum, but this is just the tip of the iceberg; at any one time hundreds of people are giving each other help and support. Anybody can join; you just need to be honest and ready to solve the problem.

Money moral dilemmas

In real life, money's at the centre of many moral arguments, and as much as we try to be fair, it can be harder when your own cash is at stake.

Money Moral Dilemmas are hypothetical scenarios designed to make you think about the best ways of solving similar real-life disagreements, and discuss your ideas with other MoneySavers. A fresh, fun dilemma is included in each week's free MoneySaving email. So, what should they do?

Spill the Beans/Great Hunts

Each week the gauntlet is laid down for MoneySavers to Spill the Beans on ways to save and find the best deals available. Spill the Beans discussions (and previous Great Hunts) may be for specific products, things to do cheaply, or simply for useful info.

Some of the best have been turned into articles so the collective wisdom can be shared with a wider audience, and one, the Great Bit On The Side Hunt, even inspired its own special Up Your Income forum board.

  • Learning to Drive Spill the beans
  • Healthy school pack-ups Spill the beans
  • Get in shape cheaply Spill the beans
  • Entertain the kids Spill the beans
  • Cheap smell-a-like perfumes Hunt
  • MoneySaving guides: US road trip Hunt
  • MoneySaving guides: Amsterdam Hunt
  • MoneySaving guides: Milan Hunt
  • MoneySaving: Costa del Sol Hunt
  • MoneySaving city guides: Paris Hunt
  • Things to do before you move Hunt
  • How to stop yourself spending Hunt
  • MoneySaving ways to de-stress Hunt
  • Sub £5 Father's Day gifts Hunt
  • Cheap things to do in London Hunt
  • Grow your own revisited Hunt
  • Isn't it obvious? Revisited Hunt
  • Best Tesco Rewards Hunt
  • Cheap BBQ tips Hunt
  • Shop staff secrets Hunt
  • Section 75 successes Hunt
  • Tips on buying a second hand car Hunt
  • What does the tooth fairy pay Hunt
  • How to buy & fit a used kitchen Hunt
  • Countries you can't use plastic in Hunt
  • Young driver's car insurance Hunt
  • Managing money with dementia Hunt
  • Dating on the cheap Hunt
  • Furniture insurance mis-selling Hunt
  • Free ways to say I love you Hunt
  • Biggest financial fear Hunt
  • Energy pre-payment meter Hunt
  • Biggest waste of money Hunt
  • Christmas cupboard fillers Hunt
  • Cheap Xmas Recipes Hunt
  • Biggest Christmas waste of money Hunt
  • Xmas gifts for the kids if you're skintHunt
  • Film or TV location near you Hunt
  • What costs more if you're poor Hunt
  • Redundancy: how to tell kids Hunt
  • Best stuff to buy in bulk Hunt
  • Quit it and save Hunt
  • Teach kids to save money Hunt
  • What do you hate spending on Hunt
  • Unpleasant issues of age Hunt
  • Things to do when you move Hunt
  • Things to do Before Summer Ends Hunt
  • Coins Down the Back of Your Sofa Hunt
  • Free Car Journey Games Hunt
  • Best Shops to haggle in revisited Hunt
  • Great Home Exercise Hunt
  • MoneySaving iPhone & apps Hunt
  • Lease Buying or Extending Hunt
  • Disability Discounts Hunt
  • Cheap stag/hen do Hunt
  • Top value Father's Day gift Hunt
  • Singles' Holidays Hunt
  • Spruce up your garden Hunt
  • The Great 'Great Hunts' Hunt
  • Members-only shopping Hunt
  • Get paid to generate energy Hunt
  • Over-60s' discounts Hunt
  • Fave sub-£5 beauty products Hunt
  • Cold caller rebukes Hunt
  • Supermarket reduction policies Hunt
  • Fave off-beat comparison sites Hunt
  • MoneySaving App Ideas Hunt
  • January sales tactics Hunt
  • Old New Year's outfit Hunt
  • Best Christmas recipes Hunt
  • What not to buy in pound shops Hunt
  • Your fave sub £5 wines Hunt
  • Amazon shopping tricks Hunt
  • Gold selling tips Hunt
  • Take care of your wardrobe Hunt
  • Favourite MSE forum thread Hunt
  • What to do with cereal boxes Challenge
  • MoneySaving Wedding Tips Hunt
  • Alternative Sources of Energy Hunt
  • Cheap Holiday Rentals Hunt
  • Cheap Holiday Excursions Hunt
  • Extreme MoneySaving Hunt
  • Summer Party Hunt
  • Car Clubs Cost Cutting Hunt
  • What to Sell Where Hunt
  • Student Discounts Hunt
  • Things From My Council Hunt
  • Cheap When you Get There Hunt
  • Starting a Vegetable Patch Hunt
  • Disney Cost Cutting Hunt
  • Holiday Inspiration Hunt
  • Crucial Phone Numbers Hunt
  • Travel Swapping Hunt
  • Best No-Contract Deals Hunt
  • Rural MoneySaving Hunt
  • Cheaper Health Food Hunt
  • Top Sales Tactics Hunt
  • Single MoneySaving Hunt
  • Planning for Death Hunt
  • Recycle & re-use Xmas Things Hunt
  • Christmas Day MoneySaving Hunt
  • Energy & MoneySaving Hunt
  • Make it last longer Hunt
  • Cheap Road Safety Hunt
  • Cheapest Safe Fireworks Hunt
  • Store Returns Policy Hunt
  • Blagging Hints & Tips Hunt
  • Staying behind the Joneses Hunt
  • Most Economical Printers Hunt
  • Save Money and Turn Green Hunt
  • Teaching Resources Hunt
  • What can you blag on holiday? Hunt
  • What to buy in duty-free Hunt
  • Ways to keep cool Hunt
  • Medical Tourism Hunt
  • Own brand/generic products Hunt
  • Spruce your garden up for less Hunt
  • Get in shape for summer cheap Hunt
  • Bank staff secrets Hunt
  • What to buy on a trip to France Hunt
  • Buy now from the US Hunt
  • Supermarket reduction policies Hunt
  • How do you stop veg rotting? Hunt
  • Cheap internet dating sites Hunt
  • Are you a re-user? Hunt
  • Xmas decor for under £20 Hunt
  • Cheap kids' birthday parties Hunt
  • Great Composting Hunt
  • Wasteful Gadget Hunt
  • Job-hunting MoneySaving Hunt
  • New tax year resolutions Hunt
  • UK hostels Hunt / World hostels Hunt
  • Stop snoring Hunt
  • UK weekends away on the cheap Hunt
  • Old plastic bag use Spill the beans
  • Minimise loo roll use Spill the beans
  • Grow your own Spill the beans
  • Bulk buying secrets Spill the beans
  • Cut the cost of proms Hunt
  • Pay for one gym, use another Hunt
  • Shrinking food Hunt
  • Free weekend activities Hunt
  • How to find decent tradesmen Hunt
  • Advice for house sellers Hunt
  • Free Valentine's gifts Hunt
  • First time buyer advice Hunt
  • Big Freeze tips Hunt
  • Use of Xmas leftovers Hunt
  • Homemade beauty tips Hunt
  • Best value artificial trees Hunt
  • How to use up old booze Hunt
  • Free museums and galleries Hunt
  • How to get hotel upgrades Hunt
  • Hair MoneySaving Hunt
  • Best Plane Hand Luggage Hunt
  • Top Tips for New Uni Students Hunt
  • Cut Post Office Queuing Hunt
  • How to ensure your insurer pays Hunt
  • Holiday at Home Hunt
  • Courier Flights Hunt
  • Cheap but Lovely Wedding Gift Hunt
  • Party for Profit Hunt
  • Cheap Cuppa Hunt
  • Hotel & B&B Discount Hunt
  • Improve Money Rules Hunt
  • What to Buy at Costco & Makro Hunt
  • Cheap Ferry Tickets Hunt
  • Easy Lucrative Crops Hunt
  • Free Genealogy Hunt
  • Best Value Restaurant Food Hunt
  • Recession Survival Hunt
  • Top Comping Tips Hunt
  • Price Beating/Matching Hunt
  • Wish I'd Known Before Student Life Hunt
  • Home Heating: Oil & LPG Hunt
  • Large Families MoneySaving Hunt
  • Isn't it Obvious? MoneySaving Hunt
  • Best time to Haggle Hunt
  • Camping Hunt
  • Cheap Date Hunt
  • Battle of the Brands Hunt
  • Breakfast MoneySaving Hunt
  • Financial Mistakes Hunt
  • Host a Party on the Cheap Hunt
  • Winning on Hotel Bidding Hunt
  • What Terms Don't You Know? Hunt
  • Up and Coming Bands Hunt
  • Blag by Threatening to Leave Hunt
  • Working for Yourself Hunt
  • Instant Cash for January Hunt
  • Recycle It For Cash Hunt
  • What to get people Hunt
  • Ways To Cut Booking Fees Hunt
  • Cut The Cost Of Moving Home Hunt
  • Back Up Your Mobile Data Hunt
  • Wine Tart Hunt
  • Make Your House Safer cheaply Hunt
  • Things To Buy for Next Xmas Hunt
  • Great Cultural Trip Out Hunt
  • Cheap Airport Parking Hunt
  • Grants (energy-saving, studying) Hunt
  • Free office & graphics software Hunt
  • Internet Dating Hunt
  • Laser eye surgery Hunt
  • Bit on the Side Hunt
  • Cheap Legal Music Downloads Hunt
  • Cheap Sony PSP Hunt
  • Cheap Local SIM Hunt
  • Cheap Numbers to Dial Hunt
  • Price Beaters Plus Hunt
  • Cosmetics Cost-cutting Hunt
  • Free Online Books Hunt
  • Letters That Work Hunt
  • Double Use Hunt
  • Free Info Hunt
  • What Shops Don't Want Hunt
  • Ways to Cut Back Hunt
  • Highest APR Credit Card Hunt
  • Spruce Up Your Home Hunt
  • Boots Bargains Hunt
  • Disguised Own Brands Hunt
  • Factory Shops Hunt
  • Cheapest Hands Free Hunt
  • WAP Site Hunt
  • Cheapest Printer Hunt
  • Cheap but Romantic Gift Hunt
  • Free Text Messages Hunt
  • Cheap Date Hunt
  • Cheap Internet Dating Hunt
  • Learning To Drive Hunt
  • Job-based Discounts Hunt
  • Cheap Fake Tan Hunt
  • Designer Charity Shops Hunt
  • "We Need to Save" Hunt
  • Tips To Cut Postage Costs Hunt
  • Buy Now From the US Hunt
  • I wish I'd known before I retired Hunt
  • What to buy in Duty Free Hunt
  • Kids in summer Hunt
  • Gap Year Hunt
  • Hay fever Tablet Hunt
  • Who Pays Compensation? Hunt
  • Use Less Water Hunt
  • How Much To Tip Overseas Hunt
  • What Kids Need Know Hunt
  • How to Haggle Down Rent Hunt
  • MoneySaving while job hunting Hunt
  • Cheapest way to go Fairtrade Hunt
  • Car Seat/Booster Hunt
  • Feed and House Pets For Less Hunt
  • MSE Car Sticker Hunt
  • Split ticketing Hunt
  • Free Audience Tickets Hunt
  • Join up and save Hunt
  • What to do if made redundant Hunt
  • Christmas Booze Hunt
  • Games Console Package Hunt
  • Online Course Hunt
  • Best & worst shop returns Hunt
  • Cheap dinner party Hunt
  • Valentine's for women Hunt
  • Valentine's for men Hunt
  • Car boot sales Hunt
  • Free activities to do with kids. Hunt
  • Making money from YouTube Hunt
  • Mother's Day gifts Hunt
  • Repossession property tips Hunt

If you find one of the tips below is no longer available, please help by reporting it to brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com. Although we add new tips every week, we can't regularly check the entire list to see which have expired.

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Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com

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