Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

The following is the text of Martin's Money Tips e-mail on 8 July 2004

HOORAH! WEBSITE NOW FASTER (HOPEFULLY) Yesterday we got a brand spanking new server, which means that even after the tips just been sent, the site should now run faster than Beckham from a tabloid.  Do let me know here if you're still finding problems though

FREE £25 CASH:  EASIEST LOOPHOLE FOR AGES.  It has been ages since there was such an easy loophole.  Quite simply, sign up for a First Direct (phone & net subsidiary bank of HSBC) current account, put a few quid in & it'll give you £25 without you actually needing to use it's account at all.  Full details with pros and cons, includes contacts.  (Please forward this to anyone you know who can benefit.)

NEW GUIDE: PRES^CRIPTION SEASON TICKET & CHEAPER MEDIC,INES:  Just because pres^cription prices are fixed, doesn't mean there aren't ways to save cash, including the little known season ticket.   Also there are HUGE savings possible on cutting the cost of over the counter medic^ations.  Read my full guide

BUDGET THE MONEYSAVING WAY: NEW DOWNLOADABLE SPREADSHEET.  Budget's, useful concept with one little problem - they never seem to actually work.  The reason? Spending doesn't simply follow a regular monthly pattern.  To help, I devised a system to truly calculate your real monthly spending and easily budget on the back.  Wonderfully, MoneySaver Tony, read the technique in my book and volunteered to design a spreadsheet so easy that even non-spreadsheet users can use to automate the calculations.  It's a great resource and of course like everything else on the site it's completely free. Full article including spreadsheet download link.  

RUMOURS ABOUT BARCLAYCARD'S NEW 0% FOR 13 MONTH DEAL:  There are unconfirmed industry mutterings that Barclaycard is struggling to process applications due to huge demand. Anyone thinking of applying, should do so soon (as the offer is ‘0% until 1 August 2005' rather than for a fixed time e.g. 0% for 12 months, so delays mean your 0% period is shorter). If I'm honest, I've also even heard the odd whisper it may stop offering the deal early, though my view is ‘unlikely but possible'. Read article about Barclaycard offer (includes contact details).

EBAY SPECIAL! Many MoneySavers buy & sell on online auction site Ebay, so to help, I've dedicated an entire Ebay Chat Forum Board.  I've started a range of topics to keep different discussions on track - Tips for buying, Tips for selling, General Discussion, Buying non-UK goods, Paying for and receiving goods, Cracking bargains/bizarre items, Other Auction Sites, Warnings and things to watch for.  Also see the Ebay Board Welcome Note where I've done a quick note about your basic right s when buying on Ebay.

REMINDER: SAVINGS New Best Buy 5.5% (only likely to be around for short time) Article

DID YOU KNOW? Married couples can save tax on savings.  If you're married and one of you is a higher rate taxpayer than the other, then do make sure all the savings (providing you trust each other) are in the name of the lower rate taxpayer, this way you'll pay much less tax on the interest saving you money.  Very simple and very effective.  Discuss or ask a question

YOUR QUICK CHAT TIPS

Free haircut and black top with New Woman magazine Click Here
DVD Players ( refurbs ) £20 Click Here
Portable DVD player with 5 inch screen £99.99 Cli ck Here
10ft Swimming Pool at Maplins £39.99 (normally around £100) Click Here
Broadband users make worldwide phone calls to each other for free.  Click here
Dyson Zorbster (vacuum cleaner) £129.99 Click Here
20% off beauty products at L'Occitane Click Here
30% selected wines at M&S Click Here
Free beauty product worth £33 , just pay £3.49 p&p Click Here
Andrea's Freebies (thanks to Sheel for standing in while Andrea's on hols):  Bodyform, Free tickets to 50+ Lifestyle show , Free car air fresheners , Free pen , L'oreal Elvive for men,  Eros Shop free ‘adult' sample
Try Me Free Summary , Freebies GOLD

DELAY A MORTGAGE FIX! If you're about to get a fixed rate mortgage, consider holding off a couple of weeks.  Long term market rates which they depend on have dropped by 0.2%, so prices should drop a little in the next couple of weeks.  Mortgage articles/best buys  Discuss this.

CHEAPEST PAYG MOBILE PACKAGE FOR MID/HIGH USERS:  A while ago I wrote about the cracking new tariff for Pay As You Go mobile users from Three.   The two problems were the high handset costs and the wobbly technology.  Well the handset cost is now down to £29.95 if you buy it in the right places. Read more

POPULAR PAST TIPS AND ARTICLES

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Ryanair under £5 flight checker Here
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Healthcare cashplans Article

That's it for this week.  Hope you all enjoy the free £25.  It's been a while since there was such a nice and easy free cash loophole.  Hopefully there will be more to come.  As always please do e-mail everyone you know about the site, and ask them to sign up for the e-mail.  That'd make me a happy chappy.

I hope you save some money

Martin

TO ASK A QUESTION OR SEE ALL BEST BUYS LISTED SCROLL DOWN

Questions? Pls don't email, instead ask here. Technical problems: please e-mail forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com Martin's Next Broadcast Appearances List: click here

Read Martin's NEW Book 'The Money Diet'. 
To read more click here.  To compare shops prices and buy it for less click here.    To discuss it click here

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