Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

10 Nov 2004.: Overseas calls auto-price checker, 4% interest in a day loophole, best lend for christmas spend, free will by solicitor, are you a tart? And much (much) more MoneySaving + Special Extra TART ALERT tip

This info may be out of date. Read this week's emails

The following is the text of Martins Money Tips Email sent on 10 November 2004

For the Special Additional Nov 15 Tart Alert Email click here

Hoorah! The second piece of hi-tech MoneySaving comes online today (the Budget planner was first) and next Monday I hope to send a special tip about the third - the tart alert. More to come!

NEW MONEYSAVING TECHNOLOGY: INTERNATIONAL CALLS PRICE CHECKER! Quite simply tell it where you want to call and it gives the updated cheapest provider in about 10 seconds. Best of all you needn't change phone line to use the cheapest and most can be accessed instantly without an account. The savings are huge. Article: Cheapest International Calls New technology: Checker itself

URGENT LOOPHOLE! 4% TAX-FREE INTEREST IN A DAY! Asda's savings stamps scheme pays a 4.1% bonus on 22 November and there's nothing stopping you depositing as much cash as you like the day before and still getting the whole 4.1%. Of course that cash must be spent at Asda, but it's a huge return and a cheap store. Plus as its stamps are all electronic, your tongue won't get tired! Loophole Article: Boost your Xmas spending power.

NEED TO BORROW FOR CHRISTMAS SPENDING? APPLY NOW

If borrowing's a must (use the budget planner first) then Sainsbury at 0% for 12 months, plus a piddly bit of cashback, is untouchable. It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to get a card so get your skates on. Apply/View* or better still read the Article: Best card for purchases

QUICK, EASY & PAINLESS (for almost everyone). Please forward this e-mail to everyone you know and recommend they join up to receive it too (they just go to www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips). It's quick, easy and painless for everyone (except for corporate Britain, for them it'll sting like hell).

Reminder: Maximise your interest. NEW Instant Access Savings article

Reminder: Cut the cost of your home insurance at speed. Four step speedy plan

Reminder: Cheapest personal loans of all varieties NEW Cut your borrowing costs

Reminder: Special Loophole for new / existing Egg Card holders Egg Loophole Article

WILL-AID. Get a solicitor to do your will - free in November: This is a cracking scheme. Hundreds of solicitors around the country are taking part in Will-Aid. Pop into their office and they'll draft a will for you without charge. In return you're asked to donate to charity (but it's not compulsory). Will-Aid Details

NEW SUPER BALANCE TRANSFER WINNER! The Virgin card is now top for Super Balance Transfers. This means rather than transferring debts from other cards it will simply pay the money directly into your bank account to pay them off, a powerful tool. Like others it's 0% for 9 months, but it doesn't charge a balance transfer fee for either new or, uniquely, existing customers. Apply/ view card*. Super BT relevant articles: Half price plastic loan, short term 0% overdraft, REVENGE free cash, best balance transfers. (URGENT INSERT! 10 Nov. Virgin has not told me the information it provided about this was incorrect. While the Virgin card is still equal to its equivalents it is not better, existing customers doing balance transfers will need to pay a fee. More details next tip.)

HOORAH! POWERGEN ONLINE NOT RAISING PRICES: 5 mins after I sent last week's e-mail Powergen confirmed its online prices (unlike offline ones) weren't changing so all those who'd switched to it did well. If you haven't checked whether you can move and save, do it now – what you waiting for? Switch via the winning comparison service Energyhelpline/Cashback*, or better, read ‘Cheapest Energy Provider plus cashback'.

LATEST QUICK CHAT TIPS (also see Chat Tips Gold)

Two for One Sunday Lunch at hundreds of bars/restaurants Grub's Up!
Cinema ticket for a companion if you have disabilities Cinema
Calpol digital thermometer £9.99, was £40 (they sell out quickly) Grab one before they go
Alien Quadrilogy 9-DVD box set £34.99 Can you find it cheaper?
Cut your McDonalds bill Who ate all the pies?
Floor lights £2.25 in store but going quick Any more Tesco clearance bargains?
Unofficial MSE Northern Meet final reminder Friday 12th
Nominate Post of the Month winner for November
MSE Stats – top chat topics (with links)

CHRISTMAS CASHBACK REMINDER. Those who don't need to borrow for Christmas can make extra cash out of it. Use a cashback credit card (the best pays 2%), set up a direct debit to pay it off in full each month and it effectively pays you every time you spend. Article: Best Cashback Credit card.

MONEYSAVING XMAS. MoneySaver Galtizz has done a wonderful job of collating some of the Christmas threads on the chat forum. Add to or read the list. There's also a quirky gadget/toy I saw in a shopping centre which is very cool, though not that MoneySaving Speed UFO

Andrea's Freebies (also see Freebies GOLD)

NME (8 issues), Diabetics' software and equipment, 'Tree for all' stickers,

Oilatum skin creams etc, A2 sized print, Baby feeding spoon

101 THINGS TEENS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MONEY – THE BOOK! A few weeks ago this e-mail highlighted the ‘5 things teens should know about money' discussion. I like this so much I'm considering turning it into a little book for charity. If you'd like to be a part of it, I'd love more suggestions.

LAST CHANCE. GUESS HOW BIG IT'LL BE AT NEW YEAR And win a bottle of champagne

ARE YOU A TART? New poll. How rude. No, I mean a credit card tart. Vote or Discuss. See the How did you hear about MSE? Poll results.

That's it for this week. As I say next week two tips I hope, the special ‘tart alert' launch and the normal tip. Also you'll be pleased to hear we're very close to converting the Ryanair flight checker into the All Budget Airlines flight checker. Watch this space. It's a matter of weeks away. Have a great week, and most of all, as always….

I hope you save some money

Martin

*Affiliated link: Click via this link and a contribution is made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay ad-free, sponsorship-free and free to use. This in no way impacts any editorial decisions (what I write), costs you anything or changes the product. For an identical link which doesn't help the site go to www.energyhelpline/cashback, www.virginmoney.com or www.sainsbury.co.uk. For more on how it works and the site's non-profit driven ethical and financial policy click here.

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What is MoneySavingExpert.com? It's a website focused on the very best ways to save money on everything and anything. It is owned and run by journalist Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert on ITV1s This Morning, Sunday Express columnist, BBC Radio 2, 4 & 5 amongst others. To read about how the site is funded click here

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Special Additional Tip Martin's Money Tip Emailed on 15 November 2004
The ‘Tart Alert' – new free service to stop credit cards grabbing your cash

THE TART ALERT
Ensure you don't forget when your 0% rate ends.

I'm very excited! This is m'new free MoneySaving tool. It sends you a personal text /email reminder before your credit card introductory rate ends, in time to switch to a better deal.

Why? MoneySavingExpert.com's motto is ‘Companies try to screw us for profits, MoneySaving shows you how to screw them back' – this is the perfect consumer fight back.

Tart alert: free to use, free of ads, and not linked to any provider

0% rates are designed to suck us in with cheap debt hoping we'll keep it there once the rate shoots up to the full 10% to 20%. Yet shift the debt to a new card before the 0% ends and you win and they lose.

Please forward this e-mail to friends so they can take advantage too
The normal Martins Money Tip will still arrive this Wed/Thur

How does it work? Just put in the date when your 0% (or other intro rate) expires. The reminder will be sent 6 weeks before this as new cards' application procedures usually take this long. More info and use it: Tart Alert

Related Articles. Best card for purchases, Best card for balance transfers,
REVENGE: Make free cash from credit cards, Credit Card Shuffle, All other Credit Card Articles

I hope you save some money

Martin

If a friend forwarded you this e-mail and you'd like to receive the free Martin's Money Tips weekly e-mail yourself (detailing lots of ways to take companies on and save cash) go to www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips