Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

15 Dec 2004: Debit card cashback, stamp alert, cut existing loan costs, more christmas bargains, savings, google desktop search and much much more MoneySaving....

This info may be out of date.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

The following is the text of Martins Money Tips Email sent on 15 December 2004

Hiya. The auction for the exclusive site T-shirts is about to end, all proceeds to charity, please bid (see below). Plus we've re-sloganed the site, it's now 'Ad free, Free to use, Consumer Revenge'. Please do recommend (and forward) this e-mail to friends, the more MoneySavers the more consumers fighting back.

FIRST DEBIT CARD CASHBACK, CLEVER BUT BEATABLE! Halifax's announced that from Feb 2005, it's Moneyback 0.5% interest current account will pay 1% cashback on yearly spending up to £10k. It's a convenient but beatable system. Use Amex Plat credit card which pays up to 2% cashback with a direct debit to pay off in full from Alliance & Leicester's 5.5% interest paying current account. Apply/View: Amex Plat*, A&L acc*, Halifax Acc or read more analysis. Related Articles: Best Cashback Card, Top Current Account

NOW URGENT: BEAT STAMP PRICE RISE. It's been announced First class stamps rise from 28p to 30p in April, yet Superdrug is selling 'Firsts' (ie those not listing the price) at 5% off until 25th Dec, so these will still be valid after the price rise. Stock Up ASAP

CUT THE COST OF YOUR EXISTING LOAN? New article. Surprisingly moving to a cheaper rate loan sometimes cost more. Find out when it's worth switching. Article Cut existing loan costs Warning: Loan rates shooting up. The cheapest loans for some amounts are now nearly 1% higher than last week. Article: cheapest personal loan

Reminder: CD-Wow all chart CDs £8.25 via Permanent discount
Reminder: Reduce interest without new credit. Credit Card Shuffle

SAVE AT 5.5% TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT XMAS SPEND. Updated Article. Egg is the new top instant access savings payer at 5.5%, but this includes a short term bonus. Alliance and Leicester's 5.35% is the best no-catches rate. Apply/View Alliance and Leicester*, Egg* or better still read the Savings account article.

'CHRISTMAS BARGAINS' FREE DAILY UPDATE SERVICE: Every day we're compiling the previous day's top ten most popular Chat Tips

Reminder: Save time & money on Internet Shopping Cutting Edge Techniques
Reminder: Car Insurance Four Step Cost Cutting System
Reminder: Last-minute stocking filler: The Money Diet (can't blame a boy for trying)

XMAS BARGAINS PART III. Yet more MoneySaving Chat Forum prezzie bargain spots: DVD Home Cinema System £45, Sony 4 Megapixel camera £92, Dell 2400 incl monitor £245, Leapad interactive book £6. Plus see Part I and Part II

AUTO-CHOOSE CHEAPEST PHONE PROVIDER. Call18866 users and other prefix based cheap calls users can get a special box which automatically dials the cheapest prefix for the call type (you programme it yourself using the call checker). The company has decided to offer MoneySavers 10% off. Dialler details

LAST CHANCE. MONEYSAVINGEXPERT CHARITY T-SHIRTS. The auction for the MoneySavingExpert charity t-shirts closes Friday. All proceeds to charity. See the pics and bid

LATEST QUICK CHAT TIPS (also see Chat Tips GOLD)

Save more on Amazon and Tesco DVDs
Buy 2 Phantom tickets, get BOGOF Eurostar tickets Paris here we come
Eyetoy for a tenner What? another Argos bargain?
Matte printer paper (100 sheets) £2 Free P&P
Leapad interactive book £6 With cartridge
Free Tenner if you're lucky and you've free texts on your phone Well, you never know
Nominate Post of the Month winner for December
Bargain hunters' daily updated most popular Chat Tips and Articles

NEW COOL FREE GOOGLE DESKTOP SEARCH. Google's testing its new system that allows you to instantaneously search your desktop. It's not exactly MoneySaving but I like it. Google Desktop Details.

GOOD DEED TIME! A MANTRA TO TELL THOSE WITH PROBLEM DEBTS. Xmas and debt are often synonymous. Many MoneySavers' friends often ask them what to do. First control spending (see budgeting article) but harder is dealing with the actual debts. A mini-mantra should help. Drop the interest (shift debts around), Pay the worst first (focus on repaying expensive debts first) and Free help helps (use free non-profit debt agencies like the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, not commercial ones). Better still read Where to start with problem debts?

GREAT ‘FACTORY SHOPS' HUNT. Factory shops are a boon for bargain hunters, often selling shoes, underwear, chocolate, beer and more at a fraction of the retail price. Have you spotted one recently? If so add it to the list Selected Past Great Hunts: Sat Nav Systems, Free text messages, All other great hunts

Andrea's Freebies (also see Freebies GOLD)
Robosapian Secret Moves, Aussie hair treatment, Free courses,
1-hour driving lesson, Babies' bookstart mini-pack, 4 low-energy lightbulbs (if on benefits)

DON'T DO THIS. Anyone considering this as a debt prevention measure should immediately avoid it! (not for the faint-hearted)

NEW POLL: WALLFLOWER OR ON THE WARPATH? Vote, Discuss , last week's Borrow for Xmas? poll results

Before I go a rather nice Christmassy feel good story, of a MoneySaver who's gone from debt crisis to this week taking possession of his own home. Read his success story. That's it for this week. Don't forget. Please forward it to everyone you know so they don't miss out on last-minute Xmas bargains.

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.alliance-leicester.co.uk, www.egg.com, www.americanexpress.co.uk. Read more on how it works and the site's non-profit driven ethical and financial policy financial policy.

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