Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

IMPORTANT.  Barclays has now shut down the loophole below.  It's had massive demand and closed it down sharpish.  Not surprising really.  This is why i say always sign up to the email tip so you get the bargain before they end.

URGENT £100 FREE CASH LOOPHOLE! Quickly grab £100 of Barclays cash
Barclays has a short term promotion on, which says "sign up to our online current account and we'll pay you £100." The bank account's pants, so normally I'd ignore it, yet its terms don't include the normal "you must pay your salary in". All you need do is pay in £1,000 a month for two months (which you can instantly withdraw), get the £100 bonus then close the account. View its offer: Barclays* or better still read the new article: Quick £100 Of Cash (Special mini-muttering) Related Articles: Top Freebies From Your Plastic, Top Current Account

Free Dollond & Aitchson £20 Eye Test Grab Tesco's in-store magazine voucher Read more

MUST READ if you've a mortgage or are getting one. New Article
The savings from getting the right mortgage are huge. Hence I've totally re-researched and rewritten my article on how to get top one-on-one advice for free, plus I've discovered a way for savvy people to sneakily get extra cashback in the £100s. New Article: Sneakily get top advice (Special mini-mutterings) Related Articles: Remortgaging Guide. Order a Free Printed or instantly download a PDF version or read more 

CD-Wow free discount vouchers The cheap CD site currently has a click for a discount voucher promotion. Worth a go

NEW! UK's Cheapest personal loan rate drops to 5.6%
From today, Cahoot* is offering the low rate of 5.6% on all borrowing above £5k. For lower amounts, the Moneyback* loan (from A&L) is still top at 5.7%. If you need to borrow, then now's a good time to do it. Remember though, if you need loan insurance it all changes. Read the Updated Article: Cheapest Personal Loan Related Articles: Cut Price Plastic Personal Loan, Short Term Loans Completely Interest Free

Did you apply for the Amex Nectar free £30? If you didn't get the full 6000 points read this

SPREAD THE SAVINGS! Pls suggest friends/family/colleagues get this email too

Full-service breakdown recovery now £32
Breakdown recovery provider AutoAid has increased its price from £29 to £32, yet it's still the market's cheapest by far, considering it covers a husband and wife, includes home start and onward travel. Updated Article: Cheapest Roadside Recovery Related Article: Car Insurance Cost Cutting, Petrol Cost Cutting, Cut The Cost Of MOTs

Do you know anyone that's had problems with Firstplus?
For a campaign I'm launching I'd love to hear experiences with First Plus and especially stories of home repossessions via the company or poor treatment. Please Feedback. PS. If you have problem debts please read Where To Start With Problem Debts

Permanent 4.9% on your card debts (minimum salary £12,000 a year)
Previously I've noted you can shift debts to a life of balance card at 4.9%, so all the debt shifted stays at that rate until paid off in full. Quite a few emails have said "all very well but the Amex Plat* card needs £20k minimum income". Yet the BA Amex* card has the same deal but only requires a £12k salary. Remember after shifting debts to these cards never, ever ever use them to spend on. Full Article: Best Balance Transfers

Calls to Saudi Arabia plus other countries 1p/min during Hajj
Cheap phones provider Pennyphone is offering 1p/min calls to a range of countries (without an account or changing phone) for the Hajj festival. Use m'free International Callchecker to find them. Related Article: UK's Cheapest Home Phones Provider

IMPROVE YOUR SCREEN IN SECONDS: Free trick that works on TFT monitors and laptops Cleartype

More Boots booty! Free aromatherapy products worth £1. Go quick. Top chat spot!

FLIGHTCHECKER SALES WATCH  Milan, Gothenberg & Valencia c. £20 each way
Budget airline Ryanair currently has a range of destinations at 29p and 99p each way. When you add in its taxes and charges this becomes roughly £20 in total. Use my special free FlightChecker to find the seats in seconds

WARNING! Self assessment deadline: 14 days to go!
Hand your self assessment form in after 31 Jan and you'll be fined £100. For help read Taxing Times or chat with other MoneySavers. Cutting Tax Chat Forum Section

Next week: Full 5,000 word PDF guide to Child Trust Funds
It's a year to the day since the first CTF vouchers arrived in people's post. It's caused a lot of confusion, so to help, next week I'm publishing a big 14 page PDF downloadable guide to take you through step by step. Meanwhile read the Child Trust Funds Article

My TV appearances this week:
It's a busy week, I'm on ITV1 lunchtime news every day (starts 12.30) plus twice on Friday. I'm doing Five's 'The Wright Stuff' on Thursday at 9am and of course the Richard Hammond 5 o'clock show on Thurs 5pm - 6pm (see notes on last week's show)

Board of the week: Student MoneySaving
Now you're back at Uni/College you'll be wanting to save as much beer money as possible. There's a whole board set up for students to discuss their own MoneySaving.  Discussions on the Student MoneySaving Board include Finding Somewhere To Live, Charitable Trusts For Single Parents and Great Student Discounts Hunt

This week's Martin's Musings: It's funny who you meet... Alvin Hall how are you?
'Top marks to a PR for trying' and 'That nice man from ITN packed my shopping' Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

WATER PALAVA POLL: Bottle or tap? Vote or Discuss. Also, see last week's Debt defying gravity Poll results

That's it for this week. However before I go I thought I'd show you a part of myself that's never been seen before. Perhaps you'd like to see me change my clothes, and you can join in too. Trust me, it'll be fun!

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 amazon.co.uk, www.alliance-leicester.co.uk, www.lloydstsb.com, www.american-express.co.uk, www.postoffice.co.uk, www.cahoot.co.uk, www.barclays.co.uk. For more on how it works and the site's non-profit driven ethical and financial policy read this.