Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Recycle your old mobile and make some serious dosh. New Article
If your old mobile is sitting at the back of your drawer, dust it off. A new range of mobile phone buying companies have sprung up which, with no-hassle could bag you as much as £160. A quick note on this proved so popular after I did a quick chat note about it 6 weeks ago, I've done detailed comparison research and written a full article. New Article: Old Mobile Phone Flogging (Mini-mutterings) Related Articles: Mobile Cost Cutting Plan, Batter Down Your Contract, Unlocking For Free

Free eye test! Boots is giving away eyetest vouchers worth £18. A site for sore eyes Related Article: Boots Treasure Trove

Historic Cheapest Loan Rate, now 5.5%.
Moneyback* loan's dropped its rate to 5.5% for borrowing between £3k and £25k equalling the UK's cheapest personal loan ever. Yet beware if you borrow less, get insurance, or have a less than perfect credit score then this isn't for you! For full details and all the other options read Updated Article: Cheapest Personal Loan Related Articles: Best Balance Transfers, Best Card For Purchases

£20 free credit on a £1 sim. Go Quick! Ends Wednesday

Cheaper prescriptions and medications: never scrimp but do save. Updated Article
The prescription charge has increased to £6.65 yet there are a few tricks which may save you money, including getting an annual certificate. And for those non-prescription medications you can make massive savings, getting exactly the same drugs for 90% less. Article: Cheaper Prescriptions And Medications (Mini-mutterings)

A nasty new trend in the credit card world. It's not the name, it's how you apply that counts. Read Blog

STOP YOUR FRIENDS WASTING CASH! PLS SUGGEST THEY GET THIS EMAIL

NTL/Telewest customers, ask for a price reduction today!
TalkTalk's new 'free broadband' tariff has scared the competition, so much so that if you call and mention it, they'll often reduce your price! See NTL/Telewest users sub article of UK's Cheapest Home Phones Related article: Digital TV Cost Cutting

Shame on you MoneySavers! Didn't you notice 0% Overdrafts and 5% in-credit interest?!
I was shocked by last week's poll result: of the 3290 who voted, less than a third of you have switched bank account in the last five years, and more than one in five still use your student or kids account (see poll results). That means 100,000s are earning a pitiful 0.1% when in credit and pay around 15% when overdrawn, when for many it's possible to earn 5% in-credit and getting a 0% overdraft for a year! Sort it out! Updated Article: Top Current Account Related Articles: Reclaim Bank Charges, Budget the MoneySaving Way

Tarting Lite! New top 0% balance transfer card for those who want to tart with less effort
Capital One's new platinum credit card is advertising 0% interest on debt shifted to it for a gigantic 15 months, yet dig in the small print and you see it'll charge a fee of 2% of the debt shifted. Normally a fee means I say 'don't touch it with a bargepole', yet the 0% is for so long, for those looking for an easy life it's worth a thought. There are full 'how to choose' details in the Updated Article: Best Balance Transfers Related Article: Best Card For Purchases, Top Cashback Card

Great 'Recycle It For Cash' Hunt
This week's main article, How To Make Your Old Mobile Pay, got me thinking “What else around your house, garage or garden can you recycle for cash?”. The aim's to tap MoneySavers' collective knowledge to find some great ideas. Add yours/read others Past Great Hunts:  Bit On The Side, Pricebeaters Plus and Free Info

Save over £1,000 a year on childcare costs... employers starting to listen! Print the article!
Childcare vouchers are a massive boon, saving many people over £1,000 a year, as they effectively let you get the tax back on childcare costs. The problem is you can only use them if your employer offers it. Yet it seems some are starting to listen. I was prompted to write this due to this lovely note in the Chat Forum, by a MoneySaver who printed the article and gave it to her boss. It seems to have worked. Article: Childcare Vouchers Related Articles: Nappy MoneySaving, Child Trust Funds

Save £10 a head on theatre/concert booking fees: Great Hunt Result
Last week I asked you how to knock down the cost of concert and theatre ticket fees. Culture vulture Moneysavers' ideas included Buy in person, Be a Theatre Monkey and Blag free tickets

RAC cover for £13 not possible, but it is for £14.
A quick reminder that it's possible to get RAC cover for £14 provided with Tesco vouchers. The RAC is a member of the Tesco Clubcard Deals scheme, which means if you pay in Tesco vouchers they are worth four times their face value, so £14 buys you a £64 breakdown policy. Sorry to all those last week who tried the 'RAC cover for £13' loophole trick, a chink in the small print meant it wasn't possible for most. This route definitely is. All the details are in the Updated Article: Cheapest Breakdown Recovery Related Articles: Car Insurance, MOTs, New Car Buying

FLIGHTCHECKER SALES WATCH  Bologna, Carcassonne & Milana c. £20 each way
Budget airline Ryanair has extended its 14p each way to a range of destinations seat sale. When you add in its taxes and charges this becomes roughly £20 in total. For a full briefing read the How To Find a Cheap Flight article or go straight to the special free FlightChecker to find the seats in seconds

WARNING: Onetel customers be careful using overrider providers
Some Onetel users have reported substantial overcharging when using Simply Dial override providers from the International Callchecker. Onetel is looking into this but in the meantime if you're with it avoid using these override providers. Further updates will be in this email

Chat Forum upgraded, now you can spellcheck too
Last week we upgraded the Chat Forum to the latest version of the software. This has lots of new features that I'm sure forumites will soon start playing with. One of the best though is the ability to spellcheck your posts. To do it you'll need to download some special software though. More info

Board of the week: In My Home
A treasure trove of information on things home-related: from DIY to domestic appliances. There's also an “Is this fair?” sub-section, where MoneySavers can ask others' opinions on builders' and tradesmens' quotes. Discussions include Dulux Once: Is once really enough?, Price of a window cleaner and New bathroom installation: is this fair?

This week's Martin's Musings: £50 to teach how to be a good consumer!
'I am not a member of the mafia' and 'A nasty new trend in the credit card world' Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

CAR STICKER CAPTION CONTEST POLL: Which is your favourite? Vote or Discuss. Last week, you (sadly) said you were financially loyal: overall, less than a third of you said you'd changed bank account in the last five years, with over one in five having the same account you had as students/kids. Do you support the Licence Fee? See the Full Poll results

I speak fast, but thankfully not high! That's it for this week, but before I go I thought I'd point you towards a brief note I read in the Chat Forum about the last castrati, nothing to do with MoneySaving, but hearing the recording is fascinating!

I hope you save some money

Martin

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