Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Shift debts to top cheap 0% credit cards without a pefect credit history. Updated Articles
The credit card market is hot with 0% deals lasting up to 13 months. Yet if you've a less than perfect credit history you won't get them. To combat this, I've added a new section to both main articles, this includes new easy-use web smart search tools that incorporate your likely credit history and then match you up with the best possible card. For those looking to shift current debts to cheaper cards full details are in the Best Balance Transfers (mini-mutterings) article, for those needing new borrowing go to the Best Lend For Spend article

Get all NHS & health spending back (inc. dental and optical). New Healthcare Cashplans article
Even with the NHS it's difficult not to spend money on healthcare; there are prescription charges, dental treatments, optical check-ups, alternative therapies and more. For a few pounds a month, Healthcare Cashplan Schemes (HSA is the most famous, but there are many more and many better) can help you recover costs and potentially repay up to six times what you spend on them annually. I've just redone my annual review and comparison of all the major providers to come up with the top players. New Article: Healthcare Cashplans Related Articles: Private Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Cheaper Prescriptions

Get a free £15 Boots voucher with a free DVD trial. You could then cancel the trial! Easy loophole

Reminder. ENDS THURS MIDNIGHT. Massive £400 loophole off Holmes Place/Cannons Gyms
This is a huge loophole, and I'm pretty sure it's the last time it'll be offered (this year at least). Sign up to a private medical insurance policy, even if you won't use it, for £20ish a month and get free gym membership worth £70ish a month. For a full explanation read the Article: Major Gym Saving

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

Permanent £1.40 cinema tickets! Four films a month for you and a mate
A few weeks ago I pointed out that non-Orange customers could grab Orange's 2for1 Wednesday deal simply by buying a £1 sim. Here's a sneaky addition to it; Cineworld cinemas offer an Unlimited films pass for £11/month and has confirmed this works with the Orange Wednesday codes so a pass holder can take a partner/mate for free. Overall this means unlimited movies for you and your pal gets four free films a month, all for £11. Updated Article: Orange Wednesdays For Non-Orange Customers (mini-mutterings) Related Article: Pay Less For Going Out

Bop-it, Bop-it, Bop-it. OK I'm addicted to this kid's toy, so I searched for the cheapest
Recently I got Bop-it, a kids game, but annoyingly addictive for adults too. In an effort to stop myself being the only sad grown-up playing, I've done some research to find the cheapest. Bop-it for under £10

Last Chance Reminder. Get the special charity MoneySavers deal for my new 'Thrifty Ways' book. Ends Friday Get it, Read more

Mobile Cost Cutting: Find the cheapest mobile deal and blag a fiver on top
My mobile phone cost cutting technique uses a special web comparison service OneCompare*, to find the top deal. Currently it'll give you a fiver on top when you switch through it. For the best technique read the Updated Article: Mobile Phone Cost Cutting article. Related Articles: Recycle Old Mobiles & Make Serious Dosh, Batter Down Your Mobile Contract, Unlock Your Mobile

Don't worry AVG anti-virus software is staying free!
Last week I published my Kit Your PC For Free article and was swamped with e-mails from people saying AVG won't be free as of January. In fact while version 7.1 that won't be free anymore, as long as you switch to its version 7.5 you won't be charged. AVG doesn't make this too clear though, in the hope you'll opt for its costly version.

Loan Insurance TV Exposé. Help Needed. Ever had it not payout when it should? Ever worked in a bank and sold it? Got it on an expensive loan and want help? I'm doing a programme on it for ITV1. Get involved

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you take the job?
Sam is £15,000 in debt and really struggling to make the repayments having been made redundant four months ago. Now at last, there's a job offer, but it's from a doorstep lender. The money is good and would really help, but it depends on selling doorstep debts at very high APRs to lots of vulnerable people. Should (s)he take the job? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Would you take the job? Previous MMDs: Can kids buy anything they want?, Would you get them sacked?, Give santa the sack?

Warning! You won't be able to trade in Tesco vouchers for 4x at MFI soon Full Details

Great Cheap 'Free Family Games' Hunt
Christmas is fast approaching and while shops are touting expensive board games, there are many even better games you can play for free with a bit of imagination and are just as fun. So I thought I'd tap MoneySavers wealth of inventiveness to come up with as many free family games as possible and I've added my own 'Dictionary' game as a starter. Add your ideas/read others Past Great Hunts: Cut The Cost Of Moving Home, Use Less Water and Pricebeaters Plus

FLIGHTCHECKER SALES WATCH  Alicante, Paris, & Amsterdam c. £20 each way
Budget airline Thomsonfly currently has a range of destinations at 1p each way. 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

The Great 'Christmas Decorate Your House For Under £20' Hunt. Results
Last week I asked MoneySavers how to glam up and create that special Christmas magic for the whole house; for under £20 in preparation for Christmas gifts. Suggestions included just paper & sticky tape, garden accessories and CD stars

'Pimp My Bin OldStylers' Contest results: Dusty Bin is a winner See contest, see winner

Farepak update: are you a Liverpool Victoria member? If yes there's £100 for you
Liverpool Victoria is offering £100 to members who lost money with Farepak. The deadline for claiming is 15 Dec but claims will be met on a first-come-first-served basis so get yours in now. More on how to claim in the Updated Note: Farepak: what to do now

Board of the week: Christmas & Winter Festivities
The Christmas & Winter Festivities board is a hub of activity when it comes to discussing all things festive with plenty of tips and tricks being shared. Discussions include What are you having for Christmas dinner?, Making traditional sweets and Best Festive Job

On the box this week: Catch my regular slot on LK Today (Wed between 8.45am and 9.15am) plus look out for me everyday next week on the Wright Stuff, 9am, Five, Keep updated on appearances

This week's Martin's Musings: 'I couldn't help advertising on Vaginica!'
'Should you buy a PAYG or contract for your teen at Christmas?' and 'Credit Card companies could learn a lot from McDonald's'. Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

Who should pay higher rate tax? Vote and Discuss. Last week's vote result: Have you/will you reclaim past bank charges? Well done to the quarter of you that have never been charged and also the 23% of you that have successfully reclaimed your unfair bank charges. For the 24% that are considering it or are too scared, read my step-by-step guide to Reclaiming Bank Charges. See poll results

A Beautiful Story. That's it for this week, but before I go, maybe I'm becoming a soppy old git, but I wanted to share this beautiful story with you rather than the usual 'funny'. I thought it'd be just as uplifting.

I hope you save some money

Martin

*links: Any links with a * by them are affiliated. That means go via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay ad-free and free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference, the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things I write) is NEVER impacted by it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, nothing changes, it's still included in exactly the same way. As I believe transparency is important, I'm including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for the same things: energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, american-express.co.uk, morganstanley.com, alliance-leicester.co.uk, mbloan.co.uk, icicibank.co.uk, onecompare.com, sonycard.co.uk, flybmi.co.uk. Read more about this site and how it's financed.