Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Act now! This is the right time to apply for cheap cards to sort out debts in January
Credit card applications can take up to six weeks to come through; if you've got debts racked up, leaving your application until the New Year can end up costing you. Balance transfer deals allow you to shift existing debts to a new card at a much lower rate. Top 0% deals: MBNA* 0% 12 months with a 2% fee, Smart 0% for 6 months no fee. Top long term deal: M&S &More which is 3.9% until debt is repaid. To find out which is right for you Read the Article: Best Balance Transfers (mini-mutterings)

Free pint of Guinness! Raise a glass of the black stuff or get a soft drink Simply print a voucher

Free phone calls to many destinations worldwide on Christmas Day!
Phone company Jajah, which operates via the internet, is offering free global normal phone calls on 25 December to scores of countries. While you must initiate the call via its website, it will then call you back on your home phone and connect you to your mate/relative/long distance lover's phone. For full details read the Updated Article: Completely Free Calls Worldwide (mini-mutterings) Related Article: UK's Cheapest Home Phones Provider

Nintendo GameBoy Micro only £30 Can you beat it?

Earn 5.45% with the top clean savings account. Yet it's so popular, it's wobbling!
Icesave, the UK off-shoot of the Icelandic bank Landsbanki is joint top clean savings account at 5.45% AER, plus it guarantees to keep the rate high. Yet it's been so popular, its customer service's now wobbling and queries may take 10 days to answer. Alternatives are ICICI, another clean account at the same rate but without as strong a guarantee and A&L's DirectSaver, which pays 5.64% if you've £5,000 plus, though you lose interest any month you withdraw. View/apply: ICICI*, Icesave, A&L or better still, read the Updated Article: Top Savings Accounts Related Article: Where To Start Saving

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

Go green and.... get grants, get £30 cashback, get cheaper energy
Three quick green MoneySaving tips. First check the Energy Saving Trust's Grant Finder to see if you're eligible for any of the scores of hidden energy efficiency, boiler and insulation grants/funds which can add up to £1000s. Then switch energy supplier, opting to compare only green tariffs, which while more expensive than the very cheapest tariffs, will still save most people money; plus get up to £30 cashback (or champagne) for switching. And finally saving energy, turn off lights, switch off standby on things you don't use regularly, and use last week's 49p energy saving lightbulbs, each of which should cut your energy bill by £9/year

Last minute online Christmas shopping: Full list of major last order dates

Bank Charge Reclaiming. Spread the word and stop the vultures!
This weekend in London's West End, many cashpoints were flyered with leaflets telling people about bank charge reclaiming. Yet it wasn't a consumer group, instead it was a claim handling company, which, alongside some avaricious lawyers, is starting to offer "no win - no fee" services. Yet most people should be doing this through the small claims system, which doesn't need representation, thus keeping all their winning cash. Please spread the word. Don't pay to reclaim. Read Bank Charges: Reclaim Your Cash which includes all the template letters to get it done (mini-mutterings)

Legally Rob a Bank. Send a SAE to proudly proclaim you're a MoneySaver with a car sticker!

LAST CHANCE! Free £15 Boots Voucher & free DVD rental loophole
Internet DVD rental site Lovefilm has been offering a £15 Boots voucher when you sign up for a free trial. Well, now's your last chance to grab it. Also, a reminder, you signed up to this a few weeks ago when it was first included, then for you, now's the right time to ensure you cancel before the free trial ends. Easy loophole

Early January sales heads up: Stores already slashing prices include FCUK, H&M, Gap and Evans. Bag a bargain

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you kick them out?
Jenny's a landlord with a buy-to-let property and a single parent family has been renting for nine months. They've always paid on time and been model tenants. Unfortunately, three months ago the tenant lost her job, and hasn't found another. She hasn't been about to pay the rent for two months and is speaking to the Citizens Advice Bureau about help. Jenny has a mortgage on the rental property and, while she can keep afloat, life is more difficult without the rental income. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Jenny kick them out? Past Dilemmas: Should Janet pay for John?, Would you lend to a friend in need?, Give Santa the sack and Would you take the job?

The UK's worst tax… stamp duty read my blog!

Great 'Last Minute Christmas Gifts' Hunt
If you've left Christmas shopping to the last second, there's a great danger of rushing it and overspending. The web is losing its power right now to get you gifts in time, so what are the other options to give good gifts without breaking the bank? I'm tapping MoneySavers' collective knowledge to find the answers. Add your ideas/read others Past Great Hunts:  Recycle It For Cash, Job-based Discounts and Free Info

Last ditch shopping on the high street? Grab store card discounts, but don't pay interest Read Article