Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email
4 free bottles of Bud; £200 laser eye surgery,
New Top Savings & free ID fraud help loophole ,
And much, much more MoneySaving...
Bank Charges Protest Song 2nd highest new chart entry. As hoped for, ‘I fought the Lloyds’ has entered the charts the week of the bank charges test case, debuting at no. 25 and even playing Newsnight out on Monday. When Radio 1's chart show played it (listen here at 57 mins) the presenter said "I hadn’t heard of this before", which is exactly why we did it (though he did mistakenly think I was Jo Whiley’s accountant!). To get a copy, go to iTunes or text BANKERS to 82822 (where it costs 50p). Find out more Web Exclusive TV: It Pays To Watch More. My new series has started (Weds 7.25pm on five), thankfully ratings were strong so it's a goer. After the programme I do a special web-only extra programme It Pays To Watch More with lots of extra info, in a more relaxed style. Do give it a watch. Are you a newbie e-mail recipient? Welcome. I hope you’ll save a fortune. Please help spread the word; the more MoneySavers, the more collective consumer power. All they need do is go to moneysavingexpert.com/tips to get this email. |
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The Bank Charges trial's starting: How to reclaim, what this means & more.
At last, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the banks are in court. The trial won't decide whether bank charges are unlawful, but whether the relevant UK contract law applies to them. If it does, then the OFT itself must decide whether banks' charges; specifically for going over your overdraft limit or for bounced cheques/direct debits do break the law. For six months, reclaiming has been on hold, yet you still should put a claim in asap, or you may miss out. Not claimed yet? Read the updated Bank Charges Reclaiming guide. Claim on hold? Read the Bank Charges News article. Got credit card charges? You can still reclaim Credit Card Charges Related Articles: Bank Charges Song, Bank Charges Petition, All Other Reclaiming
URGENT: Four free bottles of Budweiser. Free online voucher to use at Pitcher & Piano bars (ends imminently)
Boost Your Income. Over 50 ways to make £100s or £1,000s of extra cash.
Whether it's decluttering, home working or cash loopholes, it's possible to generate serious extra cash outside your day job. I launched this guide four months ago alongside a new forum, and thanks to the fantastic suggestions there, it’s now been updated with many new methods, and more options for the existing ones. So, if you fancy a financial bit on the side, read the Updated Guide: Boost Your Income Forum Section: Up Your Income Related Guide: Give Yourself A Money Makeover
Free £7 mini Mascara, plus £30 moisturiser for £3.30. Grab the vouchers. Beauty Booty!
New 6.5% savings account. New top 6.1% cash ISA. Maximise savings interest.
Brand new web account FirstSave’s 6.5% just pips ICICI’s* 6.41%, yet I still favour ICICI as it guarantees to beat base rates by at least 0.3% until 2011; meaning long term rate security. Plus, FirstSave is a part of the First Bank of Nigeria's UK registered subsidiary so, like all banks, the first £35,000 saved is protected, however as yet I’ve no feedback on it. Full Details: in the Top Savings article. Also this week Icesave launched the new top tax-free 6.1% cash ISA. Full details: in the Cash ISAs article. Related Article: Where To Start With Savings?
STOP YOUR FRIENDS WASTING CASH! PLS SUGGEST THEY GET THIS EMAIL
Loophole. Totally free ID Fraud help, includes credit reports and ID fraud alerts.
All Capital One cardholders qualify for its free ID fraud prevention service; importantly you don’t need to use the card to get it and the protection applies to all products not just its own. Therefore it's worth getting a card, just for the ID fraud help, even if you just stuff it in a drawer! The help itself consists of two free credit reports a year, e-mail alerts if there’s a change to your credit file and an advice helpline if you fall victim to ID Fraud. There are a range of Capital One cards: one's good for Cashback*, Balance Transfers*, Purchases*, or easy to get* Full details: in the new Free ID Fraud Help article. Related Articles: Top Cashback Cards, Best Balance Transfers, Safer Online Spending, Free Anti-Virus Software
£15 men's suit at ASDA. Weddings, Church, Work, Court? 60,000 available
Planning laser eye surgery? Get it for £200 of Tesco vouchers! Keep your eyes peeled.
Laser eye surgery company Optimax now allows you to pay for some or all of the treatment in Tesco Clubcard Deals vouchers. These are special vouchers you can convert Tesco points into; better still while a £5 voucher is only worth a fiver in store, it's worth £20 of Deals. This effectively means you get it at a quarter of the cost. Thus an £800 treatment would cost only £200 in Tesco vouchers; though of course it's important to do your research before embarking on any surgical procedure. Full details: in the laser eye surgery section of the cheap contact lenses article. Related Articles: Glasses Buying, Loyalty Points Tricks
Petrol Efficiency Experiment: Pay 20% less without taking longer. Read m'blog Related Article: Cheapest Petrol
Giving up smoking? Quit cheaply, and pay less for products afterwards.
Britain's been smoke-free in public places for months, and those still yet to kick the habit are missing out on an enormous health and wealth boost. If you see 2008 as the year to quit, this MoneySaving guide details how to get free help and nicotine replacement therapies. Plus if you're now smoke-free there are details on ensuring you're benefiting from cheaper deals. Article: Stop Smoking And Save Related Articles: Cheaper Prescriptions & Medications, Healthcare Cashplans
REMINDER: Get paid to check your credit report. Now upped to £6.50
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NEW YEAR SORT-IT CHECKLIST |
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EDF's prices up an average 13% for gas & 8% for electricity... but still Don't Switch!
EDF’s followed npower in hiking energy prices, and I predict more to follow, possibly even this week. Thus switching now is a waste of time, as you may shift only to have a big price hike the next day. The only people who should switch: If you’ve never switched providers before you're likely to be paying so much over the odds, you may as well go for it; alternatively if you’d prefer a capped tariff then go for that now. Top Pick Comparison Service: Energyhelpline* Full Info: Read the Gas & Elec switching article Related Articles: Cheapest Boiler Cover, Cheapest Home Phone, Cut The Cost Of Water Bills
Got a discount Railcard? Register it, and get Oyster travel in London for less. Oyster Discount
Credit Card Reclaiming: Get six years of late payment charges back.
Credit card companies' late payment fees and other fines are now commonly believed to be unlawful, so if you've had them you can get up to six years' worth back just by sending a couple of letters. And don’t worry the hold on bank charges reclaiming doesn’t effect this. Read the full guide, plus watch the reclaiming challenge on this week’s It Pays To Watch: 7.25pm on five TV. Free guide & Template letters: Credit Card Reclaiming Other Reclaiming: PPI/Loan Insurance, Endowments, Bank Charges, Lost Assets, Mortgage Fees
CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: EasyJet. Price: c.£20 e/w. Ends: When it sells out.
My top pick budget airline sale this week is EasyJet’s sub-£22 inc. taxes & charges to about 20 European destinations from a range of UK airports. Tickets are at this price until they’re sold out but are only available on selected flights. How to
quickly find the sales flights: Don’t go direct, instead use the Budget Airline
FlightChecker and ask it to find all flights under £22. Non-Budget Airline Tools: These are listed
in the Cheap
Flights article. Related Travel
MoneySaving: Cheap
Hotels, Spending
Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel
Insurance, Mobile Roaming
Quick Forum Tips
Warning! Bargains listed here tend to
sell out quickly
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MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Bob get a lodger?
Bob lives in a three bedroom house with his teenage daughters Fifi, Peaches and Pixie. With £20,000 of debt, he's caught in a rat trap and decides a frugal lifestyle just isn't enough to clear what he owes; the only solution is to get a lodger. However this would mean bringing a stranger into the family home, plus his daughters would have to share a room together; something they'd never be happy about in a million years. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Bob get a lodger? Previous MMDs: Should Ken ‘save’ Deidre’s kids from being taken into care? and Should Britney sell her blood?
The Great 'January Instant Cash Injection' Hunt
It’s the classic New Year predicament: people get paid early in December, overspend at Christmas and face a serious financial shortfall come January. The best way to protect your pocket is to budget and spread the cost through the year. Yet, sadly, many will be still be stuggling; so I thought I’d tap MoneySavers for creative ways to get instant extra cash your pocket right now. The only rules are that it can’t involve spending on a credit card, borrowing from relies or going down the pawn shop. And it must be legal! Add your ideas/read other peoples': Great 'Instant Cash Injection for January’ Hunt Past Great Hunts: Free Online Courses, Student Discounts and How Much To Tip Overseas
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Olbas Oil Tissues, Gluten-free Bread |
Thriftily cut your January spend! Board of the week: MoneySaving Old Style
If you're busting a gut to stay on-budget this January, check out the MoneySaving Old Style board, which proves that living well and living super-cheaply aren't mutually exclusive. It's packed with great ideas to save you cash, time and waste, whatever your domestic dilemma. So great, in fact, I had to put the best ones in a book (all my proceeds to charity). Discussions include What 'value' things are worth having?, Uses for an old duvet cover and Veggie stew
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MoneySavingExpert on the box/wireless
If you like to watch as well as read about MoneySaving, I’ll be appearing on the following programmes over the next week or so.
- LK Today, ITV1 Mon & Tue between 8.45-9.15 am. In my regular slot I'll be giving someone a Money Makeover
- It Pays To Watch, five TV Wednesday between 7:25-8pm. The second instalment of my new show!
Keep updated on appearances: Changes and updates go in the Updated appearances list
Feedback on appearances: Discuss or add your thoughts on MoneySaving in the Media
This week's Martin's Blog: Pay tax by credit card: Fantastic news… for some
"The First It Pays To Watch - OK, I'm quick" and "Petrol efficiency experiment". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)
Are cheap chicks chic? This week's poll. Vote and Cheap Chicks discussion.
Do you spend more than you earn? Last Week’s Vote. 60% of you are on top of your finances, spending less than you earn or operating a totally balanced budget. 35% need to curb your overspending and make some cut-backs, and 5% still can't even face up to doing a budget. To those people, now's the time. See Spend more than earn poll results, or find out your result with the Budget Planner.
Archna's Free Game of the Week! Explore new worlds and leap time in Space Travel
Give yourself a celeb hairdo! That's it for this week, but before I go, MSE Jenny's addicted to finding out what people look like with J-Lo’s locks, Madonna’s mane or Beyonce’s barnet. Hairmixer!
I hope you save some money
Martin
Explanation of * Links
How this site is financed. 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, 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, envirofone.co.uk, mopay.co.uk, citibank.co.uk, talktalk.com, americanexpress.co.uk, capitalone.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, icicibank.com. Read more about this in how this site is financed.
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