Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Hurrah. Ten more ‘It Pays To Watch!’ Loads more TV MoneySaving coming your way, as my Five series (Weds at 7.25pm) has been recommissioned, so the run of 10 is now a run of 20. For stats fans, the average rating for 7.30pm weekdays on Five is 400,000, but It Pays To Watch is now nearly double that, at 700,000. Thanks so much to all who watch. New Free Audience Tickets Available. More shows means more tickets. To get your hands on one of the audience places, let us know asap. We film every Wed at 4 o’clock. We’re looking at doing coaches from different UK city each week, though if you’re near London it’s easier. So for tickets for all Weds until 21 May, e-mail audience@moneysavingproductions.com. Read people’s audience experiences in the It Pays To Watch forum. Want to be on the show/e-mail in a question? If you’ve saved money by watching, are an extraordinary MoneySaver or want to be in a challenge, view the Take Part section of the programme’s site. Plus you can also e-mail a brief MoneySaving question to questions@moneysavingproductions.com (the more likely the answer is to help lots of people the more likely it’ll be used.)

This week... Freebies & Childcare This week, it's how to bag credit card freebies, and cut childcare costs. Plus I'll be delving into interior designers Colin and Justin's wallets! Web exclusive programme: It Pays To Watch More Be in the audience: Details It Pays To Watch on five 7.30pm Weds

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New Free Directory Enquiries Number. Or do it free online or on mobiles.
There's now a free directory enquiries number, staffed by real people, not an automated service. Instead of paying, you simply need to listen to a 20-sec advert. So don't be hoodwinked by the ridiculously expensive moustachioed men, with their 69p/call, plus 19p/min! Plus there are ways to make enquiries free from your mobile and online too. Full details in the new Free Directory Enquiries article Related Articles: Cheapest Home Phones, Free Texts

DAB digital radio £15. More channels, less hassle. Can you beat it?

New Top 6.5% Clean Savings Account with super-strong rate guarantee.
If you’re saving over £1,000, the new UK subsidiary of Icelandic bank Kaupthing* pays 6.5% AER and guarantees to beat UK base rates by at least 0.3% until Feb 2012; meaning you’ve surety it’ll never be a dud. Also, it's told us, though not guaranteed it, that the rate won't drop despite the recent UK interest rate cut. Kaupthing’s new here but well known across Europe, and like all UK banks, the first £35,000 in it is government-guaranteed. A smidgeon higher interest is possible with West Bromwich's Star 6.55% Easy Access account, yet the rate guarantee's not as strong, and if you withdraw more than twelve times annually the account’s closed. More options & details in the Updated Article: Top Savings Related Articles: Top Cash ISAs, Pay Off Debts With Savings, Are Your Savings Safe?

Personalised postal Mother's Day card 40p (inc P&P). Or any other photo greetings card. Not much more than a stamp!

New, Improved 'Council Tax Check 'n' Challenge System'. Lower your band & save
Thousands of people in England & Scotland are in the wrong council tax band, paying more than neighbours in similar properties without realising it. Last year I developed a ten minute Check 'n' Challenge system; and huge numbers have had their bands lowered and received back-dated refunds. Now with a year's track record, I've been through the feedback, rewritten the method, added Q&As and tweaked it to make it easier and more powerful. Read the New Guide: Council Tax Rebanding View successes: Council Tax Reclaiming, Related Articles: Remortgage Guide, Mortgage Guide

Get your age discounted off posh Malmaison hotels. Between 29 Feb and 2 March. If you're 100, you get 100% off!

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

Did you buy a BA/Virgin long haul ticket between Aug '04 - Mar '06? Get compensation

Two New Top Cashback Sites Launched. Get more money back on shopping
Cashback websites give you a cut of their advertising revenue if you buy things/sign up for financial products with them. This can be up to £100 for some insurance deals. Over the last year a host of ‘100% rebate’ sites have sprung up, giving you every penny they're paid back. This week two new sites, Cashbackkings & Wepromiseto, have launched. They’ve now been analysed and reviewed in the Updated Article: Top Cashback Sites plus added to the Comparison Tool: Cashback Sites Maximiser Related Articles: Cheapest Car Insurance, Cheapest Home Insurance, Cheapest Online Shopping

37" High definition TV £370 all-in. Cheap if you can afford it. Telly cheap!

Inheritance Tax MoneySaving. Save £100,000s on death duty. New Article
Avoiding Inheritance Tax is one of the easiest and biggest ways to save money possible. Yet many people ignore it and leave themselves with vast and unnecessary tax bills. This fully re-researched, re-written Q&A briefing explains how Inheritance Tax works, and includes all the tips on how to pay as little as possible. New Article: Inheritance Tax Related Family MoneySaving: Benefits Check-up, Council Tax Reclaiming

Eat out for half price. Potential vouchers for Cafe Rouge, Ha! Ha! & Pizza Express. Leaders of the snack!

Fixed rate mortgage ending? Sort it now! HSBC mortgage holder? It’ll match your current deal.
If your fixed rate deal is about to end, watch out: it’s likely you’ll be paying around £150/month more per £100,000 mortgage if you don’t sort out a new deal. Yet HSBC mortgage holders whose deal is ending have a way out; until 30 April, its RateMatcher policy means the vast majority can renew their current fix for a £499 fee (a small percentage will need to pay more). For many, this will massively undercut other deals. For everyone else, the key is remortgaging to slash the rate. Free Remortgage Guide: Printed or Instant PDF download. Related Articles: Free Mortgage Guide , Free House Price Info, Mortgage Fee Reclaiming

Reminder. Gas & Elec "Time To Switch!" Though avoid Scottish & Southern Energy as its prices may still rise. Top Comparison service: Energyhelpline* gives £15 cashback per switch. Alternatives: MoneyS’M* £30 for dual fuel cashback, or Uswitch* voucher for a £40 crate of wine. Full Details: Cheapest Energy article

'Sale and Rent Back' schemes warning. They look good, but beware
For those in trouble, it sounds great. Sell your house to a company, but then continue to live there and pay rent. Yet an expose by BBC Radio 4 MoneyBox shows these schemes can often be a nightmare. Forum note: Listen & read more

Job Opportunities. MoneySavingExpert.com: Web Developer & Junior IT Technician. It Pays To Watch TV show: Shooting P/D, Shooting AP & Assist Producer with money knowledge (London based) TV jobs info

Do you pay for childcare? Save hundreds. It Pays To Watch Challenge
A little known govt childcare scheme can save you hundreds by allowing you to pay for childcare with pre-tax income. While it doesn't sound like much, the savings can be enormous. For every £1,000 you’re paid, after tax and national insurance you’d typically only receive £670, so if you give that up and ask to be paid £1,000 worth of childcare vouchers instead, and you’d be £330 better off. This week in It Pays To Watch, I'll be showing three volunteers how to save £100s in a few simple steps. Full Article: Cut The Cost Of Childcare Vouchers It Pays To Watch: Five 7.25pm Wednesday Related Articles: Child Trust Funds, Best Child Savings, A Rash Of Savings: Get The Cheapest Nappies

Club together your Tesco Clubcard Vouchers now. From May they won’t be transferable. Forum Note: Tesc-no deal

CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: Ryanair. Price: £5 e/w. Ends: Thurs 21st Feb '08.
Ryanair's extended its £5 sale (inc.most taxes & charges) to over 25 European destinations from a range of UK airports. According to Ryanair, tickets are at this price until midnight Thursday on selected flights travelling between 1 and 12 March '08, although some £5 flights have been found to depart as early as next week. 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 £6. Non-Budget Airline Tools: These are listed in the Cheap Flights article. IMPORTANT: Ryanair's shutting its website for maintenance between 22 and 25 Feb so bear this in mind if you want to book a flight soon. Related Travel MoneySaving: Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance, Mobile Roaming

MoneySavers raise £8,000 for Meningitis. The beautiful story of Claire's 21st birthday donations, now ended

Great 'Single MoneySaving' Hunt. Give us your tips on saving while solo
Being single has its perks: no Valentine’s pressies to buy, free reign over the TV zapper, no one to sneakily finish off the biscuits without telling you. Yet life can also be more costly for single MoneySavers. So I thought I’d collect your top tips for saving cash while solo. How can you cook cheaply for one, avoid holiday single supplements and get by when you can't split the bills? Add your ideas/read other peoples': Great 'Single MoneySaving" Hunt Past Great Hunts: What Kids Should Know About Money, Audience Tickets and Cheap Ways To Make Your House Safer

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Ross not be there for Joey?
Joey and Chandler rent rooms at "mates' rates" from their friend Ross, with all three of them living in the same trendy apartment. Every so often, Ross has friends round for parties, and asks Joey and Chandler to make themselves scarce until 2am when the party ends, so they duly pop to the all-night Coffee House. Now Joey wants to throw a party for some of his work buddies, and asks the same favour of Ross. Yet homebody Ross thinks it's out of order to ask him to leave his own flat for the night. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Ross not be there for Joey? Previous MMDs: Should Jamie take Gordon to a pricey restaurant? and Should Karl pay for Susan's cat?

Join the super-charged MoneySavers. Board of the week: Mortgage-free Wannabe
If you'd rather keep your well-earned in your pocket than pour it into a mortgage for 25 years then the Mortgage-free Wannabe Board's the place to visit. Many home-owners are there encouraging each other in discussions that include 2008 MFW newbies, Get a Mortgage Pig and, for those that have done it, The Mortgage Free Roll of Honour. Plus also make sure you read the Should I Pay Off My Mortgage? article

Great 'Working for Yourself' Hunt Result
Working for yourself gives you flexibility and independence, yet giving up a salaried job can be a serious financial jump. So last week I asked self-employed MoneySavers to share their advice on saving money while being your own boss. There were some great suggestions including Plan twice, think thrice, work four times as hard, Test the water and Check the name

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. My regular slot isn't on this week because of the school hols but it'll be back next week, between 8:45 & 9:15am
• It Pays To Watch, five TV, Wednesday, 7.25-8pm. Divulging info on saving £1,000s with Childcare Vouchers & getting your hands on top Credit Card Freebies
• GMTV (between 7.30 & 8am), ITV1 Tuesday The subject for this is news reactive so you'll have to wait and see

Watch/listen back from last week: Listen to last week's Vine on Radio 2. Listen to it here
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: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
"Unloophole-able deal from Barclays" and "Virgin BA Compensation Agreed: Did you fly long-haul between 2004 and 2006?". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

How low would you stoop for cash? This week's poll Vote and What would you pick up? discussion.

What's a fair divorce settlement? Last Week’s Vote. Last week's vote was split by gender, and the results make for interesting reading. Of the women that voted, one-in-five voted that Janet should get 10% of John's £10m fortune, only just beating another fifth that thought a 50% share was most appropriate. Conversely, whilst more than a quarter of male voters also plumped for a 10% share, less than a tenth chose the 50% split option. Also, perhaps unsurprisingly, more men voted Janet should leave empty-handed; 24% compared with 16% of women. See Divorce poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! A clever, sophisticated version of Connect 4! Klax

Thriller Mania. That's it for this week, yet before I go... they're doing it in prisons, they're doing it on the tube, I'm even considering doing it myself. Don't try to scream

I hope you save some money

Martin

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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: pricerunner.co.uk, shopping.com, kaupthingedge.co.uk, tesco.com, virginmoney.com, icicibank.com, alliance-leicester.co.uk, kelkoo.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, moneysupermarket.com, uswitch.com, citibank.co.uk, talktalk.com, . Read more about this in how this site is financed.