Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

A TV MoneySaving feast. Not much sleep for me this week; as well as Vine, Fri 1pm, Radio 2 on Student Finance plus GM-TV & LK Today, there's a hoard of MoneySaving on the box. Tonight, Council Tax Cover-Up, ITV1 Fri, 8pm. This has become a political firestorm with the Tories accusing the Government of hiding the fact 400,000 homes are paying too much. I'll be examining whether this stacks up, showing how to check if you're a victim, and if so how to get your money back (also see Council Tax Check 'n' Challenge article). NEW! It Pays To Watch EXTRA, five Sun. 10-11am. As well as the 7.30pm Weds show, for the next three weeks as a trial, on Sunday mornings It Pays To Watch will be repeated PLUS It Pays To Watch More where I'm tested by the audience with quick fire unseen MoneySaving questions and I put our celeb guest, this week Christopher Biggins, through a special MoneySaving challenge. In the main show it's all about saving up to £5,000 a year by giving yourself a Money Makeover. Plus behind the scenes at MSE Towers. From last week's BBC1 North-West Inside Out Watch it

The Big Story: Overhaul your finances & save £1,000s in a day. Celeb Wallet Challenge: Former bankrupt Christopher Biggins Web extra programme: It Pays To Watch More Be in the audience: Free Tickets Wed 7.30pm on Five: It Pays To Watch Sun 10-11am: It Pays To Watch Extra

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The Ones Not To Miss MSE

Top 6.5% Cash ISA. URGENT! Only a month left to open a 07/08 ISA. Use it or lose it!
Anyone with savings needs to urgently take note; the cash ISA year ends on 5 April, yet luckily there’s a massive new top payer. A cash ISA is basically just a savings account you don’t pay tax on; boosting your interest. Every UK adult can put up to £3,000 in per tax year, but if you don’t use it, you lose it. The new Barclays* Tax Haven ISA pays 6.5% AER interest, though 1% of this is a bonus that only lasts the first year; existing Barclays customers can apply online; everyone else must go via its branch. More info & alternatives: Top online accounts plus ISA countdown tool are in the updated Top Cash ISAs article. Related Articles: Transfer Existing ISAs, Top Savings, Pay Off Debts With Savings

Loophole! Sky TV, broadband & calls for just £6/mth. Sign up for Sky right now, via a cashback site, and new customers get £150. So over a year's it's cheaper than broadband by itself!

Water bills increasing by 6% on 1 April. Find out how to slash the cost. Updated Article
The water regulator's announced the average rise in bills on 1 April will be 5.8%, but it will be even more in some areas. There are a host of ways to cut your water bill; the most important though is to work out whether you should be using a water meter. My simple rule of thumb is if there are more bedrooms in your house than people then savings should be possible. Full Details: Cheaper Water Bills Guide Related Articles: Cheapest Home Phones, Cheap Boiler Cover

Half Price Young Person's Railcard. Costs £12 then under 26s get a 1/3 off rail and other tickets. Ends 16 Mar. MoneySaving Training

Premium Bond Rate drops to 3.6%. Predict your winnings with the Probability Calculator
NS&I has dropped the premium bond interest rate from 3.8% to 3.6%. The chances of getting a good return were poor enough for most people before, now it's even worse. The unique, free Premium Bond Probability Calculator will show you your chances of winning and compare them to the top savings accounts. Use the Calculator: Premium Bond Probability Updated Article: Premium Bonds: Are They Worth It? Related Article: Top Savings Accounts

10,000 free copies of Moneywise magazine. Blagged for MoneySavers Want one?

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

Sub £10 Manchester to London train tickets. Now booking up until 25 April. Print & Go Related Article: Cheap Train Tickets

Great 'Top Sales Tactics' Hunt: Help turn the tables on the nation's salespeople?
Pre-University I was a salesman; it taught me more about MoneySaving than anything else. Sales techniques are designed to make people part with their money; so if you were (or are) in the sales game, please dish the dirt on the best sales tricks. That way MoneySavers can tool up with the info to keep their money. Add your ideas/read other peoples': Great Top Sales Techniques Hunt Past Great Hunts: Blagging Hints and Tips, Store Returns Policy, Price Beaters Plus

Reminder. Free eye test at Optical Express. Available until 31 March. Just print out voucher

Ditch charity credit cards! Give 10x more, at no extra cost. Updated Article
It may feel good but the charity usually gets a paltry 25p per £100 you spend on a charity card, yet the top cashback credit card pays £5 cash per £100 spent for three months, and up to £1.50 per £100 after that. So use this, then donate the cash via Gift Aid so the charity can reclaim tax too. Overall this means up to TEN TIMES more goes to the charity. Warning: Never use these cards unless you repay in full each month so there's no interest. Full details: Ditch Charity Cards Best Cashback Cards:  Amex Platinum* (5% for 3 months, tiered after) Capital One Cashback* (1% flat rate) Related Articles: Feed The Starving For Free, Best Cashback Cards, Charity Giving

Sports Relief 'Football Managers' £5 DVD. Ron Manager meets David Beckham £2 to charity

Give Yourself a 25% Payrise. The It Pays To Watch Money Makeover Challenge
Take a day to systematically overhaul your finances and the average person in the UK can give themselves as much extra money as a 25% payrise. This week on It Pays To Watch, I’ll be taking a family through the system within the half hour programme to see how much they can save. There’s no more powerful MoneySaving. Full Guides: Give Yourself A Money Makeover and Free Budget Planner It Pays To Watch: Five 7.25pm Wednesday. Related Articles: The Demotivator Tool: Stop Your Spending, Debt Problems

The Big & Easy Ways to Save Checklist

Assess your finances: Free Budget Planner to see if you spend more than you earn Give yourself a money makeover: Special guide to overhauling your finances Best Balance Transfers: Short Term 0%: Virgin* 15 mths, 2.98% fee, Tesco 13 mths, 2.5% fee. Long Term Low Rate: Citibank 5.8%* for life. or read Balance Transfers New borrowing: Best Card For Spending or Cheapest Loans New Bank Account: 0% overdraft at A&L* or read Best Bank Accounts Motor Insurance: Read the Car, Van or Motorbike articles Top savings: Kaupthing* 6.5% or read Top Savings article Reclaim £1,000s: on Mortgage Fees, Council Tax, Endowments, Bank Charges, PPI Home Phone & Broadband: TalkTalk* or better still read the Home Phones article Teen Cash Guide: Free 40 page PDF guide to teach your kids about money Switch Gas & Elec And Get Upto £30 Cashback! Energyhelpline* or Gas & Elec Article MoneySaving Books: The Money Diet, Thrifty Ways, Three Lessons Free MoneySavingExpert car sticker MoneySavingExpert.com/carsticker

More MoneySaving MSE

WARNING! Mortgage lending criteria getting tight. Bigger deposit or more equity needed
The credit crunch is really starting to bite in the mortgage market. If you're trying to get a mortgage and have a small deposit (under 10%) or are remortgaging and have limited equity (ie you've paid little of your home off) then act quickly. Lenders' criteria are getting much more strict, either making it more expensive or worse still they simply reject applications. Predictions are this will get worse quickly, so if you need a deal, and can afford it, sort it out as quickly as possible. Free MoneySaving Printed Guides: Mortgage Guide, Remortgage Guide

URGENT! Tesco Half Price Insurance Deal Ends Wed 5 March! Get a quote* as it lasts three months, then compare it to the other Cheapest Home Insurance deals.

CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: EasyJet. Price: c.£20 e/w. Ends: When tickets sell out.
My top pick budget airline sale this week is EasyJet’s sub-£23 inc. most 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 £23. 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

Another Mobile Cashback Operator 'The Mobile Outlet' Goes Bust! Find out what to do in Cashback Help or how to be safe in Cheapest Mobile Deals

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Vinnie chase the robbers?
Vinnie works as a department store sales assistant, serving customers and is paid the minimum wage. As he is tall and hard looking, his supervisor often gets him to work near the exit, in the hope that he'll put off potential shoplifters. One busy Saturday, a thief runs past him and out of the front door, with armfuls of expensive designer stripy shirts. His boss shouts, "grab him, pin him down". He wants to help the store, should he chase the robbers? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Vinnie chase the robbers? Previous MMDs: Should Marge stop Lisa spending the glam cash? and Should Jamie take Gordon to a pricey restaurant?

MoneySavingExpert.com Job Opportunites. London based. Web Developer & Junior IT technician required.

Quick Forum Tips Warning! Bargains listed here tend to sell out quickly Daily Bargains Update Forum Tips Gold

Top Deal! Up to £30 off pet vaccinations in March. Click 'n' print Got a fishy name? Get free Chessington entry. An eely good deal 20% off one item at H&M. Sign up to its newsletter for a printable voucher £9 delivered solar powered chargers for mp3 players & mobile phones. Any good? Four weeks' FT for £1. Delivered to your door. Tickled pink! Live in Devon or Cornwall? £5 entry to the Eden Project Ideal Home Show Tickets 25 pairs to give away. Want one? Free tickets for It Pays To Watch. 12 March & every Wed Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: Make money from eBay challenge Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Do you sew your own clothes? Post of The Month Winner for February: Boots Grabbit. See Nominations Nominate Post Of The Month for March

Time to get out in your garden. Board of the week: Greenfingered Moneysaving
Spring has started early this year so if you've lots to do in the garden the Greenfingered Moneysaving board will give you oodles of ideas. Discussions include: Grow with tea bags, Where to buy a chili plant and Small greenhouses

Great 'What can you blag by threatening to leave?' Hunt Result
If you're unhappy with the service you're getting and threaten to leave often there's a better deal just waiting for you. Last week I asked MoneySavers for their top tips on threatening to leave. There were some great suggestions on how to better what you've got from companies including Sky TV 1p a month, 30% off AA Breakdown Cover and Dollond and Aitchison contact lenses

Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

Crafters Companion CD, Britney Spears' Perfume Believe, Charlatans' album download, Living With Migraines Guide, Baby Mini Guides

Odds and Ends MSE

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, Wednesday (between 7:30 & 8am). Ditch and switch to a Top Bank Account to save more cash.
  
  
• It Pays To Watch, five, Wednesday from 7:25-8pm. How to give yourself a Money Makeover.
  
  
• Jeremy Vine, Radio 2, Friday at 1pm. Student Finance & Should You Pay Off Your Student Loan?
  
  
• Tonight With Trevor McDonald, ITV1, Friday 8-8:30pm. Investigating reports of the Government knowing that hundreds of thousands of households are paying too much Council Tax but haven't done anything to lessen the expense. Now's the time to Check 'n' Challenge Your Band.
  
  
• The Wright Stuff, Five, Monday (between 9 & 10:30am). On the expert slot taking calls on everything MoneySaving.
  
  
• GMTV, ITV1, Tuesday (between 7:30 & 8am). The subject for this is news reactive so you'll have to wait and see.
  

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: The Unbanked: A national disgrace
"Out damn spot!" and "Over £1bn worth of Wedding loans this year…not good". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

Would you steal someone else's post? This week's poll. Vote and would you steal someone else's post? discussion.

Women have the financial control in relationships. Last Week’s Vote. It seems the majority of MoneySavers have one person in charge of the finances, mainly the ladies. Only 4% of you take it in turns or split things equally, though 15% of you make decisions together. See the who wears the financial trousers in your relationship? poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! How quickly can you feed Mario? Hungry Mario

Optical Illusion Extravaganza. That’s it for this week, but I’m a sucker for optical illusions, something that knowingly confounds the brain is great. Take a look at these: make your eyes go funny

I hope you save some money

Martin

PS. To all Welsh MoneySavers, a huge apology, there was no St. David's logo last week. It was an oversight!

Explanation of * Links

FSA NOTE: Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances require FSA authorisation. For this reason, Martin Lewis of Shepherd's Studios, Rockley Road, Shepherd's Bush, London W14 0DA is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

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: barclays.co.uk, tesco.com, americanexpress.co.uk, capitalone.co.uk, virginmoney.co.uk, citibank.co.uk, alliance-leicester.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, talktalk.co.uk, kaputhingedge.co.uk. Read more about this in how this site is financed.

MoneySavingExpert.com is the free to use Consumer Revenge website focused on how to save you cash. It’s owned, and run by ultra-specialised journalist and bestselling author Martin Lewis. On TV amongst other things Martin has his own show It Pays To Watch on Five, is GMTV’s Money SavingExpert, presents money programmes for ITV1 Tonight. On Radio Martin has regular slots on Radio 2 Vine and Radio 1 Whiley. He’s also a columnist for the News of The World, Moneywise and the Sunday Post. Find out more: About the site and its funding.

Disclaimer: This e-mail is based on journalistic research. It does not constitute financial advice. Any information should be considered in regard to your own specific circumstances. All tips are followed at your own risk and should be followed up with your own research Full Terms & Conditions.