Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Beat the petrol price hikes & refinery strike. Some forecourts are now charging £1.19 a litre for petrol and £1.30 for diesel. Yet, it's possible to slash the cost to the equivalent of under £1/litre. 1. Make your car more efficient (cuts fuel use by up to 15%). Ensure tyre pressure’s the right level, turn air-con off unless it's needed, take roof-racks off or anything else that adds drag, and don’t completely fill up as it adds weight (see Cheap Petrol article for more). 2. Drive more efficiently (cuts fuel use by up to 40% depending on how you drive). This doesn’t mean cut your top speed, rather accelerate more gradually, slow down gradually, and think about road position (see my past petrol efficiency experiment blog). 3. Buy the same petrol for less (cuts costs by up to 10%). Petrol Prices finds the cheapest forecourt in your area; plus right now Sainsbury gives a 5p/litre discount if you spend £50+ in store, so if you shop there, grab it and it’ll usually be cheapest. Plus you can cut up to a further 5% off petrol costs by using the best cashback card. More details on all of this in the full Cheap Petrol/Diesel guide.

This Week... Cheap Flights Fly for less and meet the 1p flight King Bank Charges Q&A I’ll be answering your questions on what to do after the latest test case announcement. Web exclusive programme: It Pays To Watch More Be in the audience: Details It Pays To Watch on five 7.30pm Weds

The Ones Not To Miss MSE

Time To Cap Energy Bills? Beat the predicted 20% to 35% Summer/Autumn price rises
Sadly gas & electricity price hikes of 20-35% are predicted for Summer/Autumn. If so, grabbing a price capped tariff now should save you cash; though the cheapest capped tariffs cost 10%ish more than the current cheapest uncapped tariffs. For those with finances on the brink, hedge towards capping as it provides surety. Of course you could wait, but when price rises start, caps disappear quickly; so it’s a balance. To find the cheapest, select the capped options on comparison sites. Top Pick Comparison Service: Energyhelpline* pays £15 cashback per switch. Alts for dual fuel: Moneys'market* pays £30 cashback for dual fuel and uSwitch* gives a £40 crate of wine per switch (don't go direct). Full Info: Switch Energy, Get Cashback Related Articles: Boiler Cover, Grant Grabbing, Budget Planner

2 for 1 Bank Holiday jollies round-up. Alton Towers, Chessington, Zoos, National Trust, London Attractions & much more Trippily cheap!

Cheapest Hayfever Tablets… £1.10 for 30. Don’t pay through the (sore) nose.
The pollen season is starting, yet hayfever and allergy sufferers can kit themselves out for the summer without spending a fortune. It’s possible to buy legal, regulated generic versions of most of the main types of hayfever drugs for a fraction of the cost. This fully re-researched guide for Summer 2008 includes the cheapest tablets, nasal sprays and solutions for the under 12s, as well as preventative measures, free high pollen count alerts, new treatments and more. New Article: Cheapest Hayfever Remedies Related Articles: Half Price Gym Loophole, Childcare Vouchers, Cheapest Prescriptions

Nintendo Gamecube (refurbished) £13. Good to entertain kids. Limited stock In-store at Game

Bank Charge Reclaiming News. If you’ve claimed, plan to or are on hold. Fully Updated
Last week’s Bank Charges test case result was great news for reclaimers as the Judge decided the ‘fairness’ test does apply. That’s the principle, but what does it mean in practice? We’ve swiftly updated the news article, including what to do if you’ve already claimed, want to claim or have had your case put on hold. Updated Article: Bank Charges News Step-By-Step Guide: Bank Charges Success Reports: Bank Charges Successes Other Reclaiming: Credit Card Fees, Loan Insurance, Mortgage Exit Fees

Touchscreen Sat Navs now down to £70. Navmans & others. Can you beat it?

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

New cheapest way to spend abroad. Best exchange rate and no ATM fee.
Launched this week, the Abbey Zero credit card has trumped previous specialist overseas spending credit cards the Post Office* and Nationwide to be the new cheapest, though Nationwide debit cards still beat it. Most cards add a hidden 3% to the exchange rate, e.g. you buy £100 worth of Euros and it costs you £103; but none of these specialist cards do, so you get more bang for your buck. Where Abbey trumps the others is it doesn’t charge a fee for withdrawing cash from overseas cash machines, making it the new cheapest. Updated Article: Spending Overseas Related Articles: Travel Money Maximiser, Cheapest Foreign Currency, Travel Insurance, Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels

WARNING! Citizens Advice don't text about debt help! Watch for fake spam texts Related Guide: Problem Debts Help

Act Quick! £17/mth Home phone inc. line rental + broadband until 20 May.
TalkTalk’s deal normally costs £18/mth; this includes line rental (on its own £10.50 via BT), broadband (inc. connection) and free eve. & w’kend calls. Yet until 20 May, you can get it even cheaper, via comparison site Uswitch's deal* as it gives two months' free line rental, saving £21, making it just under £17/mth over the 18 mth contract. Updated Article: Cheapest Home Phones Related Articles: Cheapest Broadband, 3G Broadband

Loophole! Download chart & other music free on 5 May. Use your mobile when listening to five UK radio stations. Loophole: A day's downloads

URGENT! Cheapest long term credit card balance transfer offer (6.3% for life)
We've just heard the cheapest long term credit card balance transfer (debt shifting) deal is probably closing to new customers within a week. Currently certain incarnations of Barclaycard's Platinum* card allow new cardholders to shift debts to it at 6.3% within 60 days of opening, and, rather than being time limited, this rate lasts until ALL the debt shifted is repaid. Once it's gone the cheapest will be 6.5%. If you’re paying interest on credit card debts, then it's worth grabbing and shifting your debts to it. Full pros, cons & alternatives including the best 0% deals in the Updated Article: Best Balance Transfers Related Articles: Credit Card Shuffle, Cheap Cards for New Borrowing, Cheap Loans

Last Chance. 50% off Tesco Home Insurance. Grab a quote now* as it lasts 90 days. DON'T assume it's cheapest though; always compare to the top screenscraper deals Full Guide: Cheapest Home Insurance

ITV1 savings safety makeover. Do you have large savings (£100k+) and are you worried about their safety with the credit crunch? ITV1's Tonight is looking for someone for me to do a Savings Safety Makeover Related Article: Are Your Savings Safe?

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 New Borrowing: Best Card For Spending or Cheapest Loans New Bank Account: 0% overdraft at A&L* or read Best Bank Accounts Mortgage Makeover: Read the free Remortgage Guide 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 Cashback Credit Card: Amex Plat* or read Best Cashback Cards Get Quick Cash for Old Mobiles: Envirofone*, Cex, Mopay*. Recycle Mobiles article Teen Cash Guide: Free 40 page PDF guide to teach your kids about money Save £100s/yr at Virgin Active/Cannons/LA Fitness: Cheap Gym Membership Article Switch Gas & Elec and Get up to £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

Great ''Financial Mistakes” Hunt. What’s your biggest mistake… help others avoid it.
Learning from others' mistakes is one of the most powerful lessons. So if you’ve ever had a financial disaster through a bad decision, what was it? Please tell the story to allow other MoneySavers to learn… Add your ideas/read other peoples': Great Financial Mistakes Hunt Past Great Hunts: What to Get Someone with Everything, Ways to Save Money and Turn Green , Cut the Cost of Moving Home

Skype offering £2/mth Voip calls to UK landlines at all times. Very competitive new package Forum Note: Skype Package Coming Soon: Completely updated Cheap Home Phones article including Voip options.

Correction. Are your savings safe? Debts & Savings ARE fully set-off against each other
A fortnight ago, I provided confirmation from officials at the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) about what would happen in the unlikely event a bank collapsed and you had both debts & savings with it. Yet the FSCS was wrong, and has now admitted the mistake. The correct explanation is if you have any savings these are subtracted from debts (e.g. mortgages, credit cards, loans). So if you had £200,000 debt and £150,000 savings, and the bank went bust you'd owe them £50,000. Before, we'd been told only the £35,000 of savings that were protected by the scheme would count, so you’d have owed £165,000. Full Article: Are Your Savings Safe? Related Articles: Pay Off Debts With Savings, Top Savings, Best Cash ISAs

Barclays ISA will cut its rate to 6.27% AER on Thurs 1 May. This is a drop of 0.23%, but it's still the top rate available (it includes a 1% bonus lasting a year). If you've had trouble opening one of these, let us know; Barclays is promising to backdate any interest earned. Read Article: Top Cash ISAs

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Can you go giftless to a wedding?
It’s wedding season. You’ve been invited to five different weddings over the next two months, each with a long gift list; expecting you to spend £25 - £50 per person. You’re broke, but they’re all good friends of either you or your partner. Should you borrow money to pay for the gifts, not go, or go without buying anything from the gift list? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Can you go giftless to a wedding? Previous MMDs: Would you ask for your sponsorship money back? and Should you demand a last-minute property discount?

Did you grab the 1,500 free airmiles offer? It's available as a Credit Card Freebie, but some report not receiving it; Airmiles has promised to sort it out. What to do?

Grab the Cheapest Flights…. It Pays To Watch Five TV, Wed 7.30pm. Soar away for less. Related Articles: Cheap Flights, Flightchecker, Cheap Packages

Quick Forum Tips Warning! Bargains listed here tend to sell out quickly Daily Bargains Update Tips, Tricks & Treats

eBay 5p listings May 1. Save when selling. Full Guide: eBay Selling Tricks £3 Two-piece ASDA Bikini. In-store at ASDA. Itsy Bitsy Bargain 10 Millie's Cookies for £2.99. Just print a voucher Cookie (price) crumbles Wii Fit: Post the top deals & where to find them. Hop, Click & Jump! £199.99 Apple iPod touch 16GB inc. delivery. WiFi HiFi Free Setanta sports for Virgin Media customers this weekend. 6am Fri to 6am Tues Free tickets for It Pays To Watch. 7 May & every Wed Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: Do I use children's savings to pay off debt? Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Sneaky ways to save the pennies Nominate Post Of The Month for April

Board of the week: Benefits, Tax Credits & Jobseeking
The Benefits, Tax Credits & Jobseeking board offers a wealth of information to help you navigate the complicated world of benefits and help you get what you're entitled to. Also read the 5 Minute Benefits Check Up article. Popular discussions include Money for 16 year-olds, Can I claim housing benefit? and CV wording help needed!

CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: Ryanair. Price: 1p. Ends: Midnight Thurs 1 May.
My top pick budget airline offer this week is Ryanair's 1p sale, inc. most taxes & charges, to a handful of destinations from Bournemouth and Bristol airports. Tickets are at this price until midnight Thurs but are only available on selected mid-week flights, for travel between 7 June & 30 Aug that are booked 14 days in advance. 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 £1. 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

Great 'Host a Big Party on the Cheap' Hunt Result
Last week I asked MoneySavers for their top ways to host a party without spending a fortune. There were some great suggestions including Wedding Savings, Hire a student and Plan ahead

Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

Nivea Body Lotion, Felix Roasted Cat Food Garnier Ultralift Pro-X, Colour Catcher, Walk 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 8:45 & 9:15am). Stop wasting cash on lousy tarrifs: find the Cheapest Mobiles. Read the article to compare, switch and haggle the best deal.
  
  
• It Pays To Watch, five, Wednesday from 7:30- 8pm.Find out the best tips and tricks to make your money stretch further when booking Cheap Flights plus all the latest Bank Charges News.
  
  
• Jeremy Vine, Radio 2, Friday 1pm. Motoring MoneySaving!
  
  
• GMTV, ITV1, Tuesday (between 7:30 & 8am). The topic's news reactive so you'll have to wait and see!

Watch/listen back to past appearances: Including Radio 1's Jo Whiley, Radio 2's Vine, Radio 4's MoneyBox and GMTV. Listen/watch 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: Squaring the house price circle
and "Do you drive a silver Corsa-type car?" Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

The ‘Can you spot a BIG company’ quiz. This week's poll. Vote and Top 10 Companies discussion.

Income Tax: Do you agree with the Govt’s changes? No way! Last Week’s Vote. The huge 83% majority of voters disagree with the government's tax changes, with just 17% backing them. See Income Tax poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! Steady hands needed to stop the balloon from bursting! Floaty Light

Are you a list junky like me? That's it for this week, yet before I go, I happened upon this list site where people vote on their favourite films, books etc… all those numbers… how exciting. Lists and lists

I hope you save some money

Martin

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: energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, moneysupermarket.com, postoffice.co.uk, tescofinance.com, talktalk.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, mopay.co.uk, envirofone.co.uk, alliance-leicester.com, kaupthingedge.co.uk, americanexpress.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.

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