Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

This email was sent on: 11 June 2008

Which charities should share £100,000? In the five years since it launched, the site’s been able to donate nearly half a million pounds to charity. These days the money is split; two-thirds goes to the specific consumer & debt education, The MSE Charity, and the remaining third is shared between five charities nominated and voted for by site users. Nominate a charity for this year. Nominations for the site charities are now open until 27 June, each winning charity could get roughly £20,000 over the year. Anyone can suggest a charity, just read the nominate a charity post for details. After that a panel of regular forum users will short-list the nominations; then it’ll go to a site vote that’ll be announced here. Details about previous charities are on the Site's Charity page, and for where the cash comes from see How this site is financed. PS. Last week to apply for MSE Charity grants. The MSE Charity is a grant giving body for individuals who want to take courses to improve their consumer/debt literacy or for other charities/individuals with good ideas or projects. The closing date for the first tranche of grants is 12 June.

Credit Card Min. Repayments £3,000 takes 40 years to repay Someone with £3,000 debt on a normal high street credit card at 17.9% interest making just the minimum repayments each month would take 41 YEARS to repay it, at an interest cost of £6,300. To find out why read Danger Minimum Repayments. Discuss This / Suggest A Note

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The Ones Not To Miss MSE

Earn 10% interest for a year. New Top Regular Saving Account. New Article & Calc
Just launched is an account paying 10% AER interest, provided you put money in it every month. The Halifax Regular Saver allows you to save £25 - £500/mth for a year and unlike similar deals, is open to all, ie. you don’t need its current account. Yet be careful, withdraw money or miss a month, and the rate plummets. For full details, including a special calculator, and a guide to using these accounts for lump sum savings read the New Guide: Regular Savings Accounts Related Articles: Instant Access Savings, Cash ISAs, Pay Off Debts with Savings

£13 Benefit lipgloss free with £2 magazine. It's all Glam. Get the gloss

Train Ticket Tricks to save £100s. Find hidden cheap fares. (after fare changes)
The whole train fare system’s ridiculously illogical; which is why big savings come from hidden rules. Split ticketing is a classic example…a standard London to Penzance return costs £259, yet the train stops in Plymouth so instead buy four separate tickets (London to Plymouth; Plymouth to Penzance and vice-versa) and you can travel on the same train at the same time for £48. My guide to all the tricks has been totally re-researched and rewritten on the back of the recent changes to the fare structure. New Guide: Cheap Trains Related Articles: Cheap Hotel Prices, Cheap Flights

URGENT! Another 1p Ryanair flight sale (incl. most charges). Ends midnight Thurs 12 June. Find them quickly: 1p Ryanair Flights guide

Current Account War Hots Up. Some people can up their rate with just a phone call!
Even the 'Big 4' banks are getting involved in the scrap for current account customers. Lloyds TSB’s added a 2% bonus to the in-credit interest on the first £2,500 in its Classic Plus account, boosting it to 6%. Existing customers can get this too, but only if they call on 0845 300 0000. Yet you can do much better if you’re prepared to ditch n switch. Top In-Credit: Alliance & Leicester* 8.5% on up to £2,500, Coventry First 5.6% on any amount Top Overdrafts: Both Alliance & Leicester* and Abbey offer a year 0% overdraft. Full pros and cons in the Full Guide: Best Bank Accounts

£10 off £20 Slug n Lettuce spend ‘click n print’ voucher Plus other food vouchers incl. £10 off La Tasca, £11 two course meal at Loch Fyne. Cheap eats

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

Urgent! £17/mth for Home phone inc. line rental, broadband, free calls & wireless
The cheapest home phone & broadband deal’s got cheaper. TalkTalk* has a special promotion on until 17 June, but only if you sign up for it via the price comparison site Moneysupermarket (the link above does just that). It’ll give you a month’s free line rental, and halve the monthly fee for four months. Overall, including all-fees you’ll pay an average £17.35/mth over the 18 month contract (it's usually £18.65 mth) plus it adds a free wireless router. BT is still £10.50/mth for line rental alone. For full pros and cons read the Updated Article: Cheapest Home Phones Related Articles: Cheapest Broadband, 3G Broadband

10,000 free copies of Moneywise magazine worth £3.50. Blagged for MoneySavers. Want one?

MASSIVE Hayfever Tablet Price War! Now a month’s tablets for 39p + del.
The price war between the two cheapest online pharmacies for hayfever tablets, has become almost surreal. Last week they went head-to-head, with the ‘cheapest’ title changing hands no less than 3 times! Now a month’s generic tablets of Cetirizine (the main type) is 39p for 30 tablets (you’d pay about £4 on the high street ) though there is a £2.95 delivery cost so it's best to bulk buy. Plus there are price cuts on hayfever syrups and eye drops too Updated Article: Cheap Hayfever Tablets Related Articles: Cheaper Presciptions & Medications, Contact Lens & Laser Eye Surgery Cost Cutting, Cheaper Dental Insurance

Samsung 8.2MP camera with 5x zoom. Usually c. £100, plus other camera bargains. Snap it up

Student & Graduate Accounts: Good packages are likely, but hold fire for now…
If you’re a new student this year, or just graduating, it's crucial to get the best bank account. However, don’t start comparing just yet, very few banks have launched their 08/09 packages, so you’ll be signing up based on last year's info and this year's deals are likely to beat 'em (e.g. £2,750 interest free overdraft and £100 sign-up bribe). When all the good one’s are in I’ll publish fully updated Student Bank Accounts and Graduate Accounts guides and let you know via this e-mail. Related Articles: Student MoneySaving, Student Loans

Want a TV mortgage makeover? We’re looking for people for ITV1 Tonight

The Big & Easy Ways to Save Checklist

Time to cap energy bills. To insure against predicted big rises Cheap Gas & Elec Cut your fuel spend by a third. Three quick steps to Cheap Petrol & Diesel 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, Barclaycard 14 mths, 2.9% fee*. Long Term Low Rate: Barclaycard 6.5% for life* or read Balance Transfers New Borrowing: Best Card For Spending or Cheapest Loans 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 MoneySaving Books: The Money Diet, Thrifty Ways, Three Lessons Free MoneySavingExpert Car Sticker MoneySavingExpert.com/carsticker

More MoneySaving MSE

Have you reclaimed unfair parking tickets? We're in the middle of preparing a guide... and I'd love to hear your stories. Add yours/read others'

PPI Reclaiming News. They officially overcharge by £1.4bn/year. Prime time to reclaim
The Competition Commission’s 15 month report into loan and credit card insurance has slammed the industry; for massive overcharging. Disgracefully the 'payout ratios' are 15% for loan insurance and 11% on credit cards, in other words for every £100 insurers take in they payout just £15 on loans and £11 on credit cards; compare this to home insurance where it's £78. The commision's suggested remedies including price caps, but nothing's certain yet. Meanwhile anyone with a loan should check NOW if they’ve been mis-sold loan insurance and can reclaim £1,000s from lenders. Full Guide inc. template letters: PPI Reclaiming Related Reclaim Guides: Mortgage Exit Fees, Bank Charges, Credit Card Charges

Did you switch energy via this site’s Uswitch link and not get the free wine? A few people have reported problems. Full Info: Find out what to do. Related Guide: Cheap Gas & Elec

Great 'Holiday Inspiration' Hunt. Where have you had a good time on the cheap?
The holiday season's officially upon us, and with late package deals aplenty, the hardest question to answer's often 'but where to go?' So, this week I want to tap MoneySavers collective ideas for cheap-but-great holiday destinations, to make choosing a getaway that little bit easier. Add your ideas/read other peoples': Great 'Holiday Inspiration' Hunt Past Great Hunts: Crucial Phone Numbers, Cheap Dates and No-Contract Deals

'The Kitchen Revolution' meal planner book giveaway. 20 copies blagged for MoneySavers. Want one?

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

Top Deal! Freeview box for £13. In store at Tescos. Can you find one? Free Mars chocolate bar. Register online, get a free text voucher to take to a shop 1GB Camera/phone memory card. £3 delivered. Just pay postage 5p eBay cheap listing day. Inc expensive Buy It Now listings. Clean up Got a court case pending? This may help The Online Court 1/3 off treats at Saks beauty salons. Waxes, hair cuts & more nationwide. Beauty Booty Upto 60% off DKNY watches. Online at Amazon Do'nna be late Londoners! Free outdoor cinema screenings. Inc Atonement & Henry V Al fres-show Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: Relationship breakdown & debt Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Is buying in bulk worth it? Nominate Post Of The Month for June

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Heather take the money and run?
Heather's been offered £100 to take part in a specialised survey about accounting companies, meant for people in the business. However, as a glamour model, she has no knowledge of the field or the companies that operate in it; she was recommended to the surveyors by an accountant friend of hers, who promised she could make up the answers, but she's not sure about doing so. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Heather take the money and run? Previous MMDs: Would you contribute to the cost of repair? and Would you report him to the police?

Board of the week: Pets & Petcare
The Pets MoneySaving board gives pet owners a place to swap tips and suggestions on how to care for the furry members of their family for less. Discussions include Pets suffering in credit crunch, Monthly budget for pets and Ex-Battery Hens. Plus there's the Great Feed, House & Treat Your Pets for Less Hunt

Great 'Crucial Phone Numbers' Hunt Result
Last week I tapped MoneySavers' collective knowledge to find the numbers everyone should have in the Great Crucial Phone Numbers Hunt. You came up with some top ideas including 999/112, Insurance company from abroad, Coastguard and Get a floodline alert

Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

Nature Detectives Fun Pack, Coldplay Album 'Try Before You Buy', Nivea Sun Tan Lotion, Shower Timer & Mug (London Only), Gladiators Tickets, Electrical Safety DVD

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. Find out the answers to a range of questions in Martin's Travel MoneySaving Clinic, including tips on how to get Cheap Train Tickets, Cut The Cost Of Petrol and more.
• Jeremy Vine, Radio 2, Friday 1pm. Savings wake-up call..
  
• GMTV, ITV1, Tuesday between 7:30 & 8am. The topic's news reactive so you'll have to wait and see!

Keep updated on appearances: Changes and updates go in the Updated appearances list

This week's Martin's Blog: You didn't die as a child? Pay for your prescription
"Is there a tap version of the two buttoned loo? " and "Further war on 110% effort". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

Money Quiz: Can you work it out? This week's poll. Vote and Can you work it out? discussion.

Have you ever been upgraded on a flight? Last Week’s Vote. Of those that fly, the 61% majority have never been upgraded, but the remaining 39% prove that upgrades aren't as rare as you may think. Almost one in four (24%) have been upgraded once, without asking, and 6% claim to get upgraded regularly. See the full High Flyers poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! This one promises to be the hardest riddle on the net! Notpron

Knock, Knock… That's it for this week, but before you go, here's a challenge, you know the drill, "Knock Knock? Who's there? A MoneySaver! A MoneySaver who?…" That's the contest, MoneySaver Knock Knock

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: moneysupermarket.com, alliance-leicester.co.uk, virginmoney.com, barclaycard.com, kaupthingedge.co.uk, americanexpress.co.uk, envirofone.com, mopay.co.uk, energyhelpline.com. 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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