Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

This email was sent on: 25 June 2008

Inflation Busting! Is yours 3.3%, 4.3% or much more? Inflation is the rate at which prices rise, and right now things are rapidly getting more expensive. The official Consumer Price Index (CPI) has jumped to 3.3%, but the more relevant Retail Price Index (RPI) is 4.3%. This means what cost £100 a year ago, now costs on average £104.30. Check your personal inflation rate; is it even higher? The less disposable income you have, the bigger inflation's impact. This is because it’s mostly essential products like food and fuel that have jumped up massively, rather than luxuries. You can check out the Office of National Statistics' Personal Inflation Calculator, then discuss your inflation rates with other MoneySavers. Slash your inflation rate & save a fortune. For most people, inflation's impact can be countered by some sassy money moves. If you’re hit by the 7% food costs rise, read the Cheap Supermarket Shopping, with energy bills due to rise up to 40%, read Cheap Gas & Elec; for petrol, up 20% this year, read Petrol Cost Cutting. If you’re really ready to slash your bills, do the full Money Makeover.

If a 40p can of beans is priced at 4p, they don’t have to sell it to you. If something’s genuinely mispriced you can’t demand it's sold to you. Until you’ve paid for it, the ‘contract’ isn’t concluded. Though of course, there’s no harm in asking for it at that price. Yet if a company is deliberately mispricing to unfairly attract customers, it's actually a criminal offence, and should be reported to Trading Standards. Discuss This / Suggest A Note

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The Ones Not To Miss MSE

Unique New Loan Calculators. Can you switch ‘n' save? What can you afford to borrow?
The credit crunch means loan costs have shot up; even the cheapest are now around 7%. To help, we’ve built new calculators for existing and new borrowers, with unique functions. Switch 'n' Save: Shifting to a cheaper loan doesn't always save you cash, because of penalties; the Switching Loans Guide calculator works out when it does. What can you afford?: Tell it what repayments you can afford and it’ll work out how much you can borrow. Best Buys & Calculator: New Loans. Related Guides: Budget Planner, Best Balance Transfers, Cheap Credit Card Loans

Totally free magazines ... Heat, Grazia, FHM, Q, Empire & others. Get one of 40 titles sent to you & there's no need to give payment details. Ends 30 June

Measure your money weakness. Crack inflation by 'Demotivating'
If you’re feeling the strain due to rising prices and the credit crunch, and have done all the bill switching possible, I thought I'd spur you to try The Demotivator. Many people swear by it (or at it). You tell it what you buy and it calculates how much it costs you over a year, and how long you work for it. A powerful way to help you cut back. Fun Tool: Demotivate Your Spending Related Guides: Stop Spending, Money Makeover, Debt Problems, Budget Planner Save on: Food, Energy Bills, Petrol

Any Domino's pizza £7 & more new food vouchers. Other vouchers incl. Slug 'n' Lettuce and Giraffe. All in the Quick Deals List: Restaurant Discounts

URGENT! Major cheap mortgage deal ends Sun … Does your deal end within 3 mths?
Cheap fixed rates deals are disappearing. On Sunday, HSBC's rate matcher, which promises to match eligible 2 yr fixed rate deals for two more years, ends. This follows Halifax and others' 0.5% rate hike for 2 year fixeds. However, even if your deal ends in six months, you can still reserve a current offer, before all rates rise (for HSBC it's for deals ending before 31 Aug). Though some lenders charge a non-refundable booking fee. Step 1:  Get a whole of market mortgage broker to find its best deal, read the Remortgage and Free Mortgage Advice guides for details. Step 2: HSBC’s Rate Matcher isn’t a mortgage brokers can offer, so check and compare this separately. While the rate is cheap, also check the fee it'll charge via the HSBC fee calculator. Article: Find the Best Mortgage

£5 off £30 Tesco in-store spend Grab a voucher from the News of the World (95p) this Sunday

Worldwide Hostel Discount Card £5 (usually £16). Get the annual Youth Hostel Association card and get £3 off per night in eligible hostels.  Forum Note: Hostel Card  Related Guides: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels

Reclaim mis-sold endowments. The last seconds are ticking away. Are owed £10,000s?
If your endowment has a shortfall and you weren’t told it mightn’t repay your mortgage, you may have an endowment mis-selling claim.  We’re now in the last dregs of the time limit for reclaiming, but if you haven’t done it yet… try, even if you think its not worth it.  I’ve had so many emails over the last few years like this one… “Just wanted to say I've just received an offer of £19K. My husband told me not to bother as it wouldn't be worth it. He's now a fan of the site!”. Updated Guide : Endowment Mis-selling Related Reclaiming Guides: Bank Charges, Council Tax, Mortgage Exit Fees

Go quick! £19 Travelodge Summer rooms. Book until 29 June, UK wide, usually £29-£59. Forum Note: The Lodge-istics Related Articles: Cheap Hotels, Cheap Flights

Higher- rate taxpayers earn 8.8% equiv. savings… Benefit from high inflation.
The govt. owned savings bank, NS&I's just increased the rate on its index-linked savings. Lock your money away for three years, and it pays a tax-free 1% (was 0.7%) above the RPI inflation rate.   As this is currently 4.3%, that’s a 5.3% after-tax rate.  To earn this in normal savings, a higher rate taxpayer’d need 8.8% interest, which isn’t do-able elsewhere on lumps sum and a basic rate taxpayer’d need 6.6%. Do note, the rate moves with inflation, so it could go up or down, though short term predictions are for it to rise. For comparison, the top instant access account Kaupthing* pays 6.5%. Updated Guide: Top Savings Accounts Related Articles: How Interest Rates Work, Premium Bonds

T-mobile Pay-as-you-go user? Get £5 free credit. Simply register for its free online account service before 30 June. Forum Note: T-mobile £5 Related Guides: Cheap Mobile, Free Texts

Gas & Electricity Update. You can take a capped tariff with you if you move.
My ongoing ‘time to cap’ alert’s prompted many questions. Energy bills are predicted to rise 15%-45% this year, so if you can’t afford a hike, getting a capped tariff, with a fixed rate, is the safest bet. Yet many have asked if it's worth it as they’re planning to move house. The answer’s many, but not all, do allow you to move it with you to the new address (check yours before signing up). Top Pick Comparison Service: Energyhelpline* pays £15 cashback per switch. Or 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

1,000 free texts messages. Just grab a free Orange Sim. SIMply save Related Articles: Free Texts, Mobile Unlocking

Last Chance! £100 for switching bank account if you earn £24,000+. The First Direct* £100 for switching to its 1stAccount promotion will end on 30 June… so if you want to grab it go quick.  More in the Updated Article: Best Bank Accounts 

Armed Forces MoneySaving. New Forum Board for military personnel & their families.
After many requests, there’s a new board to help members of the military save money.  There are many specific factors affecting our forces' money issues, such as living overseas, getting insurance and more, so this is a place to share ideas and tips.  New Board:  UK Armed Forces MoneySaving

Cheapest Sat Nav now £50! Top-rated touch-screen box with full UK maps dropped from £60 to £50. Updated Note: Cheap Sat Nav

 

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, 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 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 Cut Car & Home Insurance! Car Insurance/ Home Insurance Cost Cutting MoneySaving Books: The Money Diet, Thrifty Ways, Three Lessons Free MoneySavingExpert Car Sticker MoneySavingExpert.com/carsticker

The credit crunch and other myths. What’s really happening. Read m’blog

LAST CHANCE: Nominate the site's charities. They could share 100k. Charity Nominations

More MoneySaving MSE

Great 'Camping' Hunt. Safe, hassle free camping tips
You don't need the economic slowdown or festival going as an excuse to unpack the tent: exploring the great outdoors is an easy way to get away on the cheap. I thought I’d tap MoneySavers' collective knowledge on the best value ways to camp. What essential gear should you take … camp stoves, picnics, beer? How do you find the perfect spot to pitch up? How do you grab a bargain tent, that won’t mean waking up in a soggy sleeping bag? Add your ideas/read other peoples': Great 'Camping' Hunt Past Great Hunts: Recycle It For Cash, Blagging Hints and Tips, What To Do In The Event of Redundancy

Knickers coming down! La Senza's having a sale, and it gives me the excuse to use that pun. Pants

Memorygirl's 'how to get thrifty in six months' diary. This is a fascinating and inspiring diary about turning thrifty… If you’ve got time have a read. Make do and mend

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should you foot the bill?
Your daughter has been asked to be bridesmaid and is very excited about getting to look like a princess for the day. Yet, since you agreed, the couple have told you they're expecting you to pay for a specific outfit which is way above your budget and isn't really something your daughter would wear again. The couple have booked a posh reception, so it's not as though they're desperate to cut costs. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should you foot the bill? Previous MMDs: Would you ask for new shoes? and Should Heather take the money and run?

 

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

Top Deal! Free day pass & tennis lesson . At David Lloyd clubs. Incredi-ball! £6 Chart CDs at Morrisons. Incl. Coldplay & Duffy. Rock star deal! 2for1 Disneyland Paris tickets. When you go by ferry. Summer sail! 90p driving lesson. Free with a mag. 'L' of a deal! £99 kids' summer camps all-in (normally £400). Do it 4 real! Give & Take Parties. Great idea for a get-together. Take that and party! £15 return rail travel. Anywhere in Scotland, if you're over 55. Ends 30 June Under 10p grocery bargains Have you spotted one? Share your finds Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: Compulsive Shoppers Anonymous Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Buying a woodland Nominate Post Of The Month for June

 

CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: Ryanair. Price: £10 e/w. Ends: Midnight Thurs 26 June
Ryanair's selling thousands of seats from a range of UK airports to over 20 European destinations for £10 inc. taxes & charges. Tickets are at this price on selected flights travelling between Mon 07th Jul '08 - Fri 27th Mar '09 until midnight Thursday. 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 £11. 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 'Great Disney Cost-Cutting' Hunt Result
Last week I tapped MoneySavers' for ideas on cutting the cost of Disneyworld and other sights and attractions in Orlando. There were some great suggestions including Research, research, research!, Check U.S. websites and Look for suite hotels

 

Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

Archaeological Dig Open Day (York), 100 Nectar Points Safety Armbands (if you're sporty), Music Festival (London), Online Football Mag

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.

• GMTV & LK Holiday Special, ITV1, Weds & Thurs 7:45 amd 9am. On Wednesday I'll be tackling Mobile Roaming, and on Thursday, Cheap Package Holidays.
  
  
• Jeremy Vine, Radio 2, Friday 1pm. Holiday Cost Cutting. All the best tips and tricks to know when getting away this summer.
  

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

This week's Martin's Blog: It's all about the size of your package
"Woohoo, I did it!" and "The credit crunch, and other myths". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

Would you buy cheap child-sweatshop made clothes? This week's poll. Vote and Cheap at a cost discussion.

Do you leave the tap on while you brush your teeth? Last Week’s Vote. It seems the 'conserve water' message is spreading, but there's still a way to go. Overall, 43% of you profess to always switch off the tap while brushing, compared to just 17% who always leave it on. Unsurprisingly, those with water meters are more likely to switch it off. See the full Water Saving poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! How far can you fling the Hedgehog? Hedgehog Launch

How would you run a major city? That’s all for this week, but before I go, take part in this quiz to see what future you'd create for our cities, based on your current lifestyle,  Worthy but interesting

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: kaupthingedge.co.uk,  firstdirect.com, energyhelpline.com, moneysupermarket.com, uswitch.com, virginmoney.com, alliance-leicester.com. americanepxress.com, talktalk.com, environfone.com, mopay.co.uk. Read more about this in how this site is financed.