Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

36,000 votes for the new Site Charities. Last week's vote result means our new charities will aid forces' wounded, Help for Heroes (7,770 votes); work on worldwide emergencies, Shelterbox (6,511); provide debt support, CAP UK (4,146) and crisis counselling, Samaritans (3,898). Sadly, it seems there may’ve been a few overzealous individual's attempts at vote rigging, but we don’t think it impacted who made the final top four (for more on how this all works, see the site's charity page and vote result). These four charities, alongside the automatic pick, which recycles bikes for Africa, Re_Cycle, will share a third of the charity fund; the bulk goes to the MSE Charity. Watch Again: Desperately Seeking Mortgages. On Monday, I presented ITV1's Tonight programme 'Desperately Seeking Mortgages', showing problems and tips to survive the current nightmare mortgage scenario. If you missed it, you can still watch online. TV Programme: Tonight: Mortgages. Full Info: Cheap Mortgage Finding article and Free Remortgage Guide

Don't confuse your MegaBITS and MegaBYTES While they sound similar, don’t confuse Megabits (Mb) and MegaBytes (MB). An MByte is a measure of storage, for things like memory sticks, and means just over a million bytes of information. Mbits also measure storage, but are commonly used for data transfer speeds for things like broadband. To really complicate it, an Mbit is an eighth of the size of a MByte. Therefore an 8Mbps (Megabits per second) connection, at optimal performance, would download 1MB of information a second. Discuss This / Suggest A Note

Please suggest friends/family/colleagues get this free weekly e-mail from moneysavingexpert.com/tips

The Ones Not To Miss MSE

URGENT! Summer childcare: £1,000s of free cash available but go quick.
Whether for teens or little ones, if you pay for childcare, there’s a wealth of hidden cash. First, if you’re a working parent earning under £40,000, check out specific tax credits for childcare; the average payout is over £3,000 a year. Yet go quick; to speed processing, apply by the 31 July tax renewal date. There’s also free or discounted activities/childcare at 12,000 schools this summer, places aren't just for a school's pupils, plus get vouchers that let you pay for childcare from pre-tax income. Full details in the New Guide: Cut Childcare Costs Related Articles: Childcare Vouchers, Child Trust Fund, Benefits Checkup

£1 cross-UK coach trips. Tons of availability e.g. Edinburgh to London, Newcastle to Sheffield. Full details: £1 e/w National Express

Free £100 when you get a year’s 0% overdraft. New Top Bank Account.
Alliance and Leicester's revamped its Premier* current account so that, as well as a 0% overdraft for the first year, it gives you £100 for switching to it and free annual European travel insurance. It's by far the best buy for those who are overdrawn. Plus, if you’re usually in credit, and keep under roughly £1,700 in the account, while the interest is only 1%, the free cash still puts it top. Full pros, cons and alternatives in the Updated Guide: Top Bank Accounts Related Articles: Credit Card Freebies, Cheap Loans, Best Balance Transfers

New 2for1ish vouchers for Café Rouge & Wagamama. Plus M&S £10 for two meals & wine. These join Yo! Sushi and more in the Quick Deals List: Restaurant Discounts

Find cheap holiday cash in seconds. The New Travel Money Maximiser.
The Travel Money Maximiser tool, which whizzes round online bureaux de change to find the best all-in holiday cash rates in seconds, now includes six new providers and has had a full ease-of-use makeover. The difference between the best and worst can be 10% plus. So, whether you’re using ringgits for phone calls in Malaysia or doing whatever with your dong in Vietnam, you'll have more. Revamped Tool: Travel Money Maximiser Remember, the best credit cards always beat foreign cash, for more, read the Full Guide: Cheap Travel Money Other Holiday MoneySaving: Flights, Package Holidays, Travel Insurance, Mobile Roaming

£19 Travelodge summer rooms. 50,000 hotel rooms available across the UK (usually £29-£59) for stays between 13 Aug & 7 Sept. Related Articles: Cheap Hotels, Cheap Flights

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

Bank Charges News. FSA holds reclaiming for 6 more mths.
Sadly, even though there’s now a binding court decision that charges are governed by fairness rules, the regulator has extended the waiver that puts a hold on people reclaiming bank charges until 26 Jan 09 ... though, of course, it hasn’t stopped the banks from charging. Yet the new waiver does clarify the ‘financial hardship’ exemption, which means people with severe difficulties could get their claims heard now. For full details and who it impacts read the Updated Guide: Bank Charges News Full Step-By-Step reclaiming guide: Bank Charges Related Reclaiming: Credit Cards, Mortgage Fees, Loan Insurance

Super cheap AA & RAC breakdown deals. Buy AA’s £35 basic cover & get £20 M&S voucher, plus RAC cover for just £8. Full Info: Roadside deals

URGENT! Now EVERYONE should cap energy bills. British Gas predicts 60% hikes...
Three months ago, I warned of massive future gas & elec price hikes; now even British Gas is singing this song, commissioning a report predicting rises of up to 60% over the next year. When will it start? It wouldn’t surprise me if a major supplier announced a 10%-20% rise this week, but, more likely, it'll be sometime in the next 30 days. Then expect another round of hikes next Jan. What’s a cap? It’s a tariff where the cost is fixed for a year or two. The cheapest caps usually cost 10%-15% more than the cheapest uncapped, but if prices rise more than that you win. Who should Cap? I used to say ‘anyone worried they couldn’t afford the rise should cap’, but if BG’s predictions come true (no guarantee) EVERYONE will save by capping. When to cap? Now! Today! Cheap caps continue to disappear, and it takes two to three months for switches to be activated. How to get the cheapest cap? Full details, including how to get cashback on top, in the Cheap Gas & Elec guide.

New 20% off Debenhams voucher.Click n print this plus ones for waitrose, H&M and more. Quick Deals Note: Money-off Vouchers

Tax Deadline Change. Only 100 days left for paper returns. Free help for low incomes
Last year and before, you had until 31 Jan to file a tax self assessment without being charged interest and £100 fine. Yet if you’re going to file a paper return, for the year ending 5 April 2008, the deadline’s now earlier: 31 Oct or you’re fined. Of course, after that you could just file an online return instead, as the deadline's then 31 Jan, but if not, go quick. If you’re on a low income (under £15k), free help is available in a variety of ways, but the quicker you contact them, the better your chance. Forum Note: Free Tax Help Past Tax Q&As : One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Freeview recorders from £45. Or £110 for top-rated one. Instantly record what you want to see. Quick Deals List: Box clever

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, HSBC* 13 months 2.5% 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 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

More MoneySaving MSE

Supermarket Petrol Price war cuts 5p/litre off & tax duty rises held. Save £100s
Last week, the govt announced it's scrapping a planned 2p fuel duty increase due in October and now the supermarkets are now cutting forecourt prices to reflect wider crude oil price drops. Asda and Morrisons are knocking a respective 3p and 4p off standard petrol & diesel forecourt prices, while Sainsbury's will give you 5p off, but only if you spend £50 in store. Tesco is both slashing the price by 4p and offering 5p off when you spend £50. More info, and lots of cost cutting tips in the Updated Guide: Cheap Petrol & Diesel Related Guides: Cheap Food Shopping

CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: EasyJet. Price: sub-£30 e/w. Ends: When tickets sell out.
My top pick budget airline sale this week is EasyJet’s sub-£30 inc.most taxes & charges to various 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 £30. 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

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you pick herbs from a stranger's hedge?
You’re off to the grocers, to pick up, amongst other things, a bunch of rosemary to go in tonight’s tea. Yet lo and behold, on the way, you pass a house with an overgrown front hedge, and lovely fresh rosemary is spilling out onto the street. The herb would have been pretty pricey to buy separately, and you’re very tempted to grab a few sprigs (this doesn’t involve going into their front garden). Enter the Money Moral Maze: Would you pick herbs from a stranger's hedge? Previous MMDs: Should Arkwright give him his money back? and Should you still help your kids get on the housing ladder?

Great 'cheap when you get there holiday destinations’ Hunt. More bang for your buck
With the euro getting ever more costly, destinations like Spain and Greece aren't as cheap as they used to be. Hotels, restaurants, car hire: all are pricier. Thus it can be possible to get more value from your holiday fund by going to places like the U.S.A, Egypt or even Thailand. I want to tap MoneySavers for their tips on the cheapest places to go this summer. Which countries are cheapest for what stuff? Can lower prices outweigh the cost of a long-haul flight? Add your ideas/read other peoples': Great 'cheap when you get there holiday destinations' Hunt Past Great Hunts: Best No-Contract Deals, Top Sales Tactics, Recycle For Cash

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

Top Deal! 10.1 MP 'Exilim' camera £78 inc delivery. Flashy! Free Ideal Home magazine. For the cost of phone call. Top freebie! 50p food at Morrisons. Super savings! Free cricket kit. Bat, ball & carry case. Cheap shot! £5 writing, music & film workshops. For 13-18yr olds. Friday 25 July in London 99p Kids' shoes at Woolies. Happy feet! Six free issues of The Week. Decent freebie Muller yoghurts £2 for a dozen. Credit crunch corner! Kipling bags 50% off sale. Bags of fun Free What Mortgage? magazine Free London Motor Show tickets. Have you been picked? Claim by Thurs! Free tea & biscuits if you spend £30 at Tesco. Rosey! Energy saving challenge. Setmefree2's energy use diary Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: Purchases that actually save you cash Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Do you disguise your value-brands? Nominate Post Of The Month for July

Board of the week: Benefits, Tax Credits & Job Seeking
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 offers a wealth of information and innovative ideas. Discussions include Union membership: pros and cons, negotiating a higher starting salary, and appealing against incapacity benefit ending

Great 'starting a vegetable patch' Hunt Result
Given rising food prices, there's never been a better time to start growing your own. So last week, I called on green-fingered MoneySavers for their tips on getting a vegetable patch together. There were some great suggestions including don't forget to weed, vegetable pot blog and keeping hens

Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

Three Condoms, Kids' Tree Stickers, Maths Worksheets, Nicorette Inhaler Case, Dove Samples, Anti-bacterial Cleanser, Dental Floss Thingy

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.

• Jeremy Vine, Radio 2, Friday 25 July, 1pm. The MoneySaving topic's yet to be decided.
• GMTV, ITV1, Tuesday 29 July 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

The "What does the government spend our money on?" quiz. This week's poll. Vote and Govt Spending discussion.

This week's Martin's Blog: "Dragons’ Den: is it now a self-fulfilling prophecy?"
"Trafford Centre ‘Makeover Contests’. Shame on you! " and "Using my EHIC card for the first time…" Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

Archna's Free Game of the Week! Pinball with a difference. Ultimatum 2

It’s funny where my name's been tattooed … That’s it for this week, but before I go, just had to show you this brilliant Brazilian advert, it's quite amazing where your name can get to. Tattoo Ad-on

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: alliance-leicester.co.uk, virginmoney.com, barclaycard.com, kaupthing.com, talktalk.co.uk,americanexpress.com, envirofone.com, mopay.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.

To change your E-mail or stop receiving Tips: Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips

Was this free e-mail forwarded to you? To receive it directly go to www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips