Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Inflation’s at a 17 yr high… but even if it drops things won’t get cheaper. The official inflation measure (CPI) yesterday jumped to 4.4%, double the govt. target; yet the one that better reflects what we feel, the Retail Price Index is at 5.0%. Check how you’re impacted with the Office of National Statistics' Personal Inflation Calculator, then discuss your inflation rates. Why lower inflation won’t mean cheaper goods. Inflation measures price rises not prices, so once all the current mammoth price hikes are factored in, it’s possible the rate will drop. Yet that won’t actually mean things are cheaper. Think of it like this, if bread cost 90p last year and £1.10 this year, that’s 22% 'bread inflation'; then if next year 'bread inflation' drops to just 5%, the price still rises to £1.16 a loaf; that's more than now! The impact on you also depends on the 'inflation' of your salary's inflation over the same time. How to fight inflation. You can save more than inflation costs if you improve every deal. If possible use the Money Makeover to work though all spending. Yet even if you just do a budget, cut petrol costs, slash food bills, shift expensive borrowing to cheap credit card deals and get the cheapest remortgage you’ll have saved, especially as these bills are rising fastest and casuing most of the inflation.

Calling in reverse can be cheaper I don't mean the horribly expensive 0800 REVERSE, but the fact that bizarrely, calling mobiles from home costs up to 12p/min, but making that call in reverse (from mobile to home) is free if you’ve inclusive minutes, or usually still cheaper if not. So make a pact with friends and family that when one of you calls a mobile from home, the other rings you back. Discuss This / Suggest A Note

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The Ones Not To Miss MSE

Free PC Software. Word processors, spreadsheets, graphics & loads more. New Article
Don't pay for computer software; you can get it for nowt! Know where to look and you can grab top quality, legal, professional Office suites (word processors, spreadsheets), graphics, media players, speed boosting & photo editing programs, plus online fax machines all for free. These rival the software of the world’s corporate giants. This completely rewritten and fully researched guide has huge lists of checked-out, quality free software. New Guide: Free PC Software Related Guides: Free Anti Virus Software, Free Wireless Internet

Hotel loophole! Grab £25 voucher to get free worldwide rooms. A hotel broker's offering £25 credit for newbies, so find rooms under £25 & they’re free. Full details in the Forum Note: £25 hotel voucher Related Articles: Cheap Hotels, Cheap Flights

Credit Crunch Update. Urgently use savings to cut your mortgage cost. Updated Article
One of the most common questions I’m asked is “Should I stick savings in an account or pay more off my mortgage?” For most, paying off the mortgage was always the best use of the cash and now there’s another reason. These days unless you’re borrowing less than 80% of your house’s value, cheap mortgage deals are hellish to find, so using savings to reduce the amount you borrow can make your mortgage cheaper. Full pros and cons in this fully updated guide & special ‘should I pay off?’ calculator. Updated Article: "Should I Pay Off My Mortgage?" Related Articles: "Should I Pay Off Student Loans?", "Should I Pay Off Debts?"

Sub £10 Freeview Boxes. Some basic refurbished boxes for £5 plus brand new ones for under £15. Can you beat it?

Halve holiday car hire costs in minutes. Plus avoid the insurance trap. New Article
It's possible to seriously slash the cost of holiday car hire by using powerful comparison sites to speedily search scores of car hire companies to find the very cheapest. Then sever the cost of getting insurance with a decent excess by using hidden specialists. Plus you can then even try to name your own price to really drive it down. For all the tips, tricks and a full rundown of the insurance you need, read the Updated Article: Cheapest Car Hire Related Articles: Package Holidays, Cheapest Hotel Prices, Cheap Travel Money

New easy 2for1 Zizzi voucher & how to get 75% off Pizza Hut. These join Ha! Ha!, Giraffe, Slug & Lettuce, Yo! Sushi and more in the full Deals List: Restaurant Discounts

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

Complete school uniform £4 all in. A fierce price war between supermarkets means you can currently get a shirt, skirt/trousers & sweatshirt for £4. Full info in the Deals Note: Cheapest school uniforms

New 100% Safe Savings. 6.5% interest for a year, with perfect safety. Updated Article
The now nationalised bank Northern Rock’s launched a year’s fixed rate savings account paying 6.5% AER. It’s a high, though not quite table-topping rate, yet the boon is as it's government backed, your money’s completely safe and you can put up to £2 million in (if you're lucky enough!). Normal UK accounts are only protected up to the first £35,000 saved per person per financial institution. Though do be aware as it’s a fixed rate, your money’s locked in for a year. Top Alternatives: The top instant access account is Kaupthing Edge* at 6.55%, and the highest one year fix is ICICI* at 7.2%, though these just have standard protection. More in the Updated Article: Top Savings Related Articles: Are Your Savings Safe?, Regular Savings

Reminder. £1,000s of free cash for Summer Hols Childcare. Through tax credits, vouchers and free classes. Full Guide: Childcare Costs

Water bills likely to rise by 6% plus. Urgently check if you can save
Water suppliers this week submitted proposed price rises of up to 6% (even more in some areas) to start next February, to regulator Ofwat, and it's likely they'll be agreed. While you can't switch supplier as you can with gas & elec, it is still possible to save. Crucially work out whether you should have a water meter or stick with rateable bills. My simple rule of thumb is, if there are the same or more bedrooms in your house than people, check out getting a water meter. Full Guide: Cheaper Water Bills Related Articles: Cheapest Home Phones, Cheap Boiler Cover

Last chance! Cheap boiler maintenance. Save £30 on British Gas services if you book before 15 August, or get a £30 service from nPower before 31 August even if your energy isn't supplied by them. Related Guide: Cheap Boiler Cover

Ryanair "cancels bookings through screenscrapers." The FlightChecker ISN’T affected
Last week, the BBC and papers reported Ryanair would cancel flights booked through screenscrapers. Actually it's more about sites that add booking fees, a rarity in the UK. What about the FlightChecker: If you’ve used this site’s FlightChecker for Ryanair, don’t worry, all it does is provide info, you can’t book through it, we just link you to Ryanair’s home page to book. Sadly a by-product of Ryanair's attempt to block booking fee websites is it’s blocked access to ALL flight comparisons, including the FlightChecker. I’ve been talking to a member of its Board to try and sort this, and it may take some time, but here’s hoping. Discuss this: Ryanair’s Screenscraper policy Related Guides: Cheap Flights, FlightChecker, Cheap Travel Money

Donate water to alleviate thirst by playing a game. Free charity giving

Free geeky Olympics info. Nifty Google tool plots medals geographically, combines latest news, results, full schedules plus 3D stadium sketches & works on mobiles. Great for Olympics geeks like me! Goog-lympics

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 Mortgage Makeover: Read the free Remortgage Guide Motor Insurance: Read the Car, Van or Motorbike articles Reclaim £1,000s: on Mortgage Fees, Council Tax, Endowments, Bank Charges, PPI Home Phone & Broadband: Tiscali* 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*, 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

Student loan rate confirmed to drop to 3.8%. Yet don't repay it more quickly.
The Student Loan interest rate has been confirmed to drop from 4.8% to 3.8% on Sept 1 (this was forecast a few weeks ago in the email). Yet if like many you're wondering "should I try to pay it off quickly?"; the answer's now an even louder NO. It's the cheapest form of long term debt possible, so repaying earlier than necessary risks needing to borrow more expensively elsewhere in the future. Meanwhile you can earn more than the student loan costs in high interest savings. Updated Guide: Should I Pay Off My Student Loan Related Articles: Top Savings, Top Cash ISA, Student Loans Guide, Student MoneySaving

Insider Florida Travel Insurance Tips. Some hardcore info on medical cover for Florida trips from Forumite FH Brit. Forum Note: Florida Travel Insurance Related Guide: Cheap Travel Insurance

CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: Easyjet. Price: sub-£25 e/w. Ends: When tickets sell out.
My top pick budget airline sale this week is Easyjet's sub-£25 inc. most taxes & charges to various European destinations from a range of UK airports. Tickets are at this price on selected flights until they sell out. 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 £40. 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 'Home Heating: Cheaper ways for LPG & oil' Hunt Result
For millions in rural areas, home heating means big tanks of oil or LPG in the garden. While gas & electricity is competitive and regulated, this market isn’t and getting it cheaper is a constant problem, so last week I asked MoneySavers to share their top tips on cutting the cost of these types of fuel. There were some great suggestions including Negotiate with your oil supplier, Organise an oil buying syndicate and Up your energy efficiency

100 energy saving devices blagged for MoneySavers. Want one?

Great 'Isn't it Obvious? MoneySaving' Hunt Revisited: Addictive MoneySaving Secrets
This older Great Hunt’s an addictive read, full of people’s hidden MoneySaving secrets. The aim’s to get people to share the tips that seem obvious, but only once you do them. It’s been so popular I thought I’d revisit it. Add your ideas/read other peoples': Isn't it Obvious? Past Great Hunts: Win on Hotel Bidding Sites, Best No-Contract Deals, Working For Yourself

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

Top Deal! £1.50 personalised photo album. Normally £11.50. Snap one up! £10 ceramic hair straighteners. Online & instore At Asda Free Sainsburys online delivery. Orders over £100. Tues, Weds & Thurs Car hire for £1/day. Can you find a £1 date? UK, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal Carpet cost cutting! How one MoneySaver saved £200 75% off garden furniture. At B&Q. Online & in store Free Busta Rhymes gig. When you volunteer for four hours. Royal Albert Hall 26 Sept Show us your veg patch! Tips, tricks & inspiration on starting a veg patch Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: How much cash should I take on hols? Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: How do you store your vegetables? Nominate Post Of The Month for August

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you split up over an expired passport?
You book a long-awaited family holiday for four to Disneyland for £2,500 but the day before travelling you realise your eight year-old daughter's passport expired two months previously. There's no way it can be renewed in time and your insurance won't cover the mistake. Yet your other 10 year old child has always wanted to go. Do you forfeit the holiday entirely or does one parent & child still go while the others stay behind? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Would you split up over an expired passport? Previous MMDs: Should you save a stranger money?, Should Wayne protect his finances?

Board of the week: Armed Forces MoneySaving
A couple of months ago we launched a new forum board for those in the Forces and their families. The Armed Forces board is now a great one-stop shop for those looking for suggestions on everything from moving accommodation to special discounts and offers. Discussions include Can you claim tax back on Home to Duty?, Tax-Free Sales to BFPO addresses and Free Scarborough Beached Festival

Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

3D Graphics Software, In The Night Garden Cinema Tickets, Liz Arden Cream, Heart Attack Symptoms Clip , Herbal Essences Shampoo, Wedding Organiser

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, ITV1, Tuesday 19 August between 7:30 & 8am, then again between 9 & 9:30am. 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

This week's Martin's Blog: Appearing on The Weakest Link. Well, as a question!
"Car Insurance: comparing the comparisons", "Does anyone have a hobby?" and "One reason to never let work experience people act unsupervised…". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

What's your favourite newspaper? This week's poll. Vote and Fave Papers discussion.

Would you forgo a pay rise to help stop inflation? Last Week’s Vote. Opinions were divided this week; 29% said they wouldn't go without a pay rise, but only because 'no one else will, so there’s no point'. Yet a combined 30% said they would go without more cash to help slow inflation. None of this, however, is likely to bother the 23% that voted 'No, I just want as much cash as possible'. See the full Pay rise poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! Think outside the flock for this one! Duck

Will RBS reclaim bank charges off itself?! That's it for this week, but before I go, I wanted to share this story of a poor, unsuspecting bank being stung by unfair, disproportionate charges. Reclaim Bank’s Charges

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: icicibank.co.uk, kaupthingedge.co.uk, virginmoney.com, hsbc.co.uk, barcalycard.co.uk, tiscali.co.uk, americanexpress.co.uk, envirfone.com, mopay.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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