Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email
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Merry Christmas to all MoneySavers. After all the hype, lights and rush, it's nearly here. Season's greetings and Merry Christmas from the MSE team and I. As most people are focused on eating not talking turkey right now, this is a shorter e-mail... The holiday season's sadder side. While jolly for most, this time of year leaves others depressed, scared and lonely. Money, especially debt worries, play a big part. If you're anxious there are resources to help. Also if you've friends or family who may be worried, please pass this on.
The MoneySaving calendar. The next e-mail will be on Weds 31 Dec, but if you've time over the break, why not prepare for the new year with the free Budget Planner then give yourself a Money Makeover? |
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Give friends an extra gift; suggest they save with this free weekly e-mail by going to moneysavingexpert.com/tips
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The Christmas Quiz. Tease, test & tone your MoneySaving knowledge. New Tool
You get the e-mail, use the site, but how much actually goes in? As a Christmas gift, we've designed this slick quick 10-question quiz to tease, test and tone your MoneySaving muscles. How will you rank? It's not how many you get right, but how you do against other MoneySavers that counts! Take The Test: MoneySaving Quiz Related Tool: The MoneySaving Game
URGENT! 1p(ish) European flights. Ends Tue 23. Ryanair has 500,000 1p (inc. most taxes & charges) flights from 16 UK airports for Jan & Feb travel to 40 destinations. See the Forum Note: 1p Ryanair Flights Related Guide: Cheap Flights
Last-minute Christmas pressies. Gift vouchers, goats, last delivery. Plus a Great Hunt.
If you're still looking for Christmas gift bargains, the High Street's bringing prices down and there are still online options available. Online options: Stores like ebuyer & Amazon allow orders on Christmas Eve, plus there are gift vouchers for the likes of Play, Amazon & Asos, magazine subscriptions, charity giving and tickets galore too. Forum Note: For a full compilation see Last Ditch Gifts List, plus it's this week's Great Hunt too, so do add your ideas.
2for1 at Subway and 50% off Slug & Lettuce. Cheap ways to escape turkey leftovers, these join 25% off Pizza Hut delivery, 2for1 GBK and £10 M&S party food deal in the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers
Family overseas? Don't just pick up and dial. Speak free online or call for 0.5p/min
Calling overseas this holiday can cost a fortune, Virgin is £23.50/hour to call Spain, BT £10.60/hour to USA. Free online: If you & the person called are online, talk for free via Skype* or Sipphone. Free via phone: The slightly fiddly JaJah web* service lets you talk free to most European, North American & Australasian landlines and some mobiles. Dirt cheap normal calls: Pick up the phone, dial a special prefix number and you can call most countries for 0.5p-5p/min from your home phone, the Call Checker lists the cheapest. New to all this? See the full Cheap Overseas Calls guide. Related Guides: Cheap Home Phones
Jan Sales already started: Up to 50% off at Warehouse, French Connection & Mothercare. Full Listing. Post-Christmas sales have started early with discounts of up to 50% off at Warehouse, French Connection & Mothercare. See the Daily Deals List: Sales Diary
STOP YOUR FRIENDS WASTING CASH! PLS SUGGEST THEY GET THIS EMAIL
Superdrug up to 90% off sale. Starting Christmas Eve online & Boxing Day in-store. Bargains include a 99p hairdryer, 10p eye gel & much more. See the Forum Note: Superdrug Sale
Going skiing? Cheapest (£29) annual travel insurance WITH winter sports cover!
It's possible to get an annual European policy including basic winter sports cover for £29 (£44 for couple/family). What's included? These policies will only cover the basics; go off-piste, do other sports or have expensive equipment, and you usually AREN'T covered. Full info & options in the Updated Guide: Cheap Travel Insurance Related Travel Guides: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad
Heads Up! £9 Travelodge rooms next week. Next Tues 30 Dec, Travelodge will launch a £9 Summer rooms sale. Full reminder next week. More info in the Forum Note: Travelodge Sale
URGENT! Beat the train, bus & tube fares rise. Buy season tickets NOW
On 2 January, train fares will rise by an average 6%, but some routes 9%, the same is true of London tube and bus fares. Beat the hike: Buy season tickets, which can be as short as a week, or as long as a year, before then, and you get it at CURRENT prices e.g. a year's Mancs-Leeds pass costs £150 less now. Find the price: Go to the train Season Ticket Calc and compare the price of tickets starting now and after 2 Jan. Related Guide: Cheap Trains Related Deals: Train & Coach Promotions
Want an ITV1 debt & relationship makeover? ITV1's Tonight is looking for case studies. More info and details on how to apply are in the Forum Note: ITV Debt & relationship makeover
Feed the starving everyday without it costing a penny. Annual reminder!
Time for the now traditional Christmas reminder about click 'n' give websites that let you donate to charity for free. How it works: Every day you go to TheHungerSite and click the special link on the homepage, its prominently displayed sponsors donate a cup of staple foodstuff to someone starving. Others: There's also TheBreastCancerSite, TheAnimalRescueSite, TheLiteracySite and more. Full info in the Guide: Feed The Starving Free Related Guide: Charity Giving
The Big & Easy Ways to Save Checklist |
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Wondering what to do on Boxing Day?… tax returns are due in a month!
It’s probably the last thing you want to think of right now. Yet do remember, if you’ve been sent a self-assessment form, the deadline for filing it (which must be done online) is 31 January, less than a month away. So it's not a bad time to do it. Full details in the Forum Note: Free tax help
Ooooh la la! Learn a language for free during the break. Why not use any Christmas time off productively? There are lots of free, high quality, legit audio and video courses downloadable online. Full info in the Deals Note: Free Language Lessons
Cheap yule fuel! Unleaded for 86p, plus sub-£1 diesel too! Updated Article
Oil prices are dropping and now Asda and Morrisons have cut prices to 85.9p and 97.9p for petrol and diesel respectively, and others are expected to follow shortly. Cut 1/3 more off: There are three steps i. Don't accelerate as hard (20% saving). ii. Check your car's set up to be efficient (10% saving) iii. Use websites to find the cheapest petrol in your area (5% saving). Full details in the Updated Guide: Cheap Petrol & Diesel Related Guide: Cheap Food Shopping
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Do you break the no Christmas present pact?
All your friends agreed a no adults Christmas presents pact for this year. Then two days before Christmas you receive a bottle of champagne from your best mate, who had been in on the pact, with a note wishing you a wonderful Christmas. Do you break the pact and get them something? Or stick to your guns? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Do you break the no gifts pact? Previous MMDs: Car park attendant back hander?, Should twins get the same value presents?
Quick Forum Tips
Warning! Bargains listed here tend to
sell out quickly
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Board of the week: Health & Beauty MoneySaving
Looking and feeling your best over the Christmas and New Year holidays needn't cost the earth. The Health & Beauty MoneySaving board is bursting at the seams with top tips to keep you healthy, happy and gorgeous on the cheap. Discussions include What will help my Seasonal Affective Disorder?, Tipping hairdressers and Beauty confessions
Great 'Take with a Pinch of Salt' Hunt Result
Last week I asked MoneySavers what instructions and unconscious tricks they've noticed companies pull to get you to use more of their product, thus spend more. There were some great suggestions and interesting debates including printer ink cartridges,
avoid thick sliced bread and halve the instructed amount of washing powder.
| Secret Vampire eBook, Burns' Night Supper Pack, Trees/Seeds For Schools, Twinings Tea Sample, Coldplay Download |
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MoneySavingExpert on the box/wireless
The next time I'll be on the box is just before the New Year.
- GMTV, Tuesday 30 December, between 7:30 & 8:30am. The topic for this show is news reactive, so you'll have to wait and see!
- Past appearances: Listen/watch back, plus keep updated on future appearances.
This week's Martin's Blog: "I lost a stone in six weeks"
"2008: Annus horriblis" and "Rate-jacking rules USA style". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)
Simon Cowell, Peter Jones, Lorraine Kelly...who's your fantasy chancellor? This week's poll. Vote and Take a chance(ellor) discussion.
You think the pound will DROP MORE against the Euro. Last Week’s Vote. A combined 62% suggest the pound will further weaken against the Euro come next summer. Only 38% of total voters expect £1 to buy more than €1.10 - the current very poor rate. Full Result: Pound versus Euro poll.
Archna's Free Game of the Week! A round-up of my favourite games. Top ten games of the year
Free Personalised Video Message From Santa. That's it for this week, but before I go, here's a cute site spotted by MoneySaver MrsFraggle, where you can put in your child's details and they'll get a message from Father Christmas. Awww. Personal Mr. Claus Message
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: uk.virginmoney.com, americanexpress.co.uk, mopay.co.uk, envirofone.com, energyhelpline.com, skype.com, jajah.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 is GMTV’s Money SavingExpert and 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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