Jan

2010

Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Over 50 ways to save incl... This week’s MoneySaving e-mail contains over 50 new & urgent ways to save. Don’t miss out; get it e-mailed direct, or if not, read it here.

This info may be out of date. Read this week's emails

Earn £8 checking credit file	0% for a year FEE-FREE
More Amazon 75%+off secrets	Tesco £25 profit loophole
Freebies: £30 M&S vouch, 50p/person to Haiti, eye test, Boots profit & more

Urgent! Last chance to avoid £100 tax fine
11 days to send tax self-assess forms - but many must register online TODAY

Those who don't file their tax self-assessment forms for the 2008/09 tax year by 11.59pm on 31 Jan (a Sunday) face an initial £100 penalty plus interest on late payments. Here's an urgent Q&A:

Q. Who needs to file a return?
A. Those whose tax is deducted by their employer usually DON'T need to submit a form. Yet the rule's simple: if you've been sent a self-assessment form you must submit it. Those who haven't been sent one but have any extra income from self-employment, some investments or savings (as a higher rate taxpayer), have a duty to tell the revenue (0845 900 0444).
Q. Why may I need register TODAY?
A. The deadline for filing by post was 31 October, so to avoid a fine you must file online. Yet if you've never filed online you need to register, and it can take seven working days to get your code, so do it ASAP. To register, go to the HMRC website and read the Last chance filing online MSE news story. There's no need to re-register if you've previously filed a web-based return.
Q. What if I I'm owed tax BACK?
A. You may be due £100s of tax back if, for example, you've only worked part of the year, or are a non taxpayer who paid tax on savings interest. See the Revenue's refund forms. For the self-employed, remember you only pay tax on profits after legit expenses, so claim back all you're entitled to (see the Revenue's allowable expenses).
Q. Where can I get free help?
A. You can ask the revenue for advice, yet there are also a host of charities and agencies that give help completing forms, especially for those on lower incomes. See the Free Tax Help note.



	BA strike booking warning
	Final nail in PruHealth free gym deal
	Beware mortgage lenders' sales trap
	Record inflation hike: could interest rates soon rise?
	O2 to burst into home phone market

This week's full MSE News list

Week of Tue 12 - Mon 18 Dec '10
(Last week's position)

1. Grant Grabbing (New)
2. Cheap iPhone (New)
3. Top Savings Accounts (1)
4. Budget Planning (-)
5. Cheap Gas & Electricity (New)

The above excludes daily deals notes

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The Ones Not To Miss

New FEES-FREE 0% for 12 mths balance transfer card
Aimed at Santander (Abbey & A&L) bank & mortgage customers, but there's a loophole for others to get it
Normally, shift debts to a 0% deal and you pay a fee of 3% of the amount moved, eg, £150 on £5k. Yesterday, Santander announced, subject to credit score, all its existing bank account & mortgage customers (Abbey and A&L) can balance transfer to a new Santander Zero card at 0% for 12mths, fees-free (then it jumps to 18.9% APR). Not a Santander customer? You're eligible if you switch to its best-buy A&L Premier* bank account, which gives a £100 signing up bonus, a year's 0% overdraft and free annual travel insurance. You must earn over £6,050 and pay your salary in. Don't want to switch bank? Just open A&L Premier* and put a few quid in. You won't get the £100 etc, but should qualify for the card, though it means two applications for one product, which could have a minor credit score hit. Get 0% for 16mths: Alternatively, the longest new cardholder deal is Virgin* at 0% for 16 mths with a 2.98% fee (18.6% after). Next best, existing customers of HSBC*, Natwest* and RBS* can get 15 mths 0% for a 2.9% fee (then up to 16.9% after) or Barclaycard Plat* is 12mth 0% with a lower 2.5% fee (14.9% after). FULL info in the Updated Guide: Best Balance Transfers Related: Best Bank Account, Credit Card Shuffle

Free 50p/person to Haiti disaster relief
Spread the word. 50p for each genuine new UK recipient of this free email by end of Sat
Typically, 3,500 join a day, so at worst it'll be £7k. Pls tell everyone via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Full Info: Free Haiti 50p Join Email: MoneySavingExpert.com/tips Donate Direct: Dec.org.uk. Logic based on the Thehungersite

Get paid £8 to check your credit file
Sign up for a free month's trial and get £8 from cashback site, then ensure you cancel the trial
Topcashback's upped its payout to £8 to trial Equifax & 50p for Experian. Full Info: Check Credit Files

More secret Amazon bargain basements
10 new hidden links to pages listing 75%-99% OFF deals, inc. DVDs, shoes & digi cams
In Dec, we launched a hidden rulebook for giant web-store Amazon. It takes you through 12 techniques to slash Amazon prices. Frankly we've been blown away by its popularity, especially the Hidden bargain basements: By manipulating Amazon's web links you can get it to display pages that list all 75%-99% OFF bargains in a section, eg, items that were £20 but now are under £5. Most popular so far: We published 10 last time, the most popular were Video Games*, Toys* & Beauty*. New Links: We added ten new links, inc. DVD & Blurays*, shoes*, and digital cameras*. This is just the start. FULL list of 20 links, how to build your own and more tips and tricks in the Updated Guide: Amazon Bargain Basement Related: Cheap Online Shopping

Free £10 eye test at Tesco. Grab a copy of its free Jan - Feb in-store magazine then use the voucher inside at 114 Tesco opticians across England & Wales. Full details in the Forum Note: Free eye test

Boots £1 profit loophole! Buy 99p vitamins get £2 in points
It's confirmed all Advantage Card holders get 200 points, worth £2, when they buy any vitamins
Pop your card in the Advantage machine to print a voucher. Full info in the Forum Note: £1 profit on Boots vitamins

Free £30 M&S, HMV, Boots vouchers. New credit card freebies
Sign up, spend, repay in full so there's no cost and they're yours. Plus free BA flights & more
A raft of credit cards offer seriously good incentives to get you to sign up & spend; yet providing you ALWAYS pay off the card in full each month there's no interest so they're free (don't do it otherwise). New Freebie: Spend a total of £500 in the first 3 mths on Amex Rewards* (17.9% APR if you don't repay in full) and it gives 6,000 points tradable for a £30 shopping voucher at lots of retail giants, eg, M&S & Boots. Plus Goldfish* (9.9%) gives a £30 voucher for an even bigger choice (those above, plus Argos, Waitrose & more) when you spend £100/month for the first 3 months. Flight freebies: Spend £10 on Lloyds Duo* (15.9%) to get enough Airmiles for most return BA Europe flights, though you need book one hotel night through its website. Alternatively, spend £250 in 90 days on BMI Amex* (15.9%) and get a biz class flight to Russia or Turkey, or spend any amount on the Flybe (16.9%) card to get Euro returns. Any warnings? This is only for people with decent credit scores, and don't over apply. FULL freebie list, card-by-card info & details on credit score impact in the Updated Guide: Credit Card Freebies Related: Earn 5% cashback, 0% for 16mth balance transfers, Freebie Compendium

Tesco loophole. Make £25 PROFIT buying £15 mobile. Buy a Tesco £15 PAYG mobile before 24 Jan to get 1,000 Clubcard points, convertible into £40 of Rewards. See the Deals Note: Tesco Points Loophole

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50% off Pizza Express & La Tasca, Domino's £9.99 any pizza
New restaurant vouchers! Also Slug & Lettuce 50% off, Bella Italia 2for1 and Prezzo £10 meal & wine
Joins YO! Sushi 40% off, All Bar One £5 meal, Toby Carvery £5 roast & dessert in the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers

Overcharged on energy direct debits? New rights to fight back
Now demand excess credit back! Suppliers must ensure DDs are fair and justify them
If you pay for gas & electricity by monthly direct debit, beware. Energy companies have been setting them too high, leaving your cash earning interest for them in the bank while they owe some customers £100s. In 2008, we fought a campaign against this. This week Ofgem listened to consumer cries and launched New Rules: New conditions on companies' licences, so they carry weight. A. Suppliers must ensure direct debits are based on the best info available. B. If asked, the supplier must justify. C. If you ask, it must refund excess credit. Full info in the Updated Guide & Free Templates: Overcharged Direct Debits Related: Cheap Gas & Elec, Direct Debit Budgeting

Urgent! 500 Hoxton posh hotel rooms £1
Usually £60 - £200, but getting one's an online scrum. You must be online at exactly 12 noon Thurs 21 Jan
Stays are 1 Feb to 30 April. For more info & how to up your chances, see the Deals Note: Hotel Sales

Boots ups its sale to 75% off from today (Wed)
Further instore & online reductions on gift sets and more e.g. £25 Fairtrade Hamper for £6.25...
Or High School Musical 3 DVD board game £6.25 and Little Miss Sunshine Purse £5. See the Daily Deals List: Sales Diary

Car insurance: Direct Line 14% off vs comparison sites
The 'we're not on comparisons' insurers Direct Line & Aviva have discounts on
It's reported comparison site TV ad spend's jumped from £35m to £85m in three years, so the power struggle between them & two mammoth insurers that refuse inclusion is hotting up. Current deals: Direct Line's* pretty competitive for many, and currently offers newbies (or possibly existing customers haggling) 52 free days a year, which is 14% off. Plus, Aviva's* giving 12 mths for the price of 10 (17% discount). Do these beat comparison sites? Annoyingly, the answer's 'it depends'. The sheer breadth of comparison coverage means that's generally the first port of call. By combining GoCompare* & MoneySup'* alone, you get quotes from 130 providers. Yet the 'we're not included' insurers occasionally beat this, so best option is try all. To help, feedback in our comparison site vs direct insurer poll. Check cashback too: Either get £25 via cashback sites BTQ* and MoneyExpert* or possibly over £100 taking cheapest quotes to cashback sites. FULL step-by-step guide in the Updated Guide: Cheap Car Insurance Other Insurance MoneySaving: Van, Motorbike, Home, Travel, All Insurance

TRESemme 900ml £2, Free £11 mascara with 2x Body Shop purchases
Plus free Barry M filled makeup bag with 4 x News of The World tokens & 50% off Crabtree & Evelyn gift sets
Joins free Burt's Bees gift set when you spend £15 online at Boots. See full info in the Daily Deals List: Beauty Deals

Free BT line installation (worth £125)
It works whether you are moving, reconnecting or just want a second line.
BT's brought back this 'don't ask, don't get' deal. See the Deals Note: Free BT line installation Related: £9.15 line rental

Pound at high against €uro. Tool of Week TravelMoneyMax.com
Don't let banks or bureaux de change drain the pound's gain
This week the pound hit a 4mth high against the Euro. £1 buys €1.146 on the foreign exchange markets. Yet try to get that yourself and you'll usually lose a chunk. First step is to get the Top Plastic: The Santander Zero & Post Office* credit cards don't take a cut of exchange rates worldwide (Nationwide* & Saga the same but usually just in Europe) so you currently get €1.136 (normal plastic gives €1.102) plus Santander doesn't charge a fee for cash withdrawals. So get these, but pay off in full, to minimise interest. See the cheapest way to spend abroad guide for full info. Top Foreign Currency rates: MSE's TravelMoneyMax.com tool compares foreign exchange bureaux to find the best rate including all taxes and charges, for any currency or amount. £500 would currently get you €569 with the top provider, while some give you as little as €534.

MSE says 'no increase to min. repayments' in Govt. credit card crackdown
The Govt's consultation's ended. As requested we made a full submission to argue the consumer side.
Major credit card changes are afoot. Read the MSE Card Submission and Lenders' Card submission.

mp3s: Florence & The Machine album £5.47 and FREE Corinne Bailey Rae track
MSE's Tunechecker comparison site's found new no.1 22% cheaper than iTunes & 203 free music downloads
See Florence & The Machine prices or 203 free MP3s, inc. Corinne Bailey Rae or compare mp3 prices (9m tracks).

Bank Charges Update... We're still working on the new guide, there's a lot to get through and it's taking a little longer than expected, we hope it'll be ready in the next few weeks. Do remember, while we believe some will still be able to reclaim, for most it will be tough, so plan NOT to get the cash. Latest Info: Bank Charges Reclaiming

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January Money Makeover Special

Quick links or click the titles for full pros, cons, alternatives & more savings

Cheap Gas & Elec + Cashback! Top comparison site: Energyhelpline*
Cheap Broadband: Plusnet* £6/mth up to 10Gb download
Home Insurance: Use as many as you can of GoCompare*, MSP* & Confused*, then get cashback
Free New-Mortgage Guide: Order a copy now for free! Also see: Remortgage Guide
Personal Loans: £7.5k-15k: A&L* 7.8%. Credit Card Loans: Virgin* 0% for 16 mths (4% fee), MBNA* 5.9% for life (2% fee)
Free Budget Planner: Use the free tool to assess your finances
Money Makeover: Get an effective 25% pay rise
Reclaim £1,000s: Full Mortgage Fees, C'cil Tax, Endowments, Bank Charges, PPI guides
Cheap Line Rental: With broadband: TalkTalk's £18.48/mth Without: Primus* £9.15/mth
Do a benefit checkup: Check what benefits you're entitled to with a 5-min benefit check
Stop Spending: Need help to tackle those spending demons? Also see the Demotivator
Boost your income: Over 50 ways to bring in extra cash

Give Yourself A Money Makeover

More MoneySaving

Greggs free cheese 'n' onion pasty & more
Vouchers for pasty, drink, loaf & muffin in Daily Mirror (45p) each day 'til Sat
Just hand over the voucher in store on the day it's printed to get your freebie. Full info in the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers

MSE's had a makeover... We've spruced up the MSE masthead this week, do take a look at the homepage. Plus a little rejig of the sections, including the launch of a new Income & Family section. To see the old masthead, and to let us know what you think, see the forum note: MSE makeover

Great 'Champagne MoneySaving App Ideas' Hunt
We're always looking for ways to make MoneySaving easier, so we'd like to build some handy apps for web browsers and mobiles. Yet with so much content, and tools and calculators on the site, deciding what to build is tough! So this week we want your ideas for MSE apps, based on absolutely anything on the site. You needn't be a techie, just tell us what'd be most useful, and who knows, we might build it! Full info, plus add your ideas/read other peoples': Great 'MoneySaving App Ideas' Hunt Past Great Hunts: View all

Book giveaway RESULT. 'The Noughties 2000-2009'
25 copies blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT:
Airline: Ryanair Price: £10 e/w Ends: 21 Jan
Our pick this week is the Ryanair £10 e/w sale: On until midnight Thurs 21 Jan, it includes some taxes & charges. It's for Tues 2 Feb-Thurs 25 Mar flights to a range of European destinations from many UK airports. To find them quickly use the FlightChecker on a £10 max search and read the Updated Guide: £10 Flights. Extra Charges Warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges, see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance

Offer money advice? £3,000 energy debt grant
Until 29 Jan 2010, EDF Energy Trust is giving grants to voluntary and/or not for profit groups that provide money tips to help give 'energy debt' advice to clients. Find out more in the Grant Grabbing guide.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Would you take an eBay buyer at face value?
You've flogged a computer game on eBay for £20. Six weeks later, you receive an email from the buyer saying he's just got back from holiday and the case arrived but had no disc in it and he wants a refund (the 45-day deadline for eBay complaints has thus gone). You're pretty sure the disc was in there. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Would you give a refund? Previous MMDs: View All

Quick Forum Tips

Top deal! Wispa Gold 25p at Asda, normally c.65p. Shhhhh!
£1.50 Vanish Oxi Stain Remover 750g at Asda, was £6. Clean up!
Morphy Richards breadmaker £45 inc. P&P, was £100. Save dough
£12 coats at Tesco online, were £30-ish (P&P £4). A coat above!
Disney flap (record-style) bags £6 at Argos, were £15. Magical!
Sainsbury's Basics: what's hot & what's not. Rate your faves
9ct white gold necklace & earring £39 at Argos. Bling 'n' buy sale!
£5 Organised Mum bargains inc. calendars & diaries. Mum deal!
Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: The 'Save on Work Lunches' Challenge
Competitions thread of the week: £250 Smyths Toy Shop voucher
Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Hey ... let's keep chickens!

Tips, Tricks and Treats

Great 'Big Freeze Tips' Hunt Result
The whole of Britain has been experiencing massive snowfalls, so last week we asked MoneySavers what their tips were to survive the big freeze. There were some fab suggestions, including candles in stranded car, vinegar on windows and socks outside of boots

BOARD OF THE WEEK: In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving
Great tips on how to save at home
One of the best places to start MoneySaving is home and the In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving board is full of top tips to do just that. Recent discussions include boiler scrappage schemes, getting rid of damp and DIY toy box

Have you booked your summer hols? This week's poll
Vote and Book Sharp discussion.

Early Dec pay painful? 73% of MoneySavers think so!
While most employers think they're doing a festive good deed by paying employees early in December, almost three-quarters of you (73%) wish you got paid at the regular time to help you budget. The remaining 27% think pre-Christmas cash is useful. See Ho, Ho, Hold it! poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week!
Move the slabs to copy the image in as few moves as poss, in Pictogrid

Weddings: the musical. That's it for this week, but before we go, another example of wedding ceremony inflation. After Thriller, Rock the Wedding & more, take a look at this best man's razzle dazzle. The wedding singer!

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

Q. I owe £1,700 on a 0% balance credit card. When this ends, would it be better to transfer the remaining balance to another 0% card or pay it off from my ISA account? Rita.

Martin's A: While normally the rule is pay off debts with savings, it's different with 0% deals. On a pure financial calculation, even incorporating the fee, you'd be slightly better off if you shifted the debt to a new 0% Top Balance Transfer card and kept the money in a Top Cash ISA, as the debt costs less than the ISA pays.

Plus, with ISAs, you can put £3,600 in each tax year (£5,100 if you're over 50) and it then stays tax free year after year, so once the money's withdrawn, you lose that allocation.

Yet the counter argument is that simply not having debt is better for discipline. If you're not a financially savvy type, then it's probably best just to clear it.

Discuss: 0% balance credit cards
Suggest: A question of the week
(big general issues not personal q's pls)

Full compendium
Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

New this week

Pampers DryNite

Whiskas temptations

Indie movies

Dance lesson

Maths cards

This week's blogs (See All)
Join Martin on facebook!

"Genius Marketing: Part 1 - Free credit on your mobile"

"Number 10 - bank charges, credit cards and 50 words..."

"Meeting Ed Balls about financial education"

"The Tim Vine Joke Contest..."

"Losing my wedding ring at GMTV"

Appearances
Weds 20 - Tues 26 Jan

Weds
GMTV, ITV1, 7:20-9:25am
Summer holiday booking rules

Thurs
GMTV, ITV1, 8:35-9:25am
Deals of the Week

Tues
GMTV, ITV1, 7:20-9:25am
Subject TBC

Martin's Appearances

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 0EH 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 we 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 we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for the same things: alliance-leicester.co.uk, amazon.co.uk, americanexpress.com, aviva.com, barclaycard.co.uk, beatthatquote.com, confused.com, directline.com, energyhelpline.com, firstdirect.com, gocompare.com, homephonechoices.co.uk, hsbc.co.cuk, lloydstsb.com, mbna.co.uk, moneyexpert.com, moneysupermarket.com, natwest.com, nationwide.co.uk, plus.net, postoffice.co.uk, rbs.co.uk, virginmoney.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-focused 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 amongst others the News of The World, The Telegraph 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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