Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

New '50-words' MSE manifesto: Little changes for a big difference What the PM, Cameron & Clegg have said about your suggestions... Consumers have been short changed for too long, politicians focus on 'legacy issues' yet we need them to sort out the silly rules that make life difficult. A few months ago we asked you for 50 word suggestions of things that need sorting and have created a Consumer Manifesto. It includes... Ending debit card payment surcharges, banning psychic parking meters, making council tax payments monthly not 10x yearly, and stopping energy companies' retrospective price rises; see all manifesto ideas. Change has started. The provisional ideas have already sparked a Treasury Select Committee investigation, and Consumer Focus is considering one too. Now it gets political. We sent the manifesto to all the party leaders and they've replied. Full New Guide & Politicians Responses: 50 Word Manifesto

B&Q 15% off voucher, ASOS & Debenhams 20% codes inc. sales items
New Instant Shopping Vouchers! Inc. New Look £5 off £25, M&M Direct 20% & £10 off £25 at Very.co.uk
Masses of new short lived codes too. These and more in the Deals Note: Shopping Vouchers

Last chance! Free gym / health club passes for up to 2 weeks
Includes totally free Fitness First 5 days, Virgin (up to 5 days), 3 days LA Fitness or 14 days at Brit Mil Fit
Great for checking out facilities or just for a free treat, but must be printed by 31 Jan. Deals Note: Top Gym Deals

Huge Cash ISA boost: Get 3% AER on past years' money
Many cash ISAs now pay pitiful rates; transfer to bag massive gains e.g. £350/yr on 5yrs of ISAs
If you've got money sitting in cash ISAs from past years, urgently check the rate, lenders have been dragging them down, so many are now sub-1%. You've a RIGHT to switch: Old ISAs aren't a done deal, you've a right to transfer the money to a new provider and this can hugely boost your earnings. Though NEVER take the cash out, you'd lose all tax benefits, always ask the new provider to shift it for you. Top Cash ISAs Transfers (easy access). If you've over £9,000 in past ISAs - don't worry if they're separate you can consolidate them - Santander* (was Abbey) pays 3% on all money shifted to it, though 2% is a bonus lasting a year, so switch again when it ends. If you've less, Standard Life pays 2.65% from £1. Check for penalties: A tiny number of cash ISAs have exit penalties, so check and factor this in, though usually the extra interest quickly makes up for it. FULL info, options inc. 1yr fixes at 3.25%, and savings safety notes in the Updated Guide: Transfer Cash ISAs Related: Cash ISAs, Full ISA guide, Top Savings, Safe Savings

Last chance! 50% off Pizza Express, Slug 'n' Lettuce, Caffe Uno & ASK 2for1
These vouchers can be used until Sun 31 Jan and they 'say' no plans to reintroduce them soon...
Other vouchers inc. Pizza Hut 50% off, YO! Sushi 40% off & GBK 2for1 for £1. See the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers

New! Instantly compare cheapest MP3 album prices against CDs Downloading ISN'T always cheaper, in current top 40, 8 CDs beat cheapest MP3 After many requests, we've upgraded the TuneChecker.com music comparison tool to instantly compare the cheapest CD prices against the cheapest MP3 albums (it searches 9m tracks & 14 providers). Downloads v. CDs: MP3s often win, e.g. Paolo Nutini's latest can be downloaded for £3 but the cheapest CD is £4.98 but always check. Of the current Top 40 albums eight CDs win or draw e.g Michael Buble's album is 60p cheaper on CD. iPod users needn't buy from iTunes: If you've an iPod or iPhone you can still legally download from other sites - most have a 'put it on my iPod' link, and this can mean big savings, e.g. Owl City's Fireflies is 79p on iTunes but can be had for 29p. TuneChecker Comparisons: Top 40 Singles, Top 40 albums, Free MP3s, Cheapest New Releases Related: Shopping Comparisons

Stop Press! Reclaim unfair mortgage arrears fees
The Regulator's clamping down and wants consumers to complain about excessive charges
If you've had mortgage arrears fees, it looks like reclaiming's now possible. See MSE News: Reclaim mortgage fees Related: Mortgage Arrears

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De Vere hotels £29 UK 3,000 spring room sale
Available for stays until 11 April 2010, usual cost c. £60-£130. Book before 31 Jan.
Joins Premier Inn's £29 half term sale & Hilton's 50% off weekend sale, in the Deals Note: Hotel Sales

Urgent! Lock in credit card debt at 6.7% APR for LIFE
Only 1,000 cards available - new top long term debt shifting deal - massive savings
While 0% deals work in the short term, if you need over two years to repay and often forget to keep switching, it's safer to lock-in to a 'life of balance' deal, where the cheap rate lasts until all the debt shifted is repaid. New Top Card: New MBNA Platinum Plus Amex* cardholders who pass the credit check can get 6.7% for life - cheaper than any loan, though only 1,000 are available. If you'll take 4+ years to repay MBNA's Rate for Life card can be cheaper; it's a lower 5.9% for life but you pay a one-off 1.5% fee too. Size of Saving: On £5,000 debt repaid in 3 yrs, you pay £500 interest on Platinum Plus - compared to £1,300 on a high st (17%) card. Longest 0% deals: New Virgin* customers get 0% for 16 months, with a 2.98% fee, after that it jumps to 18.6% APR. If you've already got that, HSBC*, NatWest* & RBS* all offer 0% for 15 mths with a 2.9% fee (up to 16.9% APR after) though you need their bank accounts. Warning! Never, ever, EVER spend on these cards once you've shifted your debts, or you'll end up paying masses more and never miss a repayment or you can lose the deal. FULL info pros, cons and lots more 0% best-buys in the Updated Guide: Best Balance Transfers Related guide: 0% for 12 mths spending, 7.8% Loans

TAX DEADLINE THIS SUNDAY! If you don't file by then it's a £100 fine. Full Info: Self-Assessment Deadline

Next generation superfast (40Mbps) broadband £25/mth...
Or get normal broadband from just £6 a month; unlimited downloads for £8/mth
The broadband market's brimming over with new deals. The new highlight is a superfast offering, yet if you just surf the web don't pay for extra speed - it's only worth it for gamers or heavy downloaders. So we'll start slow... Cheapest Standard Broadband (up to 8Mbps): This is all about download limits, yet for normal use Plusnet's* £5.99/mth gives a reasonable 10GB. For unlimited downloads O2 is £12.50 a month (£7.50 for O2 mobile customers) but until 31 Jan go via ConsumerChoices* and you get 4mths free, making the effective cost £8.33/mth (£5) over the year's contract. Cheapest Superfast: The new fibre optic BT Infinity* is the new next gen 40Mpbs speed, though availability is limited (use the link to check). Don't bother with its £22.75/mth option as the download limit's capped at 20Gb; at these speeds you could use that in an hour and it's a costly £1/Gb. For safety's sake opt for its unlimited £25/mth deal. Bigger savings: These are the tip of the iceberg, there are so many current deals, and using cashback sites can make it even cheaper. If you've time read the FULL list in the Updated Guide: Cheap Broadband. Related: Phone line rental £9.15/mth, Top Cashback Sites

Order now to halve Valentine's perfume costs
The web usually smashes the high st. yet you must order soon. E.g. Lacoste Touch of Pink £28 vs £46
Try comparison sites FragrancesCompared* and CheapPerfumeExpert or for bigger savings the Full Guide: Cheap Perfumes

Home Insurance Price War: Battle to give you 'free' contents cover They're pumping out Jan offers, but full system could mean you're PAID to get insurance Knowing it's renewal time, insurers are pumping out deals and promos to grab custom including... Free Contents with Buildings Cover: Both Aviva* and More than* have this deal for freeholders. 25% off: There's 12 mths for the price of 9 (25% off) at Direct Line*, Barclays*, and HSBC* (on contents, buildings or both). Get paid to get home insurance: Don't just jump on promos - use the full system to see if you could join the growing band of home insurance profiteers. First combine the results of the comparison sites (as many as you've time for) GoCompare*, MSP*, Confused*, CompareTM* (includes all promos above bar Aviva & Direct Line) to get the cheapest quote, then check whether there's hidden cashback available on it. The record is a quote of £52.50, with cashback of £120, meaning £67.50 profit. FULL info in the Step-By-Step Guide: Cheap Home Insurance

Code gets £8 photo collage for free (though £3 P&P) Until 30 Jan, a code lets you upload, design and print a 18" by 10" poster. See the Forum Note: Free photo collage

11,000 free eBooks - classic texts for nowt
Download and read full books by Dickens, Shakespeare, Austen, Tolstoy and 100s more
A web retailer's offering over 11,000 classic books free in online form (you download & read on your computer). Full details in the Forum Note: Free eBooks

Overhaul Your Finances. Video of the Week. Top Tips to Save £1,000s A five step plan to assess, save, cut back, balance and prioritise your spending... Ok so the New Year's bills are now in... credit cards, water, energy and more, so this is the perfect time to sit down, sort it out and save £1,000s. That's no exaggeration, many people save four figures by working through every element of their finances. Video of the week: To accompany the full step-by-step guide, I've just filmed a new six minute video with BBC1 Watchdog taking you through the five steps - and what to think about. Video Of The Week/Guide: Both are in the Money Makeover guide, you can also see it on the Watchdog website. Related: Free Budget Planner And see 'Can you save £1,000 in a day' ITV1 Tonight Thur 7:30pm

How would you improve UK bank accounts? We're meeting the Office of Fair Trading next week, and want your feedback and suggestions to take with us. Forum Feedback Link: Have your say on current accounts

£15,322 donated to DEC Haiti Relief. Thank You! The response to our 50p to Haiti for all new recipients of this email note last week was overwhelming (see 50p Haiti info), the money's been donated.

Great 'What I wish I'd known as a first time buyer...' Hunt
So they've saved up their (big) deposits and decided it's time to get on the housing ladder... We want to ask homeowning MoneySavers what they wish they'd known before taking the plunge - whether it's estate agents, surveys, dry rot or kitchens - to help the next generation of buyers. Add your ideas/read other people's: Great 'What I wish I'd known before I bought my first home' Hunt Past Great Hunts: View all

Which?'s big banking debate London on Thurs 4 Feb It's launching a commission on how the banking system needs change, if you want to attend (it's free) and have your say, see the MSE News story: Which? 'Future of Banking' debate

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT:
Airline: Ryanair Price: £9.99 e/w Ends: 28 Jan Our pick this week is the Ryanair £9.99 e/w sale: On until midnight Thurs 28 Jan, it includes some taxes & charges. It's for Tues 9 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. 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

MoneySavingExpert Job Opportunities Junior IT Technician and Web Developer. See the Forum Note: Jop Opportunities

Free online computer courses for adults
The community network, UK Online Centres, has launched a set of five, free, short courses to help get people started using computers and the internet. They cover the basics of getting online: if you're already up to speed they could be good for friends or family. Full details, plus let us know what you thought in the Forum Note: Online Basics Related: Cheap Broadband

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Would you give debt collectors someone's address?
You've just moved into a new rental property, and note a stream of debt letters for the previous tenant, threatening legal action from utility companies, parking tickets and more. You're worried bailiffs may turn up. Through friends of friends you know you can get the prior tenant's address. Would you pass them on to the debt collectors or just write 'return to sender'? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Would you give debt collectors someone's address? Previous MMDs: View All

Great 'Champagne MoneySaving App Ideas' Hunt Result
We're always looking for ways to make MoneySaving easier and we want to build some handy apps for web browsers and mobiles. So, last week, we asked MoneySavers for their ideas. There were some fab suggestions, including a spending diary, restaurants with vouchers locator and interest rates monitor

BOARD OF THE WEEK: UK Armed Forces MoneySaving
Great tips for families in the Armed Forces
There's not a day where the Armed Forces aren't in the news. The UK Armed Forces MoneySaving board is full of advice for families that have members in the Forces. Recent discussions include poor credit due to moving around?, son wants to join and claiming mileage.

Did you get a pay rise or cut in 2009? This week's poll
Vote and Recessed? discussion.

Families book hols early, singles stay home. 14,128 voted.
Last week we asked when you book your summer hols. Of families & couples, 51% have already booked or are in the process, while 23% plan to stay home. In the world of singles, just 26% have booked or are planning to, while 32% will book a last minute deal and 42% won't go at all. See By The Book poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week!
Turn the cogs the right way in puzzle game Grayscale

Pride and Prejudice Smilie style. That's it for this week, but before we go, thought you may like to see the perfect fusion of classic literature and emoticons (smilies) - never thought I'd write that! My dear Mr Darcy :)

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team