Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Massive New Top Cash ISA - min. 3.5% tax-free A&L's new easy access best-buy promises to beat base rate by 3% If you don't use your annual ISA allowance, you lose it, and with less than six weeks to go before the ISA year closes, a just-launched deal's blown everything else out of the water. New Top Cash ISA: Alliance & Leicester (and sister bank Santander) now has an easy access Flexible ISA paying 3.5% AER (min £1) that uniquely guarantees to be 3% above base rate for the first year, so if UK rates rise, what you're paid will too. While this is a mammoth best-buy, after a year, the rate'll plummet; diarise it so you can transfer to a new top provider. It's only for NEW ISAs. You can't transfer old cash ISAs into it; For that the top is the previous market leader First Direct at 2.75% AER guaranteed until Aug 2011 (after which it drops to a pitiful 0.2%). Quick Cash ISA facts: A cash ISA is simply a tax-free savings account where all UK adults can save £3,600/year (or £5,100 for over 50s) and not pay tax on the interest. FULL info, alternatives & savings safety details in the Updated Guides: Cash ISAs, Transfer old ISAs Related: Top Savings, Safe Savings

Instant discount codes: Debenhams 20% off, New Look 15%, Dorothy Perkins 20%
Plus Evans 15% off, Wallis 20% off, The Body Shop £5 off £10 & WaitroseDeliver £15 off £60
Join Habitat 10% off code & voucher and Warehouse 25% off (with mag) in the Daily Deals List: Shopping Vouchers

Cheapest netbooks: Sub-£200 mini laptops
Super-portable but less powerful computers for the basics
The launch of new processors has pushed down prices on last season's models. Deals List: Cheap Netbooks

Bank Charges Reclaiming Part II: New 'Going to Court' Guide
New legal arguments to take banks on - though via the risk-free Ombudsman's still preferable
Make no mistake, you don't want to take the banks on in court unless you have to. By far the best way to reclaim charges is to read the Bank Charge Financial Ombudsman guide (with free template letters) so start there. Who's the new court guide for? Those whose case is already on hold in court, or who don't qualify for the Ombudsman's hardship criteria. It contains the new legal arguments that may hold the key to cracking down on charges. Is it easy to do? Let's not beat about the bush, if you're not eligible for the Ombudsman, the legal route isn't going to be easy and if you lose you won't get the court fees back, plus there's a small chance you may need to pay the bank's legal costs. Yet, do read through the guide and see if it's suitable for you. FULL info and free template letters in the New Guide: Bank Charges Court Claims Related Reclaiming: Credit Card Charges, PPI, Mortgage Exit Fees

Spend £12 on DVD rental get £40 Tesco Rewards (£28 PROFIT)
1,000 Clubcard points worth £40ish in rewards with Tesco DVD Rental. Min cost £4/mth for 3 mths
New customers to Tesco DVD rental can get 1,000 clubcard points for signing up. See the Deals Note: Tesco loophole

Free Grazia, Closer etc with every 2L Diet Coke (& 3 bottles for £3)
Lots of £2ish mags inc. More! and Heat. Grab a code then print a voucher for the mag
Or even better the 3 bottles for £3 promo means three free mags. Full info in the Deals List: Free mags

Free directory enquiries & trick so it's free from mobiles too Many cost £1+ per enquiry. Yet the cheapest is 24p or free if you'll listen to an ad Directory enquiries services are money making machines, most charge a connection fee plus a per minute rate eg a 1 min call is £1.20 on 118118 and £1.40 on BT. FREE Directory Enquiries: Register online at 118.com, then dial 0800 118 3733, listen to a short ad and it's free. Yet the service is 'automated' so it ain't too quick. Alternatively the cheapest 'normal human' service is 118 226 at a flat 24p for up to two enquiries. Free from mobiles trick: Don't just dial the 0800 enquiries number as sadly it costs to call 0800 numbers from most mobiles. Instead go to the 0800buster site which will give you a normal phone number to call (therefore it's included in your free minutes if you have them). Once connected, you can then dial ANY 0800 number, including the free enquiries one, and it'll put you through at no further charge. FULL info in the Updated Guide: Free Directory Enquiries, 0800 buster Related: Cheap Mobiles, Free Texts

New! Pizza Hut 2for1 & Gordon Ramsay pubs 2 courses £18
Plus due to end 28 Feb! La Tasca 50% off, Strada 2 mains for £10 and GBK 2 burgers 'n' fries for £12
These join even more deals - Pizza Express, ASK, Prezzo, Giraffe and Ha Ha - in the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers

[[tip_box_in_tip]]

£1 off Amazon download code - get some top MP3 Albums for £4
Spend £5 on downloads & get £1 off via code. Extra savings an already cheap provider
Get £1 off any combination of downloads over £5. There are lots for a fiver so the code makes them £4. Get the code: £1 off Amazon downloads

Cheapest Loans: 7.9% APR for £7.5k+ borrowing
Loan rates most expensive for NINE years. Find out how to keep costs to a minimum and save £100s
Scandalously we've the lowest base rate in history, but research by Moneyfacts shows the cost of loans is at a nine year high. Yet be clever and you can keep costs down. Loan Checklist: If you need to borrow 1. Ensure it's 'unsecured', if not they can take your home if you don't repay. 2. Don't get payment protection insurance with the loan, a specialist PPI insurer is cheaper. 3. Borrow as little as possible over as short a period as possible. 4. Budget to calculate affordable repayments. Cheapest Unsecured Uninsured Loans: These are all 'typical rate APRs' which annoyingly means 1/3rd of accepted applicants will be charged more. Under £5,000: Here even the cheapest is expensive, borrow over £2k and the Post Office is 13.9%, for less Alliance & Leicester's* a whopping 18.7%. Far cheaper is using a special credit card loan which can be as low as 5.6%. £5k - £7.5k: A&L* and Tesco are 8.9%. £7.5k-£15k: A&L's* cheapest at 7.9%, though Nectar cardholders can get the same from Sainsbury's and Nationwide* current account holders can borrow at 7.6%. FULL info, best-buys and unique cost calculator in the Updated Guide: Cheap Loans Related Guides: 0% for 16mths credit cards, Credit Card Shuffle

Automatic £120 cashback on Virgin TV, broadband & phone bundle
Go quick via special deal to get all three for equivalent £16/month or Sky+ HD for £20/month
Sign up via comparison site Simplify Digital* for £120 cashback. FULL info in Deals Note: Cheap Digital TV

Free Dance Lessons across England - Sat 6 & Sun 7 March
First come first served at 1,000 venues so book online now for salsa, tap, ballet & more
Lessons available from Change4Life for kids and adults. More on this in the Daily Deals List: Cheap Days Out

Council Tax: "I got £3,600 refunded & will save £285 a year" Are you in the right band? Major reclaim successes have flooded in This council tax rebanding success email says it all: "I thought there was little chance - but with nothing to lose I'd have a go. After checking the banding of neighbouring houses, it turned out one was band D and the others (including mine) band E. I started in June and got the decision in December, £3.624 refunded plus a saving of £284 a year going forward- well worth the time and effort. Thanks for so clearly setting out how to claim." Check 'n' challenge: There are two simple steps: first compare your band to neighbours in similar properties. This is easy, as it's all public data available instantly online. If you're overpaying, then simply work out your home's value in 1991, using free web tools. Everyone should try it. Full, pros and cons in the Step-by-Step Guide & Video: Council Tax Rebanding Related: Free Remortgage Guide, Stop Spending

Reminder. Cheapest Ever Broadband - £4/mth
The problems with the code listed last week have been fixed. The deal's available
Use the code '4monthsBB' on BroadbandChoices* to get 4mths free on Plusnet's already cheapest £6/mth deal (so over the year's contract it's an avg. £4/mth). Those who got 'invalid code' last week and carried on will be honoured. Full Info: Cheap Broadband

You're Challenged! Can you 'make-£10-a-day' or 'Save £2 a time'? Be inspired. Join MoneySavers challenging each other to make amazing savings Whether it's the gang who repaid £500,000 debt 50p at at time, Debtdesperado who eeked out her shampoo supply for 11 months, or Saorsie who's saved £50 in two months collecting £2 coins, big savings are possible with the right motivation. It's all part of the mutual challenges in the Debt-Free Wannabe board designed to help those in debt work together. Challenges include...The £2 savers' club: Everytime they get a £2 coin, the £2 savers' club siphon it away until their target's hit. Make £10 in a day: Promise to make an extra £10/day, be it from eBaying, survey stashing or overtime. Repayment a day: Pledge to make a repayment a day no matter how small - collectively this group's repaid nearly half a million. Crazy clothes challenge 2010: Promise to spend no more than £100 on clothes this year in the Crazy Clothes Challenge, instead polish and re-heel old shoes, scour charity shops & revive old outfits. Full list of challenges: DFW Challenges Related Board: Mortgage Free Wannabe Related Guides: Debt Help, Boost your income

FREE 'A Place In The Sun Live' tickets (usually £8) 10,000 available
Blagged for MoneySavers! The overseas property show's at London's Earls Court from Fri 26 - Sun 28 March
Register via a special link to get your free ticket, valid for one day. Full info in the Daily Deals List: Cheap Days Out

Car Insurance Price War: From £25 auto-cashback to 17% off
March's 'new registration' renewal time means deals galore. The record result's still 96p/year fully comp
As March is a new car registration month, many have insurance renewals due, meaning insurers are pumping out deals. Do a FULL comparison: Comparison sites search different companies, we've analysed their coverage to work out which to combine to get max. quotes in min. time. A wide spread can be achieved using just GoCompare* & MSMarket*. Yet keep an eye out for Tesco* as until next Wed it's offering 1,200 extra clubcard points (worth up to £48 in rewards) but the comparison sites don't break this out. If it's nearly cheapest, this may tip the balance. Check for missed deals: Two competitive major insurers aren't included by the comparisons, Direct Line* currently gives 52 days free per year (equiv. to 14% off), Aviva* gives 12 months for price of 10 (equiv. to 17% off). Try for added cashback: Comparisons sites Beatthatquote* and Moneyexpert* both give £25 automatic cashback if you take out policy via them. For possibly larger but less guaranteed amounts, try using cashback sites. The 96p record: This came from an original quote of £120.96, then £120 hidden cashback. Step-by-Step how to in the Full Guide: Car Insurance Related Insurance: Home, Van, Bike

Code for 25% off Family & Friends Railcard
Grab the card for £19.50 (normally £26) before 31 March and then get 1/3 off travel!
Up to 4 adults & 4 kids travelling together get 1/3 off adult & 60% off kids' tix. See the Deals List: Cheap Train & Coach Fares

Teachers' Financial Education Conference: 20 Free Tickets
Martin's talking at the DCSF's launch of the new finance curriculum to teachers. Want to come?
We've 20 tickets (inc. transport costs) for interested MoneySaving teachers for 24 March. Want a ticket: Find out how

Did you cap with E.ON last year? Switch urgently now!
E.ON cap ends 1 March, then you'll be on a pricey standard tariff
Last year, to beat the ensuing 30% plus price hikes, 100,000s capped. One big E.ON cap is about to end soon and costs will JUMP. In the next month British Gas, Scottish Power and EDF all have caps ending. Capped comparison. Most comparison sites only use your capped rate to compare, but more important is the rate the cap goes to. Energyhelpline* incorporates the new rate too (& gives £15 cashback via this link). FULL info & explanation in the Cap Guide: Switching from a cap. Main Guide: Cheapest Gas & Elec

How safe are pushchairs? Consumer watchdog Consumer Focus is investigating their safety and want your Pushchair safety feedback

Great 'What I wish I'd known when selling my house' Hunt
A month ago we asked MoneySavers what they wish they'd known before buying their first pad. We were blown away by the volume of fab tips, so now want to ask folks for their best advice for newbie home sellers. Whether it's HiPs, estate agents or enticing buyers with baking smells, please impart your hard-learned wisdom. Add your ideas/read other people's: Great 'What I wish I'd known when selling my house' Hunt Past Great Hunts: View all

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT:
Airline: Ryanair Price: £5 e/w Ends: 26 Feb
Ryanair has a million flights for £5 each way (inc. some charges) from various UK airports to over 50 destinations. Speedily find them using the Updated Guide: £5 Flights then beat the scores of add-on charges with the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance

Want to write a will? Don't be put off by cost
Get solicitor-drafted wills cheap or, online or via charities
Which?'s online service currently has £15 off and one charity scheme, WillAid recently announced raising over £1million for its chosen charities. More detail on these and lots of other options in the Full Guide: Free Wills

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA:
Should Hilary buy Chelsea's fags for her?
In honour of MSE's 7th Birthday we thought we'd dig out our first ever MMD and see if views have changed!
Hilary is nipping off to Spain for a long weekend; her daughter Chelsea wants her to buy 40 packets of cigarettes as they're a fraction of the price over there and she'll save serious cash. Yet Hilary hates smoking and especially the fact Chelsea smokes in the house where her 5 year old son (and Hilary's grandson) little Bill lives; however if she doesn't buy them Chelsea will buy them elsewhere and they'll be much more costly. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Hilary buy Chelsea's fags for her? Previous MMDs: View All

Book giveaway RESULT. 'Live & Work In Australia'
25 copies blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one

Great 'Supermarket staff tell us your reduction policies' Hunt Result
There’s nothing better than an inspiring day inside a museum during the cold winter. So, last week, we asked MoneySavers for their top free museums. There were some fab suggestions, including 75% off fresh food at end of day, discontinued frozen ranges and yellow stickers policy

BOARD OF THE WEEK: Disability & Dosh
Support, help and MoneySaving tips for coping with disabilities
The disability and dosh board is full of mutual support from other MoneySavers and brimming with tips on dealing with disability. Recent discussions include holidays for disabled children, people's acceptance of illness and DLA mobility rules for the blind

What's the hottest high st. voucher? This week's poll
Vote and High st. discounts discussion.

Half of you would take a job for less overall income
Asked whether you'd take a job even if it meant less overall than you'd get on benefits, the vote was split exactly down the middle, with 50% saying yes and 50% saying no. See the Job seeker? poll result.

Archna's Free Game of the Week!
Make monkey burst as many balloons as possible. Bloons Super Monkey

Date like it's 1938. That's it for this week, but before we go – lessons from a historic guide to dating, ladies learn to keep mouths shut, don't drink, wear a bra and don't talk about clothes if you want to bag a man. The secret of a successful date

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team