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Dec
22
2010

Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Over 50 ways to save incl... Don't miss tax refund!, Jan sales NOW, all Friends DVDs £20, call ANY country cheapest, 15% off Gap, £9 Travelodge, 0% for 16 mths, track Santa
This info may be out of date. Read this week's emails

Grab the latest deals, guides, tips 'n' tricks directly from Martin and the MSE team. Don't miss out

Martin's Quick Briefing

Tax refunds of £100s go to old homes
Warning! 100,000s may miss it. Tell HMRC right address NOW

Since we launched our Tax Code Checker, we've discovered loads of the 4m refund cheques for the past 2 tax years have landed on old doormats. Anyone who's changed address (partic. in last 2 years), and not told the taxman could be missing a massive rebate.

  • It's YOUR responsibility to update address... according to HMRC, which deals with all income tax. If you moved and can't remember telling it, do it NOW, using this online form. Your current employer can't do it.

  • How do I find out if I'm owed cash? Once the address is updated, ask HMRC if it sent a letter to your old home. 4m+ people overpaid tax in the last two years (and 1 million paid too little) - the biggest rebate we've heard is a whopping £3,600.

  • What if I didn't know I owed them? If you underpaid by under £2,000, the money will be taken from paypackets between Apr 2011 and Apr 2012. Those owing more must make payments; although HMRC could charge interest if late, it's said it'll be lenient if you didn't get the letter.

  • EVERYONE should check their code now! The tax you pay depends on a 'tax code' - you have one for each job/pension. We've built a unique Tax Code Checker to quickly find discrepancies. Some experts believe NINE MILLION paid the wrong tax in the last 6 years - you can reclaim all overpayments.

Read the full MSE News: 100,000s could miss rebate.

PS. A festive quickie

We want to wish all MoneySavers a Merry Christmas. So as the site's about opening people's eyes on ways to save, to say thanks for your support, we've opted to give a gift of sight for 100.

Now some housekeeping. I'm taking an early break this week so this email's in the MSE Team's more than capable hands. I'm back for the next send, which'll be on Thur 30th.

PPS. Give the gift that keeps giving - pls tell someone about this email

Please suggest friends/family/colleagues get this free weekly e-mail from moneysavingexpert.com/tips

Mantras

THE ONES NOT TO MISS

New tool! Find the cheapest way to call ANY country
Revamped CallChecker works for BT, Sky, Primus. Call Oz/India for 0.5p/min

Most people HUGELY waste cash by just picking up the phone and dialling abroad. Call Australia in the day via BT and it's 27p/min, via Virgin 44p/min, yet it can be just 0.5p/min using specialist override providers - a £25+ saving on an hour's call. You don't need to change provider, just dial a prefix number to access cheaper rates. New International CallChecker: We've massively upgraded the CallChecker - which instantly searches the cheapest override providers - so you can see prices specific to your line rental provider (Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk etc), not just BT. Masses more features: As well as a more friendly look, we've added user-feedback ratings for each provider, all the international dialling codes, time zones, connection charges & more. For daily updated prices plus key warnings, use the New Tool: International CallChecker Related: Cheap Home Phones, Cheap Broadband

callchecker
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Jan sales NOW! Oasis, B&Q, Amazon, Laura Ashley
Up to 50% off! Sales now on but we're told REAL discounts kick in Xmas Eve. Sit tight if you can

Join sales soon at Debenhams, HoFraser, M&S, Selfridges, Argos & Accessorize. See Deals Directory: Sales Diary

Forum
Hottie

Friends Complete Collection DVD box set £20. Hot in the forum, next cheapest £45! In store at Morrisons until 24 Dec. Full info in the Deals Note: Hot Bargains & Deals

New! Top 16 mth 0% balance transfer & £20 refund
One-off 2.9% fee, get £20 back if shift £3,000+. Plus new ‘repay quicker’ card

In the 0% credit card debt switching war, there's a new winner, with an impressive margin of victory if you're shifting £3k+. 0% for 16 mths: The Barclaycard Platinum* card is 0% for 16 months for a one-off 2.9% fee, yet switch over £3,000 to it and the fee is cut by £20, reducing it as low as 2.2% (exact % depends on amount transferred) - a cracking best buy. Always fully repay within the 0% period - or switch again - or you'll pay the 16.9% APR. Debts under £3,000? The cheapest card is MBNA Plat Plus* , again 0% for 16 mths (16.7% after) but with a lower 2.88% fee. Virgin* (18.9%) is just behind, with a 2.89% fee. Can you repay quicker? If you won't need 16 mths to clear debt, a different Barclaycard Platinum* deal gives 0% for 14 mths for a 2.7% fee (16.9%). This is cheaper anyway, yet also has the £20 discount for £3k+ switches, slashing the fee as low as 2%. Who are these for? New cardholders only, plus you must pass a credit check. Always make at least the min. monthly repayments or you can lose promo rates and your rights. FULL info & more best-buys in the Updated Guide: Best Balance Transfers Related: 0% for 13mths On New Spending, 7.6% Loans

balancetransfer
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Travelodge £9 & Premier Inn £19 rooms
UK hotel sales! Travelodge 100,000 £9 rooms & 75,000 at £15. Starts 6am Wed 29 Dec for 2011 stays

Premier Inn has 50,000 £19 rooms for 1 Jan-14 Feb (usually £59-£109). Sale starts 24 Dec. Deals Directory: Hotel Sales


15% off code for "beyond best-before" store Approved Food
Super cheap deals inc. 3 x honey & mustard dressings for 99p, 12 x risotto rice portions for £1
£5.25 P&P so mainly for bulk-buys. No guaranteed Xmas deliv. but it's poss. See Deals Directory: Discount Vouchers

Had this forwarded to you? Get it every week for free

Big Freeze: your travel & benefit rights. Cancelled flights/trains/coaches usually mean money back, plus poss. extra cash. Some households get cold weather payments to help with heating costs. Full info in MSE News: Big Freeze travel rights and Cold Weather Payments


URGENT! Free Lonely Planet iPhone city guide apps
Ends 2am Thur. Even if travelling in a year grab now. Inc. London, Amsterdam, Prague & ten more

Apps use map software to tell you nearby recommended restaurants & sights and worth £3.49 each. See the Deals Note: Hot Bargains, Deals & Steals

Last minute high street Xmas bargains

Christmas Gadgets galore:
£15 Remington Hair Dryer at Argos (£40 elsewhere),
Canon Powershot 12megapix camera for £69 (was £130) at Currys.
Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3/Xbox game) for £30 at Morrisons.
Christmas Champagne:
£10 champers in store from Tesco & Asda or £13 at M&S.
Christmas Instant gift vouchers:
From Amazon, ASOS, Play, Hamleys & many more. Full e-voucher details.
Christmas And still more! Plus mag subscriptions, charity giving and gift experiences galore.

Full details and more deals are in the Deals Note: Last Ditch Gifts

Always stick to a budget: Giving gifts is great, but don't spend what you can't afford - follow the Money Mantras (see top of this email).

christmas gifts
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Debt worries over Christmas? Sadly Xmas isn't jolly for all. If you (or a friend) have debt worries, read the debt help guide for free one-on-one help. Many say, after help, "I finally got a decent night's sleep."


Last min vouchers! Peacocks 20% off, Gap 15% off
Instant codes: Deb'ms 10% | BodyShop 20%. In £1 papers: Build-a-Bear £5 off £20 | Past Times 20%

Join Wallis 20% off, Vertbaudet £15 off £20 and H&M 25% off. See the Deals Directory: Discount Vouchers


Beat 14% stamp price hike. 1st class rise by 5p & 2nd class by 4p on 4 April (3x rate of inflation).Yet buy stamps NOW that state 1st/2nd class to beat it. Plus 5% off til 4 Jan at Superdrug. See News: Stamp price rises

New Guide! Restaurant rights
Bad service, bad food, what are my rights? New full Q&A

Whether it's Claridges, Pizza Express or Burger King, you've got rights when eating out. So whether it's 'what if the food ain't up to scratch?', 'can I get free tap water?', 'is the tip a must?' or 'how to split the bill?' this quick Q&A should help. Know your rights! Just like banks, airlines or phone companies, all eateries must provide service with Reasonable care & skill, within a reasonable time & at a reasonable cost. Simply put, if you asked a sensible, fair-minded friend, would they agree it wasn't reasonable? Did you get ill? If the food was so bad you ended up in a sickbed, you could get compensation for the cost, plus any pain and loss of earnings. If it looks dodgy though, always tell the waiter and don't eat! Save money on meals out: There's a full list of deals in the Restaurant Vouchers and London Eating Out guides. Crucially you have a right to the same service as if you'd paid full price. For full answers to all these questions & more see the full New Guide: Restaurant Rights Related: Consumer Rights, How To Complain

steak_frites
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Track Santa as he delivers pressies around the world. Nifty site to watch Santa's progress bringing pressies for your little (and not-so-little) ones. See the Forum Note: Track Santa


Slug & Lettuce £10 off £20 & La Tasca £10 all you can eat
Restaurant vouchers! Plus Pizza Hut 2for1 | GBK £10 for 2 small burgers & fries

Join All Bar One 3 dishes & wine for £15, Domino's £5 off £25 & Pizza Hut Del. £10 off £25. See the Deals Directory: Restaurant Vouchers


Will new student loans stop grads getting a mortgage? Read Martin's student loan blog

The Big & Easy Ways To Save
Quick links or click the titles for full pros, cons, alternatives & more savings

MORE MONEYSAVING

£15 tickets to Christmas shows in London (worth £30-£40 each)
Cheap Xmas days out! Plus £1 bowling tickets, 3 free kids cinema tix (with adults) & 95p Shrek Vue

Join 2 hours for 1 at the Chill Factore and free beginner's golf course. See the Deals Directory: Cheap Days Out


Great 'Cheap Xmas Recipes' Hunt Result
Last week we asked MoneySavers to share their cheap and cheerful Xmas recipes to bring the cost of festive cooking down. There were some great tips, including cranberry mincemeat, turkey meatballs and salmon mousse.

Cheap Flight Sales

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT:
Airline: BMI Baby. Price: 50% off. Ends: For a limited time.
Our pick this week is the BMI Baby 50% off sale: The promotion's on for an unspecified limited time for flights until 26 March, and includes some taxes and charges. To find them quickly use the FlightChecker. 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.

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Great 'Embarrassing MoneySaving tips' Hunt
While we'd love to say ALL MoneySaving should be shouted loud + proud, there are some things we do to save money that we just don't want to tell friends about. From regifting unwanted Christmas pressies to ironing wrapping paper, what are your secret embarrassing MoneySaving tips? Add your ideas/read other people's: Great 'Embarrassing MoneySaving tips' Hunt Past Great Hunts: View all

Money Moral Dilemma

Real Life MONEY MORAL DILEMMA:
Should I buy the girlfriend a present?

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...
My wealthy uncle can never be bothered to buy us gifts for Christmas. Last year his girlfriend bought all the Christmas presents with his money and took the credit for it, gushing about how good her ideas were. So we felt we had to get her a present as well as for him. I know she's doing the same thing this year but I'm on a budget and I don't really want to get her another present. I don't want it to cause a fuss though. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I buy the girlfriend a present? Previous MMDs: View All Suggest: A Money Moral Dilemma

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Free Book Giveaway! 'Priceless'. About the hidden psychology of value. 60 blagged for MoneySavers. Want one?

Quick Forum Tips

Andrea's Freebies

More Tips: Tips, Tricks & Treats Full list: Freebies Repository
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Martin's Stuff

Cheap Travel Cash

Latest Blogs
The MSE Christmas Pub Quiz: ANSWERS!
Will new student loans stop you getting a mortgage?
I'm leaving the MSE Charity trustees (hurrah)
Appearances This Week:
Weds 22 Dec to Tues 4 Jan
Gabby Logan, Radio 5, Thurs 30 Dec, 12-1pm. The Consumer Panel

Daybreak, ITV1, Fri 31 Dec, between 7 & 8:30am. Savings Safety

Daybreak, ITV1, Tues 4 Jan, between 7 & 8:30am. Subject tbc
UK's Best Currency Rates
£100 will buy you:
Best Worst
Euro Flag 117.22 106.52
US Flag $ 154.15 140.27
Turkish Flag TL 236.10 214.12
Rates correct at 8.30pm Tues
Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash
Find Martin on facebook!Martin's Facebook Page All Martin's Appearances Cheap Travel Money Guide
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Board Of The Week

BOARD OF THE WEEK:
Christmas & Other Special Occasions

Christmas is nearly here so for any last minute cooking or cheap pressies questions, look no further! Recent discussions include homemade presents, cheap fake tree and Boxing Day buffet.

 

Question Of The Week

MoneySaving Polls

Q. My wife and I each hold Cash ISAs in our own names at the same bank as our savings / current accounts. Do the Cash ISAs count toward the £50K limit on our total savings, and should we move the ISAs to a different bank? Bill, by E-mail

MSE Sunny's A: The quick answer is yes. Each institution currently provides a total of £50,000 savings per person (not account). However, from 31 Dec 2010 this will increase to £85,000 in line with the rest of Europe. So you and your wife will EACH have a max.£85,000 worth of protection.

Total up your individual savings including ISAs, plus any money in current accounts - if they exceed £85k then in order to be 100% protected you should move some money out of that bank. Some brands share protection eg, Halifax & Bank of Scotland - for full info use the Which Banks Are Linked? tool in the Safe Savings guide.

If you decide to move your ISA, be careful. NEVER just withdraw the cash and take it to another bank - instead ask your new provider to do an 'ISA transfer' - then you'll keep the tax breaks - read the full Transfer Your Cash ISA guide to get it right.

This week's poll:

Count the cost of Christmas


Last week's poll result:

What's fair interest on a payday loan?

We asked what the max. allowed % APR and cost in pounds should be - and got shockingly different answers. Half MoneySavers polled said 10% APR should be the cap for £100 loan, but only 9% picked its monetary equivalent, £1.

The most popular max cost was £10 (42% of the vote), yet only 3% picked 200% APR as a fair max. - even though they are the same.

See full results

Suggest a question of the week (big general issues not personal q's pls)
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Game Of The Week

Archna's FREE GAME OF THE WEEK:
Xmas Bloons

Celebrities caught impersonating Santa!

Some famous figures have wrapped themselves in Santa's fuzzy white beard, but they're not fooling anyone. See if you can figure out who they are! Guess Santa

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

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