Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Gym membership from £10/month
Join the gym without losing pounds... erm, sorry, without gaining, erm. Oh, you know what we mean
Like leftover Christmas turkey, many gym goers fade fast. Never think a gym costs £50/month, if you're locked in for a year's contract, see it as a £600 bill. To help, we've a new Free or Cheap Gyms guide to slimming costs, here's a taster...

• Free passes for up to 7 days — to try or just use free spa. Never join a gym before seeing if it fits. To help, we've blagged free 7-day Fitness First passes (for new & past customers), plus 3 days at LA Fitness, free British Military Fit trials and more. See Free Gym Passes
• No-frills gyms from £10/month If you can forget saunas, jacuzzis and fit gym instructors, there's been an explosion in no-frills gyms. Prices are usually £10-£20/ mth, you can often cancel any time and MoneySavers' feedback is hugely positive. Also included are cheap 'n' cheerful local council leisure centres.
• First time gym user? Be honest with yourself. If you're podgy with a beer belly and surging with good first-time fitness intention, there's a decent chance your enthusiasm may wane, so a year's costly contract will only lose pounds from your wallet. Better initially to use a short-contract membership even if you pay slightly more per use/month until you're sure you'll stick. Eg, a 2 week Fitness First pass for £20 or Harpers £15.
• Signing a contract — what to watch for. If you're signing up for a year, remember sales staff often work on commission. So if their slick patter says, "If you're ill you can freeze membership, or take a holiday", ask to see it in the contract. If they say "it's not there but it's fine", make contemporaneous notes there, which have legal weight and, if possible, get them to sign to show it. See gym contract help and gym contract rights.

FULL list of cheap gym deals & what to check in the New Guide: Cheap Gyms Related: Free Weight Watchers

A balance transfer deal lets you shift existing debts at a much cheaper rate. Last week, we listed the longest 0% deals, now a new super low fee card's launched; a big winner if you can repay quickly. All cards require a credit check.

• New. 0% for 13 months with low 1% fee. New Natwest* or RBS* cardholders now get 0% for 13 months for a one-off 1% fee of amount transferred. Clear the debts by then and it saves c. £20 per £1,000 over longer 0% deals. If you need a little longer Barclaycard* is 0% for 16 months at a higher 1.6% fee. Repay in full (or shift again) before the 0% ends or they're 17.9% or 18.9% representative APR, respectively.
  
• 24 months' 0% with 3.2% fee. If you need longer to repay, at two years' 0% (3.2% fee) a different Barclaycard* is the longest 0% we've ever seen. Existing Barclaycard holders can go for Halifax* at 22 months' 0% (3.5% fee) or Virgin* 20 months 0% (2.99% fee). Repay in full (or shift again) before the 0% ends or they jump to 17.9%, 17.9% and 18.9% representative APR.
  
• Lock in 6.9% for life of balance NO FEE. If you need longer to repay (3-4yrs+) the Sainsbury's* card lets you shift debts to it at 6.9% APR with no fee. Yet this is a 'representative' APR, so only 51% of accepted applicants must get the 6.9%, others may pay more. While technically it's a variable rate, regulations mean you're effectively locking in, as provided you don't miss payments, you've a right to reject increases if you agree not to borrow more. See Rate Jacking rules.
  

The cards' low rates are usually only for shifted debts, so avoid new spending. Always pay at least min. monthly repayment on time or you may lose the 0%. Full help in the Updated Guide: 0% Balance Transfers Related: Cheap Loans, 0% Cards

FREE broadband for a year for some
Or £6.49/mth + £25 set up for all | £13/mth for line rental, broadband & calls

Too much cash is downloaded from the pockets of many who pay for broadband. There are some corking new deals to fix that. Full info in the updated Cheap Broadband guide, here are the headlines. Most deals available to 80% of UK:

• Cheapest broadband £6.49 month + £25 set up. Plusnet Value* has a 10GB download limit. Factor in the set-up charge and it's equivalent to £8.57/month.
  
  
• Get unlimited downloads for a smidgeon more. For heavy downloaders (watch TV, play games, etc) O2's All Rounder is £17.50/mth + £25.53 set up. Yet until 20 Jan you get 3 mths free, plus sign up via Simplify Digital* and after 90 days you get £80 cashback. Factor all in and the avg. cost over the year's contract is £8.58/month.
  
  
• FREE year's broadband for O2 customers. Those who've been an O2 mobile customer for 2+ years get its unlimited All Rounder deal half price, so it's £6.25/month and free connection — £75 for the year's contract. Sign-up via Simplify Digital* by 20 Jan to get £80 cashback 90 days later. In other words you're PAID £5 to get it.
  
  
• Line rental AND broadband £12.75/month. TalkTalk Essential's* half price deal gives free connection, eve & weekend calls plus broadband (available to 85% of UK) at £3.25/mth for the year's contract (deal ends 7 March). Pay £114 for a year's line rental upfront and it averages at £12.75/month all-in, less than BT line rental alone.

Full info, more best-buys in the Updated Guide: Cheap Broadband Related: Cheap Home Phones

MoneySavers do it together...
Join MoneySaving Club(s) | Incl challenges like 'Make £10 for a day' and 'Spend nowt for a month'

The MSE Forum was recently named the UK's 7th biggest social network. It has over 1m members and scores of hidden gems like these challenges — great for info, motivation, and competition. They're free, started by users, why not try one?

• The 'Pay ALL your debt off by Xmas' challenge. Started by mf0u1098, almost 300 others have joined, working together to Pay all debt by Xmas 2012. If that's too quick, get help in the Debt free wannabe board & Debt Help guide.
• The 'Store Cupboard' challenge. Started by Tiff in 2005, still going strong. Create a recipe using just your store cupboard's contents. When you've made your dish come back & share the recipe. Try the Store Cupboard challenge.
• The 'Make £10 a day' challenge. As founder aesop says: "A lot of people think it's impossible but it can and has been done." You must make £10 EXTRA a day, every day for a month by flogging stuff, mystery shopping, freebie loopholes or more. Try the Make £10 a day challenge (beginners tip: see the Boost your income guide).
• The 'Buy Nothing For a Month' challenge. It's a financial crash diet. As rictus123 says: "Petrol, food and bills are allowed... 31 days... no money for going out, clothes, random stuff, just essentials!" Buy Nothing For a Month.
• The '£2 Savers' club'. Collect every £2 coin you get and save it for a specific goal. Then bank it or spend it, it's up to you. See the £2 Savers' club, there's also the Sealed Pot Challenge.

Challenges stretch beyond just money (though always on a budget). There's the Runners Club, Giving Up Smoking, Quitting Booze, No More Pies, Pregnancy Club. For many more, see Tixy's 2012 Challenges Index. New to Forum? It can look scattergun but read down and remember it's a conversation, starting with first post, scrolling forward for the latest.

Cheap package holidays, eg, a week in Greece £229 per person
Get up to 10% off summer 2012 deals in the sales | 4-star Spain £301pp

Don't assume DIY flights and hotels on the web win. Travel agents sometimes smash these prices, especially if you're going away for 7, 10 or 14-days to traditional holiday resorts. Here's a taster of our full Cheap Package Holidays guide...

• If you can't book late, book early. With packages, booking within two months of the holiday is cheapest, as tour operators try to flog excess capacity. To take advantage, you must be super-flexible. If not eg, you need children's facilities or a specific hotel, instead grab early discounts; there are lots around now for summer. Current discounts incl £100 off per family or 40% off long-haul, see full Summer 2012 holiday sales.
• Don't accept the first price — haggle to save £100s. Tour operators make holidays, travel agents sell 'em, so many big tour operators' holidays are sold by multiple agents. Once you've found your trip, get ALL the details, then haggle. Ring a few agents to see who'll sell it to you cheapest. You can often cut up to 10% more on late deals, and a little less on earlier bookings. Savings can be £100s, see the full holiday haggling tips.
• Proof. Sub-£300 weeks in the sun. We spent half an hour calling and discovered these corking deals: a week 4-star Menorca self-catering £248; 4-star all-inclusive Egypt holiday for £260pp; Tunisia 3-star half-board £286pp.
• Avoid costly travel insurance - get a year's for £17. Agents often try to sell insurance yet it can be costly. Compare it to the following (via Moneysup as it's cheaper than direct) Annual: Virgin*: £17 individuals (£26 winter sports), £31 families. Single trip: Debenhams*: £10 individuals, £20 families (incl winter sports). Full best-buys, info & warnings: Cheap Travel insurance
  

Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels & Cheap Overseas Spending