Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email
Over 50 ways to save incl... £5 M&S/Next clothes, Thomas Cook help, 1.21% mortgage, FAST b’band, top LISA, Nectar revamp, Wonga warning
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DON'T believe the fake ads on Facebook |
They say every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, the poor world economic outlook combined with UK uncertainty means the rates at which banks lend to each other have fallen in the last few months. It's partly these long-term rates that mortgage firms base their fixes on, so mortgage rates have fallen too. Of course they may well drop further, but as they're cheap right now, EVERYONE with a mortgage should check now if they can switch and save. Let's go through it.
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Thomas Cook collapse: Detailed MSE help - whether you're abroad, or now not going. We've put huge resources into trying to answer all your questions, from biggies: "Will I get home for free?" and "Will I get my money back?" to the others like: "Should I cancel my direct debit?" or "Can I claim cash if I got a repatriation flight?" Successes are already coming in. See Thomas Cook consumer help. Thomas Cook staff? Tough week for you - see redundancy & pension help. STOP PRESS. British Gas back as cheapest Big 6 energy firm - save £260/yr. Big 6 prices have been on a roller-coaster recently - first rising, then dropping in recent days, though not quite to early Sep levels. E.on cut rates on Fri to be the cheapest biggie but late on Tue BG's Energy Plus Protection deal for new AND existing dual fuel custs trumped it. It's only avail via comparisons such as ours, which gives £25 cashback (the link takes you there to compare against other big names). Ends Sun. £4.75 for M&S, Next, River Island etc coats, shoes, dresses & more. MSE Blagged. Discounter sells de-tagged surplus stock from high street stores and we've a code to cut the cost. Everything5pounds Revealed: The Sainsbury's Nectar revamp. See Nectar changes uncovered. Ends Thu. Virgin 100Mb b'band & line '£19/mth'. MSE Blagged. Via this link, Virgin Media newbies pay £25/mth, but a £75 bill credit means it's £225 over the year, equiv to £18.75/mth - 50% of homes qualify, check eligibility via the link. Top Lifetime ISA 1.4% plus 25% first-time buyers' boost. 18 to 39-year-olds can start saving in a LISA and then get a 25% boost when it's used to buy a first property (ie, £250 per £1,000 saved). Moneybox* pays 1.4% AER variable (min £1) on its cash LISA, but read our full LISA guide first so you know what you're doing. If you plan to buy within a year or aren't sure you'll definitely buy, a Help to Buy ISA (which also gives the 25% boost, but on a smaller amount) may be better - see H2B ISAs v LISAs. Ends Mon. You've less than a week to reclaim mis-sold Wonga payday loans. See Wonga help. |
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'They wanted £2,350 for home insurance, I got it for £310 thanks to MSE' You too could pocket a tidy saving in just 5 mins by following our simple cost-cutting steps From time to time, you'll hear us shout from the rooftops how to save on your home insurance, especially if you are being price-walked. This is where insurers lure you in with a cheap price, then 'walk up' the cost slightly each year on renewal. Robin emailed us one of the biggest hikes we've seen (more sprinting than walking), but he beat 'em: "After my first year, my insurer tried to hike my insurance from £696 to £2,350. I followed your tips and got cover for £313. Not bad at all, thanks." Our Cheap Home Insurance guide has full info on how you can save too. Here are the foundations...
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Waiters/restaurant workers (esp in chains), please tell us what happens to your tips. Carluccio's has said it gives cash tips to waiting staff, but card tips are split between all staff, including managers, based on hours worked. We want to know how it works elsewhere, so customers who tip can understand where it goes. Please tip us off. Burger King 'free' kids' meal when you recycle a plastic toy + more hacks for whopping savings. See all 12 BK hacks. Please eat responsibly. New. 20%-40% off airport lounge access, making 'em £17-£32. Works for Heathrow (T3 & T4), Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh and some in Oz. For travel till 31 Dec. Cheap Airport Lounges Hot Diamonds 30% off EVERYTHING incl its outlet, eg, £80 ring for £17.50. MSE Blagged. We've a code valid on all of its jewellery, even its online sale/outlet where items already have up to 50% off. Hot Diamonds 'Free' £25 Amazon vch if you use a plumber, electrician or other handyperson from British Gas-backed site. MSE Blagged. We can't vouch for the quality of the work, but its Local Heroes site has 7,000 vetted & reviewed tradespeople, and we've blagged a bonus for 600 newbies. Local Heroes UCAS backs down over debt ads - but not enough. The university admissions service is taking some action after Martin challenged it over ads for commercial loans in its emails, but he's calling on it to go further. UCAS latest |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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60+ student MoneySaving tips... incl get £100 to open a current account If you (or your kids) are heading off to uni this autumn, you'll likely be swamped with tales of cold baked beans and money misery. Yet we've loads of help, support & tricks in our 60+ Student MoneySaving Tips - here are a few...
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Smyths toys £10 off each £50 spend, so £20 off £100 etc. Rare discount (good for Xmas) in-store till Sun. Smyths SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: £35 for 7 bottles of wine & 2 glasses (norm £73). MSE Blagged. 1k avail for Naked Wines newbies. Please be Drinkaware. |
THIS WEEK'S POLL Are you an app, web or a branch banker? Bank branches are closing and the digital revolution is taking over - not just online, but now with a host of app-based banks too. So we wanted to find out how you access your bank and whether it depends on your age. How do you access your bank most often? Aldi is your most-loved store, Sports Direct your most-loathed. In last week's poll, we asked you to pick up to five retailers you love and up to five you loathe. Over 3,800 people voted and Aldi picked up the most 'love' votes, with 39% of those who responded picking it as one of their favourites. Meanwhile, 27% said they 'loathed' Sports Direct. See full love or loathe poll results. |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I tell our hotel it made a mistake with the bill? I've just noticed our hotel bill only charged us for one £28.50 evening meal instead of two. Should I ring the hotel and offer to pay the rest? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I tell our hotel it made a mistake with the bill? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs THE QUICKIES - Debt-Free Wannabe chat of the week: Trying to make sense and find a way out of debt |
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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 25 SEP ONWARDS) Thu 26 Sep - Good Morning Britain, ITV, 7.35am MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (MOST SUBJECTS TBC) Wed 25 Sep - BBC Radio Cumbria, Money Talks with Ben Maeder, from 6pm |
QUESTION OF THE WEEK Q: I am midway through a contract for my home broadband, but the provider is increasing the cost. Is it allowed to do this and can I terminate the contract without paying a penalty? Kareem, via email.
Regulator Ofcom states that if your firm raises prices without having warned you before you signed up, you are allowed to leave penalty-free as long as you tell your provider within 30 days of being notified. Of course, only leave if you can beat the new price, though unless you're on a promo deal it's likely you could save £100s/yr by switching. See our Broadband Unbundled tool for the top deals. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
IS THE WRITING ON THE WALL FOR SIGNATURES? That's it for this week, but before we go... signing your name used to be an everyday occurrence - not least to pay by credit card or cheque - but is this still the case in 2019? We asked MoneySavers how often they use their signature, and there was a sharp divide. Half still use it regularly, often at work - one nurse told us: "I am forever signing". But the other half barely use it, with some saying an electronic signature is more use. So are signatures still a thing for you, or are they a thing of the past? Have your say on our Do you still use your signature? Twitter post. We hope you save some money, |
Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com worksWe think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong. What you need to know This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips). We often link to other websites, but can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, How This Site is Financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. More about MoneySavingExpert and Martin LewisWhat is MoneySavingExpert.com? Who is Martin Lewis? What do the links with an * mean?Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the products at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to them. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See How This Site is Financed. As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too: Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email americanexpress.com, bank.marksandspencer.com, moneyboxapp.com, moneysupermarket.com, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, gocompare.com, ageco.co.uk, intelligentinsurance.co.uk, directline.com, aviva.co.uk. mbna.co.uk. zopa.com, hsbc.co.uk, santander.co.uk Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). MoneySavingExpert.com Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number: 8021764. Registered office: One Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips. |