Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email
Over 50 ways to save, incl... £120 vch for Xmas, Green Homes Grant checker, 1.2% savings, home working cash, motoring savers, 50 coupons, Google Nest trick, beware energy hikes
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DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads |
It's been a lean year for new credit card bonuses, but there are still some good long-standing deals, and now is the perfect time to get them if you want a cash boost for (dare we mention it) Christmas. Like most card freebies, you must spend a minimum sum in a set time - often three months - to trigger the bonus. But only do it if you're debt-free and have a good credit history, and for normal spending you've budgeted for, as they're not an excuse to overspend. Then pay IN FULL each month to avoid interest.
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New. Green Homes Grant eligibility tool. The Govt scheme in Eng launches in late Sep, offering up to £5k vchs - now it's launched a tool to check what you may be eligible for, eg, insulation. See Green Homes Grant latest. Working from home? How to claim for additional expenses. It's been more than 5mths since millions were required to work from home, though some have since gone back. If it's created increased costs (eg, bigger energy bills), you can ask your employer to pay you £6/wk tax-free (but with many firms struggling, that may be tricky). Or, there's a tax break you can claim yourself, which for 20% taxpayers is worth £1.20/wk, and for 40% payers it's £2.40/wk. Full details, incl how and when to claim, in Martin's home working blog. New. Top 1yr fixed savings - 1.2%. If you're happy to lock cash away, you can get 1.2% AER fixed for 1yr from Paragon (min £1k). It's hardly a rate to bring out the bunting for, but given six weeks ago the top standard 1yr fix was a paltry 0.95%, it shows fresh signs of life in the market. Full info and more options, incl 1.16% easy-access rates, in Top Savings. 'Eat Out to Help Out' extended at Toby Carvery, Harvester, Slug & Lettuce etc. The official Govt 50% off discount is over, but some eateries are offering similar schemes at their own expense. See where 'Eat Out to Help Out' is extended Ends Fri. Cheapest 64GB iPhone 11 with 5GB data. MSE Blagged. A new smartphone isn't MoneySaving, but if you'll get one anyway, at least get it for less. Until 11.59pm Fri, via this link for the iPhone 11 with 64GB storage*, new customers of iD Mobile (uses Three's network) get 5GB/mth of data + unlimited mins & texts for £39.99 upfront when using code IDM10OFF. It's then £32.99/mth, making it £831.75 over the 2yr contract. It's the cheapest way we've seen to get this combo and is £200 less than similar 4GB deals. For more, see Cheap iPhones & Samsungs. Trick to get a £49 Google Nest Mini for £10 (or 'free' if you've Spotify Premium). This is about manipulating a deal from the music streaming service for the Google Nest Mini (formerly the Google Home Mini), but stock could be limited. |
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Double energy warning - act NOW to save £250+/yr
Meanwhile, standard tariff prices will fall by an avg £84/yr in Oct as the regulator has cut the cap for 'em, but don't jump for joy. If you're on one, you may get a letter from your firm shouting about the cut - and BG, E.on & SSE letters are already going out. But it only makes these rates a little less pricey and you can still save an avg £250+/yr by switching So here are today's top deals - all for newbies only and all except for Outfox are only avail via our Cheap Energy Club links. They incl £25 MSE dual-fuel cashback where avail. We've led on fixes as they offer security while prices are rising as the rate is, er, fixed.
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Cinemas are back - so we've 10 tricks, incl a year's 2for1 films for £2, two Vue tix for £7 for some & can you take your own food? With the major chains now back open across the UK, we've big screen savings. 50+ supermarket coupons & cashback, incl £1.50 off Tetley & Nescafe + 'free' £2ish Lindt choc. See Sep's top coupons & cashback. 'I saved £36/yr on Netflix as I didn't realise I was paying its top price - thanks.' John used our 18 Netflix hacks to cut costs. You can too, incl how to save up to £72/yr, free alternatives and can you share accounts? EXTRA 30% off already-reduced Adidas, Timberland, Hunter wellies, Vans and more shoes. MSE Blagged. Via Shoeaholics outlet code. Also includes Kurt Geiger and other designer brands. Step this way First Child Trust Funds mature in Sep - what's yours worth? These tax-free savings accounts were available for ALL born from 1 Sep 2002 to 2 Jan 2011, where the Govt paid most people a free £250-£500, but it'll likely be worth much more now. They're accessible at 18, and with about 60,000 hitting that milestone this month, but many may have forgotten they even had one. See how to find a CTF & what to do with it. Ends Sun. Get a train season ticket refund for unused journeys in the past 8 weeks. That's on top of the usual refunds available for the portion that covers future travel you don't want to use. Claim backdated train refunds |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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Student loan interest in Eng & Wal has risen to 5.6% - should I panic? That's the rate from Sep for those from Eng and Wal who started uni in 2012 or later, and is up from 5.4% (for those from Scot and NI, and all 1998-2011 starters, it's still 1.1%). Yet don't be misled by the headline figure, as for most, interest is actually IRRELEVANT. See more in Martin's 'Should I pay off my student loan?' guide. Extra 40% off Hot Diamonds outlet, eg, £40 earrings for £17. MSE Blagged. Plus free deliv. Hot Diamonds SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: Want an MSE Charity grant of up to £7,500? Our charity's latest grant-giving round is now open. It's themed on 'building and developing resilience', so if you're interested in applying, your group's project should be focused on building financial life skills, to support people recovering from the impact of coronavirus, and to equip them to move forward. You can check if your project is eligible and apply via the MSE Charity website. The round closes once the charity accepts 40 applications, or on Fri 25 Sep, whichever comes first. |
THIS WEEK'S POLL Will you be travelling abroad over the next year? International travel has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. While some travel restrictions have now been lifted, others are still in place. As the current situation continues to shift, some are starting to look further ahead. Will you be travelling abroad over the next year? The vast majority of you are worth MORE than you owe. Last week, we asked you to calculate how much you are worth, or how much you owe (excluding mortgage and student loans). Over 13,000 of you responded, and encouragingly only 15% said they were in overall debt. Older age groups were better off than their younger counterparts, with 30% of over-65s sitting on a net worth of £500,000 or more. See the full net worth poll results. |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I have asked for a refund after using Eat Out to Help Out? I went to a favourite restaurant to take advantage of the Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme before it ended. Normally a main is £12.50, which is reasonable for the quality, but with 50% off it was £6.25. Yet the food wasn't as good as usual - my meal was cold, dry and stodgy. Because I was paying a reduced amount I didn't feel I could complain, even though I knew the restaurant would be paid the full price. Should I have asked for my money back? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I have asked for a refund after using Eat Out to Help Out? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs |
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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 2 SEP ONWARDS) Mon 7 Sep - BBC Radio 5 Live, Ask Martin Lewis, 12.20pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (MOST SUBJECTS TBC) Wed 2 Sep - BBC Radio Manchester, Drive with Phil Trow, from 2.25pm, Gary Caffell on mobile MoneySaving |
WHAT'S IN YOUR ULTIMATE MONEYSAVING BURGER? That's it for this week, but before we go... it was National Burger Day last week, so for a bit of fun we opened up the MSE Build-a-Burger Bar on our social channels, with loads of you creating your perfect burger - within a £5 limit (we had to keep it MoneySaving, of course). Everybody is given a bun and a patty to begin with and a list of toppings to choose from. You all relished the challenge with bacon, egg and cheese among the favourites, while we had to laugh at the cheeky MoneySaver who wanted to know if it was part of the Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme. Let us know what you'd choose in the MSE Build-a-Burger Bar Facebook post. We hope you save some money, stay safe, |
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