Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email
Over 50 ways to save, incl... £5k home improve grants, 4% savings?, FREE wills, No7 calendar, MSE Credit Card Challenge, reclaim Childcare Vchs, Ted Baker 30% off
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DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads |
Martin's briefing of the week...
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The beauty Advent calendar season is starting... get £165ish of Boots No7 for £45. We love beauty Advent calendars, not so much to open the doors, but more as they're a canny way to get beauty products seriously reduced. One of the big ones launches next week, but as it's normally so popular it's best to sign up to the waiting list now to stand a better chance. Full info, analysis and a sneak peek of what's inside in our No7 beauty calendar review. Can you reclaim £100s or £1,000s of expired Childcare Vouchers, just like MSE Jenny did? Find out in expired Childcare Vouchers help. Diane: 'Autoswitch is brilliant. I'm 82 yrs old, and the hassle of trawling through energy providers will be over.' Her email was short, sweet and to the point. She's one of 1,000s who've joined our free MSE Autoswitch - our new tool that auto-compares-and-switches for you, likely to save you £200+ YEAR AFTER YEAR with ease. TO FIND OUT MORE, HAVE A 2-MIN PLAY TO SEE HOW IT WORKS. Amazon 'Prime Day' starts next Tue - our predictions, incl up to 50% off Echo speakers, up to 30% off a Fitbit? 'Prime Day' actually lasts two days, and rather than the usual Jul event, this year it's in Oct. While deals can often be a bit meh, you can pick up some corkers. Full analysis & tips in our Amazon Prime Day predictions. Free Mental Health & Debt booklet 2020. Saturday is World Mental Health Day, and as half of those in problem debt also have a mental health problem, read our Mental Heath & Debt 2020 PDF guide for lots of help. And remember, no debt problems are unsolvable, as MSE Kelvin's story from last year shows: 'I dug myself into £1,000s of debt while suffering from depression... now I'm digging myself out'. Ted Baker 30% off full-price items. MSE Blagged. We've early access to one of its rare codes. Ends Mon. Ted Baker
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New. Two FREE or cheap solicitor-drafted will schemes now on Anyone with assets should have a will. Without one, it's the intestate rules that dictate who gets what, rather than you. So if you don't have one, consider it whatever your age, especially if you're a cohabiting couple who aren't married or in a civil partnership. Don't assume the fact you've lived together for 20 years and have kids means anything in the eyes of the law. The gold standard for drafting a will is to get a solicitor to do it. Typically this will cost you at least £150, but right now there are two schemes where solicitors give their time in aid of charity, that can make this far more affordable. Full info in Free and Cheap Wills, but here's the lowdown...
For a range of other options, including half-price Which? wills codes, see our Free and Cheap Wills guide. PS: For many people, a Power of Attorney is just as important as a will. This means that if (and only if) you lose your faculties, someone can take over your finances to, for example, help pay for your care. |
Are you one of the UK's EXTREME MoneySavers? Martin's got a new ITV series, due next year. If you're an extreme MoneySaver, email savers@multistory.tv to tell 'em your successes. For example, do you never waste a drop of water (flushing the loo from your water butt)? Do you never spend a penny except reward points? Are you a champion haggler, or do you have any other specific MoneySaving skill? Earn £30 Amazon vchs via quick online surveys, searches, games & more. MSE Blagged. It's a popular site with MoneySavers, and newbies can bag the biggest bonus it offers. Swagbucks 48 craft beers for £48 delivered (norm £116ish). MSE Blagged. 3,000 boxes avail for newbies to Flavourly. (Please be Drinkaware.) Told to self-isolate & unable to work? Those on low incomes in Eng are now due a £500 payment. 4m on universal credit or other benefits may be eligible - though you can only claim (& backdate) once local authorities set up their systems, which should be by next Mon. Similar schemes planned in Scot, Wales & NI. £500 self-isolation help Tonik Energy stops trading - what you need to know. If you're one of its 130,000 customers, see full Tonik help. |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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That's likely because the amounts are pretty small - so the cost to banks of offering higher interest isn't huge. Couple this with the fact that banks love children, not just because they're cute, but because millions of people stick for life with the bank they saved in as a child. We're against loyalty that doesn't pay, but since banks are offering high rates, your kids may as well grab 'em now then move elsewhere if the rate drops. Full info in Kids' Savings - here are the top deals...
PS: If you've older kids, don't do this for them, do this with them so they learn about personal finance. For more help, download the free financial education textbook. |
SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: |
CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Should the Government act NOW to reform leasehold? The leasehold scandal's raged for years, but in 2017 the Government agreed to reform the system by banning the sale of new leasehold houses, restricting ground rents and making it easier to extend leases and buy freeholds. However, so far it hasn't acted to bring in legislation. The Government says it's waiting for parliamentary time - the National Leasehold Campaign says that's not good enough and is demanding reform is pushed through now. If you agree and want to show your support, you can sign its petition. See more on your rights in our What is a leasehold? guide. THE GREAT HUNT Have you ever used a loss assessor to help with an insurance claim - and was it worth it? A loss assessor is someone you appoint to fight your corner with an insurance claim (so we're not talking about a loss adjuster, who's appointed by the insurer to assess claims). We want to know if you've ever used an assessor, whether they were helpful and if they were worth the money. Please let us know your loss assessor experiences. |
THIS WEEK'S POLL How do you prefer to contact customer services? Many firms' phone lines have been overwhelmed during the pandemic. Faced with long waits on the phone, some are trying different contact methods for the first time. But which method do you like best? One in three MoneySavers has NEVER switched their main bank account. In last week's poll, we asked when you last switched bank - and more than 6,000 people responded. Despite the potential perks, 36% said they'd never switched their main account, while 27% last switched more than five years ago. Younger MoneySavers were more likely to have switched recently - 27% of under-35s have switched in the last year, compared to just 10% of over-50s. See full bank-switching poll results. |
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MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I insist on paying my colleague for the chair she gave me for free? I needed an office chair for working from home, and a colleague offered me a brand new one for free. It was delivered to her missing a screw, and when she contacted the firm they sent her a new chair, so she had it spare. It's worth £200, but she refused to take anything from me - even though she drove it to me. I feel bad accepting something she could have sold for a decent sum, but don't want to dismiss her generosity by forcing her to take money. Should I insist on paying her something? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I insist on paying my colleague for the chair she gave me? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs |
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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 7 OCT ONWARDS) Thu 8 Oct - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.55am MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (MOST SUBJECTS TBC) Thu 8 Oct - BBC Three Counties Radio, Mid-morning with Jonathan Vernon-Smith, from 11.45am, Helen Saxon on home insurance |
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR LEFTOVERS? That's all for this week, but before we go... last Tuesday marked the first International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, which got MoneySavers sharing the culinary delights they whip up from their leftovers. Whether turning stale bread into croutons, whipping up a pasta bake with leftover chicken or simply stir-frying any veg going spare, when it comes to limiting food waste you lot clearly know your onions. For inspiration - or to trade tips of your own - see our Leftover food Facebook post. We hope you save some money, |
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