This week | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter Reclaim £1,000s... for FREE
From PPI to flight delays to Tesco pts - PROOF. Take 'em on and win If you've time off, why not spend it reclaiming cash? You needn't pay a company. 'No win, no fee' firms usually only operate if reclaiming gives them an easy, quick snack on 30% of your cash. Here are our top 10 DIY reclaims and proof they work... | 1. | PPI reclaiming. 'Sent one letter, got nearly £30,000.' If you've had a loan, credit card, store card, hire purchase or more, it's possible and often likely you were mis-sold payment protection insurance alongside it. Over £10 BILLION's put aside to pay claims, and could be the tip of the iceberg. The proof: over 4m of our template letters used (you can easily get missing paperwork). Here's Mary, via email: "BIG THANK YOU, we filled your form to reclaim PPI & got nearly £30,000." Try yourself: Reclaim PPI for FREE. | | | | 2. | Wear a uniform to work? 'Got £170 back in 2 weeks.' If you wash & repair a work uniform, whether a nurse's, policeman's or just branded t-shirt, you can reclaim tax, if you DON'T wear it elsewhere. Most get £20-60/yr back. Forumite okjohn says: "Got £170 for three years. All I did was copy template letter, in 2 weeks I had 2 cheques." Try it yourself: Uniform Rebates. | | | | 3. | Been delayed on a flight? 'Delayed 5 hours, got £480/person back.' New rules mean you can claim cash for EU flight delays & cancellations back to 2005 if the airline was at fault. Denise says: "We took off 5 hours late from Heathrow to Miami. Within 48 hours, BA said I was entitled to €600 (£480) per person because the distance was over 3,500km." See successes. Had a flight delayed? Flight Delays Compensation. | | | | 4. |  Lost old Tesco vouchers? 'Dad found £400 of old points.' If you've misplaced Clubcard vouchers, don't despair, you can now find them online. Many uncover £100s, incl forumite Original Caramel: "Just checked my Dad's account - over £370, and £5.50 of mine too." Get 'em back: Reclaim Lost Tesco Points. | | | | 5. | Wrong council tax band? '£3,000 back plus saving £300/year.' Many homes are in the wrong council tax band as original valuations were slapdash. You can challenge that for a rebate and lower payments. Forumite jimboy56 reports: "One phone call, £3,000 paid to my bank account. Annual saving: £312." Do it yourself: Council Tax Rebanding. | | | | 6. | Fuming at missed deliveries? 'They didn't turn up - £150 back.' If you took a day off work for a delivery that didn't come, so had to take more time off, you can get compensation like Matty_art: "Got £150 from Argos for multiple cancelled & failed delivery." Full info: Failed Delivery? Fight Back. | | | | 7. | Incorrect tax code? 'Wrong for eight years... got £3,000 back.' The over-complicated system regularly throws up errors which mean we pay too much or too little. Forumite kerrrrrrrbell says: "Was being charged for using a company van I didn't use. Received a rebate for over £3,000. Thanks." Claim for yourself: Tax Code Checker. | | | | 8. | Energy direct debits set too high? '£350 back and payments slashed.' Using a direct debit to pay energy bills saves money. But the amount taken is usually based on estimates, so you could be overpaying - and you've rights to fair payment amounts. Forumite andysuth challenged his: "Scottish Power refunded £350 and reduced the monthly DD right down." Estimated usage too high?: Lower direct debits. | | | | 9. | Can't stop payments from bank acc? 'Got 120 days of payments back.' Recurring payments are nasty - they allow companies to charge you (eg, for subscription renewal) and cancelling with some can be hell. But banks MUST help sort. Here's what wilf55 found: "RBS is charging the company for payments since I cancelled - I'll have the last 120 days' worth back in 24 hours." Full info: Recurring Payments. | | | | 10. | Unfair bank charges.'Claimed £970 back in 24 hours.' The old classic's still an issue. Banks might say you can no longer reclaim bank charges, but it's not true. Those in hardship can still claim, as forumite pebble17 found: "Lloyds TSB sent me £970 bank charges refund within 24 hours of receiving my letter." Full how-to: Bank Charge Reclaiming. | |
PS. I'm (Martin) taking some time off this week, so this email is in the more than capable hands of the MSE Team. Wishing you all a great 2013. |
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| The Ones Not To Miss | Fri 28 Dec 2012 |
New best EVER 0% balance transfer
Shift debts to 0% for TWO years, for low-ish 2.1% fee. Sort interest costs BEFORE bills hit in Jan If you've debts on costly credit cards, perhaps from Christmas, act NOW - shift them to a new 0% card that's the best we've ever seen. You get TWO YEARS zero interest, for a record low one-off fee. It's a cracker - see how it compares... | Card | Deal | Fee | After 0% ends | | Longest 0% deals | | Barclaycard* | 24 mths 0% | 2.1% (for £2k+) | 17.9% representative APR | | Halifax* | 23 mths 0% | 3% | 18.9% rep APR | | Lowest-fee deals if you can pay off quicker | | Barclaycard* | 12 mths 0% | 0.9% | 19.9% rep APR | | NatWest* | 13 mths 0% | 1% | 17.9% rep. APR | | If debt already on a Barclaycard, you'll need to use alternative. Full best buys in Balance Transfers. | - 5.9% until all the debt's repaid. If you need longer to repay or have less certain repayments, move debt to MBNA's 5.9% Rate for Life*. All debt shifted stays at 5.9% until repaid (1.5% fee). Alternatively, another Barclaycard* gives a long 4.9% for 36mths, fee-free. Aim to repay by then or it jumps to 18.9% rep APR.
- Key balance transfer warnings. 1) Repay at least monthly min or you can lose special rates. 2) Aim to fully repay cards before 0% ends. 3) Don't spend on these cards - it isn't usually at the cheap rate. 4) Use Which Card Is Cheapest? tool to help decide. 5) Step-by-step help in Best Balance Transfers (Official APR Examples).
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| 'January' sales on NOW incl Amazon up to 70% off, M&S 50%. Big shops' price cuts crashlanded on Xmas Eve. We've the ultimate guide, eg, Argos, John Lewis up to 50% & more. Huge rundown and details: High St Sales. £10 champers (was £24) - corking price. See all Cheap Champagne deals and be Drinkaware. Free £25 audiobook, incl Life of Pi, The Casual Vacancy, The Hobbit. Free trial (cancel to avoid future charges) bags you one of 60,000 titles for keeps. Audiobook Deals |
Last chance. Beat train and Tube fare hikes
Prices go up on Wed (2 Jan), but buying travelcards and season tickets NOW can beat 'em & poss save £100s The traditional annual fare hikes are about to hit. Check NOW if you can slash the cost by buying season tickets, then chop 'em further with our full Cheap Train Tricks guide.  How big are the hikes? Most season ticket rises are capped at an avg 4.2%, but firms crank some routes further. London zones 1-3 travelcards jump from £1,368 to £1,424 (£56 up), but a year's Folkestone-Lon rises from £4,612 to £4,836 (£224 up). A tiny few fall a tad, eg, Shenfield to Lon drops £16 to £2,704. - Grab next year's tickets at today's prices. Pay for a season ticket NOW to cover next year's travel at this year's rate. The start date (or renewal) must be Tue 1 Jan or before. For tips on bagging the best season ticket, see Cheap Train Tricks.
- Split ticket app can save £££s for walk-on singles. Counter-logically, buying 2 tickets for one journey can save large. We found an £83 London-Wolverhampton single. Yet buy London-Milton Keynes, where the same train stops, then MK-Wolves, and it was £53, saving £30. To find more quirks, use TicketySplit iPhone app or TicketySplit Android website.
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20% off Homebase code, 15% off B&Q. On £50+ spends online & in-store till 1 Jan. See Discount Vouchers. Festive Reminder. Free £100 when you switch bank accs. Top customer service bank First Direct* pays you £100 to switch - it pays no in-credit interest but has a small 0% overdraft. Santander* pays up to 3% cashback on bills, plus gives 3% savings interest, though service rates low. Full details in Best Bank Accounts. H&M spend £5, get £5 gift card. Just spend a fiver in-store before Mon 31 Dec to get a £5 voucher. H&M Deals
Forum Hottie. 49p giant jelly moulds, 29p pens, £1.29 brollies. Hundreds of dirt cheap items in DotComGiftShop's mega popular sale. Forumites are loving it. See DotComGiftShop Sale. Travelodge £15 room sale and £29 Days Inn. Dec-Feb stays on the cheap. Full info in Hotel Sales Last chance. FREE £15 eye test. Print an Optical Express* voucher to use by Mon 31 Dec. Eye Tests Forum Hottie. Find your family tree for free. Code bags £6-worth of birth/marriage/death searches. Find My Past |
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Time to SWITCH YOUR GRAN
The UK's energy system often penalises older family & friends. Lend a hand to save them £100s/year Perversely, rich, web-savvy folk often pay less to boil a kettle than a struggling 90-year-old. Of course, many silver surfers can look after themselves. But if you've relatives or friends who can't, our Switch Your Gran campaign info can help...  Compare by phone if online's too complex. Finding the cheapest depends on usage and postcode. The easy way is enter info into a Consumer Focus-approved comparison site and scan the options. If a struggle, some sites let you call them.
Here are our top pick comparisons (incl prepay), which, via these links, pay cashback if they can switch you (on the phone, mention "MSE cashback"), paid after c.3mths.
Top comparison: Energyhelpline* (0800 074 0745) pays £15 cashback per switch.
Dual fuel: MoneySup* (0800 177 7861) £30 cash | uSwitch* 6btls wine (0800 404 7895 - no wine by phone).
You may struggle by phone because of the time of year and due to large numbers from this email.- Some online tariffs work offline. Most cheap tariffs are called 'online'. But some post bills and let you sign up by phone, so are usable even with limited web access. See our Offline-Friendly Web Tariffs. Plus if possible, pay by monthly direct debit as it cuts bills further, though do regular meter readings to keep estimates accurate.
- Fix prices for this winter and next? Fixed tariffs ensure no price hikes, useful for those on fixed incomes wanting surety. Our top pick's EDF Blue June 2014 fix*. While not cheapest, it's a long fix with no exit penalties so you can leave if things change. It can also be managed offline. See Fixing FAQs.
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| Shoetique extra 10% off 'up to 60%' sale code. MSE Blagged. Gets £27 FitFlops and more. Shoetique Deals £5 off code for pedicures, haircuts, facials... Cheap treatments at nationwide spas/salons - great for New Year preening if you can get an appointment. See Wahanda Deals. 10p/L off fuel with £60 Sainsbury's spend. Get a voucher for its forecourts in-store or online. Cheap Petrol Christmas gifts didn't arrive on time? Act now. You could be entitled to a refund, but be quick. Christmas Rights |
Five FREE ways to save lives
Donate food, healthcare, mammograms just by clicking a link. Plus give blood, volunteer & more If a charity donation is a struggle, there are many ways to help in the goodwill season without spending.  Feed the starving. Click buttons on a family of charity websites and their sponsors donate on your behalf to those in need. Original click'n'give HungerSite gives cups of food, plus there's Breast Cancer Site, Child Health Site and more. See Donate For Free.- Give blood - our blood banks need it. It's a short, relatively painless procedure, that could save a life. Click for Eng & N Wales | W & S Wales | Scot | NI.
- Get a Donor Card. It's a big decision, but joining the Organ Donor Register could mean you save or improve up to nine lives. If it's for you, sign up online, call 0300 123 23 23 or text SAVE to 84118.
- Volunteer your time instead of cash. Loads of worthy causes need your time, from mentoring young people to presenting hospital radio. To find local opportunities, try TimeBank and Do-it.
- Don't let the taxman snaffle your donation. Use Gift Aid or give directly from your salary via your employer’s payroll to boost donations by up to 60%. You could also set up a charity account where the tax is added automatically. See Charity Giving.
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| How tight are you? Do you make Scrooge look like Willy Wonka? Take our How Tight Are You? test. Xmas/NY eat-out deals incl Pizza Hut and 'free' ice cream and pud...
Pizza Hut Deliv 2for1 | Toby 'free' ice cream | Ember Inns 'free' pud | Real Greek 2 courses £10 | Chiquito £10 off 2 mains
Full list: Restaurant Vouchers £60 off Alton Towers, Thorpe Park etc 12-mth pass. £99 (was £159) for a year's parks, zoos & dungeons. Merlin Buying life insurance? Costs rocket in Jan - act NOW. Beat a tax hike, do it before 1 Jan. Life Insurance
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Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers | Top deals |
| The Moneysaving community |
 MONEY MORAL DILEMMA | Mother-in-law wants to lend us cash - but is she being too nosy?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... My husband and I are struggling financially, so his mother has offered to lend us money, interest-free. She wants to know our income and outgoings first. It's a kind offer, but I don't feel it's her business. The only alternative is an expensive loan from the bank, so should I swallow my pride? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we tell mother-in-law juicy details? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT | MoneySaving New Year resolutions
A new year is a great time to take a proper look at your finances. Whether your resolution is to ditch the debt, seriously save or bag better bargains, we want to hear it. Share yours/read others': MoneySaving plans for 2013 Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT | Airline: Aer Lingus Sale: From £29.99 each way Ends: Fri 25 Jan 2013
Our pick this week is Aer Lingus for flights from 14 UK airports to Ireland between 8 Jan and 30 Apr 2013. We found flights from Bristol to Dublin for £29.99 incl. some taxes and charges. To find flights quickly, use the FlightChecker on a £30 one-way max search. 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 THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED | Mums: what did you want for Xmas?
Mums overwhelmingly wanted time to relax while somebody else did the chores. Several would also have settled for a nice box of chocolates. Meanwhile, one mum wanted a trailer of manure. Hmm... back to top ↑ |
Quick forum tips | Freebies |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances Wednesday 2 January
Trip to the Top, BBC Radio Scotland, 6.30-7am All Martin's appearances | Cheap travel money | UK's Best Currency Rates | | £100 will buy you: | | Best | Worst |  | € | 121.01 | 111.00 |  | $ | 160.51 | 147.18 |  | TL | 282.50 | 257.62 | | Rates correct at 4pm Thurs | Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash | |
This week's poll: Did you spend less and enjoy more this Christmas? Did you cut back or boost your Christmas spending - and if you did either, how did it affect your overall enjoyment of the festive period?
Deck the halls, or deck the in-laws? Vote now. | Poll resultsThe best EVER children's cartoon/animation nostalgia poll
- 25% picked Tom and Jerry
- 17% Wacky Races
- 16% Mr Benn
6,816 voted. See Full Results. |
Question of the week Q: What's the best way to take money abroad for a gap year? Brigit, by email. MSE Sally’s A: Assuming the traveller's over 18, take out a specialist credit card in your name and make the globetrotter an additional cardholder, provided you trust them. He or she can spend on a plastic which offers near-perfect exchange rates, with no fees. You'll pay interest on cash withdrawals though, so try to avoid. Top deals include Halifax Clarity*, Nationwide Select* (current account custs only) and Post Office*. Spending €500 on a Halifax Clarity* costs about £405, compared to roughly £420 when changing the same amount at a bureau de change, plus it's more secure. See Cheap Travel Money and Sending Money Abroad. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). | Board of the week The How Much Have You Saved? Board Share your MoneySaving success stories. Discussions include Saving to move out, Is anyone starting from scratch? and A unique savings plan. |
 Debs' free game of the week: The 12 Holes of Christmas |
The perfect cure for festive boredom. Christmas Day is over, so how to fill the time between ET and eating leftovers? There are scores of useless websites - even one to find them for you: The Useless Web - though use this useful one to save money too. We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
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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 we 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. MSE, Money Saving Expert, MoneySavingExpert and Moneysavingexpert.com are registered trade marks belonging to MoneySavingExpert.com Limited. More about MoneySaving Expert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 6 million people getting this email and nearly 10m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half of whom are editorial researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE Who is Martin Lewis? Martin set up and runs MSE, he's an ultra-focused money saving journalist and consumer campaigner. He has regular slots on Daybreak, Lorraine, Radio 2 Vine, BBC1 Watchdog, Radio 5 Consumer panel and presents ITV Tonight. He is a columnist for amongst others the Sunday Post as well as an author. More info: See Martin Lewis' biog What do the links with a * mean? Any links with a * 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 product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. 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 barclaycard.co.uk, halifax.co.uk, natwest.com, capitalone.co.uk, firstdirect.com, santander-products.co.uk, moneysupermarket.com, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, cbonline.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, edfenergy.com, opticalexpress.co.uk, confused.com, homephonechoices.co.uk, productsandservices.bt.com, postoffice.co.uk.
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