This week | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter The 10 top FREE MoneySaving tools
Slash rail fares, hidden bargains, earn cash, interrogate your mortgage MoneySavingExpert is a colossal site packed with info, and some of you complain that finding things is challenging. So this week, I decided to unashamedly show off some of our top - but maybe tucked away - tools. | 1. | Free TicketySplit app slashes train fares. Counter-logically, buying 2 tickets for one journey can save large. We found an £83 London-Wolverhampton single. Yet buying London-Milton Keynes, where the same train stopped, then MK-Wolves, was £53, saving £30. So we built a unique app to help.
Tell the TicketySplit iPhone app or Android & other mobiles website your journey, and it tells you where to split and the saving. (On iPhone, a glitch means it mightn't work the first time you search - if so, just try again.) We're working on expanding this to advances & returns. | | | | 2. | Build your own Amazon 75%+ bargain basements. The Amazon Discount Finder uses web wizardry to manipulate Amazon links to build bespoke discount pages. It's not perfect, but can give corking results, eg, Perfume 70%+ off*, TVs 25%+ off* and Accessories 75%+ off*. Though never assume it's cheapest, use MegaShopBot to check. | | | | | 3. |  Free budget planner - analyse your finances. The huge Free Budget Analyser tool is designed to answer the single most important financial question: do you spend more than you earn? If so, you need to change things, or you risk eating into your savings & getting into debt. | | | | | 4. | Permanently cheapest gas & electricity with the Cheap Energy Club. Since we launched it in February, 340,000 people have joined the free Cheap Energy Club to ensure they stay on the cheapest deal. It...
a) Checks you're on the cheapest tariff and, if not, shows the winner.
b) Monitors your tariff each month to check it still wins.
c) Alerts you when it's time to switch again.
Also, we've just added a 'top picks' tab. It shows the key tariffs that, while not the very cheapest, we believe you should consider, eg, long-term fixes. | | | | | 5. | Map hidden eBay local bargains. The eBay Local Deals Mapper lets you search 'pick up only' deals on eBay, often meaning far cheaper prices as they've fewer bidders. It maps where deals are, so you can measure transport cost vs saving.
App alert: Try the Android app & iPhone & other mobile site versions too. | | | | | 6. | Value your old mobile. 'Sell your old mobile' sites spray the TV with ads, but there can be enormous price differences per site and handset. So we built the MobileValuer comparison to speedily find top payers.
To show the impact, flog an old HTC Desire - best £56, worst £13. Or an iPhone 4 16GB, best £145, worst £76. | | | | 7. | Outlets Discount Finder - up to 90% off M&S, Ted Baker, Argos, etc. A host of big name retailers flog unsold lines at up to 90% off via online outlets. Our Outlet Store Discount Finder searches 50+ outlets for huge discounts on clothes, furniture and toys. Drill down to specific stores too. | | | | | 8. | The Ultimate Mortgage Calc. We're nerds, so as well as simply working out costs, we designed the Ultimate Mortgage Calculator to answer everything you want to know about your mortgage with a host of different tools, incl...
Overpayment Calc | Offset Mortgage vs Savings | Ditch Your Fix? | How Much Can I Borrow? | Deposit Saving Calc | Compare Fixed Rate Mortgages | | | | | 9. | Find the hottest deals that moment from our forum. The MSE forum has 100,000s of deal-hunters sharing tips. The Forum WOW Deals Feed gathers their highest-rated deals, updated every min, so you can see the best. | | | | | 10. | TravelMoneyMax - for cheapest travel cash. 'Commission free' is marketing flannel, as you may get pants exchange rates. TravelMoneyMax compares 40 big online bureaux for collection and delivery to find who gives most bucks for your bang on about 80 currencies. | | |
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Did you miss? |
 Get permanently cheap energy Our new club ensures you're always on the cheapest tariff.
Join free: Cheap Energy Club |
Reclaim PPI for FREE Claims handlers aren't more successful.
Free help & templates: Reclaim PPI |
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| The Ones Not To Miss | Wed 24 Apr 2013 |
How to use the Small Claims Court. New Guide
Don't think jury and wigs, you can now take action online for up to £10,000 (was £5,000) if you've been wronged
Going to court should always be the last resort, but don't shirk from it if you've been wronged. Small claims are designed to be DIY - no lawyer needed. Our new, step-by-step How To Make A Small Claim guide shows you how. A taster...  Faulty goods, botched building works, owed wages? Small claims let you take action if someone has breached a contract or the law, eg, you were sold faulty goods a shop won't refund, or someone didn't pay when promised. See What Can I Claim?- Claim limit raised to £10,000 in April. The English & Welsh limit's now £10k (was £5k) & you can go back 6yrs. It's £3k & 5yrs in Scotland. See What's A Small Claim?
- It's an online process. There's no wig or jury in sight. Simply fill in an online form. Sometimes merely filing a case means the other side decides not to fight. If they do, cases are heard in a small room. Application fees are £50 to £500 (bigger claim, bigger fees) but are refunded if you win. See Small Claims Fees.
- Is it risk-free? No, hence why for financial disputes we suggest the Financial Ombudsman. With small claims the first risk is if your case is complex (needing over a day), it can be moved to a formal hearing. The other is if you lose, you may be asked to pay limited expenses of the other side (see What If I Lose?).
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| Urgent. M&S Outlet 25% extra off FLASH code. MSE Blagged. TODAY ONLY, biggest ever code. M&S Outlet Sky TV 50% off codes + £25 M&S vouch. MSE Blagged. 15,000 instant codes for Sky newbies. Last time @Syfish said: "Got a £360 saving this year." Full info & how existing customers can cut costs in Cheap Sky TV. Last chance. Free £125 for switching to no.1 bank account. It's won every customer service poll we've done by a landslide, and until Tues, new First Direct* switchers via this link get £125. It recently dropped its min monthly pay-in to £1,000, so, arrange your salary to be paid in, and if you earn £13,600+, you're fine. See Best Bank Accounts. A YEAR'S 2for1s for 300 UK gardens (incl Kew and Eden Project). In £4 mag, on sale Fri. Gardens 2for1s |
Get PAID every time you spend
Earn 5% cashback - swapping your debit card for a cashback card can earn you £100s a year for doing nothing
Why not make your plastic work for you rather than vice versa? Repay a cashback credit card IN FULL each month by direct debit and it's interest-free, but pays you to spend. See the Top Cashback Cards guide, here are the top picks. - Huge 5% cashback (but a fee). Amex Platinum* pays 5% cashback for 3mths (max £100), great for big one-offs, then 1.25%. It's got a £25 annual fee, and cards with fees only win for £2,000+/year spenders. It's 18.7% rep APR if you fail to fully repay. If you buy a lot of petrol, consider Santander 123, which pays 3% on fuel/rail fares.
- The top FEE-FREE cashback cards. There are few fee-free cashback cards so we've also included 'near-cash' cashback deals, where you get reward points usable in huge stores which stock a wide range of goods.
| Cap One Classic Extra* | Cashback | 0.5% cashback + £10/yr | 34.9% rep APR | | M&S Credit Card* | Near-cash | 0.5% on all spends, 1% in M&S | 16.9% rep APR | | Amazon | Near-cash | 3% back in Amazon pts for 3mths, 1% after (2% at Amazon) | 16.9% rep APR | | Tesco Clubcard* | Near-cash | 0.25% in Tesco pts, convertible to up to 1% in Rewards | 16.9% rep APR | - Will I be accepted? That depends on your credit score - our Eligibility Checker shows your odds of acceptance. Important: This check is for the Cap One card. In the results, scroll down to see odds for other cashback cards too.
- Cashback card golden rules: a) Always use a monthly direct debit to repay IN FULL so it's interest-free. b) It's no excuse to spend more. c) Ensure you've cash to repay each month. See Top Cashback Cards, APR Examples
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| Tesco 1p big Toblerones, After Eights, Milk Tray and pants. Many reporting these. Can you find 'em? £12 Vans, £18 Reebok trainers in MandM shoe clearance. Up to 90% off - sizes & stock limited. MandM Deals 100s 'free' photo prints & £50 photo book £14 MSE Blagged...
125 'free' Photobox prints (£3 p&p) newbies only | 100 'free' Photoworld prints (£2.25 p&p) newbies only
£14.25 photo book (RRP £56) code | 5 'free' A4 Snapfish prints (£2 p&p) | See all Photo Deals SEVEN Nails Inc varnishes £22 all-in. Starts Thurs. Lucky dip (random colours) and OPI 45% off sale. Cheap Beauty |
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| £25 family Isle of Wight hovercraft rtn voucher. From Portsmouth, valid Sundays only. Hovertravel Free £70 M&S/Boots vch with home insurance. MSE Blagged. Use code MARKSAPR (M&S) or BOOTSAPR (Boots) with Legal & General* to get £70 of vouchers for buildings & contents. Important: We're not saying they're best, always compare with Confused.com* & MoneySup*, Aviva* & Direct Line*. Better still, read Cheap Home Insurance. FREE £5 Jewel Hut codes (no min spend). MSE Blagged. Branded, free delivery, today only. Hot Bargains |
Booked hols? Sort travel insurance NOW
£16 annual policies. Don't wait till you go to get insurance, as then you've no cancellation cover You can almost smell summer. If you've booked an overseas trip, leaving cover until you go leaves you in the lurch if you need to cancel. There's step-by-step help & best buys in our Cheap Travel Insurance guide. Here are the bare bones... - How many times will you go away? If you'll only go abroad once in the next 12 months, then just use MoneySupermarket's single trip insurance comparison*. More than that, and an annual policy is usually cheaper.
- Over 65? Prices rocket as you age, but cheap annual policies are possible, eg, 65-69 year olds can get TopDog* for £45 in Europe, £72 worldwide. Or switch to Nationwide's* no-fee bank account to get FREE EU cover up to age 73 (family & world upgrades are relatively cheap). More older traveller options in Over-65s Travel Insurance.
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| FREE £4 Fairy washing powder and Huggies wipes packs. Using vouchers via phone apps. See Hot Bargains. Boots £5 off £30, Aldi £5 off £40 and more codes...
Boots £5 off £30 code & vch in 60p paper | Aldi £5 off £40 vch in 50p paper | CT Shirts £10 off £30 code | Daxon £10 off £20 code | BHS 25% off code & vch | Bonmarche 20% off code & in-store | Brantano 25% off code. See Discount Codes. House of Fraser 25% off brands FLASH sale. Sketchy details, but likely Wed/Thu. Updates: House of Fraser Cheapest Samsung Galaxy S4... coming soon. The latest smartphone's available from this Saturday. We'll update our comparison tool as soon as prices are published. See Cheap Samsungs & Cheap iPhones for other models. |
Fight spam texts (and calls, and door knockers)
Can you can the spam? If you're plagued, it's time to stop it and fight back. Here's what you need to know Dodgy PPI firms, ambulance chasers, pension unlockers, debt write-offs or the 350,000 other types researchers have found - you tell us they're plaguing you with spam. Full help in our Stop Spam Texts & Stop Junk Calls guides. In summary...  Stop spam texts. If from a firm you know, with clear sender details, text back STOP. If it's anonymous PPI or debt write-off types, DON'T. It may add you to databases.
Instead, forward the text to 7726 (spells SPAM on many phone pads). Include the number that sent it to you. This way the network investigates - enough reports and the spamming Sim's disconnected. More in Stop Spam Texts.- Stop spam calls and mail. Register home AND mobile numbers with the Telephone Preference Service. Then it's illegal for UK firms to spam call (you still get some from overseas, but it helps). The Mail Preference Service, while not a legal measure, substantially cuts junk mail. FULL help, incl stopping silent calls, in Stop Spam Calls & Junk.
- MSE 'No Cold Callers' door sign. To deter unwanted salesmen, print our Trading Standards-approved 'No Cold Callers' sign (various options). Legal opinion obtained by Trading Standards says firms then knocking are breaking the law, though that's untested. But let's be honest, some will still knock. In which case, open the door, smile, point at the sign, and say "no thanks".
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| Sainsbury's 10p/L off fuel with £60 spend. Get a voucher for its forecourts in-store or online. See Cheap Petrol. Free V Delicious vegetarian show tix (RRP £7.50). In London. Also gets free Allergy Show entry. See V Delicious. Couldn't use the Tesco Wine 750 points code last week? A website glitch stopped a few people getting this. If you tried and it didn't work, we've arranged for the deal to be re-run from this Thurs. See Wine Deals. Want a 3mth MoneySavingExpert.com paid internship? There are two editorial intern and one developer intern places available. |
Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers & sales | Top deals |
| The Moneysaving community |
 MEET OUR NEW MSE STAFF MEMBER:
MSE BADGER'S JOINED THE TEAM
MSE Badger's a funny, furry creature, wandering the MSE forum looking for fabulous MoneySaving to reward. Paid off all your debts? Shout it from the rooftops on the Debt-Free Roll of Honour and you may get a badge. Beaten the best car insurance record? Let us know your Car insurance successes and he may spot you. For the chance to get one, you need to join the forum. Read more including the full badge list: Watch out, there's a badger about. CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK:
Is there a loan shark in your community? Report them
Loan sharks are unlicensed money lenders. They usually charge very high rates of interest and can threaten & use violence or harassment (even against children) to get the money back. If you, or someone you know, has borrowed from a loan shark, you haven't broken the law, they have. Get advice on what to do, find out if someone has a licence or report them anonymously by email, phone or text. Suggest a campaign: This is for MSE to support work by other charities, groups and campaigners. Send your campaign of the week suggestion. BOOK GIVEAWAY Result:
Working the Cloud. 35 blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one. MONEY MORAL DILEMMA:
They put a flyer on my car - should I still use them?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I hate it when people put flyers on my car windscreen, especially when it's parked on my drive. It's not just an invasion of my space, the flyers get mushy in the rain and stick to the windscreen. However, I just got one advertising a new local hand car-washing service, far cheaper than I normally pay. Yet if I use it, I'm effectively rewarding them for behaviour I disagree with. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I use companies that flyer my car? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs MSE Charity community grant applications. The next funding round for charities and groups involved with financial and consumer education projects opens on Wed 1 May. Only the first 40 applications that meet the criteria are considered, so prepare your case now. Full info at The MSE Charity. Related: MSE's Charity Fund, How This Site's Financed THE GREAT HUNT:
Pregnancy MoneySaving
From tips on what to buy before the birth and what to wait to buy, to cheap maternity clothes, we want MoneySavers' collective wisdom on saving money when you're expecting a little one. Share yours/read others': Pregnancy MoneySaving Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT:
Airline: Monarch Offer: £25 off code Ends: Mon 6 May
Our pick this week is Monarch's £25 off return flights code. It's valid on all return flights, but doesn't apply to infants. Enter the promo code BIG25 at the checkout to get the discount. To find flights quickly, use the FlightChecker on a return 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:
Games to play on long journeys. Revisited.
You came up with some fun suggestions, including educational counting games 'duck the bridge' and 'spot the yellow car'. Most are great for all ages, but maybe 'snog, marry, avoid' should be a grown-ups only game... back to top ↑ |
Quick forum tips | Freebies |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances 25 April
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Deals of the Week. | 25 April
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5, 12pm-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows. | 26 April
The Martin Lewis Money Show, ITV, 8pm-8.30pm.
Car insurance and cashback
PS. Missed past shows? Watch them here. | 29 April
This Morning, ITV, 11am-12pm.
Subject tbc. | |
MSE team corner - Team appearances: No team appearances this week
| Board of the week The Greenfingered MoneySaving Board Swap tips, share ideas and experiences on gardening the MoneySaving way. Discussions include Seeds you can just throw into a long grassy patch?, Raised vegetable bed on a patio area and Cat deterrent for a hedge. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Does 'do you need help?' in shops put you off? Which of these is nearest to your view? | Poll resultsIs austerity or spending best for the UK economy?
- 43% say cut Govt spending.
- 37% say increase Govt investment (ie, borrowing).
- 20% don't believe either will have a substantial impact.
6,262 voted. See the full results. |
Question of the week Q: I was flying to Dubai from Manchester on Swiss. The first leg to Zurich was delayed, so I missed the connection. Am I entitled to compensation? Adrian, via Twitter. MSE Guy's A: If flying from an EU country (regardless of airline), what matters is when you arrive at your final destination - as you should be put onto a later connecting flight - and whether it was the airline's fault. If you got to Dubai within three hours of the scheduled arrival, you are not entitled to compensation. If you were more than three hours late, and the airline was at fault, you can get compensation of €300 to €600 depending on the delay. If the airline was not at fault, eg, bad weather, you are not entitled to compensation. If you got to Zurich more than five hours late, regardless of the reason, you also had the option to be flown home for free and get a full refund. Full info in Flight Delays Compensation. |
 Archna's free game of the week: Astrodigger |
Train maps 007 would be proud of That's it for this week, but Skyfall enthusiasts may find these live maps of UK trains and Tubes, showing where are they now, geekishly enjoyable. Trainspotting meets Bond 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. 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 Firstdirect.com, americanexpress.co, capitalone.co.uk, tescobank.com, confused.com, moneysupermarket.com, aviva.co.uk, directline.com, barclaycard.co.uk, moneysupermarket.com, admiral.com, thecheshire.co.uk, sainsburysbank.co.uk, travelguard.com, holidaysafe.co.uk, protectyourbubble.com, direct-travel.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, nationwide.co.uk, uswitch.com, firstdirect.com, postoffice.co.uk, bt.com, Amazon.co.uk..
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