This week | 50+ tips to save families cash
Key cost-cutting if you've kids, from tax credits to cheap days out Kids are a terrible investment, costing an estimated £200,000 by age 21. But as long as you're happy to be repaid in hugs, it's all worth it. Meanwhile you can save £1,000s. Our Family MoneySaving guide is a toy chest of 50 tips, here are 10 to start: | 1. | Check NOW if you're due £1,000s in tax credits & childcare vouchers. 100,000s of working parents may be missing out on easy cash to help. If you (and your partner) work 16+ hrs/wk, earn under £41k in total and pay for childcare, check if you're due Childcare Tax Credits. Plus, everyone should check if they can get Childcare Vouchers through work.
Use our 5-Min Benefits Check Up to quickly see if you qualify for child benefit, or any others - many wrongly assume they aren't eligible. | | | | 2. |  'I saved £3,000 adding mum & dad to car insurance.' Added to the fear of seeing your teenager on the road, the cost of insuring one to drive can be terrifying. Our Young Drivers' Car Insurance guide aims to decimate the price, including adding extra drivers with good records (but never say they're the main driver, which is illegal). Faevouritexox tweeted: "As a new driver my insurance wanted £5,000. After adding mum & dad it dropped to £1,900."
For the cheapest quote, first combine Confused.com* & MoneySup*, then check Aviva*, Direct Line*, and if 2+ cars in home, Admiral MultiCar*. If they're still too costly, consider getting a black box fitted: Pay-WHEN-you-drive: Coverbox*, Drive Like A Girl* and iKube*; Pay-HOW-you-drive: Co-op* and AA; Pay-AS-you-drive: Insurethebox*. | | | | 3. | What'd happen to your kids if you died? Sadly, one child in 29 loses a parent before finishing education, so it's crucial to consider the financial impact if the worst happened.
Bought right, Life Insurance is one of the cheapest ways to protect your family's income. Plus, check your will's up-to-date, or get help making one in Free & Cheap Wills.
| | | | 4. | Join Cheap Energy Club to slash hassle from switching energy, and save £100s. Our free MSE Cheap Energy Club does the legwork, especially useful if kids make you time-poor. It monitors your bills and sends alerts when you're paying too much, so you stay PERMANENTLY on cheap deals. Switch via it to get £30 dual fuel cashback (£15 for gas only or elec only).
| | | | 5. | Stop the boredom. Free footy coaching, watch TV recordings & more. If you're already hearing "I'm booorrred", you can get 'em out of the house without breaking the piggybank. Go to TV recordings such as The X Factor auditions (ages 12+) and Got to Dance (8+), get sports coaching, free tennis court usage all for nowt - see how in our 100+ Summer Family Fun Tips compendium, plus the latest Cheap Days Out. | | | | 6. | Uncover 75%+ discounts on kids' togs in online outlets. You can get cut-price clothes from high street shops at outlet villages - and many now have online outlets that stock kids' clothes too, incl Littlewoods*, Boden* and M&S Outlet*. Uncover mega discounts at these and more in our Outlet Discount Finder, incl 75%+ off kids' clothes & 45%+ off toys & games. | | | | 7. | Free family fun at 180+ UK museums & art galleries. If it's too hot to stay outside, try a fun, educational and free family day out. We list 180 of 'em, including Devon's House of Marbles, Newcastle's Discovery Museum and London's Bank of England Museum for little MoneySavers. Many have your reviews too - if you go, please tell us how you found it in our bumper Free Museums & Galleries guide.
| | | | 8. | There's no NHS for family pets (sorry Tiddles). Vet bills can cost big, a typical cataract op alone can be £1,800, so savings mightn't be enough.
You need to weigh up what you'd do if your pet was ill, but you didn't have funds to pay. If you want cover, to compare quotes quickly try Gocompare* and CompareTM*. Then add Aviva* & Direct Line*, which they miss. Full info incl 'do I need it?', and multi-cat/dog quotes, in Cheap Pet Insurance.
| | | | 9. | Earn up to 6% tax-free on kids' savings. Yep, you read that right - while normal savings are rubbish, it's still possible for kids to earn up to 6% in the top accounts. Find the full list of best buys, plus info on whether they'll pay tax on the interest, in the Children's Savings guide.
| | | | 10. | Give pocket money as pay, otherwise you're 'trust fund teaching'. Pocket money's under-rated as a way to teach kids core money lessons - provided you reward a work ethic, and don't just dole it out. It teaches how to manage an income, and incorporates 'opportunity cost' - whether they'd be better off spending the same cash on something else.
See Martin's Pocket Money blog, the three lessons he'll teach his daughter, plus our free printable Teen Cash Class for much-needed buyer's training.
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This is just the tip of the ice-lolly - see 50 Family MoneySaving Tips for more.
PS. I'm taking a break this week, so this email is in the more than capable hands of the MSE team - Martin. |
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| The Ones Not To Miss | Wed 24 Jul 2013 |
Premium Bonds odds SLASHED - get up to 3% on your savings
Chances of winning cut for first time in four years. Calculate YOUR likely return & compare to top savings/ISAs 21 million people have Premium Bonds - so NS&I's decision to cut its 'interest rate' from 1.5% to 1.3% is a huge blow. Many love the gamble - but if you're after max interest, it's likely you'd 'win' more in normal ISAs or savings. All accounts have £85,000 UK Savings Protection (Premium Bonds have 100% protection).  Check YOUR Premium Bond chances. The 1.3% 'prize rate' means for every £100 saved in bonds, £1.30 per year is paid out. But as the smallest prize is £25, 19 in 20 people would get nowt. Our unique Premium Bond Probability Calc uses super-smart maths to reveal your likely winnings with average luck based on the amount you have, and shows if savings accounts would give more (minus the game of chance).
- 3% for saving in a CURRENT account. It's odd, but with rates so low, switch to Santander's 123* current account and it pays 3% AER on £3k-£20k. There's a £2/mth fee but you get cashback on bills (eg, council tax & energy) which should cover that - see Is Santander Worth It?. The top open-to-all savings rate is ICICI's 1.75% AER. These are taxed, so Premium Bonds may beat the return for higher taxpayers (but remember, many get nothing).
- Get 2% tax-free interest. Everyone over 16 can save £5,760/year in a cash ISA and pay no tax on the interest - which thrashes average Premium Bond returns. Tesco pays 2% AER but you can't transfer in past years' ISAs. BM Savings does allow it, and pays 2% AER if you've £15,000+ saved, or it's 1.75% AER. Full info, plus up to 2.75% AER if you lock cash away, in Top Cash ISAs.
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| Code for £25 Body Shop bundle (£77 separately). MSE Blagged. 50% off code on £50 bundle. 6,000 available. Body Shop Reminder. Longest EVER 0% debt shift - 27mths. Four cards now offer accepted new cardholders 27 months 0% on shifted debts: Barclaycard* (2.99% fee), NatWest* or RBS* (both 3.1% fee) and Tesco* (3.15% fee). Repay or shift again before the 0% ends, otherwise they've rep APRs of 18-24%. FULL help in Best Balance Transfers (APR Examples). Ends Thurs: M&S Outlet EXTRA 15% off code. MSE Blagged. Use on items already up to 50% off. M&S Outlet £24 designer sunglasses with code. Some with prescription lenses. Incl Puma & Bench, normally up to £50. Glasses |
Beat hidden budget airline charges
20 tips to ensure cheap flights ARE cheap. Go hand luggage only, wear baggage, find WHEN to go for best price Budget airlines whack you with fees for 'extras' you might expect to be part of the deal, eg, checking in or taking a suitcase. Yet you can get the same trip for much less by playing smart. See 20 Budget Flight Tips, here's a taster.  - Bags in the hold can cost £200/rtn but hand luggage is often free. Check size limits.
- Find WHEN to go to get super-cheap flights. Just tell our Budget Airline FlightChecker tool to find, eg, sub-£50 London-Barcelona in Sept, or even set a price and pick "I'll go anywhere".
- Wear multi-pocket suitcase jackets to carry up to 10kg extra. A code gets one for £28.90.
- Always check in online & print your boarding pass or Ryanair charges £70/person per flight.
- Don't assume budget airlines are cheapest. If you've specific dates, check prices incl BA, etc, via top pick comparisons Skyscanner*, TravelSupermarket* & Kayak*. See Cheap Flights.
- Ryanair even charges £14/rtn pp to check in online, but it's free on most 'taxes & charges included' sales.
- Baby on board? Budget airlines charge up to £60/rtn to take a tot under two on your lap, so compare infant fees first.
- Avoid £1.50 Twixes, however polite the hostess. Airport security only bans liquid, not food, so take a plane picnic.
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| FREE Walkers Deep Ridged crisps. Usually 80p. Print voucher & take to UK-wide Nisa stores. 5,000 avail. Nisa Deals. Tax credits LAST CHANCE - act by 31 July. Tax credit review forms have been sent. Don't ignore 'em - you must TELL 'EM any changes. Do nowt and you could be forced to repay cash you've already spent. Tax Credit Help DOUBLE your Nectar points slash value at cinemas and restaurants. Until Tue 13 Aug, 1,000 points gets £10 instead of £5 at Strada & Vue, and £20 at theme parks incl Alton Towers. More: Double Nectar Kurt Geiger outlet EXTRA 25% off code. Use on shoes already discounted by up to 75%. Shoeaholics Deals
30p/L off petrol. Mega-popular last week, now extended. Get 5p/L off coupons by buying selected coffee, soft drinks, cereals, table sauces, baby items and pet food at Tesco. Combine up to six for 30p/L off. Full info: Cheap Petrol Royal baby deals incl FREE £28 silver penny, 20% off babywear at BHS...
FREE £28 Royal Mint silver penny for babies born on Mon 22 Jul - 2,013 available | Free B&Q paint for 22 Jul babies
BHS 20% off babywear code | DFDS free Dov-Dunkirk rtn ferry for 22 Jul babies | Full list: Royal Baby Deals School uniforms £4 - sweatshirt, 2 polos & trousers/skirt. Full rundown: Cheapest School Uniforms |
Lowest fee 0% debt-shift AND spending card
There's a balance transfer price war but a long-standing gem smashes the competition if you also need to spend
Most credit card deals either allow you to shift debt at 0%, or to spend at 0%. So to have one that makes the best buys for both is a boon, as it means fewer applications hitting your credit file, thus protecting your credit score.
- 15mths 0% on spending & balance transfers. Accepted new Halifax All-In-One* cardholders can get 15mths 0% on spending and debt shifts for just a 1% fee (the market's lowest). But as with most cards, it's a representative offer, so the top deal only has to be given to 51% of successful applicants. You only find out by applying, which hits your credit file, yet our free Eligibility Checker at least shows your chances of getting 'em.
| TOP 'ALL-ROUNDER' CREDIT CARDS (SPENDING & BALANCE TRANSFERS) | | Card | Balance transfer offer | Spending intro offer | Rep APR after | | Halifax* (1) | 15mths 0% - 1% fee | 15mths 0% | 17.9% | | NatWest*/RBS* | 15mths 0% - 2.9% fee | 15mths 0% | 16.9% | | Fluid* | 14mths 0% - 2.9% fee | 16mths 0% | 16.9% | | Sainsbury's* (1) | 7.8% - fee-free | 7.8% | 7.8% | (1)These offers are representative - you may be accepted at a higher APR or fewer months at 0%.
For full info & best buys, see Top All-Rounder Cards (APR Examples) | - Get 27mths 0% on transfers, or 18mths 0% on purchases. The cards above can be beaten if you only need one function. If you need longer to repay shifted debt, Barclaycard* gives 27mths 0% on balance transfers (2.99% fee). Top pick for spending is Tesco's* 18mth 0%, which also gives Clubcard points. Pay both off before the 0%s end to avoid rep APRs of 18.9% or 16.9%. See Best Balance Transfers & Top 0% Spending. (APR Examples)
- Golden rules: 1) Always minimise new borrowing, budget, and plan to repay before the 0% ends. 2) Clear or shift again before the 0% ends or pay the full APR. 3) Pay at least the monthly minimum or lose special rates.
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£1 beauty deals: OPI nail varnish (normally £8), Eylure lashes (£5). See all Pound Shop Bargains. MSE forum upgrade this weekend. The forum will be offline from 7pm-9pm Friday, then will go "read-only", ie, you can't post, till Sunday. We're shifting to a new system that should be faster with less downtime - though big projects like this can have teething problems, so please bear with us. Forum Upgrade Aldi £5 off £40, Lyle & Scott 50% extra off sale & more...
Lyle & Scott 50% off ALL sale items code | Sainsbury's £15 off £60 code for new custs
Aldi £5 off £40 newspaper vch on Thu | Tesco Direct £10 off £100 code | Full list: Discount Vouchers New. Extra energy switching cashback. Just in - a few boosted hot tariffs. Full rundown in Cheap Gas & Elec |
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Cheapest Premier League football on TV
Sky Sports vs BT Sport - with sports telly shake-up, find out which channels you 'need'. Or PAYG football £10/day To watch Man Utd, City, Chelsea, Arsenal & the rest on TV every week, you have to pay. But your winning combo hinges on what size football nut you are. Full details in the new Best Football TV Packages guide, here are highlights...  What channels do I need? The new BT Sport channels will show 38 live 2013/14 Premier League games, Sky 116. To watch it all you need both, but you'll pay up to £77/mth on Sky (rising in Sept) and £58/mth with a BT box (assuming you take broadband and phone as you often need 'em). See the Best Football TV Packages and who's showing which games to see if one of BT or Sky will do.- Is BT Sport really free? That's the big claim, but BT Sport's only 'free' if you have or get BT broadband from £15/mth. You'll also need to pay for a TV subscription with BT or Sky, so costs soon mount. If you have a Virgin or TalkTalk box you can't get BT Sport. See BT vs Sky.
- £10/day Sky Sports. If you just want to watch a game here or there, you can get Sky Sports via Sky's streaming service Now TV for £10/day - be sure you've a big enough free download limit. Unless you subscribe to Sky, this is a decent way to watch the impending five-nil Ashes whitewash too (we hope...) See £10 Now TV.
- Do I need it? Can I afford it? It's crucial you check this expensive pastime fits your finances - unless you've piles of cash (like a Premier League footballer). Do a budget to work out if you've enough.
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| Tesco Double Exchange to run all year round. From Monday, Tesco's "double Clubcard voucher values in-store" summer deal will be turned on permanently in some departments. Tesco Revamp Full details & analysis next week. £24 Ldn theatre & 2-course meal. 1-day sale. Starts Thu 10am. Incl A Chorus Line & Thriller. Lastminute Deals Forum Hottie. Bush DAB radio £20 (usually £38). Forumites are raving about it - see Argos Deals. £25 comedy & meal ticket for £10. Or £6 comedy only. Fri & Sat, incl London and Birmingham. Highlight Deals |
Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers | Top deals |
| The Moneysaving community |
 CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Do you buy insurance add-ons?
The regulator wants your views about insurance sold alongside other products, such as emergency response or central heating cover for your home, breakdown or personal accident with your car, and gadget or strike cover when you travel. Email the FCA by Tue 10 Sep with your views. Did you feel obliged to buy? Did you have enough info about what it covered, and did it meet your needs? Did you look for an alternative, and if not, why not? 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
iDinosaur or iSolar System. 25 blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one. MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Birthday money mistake - should I ask for some cash back?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I was guilt-tripped into giving my goddaughter more money for her 18th birthday than I could afford because I was told she's desperate to do a course to teach kids in developing countries. She spent the money on an iPhone instead. I don't begrudge her spending the cash how she likes, but I feel duped by her mum who persuaded me to give more than I would have. Should I tell her mum how I feel and ask for some of the money back? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I ask for some cash back? | Suggest An MMD | View Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT
MoneySaving tips for moving into your new home
Old-Styler Fishcake_Random wants to tap MoneySavers' collective knowledge on home-moving tips that save money in the long-run, such as cleaning the backs of appliances - washing machines, fridges, freezers, etc - while it's easy to get to them, to make them more efficient. Share yours/read others': Moving-in tips Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Thomson Offer: £20 off Ends: Thu 31 Oct
Our pick this week is Thomson's £20 off return flights. On all flights until 31 Oct 2013, including some taxes and charges. There's no code, the discount's automatic. We found Glasgow-Ibiza flights for £58.98. To find flights quickly, use FlightChecker on a £60 return 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
Shop assistants: Divulge your sale tactics
Some of the tricks divulged by forumites in the know include looking for items with yellow dot stickers on them in M&S food halls (as these will be reduced at the end of the day) and searching out this special Monsoon code. One forumite who works in retail also suggests buying display models when no sale is on, as they're often discounted. back to top ↑ |
Quick forum tips | Freebies |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances 25 July
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Holiday car hire. | |
MSE team corner - Team appearances:
- No team appearances
| Discussion of the week Great British Budget Menu Following BBC1's Great British Budget Menu, where three top chefs were sent to homes to make wholesome meals on a budget, our forumites discuss the show, shopping on a budget and getting the best value. From homemade KFC chicken bowls to swapping jar seasoning for packet seasoning. Add your thoughts and tricks. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: How do you feel about the royal baby news? Unless you've been on the Moon, you'll know there was a new addition to the royal family this week. But how interested are you in the blanket coverage of the new baby prince?
Please let us know which of the following is closest to your view. | Poll resultsWould you pay more to buy British?
Two-thirds would pay more for British food, here are the key results:
- 66% would pay more for food.
- 36% would pay more for clothes (not kids' clothes).
- 18% would pay more for computers & electronics.
- 29% wouldn't pay more for anything.
5,038 voted. See the full results. |
Question of the week Q. I've booked flights to Egypt, but the Government's advising not to go. Can I get a refund? Richard, by email. MSE Marcel's A: It depends on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's advice. It says Red Sea resorts are safe, so if you're due to head there and you cancel a package, hotel or flight, you won't necessarily be offered a full refund. But it warns you should only make essential travel to Cairo or Luxor. If you've booked a package holiday to these cities and cancel, tour operators offer three options: a full refund, a different holiday to the same value, or a deferred departure. They aren't legally obliged to offer any of the three, but they usually do. If you booked a hotel and flight separately, you're less likely to get your money back if you cancel, but always ask.
If you've travel insurance and want to cancel, check your policy covers cancellation fees. If you ignore Government advice not to go, this invalidates travel insurance once you get there, so be very wary. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Archna's free game of the week: 99 Bricks |
It's like Tatooine out there... For anyone who isn't a Star Wars fan, that means it's HOT. Utterly pointless, but fun for fans - just enter your location and it'll tell you which Star Wars climate the current temperature's equivalent to. Star Wars weather. 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:
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