This week | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter The 10 going abroad must-dos
Urgently use our Factor 50 wallet protection to boost your holiday cash If you're about to jet off, follow our top 10 tips BEFORE you go to turbo-charge your spending power abroad, wherever you land. | 1. | £7 travel insurance. If you've booked, and aren't insured, you could lose big if you cancel so get cover quick. The cheapest route depends how often you go away, incl in UK. Always check cover's suitable.
Single trip from £7 (1 holiday in the next 12mths): You can get it for £7 for an individual, £11 for a couple (£13 and £28 for USA). To find the cheapest, use this MoneySupermarket* comparison. If time, add Confused.com*.
Annual cover from £16 (go away 2+ times/year). Here are the cheapest under-65s picks which hit our min cover criteria. FULL info, explanation and options, incl top value picks, in Cheap Travel Insurance.
Europe: Travel Guard* £16-£20 single, £30-£38 family (age-related).
World: Travel Guard* £27-£33 single, Protect Your Bubble* £50-£60 family.
| | | | | 2. | Turn off sneaky smartphone data roaming BEFORE you go. Even if you don't use the web, apps can download data in the background, costing £100s overseas. Turn off data roaming before you land (most phones have an option in settings - find it now) to avoid a shock bill.
Plus NEVER watch TV via 3G. Bills when you return can be sickening. Three charges £6/MB in Canada - as a 30min TV programme is 500MB, that could be £3,000. Full help in Cheapest Mobile Roaming and Data Roaming. | | | | | 3. |  Permanently holster UNBEATABLE exchange rates (takes 1-3 weeks to arrive). Most credit cards add hidden 3% loads, so £100-worth of euros costs £103. The no-annual fee cards below are load-free worldwide, smashing bureaux de change. Repay IN FULL (use direct debit) to minimise 11.9%-19.9% rep APRs.
Top just for using abroad: Halifax Clarity*, due to lower ATM charges.
Top for UK too: New Capital One* card pays up to 1.25% UK cashback.
Also good: Saga* (over-50s), Post Office* & Select* (Nat'wide custs ONLY).
Full info & help in Cheap Travel Cards (APR Examples), which includes how to check your eligibility for these cards (they require a credit check). If you're unlikely to get one, try a prepaid card, which lets you load with cash to spend like a debit card with no credit check required.
Top prepaid cards: FairFX Euro* and FairFX Dollar* - usually £10 but via these links, free for newbies loading €60/$75. See Cheap Prepaid Cards.
Want best cash rates? See our brand new Travel Money Comparison below. | | | | | 4. | Stop your card getting blocked while away. Pay overseas and some banks block cards in case it's fraud. We've a full list of which banks you need to tell before you go, to avoid pricey phone calls (& embarrassing shopping trips) abroad. | | | | 5. | Urgently check if yours is one of 3.5m EHIC cards expiring this year. The free European Health Insurance Card gives you access to EU (plus a few other) state-run hospitals or GPs like a local. So, if they don't pay, nor do you. Full help & links in Free EHICs, but three key rules...
a) Check all family's cards. 3.5m expire in 2013, renew or they're invalid.
b) Keep it with you. Each person needs to visibly show theirs to use it.
c) EHICs are free. Don't Google them, you may get shyster sites charging c.£20. 'Fast track' applications don't exist, avoid getting caught out. | | | | 6. | Warning. Drinking can invalidate travel insurance. Losing something or having an accident after drinking - sometimes even just being merry - could kibosh medical and possessions cover. Don't take unnecessary valuables out and be careful. See Cheap Travel Ins. | | | | 7. | Book cheap car hire sooner and beat hidden nasties. Car hire booked in advance can be as cheap as £10/day, while paying when you land can cost £100s more. Use comparisons Kayak* and Carrentals* but beware fuel policy stealth charges - many cheap firms charge upfront for a full £100+ tank and say return it empty. Help in Fuel Policy Tips.
Also ignore costly excess insurance from hire firms. You can get standalone cover for less than £2 a day. Try 15% off Direct Car Excess Insurance*, then compare with Moneymaxim's* cheapest. Full how-to in Cheap Car Hire. | | | | | 8. | Slash airport parking costs by booking NOW. If you need to drive (though public transport's often more MoneySaving), book early through comparison sites via these special links: SkyParkSecure 13-25% off* | APH 10%-17% off* | FHR 12% off*. Plus hidden local deals in Airport Parking. | | | | | 9. | Driving abroad? Urgent checks required.
Driving licence: Outside EU, check if you need International Driving Permit.
Car insurance: You should have 3rd party cover in the EU but may need to pay for comprehensive.
Breakdown cover: Unless you've a European policy, you'll need to pay extra.
Check the AA's list of international driving laws. Plus a free app turns phones into a local sat nav for 30 countries. Download before you go. | | | | | 10. | NEVER pay in pounds. Many shops/restaurants, etc ask: "Do you want to pay in euros or pounds?" Always select the local currency to avoid horrid exchange rates. For why & how this works, see Martin's 'pay in euros?' blog. | | |
Finally, don't overspend abroad as it can be easy to let go of the purse strings - leaving a financial hangover. One plus point when setting your budget is you can factor in cash you'd normally spend at home, but won't. More Travel Guides: 50 Travel Tips | Flights | Hotels | 100 UK Kids' Hols Tips PS. I'm taking a break this week, so this email is in the more than capable hands of the MSE team - Martin. |
Blagged for MoneySavers |
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 |
MSE News |
 | Saved cash? Shout it from the rooftops. |  | | If this email's ever helped you, please forward it to friends and suggest they get it via moneysavingexpert.com/tips | |
 |  |  |
| The Ones Not To Miss | Wed 17 Jul 2013 |
New. Find cheapest travel cash in seconds (incl Thu/Fri FLASH sale)
Revamped tool scours 40+ online bureaux. Now includes airport pre-order rates & compares to specialist plastic The cheapest way to spend abroad is on the right credit card. But if you want cash, our overhauled Travel Money Comparison ignores "commission-free" bureaux de change marketing spiel to show who gives most after all fees. |
| Year's 50% off Sky TV codes, incl sport (+ free £25 M&S). MSE Blagged. 12,000 codes for Sky newbies on any TV package. Only 2,500 can redeem, by Thu 11.59pm. Cheap Sky TV code 30p/L off petrol - extreme couponing. Till Sun, get a 5p/L off coupon at Tesco with selected loo or kitchen roll, cheese, spread, squash or beer (be Drinkaware). Combine up to six for 30p/L off. Full help: Cheap Petrol FREE £25 eye test. Should've gone to Specsavers? It's free with a voucher. More options: Eye Tests Up to 70% off Austin Reed sale. Incl £119 suit (was £399), £15 shirts (were £50). Austin Reed |
New. Shift debt to 27mths 0% - now four cards to pick from
Take advantage of the latest salvo in the credit card price war, which helps more people erase debt sooner A balance transfer is when a new card pays off existing cards for you, so you owe it instead, at a lower rate. There were already 27mth 0% deals, but from the usual best buy suspects. You can't shift debt to a provider you already have a card with, so the extra choice is a winner for many. - Get the lowest fee within the 0% time you're certain you can clear the card in. The one-off fee is trivial compared to interest if you don't clear the card or shift again before the 0% ends. Even a 2% lower fee only saves £20 per £1,000 - that'd be eaten up by interest in 6 weeks of paying the full APR on £1,000. So if unsure, go long.
| TOP 0% BALANCE TRANSFER CREDIT CARDS | The golden rules. a) Repay at least the set monthly minimum, or you may lose 0% rate.
b) Aim to clear the debt or shift again before the 0% ends, or rates rocket.
c) Don't spend on these, it isn't usually at the cheap rate.
d) To help decide, see our Which Card's Cheapest? tool. | | | Provider | Fee | 0% length | Rep APR after | | | Barclaycard* | 2.99% | 27mths (1) | 18.9% | | | New NatWest*/RBS* | 3.1% | 27mths | 18.9% | | | Tesco* | 3.15% | 27mths | 18.3-24.2% | | | Lloyds TSB* | 1.5% | 21mths (1) | 17.9% | | | Lloyds TSB* | 1% | 15mths | 17.9% | | | (1) These are representative offers, so you may get fewer months at 0% if you're a poorer credit scorer. Rates are for accepted new cardholders.
FULL info: Balance Transfers & APR Examples. | - Find which card you're MOST likely to get. Apply for a card and it hits your credit file, whether you're accepted or not. So first use our Balance Transfer Eligibility Checker, which does a soft search (so no impact) to assess which cards you'll most likely pass the credit score for (of those that allow us to do it).
back to top ↑ |
| 180 FREE UK museums. Now with your reviews. We asked you to review free museums and galleries. From Devon's House of Marbles: "Spent longer than expected, played giant chess and Jenga", to the World Museum in Liverpool: "Dinosaurs, fossils, elephant's skull, ant farm - kids spellbound." Read/add yours: 180 Free UK Museums MSE Towers' HOT sales bargain picks
Sales boosted up to 70%: Asos | H&M | Habitat, so we've picked our faves (full list High St Sales)
Vans canvas shoes £25* | Monsoon dress £50* | Men's suede FitFlops £40* | John Lewis pillow case £6* £10 for unlimited Blockbuster games rental till 8 Sept. Usually £6 for five nights. Blockbuster Deals |
|
| | | |
| Cheapest EVER personal loan - 4.9% APR. Sainsbury's* is offering 4.9% representative APR on £7.5k-£15k loans paid back over one to three years. Ensure you budget and can afford repayments. Full help: Cheap Loans, APR Examples Codes to boost sales - extra 20% off Dotty Ps sale, 30% Brantano & more...
Dorothy Perkins 20% off code | Lyle & Scott 50% off jumpers code | Brantano 30% off code and voucher
Plain Lazy 48% off code | MSE Blagged: Kurt Geiger free delivery code worth £4.95 | Full list: Discount Vouchers Seven 2for1 vouchers for Alton Towers, Thorpe Park & more. In 40p/60p papers from Sat. Theme Parks |
Free and cheap warranties
Beat shops' fear tactics and protect your big purchases at a fraction of the cost Buy a toaster, TV or a tumble dryer and high street chains try to scare you into buying warranties costing almost as much as the product itself. Protect yourself with our updated Cheapest Warranties guide, including... - Avoid high street rip offs. The OFT's just forced the industry to build a high street warranty comparison, which shows how costly some are - though there are some decent policies in there too. Compare with standalone providers such as Warranty Direct* which could cover a cooker, dishwasher AND washing machine for £12.75/mth - you'd pay £17.50/mth at some stores. Full info: Cheap Warranties.
 Know your consumer rights. Goods must last a 'reasonable' length of time. It's probably reasonable for a 10p plastic whistle to break after 2 years, but not a £5,000 LED TV. If items fail too soon, you're entitled to a repair or replacement with or without a warranty. Understand your Consumer Rights.- Should I bother with a warranty? Some cost nearly as much as the goods, yet many modern products are pretty reliable. You'd often be better putting money aside each month in case you need to buy a new one.
- Free warranties. Most manufacturers give 1 year, and some let you extend this cheaply. John Lewis and M&S include 5-year free warranties in the price for TVs, and 2 or 3 years on other appliances - but they can be more expensive than online retailers (check via MegaShopBot), so you may want to buy elsewhere and pay for cover. Also, a few credit cards give a year's extra warranty if you buy on them, so pay them off in full and that's free. Full info in Free & Cheap Warranties guide.
back to top ↑ |
"Three money lessons I'll teach my daughter" Read Martin's blog on the key things about money he'll tell Baby MSE... Three money lessons. New official 'House of Commons' MSE Forum board
This is an unusual board in our forum, we've provided space so you can interact with official representatives in the House of Commons board. Discussions include Contact your MP, Watch debates and arrange a Tour of Parliament. Forum Hottie. £4 Orla Kiely shopper bags. Forumites love these jute (like hessian) & cotton bags. See Tesco Deals. Ends Thurs. Free £70 voucher gets £7/mth line rental & broadband. MSE Blagged. For newbies: 1) Unlimited broadband. Via this TalkTalk* link, it's free for 6mths, then £6.50/mth on 12mth contract. Avail to 85% of UK. 2) Line rent. Usually £14.95/mth, but as you apply, opt to pay £114 a year upfront - equiv £9.50/mth. It includes 3mths' anytime calls (cancel or it's £5/mth after). 3) Free £70 Love2Shop voucher. For Argos, B&Q, Boots, etc. Factor it in as cash and the cost's £83 over 12mths (equiv £6.90/mth). See TalkTalk. |
Overdraft cost hike... so shift to 0%
Used wrongly, they're costly. If you're in the red it's crucial to slash costs, as more banks whack up fees Banks have raised overdraft charges for millions in recent years, and from last Fri, RBS & NatWest customers just £10 (previously £100) into their overdraft get a £6/mth (£72/yr) charge + interest. Switch if paying too much & budget to clear the debt ASAP. All products below require a credit check.  Permanent small 0% overdraft, plus £100 & top service. If you have £1,000/mth income, First Direct* gives an ongoing £250 no-interest overdraft. Plus it's won all of our top customer service polls and gives new switchers £100. Be warned, overdraft costs shoot up to 15.9% EAR above £250. - 0% overdraft for a YEAR. For respite from regular overdraft charges, Nationwide* FlexDirect is 0% for 12 months. But plan to repay it in that time, or you face 50p/day fees. Halifax* gives 6mths 0% plus a £100 bonus if you switch and pay in £750/mth, but after that its fees are big. NEVER exceed your overdraft limit - both accounts charge £5/DAY. Full info on both in Best Bank Accounts.
- Shift pricey overdrafts to a 0% credit card. Warning - NOT for beginners. Money transfer credit cards let you move cash to your bank to repay overdrafts, so you owe the card instead. Beware, most cards don't allow this cheaply - but currently Virgin* gives 0% for 26 months, for a one-off 4% fee. Golden rules: 1) Clear before the 0% ends or it's 20.9% rep APR. 2) Repay at least the monthly min or you may lose the 0%. 3) Don't spend on it, that's not at 0%. 4) Confused? Read Money Transfers first.
back to top ↑ |
| Totally FREE £2 Amazon MP3 credit. No min spend code. See TuneChecker. £5 off London days/nights out. Sign up for Time Out London's deals & get £5 off a £10+ spend. Time Out Deals Free drinks vouchers - Grolsch, cocktails, Oasis
Free Grolsch or cocktail at Pitcher & Piano. Please be Drinkaware | Free Oasis at 200 Hungry Horse pubs. FREE £10 A Place in the Sun Birmingham tix. NEC, 27-29 Sep. 5,000 available. A Place in the Sun Deals |
Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers | Top deals |
| The Moneysaving community |
 CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Do you agree with the new MPs' payment package?
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (a separate body to Parliament) has created a new pay and pensions package for MPs from 2015. It includes a salary of £74,000, a new pension based on average pay, not final pay, and the right to claim fewer expenses. Take its survey to tell it what you think. 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
iDinosaur or iSolar System. 25 of each blagged for MoneySavers. Want one? MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Pay for mum's hotel room or risk her absence at christening?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... We've told my wife's parents they can stay in our spare room for our son's christening. But my mum says she can't afford a hotel (not true) and we should tell my in-laws to get one instead. As she's being difficult, when I suggested to my wife we pay for her hotel, she refused, saying my mum can like it or lump it. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay for my mum's hotel? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT
Shop assistants: Divulge your top tips to bag bargains where you work
There are often signs items will be discounted before it actually happens (a dot on the tag, sticker on the label, etc), but they aren't always easy to spot. Do you work for a popular retailer? Share your insider tips on how to shop smartly. Share your tips/ read others': What shops don't want us to know Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Jet2 Offer: 10% off code Ends: Ongoing
Our pick this week is Jet2's 10% off code. Each passenger gets the discount off the cost of any return flight (incl taxes, charges, in-flight meals and baggage) as long as you make your return by 27 Nov 2014. Enter the promo code SALE10 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
What is 'being MSE' to you?
A number of our users said being MSE is all about making money go further, regardless of the amount, while to others it's no longer being scared of money and finances. One MoneySaver says MSE has helped, inspired, encouraged, informed, amused and given her a new perspective, which we're always happy to hear. back to top ↑ |
Quick forum tips | Freebies |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances 18 July
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Subject tbc. | |
MSE team corner - Team appearances:
- No team appearances this week
| Discussion of the week How did you propose/get proposed to? From the top of a mountain to your sofa, marriage proposals can happen anywhere. But trying to make things interesting is difficult, as one of our forumites YoungBusinessman found. Other MoneySavers mentioned Paris to a pub car park. Join the discussion and share conventional or unconventional tales. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Would you pay more to buy British? Many goods sold in the UK are made or imported. Buying British can help UK manufacturers and may be more environmentally sustainable - yet if it costs more, would you pay more?
Which of these would you be willing to pay more for to buy British? | Poll resultsDo you travel with or without travel insurance?
Younger people are less likely to have arranged travel insurance, with 70% of under-30s having cover in place before their foreign trips, compared with 83% of 30 to 64-year-olds.
- 81% of all voters who've booked to go abroad have insurance.
- 31% of under-30s holidaying in the UK have a policy.
- 68% of over-65s holidaying in the UK have one.
- 9% have no plans to buy insurance, taking a big risk.
9,508 voted. See the full results. |
Question of the week Q: If my 16-year-old son does six weeks' work in the school holidays, will I lose my child benefit and child tax credits? Angie, by email. MSE Toby's A: Parents stop qualifying when their child is 20, or finishes 'eligible' full-time education or an approved, unpaid training course, whichever is sooner. Whether they work during school holidays is irrelevant. But all parents need to tell the child benefit or tax credit office if their kids continue education post-16 so they can opt back in, or payments stop automatically. What counts as eligible education are A-levels, Scottish Highers, NVQs and more (see HMRC's full list) - but NOT university. If you get payments but your offspring starts full-time, paid employment, you must tell the child benefit or tax credit office so it can stop them. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Archna's free game of the week: Push me |
Dear Tesco, I have a complaint about your tarts... This email chain between an unhappy customer (erudite Moneysaver TBeckett100) who likes a "tart that looks smart" and a Tesco Customer Services representative is simply brilliant. Formal Complaint. We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
| Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.
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 moneysupermarket.com, confused.com, travel-guard.co.uk, uk.protectyourbubble.com, Halifax.co.uk, capitalone.co.uk, saga.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, fairfx.com, kayak.co.uk, carrentals.co.uk, direct-carexcess.co.uk, moneymaxim.co.uk, skyparksecure.com, aph.com, fhr-net.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, natwest.com, rbs.co.uk, tescobank.com, lloydstsb.com, office.co.uk, uk.monsoon.co.uk, shoetique.co.uk, johnlewis.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk, warrantydirect.co.uk, google.co.uk, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, sales.talktalk.co.uk, firstdirect.com, uk.virginmoney.com, energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, santander.co.uk, comparethemarket.com, productsandservices.bt.com.
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances constitute an FCA regulated activity. For this reason, pages with links which take you to the sites of insurers or insurance intermediaries are hosted by MoneySavingExpert.com Limited on behalf of MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC. MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is MoneySupermarket House, St. David’s Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ. To change your E-mail or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips |
Your blog post is quite unique, grasping, and innovative with its content & readable quality. It has motivated me a lot in using environmentally friendly jute bags instead of plastic and paper bags.
ReplyDelete