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DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads |
Martin: Stoozing is back Picture it. The early 2000s. A handsome, charismatic young man with a keen interest in saving money... could've been watching me on Simply Money, a now long defunct, minor telly channel, as I broadcast a technique to stooze - deliberately creating 0% debt for profit - explaining (from sketchy memory): "Online bank Egg has given me a 0% card, so I took £5,000 from it, and put it in top savings: which happens to be with Egg! So I'm earning 6% [£300/yr] on money it's lent me for nowt." Sheer poetry. Now, like a phoenix, stoozing is again rising with interest rates. At its extreme, it can be huge. Back in the noughties, before rates tumbled, I even heard of £70,000+ stooze-pots (the amount of created 0% debt) over many cards saved in offset mortgages, earning £5,000+ a year. We've a Stoozing guide, but here's quick summary...
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If offered a British Gas, E.on, Ovo or So Energy existing-customer fix, should you grab it? Ovo have fixes for all existing customers, BG, E.on and So Energy for a select few. There are none available for customers of other firms. For full info & if it's worth it, see Should I fix? Also see our new calc: How much less will I pay in July? Ends next Tue (13 Jun). Tesco Clubcard cutting triple-value rewards, after that they're just double. You've until then to max the value of your points. See Urgent Clubcard boost. Massive best-buy NO-FEE 0% balance transfer - shift existing debt to 19mths interest-free. This NatWest card (link goes through eligibility calc, or apply*) lets accepted new customers shift debt to it at 19mths 0% NO-FEE, three months longer than the next best - an easy winner if you can clear the debt within that time. Need longer? Virgin Money (apply*) is longest at 31mths 0% for a 3.5% fee, or another NatWest (apply*) card is 30mths with a lower 2.99% fee. Full help in Top balance transfer cards. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum and clear the card before the 0% period ends, or all jump to 23.9% rep APR. 10% extra off code for past 'best befores': 9p Snickers, 50p 12-pack Hula Hoops & more. MSE Blagged. Approved Food sells cheap groceries near or past 'best-before' dates (NOT past 'use-by' dates, which are about health). Min £22.50 spend, delivery's £3+. Approved Food Top easy-access savings rates continue to creep up. The new top-payer is Principality BS 3.88%, but it only allows two withdrawals a year, while with no withdrawal restrictions, there's Secure Trust 3.85% (min £1,000) and Chip 3.82% (though it does have a few quirks - link goes to the guide to explain). Top big names: Sainsbury's* 3.76% (min £1,000) limits you to three withdrawals a year, while Post Office* 3.47% has unlimited withdrawals. All rates are AER variable. Full info and top fixed-rate options in Top savings. Ikea launches 'up to 60% off' summer sale, eg, £55 shelving unit for £20. See 22 Ikea tips & tricks. New. Cheap fast 132Mb Virgin broadband '£21/mth'. MSE Blagged. Newbies can get this Virgin Media 132Mb broadband (no line) deal (available to 58% of the country) for £25.50/mth, yet you get an automatic £75 bill credit, so it's equivalent to £21.34/mth over the 18mth contract. Don't want / can't get Virgin? Use our Broadband comparison. New. The Martin Lewis Money Show summer mini-series launches next Tue 13 Jun, ITV 8pm. Over to Martin: "Well I'm calling it a mini-series, it's two shows in a row. The first is urgent for anyone age 45 to 70, as it's the last chance to boost your state pension by £10,000s (and yes, I'll be talking about how to navigate the phone lines too), plus lots more pensions help. Then the following week, it's my annual pre-summer holiday overseas MoneySaving show. Do series-link it or set the VHS." |
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Do you currently get Tax Credits?
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Hot Diamonds 40% off EVERYTHING code, including £50 ring £15. MSE Blagged. Hot Diamonds 'We got a £7,500 council tax refund as we're carers.' It's Carers Week, so if you're one, check you're not missing out on council tax discounts as our success of the week John was. He told us: "After reading your email on council tax rebates for carers, I applied and got a 50% discount as my daughter also qualifies for the 'severe mental impairment' discount on top. We now pay £1,000 a year less and we also received a back-payment of £7,500. Keep up the good work." Please send us your MoneySaving successes. Related: Check if you're due carer's allowance or carer's credit. Heads up. Free kid's West End theatre ticket with a paying grown-up - last year included The Lion King and Matilda. The annual 'Kids Week' promo is returning, and while the shows for August performances haven't been revealed yet, they tend to be biggies. 'Free' kids' theatre £28.50 for 12-item men's grooming set (worth £114). MSE Blagged. Including Monuskin moisturiser, Nip + Fab face scrub, and Fudge wax. 2,000 available from Latest in Beauty. Related: Father's Day cards & free gift cheques. One month's 'tailored' dog food for £2.70 (normally £27) through 90% off code. MSE Blagged. Newbies only. Tails dog food Find FREE summer festivals and carnivals near you. With our Free festivals guide. |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you risk going on holiday without travel insurance? For years we've emphasised the importance of getting travel insurance ASAB - As Soon As you've Booked - so you're covered if you need to cancel before you go. That message still stands (see our Cheap travel insurance guide for more help). With the summer holidays approaching, whether you're going abroad or staying in the UK, we want to know if you risk going without travel insurance? Vote in this week's poll. A quarter of MoneySavers have seen their credit card debt increase in the last 12 months. Last week, we asked how much you owe on credit cards and whether it had increased over the past year. Of the more than 7,000 people who responded, most owed between £0 and £5,000, with only 20% owing more. Worryingly though, a quarter of respondents owed more than they did at the same time last year - likely a result of the increased cost of living. See the full credit card poll results. |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I claim on my friend's car insurance for the accident I was injured in? Recently, I was a passenger in a friend's car. When she stopped to let me out, I accidentally shut my coat in the car door. My friend didn't realise this and, as she drove away, I was dragged to the ground, breaking my shoulder and smashing up my face. I have multiple sclerosis, and these injuries have had (and will have) a further impact on my quality of life. Should I claim on my friend's car insurance, or should I leave it? It was an accident, and if I claim it will put her premium up when she renews her policy. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I claim on my friend's car insurance for the accident I was injured in? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma |
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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 7 JUN ONWARDS) Wed 7 Jun - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Tue 13 Jun - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am |
RARE VINYL & CUT-PRICE CARDIES... WHAT'S THE BEST £1 YOU EVER SPENT? That's all for this week, but before we go... every year or so, we ask Forumites to cast their minds back to the best £1 they ever spent. Some just saved large, like paying £1 for a cashmere cardigan. Others paid less than £1 for things worth much more, such as 99p for two antique crystal vases worth a few hundred quid, or a first edition of The Beatles' 'Please Please me' on vinyl for 50p, which they sold for £200+. But even luckier was the Forumite who bought a second-class stamp for a postcard entry to a competition, which bagged them £52,000! Read more and add your own bargain boasts to the What's the best £1 you've ever spent? MSE Forum discussion. We hope you save some money, |
Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com worksWe 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 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 MoneySavingExpert and Martin LewisWhat is MoneySavingExpert.com? Who is Martin Lewis? What do the links with an * mean?Any links with an * 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 products at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to them. 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, natwest.com, rbs.co.uk, chase.co.uk, hsbc.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, uk.virginmoney.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, bank.marksandspencer.com Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). MoneySavingExpert.com Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number: 8021764. Registered office: One Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips. |