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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 |
| Two (or more) car household? Can multi-car insurance save you £1,000s? Are multi-car policies worth it? Suzanne emailed: "Husband had three cars on multi-car, followed your guide and bought three [separate] policies, saving £1,400." Yet forumite BoredwithbeingIgnored says: "Over three cars (incl our 18yr old son's), we saved £4,600 as Admiral MultiCar policy reduced it to a much more manageable £2,600. Thanks MSE." So we can categorically say multi-car is the cheapest... for some... and costly for others. That, er, helps. Read on... Get the opposite quotes to what you've already got first. In a Facebook poll of 2,100 people yesterday, 40% said multi-car won for them, 60% said standalone policies did. What tends to happen is multi-car newbies get hot offers to suck 'em in, then that advantage erodes at renewal. That's the logic behind Martin's renewal rule of thumb: "If you've a multi-car policy, check standalone quotes first; if you'v e standalone policies, check multi-car first."The top multi-car policies (incl £70 Amazon voucher). Comparison sites don't do multi-car searches, so you have to check quotes manually as trial and error. Try as many of these as you can stomach... - Multi-car policies: Here all cars are on one policy. The big one is Admiral*. Go via this link and we've blagged you a £70 Amazon vch (it doesn't show on the landing page but you'll be sent an email to claim it, sadly that can take up to 90 days, so keep an eye out. You must claim your vch within 60 days of receiving the email). Plus Aviva* has up to 33% off multi-car policies and LV* up to 40%. - Multi-car discounts: Here you get separate policies, but you get a discount on the cost to insure each 'additional' vehicle. There's More Than* 15% | Axa 10% | Esure 10% | Privilege % varies | Sheilas' Wheels 10%. - Multi-policy discounts. Here the discount is for more than one policy, eg, it could be car or home, but two cars would also count. The discount is off each additional policy, ie, if you already have home insurance, you get the discount on your new car policy (and vice versa). For this, try Direct Line* and Churchill* - the discount varies. - Tip 1: For the multi-car and multi-policy discounts (not multi-car policies), use comparison sites below and just keep a note of these firms' prices for each vehicle (Direct Line doesn't appear on comparison sites, so go direct). - Tip 2: Insure the car with the cheapest premium first because you'll usually get the discount on the next 'additional' (and subsequent) cars. The cheapest standalone policies. For ease, just use a comparison site for each vehicle. Yet as they don't search identical insurers, and can have different prices for the same firm, it's best to do a few checks for a wider spread. Our current order's Confused.com*, MoneySupermarket*, Gocompare* and CTM*. (Why? See comparison order). After that, if you haven't already, do check multi-car policies. If you've still more time, check our list of hot deals comparison sites miss. Of course it doesn't stop there. There's far more help in our full Cheap Car Insurance and Under-25s' Car Insurance guides, including bagging additional cashback, how comprehensive can be cheaper than third party, and how to haggle. |
| British Gas customers can get a £225/yr discount. Based on typical usage. See Martin's British Gas discount blog for how. The big freeze: Your travel and work rights. Brrrrr. Help if hit with a cancelled/delayed flight or train, or you can't make it to work. See your freezing weather rights. Free £50 Tempur travel pillow. A dreamy deal just for lying down. Pillow talk New. Vanquis to repay £169m to cardholders - ensure you don't miss out. The regulator has cracked down on the card firm (including some Vanquis-issued Argos, Aquis and Chrome cards). Are you owed £100+? Hot iPhone 8 & Samsung S8 contracts with 4GB data. It's usually cheapest to buy the phone upfront and pair with a cheap Sim - but these deals for Vodafone newbies win by about £50 over the contract. There's a 64GB iPhone 8* for £250 upfront or 64GB Samsung S8* for £160 upfront when you use the £50-off MSE50 code (to input, click 'add', not your return key - and ignore the £25-off code there). They're both then £23/mth on 2yr contracts with 4GB data, unltd mins & texts. They're not MoneySaving but if you'll do it, this is the cheapest way. See our iPhone & Samsung guides for more. Can you reclaim £1,000s of council tax? Use our free check & challenge tools to find out, in case you missed the Martin Lewis Money Show this week. Related: Council tax discounts for severe mental impairment |
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| Revealed: The credit score killers Unique new analysis into what hurts and helps in your quest to become financially fanciable Apply for credit and each lender scores you by its wish list of what it thinks makes a 'good' customer. The higher your score, the more it'll likely fancy you. Credit reference agencies tap into this by selling 'credit scores'. While somewhat meaningless - as each lender has its own system - they're an indicator of how you'll look, so worth checking regularly. Missing card, loan, mortgage etc payments - 125 pt DROP (if you miss 1-3 in a month). This is a biggie most can avoid. ALWAYS set up direct debits to make at least the minimum payments (or pay IN FULL if you can). If you're set up for the min but want to overpay, you can do this manually. Making 4+ applications in one month - 105 pt DROP. This can make you look desperate for credit. Making one application has little impact but if you suddenly add 1-3 more in just a month it can mean an average 15-point drop. Make 4+ more and it's a hefty 105 point hit. Beat this by using Credit Club's eligibility calcs which show the products you're most likely to get, BEFORE you apply. Getting on the electoral roll - 25 pt BOOST. Not being on it can make it difficult for lenders to ID you when you apply for credit. Yet registering to vote boosts it by an average 25 points - or 55 points if you've a poorer score. If you want to keep your details hidden, you can opt out of the public register. Full help, incl if you're not allowed on it, in registering to vote. Steer clear of credit limits - 30 pt BOOST. If you borrow too close to your combined limits, lenders may deem you over-reliant on credit. Drop from over 60% 'credit utilisation' to under it (excl mortgages) and you'd see a boost. So pay down debt (a good thing anyway) if you can, but beware automatically closing down old accounts. |
| Sky to hike TV & broadband prices. Some bills could rise by £36/yr. How to beat the rise (and if you can leave your broadband contract penalty-free, see above for hot alternatives). Eurostar London-Amsterdam from £35 1-way - but can you get 'em? Full analysis incl how the new direct route compares to flying and ferries, plus 28 more Amsterdam MoneySaving tips. 30% EXTRA off Polo Ralph Lauren at designer outlets. In store, via voucher. See Polo Ralph Lauren 30% off. Ends 5pm today (Wed). £20 cashback on top travel spending card. Specialist travel credit cards don't charge the usual 3%-ish fee on spending or withdrawals abroad, so you get near-perfect rates. Apply in time for the Halifax Clarity (eligibility calc / apply*) and it gives £20 cashback when you first spend in a foreign currency by Sat 31 Mar (eg, on a hotel). Repay IN FULL to avoid the 18.9% rep APR interest on spending and to minimise it on cash withdrawals, where it's charged daily till fully repaid. Full info in Travel Credit Cards. £9 magnolia plant, norm £34ish. MSE Blagged. Or two for £13, four for £19. Pink and white blooms. Van Meuwen 5 MILLION cards blocked at some petrol pumps, incl Asda & Tesco. Check if you're hit in pump blocks. £3.50 photo mug delivered (norm £11). MSE Blagged. Good for Mother's Day. Ends Mon. Personalised mug |
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| AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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| Beat the 'Beast from the East' The Siberian blast has hit hard and may last till Saturday - here's how to stay warm & save money At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, it's cold, really cold - with snow, frost and freezing temperatures blasting the country in what could be the coldest winter snap in over 25 years. So as we sit here at MSE Towers with woolly hats, ear muffs and thermals at the ready, here are five tips to help you save on your energy bills given your radiators may be working overtime... Make a dog & grab a sheep. We're not talking about sticking livestock round your neck, but cutting draughts to stop heat escaping. Plug the gap between door and floor with a DIY sausage dog draught excluder, or grab a Chimney Sheep to block old chimneys - just two of our old-school or DIY heat-saving tips.Is it REALLY cheaper to leave the heating on low all day? The truth behind this and 16 other common energy-use conundrums - eg, should you paint radiators black? The arguments aren't always clear-cut. See analysis in Energy Mythbusters. Get £25 if the average temperature is 0°C or below for seven days in a row in your area. If you get certain benefits, you'll get £25 to help with heating bills - even if it was just forecast to drop below 0°C. It's already been triggered in some areas. You should get the payment automatically, but it's worth checking to make sure. See cold weather payments for more. If you're sitting in the cold (or you know someone who is) as you can't afford heating... make a call. If you're seriously behind on bills, or in general hardship, you may be eligible for special tariffs/help. Try the Energy Saving Trust on 0300 123 1234 for England, Wales and NI or Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282. Also see our Housing & Energy Grants and Debt Help guides. Some energy firms also have emergency funds for those who fall behind - see energy grants. And prepare for the future. FREE loft and cavity wall insulation FOR EVERYONE - worth up to £720. Four of the Big 6 energy companies are offering these to suitable homes, and you don't always need to be a customer - and unlike previous offers you don't need to be on benefits with some firms. They could cut your bills by up to £450/yr. Be warned though, cavity wall insulation isn't right for every home. See how to get it, and check it's right for you. |
| 10 kids' books £10 delivered. MSE Blagged. 200+ titles incl Peppa Pig and The Velveteen Rabbit. £1 kids' books Mother's Day couriered bouquets £20-£25. It's a week on Sunday. Incl £20 Tesco roses or a mixed bundle, and 100-stem bouquet at M&S for £25. See all Mother's Day deals. 'I RECLAIMED £9K PPI' - SUCCESS OF THE WEEK £24 beauty box (£100ish indiv). MSE Blagged. Incl Monuskin mask, Rodial lip liner etc. 1,000 avail. Beauty box |
| THIS WEEK'S POLL How do you rate your broadband provider? We can tell you which the cheapest providers are, but to find out if their customer service is any good, we need your help. So tell us how your broadband provider has performed over the past six months. How do you rate your broadband provider? First Direct tops our banking customer service poll (again). Last week in our biannual poll, we asked you to rate your bank account's service over the last six months and received 6,800+ responses. For the eighth year running, First Direct claimed top spot, with 91% of its customers voting it 'great' and just 2% 'poor'. At the other end RBS retained the wooden spoon, with a whopping 29% of its customers considering it 'poor' and only 28% 'great'. See full banking poll results. |
| MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Can I spend less on a second wedding gift? I'm going to my mate's second wedding (he was married before but got divorced) and I'm wondering if I can get away with spending less on the present. I got him a big gift the first time and I think it's crazy to spend the same again on the same guy. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Can I spend less on a second wedding gift? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs THE QUICKIES - Debt-Free Wannabe chat of the week: Should we sell our flat to become debt-free? |
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| MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 28 FEB ONWARDS) Thu 1 Mar - Good Morning Britain, ITV, Deals of the Week, 7.40am MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC) Wed 28 Feb - BBC Cumbria, Money Talks with Ben Maeder, from 6pm |
| QUESTION OF THE WEEK Q: I moved my mum on to a water meter, and her bills have dropped from £73/mth to £5/mth. Is there anything I can do retrospectively to challenge the amount she was charged before she went on a meter? Claire, via email. MSE Andrew's A: Unfortunately you can't, as in homes where you can either have a meter or get billed the set rate, it's your choice what to get. Our rule of thumb is if there are more bedrooms than people in your home then a meter usually wins because you probably won't use as much water as the providers assume you will. Though you can't get back your old overpayments, that's an amazing saving of £68/mth (£816/yr) - everyone should check if they can reduce bills by switching. See Cut your water bills. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
| HELP THE HOMELESS THROUGH THE BIG FREEZE That's all for this week, but before we go... in these subzero temperatures, spare a thought for the many homeless people struggling to keep warm. Charity StreetLink was set up to offer the public a way to act when they see someone sleeping rough. You can alert StreetLink to a homeless person you're concerned about by calling 0300 500 0914 or using its website - so they can get connected to local services. For more info see StreetLink. 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 virginmedia.com, vodafone.co.uk, productsandservices.bt.com, admiral.com, aviva.co.uk, lv.com, morethan.com, directline.com, churchill.com, confused.com, moneysupermarket.com, gocompare.com, comparethemarket.com, mobiles.co.uk, halifax.co.uk, mbna.co.uk, bank.marksandspencer.com, plus.net Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note 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 (registered in England No. 3157344) is MoneySupermarket House, St. David's Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ. 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. |
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