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Archives for May 2006

A 40th Birthday Bonanza - no cash required
It was my OH's 40th this week. A few months back he was put at risk of redundancy, and as we won't know for sure until June, he said I was not to spend money on his birthday... So being a thrifty MSE-er, I took him at his word and made it my mission to give him a great day, without spending one penny of our own money, and…
saved £70 a month.. thanks!!!!!
for an hour on the phone (all 0800 numbers) and a couple of hours on the net today i have saved us approx £70 a month....£60 on mobile, £12 on sky, and maybe as much as £8 on electric/gas... thats £840 a year not bad for a few hours work and all thanks to you wonderful lot on here soon as they unpack our exchange going to…
House Purchase - saved enough to have a life!
I've just sat down and done some serious comparative maths - coz I've got a bit anal about all this now! (and ain't excel good???) :T Following disaster split and unplanned sale of "family home" I was going to be homeless with not enough income on 2 February 2006 - D-day was 31 March 2006. Now - today is 24May2006 Just…
Tefal FV9250 Iron
My old iron started to leak,hence thought new iron. Searched around for the FV9250, and found prices ranged from £75-£80.00. Went onto Comet site and saw £59.99 online price, but £6.95 postage. Went into my local currys armed with the printout of the above price of Comet, and they honored Comets online price with "Price…
Savings on one transaction.
Hi, I have put the details on the "Shop but don't drop" forum but it's nice to share good news........!!! On one transaction (worth £1200) I saved £326 on Internet prices and about £550 on shop prices!!!!! Martin, I have been playing the credit card game for more than twenty years but have learned much, much more on…
buying a Kayak
I am chuffed to bits. Bought a sea kayak today. Shop owner great bloke. Very helpful. As buying all the gear as well - negotiated a good price and saved around £50. Well worth asking if shops can do a better price - word of mouth to others then also helps their business.
Breakdown/recovery insurance: saved ££££££££'s
Thank you Martin, I have just saved a whopping £167 on my breakdown insurance!:j Have been with one of the big companies for several years and have been just renewing my membership each year without thinking! (However, when joined in first place, did get super deal through the COOP Divi card, so initially saved some…
The most popular chat tips ever as of 16/5/2006
1 (1) Pigsback - Free Gifts for Clicks = 1011044 views. This total is the accumulation of all the threads with exactly this title. 2 (2) Great 'disguised Own Brand' Hunt. = 388816 :money: 3 (3) Tesco misprices thread II - please only post misprices here = 377,420 4 (4) GREAT 'WHAT SHOPS DON'T WANT US TO KNOW" HUNT =…
My Pregnancy Money-Saving Diary
I'm terrible at keeping track of any savings that I make thanks to this site. I've decided to do my utmost to log any savings that I make over the next 8/9 months or so. :) Having just confirmed that I am (barely) pregnant with my second child, I want to compare how much I save/spend this time around compared to my…
My savings to date.
I am really thrilled with my savings, they may not be massive but they all help. £20 a month by ending my mobile contract and getting a PAYG instead £4 a month ended a work lottery £6 a month ended a different lottery £15 a month off my food bill thanks to OS (more work to do here, but its a start) £20 a month ended a save…
Thanks very much Martin! Saved 50% on car insurance!
I received my car insurance renewal the other day and it was a saving of £7 per month on the previous year, and at £465 for the year, I was sure I would do better. Using your guide found me a much better price at RAC of £240 for the exact same policy and car! Unbelievable how different this was. I phoned Norwich Union to…
Martin's top articles read so far this month 22/5/2006
**** There is a technical problem accessing the monthly stats package. These figures will appear again ASAP.**** :money:Martin's top articles read so far this month 22/5/2006:money: 1 (1) Recycle your own mobile and make some serious dosh = 146,842 reads 2 (2) The UKs Cheapest Home Phone Calls Provider = 108,942 3 (4) The…
Massive savings thanks to Martin and this site-THANK YOU
I felt I had to write as I have utilised so much information from Martin and this site and have saved so much. Firstly, I got my eye lasered from an idea I heard from Martin on Jeremy Vine's radio show, to buy from Optimax on Ebay. This should have cost me £1500, but I was able to get it for £750, results are brilliant and…
The most popular chat tips ever as of 7/5/2006
1 (1) Pigsback - Free Gifts for Clicks = 973709 views. This total is the accumulation of all the threads with exactly this title. 2 (2) Great 'disguised Own Brand' Hunt. = 386,763 :money: 3 (3) Tesco misprices thread II - please only post misprices here = 362,878 4 (4) GREAT 'WHAT SHOPS DON'T WANT US TO KNOW" HUNT =…
Huge T-Mobile Savings - thanks Martin
Just moved from a tariff of about £30 per month/per phone (so £60 per month for myself and husband) to £5 /month/phone. We're delighted and it wasn't all that hard to convince them. It wasn't their first offer but once they realized we were willing to switch to Orange (through e2save), they gave it to us.
half pay-as-you-go phone bills
heres an interesting one.there are an awful lot of people out there who have been refused,or would be,a mobile phone contract;a good percentage of which read MSE! well how about this; on payg people talk to each other via mobiles even when they are both at home because to ring mobiles via landline is c35p/min. well…
Thanks!
Since being introduced to this site I have saved so so much money! I don't have an exact figure, but managed to cut my mobile bill from around £200 a month to £40!! I have managed to get out of debt and now have money to spend on holidays and treats!! The other great think about this site is that it has taught me about…
Minimum Sky Package with Sky Sports
Hi, My dad, who is approaching 80, is moving from a Telewest area to one that doesn't have cable. He loves his Sky Sports and Prem Plus (and also AtTheRaces) he has this with Telewest along with just has the basic Freeview channels - so he pays 20-25 pound a month. When he moves he is going to have to get Sky proper for…
Saved a small fortune - thanks to this site!
It was that time of year where I had to ring around 9 or 10 insurance companies for a motor insurance quote, normally (due to sheer laziness) after ringing 10 or so different companies/brokers, I'd give up and go for the cheapest. This year I managed to save a fair bit of money by simply entering my details on…
Can't thank Martin enough
Martin you are the man! Got my home contents quote and it was a whopping 550 quid. I am ashamed to say that this is the first year that I have questioned it despite getting a good deal on my car and building insurance thanks to this site previously. Anyway, after a swift comparison on confused.com I pared it down to…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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