What else can I compare for my parents?

Scottishmummy

I am about to go and do my once yearly visit to my parents. They are both now in their 60's, Dad is self-employed and I know money is tight. Mum hasn't worked for years. As of the beginning of this year they are mortgage free thankfully. I don't know if they have debt just now. Dad did have quite a large loan at one point but hopefully that was got rid of this year too. Dad is however the telesales persons dream. I think the annual reminders come in for things and he just goes that's up again but continues to pay.

The last time I was there though I noticed they were paying out for Sky with movies, kids and lifestyle - Dad watches Alba and BBC1!!!! Kids package is nice for when we visit but we have freeview, I am sure the kids could cope with that when visiting too. I also remember a conversation where they have a fee paying bank account!!! I don't know the full details but if they get free travel insurance Dad has never been abroad and wouldnt go even if he was rolling in it.

So last time I was there i told them I was going to sort them out next time I was up. Shame I didn't have time last year. First of all I will get them started with quidco. I am then going to do comparisons/reduced packages with the following:-

Sky
House Insurance
Car Insurance
Bank Accounts
Breakdown Insurance
Gas
Electric
Phone
Mobile
Internet

And see if they qualify for:-
Working Tax Credit
Pension Credit

Have I forgotten anything? Is there other stuff I should be looking at?

lolarentt

Credit cards for cashback, loyalty cards (and buying through websites like Nectar etc)......

rayday2

My MIL is a telesales person dream too, she even gets mail order vitamins £30 a month - but she is totally uninterested in saving money and it is firmly her business - until she can't afford food then she rings up for us to arrange a Tesco delivery which she will post a cheque to us later for...

Do they have any pets or pet insurance although I don't use Quidco for this as they seem to have the expensive policies I did use money supermaket and got 4 animals covered for £15 a month. I know some people don't believe in pet insurance but if they do and have it worth a thought.

Scottishmummy

Forgot about CC i know dad had one for business use. Loyalty cards forgot about them although they don't do Tesco. They shop at the co-op and I know they have a loyalty scheme so will get them signed up to that.

Scottishmummy

i have just remembered too that dad has a fuel account with a local garage so that he gets a monthly bill to put through his accounts. Being a small local garage their prices are extortionate. He could quite easily get fuel elsewhere and keep the receipts.

Tixy

Could you talk them into looking at different (cheaper) supermarkets? Recommend they cut back to non-branded items (particularly for cleaning products etc - after all homebrand bleach does the same job as domestos, supermarket toilet rolls instead of puppy dog rolls etc).

Life assurance (although could be more difficult at that age)
Do they have any borrowing? Switch to a better rate?

Earn bonuses for switching to a new bank account?

Did they pay off their mortgage recently? Any mortgage exit fees they could reclaim?

Scottishmummy

They do have a dog but not insured. I worked in a vet for 15 years and even I can't persuade them to get him insured or neutered. Having said that they seem to have the lucky streek when it comes to animals. They have had them all my life and not one has needed the vet for anything except the collie that needed a cesarian section which wouldn't have been covered anyway. I will however show them where to go online for cheap wormer and frontline.

rayday2

Being cheeky scottishmummy but are the cheaper online sites for frontline etc cheaper than the pharmacies and pets at home etc that are now doing it? If so where are they!?!

I must be the most unlucky with animals all of them have cost me in someway. But I am a bit tight I only go for the lowest cover on pet insurance not sure with 3 children that I would want an animal to suffer long term in this mad house I call home.

Scottishmummy

Their favourite shop is Lidl with the co-op getting used for stuff they can't get at Lidl so not much to drop from there.

Don't think they would change their life insurance now but no harm in looking.

The mortgage was 25 year endowment with the endowment only just paying out enough. What I will look at though is if they had ppi on anything.

Scottishmummy

rayday2 wrote: »

Being cheeky scottishmummy but are the cheaper online sites for frontline etc cheaper than the pharmacies and pets at home etc that are now doing it? If so where are they!?!

I must be the most unlucky with animals all of them have cost me in someway. But I am a bit tight I only go for the lowest cover on pet insurance not sure with 3 children that I would want an animal to suffer long term in this mad house I call home.

I always shop around online for that sort of thing. The one I have used most recently keeps changing it's name - The Frontline Shop, Mrvets and now Mrpets but it is all the same shop. It doesn't pay through a cashback site but still works out cheaper as no postage. A six pack of feline frontline cost £16 if I remember correctly - cheaper than my vet can do the 3 pack.:D

Neither of my cats are insured as can't really afford it but if we had a dog again it would be. I would only go through petplan or petprotect. Having seen numerous claims not pay out by some of the cheaper ones it just isn't worth it.

boredofbeingathome

I regularly go on here to have a look at what else i can do.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/protect/money-help

If it's not too intrusive for you to do for your parents.