Thanks!

irrelevant

It's a little difficult to quantify yet, but thanks to the site we've just saved something! And will continue to do so..

My better half has been after a new laptop. So I found the right one (from Dell - on offer plus a 10% discount voucher) and they were offering a 12 months interest free finance deal. Great. Until I looked at the small print - £49 charge to pay it off in full, otherwise it's onto a 3 year monthly payments, at 29% APR. Ouch.

Now that £49 made me think, so how much would it be just paying interest on the credit card.... and find her card is charging us 20.95% APR ! Two days to get her to call to the company (Halifax!), and they immediately reduce it by 5% or so .. She is astounded.. "Why wasn't I on the best rate anyway, I've been a customer for 20 years!". "Because you never asked..."

Obviously it's not a brilliant rate and still more expensive than Dell's finance, but she's been converted now: No longer a "I'm a loyal customer, why should I look elsewhere? Of course they'll treat me right!" ... she's now applied for the barclaycard with 14 months 0% on balance transfers..

(Oh, and two days later, she gets a direct mail for the Halifax purchases card, 0% on purchases for 15 months... Might have to go for that one too, and ditch the existing cards completely.)

Anyway we've ordered the laptop, via quidco, which I also learned about from here, and that's given us back a further £40 near enough.. (She was impressed again!) Ordered on the current card, as the discount was about to run out, but we'll transfer it over once the new card comes through. OK, there will be a transfer fee, but it's not £49, and we'll save on interest on what else is owing on the card, too. (Christmas spends - not that much but enough that it was going to take three or four months to pay off.)


Now to check the fuel prices we're paying .......

Former_MSE_Forum_Manager

Well done irrelevent

Great to see how several areas of moneysaving knowledge can come together to give you one great deal

HugoSP

Rather than start a new thread on a connected subject.

Since I've been visiting this site.....

Earned some £170 on quidco by either sining up for things or using it to buy things we were going to buy anyway.
Earned some £250 extra cashback with Capital One after setting aside my .5% card and getting the wife to apply for a 4% card.
Trying to earn 5% with AMEX
Earned extra money by buying phones via Dialaphone and going through You At Work £45 per phone/contract if you put through separate orders. I renew the contract every year and knew about cashback deals but didn't know about going through You at Work to get the extra - Total here £180!
Ordered National Geographic via Tesco club card points for my wife for Christmas.
Received £75 refund on my MEAF from Halfax - must do Portman!

So far that's nearly £650 that I can easily count!

Now set a target to earn some £800 credit card cashback by December 2008 to pay for next Christmas by juggling cards with introductory offers.

In addition I shall be reviewing all motor and home insurance deals and most likely going through Quidco on an annual basis.