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Thrifty M.E. part 2.
My friends and family laugh at me for being so careful with my money – but that doesn’t stop
them from coming to me for advice when they want to buy something. Recently my cousins
visited because they had photos to get printed. I managed to get them 600 prints delivered
for less than £10, and even better, managed to gain £6.75 cashback for myself in the process.
Let me explain…
A well kept secret on the internet is the fact that when a website
directs you to an online shop they get commission.
Quidco.com collects that commission and gives it back to you. In 18 months I have received
over £100 back, almost entirely from purchases my family or I would have been making anyway.
The total received a recent boost when a magazine company credited me with £10.50 for the
privilege of reading 5 issues of their new magazine! Currently you can make a profit while
trying online DVD rental, photo processing and gambling companies (they say the bookie always
wins – but not if I have anything to do with it!).
You may well have heard Martin Lewis on the TV or radio. He runs
a fantastic website called, appropriately
enoughmoneysavingexpert.com
By using all the information on this site you make very substantial savings on absolutely every-
thing. If you have access to the internet, I highly recommend you visit and also read the fo-
rum. Also good for purchases is hotukdeals.com, although some of the bargains (with coupon
codes and cash back) are so good you can easily spend on things you don’t actually need.
Also on the MSE website is a great deal of financial advice, including how to use credit cards
and the best rates on bank accounts and mortgages.
If you have had the same bank account a while the chances are you will no
longer be getting a good rate. Banks rely on customer inertia to make the
bulk of their profits. Slowly over the years their rates slip and new
customers get all the best deals. The first thing you should do is check the
website above or the best-rates table of your newspaper for the current
interest/mortgage rate. Then you should go to your bank and tell them what you can get
elsewhere. They may offer a customer review and you may get shifted onto the newer
competitive rates. If not you should consider moving – and tell them that. As we go to print
the best instant access savings rate is from Sainsbury’s Bank at 6.2%, but you can get 6.3%
from NS&I in their cash ISA and pay no tax on £3000 per year. It’s a sign of the times that
the best deals, however, are usually to be found exclusively online.
Following up last newsletter’s energy saving info:- Scottish Power are giving 4
free energy saving light bulbs to anyone on a benefit and you don’t need to buy
your electricity from them to take advantage – call 0844 800 0444.
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