Get rid of unwanted Christmas presents

Check out this brilliant video of how to get rid of unwanted Christmas presents.



Source Videojug
Posted by L Kempes

Before you buy electrical appliances check the power usage

Spend a little bit of time researching your electrical and white goods power usage and standby power usage to save yourself £s down the line.

In the example of an eco kettle you could save £7 per year it does not seem a lot but over a three year life that is £21. Example Eco Kettle


Sust-it is a great resource if you are considering any new electrical purchases. They provide up-to-date information on the energy usage of consumer products available today, so that you can compare the running costs of your new purchase.


If any of you use the site add some feedback below letting me know what you think of their service ?

Posted by L Kempes

Save money by sealing windows

Source CNN Money
Posted by L Kempes

Cash Isas perform better than equity-based plans

With the new year coming it is important to invest in your ISA as soon as possible to maximise the tax benefit.

Cash individual savings accounts (Isas) have generally produced higher returns than their share-based equivalents over the past decade – even after this year’s strong stockmarket recovery, according to an analysis for the FT.
Savers who have used their cash Isa allowances every year since 1999 – when the tax-favoured investment scheme started – could have accumulated about £44,000, thousands of pounds more than from investing the same amounts in index-tracking stock market Isas, though less than from a typical bond fund Isa.

 Source Ft.com
Posted by L Kempes

How To Save Money By Eliminating 10 Things You Don't Need

Some good tips here from a video from howcast.com

Posted by L Kempes

Build your own sledge

Well we got the white Christmas ? There may be more to come.
Instead of paying top dollar for an overpriced piece of plastic why not take the advice of the times and build your own.The total cost will be approximately £15.
If you do decide to make your own sledge share your story with us below.
Source (Times)

Feeling Lazy order a cheap sledge instead Sledges !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by L Kempes

Free and legal music downloads - Jamendo

Free and legal music downloads - Jamendo

Posted by L Kempes

Stop wasting food and save hundreds of pounds

"The average family with children waste £680 pounds worth of food per year"

Take a look at this video by Lynne Moore Recycling and waste minimisation officer for Kent County Council.
Also checkout http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Source

Posted by L Kempes

Reduce your water usage and save money

A staggering fact..... a dripping tap wastes 5500 litres of water a year.

Kate Humble explains some quick and easy ways to save water, energy and money in and around your home. Kate highlights further tips for saving water and indicates the associated financial benefits of implementing these water saving methods.

Source
Posted by L Kempes

VAT rises from 15% to 17.5% in Jan buy now to beat the price hikes

 Moneysavingexpert.com remind us that:

Value Added Tax (VAT) goes back up to 17.5% on 1 Jan, meaning prices across the UK will rise. A £10 DVD will cost £10.22 (or more if companies round up) and a £5,000 kitchen will cost £110 more

If you are thinking about buying a "big ticket" item between boxing day and the end of December is looking good.

Source
Posted by L Kempes

Organic Re-usable Gift Bags

I love this idea do your bit for the environment and save money in years to come by using re-usable gift bags.
Perfect for families with lots of children.
Source organic-ally.co.uk

Posted by L Kempes

Planning an affordable Christmas

Learn how to plan an affordable Christmas with these three videocasts presented by Dr John Preston, the Church of England's National Stewardship Officer

Here is the link to the Affordable Christmas planner spreadsheet mentioned in the first video.




Posted by L Kempes

Are we saving enough ?

The short answer is no we are not saving enough.
NS&I's Savings Survey,which was published on the 4th of December show we are moving in the right direction. The figures show that in 2009, while the average monthly amount Britons save per head has increased to its highest recorded figure (£83.87, up from £70.23 in 2005) .
We are still a million miles away from say the other end of the scale the Chinese can save as much as 30 percent of disposable income (NY Times).


If you are worried you are not saving enough get a free Free Financial Healthcheck
 www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk

This financial health check was developed jointly by the BBC and the FSA, the UK watchdog for the financial services industry, we think you’ll find it’s well worth a visit at
Posted by L Kempes

6 Reasons to move your Current account

Sharing is caring they always say.

I highly recommend this excellent article by Rachel Robson at lovemoney.com Click on the source for the full article.

Source

Posted by L Kempes

Switch to own brand in the Supermarket

 If you have not switched to own brand when shopping you are missing a trick and it is time to wake up and smell the Coffee.

Almost 75% of Britons are now opting for own brand labels, triple the 25% who made the choice in August 2008, according to research from price comparison site uSwitch.

There will always be some items where the Supermarket own brand will not match the original e.g Kellogs cornflakes .The secret it is to try as many own brand products as you can and over the months those pennies will add and you will save a fortune.

Source

Posted by L Kempes

Free listing weekend this Saturday & Sunday on eBay.co.uk

 

This Saturday & Sunday 5th and 6th December, private sellers who list item(s) at any starting price in an eligible category using the auction format on eBay.co.uk, will not pay an insertion fee*.

For inspiration on what to sell check out our eBay House.

*Terms and conditions apply. See full details here

Posted by L Kempes

Save money with Smart alerts

Are you one of these people like me who has eternal patience when it comes to waiting for that latest gadget to come down in price . Like many un-sheep like amongst us , I have not bought an Ipod or an apple Iphone .Not because I believe they are inferior products they are excellent. The reason is because I refuse to pay over the odds for anything especially gadgets. 

Blu ray players are starting to come down in price now which is good and in time I will buy one. This brings me on to the purpose of article which is to explain that pricegrabber.co.uk offers a clever service of smart alerts that track the prices of products and emails you when the price of the item in your list drops.
This service has been a real hit in the USA on their sister site pricegrabber.com. 

http://www.pricegrabber.co.uk/

Hopefully the company is still trading by the time I decide to buy an Iphone in 2019!!!




Posted by L Kempes

Sell your old Games and DVDs on Musicmagpie.co.uk (Uk Only)

A good idea to get some extra money together for Christmas is to sell some of your old Computer games or DVDs.

Musicmagpie allows you to convert all your unwanted CDs, DVDs, or Games into cash (UK Trades only at present). For all CDs, DVDs, or Games sold to us, the disk must be in a perfect playing condition and it must have all the original artwork, covers and booklets. The case must be structurally sound although we accept it may have some blemishes incurred during day to day use.

The golden rule with selling old Games or DVD's is to remember to be realistic .If a game is really old or was not popular when reviewed by gamers , over time its value will have depreciated . So In reality you are not going to get much for it. For Example if you paid £39.99 for a game and you still play it occasionally. It is important to work out whether trading it in for £5.99 is going to be worthwhile or whether you should hold on to it.

The tip is to sell a game or DVD as soon as you realise you do not like it as this is when you will make the most money. 

Here is an example of how you can generate a list of items to sell.

You will have to enter the barcode of the back of the box be careful as you do need  the full barcode.

Also It is important that the disc are not scratched as they will deduct 50p a disc.

Here are the games formats they accept:
Playstation 2
Playstation 3
Xbox
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo DS
PSP
PC - Windows XP
PC - Windows Vista
PC - Windows 98/Me/XP multi-format

Watch out for those pesky kids turning up the heating

Research from Twitter has revealed that kids are secretly turning up the heating when their parents are not looking.

The energy specialists at Glow-worm are advising people to take 3 simple steps to ward off the chill this winter and manage their costs without getting hot under the collar.
1)    Make sure your home is well insulated.  Check out your loft; sort out any draughts from poorly fitted windows and doors.
2)    Watch out for hot zones. The main rooms you use during the day should be at a minimum of 21°C (70°F) but at night your bedroom should be at a minimum of 18°C (65°F).  Adjust your thermostat so you don’t spend the day too cold and the night too hot.  Adjust radiator settings to suit the comfort levels of the individual.
3)    Get acquainted with your central heating system. By spending 10 minutes getting to understand how your boiler works you will be able to set your heating to a temperature that suits everyone in the household.

Click the source for the full article

Source

Yorkshire & Chelsea Building Society Merger

Timesonline has published advice for those caught up in the Chelsea and Yorkshire merger 

"The deal is subject to the agreement of members from both societies and, if approval is granted, the combined group could be up and running by April 2010.

Times Money runs through some of the questions that savers and borrowers with the two societies may be asking"

 
Source

The Best Price Comparison Sites in the UK

With all of us trying to bag shopping bargains it is essential to use comparison sites to make sure you are getting the best deal. Money.co.uk has come up with the below 

Happy Shopping !!!



Larger comparison websites
www.kelkoo.co.uk
www.pricerunner.co.uk
www.shopping.com
Smaller comparison websites
www.dealtime.co.uk
www.shopzilla.co.uk
checkaprice.com/
123pricecheck.com/
comparisonmagic.co.uk/

Specialists
www.fixtureferrets.co.uk - 'ferrets' out the best grocery promotions at major stores
www.quaffersoffers.co.uk - low prices on a good selection of wine and beer
www.findadvd.co.uk - a huge range of DVD, CD and videogames over a number of sites
www.trolleydolly.co.uk - price comparisons on big range of branded grocery items
www.pricegrabber.co.uk - a specialist in PC goods and consumer electrical equipment
Price comparison site DOs and DON'Ts
DO:
• make sure the company with the lowest price is reputable. They should have a UK office, a secure server and an address and telephone number.
• haggle: take a print-out of an internet price quote to a shop and get them to match it.
• look for reliability as well as price. The cheapest option may not always come from the most reliable source.
• take into account the price of delivery when shopping online. This can often push the price up above the High Street equivalent.
DON'T:
• try to source non-branded goods on price comparison websites; if an element of choice is involved, go to the High Street and decide what you want first.
• assume you won't find the internet price in-store, especially during sales.
Source

Dodgy Christmas Theme Park Warning

The crimes of Christmas past, sound like a line from Scrooge but, it is the time of year to be extra vigilant as some crooks try to blag the general public by creating a "Lapland Experience" or "Christmas extravaganza" on the cheap.


Some may remember the appalling The Lapland New Forest debacle widely known as the 'Winter Blunderland' or the less polite 'Crapland' from 2008. Where punters were ripped off to the tune of £25 and trading standards received 1300 complaints at the time. Numerous horror stories abound , like the report of a child being upset to find Santa puffing on a cigarette outside his grotto.
Just watch out for scams and if you can read some reviews or get the opinion of friends or family before you depart with your hard earned cash.

Dont get me wrong, there are good events to be had .Next weekend myself and my family will be going on the excellent North Pole Express on the Tanfield railway which is in the north east of England.This popular train ride to "Lapland" is often sold out months in advance.

Government Car and Van Scrappage Scheme

The car scrappage deal will not be around for ever. I would not hesitate if you have a steady job and feel you have mitigated most of your risk and you qualify go for it. Otherwise I can imagine you will regret not going for it when it is all over.
 

"In order to qualify for the governments’ £2,000 car scrappage saving discount you and the car dealership need to meet the following requirements:

1. The owner of the new car or van must be the same person who owned the scrapped car.
2. Your car must be over ten years old. Any vehicle offered must have been registered before 31st August 1999.
3. First registration date of new car must be Britain 18th May 2009 and there must be no previous owners of any description and should meet British specification only.  This excludes bargain priced cars unused and already pre-registered and unused foreign specification vehicles.
4. Trade-in a ten year old vehicle for a brand new car or van under 3,500 kg.
5. You will need a current MOT certificate.
6. Any car offered must have a valid DVLA registration documents in the name of the owner.
7. The owner must have owned the car for at least 12 months prior to trading-in the vehicle.
8. Car dealerships are required to contribute £1,000 towards the £2,000 discount being offered by the Treasury Department.
9. Participating car dealerships need to sign up to the Government incentive to be able to operate the scheme.
10. Initially it was thought that the vehicle should also be legally taxed and insured. After further clarification by the Telegraph Motoring, the SMMT have decided that neither a tax disc nor car insurance will be required.
11. All cars offered for scrap must be a car or van weighing up to 3,500 kgs.
12. The new car or van can originate from any motor manufacturer anywhere in the world.
13. The brand new vehicle should be fuel efficient and low-polluting."

See the full article at the source.
Source

Worked in the UK or abroad in the last few years? Get your tax back!

Most people who work abroad, and even in their home country, are due some kind of an income tax refund, but never check to find out. If you are one of those people, keep reading!

Average UK Tax Refunds are £963 Average Irish Tax Refunds are €840 Average Australia Tax Refunds are AU€2,500

How can you find out if you are eligible?

Taxback who are based in Dublin Ireland  are providing free income tax refund estimations for all Jobsite candidates. If you have worked in the UK or abroad, you may be eligible for a substantial refund. Students, part-timers, self-employed and contract workers are even more likely to be owed a larger amount.



Source

Co-Operative launches 5% fixed savings bond

The Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) has launched a new market-leading savings bond that offers customers a fixed rate of 5% for three years.
The Co-op is probably the most ethical of all the banks definitely worth having  a look at this bond.





Source

Top ten money saving tips for Car insurance offered

 Top ten tips from prudentminds.com

Recent research by Sainsbury's finance also found that the past 12 months have seen auto insurance companies in the UK hike premiums up by nearly 13 per cent year-on-year.

Drivers now pay an average annual sum of £551.74 to protect their car, a 12.95 per cent increase on 2008's figures of £448.48 and a hefty 23.31 per cent more than the costs of yearly auto insurance premiums in 2007.

 Source

DIY Solar Panels - Save Money & The World

Might seem obvious but solar panels need quite a lot of sun to get a return on your investment.
If you live on the south coast happy days.

www.choice.com.au provide a good guide below

Before buying a solar panel:

• Improving the energy efficiency of your home can save you up to 30% on your bills – turning off appliances, using the dishwasher when full and purchasing energy-efficiency appliances.
• Check if the roof faces the right direction. Only north-facing panels will produce their full capacity.
• Find out what local council approval is needed. Increasingly, local councils also have advisors that can assist you with making the best decisions on solar.
• Determine what energy reduction you would like to achieve. Assess what energy you currently use and the capacity panel you need (and can afford).
• Do the sums to estimate the system’s payback time and the environmental difference it will make.
  
• Identify various providers/installers available. Seek quotes. Make sure the installer is accredited and that the panel meets the international standards. See

Source

Credit card repayments rocket

Sam Dun writes on the observer website

"Hundreds of thousands of credit card users are set to see the minimum repayment on their plastic rocket to £25, a move that could hurt households struggling to repay their debts." gadzooks what ever next.

Any one who is in serious trouble and struggling to juggle credit card debts while relying on minimum repayments, should consider contacting the CCCS on 0800 138 1111 for free advice or getting in touch with their local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Source

Christmas cost saving tips my luvlies

Have a look at this excellent video.

"Bargain Hunter's Guide to Christmas, the ultimate guide to saving you money on your Christmas shopping. Introduced by Jasmine Birtles, financial expert and TV's own money magpie, Jasmine will show you how you could save a massive £459 on the average family spend of £665. You cannot afford to miss Jasmine's great tips towards a money-saving festive season."




Nice post by savvyshopping keep it up guys.

Tesco £14 for 36 bottles of Stella Artois

Tesco stores are selling 2 x 18 Bottles of Stella (284ml) for £14 that is £0.39p a bottle.
They are selling like hot cakes

Consumer Credit Counselling Service welcome Governments proposals

The UK's leading debt charity, Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS), welcomed the Government’s proposals to ensure that credit and store card companies give people a fairer deal published today (October 27).

Chairman Malcolm Hurlston said:

"The Government has put its finger on the four main problems that consumers have with credit card debt.

"We believe that the banks should be able to change their practices on each of these but if they can’t, regulation will be necessary.".

The changes proposed by the Government are:

* changing the rules to ensure that the most expensive debts on credit cards are always paid off first;
* increasing minimum repayments;
* limit the opportunities to increase customers' credit limits;
* ban or restrict the repricing of existing credit.

Credit and store cards account for half of the debt of CCCS clients: 50.6 percent in 2008, compared with 41.5 percent for personal loans.

Helpline
CCCS is a registered Charity offering free confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt .

The CCCS helpline is 0800 138 1111 and is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday.

Source

McCann fraudster Halligen arrested

I am so glad to hear that the big eeijit Kevin Halligen has been arrested in an Oxford hotel. How do these people get away with such things? This loser was probably at the bar "A medium dry martini, Shaken, not stirred." as the cops bagged him.

Source