Credit crunch special
Save £500 before Christmas
Two months doesn’t seem long enough to save a decent amount
of cash, but fi nance expert Sue Hayward shows how to do it
Christmas shopping Credit-card changes Supermarket savings
£
By planning ahead, you can make the most
of the free two- to three-hour parking at the £
Avoid paying interest on your credit-card
debt by getting a 0% balance transfer deal to £
Our weekly shopping bill has risen to £115,
according to supermarket comparison
supermarket nearest to where you’ll do most of another credit card, which means you get around website www.mysupermarket.co.uk. But you can
your shopping, rather than paying car-park costs, a year to pay off the balance without incurring use this site to knock 20% off the price of your
to save around £3 a week. interest. Or, if you can’t get a 0% deal, go for the weekly shop, as there’s a built-in price checker
£
Shopping online can be quicker and cheaper, lowest long-term rate you can; typically around showing the latest offers, and it price matches
but how can you avoid the delivery charges 5%. According to financial comparison site www. your trolley load across the supermarkets, so
that quickly mount up? Average delivery is moneysupermarket.com, there are over 40 0% you can switch to the cheapest one for delivery.
around £5, so go for companies offering “free” balance transfer cards that can save you £400 in
delivery like play.com for CDs and DVDs or go to interest a year, based on the average credit-card £
If you’re shopping at www.tesco.com,
try its new “cheaper alternatives” option;
www.myvouchercodes.co.uk for online vouchers balance of £2,666, at a typical rate of 15%. we saved more than £1 on a bag of roasting
to cut the cost of delivery.
£
Shop on eBay. Over 54 per cent of items listed £
Don’t use storecards unless you’re sure potatoes, buying Tesco’s own at 69p for a
you can clear the bill each month; some 1kg bag compared with brand names at £1.99.
are brand new, which makes them ideal for companies charge up to 30%; interest —
cut-price Christmas presents. We found Lorraine that’s £150 on every £50000 each year. £
Get cash back when you pay by debit card
at the supermarket till; some cash machines
Kelly’y’s new autobiography for
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charge around £5 per withdrawal
£6.99 (plus p&p) compared
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£150 storecard interest (typically the ones at some garages,
with £14.97, in WH Smith. saved over two months
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train stations and corner shops).
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£25 + £66 saved by
£3 per week car park £
2
6
transferring credit card Based on 20% off £115 average
£
saved over two months. debt to 0% card.
£
9
1
weekly bill for two months.
1
9
8
Car cut-backs Pennies not pounds …And the rest
£
We’ve seen petrol prices rocket by more
than 20% in a year; save up to 10p a litre by £
Can’t forgo your Starbucks coffee? Ask
for a “short” coffee instead of a “tall” (their £
Settle bills by direct debit. You can save
over £200 a year doing this.
checking out the cheapest petrol in your area smallest advertised size) saving 20p a cup,
by visiting www.petrolprices.com. Type in your plus those calories. That’s more than £10 a year £
Read your bank statements. Cancel
anything unnecessary — such as gym
postcode and it works out the cheapest petrol buying just two coffees each week, or make the memberships you don’t use, or insurance
within ten miles — it can save you £5 on a small, most of its new “free refill” policy where you get policies you no longer need. Save £150 a year.
40-litre family car, every fill. a free filter coffee refill for each hot drink bought.
£
When you’re driving, turn off the air con, £
Switch to Freeview. If you’re paying for
a Sky subscription but don’t watch all the
empty the boot and take off the roof rack £
Post your Christmas cards second class and
save £4.50 in postage for every 50 cards. channels, change to a Freeview set-top box
(a lighter car uses less fuel). Check your tyres as for around £20 with around 30 free channels.
under-inflated tyres mean you use 30% more £
Collect your small change. Money website
www.moneysupermarket.com claims that Compare that with the cheapest Sky deal at £17
petrol, and reverse into your garage or drive we could save £1.91 a week. a month and you save more than £170 a year.
before you switch the engine off at night.
Reversing on a cold engine could cost you £
Don’t be too generous! Regularly shelling
out for family and friends can dent your bank £
Check mobile bills. Keep to your “inclusive”
minutes, or activate the phone’s call timer
around 40p a day in fuel, according to the balance. Last year we each handed over £898.52 and keep within your price. Save £130 a year.
Institute of Advanced Motorists. You could without getting it back, according to PayPal, the
easily save over £150 a year. online payment service. Two months’ savings paying
on £5 weekly petrol
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Based
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by direct debit (£33) + two
ng over months not wasting money
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£2 coffee savi
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l
e saving for two months two months + £4.50 on (£25) + Sky savings (£28) +
od
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+ two months “green”
£
6
5
stamps and £16.50 from two months’ mobile call
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£
£
1
0
7
b
driving saving £25. two months’ small change.
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savings (£21).
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Grand total sal saved over tr two mo months — £s — £500
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(Based on two months’ savings from 25th October to 25th December)
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