How to buy a Cash Isa!

 ISA's, Money Saving  No Responses »
Feb 032011
 

There are a number of ways Cash ISA’s can be opened up including by going into a Bank or Building Society Branch, by post, over the telephone or over the internet. 

The 2 main rules for choosing the best Cash ISA are 

1. Go for the highest interest rate, alongside 

2. The most flexibility in regards to your financial situation 

Flexibility with ISAs usually means instant access, so that you can withdraw your money whenever you choose. Some ISA accounts pay a higher interest rate but are Notice Accounts meaning you have to give 30 days, 90 days or even 180 days notice to access your money. Your money is in effect locked up. 

Most people want instant access. However those with large cash savings are often happy to lock up part of their money for a certain period of time in order to earn a higher interest rate. 

This is why it’s important to look at your own financial situation in relation to the flexibility of the Cash ISA on offer. 

If in doubt always seek flexibility even though it may mean accepting a lower interest rate.  I would prefer to accept a rate of 3% with instant access to my money rather than 4% but having to give 90 days notice to access it. 

Many banks and building societies have a £1 minimum to open an account, although the better paying ones might require over £1000. 

Check to see if there is a limit to the number of cash withdrawals that you can make before losing interest. 

Most Cash ISA accounts are instant access but some, often the ones with the best interest rate, have penalty restrictions such as only 4 cash withdrawals allowed per year. 

Some ISAs which on paper offer great rates of interest may include what they call a ‘bonus rate’. This is an interest rate boost for a period of time but after that has expired savers often find the rate of interest is not so competitive. 

Check to see if there is a limit to the number of cash withdrawals that you can make before losing interest. 

  

 Posted by admin at 4:10 pm  Tagged with:

Halloween on a budget

 Money Saving  No Responses »
Oct 252010
 

If you don’t want to spend a fortune on Halloween Decorations why not take a look at these Lovely Halloween Printables. Free to download and great fun to make.

We found these great printables along with some fab halloween Recipes over at Kaboose.com like this bloody and ghoulish punch.  It is an American site but has lots of money saving ideas for a great Halloween.

Bloody punch

  • 3 cups (500 mL) cranberry juice
  • 1-1/2 cups (250 mL) apple juice
  • 1-1/2 cups (250 mL) grape juice
  • 2 cups (500 mL) caffeine-free cola
  • 1 cup (250 mL) frozen strawberries
  1. In a large punch bowl, combine the cranberry juice, apple juice and grape juice. Stir, then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. At the last possible moment, add the cola, the strawberries and, of course, the Floating Hand of Death (directions below).

Floating Hand

  1. In a measuring cup or jar, stir a few drops of green food coloring into some water — not too much, just enough to give it a slightly decomposed tint. Pour the greenish water into a disposable rubber glove (the stretchy kind — make sure it’s not powder-coated inside) and tie the top securely. Place in the freezer for several hours or overnight. At serving time, peel the glove off the hand and deposit icy hand in chilled punch. Yum.
 Posted by admin at 3:22 pm  Tagged with:

Start Saving for Christmas

 Family Money Saving, Money Saving  No Responses »
Sep 222010
 

christmas star

Prepare to groan: as of today there are just 94 days until Christmas. For those who are cash strapped or simply humbuggish, we suggest the best ways to prepare for this year’s festive season …

1. Start setting money aside, and earn some interest on your savings in the meantime. The market leading easy access account is the AA Internet Extra account, paying 2.8%, according toMoneysupermarket.com.

2. Earn money while you spend by applying for a cashback credit card: it may even arrive in time for this year’s Christmas spending rush. TheAMEX Platinum Cashback card pays 5% cashback on purchases in the first three months, returning up to a maximum of £100. The card then pays cashback of up to 1.25%. There is also 0% interest on purchases in the first six months. However, you will only benefit from if you can afford to pay the bill off after the first six months.

3. If you can’t afford to pay off your credit card in full, use a card which charges zero interest to make your Christmas purchases. Tesco’s Clubcard credit card is offering the longest 0% period at 13 months for purchases and nine months for balance transfers (subject to a 2.9% transfer fee), according to Moneynet.co.uk. You’ll also earn one Clubcard point for every £4 spent.

4. Planning to go away for Christmas? People who apply for the Flybe Spend & Fly Mastercard before 31 October and use it once or more before 31 December will get two bonus return flight vouchers. The voucher has to be used within 12 months and can be used anywhere on the Flybe network. All the cardholder has to do is pay the taxes and airport charges.

5. Use discount vouchers wherever possible. It isn’t cheap, it’s sensible. Given the way pizzas have gone up in price over the past few years I suspect they have been included in the price anyway, and that certain retailers expect them to be used. Take a look at the Guardian’s selection of the best discount vouchers available.

6. If a mobile phone, including this year’s must-have iPhone 4, is on your shopping list, visit the cashback and voucher site Quidco to see what deals are on offer. This week, for example, it’s got a £70 cashback offer on all iPhone 4 Vodafone contracts bought through Phones4U until 22 September.

7. Recycle you old phone if a new one appears in your stocking: it could help pay off some of the bills you’ve clocked up. Several internet-based firms pay for old phones – Mazuma Mobile is just one of the sites where you can get a valuation by simply typing in your current model. As with anything, it’s always best to scour around for the highest value, and if you don’t think you’re getting enough eBay is always a sensible back-up.

8. Trugging around from shop to shop buying groceries is exhausting and time consuming, but the one time of year when it is really worth doing is Christmas. Once again, check out prices online before you hit the shops: try mysupermarket.co.uk for a comparison.

9. A big part of Christmas in our household is the local Pantomine, but tickets can be pricey. Instead, why not try and get your hands on free audience tickets for the plethora of festive TV and radio shows on at the BBC. Visit the website regularly for updates on ticket availability for the latest shows.

10. Do an Allegra McEvedy and plan scrupulously what you are going to eat in advance of Christmas. Check your cupboards while drawing up your shopping list: you are bound to have a can of leftover chesnuts or marzipan lurking in there somewhere. Try to make some space in your freezer before and during the Christmas: this will enable you to freeze leftovers instead of wasting them, and allow you to make the most of any Christmas offers on seasonal food.

From an article on the Guardian.  Photo Credit – http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickyb

 Posted by admin at 6:36 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

How to save money

 Family Money Saving, Money Saving  No Responses »
Apr 262010
 

Money SavingMany people are looking for ways to save money due to the difficult financial times that we’re all suffering through at the moment.  Luckily, there are many ways to save money that should help make a difference to everyone’s pockets and below are a few ideas to help get you started…

Compare prices and find the best deals – It’s important that you find the best deals on the items you’re buying before just purchasing the first one you come to. Different stores have different deals and you’ll be surprised by how much money you could save by simply shopping around. There are many ways to do this but traipsing around the shops in the high street can be tiring and take up a lot of time, the best way to compare prices is by visiting a price comparison site such as moneysupermarket.com and let them to do the hard work for you. The other great thing about checking for deals online is that there are often money off vouchers for the products you’re after and with moneysupermarket.com making sure that they “Search thousands of UK offers for the latest voucher codes and discount vouchers”, you’ll always be sure to get the best deals available.

Clear your credit card debt – One of the best things you can do to help your financial planning along the way is to clear your most expensive debts first, which usually means your credit cards. Now, credit cards offer a very convenient way to pay for goods and services but if you know you’re unable to pay off the whole balance every month then it might be worth considering a low-cost loan as an alternative. Compare the credit card offers online to make sure you know the best deal you’ll get and then decide which option would better suit you and your financial situation.

Consider a pay-as-you go mobile – If you consider your mobile phone a necessity then perhaps ask yourself whether the calls and texts to get with the package are all needed. You could buy a pay-as-you-go phone for as little as £30 and then you’d only have to pay for the odd calls and texts that you need to make.

Make a shopping list – Shopping for food is a huge part of our monthly spending, so it’s worth trying out different strategies and ideas that could help you save money. Many stores spend large amounts of money on researching what makes us buy the things we do and spend more of our hard earned money. Every effort is put into what music is playing in the background and even how fast the music is- you’d probably be surprised if you knew how much these seemingly small things can make a huge difference to what you buy and how much you spend. The best way to make sure you’re only buying the things you need is to simply make a shopping list. By planning what you need for the week ahead, you’ll make sure you don’t go buying things that take your fancy or seem like a ‘good deal’ at the time, but simply the essentials. This should mean you soon start seeing the savings mount up in no time.

A savings article brought to you by the Vouchers team at moneysupermarket.com.

Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinish/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

 Posted by admin at 10:56 am  Tagged with: ,

Bonfire Night

 Money Saving  No Responses »
Nov 042009
 

guy fawkes night

Bonfire Night calls for some warming food and can easily be done on a budget. 

Firstly find out the details of your nearest local bonfire display – try this list from the Telegraph  or check out your local newspaper.  Most displays are free so wrap up warm and set off for some fun.  You will save £££s on fireworks and have a safe adn spectacular display to watch.

When you get back have some warming food prepared such as chilli hot dogs – see recipe below, soup or baked potates.  Finish off with hot chocolate and marshmallows and you are done! 

Enjoy your night!

Chilli for Chilli Dogs
Enough for 4-6 hot dogs
2 tbsp sunflower oil 
250g minced beef
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 level tsp mild chilli powder
200g tin or 1/2 a 400g tin of tomatoes 
Salt
Heat a frying pan for about 3 minutes over a moderate heat. Add the oil then, when it’s hot, tip in the mince and break it up in the pan. Keep frying and turning it for about 2-3 minutes until it has browned then tip away the excess fat. Add the tomato paste and mix well with the meat then add the garlic and chilli powder. Stir and mix well. Tip the the tomatoes, breaking down any whole tomatoes with a fork. Season with salt and simmer for about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before using.

image by freeimageslive.co.uk – fmanto

 Posted by admin at 1:51 pm  Tagged with: ,

Free Letter from Santa

 Money Saving  No Responses »
Oct 262009
 

SANTAS CHECKLIST

Well it’s not quite free, you do need to attach a stamp when sending it!

Santa is extremely busy at the North Pole, making sure all the presents, including yours, are ready and wrapped for Christmas Eve.

It’s a very exciting time for all; Rudolph and Santa can’t wait to land at your home with all your gifts. Rudolph is especially looking forward to eating the carrots you kindly leave and maybe a mince pie for Santa…

With the postal strikes this year I would suggest you send the letter as soon as possibe!  You can send it to the following address:

Santa/Father Christmas,
Santa’s Grotto,
Reindeerland,
SAN TA1

In your letter please write clearly your name and address and attach either a 1st or 2nd class stamp to the envelope.  Some of the Royal Mail helpers will make sure santa sends a letter back.

 Posted by admin at 8:06 pm  Tagged with: ,

Online Shopping Comparison Engines

 Family Money Saving, Money Saving  No Responses »
Oct 062009
 

shopping cartOnline Shopping Comparison Engines may seem confusing but they make shopping online easier and more cost effective.  You can search for the best deals around from just one site.

 

There are lots to choose from but today we are going to take a closer look at Kelkoo as it is one of the more established sites and is easy to navigate.

There are a wide range of categories including baby and nursery and flights. You can either search by the category or if you know exactly what you want you can type in the name. Once you are in the right area you can refine your search by price or by more specific categories.

 

nintendo dsSo if we are looking for DS for our kids christmas we can type in “Nintendo DS” but this gives us alomst 10000 results!! We can then refine it by typing in “Nintendo DS Console” and then clicking on the game console category on the right and we only have 194 results left! You can then sort by most popular or ascending price to find the best deal for you.

 

 Posted by admin at 10:34 am  Tagged with: , ,
 Older Entries  Newer Entries
© 2012 Savings Advice Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha