I’ve had an instant access online savings account for a very long time. Not the same account, you understand. The better than the rest interest rate that first attracts you doesn’t stay that way for long. So I swap this account for the latest offering once a year. In fact, most savings accounts seem to come with some form of added bonus in the first 12 months. It pays to keep an eye on when that first year is up. But wait, I hear you say, surely my bank or building let me know about such an interest rate change? […]
Category: Money Fight Club
Voucher ninja. Even an expert supermarket money off voucher user can be caught out
So, nearly got caught out by a voucher this morning. These particular vouchers arrived at my house in the week accompanied by 3 free dishwasher tablets. The idea was to introduce me to a brand I did not use and then use the voucher for £1.50 to buy some more (and switch brands forever, no doubt). I arrived at the supermarket for my weekly shop and I looked at the dishwasher tablets aisle. I picked up a box of the brand I had the voucher for. They seemed good value at 33 for around £5. Deduct the £1.50 voucher from […]
To fix price or not to fix price – that is the energy question
I’ve just spent the last couple of days working out whether I should switch to a new fixed price tariff with my energy supplier EDF. The big issue was finding the time to do the maths and getting the right EDF representative on the end of the phone to run through the options I’d shortlisted in brain numbing detail. I’m not beyond politely terminating a call and ringing back a little later in order to get another person on the end of the phone. This holds true for all sorts of phone conversations, not just those with energy suppliers. Some […]
House of credit cards can cost you dear
It is not only high balances on credit cards that can cost us dear. Even organised money fighters can get caught out by transactions made using their ‘stand-by’ credit card if they don’t follow a few rules… A second card is a good idea. There are always occasions when your first card can’t be used. It isn’t just that you might have maxed it out – see the example below. Money fighters always have a back up plan. But while the direct debit (DD) for our usual card choice is paid as normal the other card payment can so easily […]
Don’t get burned by too high energy bills – move!
Figures out today show that more than 600,000 households changed electricity supplier in November 2013. The figure fell back to 390,000 in December, which is not surprising. The time it takes to change energy supplier (electric or gas) supplier is still stuck stubbornly at a lamentable three weeks despite a commitment from the Government that customers should be able to change in 24 hours. If your energy bills are too high during this relatively mild winter, changing company may help. But first and foremost you need to make sure you are on the best tariff. Too many people are still […]
Loans situated next to the baked beans are totally indigestible
If you think you may need a loan to help ease you through the coming months – be on your guard. Money fighters don’t reach for the first brochure the drops through the letter box, or which beckons enticingly from the conveniently placed leaflet stand at the supermarket checkout. Such deals offered by well known supermarket brands heavily promote low rate personal loans for customers. Rates as low as 4.7% are shown in large type and in bright colours. But check out the small (and by small we mean tiny) print. If you fail to do so and simply send […]
Why we’re publishing on January 20, 2014
January 20 is Black Monday – the most depressing day of the year. This year it is probably gloomier than ever but we aim to change that. S0, even though… the Christmas bills have come home to roost gas and electricity costs have gone up and inflation is staying stubbornly higher than pay rises in fact family income is estimated to be £1,200 a year lower than it was five years ago, help is at hand. Money Fight Club will help you to get your finances fit, to see off the bullies that rip you off and to make you […]
Attacking household bills
Next to buying food, household bills, such as gas, electric and phone rental – are where money fighters hone their skills. This is because they come thick and fast. You probably only renegotiate your mortgage every few years but you have monthly, possibly weekly opportunities to punch above your weight around the house. Plus this is where really big companies can get the better of us if we’re not ready to fight back. They come into our home (via the letter box) and con us – and that’s plain wrong. It’s even more galling because what we’re dealing with here covers […]
Price hunting
Horsemeat scandal aside, the biggest thing that drives our food shopping tactics is the need to keep within an overall budget and the most recent UK recession has taken its toll in this respect. Figures from the Office for National Statistics in April 2013 showed food sales down by over 4% compared with the previous month and nearly the same amount down year on year. The cold weather hit so-called summer foods but people were also pinching pennies from the table as the long winter and rising fuel prices hit their energy bills. Food prices have also been steadily increasing. […]
Your rights – adding extra punch
Your rights sit at your strong right hand and help you land a tougher punch. Quoting the law, showing you know who a particular industry’s regulator is and demonstrating you can find your way around both internal and external complaints’ procedures will make most companies break out in a cold sweat. At the time of writing an overhaul of consumer law has been promised but in the meantime there’s an assortment of existing legislation, as well as regulators – not to mention the option of pursuing a small claim through the courts. But you need to take a strategic approach. […]