Ways to save thousands of pounds without really trying…….

Cancel your Sky+ subscription – save up to £280
Change your costly Sky subscription for Freeview Plus – you can access dozens of digital channels, pause live TV and record programmes with no contract or monthly subscriptions.

Get cheaper broadband with a dongle – save up to £250
Think about ditching your landline telephone and buying a “dongle” for your mobile instead. It plugs into your USB port and allows you to get high-speed internet access at home and on the move, via Bluetooth. The major mobile networks are offering monthly subscriptions from just £10.

Don’t buy books – save £100 or more
Don’t pay £7.99 for new books – use your local library, charity shops or online book swap clubs.

Take your own lunch to work – save up to £1,000
Making your own sandwiches can save a fortune and often taste better too. Buying family packs of crisps, chocolate bars and bags of fruit will give you a varied tasty lunch for a fraction of the cost.

Cancel your gym membership – save up to £800
Most of us don’t use the gym regularly - if at all! Try taking to the streets, walking or jogging for free. Exercising at home can be more effective too – most of us have keep fit DVDs and exercise equipment at home.

Have your hair cut by a trainee – Save up to £350
The price of a cut and blow dry at a good salon is about £50 whereas a cut and blow dry with a trainee stylist can start from only £10.

Stop buying Lattes and Cappuccinos – save up to £500
Your daily coffee bought from the many high street coffee shops can set you back about £12 a week. Invest in a thermos mug and make your own. Or drink water and get healthier too!

Try own brands at the supermarket – save up to £1,200
Don’t be a slave to brand names. More often than not you won’t be able to tell the difference. Next time you are at the supermarket pick out 
one or two of their own brands and give them a try.

Card Company Increases Payments

One of Britain’s largest credit card providers is demanding bigger payments from its customers.

MBNA is increasing its minimum monthly repayments from 3% to 5% in September. This is a sure sign that the rates squeeze is spreading.

Borrowers with an average debt of £2,300 will see their minimum payment increase by £46 a month.

Only last month MBNA raised its minimum rate from 2.5% to 3%.

It is thought up to a third of credit card users have had their rates hiked over the last 6 months according to latest research.

About 14% of MBNA customers have seen rate increases over the last 12 months and Egg has increased rates for 11% of its customers. It is when 0% deals come to an end that the huge rate hikes are applied. Some have seen rises of 10% - from 14.9% to 24.9% when their 0% deal ended.

MBNA have said not all customers will have to pay the new 5% minimum but did not say how many would be affected.

8.7 million to pay more in the new road tax reforms

The Government has confirmed more than 9 million people will pay more road tax under the new controversial tax reforms.

43% of motorists will have increased bills of £245 by April 2010 and only a fifth of drivers will be better off in the long term.

Ministers are insisting the new measures are aimed at cutting pollution and not to raise revenue. However, experts have calculated that more than a billion pounds extra revenue will be taken by 2011.

Treasury minister Angela Eagle has hinted that drivers may be offered cash by the government to have their old gas guzzling cars scrapped – rather than selling them on to other drivers.

She said experts believed that in 2009-10 “a third of cars will be better off in real terms, and in total, approximately 55% of cars will be no worse off”. However, it is predicted that a little more than 44% - 8.7 million drivers in the six most polluting bands, will pay more.

By 2010-11 it is expected 9.4 million will be paying higher bills.

Debit cards sent to children

A high street bank is sending children debit cards without their parent’s consent.

Lloyds-TSB are mailing debit cards to children as young as 11 who are able to use them to buy goods on the internet without their parent or guardian’s knowledge.

In the past, children have only been able to use their debit cards for cash withdrawals from cash machines or bank branches.

It has been reported that one father has already made a complaint to the bank after his son, who is only 15, used his card to buy cigarettes and a fake adult ID on line.

Lloyds-TSB are saying they openly advertise on their website that these cards can be used for online shopping and it is up to parents to monitor how they are used.

Carpetbaggers looking for windfalls?

The Catholic with a single branch in London and only eight staff is planning to merge into the Chelsea, one of the largest remaining mutual lenders.

This is a reflection of the difficult trading environment and increased financial regulations which small organisations are struggling to keep up with.

Experts predict this will be the first of a few merger deals to take place as other small societies look at their costs. It’s not just the smaller societies that are under pressure, even larger societies such as the Cheshire and Derbyshire may be open to merger offers after being hit by specialist lending problems and not moving with the times.

The Catholic was set up 50 years ago and specialised with offering loans to single women. These sector minnows usually only have a few hundred borrowers and a few thousand savers.
It is expected the existing customers with the Catholic will be offered cash bonuses for agreeing to the merger – likely to be £100 or £200.

But it is too late to open an account now and get this windfall. Only customers with an account as at 31st May 2008 will be eligible. It is also common practise that only members of the small society in a merger are given a payout.

The prospect of further mergers is likely to see a new round of account opening , known as “carpetbagging”, as people speculate which societies may be in line for a merger.

Savers can become members of most societies with a deposit of just £100 but some may have restrictions such as only accepting local residents. Most also require savers to sign away any rights to windfalls resulting from demutualisation for the first 5 years, but this sign away does not apply to merger bonuses.