| Product: |
moneysavingexpert.com |
| Date: |
30/03/09 (51 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Lots of sections to the site covering a range of items.
Disadvantages: Can get addictive reading peoples diaries on the road to becoming debt free!
I first discovered this website when I sat down and worked out exactly how much my debts were, and how quickly I could get them paid off. I was a bit shocked with the date - so I set about finding ways that I could decrease my spending and free up more cash to knock down the debts. This site has been a lifesaver for me - not just in terms of money saving but also in terms of getting support from others that are also digging their way slowly but surely out of debt.
If you do nothing else then make sure you sign up for the weekly email which contains the most important and best money saving tips - these can be anything from best bank account and ISA deals, two for one's at restaurants and theme parks, money off coupons and freebies that are currently on offer. Through this email I got a free three month trial of Tesco DVD rental, I've had loads of films out and its great because offers like this usually only last for two weeks, or a month if you're lucky. I often see vouchers on this email for restaurants such as Pizza Express which are quite common in most areas, and alerts for credit cards that are offering good 0% balance transfer offers. It also keeps you up to date on the status of reclaiming bank charges.
The website itself is user friendly - when you first land on the home page you are faced with the best deals of the day, and along the top you get the tabs which link you to the different sections of the site:
Cards and Loans
Reclaim £1000's
Shopping and Spending
Utilities and Phone
Banking and Saving
Travel and Transport
Insurance
Mortgages and Houses
Family and Health
Protect your Pocket
The Forum
Each section contains information on how to cut costs and make your money go further, such as how to get free flights, the best current mortgage deals, what to look out for when buying insurance, which gas and electric companies are slashing their prices and more.
The forum is the place where you can chat with other users on the site about any topics and post threads in order to get responses and help from other members. Current Forums include Debt Free Wannabe, where people that are trying to get out of debt can give each other advice and support, for instance when you have a bad day and spend £30 on clothes/shoes/DVD's you can admit to it on the forum and feel instantly better when you see the responses - a problem shared is a problem halved they say! The Freebies board, where people post links to products that are currently being given away for free - I've had teabags, moisturiser, toothpaste, face cream... most are small samples but hey they are free!! There is also a useful Up Your Income board which gives you advice on how to earn an extra few pounds a day to help with paying the debts or the savings account! This covers things like Mystery Shopping, Survey Sites, cash back sites and the members can give their opinions on whether they are worth it and how much money you are likely to get.
Overall this is a very useful site for anyone looking to save some money!
Summary: Really has helped me since I started using it.
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Last comment:
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- 31/03/09 Great site but it seriously needs tidying up. |
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