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Squeezing The Currency

Martin Lewis began his religion as a “Money Saving Expert” from humble origins, but clever tips and the cloud of a cruel economic recession as seen the thrifty miser rocket to fame. I recommend visiting the Money Saving Expert website, if you haven’t already, and signing up to his weekly email packed full of bargains and tricks to beat the system. Even if you think you are a seasoned pro at firmly keeping your hands in your pocket, it’s certainly worth a look as it highlights up-and-coming offers as well as invaluable tips to handle financial institutions. Indeed, he has started a one man war against the banks by highlighting the ongoing battle regarding bank account charges, and through the advice on the website I managed to reclaim a large amount.

In our careless society, we often neglect to give our finances the stringent supervision they require. Almost everything can be bought for a lower price if we are willing to put in the effort and shop around. Sometimes the reward doesn’t match the effort, and there is a happy medium between the two extremes. Sometimes it is easier to pay the full price, to walk into a large high street chain, pay the full retail price and walk out with a shiny product. Occasionally the privilege is worth the extra cost, but often it is worth a bit of extra work to save on the recommended retail price. An excellent example is holidays. I recently decided to surprise my girlfriend with a holiday before anyone deludes themselves by thinking I am a romantic, I should point out that this was a holiday long overdue! My first stop was a large travel agent chain where a pleasant man in thick make-up advised me of the various offers, and how booking quickly would save me a small fortune. After I’d managed to stop myself being transfixed by the layers of foundation, I examined the prices and felt my hand hover over my wallet. Just as I was ready to pay the deposit and settle for the first offer, Martin Lewis’ stern advice wafted into my mind.

A brief hunt on the Internet at both holiday providers and advice websites told me that for the same price as that previously quoted I could enjoy a far more lavish holiday. I was also booking prematurely and that for the time of year that I would be travelling it was recommended to hold off for another six weeks. I reluctantly obeyed the advice, eager to get something concrete booked. My excitment peaked as I began seeing prices for Caribbean holidays fall to within my budget. The kudos acquired with the my significant other would be enormous. I’d be exempt from castigation for weeks afterward! Soon enough, after an agonising wait, Thailand holidays fell within reach. Following numerous good reviews I had a good impression of Thailand and was keen to go. It was only on further investigation that I noted some travellers had complained of Thailand’s rising cost, and that for a similar excursion Vietnam holidays were an alternative, given that the exchange rate was favourable and spending money required for a luxurious holiday was considerably less. Instantly, I grabbed the mouse and hit the button marked “book”, rattling the keyboard as I furiously punched in my card details before the deal could evade my grasp. I cannot wait to tell my other half – thank you Martin!!!

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