Thursday, September 12, 2013

Money Talks: Best deals for eating out and better contracts from gyms for working it off

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Money Talks: Best deals for eating out and better contracts from gyms for working it off

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EAT Sign at Restaurant
How to get best value for money when you're eating out. Photograph: Kinn Deacon/Alamy

Get ready for the weekend by finding out how to get the best deal when eating out. In the latest of our Smart Money video guides to saving money, restaurant critic Matthew Fort shares his top tips. He wants to help you make sure your meal out is "worth every penny every time – whether you've spent a lot or a little" – an admirable aim, I'm sure you will agree.

Earlier this week LA Fitness became the latest gym chain to alter contracts for customers, making it easier for them to cancel if their circumstances change, following an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading. We were especially pleased to see this at Guardian Money as we know what stringent membership rules have meant for readers. In January 2012, our consumer champion Lisa Bachelor took on the case of a couple who couldn't cancel their contract with LA Fitness, even though they could no longer use it. The letter prompted uproar among readers and eventually the firm agreed to back down, but it's great to know all customers will get a fairer deal.

The City regulator is looking at teaser rates on savings accounts – the bonuses and other short-lived offers that tempt us in but don't last. One deal highlighted by Rupert Jones offers a rate of 1.35%, which includes a 12-month fixed bonus of 1.1%. Not a problem if you move, but the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will look at whether people actually do switch, and what can be done to make sure banks and building societies offer savers "the best returns possible, and information that meets their needs".

Also on the site this week

What will £300,000 buy you in the UK property market? Anna Tims picks her favourite properties

• Homebuying expert Virginia Wallis on what it means to be tenants in common

• Our Life Navigator helps you organise your finances if you're experiencing any big events

Daft deal

packets of printing paper WH Smith's A-4 deal. Photograph: Jill Brookes


We know you love a bargain, so here are three daft deals for the price of one. Not so much making it more A4-edable, more a licence to print money. This deal was spotted in WH Smith by reader Jill Brookes.

We would love to hear from you if you have seen similar silly offers. Send your pictures to money@guardian.co.uk or via GuardianWitness. The best will be in Saturday's Guardian Money section.

Real deals

• If you want to receive the latest money saving offers, including free brochures and exclusive deals from our finance partners, sign-up to receive Money Deals emails.

• Don't accept the renewal quote from your current car insurance provider. Compare car insurance deals online through our partner Moneysupermarket and see how much you could save.

That's all this week.

Hilary Osborne, editor guardian.co.uk/money

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THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE SECURING OTHER DEBTS AGAINST YOUR HOME.  YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.


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