Summer is on its way and people will be going on holiday soon so it is good to know that when you finally jet away that the holiday money you have saved up is working as hard as possible for you.

You may not think too much about it, but they way you take your holiday money with you does have a large bearing on how much it will stretch.

What are we talking about?

A recent survey compiled by money gurus moneysavingesxpert.com has revealed the best and worst ways to take your holiday money abroad and the outcomes are quite surprising.

Their survey looked at a range of debit, credit and prepaid cards and examined the charges you could incur if you withdrew £1000 and spent £750 on each of them, while you were outside the UK.

The outcome showed the the fees ranged from £8 – £120 on the best and worst cards.

Who are the best and worst?

THE BEST
Halifax Clarity (credit card)
Sainsbury’s Gold (credit card)
Fair FX (pre pay card)
Caxton FX (pre pay card)
Travelex Cash Passport (pre pay card)

THE WORST
Halifax Debit Card
Lloyds Debit Card
Intelligent Finance Debit Card

read the full article here – www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

For the gadget lovers, having the latest pieces of tech is a must, however this inevitably comes at a price as the newest technology brings the highest prices. You don’t have to pay astronomical prices for the latest tech, you just have to know how to find the best prices and know the best times to buy. This guide aims to make technology lovers more savvy shoppers and hopefully save you some cash…

Compare prices
Never buy a piece of technology without comparing prices of other retailers and websites. This may seem fairly simple but it’s surprising how often people ‘impulse’ buy and find that they could have got a cheaper deal later on. Use a comparison site to compare any gadget or technology that you’re thinking of buying. With the market being extra competitive in the technology industry as a direct result of the recession, you will be surprised at what discounts some retailers are willing to give to get you through their doors. You may find that a certain seller is having a sale or promoting the item that you’re interested in and you could save a packet by taking a few minutes out to compare prices.

Consider different brands
When we find a brand we like we tend to stick with it. We get used to what the brand has to offer in terms of design and function, however, swapping brands may prove to be beneficial if you’re interested in saving a bit of cash. When a brand brings out a new, innovative piece of technology it won’t be long before competitors bring out a similar product. For example, you could do a search for an Apple iPod at moneysupermarket.com and see where you can get it the cheapest, but if you take a look at MP3 players in general you may find that a different manufacturer has created a similar product but for a lower price.

Use vouchers
The vouchers market has surged in popularity since the beginning of the recession, and technology retailers are seeing discount vouchers as a way to keep people spending as well as developing a sense of trust with their brand. Being on a vouchers site is not only great to keep the customers coming in but also as a means of free advertisement. Before you go out to buy something do a search first for any discounts you could potentially get off the product or at the shop you’ll be buying from. You could find yourself making some huge savings.

Wait for the sales
If you can, always wait to see if the technology you’re after gets reduced in price in the winter/summer sales. Stock usually gets rotated seasonally as demand changes, but doesn’t mean that the stock which is being reduced is lesser in value. The January sales is a great time to buy technology as retailers make way for products that are more suited to spring/summer and likewise later on in the year.

Written by the Shopping Team at moneysupermarket.com

The last couple of years have seen an influx of Daily Deals websites competing for registrations from savvy consumers.  But how relevant, useful and interesting are the deals? And what sort of quality are the products? It can often happen that an unbelievable offer arrives in your inbox, you go to sign up for the product only to realise in the small print that you have to pay £20 postage and packing or can only have an appointment at 10am on a Monday morning.

But there is one new daily deals website that strives to be different, and to provide great value and a luxury life style to their customers. Here are just some of the recent daily offers from Kelkoo Select:

-          A  private ice-dancing lesson with Robert Burgerman, coach to the Dancing on Ice stars only £31

-          A 90 minute scuba diving experience for £13

-          A massage, facial and glass of champagne at The Hilton for only £29.50

-          A 3 course meal, cocktail and entertainment at a top London restaurant

-          75% saving on 2 Fake Bake spray tan sessions with a glass of champagne

-          58% saving on tickets to a top London musical

-          A Swarovski limited edition charity bracelet for just £19.99

So as you can see, Kelkoo Select really do offer a wide range of treats and some sensational savings.  To take advantage of the daily deals, you will need to register on the Kelkoo Select website with your email address.  Once registered, you will have full access to the site, and receive an email each morning containing the offer for the day and any extra deals that are running alongside. An added bonus of the website is that vouchers are transferrable, and consumers can usually purchase more than one deal at a time to share with a friend.