Money Mensch: A mobile must-have

Freephone calls are meant to be, er, free - not that you would know that if you dialled from a mobile where it can cost up to 33p/minute. And while the regulator Ofcom has published plans to change this from 2014, there are ways to already call 0800s for free from your device.

The easy way is via 0800buster.com. It will give you a normal local phone number to call.

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Money Mensch: You don’t have to feel bad for borrowing

The adage "neither a borrower, nor a lender be" is no longer fit for purpose. Unless you are super-rich, you will need to borrow to buy a house or go to university.

The key is learning when and how to borrow.

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Money Mensch: ‘Cash is king.’ I’m afraid I have to disagree

Cash has advantages for budgeting and haggling but when it comes to spending or making savings safer, cash is not king — it comes a distant second. Here are my ten cash “need-to-knows.”
l Do not stash cash under the mattress — it is only covered for £750
A recent tweet from one of my Twitter followers says it all: “My grandad just passed away.

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Save on your water

Water regulator Ofwat has announced that bills will jump on 1 April in England and Wales. The average rise will be 5.7 per cent but in one region it's 8.8 per cent. Now is the time to consider switching to a water meter and save £100s.

If you are billed, then what you pay depends roughly on your home's rentable value.

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Spring clean your outgoing expenses

You could be throwing hundreds or thousands of pounds a year away on things that you no longer need, use or value. So with Passover on its way, why not give up wasting your bread as well as eating it. Be a "cancellation hero", do a super-audit and banish bank balance bandits.

1. Don't assume: "I don't do that." Always check

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How to stop spam

Spam has become a modern plague. It is important to know how to minimise the problem.

For spam calls, sign up your home phone and mobile to the Telephone Preference Service http://www.tpsonline.org.uk. It is illegal for UK firms to call those who have registered. There is also http://www.silentgard.com/register.aspx which helps minimise the number of silent calls you get.

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It's important to grow old thriftily

The older you are the more your cash needs to look after you. With many "older" households struggling, prevention is better than cure. Here are 10 crucial tips for the over 50s.

● Never just take your pension company's offer. If you have been saving money in a pension, at retirement it is likely you will need to buy an annuity.

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Insulate a home and earn £100 from energy firms

Energy providers all have "Carbon Emission Reduction Targets" aimed at tough-to-reach groups, which means if they don't pump the cash out they get big fines.

Up to £300-worth of cavity wall and loft insulation is being doled out by energy companies - both Eon and Tesco do it even if you are not their customer.

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Hot tips for a cheap Summer holiday

Good holiday money-saving is all about timing. The key to minimum cost and maximum holiday enjoyment is pre-planning. Here are my top 10 need-to-know-nows if you are heading abroad:

● You need insurance in place when you book

Otherwise if something goes wrong, you won't be covered for cancellation.

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European health insurance

The free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gets you treatment in state-run EU hospitals at the same price as locals. It can get you free or discounted medical care in all 27 EU countries, plus a few others.

So if it is free for them then it is free for you, if they pay you pay. Yet many cards are lapsing - four million are due to expire this year.

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