Please forgive the email content being shorter & not quite as 'every I dotted' as normal. On safety advice, as MSE Towers is near a large London shopping centre, the team and I left at 3.30pm Tues and all worked virtually.
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Last Chance. TWO YEAR 0% balance transfer
Closes Friday. Save £100s shifting existing debts to 0% for 24 mths with a 2.8% fee. Huge best buy
For those looking to cut existing debt costs, this is the final opportunity to grab the longest 0% balance transfer card by a mile (ever), as it closes to new customers on Friday. All cards require you to pass a credit check & you should always try to fully clear the debt or shift again before the 0% ends.
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 Two year 0% with 2.8% fee (£20 off over £3,000). Accepted new Barclaycard* Platinum cardholders can shift debts to it at 0% for 24mths with a one-off 2.8% fee. Plus, shift £3,000+ and you get a £20 fee refund. If you don't clear by the time the 0% ends, it jumps to 17.9% representative APR.
The saving can be huge. Eg, someone with £2,500 debt repaying £100 a month pays £72 interest/fee by the time it's cleared, compared to £630 on an 18.9% card.
- 20mths 0% if you've already got Barclaycard. As you can't switch to a card with the same brand, here are the alternatives (use our Which card's cheapest tool to decide). Transfer under £3,000 & new Halifax* cardholders get 20mths 0% with a 3% fee, next best Virgin's* 18mths 0% with a 2.7% fee, as is Natwest*/RBS* but with a 2.8% fee. If you don't clear before the 0% ends, rates jump to 16.9%, 18.9% or 16.6% representative APR respectively.
- 0% for 15mths on NEW spending. Those cards are 0% for debts shifted to them. You usually pay the full APR on spending. If you need 0% on new spending, Tesco* & M&S;* give 0% for 15 mths with reward points. Don't borrow lightly, though & plan repayments to clear before the 0% ends or they're 16.9% & 15.9% representative APR.
Help & best-buys Guide: Best Balance Transfers (Official APR Examples). Related: 15 mths 0% Spending, 6.6% Loans
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We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo; got a 2for1 too, too, too
Cracking family deals on zoos across the UK. 2for1s, kids go free, £5 tickets and more
The holidays are here. If your kids are climbing the walls, why not take them to see some real little monkeys. As tickets can be costly, up to £18, our zoo-by-zoo deals guide covers over 20 UK zoos. Here are a few of the best offers.
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 2for1s at London Zoo, Chester Zoo, Isle of Wight Zoo & more. For some of the big zoos, you can get 2for1s via National Rail's Days Out Guide scheme. To qualify, you need that day's train ticket, yet as tickets cost up to £18, even if not travelling by train, it's worth picking up a £2ish single even if you won't use it.
- Kids free with grown-ups: Woburn, London, Bristol and 50 more. Buy two 'Goodness for Kids' items at Tesco, keep the receipt and get a kids go free voucher for over 50 Zoos & UK animal attractions. As 90p buys 2x fruit snack packs, it's a great deal for c.£14 tickets.
- £15 ticket for £5 with Tesco rewards vouchers. Swap Tesco Clubcard points for reward vouchers and get zoo discounts worth three times more. Tesco rewards deals are valid at Blackpool Zoo, Colchester Zoo, Drusillas Park, Whipsnade Zoo and more.
See a zoo-by-zoo guide in the Deals Note: Cheap Zoos Related: Cheap Days Out, Free Museums, Summer Deals
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Top student accounts 2011/12. New Guide
The big banks' new packages are out. We've graded them, from 0% overdrafts to free railcards
Banks salivate over new students, giving hot deals in the hope of bagging lucrative custom for life. Lots of prospective students have swamped us, asking which deal's best. So this week we launch our Student Bank Accounts 2011/12 guide. A UCAS offer letter is enough to open one. Here's a summary ...
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 Biggest GUARANTEED 0% overdraft. Sadly, most students need an overdraft, so for safety it's best to get the cheapest, biggest & longest possible. Yet some banks (eg, Halifax) shout about huge 0% deals, but they're only 'up to' amounts. Our top pick is the Co-operative Bank, which guarantees those accepted a 0% £1,400 overdraft in the first year, £1,700 in year two and £2,000 in year three (& four for longer courses).
- Existing Natwest/RBS customers can get free railcard. If you've banked with Natwest & RBS since at least June, get its student account and it gives a free 16-25 (young person's) railcard for 3 years, worth £65 (cuts train fares by 1/3). The guaranteed overdraft is lower: £500 in term one, rising to £1,000 by term three then increasing to £1,500 by year three.
- Never go beyond overdraft limits. Do that, and the charges are massive, up to £30 per transaction, which can cripple your finances. If desperate, speak to the bank and ask if it can extend your limit. Always remember an overdraft is a LOAN and must be repaid (its rate will jump once you graduate).
- Students shouldn't spend more than they ...? With working people it's easy, don't spend more than you EARN. Yet parents extolling student offspring to budget often don't say what they shouldn't spend more than. Martin's rule is add up any student loan + grant + income from work + money from family, and that's a student's income. Do note this DOESN'T include any 0% overdraft cash.
Full info in the New Guide: Student Accounts 2011/12 Related: Graduate Accounts, Credit Rating, Student Loans 2012
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Free travel 'Little Lifesaver' personalised guide - summer 2011
Print it and take with you - info on which plastic to spend on | flight rights | store crucial info
To find which plastic is cheapest to spend on, or your rights if flights are cancelled, can be difficult overseas with no web access. So we've updated our free wallet-sized print-out which includes this info. You just print, fold and fit in your purse. It also has space to store key info such as passport numbers and more. Here are more key travel tips.
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 Check plastic charges. Using the wrong card abroad can cost £100s. While our Overseas Card Checker tool lets you check which plastic is best, the mini-guide has a quick version you can scan. Better still, take the top cards with you - see our Cheap Travel Money guide.
- Ensure you've a valid EHIC. Knowledge is a supplement, not substitute for protection. If you're going to Europe check you've a VALID EHIC card which gives you treatment in state-run EU hospitals at same price of a local (if free for them, free for you).
- Annual travel insurance £17. Wherever in the world you're going, ensure you've adequate travel insurance. A basic year's cover (oft worth it for 2+ trips) starts at £17 for Europe* for one, rising to £42 worldwide family cover* (these links go to Moneysup comparison site as it's cheaper than buying direct from insurers). For more help & best 'value' policies see the Cheap Travel Insurance guide.
Updated guide: Little Lifesaver Printable Travel Guide Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels Other Free Print Outs: No Cold Callers Sign (energy sales people MUST obey) and wallet-sized Consumer Rights, Travel and Money Mantras guides
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