Beat down those broadband bills

published 23 January 2009

Only one in ten broadband users regularly checks they are on the best deal, says Michael Phillips of Broadband Choices in The Daily Telegraph. But switching broadband packages can save you over £95 a year as prices are constantly coming down. So if you haven't reviewed your broadband package in the last year, do so now. Start by asking your provider if they can offer you a cheaper deal. If they can't, check whether you are still locked into a fixed contract period. If you aren't, then start shopping around.

For help choosing a broadband package, visit thinkbroadband.com. This site provides details on a lot of the services out there and advice on how to choose the best one for you. Several websites will help you compare deals, including moneysupermarket and uSwitch.

Ditch your direct debits

It is well worth checking on a regular basis which direct debits and standing orders are leaving your bank account. Then do a review and see whether you are paying for anything that you don't need or use. Once you've weeded out and cancelled any superfluous direct debits, go through the list again and check whether you could be paying less for what's left. For example, are you still getting the best possible mobile phone, energy and home phone tariffs?

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Get cashback on home insurance

Take out contents and buildings insurance with Halifax and they'll give you £50 cashback now and £50 for each year if you renew without making a claim. That's a winning offer, provided it is the cheapest overall deal for you, says Jasmine Birtles in the Daily Express. Remember to check every year whether the deal is still competitive even with the cashback before you renew.

Get a free eye test

Tesco is offering a free eye test [printable pdf voucher] worth £10 at 114 of its opticians across England and Wales, says Martin Lewis on MoneySavingExpert.com. The offer is valid until 1 February.

Free pizza

If you fit certain, slightly bizarre, criteria and head to a Revolution bar between 3pm and 5pm on the right day, you can claim a free margherita pizza. On Mondays you need to be pregnant; Tuesdays, Italian; Wednesdays, a member of a university society (four of you need to turn up); Thursdays, an Italian car owner; and Fridays, a Vespa owner. As for weekends, on Saturdays you need to show a receipt for a purchase from an Italian shopping brand, and on Sunday take three friends and show Revolution your dirty kit to prove you are a sports team.

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.