With fewer people stumping up the cash to go abroad on holiday this year it’s time to start haggling, says Mark Hodson in The Sunday Times. Hodson rang round a range of hotels and holiday firms to see what he could get knocked off the price of a holiday. In some cases he managed to get as much as a 10% discount. So what’s the best way to haggle?
“Look for signs of weakness,” says Hodson. If a company is already cutting prices it may be ready to drop them further. Also, leave it until about two weeks before you want to leave if you can, as companies will be more keen to fill up empty seats or rooms at the last minute. When you are ready to contact the company, call rather than email – it’s easier to read the situation on the phone and you’ll know when you can push for that discount. Also, know when to stop. “I found that once I had been offered a discount, it wasn’t worth pushing further,” says Hodson.
Save money on car hire
If you hire a car more than once a year or are hiring a car for over a week, it is worth thinking about how you are going to insure it, says The Guardian. The car hire firm’s “super collision damage waiver” (SCDW) is the all-important extra piece of insurance that means you won’t get hit by an enormous excess if anything happens to the car. For regular car hirers, it is much more cost-effective to buy an annual SCDW policy from Insurance4carhire.com, says The Guardian. The annual policy will cost you £49 for cover throughout Europe.
Have a cheap night in
If you still head to your local video store when you want a quiet night in, you are paying over the odds. Sign up for one of the postal rental systems and you can save yourself around £2 per rental, says Emma Lunn in The Times. Lovefilm is the biggest provider, but you can also try Blockbuster Amazon or MyMovieStream. Sign up for all their free trials and you may not have to pay at all for several weeks.
Free directory enquires
Since the demise of 192, finding a phone number has become more expensive due to the range of directory enquiry lines, all charging different rates, says Jasmine Birtles in the Daily Express. However, if you are calling from a landline, use 0800 100 100 and you won’t be charged a penny. You’ll have to listen to a short advert before you get the number, but it’s worth the wait.
A word of warning…
For anyone who took out PruHealth medical insurance to save on gym membership. The scheme is changing in November. It will be based on each member’s ‘Vitality’ status rather than the number of times they visit the gym. Members need Platinum status to enjoy the real bargains, so start building up your points now. Picking up points isn’t too hard – you can get a significant number by simply reading articles on the PruHealth website, for example.