Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis is urging everyone to put a bowl of water in their freezer. It might not be the kind of tip people are used to from the MoneySavingExpert (MSE) founder but rest assured, it could help save you some serious cash.
Martin Lewis' bowl of freezer method will help people to slash their credit card bills if they're struggling. But it can also be used if you have a debit card you need to lay off using for a while (provided you can still pay for the essentials, of course).
It's a simple yet effective method of budgeting. And Martin Lewis says people should try it if they want to curb their spending.
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In Tuesday's edition of the ITV1 Martin Lewis Money Show Live, he passed on the invaluable tip. The unusual piece of advice, which the Money Saving Expert has never shared before, involves using a fridge freezer, a bowl of water and your credit card.
Martin said the advice is designed to prevent those with debts using a 0% card which he says should focus on clearing debts. He told his viewers: "Clear your debts in highest interest order first, which for many will be the overdraft."
If they have spare money he suggests clearing the highest interest rate debts first, says the Mirror. Martin Lewis said: "You only pay the minimum on the others. Then when the top one goes, you focus on clearing the next highest and so on. It's called snowballing and it gets rid of your debts more quickly.
"If you have any savings use them to clear the debts. If you have an emergency you can always put it back on the card afterwards, you haven't lost anything. If you're struggling, tell people you're in debt, tell people you can't afford to buy a round.
"And everyone else, let's not put pressure on people to spend when they don't have the cash." Martin went on to add, in terms of clearing the debt: "Set up a direct debit to pay at least the minimum. You can pay more, but make sure you're not missing that.
"Next, make sure you clear the card before the 0% ends or you will pay back the 20-22% rate. If you can't do that, you need to balance transfer it again. Do not spend on these cards. Do not withdraw cash on these cards, because that is usually not at a cheap rate.
"These cards are only for shifting debt to. And if you really don't trust yourself, get the card, get a bowl of water. Card in the water, bowl in the fridge [freezer], then you'll need a hammer to spend on the card and it might give you a moment of thinking time."
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