1. Lose The Weight

Weight loss it a big issue for many of us. A few extra pounds here and there are enough to make you cry into your extra-large, cheese stuffed pizza. It’s no wonder that hotel gyms are prime real estate.

Do you know where those queues of fitness fanatics and slimmers alike lead? I can tell you now: to a suite filled with torture devices that would be more at home in the Tower of London.

2. Your Mother In Law

Mother in law jokes abound but, for some of you, the idea of losing your ‘nearly a real relative’ is too tempting. She might not be an unsightly stain on your life and the quickest method of removal usually involves a shotgun and a shallow grave in the wood. But that’s illegal.

Unfortunately, your mother in law can’t be lost down the side of the hotel sofa so you’re going to have to be more creative. Organise a fake rendezvous before jumping into your car and speeding into the distance.

3. Your Life

We’re not talking about suicide. Every year, millions face the crippling strain of unemployment and burden of credit card debt. It’s no wonder so many of us want to simply disappear into the ether, never to be heard of again.

Reginald Perrin is the master of reinvention! Dropping your clothes on the floor of your hotel room and simply walking out without paying is the ideal way to have both the police and the debt collectors scratching their heads.

4. Your Children

Your 0400 wake up call screams in your ear but it’s not courtesy of reception. Children make noise; a lot of noise. For the sake of a peaceful night you might want to lose them. Grind down those horns, you’re not Satan and you don’t literally want to lose your kids (do you?)

Family entertainment is big business. The biggest and best hotels cater for just about every need. Instead of stranding your little angels in the car park as you wheel screech over the horizon send them to the entertainment department.

5. Your Virginity

Are those heady days of teenage lust and romantic idealism behind you? Where did you lose your virginity? According to some report (that I can no longer find the link to), about 14% or women thought they’d lose their virginity in a beautiful historic hotel on a four poster bed surrounded by a sea of roses. In reality, the back seat of a rusty Ford Escort was the most likely place to go pop!

Ladies, if you really, really want to live the dream then no really must mean no. Don’t give it all up for a night of backseat fumbling when you can have what you really want. (is there a lesson in here?)

6. Your Passport

I think you already know what I’m talking about here! The easiest way to avoid being deported is to lose your passport (and pretend you don’t understand the local lingo). When the authorities call in an interpreter it’s time to adopt a regional dialect that hasn’t been spoken for about 500 years (this will need some effort on your part).

If you’re a legal migrant but you’ve decided you don’t want to leave your current residence then all you need to do is lose your visa. Throw in a claim that you’ll be tortured for not paying your milk bill back home and you’re sorted.

7. Your Bank Manager

Disregarding any form of recession, bank managers are one of the most loathed individuals in the UK. Whilst I’m no fan of anything related to banking I think it’s time to give them a break. When he, or she, says ‘No!’ it’s not because they’re a bastard who thinks you’re undeserving of a loan. In most cases, it’s simply a case of ‘computer says no’.

The idea of kidnapping your bank manager, taking them to a hotel and inflicting GBH on them until they approve you loan won’t work. First, it’s illegal and, when you get caught, will result in a lengthy gaol sentence of at least 6 months. Secondly, the computer will still say no!

Don’t take this too seriously (unless you really don’t like your bank manager). Hotels can be used for more than just dirty deeds. I dare to name 5 in the comments below.

Sure as eggs are eggs, one day planet Earth will get hit by a meteorite in a divine game of snooker. The end result will be the extinction of man (and just about every other species that walks, crawls and swims). Until then, there will be credit cards and debt. Today we’re going to look at some of ways you can bury your debt with a little help from your lender.

Cash back credit cards have long been touted as a great way to earn some money from your lender. The problem is that much of the advice normally involves stacking up more and more debt on your card. Let’s give the knife a little twist and find some new ways to spend without really spending!

Buy Everything On Credit

Did I just hear a gasp of shock? If you’re already carrying a lot of debt you want to know why you would want even more misery heaped upon your life? The urge to have the latest gadgets, the best car you can afford and the ‘need’ to keep up with your neighbours has left you in financial limbo.

The problem is that most of your previous purchases have been goods that you probably couldn’t really afford.

Don’t forget, we’re looking at ways to get cash back without giving away anything to your card lender.

The key here is to have the finances to afford you next big purchase. Buy on credit, get your cash back incentive then pay off the balance the next day. That means you get money in you pocket without financing the lenders silver-lined lifestyle.

Friends

Unless you’re a hermit or a former despot living in exile then you probably have friends. Like you, they have the same urges and desires. In fact, if you move in the same social circles and have the same interests in life then they’ll definitely be subject to the same influences as you.

At some point, they’ll have bought things that.either don’t really need or couldn’t afford.

Why not help them out and earn yourself some money whilst you’re at it?

Offer to pay for the goods they’re after and get the cash up front. As long as they have the money to finance the purchase you’ll both be quids in. In fact, offering to split the cash you get back from your card company will act as an extra incentive.

Service Your Existing Debts With A Cash Back Card

Hopefully, some of you will have no debt whatsoever. However, if you’re like the vast majority of the population then you’ve probably let those devious sales people and advertisers walk all over you with their size 11′s! It’s hard to live with the material costs after the fact but there are ways to earn money from your debt.

Any existing debts you have are prime targets for getting even more cash back from you card company.

Student loans, outstanding finance on your car or even a bank overdraft are all debts we wish would simply disappear.

Pay off those existing debts with your credit card. You’re already paying for them so why not use your card to get some cash flowing back into your piggy bank? The easiest way to do this is to arm yourself with a new card that not only gives you cash back but has a 0% balance transfer for at least 12 months. You’ll be quids in.

Mix In Some Free Travel

Family holidays are one of the luxuries that tend tend to take back seat when you’re skint. The constant niggle in the back of your head tells you that there are better ways to spend your hard earned money. Whilst this may be true it’s also fair to say that we need a break. Whilst you’re at it you might as well get some free air miles.

Expensive holidays to some far flung paradise are the key to maximising your credit cards money making potential.

If you haven’t already explored this idea then you’re missing out big time.

The principle of having enough cold, hard cash to pay for your holiday still applies. Next you’ll need a free air miles card which you’ll use to pay for only your flights (there’s an excellent article here on here on moneysavingzone the, by all means, let me know.

Wondering where the kids shovel comes in? Once you’re debt free, bury your card up to its neck and the sand and let the ants feast on it!

We’re all for saving money but every once in a while along comes an invention that makes us say, ‘Hmmm’. To celebrate some of the more dubious finds, moneysavingzone has a new category aptly called, “Hmmm’.

In our sights today we have, amongst others, the Dutch electrical giant, Philips. Their latest announcement centres around the 100 Watt energy saving bulb. Has to be good, right? We all want to save some cash and what could be better than cutting down our electricity bills?

The new range of bulb pushes out an impressive 100W of light (although the Philips engineers are keen talk about lumens – Watts went the way of Queen Victoria) whilst consuming on 9.3W of electricity. Genius! “Where can I buy one?”, I hear you say.

Don’t hold your breath – the new bulbs will be available from 2013 onwards for the meagre investment of about £37 a throw! Close your mouth: we’re talking about the saving the environment here.

According to the dome headed engineers at Philips, each bulb has a lifespan of about 22 years. To get this kind of longevity normally only associated with cavemen and starlings you’ll need to power the energy saving bulb for about 3 hours per day.

Even at a reduced cost of about £17 per bulb it’s still an expensive way to save energy. Look at this way: a standard bulb costs about 50p and will last, on average for about 4 – 5 years. By my reckoning that, currently, gives the good old filament bulb the upper hand.

I’m not going to preach. We know that world’s energy supplies will grind to a crunching halt at some point in the future. Resources are running out fasting that you can build ugly, inefficient wind turbines but there has to be something better than this.

If electrical manufacturers really want to save the world they’ll have to come up with something better than this! I’m sure a lot of our readers have a garden shed full of cheap bulbs that don’t finally warm up when it’s time to go to bed.

Philips aren’t the only company to announce new energy saving bulbs. American electrical company General Electric and Sylvania have also joined the road to eco-beatification with their own offerings. Before you ask, no, their offerings aren’t really any cheaper!

That’s enough from me. I’ll leave you to decide if the love child of Davros and Thomas Edison really is worth the money.

The digital age and the concept of money saving tips for the frugal aren’t easy bed mates. The march of technology is relentless. With every new giant leap there’s a price to be paid and it’s normally a heavy price. Take something as ‘simple’ as the iPhone: you can pay a painfully high tariff or stump up about £500 for a PAYG handset.

What if being a bit of a geek could save you money? Would you immerse yourself in the world of bits, bytes and Teraflops? Would you refuse to wash for weeks on end and consume life threatening quantities of Red Bull just to finish the latest shoot em up game?

Joking aside, a little bit of geekery can go a long way. Here are a few of the technological leaps that have made life easier and cheaper.

There’s No Need To Steal WiFi Anymore

Ever had some dastardly interloper hook up to your home WiFi and download some questionable content? I know it couldn’t have been you because we already know that’s Debbie’s escapades in Ewing country is dated and poorly made (apparently).

Free WiFi is everywhere. You can get it in the library, you can get it in a coffee shop, you can get in the town centre. You can even tether you mobile phone to your laptop and download until your little, geeky heart sings. For a list of the UK’s WiFi hotspots, check out http://www.myhotspots.co.uk/.

Pirating The Latest Games Is For Naughty Schoolboys

When I was a boy, smoking behind the bike shed was all the rage. Now, pre-pubescent entrepreneurs are running multi-million pound pirate games empires! In fact, they don’t even need to burn illegal copies of games – the market is second hand goods is huge.

Why would you want to even consider buying a ripped off game? Are you going to get your money back if the DVD hangs your computer? Yes, games are expensive when you buy them new but you can cut the cost (and avoid some playground fisticuffs) by downloading from Steam

Your iThing Is Just A Lump Of Circuitry

If you feel I’m being unfair to Apple, simply insert your choice of smartphone. Never has the world been so convincingly hoodwinked than the day the smartphone industry geared up to rule our lives. £500 for an iPhone, £400 for the latest HTC Android handset; where does it all end?

It’s not an Android killer but Skype does an excellent job of giving you free calls. Sure, you’l need an internet connection but, as you know, free Wifi is available everywhere. In fact, Skype is now available for most smartphones. Grab a cheap android mobile phone and start saving.

Say Goodbye To Rupert Murdoch

Here in the UK, we’re quite restricted when it comes to satellite TV. We’ve got Sky and, err, that’s it! I’m not knocking it; the selection of programmes is enough to keep even the hardest of hard core TV fanatics happy. The problem is that it ain’t cheap and Rupert isn’t in the mood to cut prices.

So, where can you get your latest fix of movies on the cheap? Hulu should be the first port of call if you’re looking for programmes that have been shown on CBS. www.freeview.co.uk has an ok selection of older movies but, if you want the latest from Hollywood then form a DVD club, group buy and share.

Turn Your Tablet Into A Culinary Wizard

Cooking for yourself or your family can be so tedious. How many times have you made a menu list for the coming week only here cries of, “We had that last Tuesday”? Morphing from your day job into a culinary wizard looked so simple when you mother did it.

Haven’t you heard? We’re in a booming age of technology. 3D TV’s, search engines that decide what colour pants you wear and tablets. If you’re really can’t think of eating anything other than baked potatoes for the fourth time this week then you need some serious help. Fortunately, apps such as Jamies cooking app and Tesco recipes are available for both the iPad and Android devices. Give your taste buds a treat.

New Age Travellers Holiday Tips

It wasn’t so long ago that holidaying abroad was expensive. A relatively short vacation in the Americas would set you back thousands of pounds and there was no way you were going to hop over to Barcelona for £15. Sir Freddie Laker started the revolution and others following suit.

When was the last time you paid a visit to a travel agent on the high street? How many did you have to visit to find the right deal? How many pairs of shoes did you wear out in the process? The dark labyrinth that is the internet has made life so much easier. Online sites such as www.gonative.com and www.qype.co.uk let you go native on the cheap.

Keeping a cool head

It’s a scorching summers day. The sun beats down on your head. Beads of sweat slowly ooze from your forehead and meet to form a trickle that stings your eyes. Mopping your brow isn’t enough. Cue the solar powered fan baseball cap!
A solar panel is used to drive a small fan which pushes air through a hole in the peak. Bye bye rivers of sweat, hello sun powered cooing breeze. Your hands may be pruning after hours bathing in your own body fluids but your head will be cooler than the supermarket freezer aisle.
A new twist on photosynthesis

Plants need sunlight. Green fingered readers will know that plants use the ultimate form of solar power to produce life. Evolution has dictated this process would require a place in the sun for your chlorophyl powered oxygen generators. Technology has changed the game.

In an evolutionary twist, the Solight replaces the need for your plants to ever see the light of day again. The device captures sunlight during the day and stores it in a battery. Once fully charged, all you need to do is place it over your plants and flowers and unleash its life giving rays.

360 coverage for your hanging baskets

Ideally, your pot plants need to get sunlight from all angles. Neglect any one part and the leaves will soon fall away and die. Is it really an effort to give your green friends some loving care and attention? If the thought of the physical effort involved makes you go weak at the knees you need some help.

If the Babylonians were still around, the garden centres of the UK would be doing a roaring trade in RotoBaskets! This hanging basket rotator uses the power to the sun to spin your Bizzy Lizzies through 360 degrees. My green fingered Great Grandfather would turn in his grave!

Eco friendly cinema

This one takes me way back to my youthful days. Back row seats with a new girlfriend watching the latest blockbuster. Trails of smoke rising through the light cast by the projector as the Pearl and Dean adverts blared into life. Those days are still here (minus the smoke, of course) but with a new angle: solar powered movies.
Will solar powered, mobile cinemas be the wave of the future? Probably not if they don’t expand from only eight seats! That said, it’s a great idea that shows how an entire industry could be powered by simply harnessing the suns rays.

Busy bees get a helping hand

Even bees feel the heat of a blazing summers day. Sadly, their hives don’t have air conditioning and solar-powered baseball caps are simply too big for them. When the temperature goes up the bees go down, quite literally. By congregating in the bottom of the hive and fluttering their wings they drive cool air through the hive. Temperatures come down but productivity is lost and honey production dips.

To solve this problem, thermostatically controlled coolers are attached to the hive. Each cooler is powered by solar panels and, as temperatures hit the preset temperature, the fans kick in. Fewer bees fanning cool air through the hive means more honey for you, me and Paddington Bear.

Dumpster divers are in for a shock

Identity theft is a big problem. A simple mistake like not shredding your personal details could result in your bank account being emptied or worse. The idea of protecting your rubbish with CCTV, lighting systems and an electronic locking system seems way over the top…

…welcome to the future. It’s not quite Robocop but the Solar Energy Enclosed Dumpster System (SEEDS) is nearly as good as having a cybernetic law enforcer guarding your waste.

Solar powered fashion for your ears

Fashion is big business. Environmentally friendly gadgets are even bigger business. What about eco-friendly jewellery? We have no end of bio-degradable shopping bags, hemp clothes and shoes made from old tyres but jewellery is the new wave.

Showing off your green credentials can only be a good thing. Showing off your recycled solar panel bits in the form of earrings, cuff links, rings other fine jewellery is even better.

Noah didn’t see this one coming

According to the Bible, the animals went in two by two. About 150 days later, the rain water receded, they all disembarked and repopulated the world. That was then and this is now. The solar ark was most definitely not designed to carry passengers of any shape or form.

Built in Japan by Sanyo, the solar ark is an iconic symbol of the future potential of clean energy. Consisting of over 5,000 solar panels, the ark pumps out an astounding 630KW of power and even houses a solar museum inside it.

Ants, beware!

What is the magnetic allure of magnifying glasses, sunlight and ants? How many of these highly organised insects have died in a skittering blaze of glory? Probably too many. Fortunately, the solar furnace wasn’t designed as an antidote to infestation!
Located in France, the Solar Furnace consists of a curved array of mirrors that act as a parabolic reflector. Light is reflected by the mirrors into a focal point. Perfect for incinerating waste or giant, killer ants from the B movie ‘THEM’.

Whittle A Copy of The Ark Royal For Cash

Seriously, you’d be surprised at how much money the arts and crafts industry makes. A study by www.ccskills.org.uk suggests that those wicker basket weaving wizards contribute about £3 billion to the UK economy. Now tell me that selling arts and crafts isn’t worth the effort!

If you’re feeling creative and you think you’ve got what it takes to be a master craftsman (or woman – PC an all that!) then you need to get crafting. For a complete list of craft fairs in the UK head on over to http://www.ukcraftfairs.com/.

Alternatively, show off your flair to a global audience on Pinterest.

Mind (And Cranium) Expanding Drugs

Did it just very quiet in here? Ladies, I’m not suggesting you pimp your bodies for cash (and the chance of a nasty disease). I’d like to reiterate that point for the male readers as well. The NHS needs you!

Take part in clinical trials and earn some extra money. I know that some of you may have heard of horror stories involving clinical trials but don’t panic. The scientists did mange to shrink the guinea pigs, err, patients head back to its normal size…just about.

Joking aside, human clinical trials are strictly regulated, very safe and the pay is good. Besides, having a melon-sized head will make you the talk of the party.

Hedge Trimming Whilst Levitating

Got a skill that people need? No? Are you sure? If you look at what’s being sold on the internet you’d be surprised to find that people are making a lot of money from seemingly useless skills. What about the U.S based cartoon website that earns over $1000 per day. Not bad for selling your hobby.

What can you do? Don’t ever think there’s no demand for your skills. If you can write then write content for websites. If you can design then create wallpaper and backgrounds for computers. If you don’t know how but want to then learn. Which leads us onto….

You Have Knowledge To Impart

Selling your skills is easy but the real money is in teaching others how to do it themselves. Just look at the internet: any skill that can be taught has been wrapped up in a some shiny packaging and is being sold to the masses. You can either get in on the online act or go local.

Here’s an example: a friend of mine is an ex-soldier. During his 12 years in the Army he learnt a lot of skills that seemingly had no value to him as a civilian. Then he discovered that parents and kids alike have a fascination for the great outdoors and so a new business was born. I won’t give you the full ins and outs of what he does – you need to work out your own business ideas.

Become A Black Belt Geek

The world is being slowly devoured by smartphones and their spawn; the apps! Ok, it’s not but iPhones and Android mobiles are everywhere. Blackberry has it’s own applications as well. All of these apps need to be thoroughly tested especially if the application creator’s business is at stake. With that in mind, why not get paid to play games and trial new software?

This FaceBook page lets you sign up to get paid for testing apps. The money isn’t great but it’s better than a kick in the teeth. Besides, you might decide that application coding is for you and launch yourself into a new career.

You may or may not know but lenders are looking for ways out of maintaining your low interest mortgage. An army of lawyers have been hired to run a fine tooth comb over the wording of your contract. Why? Because they don’t want you to have a cheap mortgage anymore.

If your bank or building society were a football player which painful fouls would they inflict on you?

Weeping Like Paul Gascoigne

Were Gazza’s tears real or was he simply doing a poor impression of a crocodile following England’s defeat at the 1990 semi-final? In fact, 22 years on, do you really care? There’s no doubt the wetting of the eyes Gazza experienced, quite literally, at the hands of Vinnie Jones back in 1988 were real.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the feeling that your mortgage lender has you by the balls has to score 10 on the pain scale.

Eric Cantona Opens A Dojo

Back in 1995 Eric Cantona helped East meet West in a Gallic replay of Enter the Dragon! After being insulted by a fan, Cantona reacted in the only way you’d expect from a well-paid, level headed role model: he kicked the fan in the chest.

You’re not likely to be karate kicked in the chest as you collect the milk from your doorstep but this one still comes in as an 8 on the mortgage pain scale.

Zidane’s Sister Causes A Stir

Footballers love banter but only when they’re giving it as Italian Marco Materazza found out at the last world cup. Zindane, enraged at a seemingly trivial comment about his sister, decided the best response would be to headbutt his opponent. Cue some mock agony and a red card.

It’s a pretty pathetic 3 on the scale of mortgage pain but don’t mention your lenders sisters when you’re deep in money negotiations.

Getting Revenge Roy Keane Style

Back in 1997, Roy Keane admitted to deliberately fouling Leeds player Alf Inge Haaland after a long running feud. The injury didn’t put Haaland completely out of action: he finished the match and played in another game shortly after.

Even though this one only scores a four on the pain scale be wary of any negotiations if you’ve just won a PPI claim from your lender.

Teutonic Kung Fu Fighting

Many people dream of changing the course of history but Harald Schumacher settled for evening the odds in 1982 World Cup. The semi-final match between France and West Germany in Spain saw Schumacher attempt to disembowel France’s Patrick Battiston using only his boot! Fortunately for Battison, he failed although the French player was left unconscious with a toothy grin and damaged vertebrae. Vive le difference.

If your mortgage company employs people this vicious then it might be time to find a new lender. 10 out of 10 for the pain factor but 0 out of 10 for friendly rivalry.

Would Sir Like Chips With Those Ribs?

It’s hard to believe that Abania and Croatia have a good relationship when you see fouls like this one. A brutal foul by Croat player Hrvoje Vukovic during a game in 2004 left Albanian Skerdilaid Curri in hospital with broken ribs and a punctured lung.

The chances of your lender actually doing the same thing to you are low but an interest rate rise could leave you feeling like your ribs have been worked over.

6 tales of pain and lunacy but it’s all a bit of fun. Well, maybe not for the recipients but, hey, they’re paid obscene amounts of money. I’m sure they can cope with a little knock here and there. On a more serious note, can you take the punishment? It’s a fact that many banks are losing money due to low cost mortgage interest rates and they’re looking for a way to rcoup some of those losses.

Are you in their sights? Time to get in touch with your solicitor and see how cast iron your contract is. If it looks like you’re going to be on the receiving on of an interest rate hike it could well be time to look for another lender.

Top tips for cheap hotels
Price comparison sites
Starred Hotel Deals
Other Ways To Cut Accommodation Costs

Top Tips For Cheap Hotel Bookings

Regardless of what you need a hotel room for (business trip, holidays abroad, short breaks) you’re going to need to do a little research. Don’t panic! There are plenty of websites offerings you the chance to pick up some massive savings.

Tip 1: Hotel price comparison sites should be your first port of call prior to booking.

Tip 2: Before you book and if you’re staying within the UK, give the hotel a call and find out if you can get a better deal by going direct.

>Price Comparison Sites

There’s a price comparison site for just about everything you can think. They grow faster than weeds but are infinitely more helpful. Regardless of where you’re going or how much you want to spend there’s a deal waiting for you.

Here’s my list of the top 5 hotel price comparison sites on the. I’ve added a few of my own thought about usability.

Trivago

Trivago are a newcomer to the hotel price comparison game but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a great range of offers available.

The site features hotels from around the globe.

The system lets you order the listings by price, star ratings and reviews. Pricing details are pulled from a pool of brokers (currently 111).

Trivago is one of the fastest sites I’ve seen and is probably the easiest to use, in my opinion. The search results page may seem a little cluttered for some though.

Travelsupermarket

An offshoot of Moneysupermarket (is there anything they don’t do?) this price comparison site pulls pricing data from a number of brokers and hotel chains around the world.

Visually, the layout is more attractive than Trivago.

Although they have a pretty comprehensive pool of suppliers, the interface isn’t the friendliest.

Personally, I find it a little slow for my liking but it’s hard to argue with the number of offers on the site.

The only major flaw I can see is that, to find the best deals, you have to select a star rating of the hotels you’re interested in.

HotelPriceBot

HotelPriceBot is one of the better newcomers to the hotel price comparison scene. The site creators have put a lot of effort into building a comprehensive database that’s fast and attractive.

When you search for hotels by popular location the results produced are a little clutter. This site designers could also do with moving the list of links to the top of the page (you’ll see what I mean when you get there).

The only downside I can see with HotelPriceBot is the page loading time when you click a link to a specific hotel: they’re not fast!

Hotels Comparison

www.hotelscomparions.com isn’t the most attractive looking site and the interface might seem a little a clunky when compared to Trivago. That said, it’s still one of the better options available for sniffing out hotel deals.

The site queries a list of over 20 brokers which means there’s a pretty comprehensive list of destinations to choose from.

In the early days of the site there were a lot of complaints about the speed and it hasn’t got much better (in my humble opinion). Sit back have a cup of tea and watch an episode of your favourite soap whilst the search tools hunts down a list of hotels that match your criteria!

Easy Voyage

Easy Voyage is fairly new having launched in 2010. The site has a pretty broad focus on all aspects of travel and holidays but there is dedicated hotel price comparison search engine.

The interface is very simple to use and even tries to predict where you want to go as you type – very Google-esque.

The selection of hotels is good – over 1,000 are currently listed on the site.

The searches can be slow if you’re not specific about where you want to stay. I tried a search for ‘London’ and it took about 25 seconds for teh page to load all the results. If you use www.easyvoyage.co.uk make sure you drill down to as small a geographic location as possible.

Starred Hotel Deals

A few years ago, Lastminute.com came up with a blinding idea; 5 star hotel deals at bargain prices. The idea behind their Top Secret Hotels plan was to find 3 to 5 star hotels that could be booked on the cheap. This proved so popular that other websites quickly scrambled to give you similar deals.

Navigating The Maze Of Last Minute Deals

How does the scheme work? At any given time, most hotels are far from full. Empty rooms cost the hotel owners money. By renting them out at low prices, the chains ensure they’re making some money (even if it is just enough to cover costs).

Who has the best deals?

Lastminute Secret Rooms

The first of the big hotel price comparison sites, www.lastminute.com has a monstrous assortment of offers available.

The most popular feature on the Lastminute.com website is their Secret Rooms section. Book a featured 3 – 4 star hotel and you will be automatically upgraded to a 5 star hotel for the same price. You won’t know which hotel you’re going to stay in until you’re booked a room. Once you’ve paid, you’ll receive an email informing you where you’ll be staying.

There are ways to plan in advance.

Some of you will no doubt like the idea of a little mystery hotel. Some of you are a bit more inquisitive. There are ways to find out which hotel you’ll be upgraded to. Once you have this information you can put some planning into your travel requirements.

1. Copy part of the mystery hotel’s description and paste it into your favourite search engine. Lastminute.com has a habit of scraping content about the hotels and pasting it into their site word for word.
2. Ask. Most of you will be using the Secret Rooms feature based on a recommendation. If friends or family have used the service and been to the places you’re planning to visit then ask them where they stayed.
3. Get your travel plans in order. If you know the city you’re going to stay in then check out the local transport systems. Advanced travel bookings using sites such as the thetrainline.co.uk will save you a lot of money.

Hot Wire

If you’ve ever travelled to the United States you may well know about Hotewire.com. The site has been the first port of call for American bargain hunters looking for deals on hotel accommodation.

Hotwire launched their UK-based website in 2011.

Like Lastminute.com, Hotwire also allows travellers to stay in 5 Star hotels at bargain prices. Now, if you’re like me then you hate surprises especially when you could end up paying for a less than amazing hotel room. So let’s look at how you can find out which hotel you’re going to be staying in…

Once you supply all your requirements on Hotwire click search. You’ll now be presented with a list of untitled hotels. All that you’ll see are descriptions.

Now open betterbidding.com and scroll down the Winning Bids section for the area you selected on Hotwire. Now match up the two descriptions and you have your destination hotel. Easy.

Priceline Mega Discounts

“Who?”, I hear you say. Priceline.com are a company based in the United States. They have one of the biggest selection of hotel pricing details you can imagine.

The mainstay of Priceline’s offers come from U.S hotel chains with savings of up to 63% off the marked price.

Unlike Lastminute.com and Hotwire, Priceline has taken a slightly different approach to selling discounted hotel rooms. The ‘name your own price” system is sort of like reverse bidding. All you need to do is enter the your destination, select the required hotel stars then place an offer price that you’re prepared to pay. If any hotel accepts you’ll be notified.

Like any bidding system, it’s within the hotels rights to reject your offer so you might need to up the amount you’re prepared to pay. If so, make sure your bids only go up in small increments.

Other Ways To Cut Your Accommodation Costs

If a top notch hotel on the cheap isn’t your thing then there is a multitude of other ways to cut your travel and holiday costs.

Off Peak and Weekday Bookings

You can save an awful lot of money if you book your accommodation during off peak periods. Typically, most hotels put their prices up during the school holidays. Now, even if you don’t have kids this will affect you but only if you let it.

Checking in on a Sunday is normally cheaper as are off peak periods. You could waste hours trying to find the best off peaks deals by sifting price comparison sites or you could simply go to www.offpeakluxury.com/. This site specialises in finding off peaks deals for to suit your needs.

Get a group discount on your accommodation.

Tired of hotel accommodation? Why not book a group holiday in one of hundreds of locations around the world. There are plenty of websites offering larger rental opportunities to tourists. The more people in the accommodation the less it’s going to cost you. Sites like xxx and xxx have some fantastic deals.

Back To Basics: Camping

Fancy getting back to nature? In that case you’ll want to try a camping holiday. For a listing of campsites around the UK, check out www.ukcampsite.co.uk/. Site are listed by region and each one is accompanied by user reviews and a listing of all the amenities on offer.

Experience The Call Of The Wild

If camping isn’t hard core enough for then it’s time to really head back to nature. www.forestholidays.co.uk and www.logcabinholidays.org.uk/ are two great sites featuring woodland holidays complete with a wooden hut (which is where you’ll be staying for the duration of your holiday).

Working Holidays

Free food and accommodation in return for a bit of hard graft. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Most working holidays are on farms so you’ll be getting a breath of fresh air as well as a real taste of country life.

For more information on working holidays take a look at www.helpx.net. If you want to try something a little different then check out these working holidays in a Buddhist meditation centre – zentastic!

Keep Out of The City Centres

Don’t worry! That’s not a warning. It’s a simple fact that, the further away you are from a city centre the lower the cost of your accommodation.

You’ll need to consider transport if you’re planning to pay regular visits to the city centre but, in most cases, all the major cities have efficient shuttle services available.

B&B Or Guest Houses

Forget the room service and dedicated land line and really save yourself some money with a stay in a bed and breakfast or guest house. Prices are far cheaper than the average of over £100 for a hotel room and you tend to find the environment is much more homely.

For a really huge list of UK-based B&B’s and guest houses, check out these sites: www.bedandbreakfasts-uk.co.uk/ and www.bedandbreakfast.co.uk/ (this second link has an excellent review system).

Hostels

The Youth Hostel Association has been around for years. My first experience of them was back in the mists of time (according to my daughter). The facilities have come a long way since the 1980′s. Not only are most of them well maintained, the room rental is dirt cheap when compared to hotel prices and the YHA covers just about all the most popular destinations around the UK.

Swap Houses For A Week Or Two

If you’re planning a longer stay then it’s definitely worth considering a house swap. What’s the idea? Basically, over the past 15 years or so a number of websites offering house swapping holidays have sprung up. Register your details, pay a small fee and then browse homes in desirable holidays spots.

Once you’ve found what you’re looking for simply contact the owner and see if they’re up for the swap. Oh yeah, the swapping part – it’s free.
More details over at www.homelink.org.uk and www.homeexchange.com/ .

Insurance scams are rife. From dogs with pyromaniac tendencies to dodgy excuses like, “I don’t know why I left the gas ring on and a candle burning in the kitchen”. You name it and it’s been tried.

Given the state of the global economy it’s not surprising that some people are out to make some extra money. But what depths will people stoop to?

Mr M Mouse Is Handing Out Receipts

It’s the oldest trick in the book: you’ve lost your receipt or you bought something second hand. Cue a flimsy insurance claim but, whatever you do, don’t ask your mates to make a fake receipt or you might get caught out like Mr H.

Following a genuine burglary of his home, H made a claim under his home insurance policy which was settled. A few months later his van was broken into and a number of personal possessions were stolen. Unfortunately he didn’t have receipts for all of his original purchases and asked a friend to cook one up.

During the course of the investigation, his insurers discovered the fraudulent claim.

Result? The insurance company refused to pay out for both alleged losses. They also asked for the money back from his original claim.

Darth Vader Foils Fraudster

In 2002, the home of Mr P was burgled whilst he was enjoying a night out with friends. He duly claimed for a number of items including a selection of Star Wars DVD’s. To you and I, DVD’s are small beer but not the insurance assessors. Especially when the said movies weren’t due to be released to DVD for another 3 months!

Result? You guessed it: His entire claim was forfeited on the grounds of fraud.

Home Office Forensics Swoop On Decorator

Loss assessors have moved on from the dark days of simply scouring claims forms for irregularities as Mr M discovered in 2007. Whilst he was painting a window frame, the claimant stated that a visitor came through the door knocking over the paint pot. The resulting spillage left his sofa and carpet covered in a thick layer of paint. An open and shut case?

No. The assessors called in forensic investigators who reported that the paint splashes were inconsistent with the alleged spillage.

Result? The policy was cancelled and the insurance company declined to pay out.

Burn More Than Just Your Fingers

A U.S lawyer decided to take out insurance for his rare collection of cigars to prevent them from accidents involving fire (can you see what’s coming?). Once insured, the lawyer smoked the lot. Initially, the insurance company refused to pay out but were sued by the lawyer who won his case. Case closed? Not quite.

Following the initial case, the insurance company then sued for the claimant for arson.

Result? 24 months in clink!

Grandma We Love(d) You

For some home and business owners, arson seems like the logical retreat when you’re swimming in debt. The consequences can be tragic. Over the years a number of cases had ended with hapless victims being consumed in a raging inferno.

After running into severe financial difficulties, Lewis Drayton of Ohio, America decided to burn down the family home. Unfortunately, his elderly grandmother was still inside when the flames tore through the house. She later died of third degree burns.

Initially, Drayton pointed the finger of blame at his uncle but he should have done his homework. At the time of the fire his uncle was already in prison.

Result? Goodbye liberty, hello long stay in prison (all for a measly $8,000)

Were the dodgey claims worth it? In these 5 cases, probably not. You have been warned!

Not content with trying to ru(i)n London once more, it would appear that Ken Livingstone also wants to rule the waves.

According to Ken, the he’s paid enough in taxes to fund a third aircraft carrier. Seems like good news for government who were set to mothball the second carrier following it’s scheduled completion date (circa 2297).

The outburst came during a heated debate between Ken Livingstone and the incumbent Boris Johnson (yes, the man that gave red light jumping tourists the opportunity to dice with death on the taxi filled streets of London).

I’m sure that many years in politics and the odd back hander legitimate business investment have made Ken a wealthy man. The idea that he’s made enough money to pay 2.5 billion in tax seems pretty ludicrous. After all, it’s not often you find that kind of money in loose change down the back of the sofa!

Now, if you’re wondering what you could get for 2.5 billion here’s a quick estimate:

1. 1 x aircraft carrier that could be used to project overwhelming military power peace and harmony to the four corners of the globe.

9. One years consultancy fees which will cover the cost of having 50,000 Dutch cycling experts come to London and tell the Mayor how to pedestrianise the West End.

When you consider that Ken claims to have only earned £21,000 during the years 2008 – 2009 I think HMRC might want to delve deeper into his accounts.

Seriously, should the plank be made to walk the plank or can he just shuffle off into obscurity?