Money saving credit card gimmicks.

Martin Lewis - the man behind MoneySavingExpert.com operates an email newsletter to those who have visited the site in search of advice and registered. The range of financial savings featured is mesmerising - from get rich quick schemes, earning cash back whilst shopping at sites such as www.greasypalm.co.uk to finding the best insurance renewal quotes.

More recently the newsletter has urged its readers to consider the advantage of finding the best credit cards that offer cash back on your spending.

Of course some banks have no need to attract customers with such gimmicks. Coutts - the bank for the proper wealthy simply offers its prestigious cards to those with over a million pounds and its international arm RBS Coutts has chosen not to offer any such tawdry item as a plastic card instead perhaps it assumes that gold is the currency of choice for its privileged elite clientèle with offshore and international bank accounts.

Credit Card Commercial video

PC Help - Home IT Support For Online Shoppers

Help with PC and Internet Problems - Home IT Support

As the public become more and more confident using the internet to shop online there has been increased demand for faster broadband connections and home wifi networks to allow multiple users to access the internet at the same time.

Keeping up with the latest technology can be a daunting task and the attraction of "total solutions" have an obvious appeal. Usually a total internet broadband service is a complete broadband package, offering maximum download speeds, a wireless (wifi) hub and online support.

Currently one in four consumers is looking to switch broadband provider in 2008. “Many consumers are afraid to switch in case something goes wrong”, said a product development director at http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/

If consumers were confident that the switch and the installation of new equipement such as enabling wifi connections would be done by a specialist then more people would benefit from using better equipment, faster download speeds and lower prices.

There has been a steady increase in home IT support services offering to support pc and broadband users. Prices vary with the service provided.

One of the most popular services to emerge over the past few months is to arrange for a single visit by a telecoms engineers ensuring that the switch is painless. The engineer often offers general pc help - tips and ticks so you can get the most from your home computer and new internet connection.

Affinity Credit Cards Support Charities

Help Charities - consider using an affinity credit card whilst shopping.

From time to time the importance of the work of various not for profit sector organisations needs to be highlighted along with a call to encourage us all to contribute in whatever way we can.

Too often it is only after people have been directly affected by a condition do they seek ways to support charities and organisations that are working to raise awareness and improve the quality of our lives.

These organisations, many of them charities continually have to find new ways of generating and increasing revenue to support its work. Some such as the Blood Pressure Association are funded in a variety of methods including donations from pharmaceutical giants, the government/NHS, national lottery grants and attracting subscriptions and donations from members of the public who are affected by high blood pressure who want to be more involved with the work of the Association.

Affinity Credit Cards

The British Heart Foundation has generated a modest income with its affinity credit card and several leading cancer research and care charities are seeing the benefits of donations - usually a donation of between £10 - £15 when people first apply and a small ongoing % of their card spending.

Its not only healthcare organisations that look to these donate-as-you-shop credit cards for fundraising.

Ethical Banking

The latest range of affinity cards from the CO-OP offer a good selection of worthy organisations including WaterAid and The Woodland Trust along with Shelter and other ethical bodies under their "help the planet every time you think" that supports Greenpeace and the Ramblers.

The Co-operative Bank has launched its latest affinity credit card, with Friends of the Earth, offering a new and easy way to support the environmental charity.

As far back as 1999 the Co-op was well on its way to proving its ethical banking policies - Unlike most plastic credit cards they introduced ones that contained no pvc eliminating chlorides.

Spanish Shopping - Get more for your money

€ delights

(Thats €)

I learned from the finance exchange that not only was the pound good against the dollar but being the EU rogues we in the UK are it was certainly worth considering a bit of overseas shopping getting more euros per pound. Low cost airlines can get you to cities like Malaga and back in the "off season" for less than £100 and hunting around for low season deals on hotels you can find some fantastic deals.

I also calculated that to visit Seville and Jerez it was cheaper by far to fly to Malaga and continue the journey on the reliable, clean and fast rail network than making a similar journey by UK rail to Stanstead Airport and fly with another carrier - Ryan direct to these Spanish cities.

Having discovered the wonders of El Corte Ingles department store during a brief stay in Malaga it was marvelous to discover this chain had a multi site shopping complex just around the corner from the hotel confortel seville.

El Corte had vast ranges of both traditional Spanish food and drinks a amazing low prices -

• Sherry and Brandy
• Manchego cheese with quince jelly
• Jamon Serrano

It was very disappointed that on retuning to the UK online shopping via the El Corte website is hampered by a requirement to log in just to access the supermercardo pages. Once you have worked out how how to enter the site you can make a judgment about whether the prices offered plus freight cost make it a viable economic place to pick up the fabulous foods.