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FOOL'S EYE VIEW
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When I think about all the claptrap that's on television these days, such as Celebrity Big Bother (sic), it makes me appreciate the good old BBC even more. Indeed, although the licence fee has its critics, I don't mind handing over my £126.50 (£131.50 from 1 April). Every television owner must have a licence, although there are concessions for the blind, those in residential care and the over-75s, while a licence for a black-and-white television currently costs £42. Failure to pay the licence fee can lead to prosecution, a criminal record, a fine of up to £1,000 and even a prison sentence for non-payment of the fine. Eeek! So, I've come up with a dozen ideas to fund your next TV Licence. Here they are, in no particular order: 1. Dodge interest with a 0% credit card Did you know that, in effect, paying interest on credit- and store-card balances is entirely voluntary? By transferring your existing debts to one of the many credit cards which offer 0% on balance transfers, you could avoid interest for up to a year. Avoiding annual interest of, say, 15% on a debt of £2,000 would mean a saving of £300 a year, so learn how to be a rate tart here. Check out these cracking 0% credit cards! 2. Grab a better bank account If you don't have a next-generation current account, then you're probably earning pre-tax credit interest of, say, 0.1% a year, which works out at £1 for every £1,000. Also, you're paying annual interest of between 15% and 35% when you're overdrawn, plus fines for unauthorised borrowing. If you'd rather earn 5% interest and pay no interest for a year while you're in the red, read New Year, New Bank Account. Switching could mean banking an extra £150+ a year! Check out the ace accounts in our Banking centre! 3. Cut your car insurance premium According to Britain's biggest insurance broker, The AA, shopping around for comprehensive motor insurance produces an average saving of £296 a year. For non-comprehensive insurance, the shop-around saving is even higher at £395. These five tips should cut your premium down to size! Get cheaper car insurance via the Fool! 4. Carry a cashback credit card Put every purchase on a bog-standard credit card and you'll get nothing for your troubles. However, spend £1,000 a month on a Best Buy cashback credit card and you could pocket a cheque for up to £140 in year one. Which would you prefer? Check our deck of Best Buy cashback cards! 5. Get cheaper gas and electricity These energy-saving tips will help to shrink your energy bills, as will switching to new suppliers. As a hard-up writer working in a freezing, unheated attic, this tip really strikes a chord with me! 6. Manage your motoring costs With around 25 million private cars in the UK, motoring costs and taxes gobble up a big slice of Britain's disposable income. The PetrolPrices.com website will help you to save money on fuel, and these Ten Routes To Cheaper Motoring explain how to drive down your costs. A saving of just £11 a month will pay your next licence fee, but you should save several times that much! 7. Bash your buildings and contents insurance If you don't shop around when your home insurance is up for renewal, you could fall foul of my Rule of Three and pay far too much to protect your home. The AA reckons that shopping around for home insurance produces an average saving of £135 a year. That's another TV Licence in the bag! Prune your premiums with a visit to our Insurance centre! 8. Save tax with childcare vouchers Thanks to income tax and National Insurance Contributions, a pay rise of £2,600 a year could amount as little as £1,534 extra take-home pay. However, if you sacrifice £2,600 of your salary and ask your employer to pay you £50 a week in childcare vouchers, you receive a tax-free £2,600 a year towards your childcare costs. This could save you £1,066 a year, which would fund eight TV Licences! Read point 5 of this article for more information. 9. Massacre your mortgage repayments As I warned recently, mortgage repayments account for almost half (46%) of average household spending. Why not use an award-winning, no-fee mortgage broker such as Fool Partner London & Country Mortgages to lower your mortgage repayments? A saving of £1,500 a year -- or eleven licence fees -- could be up for grabs! Get a happier home loan in our Mortgage centre! 10. Lower your life insurance premiums Alas, choosing the wrong protection could cost you and your family dearly! These five fabulous tips show you how to get more cover for less cash, double your payout, halve your premiums, and avoid tax on any payout. A saving of £25 a month is easily achievable, which pays for another two TV Licences each year. Not bad, eh? Get quality quotes and cheaper cover in our Insurance centre! 11. Pick a perfect personal loan When you next need a personal loan (perhaps to fund a new car, holiday, home improvements, wedding -- or divorce!), stroll down to your local bank branch and sign on the dotted line. Oops, you've just paid £1,000 too much! Locate a lovelier loan in our Personal Loans centre! 12. Switch to a superior savings account Why not make 2006 the year when you become a better saver? These three tips will help you to avoid tax, dodge withdrawal penalties, and earn up to 10% a year. Here's to earning more interest instead of paying it! Ace accounts await you in our Savings centre! Finally, here's a bonus tip for those who like to chat: these six tips show you how to trim your home-telephone bills. Now please tell your friends, family and work colleagues about the great advice that awaits them at the Fool! More: Find better bank accounts, credit cards, energy suppliers, insurance, mortgages, personal loans and savings accounts today!