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Series 3 Episode 8: Recession proof your finances
Broadcast: Wed 5th November 2008

  • recession1

    Recession-proof your cash

    Repossessions, redundancies, pay cuts & freezes: protect yourself now!

  • MoneySaving News

    In the news this week

    Premium Bonds slashed, free £25 eyeshadow, £19 hotel rooms, 40% cheaper calls to mobiles & knickers coming down (in price!)

  • celeb_wallet

    Raef Bjayou

    Will the star of The Apprentice be hired or fired after taking Martin's Cash Quiz?

  • recession2

    Do a debt audit

    Everyone should sort out their debts BEFORE recession hits so they’re prepared for the storm.

  • car

    Beat the insurers

    Find out how a lady from Slough saved hundreds of pounds by switching her insurance providers

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Celeb Corner

View Previous Celebrity Wallets

Christopher Biggins

Wed 5th March 2008

The actor, who was crowned 'King of the Jungle' during last year’s hit series I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, has also appeared in comedy dramas Porridge and Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em.

He admitted he’s not good with money, but while Martin found some areas where he could save some cash, he is not as bad as he first thought.

For one, he has multiple bank accounts, known as piggybanking, where he puts aside the cash he needs to pay certain bills or his tax to ensure he doesn’t spend those sums.

One area where he could save money is on his credit card. He currently spends around £2,000 a month on a card that doesn’t give him any cashback. If he switched to an Egg Money card he could pocket £200 as he’ll get back 1% of everything he spends, up to a maximum of £200 a year.

Christopher could also save on what he spends abroad. He recently put £4,500 on his credit card while on a round-the-world tour but was charged a 2.75% commission fee of £120. With a Travelex Cash Passport, a chargecard you fill up with foreign currency before your go abroad, you avoid being charged that commission.

He could also save another £430 a year by putting the first £6,600 of his savings in a tax-free cash ISA, preferably the Barclays Tax Haven ISA which pays 6.5%.

He’d have to put away the maximum £3,000 permitted before the end of the current tax year, on April 5, and another £3,600 after that as the allowances are to rise from then. In total, Christopher could save an extra £750 a year just from a quick five-minute wallet workout.

Take a peek at what was in Katie Hopkin's wallet last week.