Get 5% off EVERYTHING for Xmas and Jan Sales

This is the perfect time to get a cashback credit card. Provided you repay it in full each month it won’t charge you a penny in interest, but it will pay you every time you spend; most people earn £100-£500 each year.

The reason this is the top time is the Amex Platinum credit card pays new cardholders a mammoth 5% cashback on all spending up to £4,000 for the first three months (then up to 1.5% after), so apply now and by the time you get it, the 5% rate will cover any high spending for Christmas and throughout the Jan sales period.

Plus, as it’s a credit card, order something over £100 on it from a company that goes kaput, and by law the card company must refund you itself.

External Links: For full info, alternatives, pros, cons and the impact on your credit score, read Martin’s Best Cashback Credit Card guide.

Get £100 free and a 0% overdraft

Alliance & Leicester's best buy Premier bank account offers a 0% overdraft for the first year, and currently, it's also giving a £100 bonus if you sign up, but that incentive ends this Monday. So if you want the account, go quick!

External Link: To see how this account stacks up, whether it's right for you and more options, read Martin’s full Best Bank Accounts guide.

Hurry to avoid mortgage meltdown

The mortgage market was easing, with cheaper deals starting, but last week’s turmoil kiboshed that. Banks now charge huge interest to lend to each other and this could add 0.25% to the cost of new fixed rates.

Why act now? Lenders usually put out fixed rate deals in tranches, say £100m worth, and only reprice once a tranch has sold out (though some are being withdrawn early), so for the next few days you may still be able to grab one.

Book ahead. It’s sometimes possible to reserve a deal even upto six months ahead, though three months is more usual. To do this you pay a non-refundable booking fee, e.g. £100 (separate to the arrangement fee). If things get worse, you’ve done well; if they get cheaper, get a new deal and you’ve only lost the fee.

External Links: For more info to help guide you through the mortgage maze read Martin’s detailed Cheap Mortgage Finding guide.

A ray of cheap light

Supermarket Morrisons is selling five Philips Energy saving light bulbs for 50p in-store (not online) – that’s just 10p a bulb if you buy five. They usually cost 39p each and each bulb could save you £7 a year.

Get cash for your old CDs

Now you can easily get rid of old CDs for cash. New website Music Magpie allows you to type in details of your CDs and get an instant cash price of what it'll pay you for them, typically between 60p and 70p. If you accept, it’ll send postage-paid bags to dunk them in and you’ll get cash upon receipt. Simple.

External Link: Find all the details at Music Magpie.