Don't be an April Fool!

NO joke, April is Price Rise Month-whether it's prescriptions, water bills, stamps or a whole lot more.

Yet ACT NOW and you can sneak under the line, dipping in ahead of the cost explosion.

It's partly because the tax year starts on April 6 - yet the first few days of next month also see annual price rises built into systems like NHS budgets, utility companies, local councils and more.

And while inflation is low now, over the last year the average has been pretty high, meaning prices are UP.

So if you're going to pay, it's cheaper in March. And these small savings soon add up. My top tips should mean you have the last laugh this April . . .

LICK THE STAMP PRICE RISE

On April 1 stamp prices go up. A first class stamp for a letter is up from 36p to 39p and second class rises from 27p to 30p.

Yet buy the RIGHT stamps now and they're inflation-proofed. Those saying 1st or 2nd rather than a price are still valid AFTER prices go up. So bulk-buy now, even for Christmas card sending, and you're quids in.

Plus, Superdrug currently has a sale offering five per cent off books of first class stamps until Tuesday - so it's likely you'll NEVER be able to buy this cheap again. You can buy up to 72 stamps per visit.

GET A WATER METER

On April 1, water bills are set to surge an average of 4.1 per cent to a typical £340 a year. While paying earlier won't help, in England and Wales it's free to switch to a water meter, and it will SAVE £100s. The bill depends on something similar to your house's value - so my rule of thumb is simple. If your home's got MORE bedrooms than people, check out getting a meter since you'll likely use less water than expected for a house that size.

For full details on how to do a water meter comparison, see moneysavingexpert.com/water

GO TO THE DENTIST NOW

On April 1, NHS dental charges increase, so get appointments before. In England the cost of a check-up or basic treatments such as a scale and polish is up 30p to £16.50 - mid- ranking treatments like extractions or fillings rise by £1, to £45.60.

In Wales, costs for those items are being frozen.

SORT YOUR COUNCIL TAX

Council tax prices will rise an average 3 per cent next month - that's £40 a year - bumping bills to a typical £1,400, although prices will fall in a few areas.

Check you're getting due discounts such as for single occupancy, students or empty homes and you're claiming relevant benefits.

It's estimated up to 400,000 people are in the WRONG BAND, and could be able to reclaim £1,000s. It only takes ten minutes online to do a quick check - instructions are at moneysavingexpert.com/council

GET ANNUAL PRESCRIPTION CERTIFICATES

Prescription charges in England jump from £7.10 to £7.20 on April 1, so getting outstanding ones now saves a little. Yet if you get regular prescriptions, make BIG SAVINGS using a "pre-paid prescription certificate". Here, for a one-off fee, all prescriptions for a set time are then free. It costs £27.85 for three months rising 40p in April, meaning you'll save if you get four or more prescriptions in that time.

With the year-long version, where you can spread the cost by direct debit, the £102.50 today jumps £1.50 in April, it's worthwhile for 15 prescriptions or more a year. Someone getting two prescriptions a month would SAVE £70 a year.

Yet it's not for everyone. Many people are exempt from charges - under-16s, pregnant women, over-60s, students under 19 in full-time education, those on benefits and tax credits, and from April 1 cancer patients too.

In Wales, prescriptions are FREE if you live there, while they're due to be phased out both in Northern Ireland and Scotland, so this year the costs are falling.

USE YOUR CASH ISA ALLOWANCE

Every year starting April 6 you can save up to £3,600 in a cash ISA, and the money is tax-free as long as it stays there. Yet if you don't use it you lose it, so savers should urgently consider one. The current top-rate instant access account is Barclays Golden ISA at 3.61 per cent, though this includes a one per cent bonus for 12 months. More options at moneysavingexpert.com/cashISAs

TOP UP YOUR STATE PENSION

If you haven't paid National Insurance for the right number of years, you don't get the full state pension on retirement. Yet the cost of topping up may jump by 50 per cent on April 6.

As it can mean adding £1,000+ yearly to your retirement income, it's worth investigating. To enquire, call the pension service on 0800 731 7898.

*TV money guru Martin Lewis is the creator of the Consumer Revenge website www.MoneySavingExpert.com

You can also read extra Q & A's with Martin in today's printed edition of the News of the World.

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