Hi scottishbride, I would suggest you do not apply early for naturalisation.
Your friend is mistaken about applying early. You can apply 28 days early for ILR but for naturalisation you need to comply strictly with the rules.
UKBA say that you must have beenI would strongly advise you to familiarise yourself with the application form and guidance notes for naturalisation as there may be other issues you need to comply with.physically present in the UK 5 years (3 years if you are married to or in civil partnership with a British citizen) before the date that the application will be received by the UK Border Agency or other receiving authority (see page 17 “Where to send your application form”). If you do not meet this requirement your application is unlikely to be successful
We also used the checking service and found them to be really most helpful. It saved us a lot of worry and hasle and gave us confidence that all was well with our application.
It does cost money, but we considered it to be worth it especially as my wife was able to retain her passport and other key pieces of ID.
Good luck