Before/earlier

[tipu s]

Respected Teachers,
Please help me out

1-"As I told you before, I am not interested in your offer."

2-"As I told you earlier, I am not interested in your offer."

Which adverb of the two is correct? Can they be used alternatively? Do they convey different sense? Is it the matter of tense which makes the difference?

[Tdol]

Earlier sounds as if the person said it during the discussion or in the events leading directly up to the discussion they are having, while before could be at any time in the past in this discussion or on some other occasion.