| | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter Save £1,000 in a day
Cut bills without cutting back (likely to be the year's best-paid day) What do you earn in a day? By taking a day to sort your finances, you could be £1,000+ a year better off, perhaps the year's best pay day. Don't believe me? Follow this schedule to see how much (even just by cherry-picking)... | 07:30. | Think water bills while you shower. Save up to £500. Ask yourself if your home has more bedrooms than people. If so, it's likely you'll save by switching to a water meter, like @ChrisBland3: "We got a meter fitted, our bill fell from £62 to £16/mth." A whopping £550 less per year. FULL help, incl if they say you can't have a meter, in Slash Water Bills. | | | | 08:15. | Wear uniform? Are you due a tax rebate? Reclaim up to £300. If you or anyone in your family normally slips on a work uniform (branded T-shirts to nurses' kits), and you wash it yourself, you may be due a lower ongoing tax bill & 4 years back, like forumite Stroma: "I'm happy, just heard the Revenue's giving me £120/year for washing my uniform." FULL help & templates: Uniform Tax Rebates
| | | | 08:25. | Slash credit card interest - get 30mths 0%. Save up to £1,000. Let's get a big & easy one done early. If you've got credit cards with debt on, shift 'em to a top balance transfer deal. Here, you get a new card that pays off the old card for you, so you owe it instead.
| TOP PICK BALANCE TRANSFER CREDIT CARDS |
|---|
| Card | Intro offer | Fee | Rep APR after | | Barclaycard* - Longest EVER | 30mths 0% (1) | 2.89% | 18.9% | | MBNA* - Lets shift overdrafts too | 29mths 0% | 2.89% (2) | 18.9% | | Lloyds* - Long low fee | 24mths 0% (1) | 1.5% | 17.9% | | Santander* - Longest sub-1% fee | 17mths 0% | 0.9% | 18.9% | | Fluid* - Lowest fee | 12mths 0% | 0.75% | 18.9% | | MBNA*- Very long-term low rate | 6.9% for life | None | 18.9% | | FULL INFO: Best Balance Transfers (& APR Examples). (1) You may get fewer 0% months. (2) Money transfers (shifting overdrafts) have a 4% fee. |
Will you get one? Use our free Balance Transfer Eligibility Checker to find which you're most likely to pass the credit score for.
The golden rules: a) Repay at least the set monthly min, or you may lose the 0%. b) Aim to clear debt or shift again before the 0% ends, or rates rocket. c) Don't spend on these cards, it isn't usually at the cheap rate. d) See Which Card Is Cheapest? if unsure. | | | | 08:45. | Grab £1,000s of childcare help. If you're feeding the baby or battling to get your kids to school, think childcare costs. If you pay for childcare (including after-school clubs), there are two things to check.
1) Earn under £40,000 and work 16+hrs/wk (both of you if a couple)? Check if you're entitled to Childcare Tax Credits, worth avg £3,000/yr.
2) If not, Childcare Vouchers let you pay tax-free, saving some £1,000s. | | | | 09:25. | Freeze gas & electricity bills in 10 mins. Save £360/yr. Many can lock in no price hikes for up to FOUR WINTERS. Jump to full info below or try our Top Fixed Tariff Picks comparison. | | | | 09:35. | Prepared for the hard truth about your finances? Switch off Jeremy Kyle, things just got serious. Do you KNOW if you consistently spend more than you earn? If so, you're either eating your savings or risk dangerously building up debts.
For years I hated budgets, as frankly, they were crap. So we built the Budget Analyser, which fixes most of the problems. The fact it gives a true picture means many swear by it - and as many at it! | | | | 11:00. | Get free tea (or coffee) and cake. It's elevenses - time for a treat. So sign up for free tea & cake monthly at John Lewis, or a free DAILY coffee at Waitrose. Find out how in our Free Tea & Coffee guide. | | | | 11:15 . | Haggle down Sky, AA, Virgin, etc. Save up to £400 a year. With breakdown cover, digital TV, broadband & mobiles, if you don't want to switch provider, haggle. Call 'em up (best near renewal) and ask for a better deal. Ensure they know you'll go elsewhere if not.
In our poll, the top 5 firms to haggle with were: 1) AA (90% success), 2) TalkTalk (82%), 3) Sky (82%), 4) RAC (78%), 5) Admiral (78%).
The savings can be huge. @hollyainger: "You spurred me on - called Sky, quoted Virgin's cost, saved £18/mth." See Bill Haggling Techniques. | | | | 12:00. | Bag permanently cheapest exchange rates. And relax. Let's think holidays for a sec. Here's a way to save if you go abroad each year.
Most plastic adds a hidden 3% load, so spending £100 of euros on a card costs £103. Yet a few specialist load-free worldwide credit cards give perfect rates everywhere, smashing bureaux de change. Top pick's Halifax Clarity* or for weak credit scores, Capital One Classic Extra*. Our Overseas Card Eligibility Checker shows your acceptance odds.
Yet only do this if you always repay IN FULL each month, or the gain's lost, as you'll pay 12.9% or 34.9% representative APR. FULL help, including all top cards, in Top Overseas Cards (APR Examples). | | | | 12:15. | Spend a penny. No way to save (except maybe cutting loo paper use!). | | | | 12:20. | Bite a chunk out of your food bills. Save up to £1,000 a year. Take a look through your fridge and kitchen cupboards. If you spy lots of branded goods or 'finest' products, it's time to unleash yourself from the shackles of supermarket hypnosis. After all it's them who say "it's better", but only you can decide.
Imagine for a second you were billed for food annually. £100 a week is £5,200 a year. If that came through the letterbox, you'd try to cut it. Try the Downshift Challenge Tool to see how much you can save, then add 30 Food Shopping Tricks. Once finished, take a break and have lunch. | | | | 13:30. | Owed £10,000s in PPI? Don't assume 'this isn't me'. Even some who rejected this insurance had it wrongly added without knowing. It was systemically mis-sold on loans, credit cards, overdrafts, catalogues, store cards and some mortgages. So check - even long-closed policies. Full help, detailed FAQs and free templates in Reclaim PPI For FREE. | | | | 14:00. | Are you overpaying on your mortgage? Rates, especially fixes, are near all-time record lows yet pundits are predicting interest rate rises. The consensus is these'll hit in 2015, but some say as early as towards the end of this year.
That means everyone should check their mortgage deal now. Those on variables should question if it's right to lock in a cheap fix. Those on fixes should diarise when it ends so they're ready to act. Here's how:
1) Our Free Printed Remortgage Guide: Instant PDF | Order Printed
2) Benchmark rates at Google*, TotallyMoney & MAS.
3) Find a good 'whole of market' mortgage broker to help you. | | | | 14:45. | Slash car insurance costs (even if not at renewal). Save up to £600. Insurance prices have dropped over the past year, so it's important to check you're not being ripped off. Full help in Cheap Car Insurance & Young Persons car insurance, for speed (vrrrm vrrrm).
1. As different comparisons search different firms, for max quotes in min time, combine 'em: Try Gocompare*, Google* and MoneySup*.
2. Add biggies missed: Aviva*, Direct Line* & if 2+ cars Admiral MultiCar*
3. Try all Cheap Car Insurance Tricks, eg, add extra driver to lower risk.
As proof, @FranceLyndsey tweeted, "@MoneySavingExp be proud, I got multi-car insurance slashed from £1,100 to just £489/year #bargain"
If savings are huge & you're not at renewal: Unless you've claimed, you can usually cancel policies for an admin fee, you'll get a pro-rata rebate but lose the year's no claims bonus. Also see Cheap Home Insurance. | | | | 15:45. | Earn £125 switching bank account (or get cashback on bills). We now have 7-day switching, so all direct debits & standing orders move quickly, and payments to your old account are autoforwarded. So why stick with a dud deal? Full info in Best Bank Accounts, but at speed...
- No.1 account & free £125: First Direct's* won every customer service poll we've done. 93% rate it great and it now pays £125 (norm £100), plus a £250 long-term 0% overdraft and a linked 6% regular savings account. You need to pay in £1,000/mth and pass its credit score.
- 3% on savings, 3% cashback on bills. Santander 123* charges a £2/mth fee, but switch & pay in £500/mth to get 3% AER savings interest (on £3k -£20k) and 1-3% c'back on bills incl energy, council tax & more. | | | | 16:00. | Don't drive yourself mad with petrol costs. Up to £500 saved.
1. Dejunk your trunk (lighter cars save fuel) and check tyre pressure.
2. Not over-accelerating saves fuel with little time lost. Efficient Driving
3. Use Petrolprices.com to find the cheapest forecourts.
4. Grab a petrol cashback card to get up to 3% back each time you buy. | | | | 16:30. | Check your tax code. You may be owed £1,000s. There've been millions of mistakes with tax codes, meaning a huge chunk of the UK population has paid too much (or too little) tax. We've built a unique checker to help work out if you're owed. Use the Tax Code Calculator. | | | | 17:00. | Cut all spending by up to 5%. Gain up to £200/year. A cashback credit card pays you every time you spend on it. So grab one and use it for all spending - just ensure you set up a direct debit to repay the card IN FULL each month so there's no interest.
The top pick's Amex Everyday*, which pays a huge 5% cashback (max £100) in the first 3mths followed by tiered rates after (fail to fully repay and it's 19.9% rep APR). Full help & best buys in Top Cashback Cards. | | | | 17:25 | Grab a diary and fill it in. This is perhaps the most important thing you'll do today. Grab your diary, whether paper, mobile or online. Go through all products with timed elements - eg, car insurance renewal, savings bonus rates, 0% cards, broadband & mobile contracts and more. Put a note in a month before each one ends to swoop and fix. | | | | 17:30. | Got a taste for saving? Give yourself a full makeover. Even this is the tip of the iceberg. See 40+ Money Makeover Tips & for inspiration, listen to the save £1k in a day Radio 2 Jeremy Vine special. | | |
Blagged for MoneySavers |
Did you miss? |
 Get permanently cheap energy Our club ensures you're always on the cheapest tariff.
Join free: Cheap Energy Club |
Reclaim PPI for FREE Claims handlers aren't more successful.
Free help & templates: Reclaim PPI |
MSE News |
 | Saved cash? Shout it from the rooftops. |  | | If this email's ever helped you, please forward it to friends and suggest they get it via moneysavingexpert.com/tips | |
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| Wed 8 Jan 2014 |
New. Longest ever 18mths 0% on spending card
If you need to borrow, you can now get 0%, no fee, for 18mths. Repay within that time for interest-free borrowing Credit cards are the best & worst way to borrow. Avoid like the plague just using them willy-nilly to make ends meet. Yet if you've a planned purchase, and you've carefully budgeted to repay in a set time, you can borrow at no cost at all... - New 18mths 0%. Accepted Santander* cardholders get 18mths 0% spending, matching the longest we've seen....
| TOP 0% SPENDING CREDIT CARDS | | Card | Spending deal | Why get it? | Rep APR after | | Santander* | 18mths 0% | Longest 0% spending deal | 18.9% | | Halifax* | 17mths 0% (1) | Decent long term spending deal | 16.9% | | Tesco* | 16mths 0% | 1 Clubcard pt per £4 spent | 18.9% | | Natwest* | 15mths 0% | Also has 15mths on balance transfers | 16.9% | | (1) You may get fewer months at 0%. Full info in 0% Cards & APR Examples. |
If you need longer, MBNA Rate for Life* is 6.9% permanently on all spending done on it in the first 90 days, though you'll need to make the minimum repayments. Spending after that's at 16.9% rep APR, so avoid. - Will I get it? All cards credit score. The only way to know if you'll get one is to apply, which marks your file. Instead, use our 0% Spending Cards Eligibility Checker, which shows your odds of acceptance.
- 0% cards golden rules: 1) Always budget, and plan to repay (or balance transfer) before the 0% ends or the rate jumps. 2) Pay at least the monthly min, or you'll lose special rates. 3) Don't use for shifting existing debts. Get a Top Balance Transfer Card instead. 4) FULL info & best buys: Top 0% Spending & APR Examples
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| £30 Kobo Touch & Mini eReader. Highly rated e-readers, were £80 & £60. Online (ltd stock) & in-store. Kobos FREE £20 wireless booster for Sky custs. Extends wi-fi signal if you've a big home/blackspots. Limited avail. Sky PizzaExpress 40% off voucher, Carluccio's 2for1, Zizzi 50% off & more...
The Christmas rush is over. Restaurants want customers, so they're pumping out some hot vouchers right now.
Carluccio's 2for1 mains (every day) | Zizzi 50% off (days vary) | PizzaExpress 40% off (Sun-Thu)
Bella Italia 30% off (Sun-Thu) | Strada 40% off (Sun-Fri) | La Tasca 2for1 (Sun-Fri) | Full list: Restaurant Vouchers £5 East Coast train ticket sale, eg, Ldn-Leeds. 200,000 tix from £5e/w for Jan-Mar travel. Ends Fri. Train Deals |
Free gym passes or £10/mth membership
Stomp & sweat for the right reason - because you're losing pounds, not wasting them. Don't pay £1,250 a swim
It's January, and gyms are packed with what the pros call "turkeys", because they don't last long after Christmas. Far too many lock into costly unbreakable contracts, like this tweeter: "Paid for gym for 3 years at £69/month. Went twice for the odd swim." That's £1,250 a dip. Our Free & Cheap Gyms guide is a full workout, but here's a warm-up...  Free 7-day passes. First, check if the gym fits. We've blagged 7-day British Military Fitness passes, 5 days at LA Fitness and more. See the full Free Gym Passes list.- £4 pay-as-you-go. If you've used up free passes, buy discounted day passes to posh gyms via special sites, or try £4 PAYG gyms, eg, Simply Gyms. See Pay-As-You-Gym.
- Special short gym contracts. If you're new to gyms, use a short-term contract if possible, eg, Harpers is £14 for 2 weeks. See Short-Term Gym Membership.
- No-frills, no tie-in £10-£20/mth gyms. If you won't miss a pool & sauna, then as well as council leisure centres, there's been an eruption of exercise-only gyms such as Xercise4less, Easy Gym and Pure Gym. See No-Frills Gyms.
- Signing-up or renewing? Haggle, haggle, haggle. Many premium gyms have deals right now. Yet even so, push for a discount by haggling. 'Membership execs' may be paid by commission and have room to negotiate. Plus try bulk-buy discounts with friends/colleagues/family. See our What To Watch With Gym Contracts tips.
- Save with DIY workouts. You don't always need a gym to keep fit - running shoes and dumbbells work for many. For cheap gear, try our MegaShopBot tool or Amazon Discount Finder, which finds running gear at 75%+ off*, gym equipment 55%+ off* and sportswear 75%+ off*. Plus check if there's a free outdoor gym near you.
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| New. 17mths 0% balance transfer just 0.9% fee. Accepted new Santander* cardholders can shift debts to it at 17mths 0% with a 0.9% fee - a long 0% for the fee. Want 12mths for no fee-ish? If you shift debt to this new Sainsbury's* 12mths 0% (3% fee) card, the fee's refunded as points on your Nectar card (£30 fee is 6,000 pts). Not bad, IF you'll use it. Repay both before the 0% ends or they're 18.9% & 16.9% rep APR. FULL best buys: Best Balance Transfers (APR Examples) Got BT 1571 or caller display? It's now charging. Opt out if you don't use it. BT's previously-free 1571 answerphone & caller display are now £1.75/mth each (£42/yr+ for both). Full How to opt out in our news story. Burton, Office join Selfridges in 'up to 70% off' sales. More sales discounts boosted. See: High Street Sales FREE 75p Nakd bar. Dried fruit bars. Just print off voucher. Redeem in supermarkets, etc. 30,000 available. Nakd Deals |
Beat winter bills - switch energy NOW. Save £100s
Despite Govt changes, energy price hikes are adding to winter's chill, so switch now to stop being ripped off Winter's here, prices are up. It's time to switch, and every second counts. The sooner you do it, the sooner you save...
- Switching means little except lower bills. It's the same gas, electricity & safety, only price and customer service change. Some can save just by changing tariff with their existing supplier. And it's big money. As @OTTfairy tweeted us yesterday: "I did it. Fixed my gas & elec for 1yr saving £30/mth - £360 a yr - took 20 mins #chuffed"
- Easily compare & get cashback in 10 mins. Your cheapest depends on your location, if you're elec-only or dual fuel, prepay or billed, and your usage. Plug your details into the MSE Cheap Energy Club to find your cheapest. You usually get £30 dual-fuel cashback, and it'll monitor to let you know when to switch again. More options: Cheap Gas & Elec
| Top NO EXIT FEE FIXES for typical usage. Not prepay. | | Fixed until | Cost/yr | | Big six average standard tariff | - | £1,220 | Longest fix: Npower*
| 31 Dec '17 | £1,210 | Long, cheap fix : EDF*
| 31 Mar '17 | £1,200 | | Cheap short fix: Npower* | 30 Apr '15 | £1,120 | | Cheap short fix: Co-op Energy* | 31 Jul '15 | £1,080 | | Average prices. Assume monthly direct debit, dual fuel, Ofgem medium usage (31 Jan '14). Varies by region. | - Lock in a cheap price for up to 4 years. With fixed tariffs, your rate is locked in for a set time. As price hikes are predicted year after year, this ensures no further rises. Plus, as long as it has no exit fees, if things change you're free to leave. Our Top Fixes Comparison shows YOUR PRICE for the fixes in the table.
- Pay by MONTHLY direct debit. This, paying online & dual fuel usually get discounts. Do regular meter readings.
- Hold on - didn't PM say prices would drop? Yes and no. Five of the big six have increased prices. E.on is the last - it hits next week. The PM announced "£50 cuts" by reducing green levies - some firms will now drop prices again, but not by as much as they hiked. Others factored it into their rises. Overall, bills are up 3-6% on average.
New energy simplification rules mean firms can only offer four tariffs per meter type. While it's interesting, it doesn't change even a jot of what you should do. Which is why we've put it last. Full info: Cheap Gas & Elec
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Show Best Buys
£20 Lastminute.com spa sale. Starts today. Incl facial, massage worth £33+ at 36 venues UK-wide. Spa Sale UK hotel sales: £25 Travelodge | £29 Premier Inn. Still avail. Jan-Oct Travelodge, Mar-Jun Prem Inn. Hotel Sales £100 Plain Lazy for £35 code. MSE Blagged. 480 avail - lucky dip men's & women's sports/skatewear. Plain Lazy Code gets 10% EXTRA off Asos up to 70% sale. Also code for 50% extra off Lyle & Scott. Discount Vouchers |
Cheap pet insurance plus £40 M&S voucher
Beat barking vet fees and comparison sites' best deals with the cheep-est pet insurance, incl £40 M&S voucher An injury to Rover or Tiddles could cost a small fortune in vet fees, with cataract surgery alone costing £3,000. If you're near renewal, or have a new pet, protect them with the latest insurance deals. FULL info in the Cheap Pet Insurance guide.  Do you need it? Insurance isn't for all. You may want to self-insure - building up savings just in case. Ask yourself what you'd do if your pet was ill and you couldn't pay. That dictates how needed insurance is. On benefits? PDSA may help with vets' bills. - Find the cheapest dog and cat insurance (including £40 vouchers)
Step 1. Comparison sites: To set a benchmark, combine Gocompare* & Compare TM*.
Step 2. Check against today's hot deals: Some insurers & deals aren't included. This includes three MSE Blagged deals where you get freebies when you buy. The freebies can take 2-4 mths to arrive.
- Get £40 M&S voucher with Legal & General* (ends 2 Feb) via this link using promo code JANPET.
- Get £35 M&S e-gift card with a Direct Line* Essentials policy or £40 card on its Premium policy - just use this link.
- Get £50 Morphy Richards steam mop with a Co-op* policy (ends 31 Jan) if you go via this link.
- Check Aviva* insurance, which is missed by comparison sites.
Step 3. Got a dog? You need 3rd-party cover. Cats are 'free spirits', so you're not liable if they damage property or people. Dog's aren't, so ensure you've 3rd-party cover (check your policy). If not, The Dogs Trust's is £25/yr. - Horses, snakes, rabbits, fish and more. No comparison sites here, so you need to get quotes manually.
Horses & ponies: Try Petplan Equine*, Animal Friends* and NFU Mutual.
Snakes, tarantulas, etc: Exotic Direct* (as the name suggests) is the specialist.
Rabbits / budgies (going cheep) / chinchillas: Exotic Direct* (all), Quotezone*, Petplan* & Helpucover*. back to top ↑ |
| '£9.50 Sun hols' are back. Collect 10 tokens/passwords for 300+ parks in UK & Europe. See: '£9.50 Sun Holidays' BA Exec/Avios up to 50% off flash sales. Use half points for economy flights, hotels and more. Is it any good? FREE £1.90 photo postcard. Code via app gets free postcard to anywhere in the world. 10,000 avail. Photo Deals Reminder - ends Fri. Free RRP £70 Gourmet Society dining discount card. Ends Fri. Discounts on big eats, incl 2for1 Prezzo, 25% off La Tasca. Everyone gets two months, 2,014 picked at random get a full year. Gourmet Society
Show Best Buys |
| Show Vouchers and Top Deals |
Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers & sales | Top deals |
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 MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
I used a voucher to pay for something we'll share. How much should my friend pay towards it?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... My friend and I have just moved into an unfurnished house. We've been buying furniture and splitting the costs. I recently used an 'as-cash' voucher I won in a competition to part-pay for something. My friend insists she should only contribute half of the actual money I paid for it (after the voucher was deducted). Is this fair? Enter the Money Moral Maze: How much should my friend pay me? | Suggest an MMD | Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT
What's in your shopping arsenal?
Bargain hunters - we want to know what equipment you take out shopping. From your own carrier bags to calculators, or even sarnies, we're tapping MoneySavers' collective knowledge to find out what's in your shopping armoury. Share yours/read others': What's in your shopping arsenal? Past topics: View all MSE Charity community grant applications. The latest funding round for charities and groups involved with financial and consumer education projects has just opened. Only the first 40 applications that meet the criteria are considered, so prepare your case now. This time, small to medium-sized charities with an annual income of less than £300,000 will get priority. Full info at The MSE Charity. Related: MSE's Charity Fund, How This Site's Financed CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Flybe Offer: Up to 25% off Ends: Mon 13 Jan
Our pick this week is Flybe's up to 25% off sale. Flights must start in the UK and be between Mon 17 Feb and Wed 2 Jul. Discounts vary - they include 10% off Southampton to Amsterdam and 25% off Manchester to Nantes. 500,000 seats are available. To find flights quickly, use FlightChecker and search for departures from UK airports. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance RIP Soulie. We're sad to say one of our forumites, Soulie, has passed away. She was a keen crafter and last year began 13 Projects in 2013, challenging others to set out 13 projects to complete in the year. In her honour, and in the spirit of her original challenge, fellow forumites have begun 14 Projects in 2014. Our sympathies go to Soulie's family and friends. THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED
Your ideas for cheap cooking substitutes
We weren't surprised our forumites are savvy at substituting ingredients when cooking, though there were some ideas we hadn't thought of, such as freezing posh cream and using that instead of ice cream and swapping tahini for peanut butter in hummus. One MoneySaver uses pudding rice instead of expensive sushi rice - a tip endorsed by MSE Andrea. back to top ↑ |
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Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances 9 January
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Deals of the Week.
| 9 January
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5 Live, 12pm-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows. | 10 January
This Morning, ITV, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Money Vault with Sophie Anderton. | 10 January
The Martin Lewis Money Show, ITV, 8pm-8.30pm.
Energy switching. | 13 January
This Morning, ITV, 11am-12pm.
Subject tbc. | PS. Missed The Martin Lewis Money Show? Watch past episodes. | |
MSE team corner - Team blogs:
- No blogs this week.
- Team appearances:
- No team appearances this week.
| Discussion of the week Disappointing, weird or inappropriate Christmas gifts Get something strange for Christmas? Several forumites did, including double eggcups (they don't eat eggs), a bag of lentils and potato gifts. Join LisaLou1982's light-hearted discussion. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Do you know what information's on credit files? Answer for ALL whether you think this information is on credit files for LENDERS to see (yes) or not (no).
Once you've voted, see the answers. | Poll results Parcel delivery firms: Who are the best and worst?
Yodel came top for BAD service, while DPD came top for GOOD service during the last year.
- 58% said Yodel's service was bad.
- 30% said Hermes' service was bad.
- 69% said DPD's service was good.
- 60% said Collect Plus's was good.
8,997 voted. See the full results. |
| Q: I recently came across £30-worth of £5 coins, so I took them to the bank to change. The bank said it would only give me 25p for each of them. Is this legal? Kathleen, by email. MSE Eesha’s A: Unfortunately, yes. Although the coins have ‘£5’ printed on them, when they were first produced they had a face value of 25p. This increased to £5 in 1990, but with the idea they were a keepsake and not meant for circulation. The coins do have legal tender status - but this only means they can be used to settle court debts. Banks aren't legally obliged to accept them for £5, or even at all. But post offices will exchange them for £5 of goods or services. The coins can also be sold to specialist dealers, although the price may vary depending on the coin edition, which can be found by contacting coin dealers through the British Numismatic Trade Association. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Debs' free game of the week: Mighty Spidy |
Watch out... watch out! It'll be alright on the night... That's it for this week, but before you go, we're still chuckling at Martin's star appearance on ITV's outtakes show on Sunday night. He's got over his blushes, and let us include it, for your giggles (WATCH OUT!)... It'll Be Alright on the Night We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
| Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.
What you need to know This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the section 75 guide for protection tips). We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, how this site is financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. More about MoneySaving Expert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 6 million people getting this email and nearly 10m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half of whom are editorial researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE Who is Martin Lewis? Martin set up and runs MSE, he's an ultra-focused money saving journalist and consumer campaigner. He has regular slots on Daybreak, Lorraine, Radio 2 Vine, BBC1 Watchdog, Radio 5 Consumer panel and presents ITV Tonight. He is a columnist for amongst others the Sunday Post as well as an author. More info: See Martin Lewis' biog What do the links with a * mean? Any links with a * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See how this site is financed. As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too:
Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email barclaycard.co.uk, mbna.co.uk, lloydsbank.com, santander-products.co.uk, fluid.co.uk, halifax.co.uk, capitalone.co.uk, google.co.uk, gocompare.com, moneysupermarket.com, aviva.co.uk, directline.com, firstdirect.com, americanexpress.com, tescobank.com, marksandspencer.com, amazon.co.uk, npower.com, edfenergy.com, cooperativeenergy.coop, admiral.com, comparethemarket.com, legalandgeneral.com, petplanequine.co.uk, animalfriendsequine.co.uk, exoticdirect.co.uk, petplan.co.uk, quotezone.co.uk, helpucover.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, confused.com, postoffice.co.uk, bt.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk.
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