| Plus... £37 No7 £12, SEISS opening, £17/mth SUPERFAST b'band, petrol warning  THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL
| | 17 awesome August holiday savers - if you're going away or you've decided to stay Incl new top travel card, £29 Travelodge, free airline seat choice, 2for1 UK days out, £40 PCRs & beam in a T-Rex It's a summer like no other (OK, so last year's was strange too). Many who'd normally go abroad are staying at home and many others have left booking anything till the last minute due to the uncertainty. So whether you're holidaying in the UK or overseas, or just want ideas to have fun while you've time off without venturing far, we've 17 MoneySavers to help... 1) Keep an eye on the traffic lights... in case you need to hit the brakes on that overseas trip. Stay on top of regular changes to the traffic light system, which is due to be updated this week and governs UK quarantine, with our updated Covid Travel Rights guide. It's equally key to check restrictions in the country you're going to - see the Foreign Office's country-by-country advice.  2) New. Bag £20 when you get a top card for spending overseas. Most debit and credit cards add a 3%-ish 'exchange fee', so £100 of euros costs £103. Yet some credit cards, such as the Halifax Clarity (best to check eligibility chances first, or apply*), don't charge this fee and give near-perfect exchange rates on spending, often making them the best way to spend abroad. Clarity is now our top pick overseas credit card, as it also gives accepted newbies £20 cashback when they spend on it within 90 days - though apply now if going away soon as the card can take a week or so to arrive. Also remember to repay it IN FULL every month to avoid 19.9% rep APR interest on spending. If you use it to withdraw cash, you pay a small amount of interest till it's paid off (5p-ish per £100 per day), so try to minimise withdrawals. See Travel Credit Cards for more help and deals. 3) New. £29 Travelodge rooms & more cheap last-minute holiday-booking tricks. If you want to get away but you've not yet booked, Travelodge has just launched £29 a night UK rooms, with some flexibility, in most of its hotels. They're for stays from now till June 2022, though finding them may require trial and error - see full Travelodge sale info. Obviously, there is a host of other holiday options, so see how to book cheap flights, cheap hotels and cheap package holidays. Given the current uncertainty, try to book something where you've flexibility to make changes. 4) Days out discounts for UK holidaymakers & day-trippers, eg, 2for1 theme parks and cheap cinema & theatre tickets. Our Cheap Days Out listings have you covered, including: - 2for1 on theme parks - eg, Alton Towers, Legoland.
- Tesco Clubcard 3x value at Eden Project, Longleat Safari etc.
- £2.50 cinema tickets for kids and grown-ups for selected family films.
- Free tennis coaching sessions for ages 12+.
- Half-price London theatre tickets, eg, Hairspray and Billionaire Boy, when kids and grown-ups go together. 5) Beat airlines' seat reservation charges & sit together for FREE on British Airways, Easyjet, Virgin etc. A family of four could pay up to £240 on return flights if they want to be certain they'll be seated together, so here's how to beat seat reservation charges for many airlines.
6) Relieve boredom with 1,000s of FREE kids' audiobooks - perfect for long car journeys or to entertain them at home. Most libraries let members download digital audiobooks via apps for free. Plus we've 14 more tricks to get free or cheap kids' books to entertain your little bookworms.
7) Need holiday currency? Find the best rates in seconds. Our TravelMoneyMax tool compares 15 currency bureaux to find the cheapest cash.
8) If staying put, try these 22 free (or very cheap) ways to create summer magic for kids, eg, fruit picking & beaming a T-Rex into your place. We've a raft of fun activities to wow little 'uns this month, whether the sun's shining or it's pouring with rain. Get inspired with Kids' summer magic tips. 9) Don't buy new sun cream before turning old bottles around. Opened sun cream can still be effective for up to two years. So whether you need some for home or abroad find out how to check how long yours lasts, and how to find £2-ish bottles, in sun cream tips. 10) Slash PCR test costs to £40. We've scoured the market to help you avoid £100+ tests, yet this only applies in England and Northern Ireland, as in Scotland and Wales, tests must be bought via official providers which can mean they're costlier. Full info in Cheap Covid tests.  11) If you're popping out for a bite or need holiday eats, we've restaurant deals galore - 2for1 meals for a year for £1, kids eat 'free' & more. We've rounded up top dining out deals, incl: - A year's 2for1 meals at 1,000s of restaurants for £1 via our simples Meerkat Meals trick.
- Kids eat free with a paying grown-up at Asda, M&S, Morrisons & Tesco cafés.
- Pizza Hut £9 unlimited lunch buffet on weekdays till 3pm (£6 for kids).
- 20% off food for NHS staff at Frankie & Benny's, Nando's etc. 12) Book ahead to save £100s on airport parking or car hire - even the day before. We usually suggest you book as far ahead as possible for the biggest savings - and that's still best if you can cancel for free. This year, though, many have left it late in case they need to U-turn. If that's you, don't fret as big savings are still possible even a day ahead - just NEVER simply turn up on the day...
- Airport parking: Save £300+ booking the day before. Turn up at Manchester Airport's long-stay car park and it was £385 for the week beginning last Saturday. Booked a day ahead, parking was £69 for that week after one of our blagged discounts. To find them, go to SkyParkSecure* (5-35% off), Looking4Parking* (5-35% off), Holiday Extras* (10-26% off) or FHR* (5-20% off). Full info in Cheap Airport Parking. - Car hire: Use our top-pick comparison sites to find the cheapest rentals. Booking as early as possible also nets savings, though such massive discounts are less likely. See Cheap Holiday Car Hire. 13) With petrol prices at an EIGHT-YEAR high, use a nifty tool to find the cheapest petrol & diesel if you're making a long trip. Speedily find the cheapest forecourt near you. Plus driving more efficiently can cut costs further. 14) Learn to talk like a local for free. Clever apps help you learn the lingo before you go and translate when you're there. Language-learning apps 15) Travel insurance from £9/week in Europe or £6/week in the UK. If you're going abroad, buy insurance as soon as you book so you're covered for cancellation, as well as while you're away. Our Cheap Travel Insurance guide tells you what's covered, incl for Covid, and has our top-pick policies. If you're holidaying in the UK, cover can still be valuable, but the need for it isn't as clear-cut. Our UK Travel Insurance guide helps you decide and includes the top picks.  16) Check you've a valid GHIC or EHIC for trips in Europe - more than 6m expire this year. These cards give you access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local - if they don't pay, you don't pay. If you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), check it's still valid. If not, most now need to apply for its post-Brexit replacement, the FREE Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). Go quick, though, as cards can take two weeks to arrive. 17) New. Driving to the EU? You no longer need an insurance 'green card'. The post-Brexit requirement for you to carry an international insurance certificate has been scrapped. See Driving in Europe help. | | DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning. | New. HSBC launches FREE £140 bank switch bribe - the biggest cash bonus in 18 months But go quick as it's only around for a couple of weeks It's bank bribe hokey cokey season with deals in, deals out, but now HSBC has shaken it all about with the biggest cash boon since the pandemic hit. It comes a week or so after it pulled a £125 switch offer and sister bank First Direct ended its £100 bribe. As they were popular we asked HSBC if it would create a new deal and it agreed... but only for two weeks, so now is a sweet spot. And switching is easy - just open the account (where you have to pass a not-too-harsh credit check), then use the bank's official switch service and it's all done in seven working days. H ere are the top deals... -
 New. TOP PICK: Free £140, plus linked 1% regular saver. Newbies who switch to the HSBC Advance account* can get £140 to switch (but only via that link or via MoneySupermarket - we're part of the same group). You also get access to a linked regular saver which pays 1% AER variable on up to £250/month.
How to get it: Apply by Thu 19 Aug and begin a switch within 30 days (incl 2+ direct debits or standing orders). You also need to pay in at least £1,750/mth (its way of saying you need a £25,600+/year salary going in). To count as a newbie you can't have had an HSBC bank account, or opened a current account with First Direct, since Jan 2018.
- Free £150 gift card and 2% interest on up to £1,000. The Virgin Money* current account gives newbies who switch to it a £150 gift card to put towards Virgin Experience Days (eg, sushi making or a track day). The account's also good for savers as it pays 2.02% AER variable interest on up to £1,000, while it comes with a linked easy-access savings account paying 0.35% AER variable, though there are better rates available. Its debit card is also a top pick for overseas use.
How to get it: Apply online, then within 45 days: switch incl 2+ direct debits, register for its app and put £1,000 into the linked savings account (and keep it there till you get the gift card). You don't qualify if you've ever had a Virgin Money current account switch bonus, or if you've had a current account with Virgin, Clydesdale or Yorkshire Bank since March 2021.
- More top deals: up to 3% cashback, 2% savings interest or £500 insurance combo. With these accounts, you can simply open them without needing to switch.
- Earn 1-3% cashback on bills, for a £2/mth fee. Via Santander 123 Lite.
- Earn 2% savings interest on up to £1,500 + 0% overdraft - both for 1yr. Via Nationwide FlexDirect.
- £500 of family travel, mobile & breakdown insurance for £156/yr. Via Nationwide FlexPlus. For lots more help, including how switching works, see Best Bank Accounts. | FREE Lindt choc, FREE Aldi nappies, FREE Costa in a Can and loads more supermarket coupons. See August's 40+ coupons round-up. Ends Sunday. Free £25 credit card trick (+ 20mths' 0% spending if needed). Newbies accepted for this M&S Bank credit card* get £25 if spending £100+ in the first 90 days. So grab it, do £100 of normal spending then pay off IN FULL and you're quids in. It's also a top 0% spending card. You can stop there, but if you need a 0% spending card (never borrow unnecessarily), it's also a near table-topping 20mths 0%. If you do borrow, always pay at least the monthly minimum and clear the debt before the 0% period ends - or you'll pay 21.9% rep APR interest. Will you be accepted? Applying affects your ability to get credit, so use our 0% Spending Eligibility Tool to find your acceptance odds for this and other top cards before applying. More info and deals in Credit Card Rewards and Top 0% Credit Cards (APR Examples). Warning to everyone with a piggybank, money jar or sofa (that may have cash down it). £1.4bn+ in old and likely unspendable notes and coins is out there - see what to check for and how to make it spendable again . £37 of No7 make-up for £12. Incl highlighter and eyeshadow palette - but stock is limited. Boots No7 Warning. Some petrol pumps now (temporarily) take £100 off your card, even if you spend less. Full info and help if it means you can't pay bills in fuel pumps alert. 5th Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant applications now open... for some. The Govt is sending out personalised, staggered application dates. Some can apply now but by the end of the week, it'll be open to everyone eligible - and you'll have till Thu 30 Sep to apply. Full info, incl how much you can get, in self-employed grant help. | New. Broadband price war intensifies - save £100s/yr Now there's the cheapest superfast broadband & line in 16 months from Vodafone, joining the cheapest overall in 18 months from BT-owned Plusnet
Now really is a good time to sort your broadband. Firms have finally begun to fight for customers after months of slow sales and just a few standout deals. Last week a new price war saw the launch of the cheapest deal since the pandemic hit. That was for standard speed, but now a new super-cheap superfast deal has entered the fray. Like most promos they're short-lived, so if you're one of 9m who are out of contract, check NOW if you can save £100s. Our broadband comparison has full options, here are the top picks... TOP NEWBIES' HOME BROADBAND & LINE DEALS
All postcode-dependent, links go via our full broadband comparison to check your eligibility.
| | DEAL + EQUIVALENT COST (1) | HOW GOOD IS IT? | | BENCHMARK: Many pay £30-£45/mth for basic speeds | Terrible. Even if you don't want to switch, use the prices below to haggle. | Ends 11.59pm today (Wed).
BT-owned Plusnet
MSE Blagged
- 10Mb (basic) broadband & line '£12.70/mth' | Cheapest broadband & line in 18mths + GOOD service. Apply via this Plusnet link and you pay £18.95/mth over the 12mth contract. You're also AUTOMATICALLY sent a £75 prepaid Mastercard (almost as good as cash) within 45 days - factor that in, and the equivalent cost is £12.70/mth. Customer service score: 6.5/10 (Good) | Shell Energy
MSE Blagged
- 35Mb (fast) broadband & line '£15.74/mth' | Cheapest fibre broadband & line since Feb. Apply via this Shell link and it's £21.99/mth, and you get an AUTOMATIC £75 bill credit within 3mths. So you pay £188.88 in total over the 1yr contract, equivalent to £15.74/mth. Customer service score: 4.1/10 (OK) | New but ends Sunday.
Vodafone
- 63Mb (superfast) broadband & line '£17.42/mth' | Cheapest SUPERFAST fibre broadband & line in 16mths. Apply via this Vodafone link (which takes you via Broadband Genie) by 11.59pm on Sun and it's £22/mth, but you can CLAIM (don't forget) a £110 Amazon voucher from Broadband Genie. If you'd spend that anyway, factor it in and the cost is equivalent to £17.42/mth over the 2yr contract. Customer service score: 5.5/10 (OK) | | Customer service ratings are from our Feb poll, and are relative as few broadband firms set the service world alight. (1) To compare, we use 'equivalent costs' - adding all costs, deducting promo credits and averaging over the contract. | - At least 50% of customers must get advertised speeds at peak times. All above also tell you the estimated max speed you're likely to get before you sign up. Do check your current speed and see our 8 speed-boosting tips.
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Switching usually only means about 2hrs' downtime. You're told the switch time in advance and it's often quick. Most won't need an engineer to visit, though some leaving Virgin may do. -
Most firms hike prices a little during your contract. In general, firms will increase prices in line with inflation each year. If the contract warns you (Plusnet, Shell and Vodafone do), you're stuck with the rise. If not, most let you leave penalty-free within 30 days. However, these rises tend to be small, often £1-£2/mth, so you shouldn't suddenly be lumped with an expensive deal. -
Do note when your promo ends. Then switch again at this point or try to haggle down the price. | £86 of Benefit, Garnier, Max Factor etc beauty products for £23 delivered. MSE Blagged. 11-piece sets incl eyebrow gel, lipstick, conditioner and more. 1,500 available from Latest in Beauty. Ends Sunday. Shift card debt to 0% interest for 29mths (2.75% fee, min £5). Newbies accepted for this M&S Bank 29mth 0% card* get the joint-longest 0% balance transfer period, and can get £25 cashback if shifting £100+ of debt to the card within 90 days, which helps offset the fee. Will you be accepted? Applying affects your creditworthiness, even if rejected. Instead, first use our 0% Balance Transfer Eligibility Tool which shows which top cards, incl M&S, you're most likely to be accepted for. Always pay at least the monthly minimum, and clear the debt before the 0% ends or you'll pay the rep APR interest (21.9% for M&S). See Top Balance Transfers (APR Examples). Martin: Online Safety Bill 'doomed to fail' unless it includes scam ads. Martin and the charity he founded - the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute - have called for more Govt action. See scams warning. 24 craft beers + two glasses for £26 all-in (norm £70ish). MSE Blagged. Newbies only, 2,000 boxes available but not in Northern Ireland. Flavourly (please be Drinkaware ). Students, parents, teachers - buy a Mac or iPad and get up to 10% off + free £159 AirPod earphones. Apple isn't MoneySaving, but if you're buying from it anyway, see if you can save £100+. Take a bite out of Apple's prices | Tell your friends about us They can get this email free every week | | AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS Longest 0%: Ends Sun. M&S Bank (check eligibility / apply*) 29mths 0%, 2.75% fee (min £5) + £25 cashback if shifting £100+ in first 90 days (21.9% rep APR interest after)
No-fee 0%: Santander (check eligibility / apply*) 18mths 0% (20.9% rep APR) | £140 cash to switch + 1% regular saver: HSBC
£150 gift card to switch: Virgin Money | | THIS WEEK'S POLL How much do you spend on your pet(s) a year? An estimated three million households in the UK have taken on a new pet since the start of the pandemic. But while they may provide love and joy, keeping a pet doesn't come fur free. So whether you've a Kitty, Rover or Nemo, we want to know how much you spend on your pet(s) purr year. Vote in this week's poll. Most MoneySavers say kids should be 10-12 years old before getting a mobile. Last week, we asked what the most appropriate age is for kids to be given their first mobile phone - over 8,000 people voted. Some 72% said somewhere between the ages of 10 and 12 is best. But 2% thought it a privilege not earned until kids turn 17, while less than 1% would let them have a mobile before they're six. See full kids' mobiles poll results. | MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC) Thu 5 Aug - BBC Radio Leicester, Mid-morning with Ben Jackson, from 11.35am
Sat 7 Aug - BBC Radio Leicester, Mid-morning with Summaya Mughal, from 11am
Mon 9 Aug - BBC Radio Manchester, Drive with Phil Trow, from 2.20pm
Tue 10 Aug - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 12.40pm | WHAT PRICE WOULD YOU PAY FOR CONVENIENCE? £70 MORE TO SAVE THREE HOURS? That's all for this week, but before we go... last week we posted a real-life scenario on social media asking users if they would rather catch a two-hour train from London to Manchester costing £95 or a five-hour coach for £24. In our Twitter poll, 68% said they'd put convenience over price and would take the train, while it also led to lively debate on Facebook. What's your view? Let us know on our 'What price for convenience?' Facebook post . We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team | |
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