Fix energy?, Amazon 40%, Martin's wallet workout, 264Mb broadband £18/mth, savings trap warning, 31mths' 0% debt shift

Plus... Urgent tax reclaim deadline, 40% off Aldi code, FREE £50, cheep pet cover

                                                           

29 March 2023 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin's five-minute Wallet Workout to gain pounds, including: - Slash credit card interest - Earn £100s on your spending Warning. Avoid the savings tax trap Pet insurance going cheep... Fixed energy deals are back - should you? Amazon up to 40% off Martin: 'Urgent tax reclaim deadline' Ends Thu. Superfast broadband '£18.40/mth' MSE's epic Easter egg taste test Aldi 40% off code FREE £50 investment back A week left to fill up your 2022/23 ISA, JISA and LISA allowance Martin podcast: How to beat April's 17% mobile and 14% broadband price hikes Passport Office strikes - your rights Ends Thu. 31mth 0% longest debt shift Base rate up to 4.25% - what it means for mortgages and savings Next 50% off sale, Asos up to 70% off, Ikea up to 50% off and more 'I saved £200 on my car insurance using your tips' This week's best buys, including free £200 bank bribe, 15GB Sim for '£4.67/mth', 3.4% easy-access savings I bought a second-hand smart TV - should I use the previous owner's streaming services? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Car Insurance Compare+ Best bank accounts Top savings accounts Credit cards for bad credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage comparison Compare travel money Cheap Energy Club, with Pick Me A Tariff Best Sim-only deals

Martin's five-minute Wallet Workout 14 quick financial fitness exercises to GAIN pounds (£100s of them) The cards and products stored in your purse or wallet (even if it's digital via your phone and watch) are a vivid window on your finances. So each year I like to do an annual check-up (aargh, I'm mixing my analogies) of what you're holstering to see if there's an easy cash boost. So now I've put my cards on the table, it's time for you to do the same. Get your purse, wallet or phone out and let's get a fiscal sweat on... Are you one of 2m whose photo driving licence has expired? UK photo driving licences usually expire after 10 years - so if you've got one, take a quick look at its 4b 'expiry date' label. If you don't renew, you ultimately risk being fined. Our How to check & renew your photo driving licence guide has full info. Had your debit card for years? FREE £200 to get a new one. Debit cards, whether physical or digital, are linked to bank accounts. If you've had the same bog-standard one for years, unless it makes you feel special, get paid to ditch and switch. - NatWest*/RBS* Reward pay a FREE £200, and poss £3/mth cashback. - First Direct* FREE £175, rated 90% 'great' service & 7% linked savings. - Halifax FREE £175, plus jump a few minor hoops for up to £5/mth. Do read full details on each account, including their exact eligibility criteria, in Best bank accounts. Plus usually expect to pay in a set monthly amount (eg, your salary) and shift direct debits. For those willing to play, see how to earn more with multiple bank switches. As Debbie emailed us: "Since last week, I have received another bank switch cashback, and my latest total is £1,335." Do you have a (digital) donor card? In Eng, Scot & Wales you're automatically considered willing to be an organ donor unless you opt out - Northern Ireland moves to this system from 1 June (you still need to opt-in at the moment). Yet to let loved ones know your wishes, a donor card or digitally registering your decision in Eng/Wales or Scotland is useful. Better still, discuss it with them. PS: You can be a living donor too. There are many ways to help while living, including blood & plasma donation, bone marrow donation, stem cells (age 16-30) & hair for young cancer patients. Got credit / store cards and pay interest? Take a 2-minute test to see if you can make it interest-free. Put your details into our 0% Balance Transfer Eligibility Calc and it'll show if it's likely you can shift the debt to a 0% interest card. That way, your repayments clear what you actually owe rather than mostly just cover the interest. Some save £1,000s. Even if it shows you've only a low chance (but not no chance) and only on one card, don't avoid applying. Cutting debt costs is important. One rejection wouldn't make too much difference, and you may just be accepted. If you've lots of choice, go for the card with the lowest fee in the time you need to clear the debt. Unsure how long you need? Go long. The longest NO-FEE deal is NatWest's 19mth 0%, while the longest 0% is (Ends Thu) MBNA's 'up to' 31mth 0% (3.49% one-off fee). As Andrea emailed: "I saw the eligibility tracker link and decided there was no harm in trying. I was pre-approved for a card, then accepted for 30mths 0% with a £9,500 balance, enough for two of my card balances. I only started reading the email after 11pm, this was all wrapped up before midnight!" If you're new to switching debt, do read the full help in Best balance transfers, but just in case, here are the golden rules... a) Clear the card before 0% ends, or you pay the full rep APR. b) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you can lose the 0%. c) You must usually transfer within 60 days to get the 0%. d) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It isn't at the cheap rate. No railcard in your wallet? Check 'em out, there are more than you think. They cost up to £30/yr and get you a third off most train travel, so if you'll spend £90+ annually, even in one journey, you can save. See Is there a railcard for me? You can get them if you're... Under 31 or over 60 | A couple | Disabled | Got children aged 5-15 | Or travel with the same mate a few times (eg, to football). Grab a card/app that pays you £100s just to spend on it. Sign up by May and the Chase* app debit card pays an unlimited 1% cashback on normal spending for a year (eg, it excludes buying a car or gambling). While it's a bank account, you don't need to switch to it, and there's no hard credit-check (so it has no impact on your ability to get credit in the future). Use it like a prepay card - just pay money in from your normal account. It also gives near-perfect exchange rates, so is also the top card for spending abroad. The linked savings is also one of the highest for easy access, rising to 3.1% next week. As Laura emailed us: "I received my first full month's interest of £90.64! Thank you so much for making me aware of this account. I have also received £29.60 in rewards so far for the 1% cashback on my current account." After your first year, you can get up to £15/mth cashback as long as you then pay in £500/mth, at which point you may want to combine it with another top cashback card (usually credit cards, so pay them off IN FULL each month). 50+ (thankfully mostly digital) coupons... including free £1.75 energy drink, £1.70 off Cathedral City cheese, £1 off Kellogg's & more. Our regularly updated 50+ coupons collate them for you. A decade ago, purses and wallets were stuffed with restaurant vouchers and coupons, yet I doubt you've many now, as the days of clipping coupons are nearly at an end. Online codes and cashback apps have taken over, meaning you can access coupons wherever you are in a 'virtual wallet' - a good way to save. Overdrawn even occasionally? Your debit card is likely WORSE than a credit card. Credit cards get a bad rap, but if you're overdrawn, debit cards' interest are usually double that of typical credit cards, as most now charge 40%. So see if you can sort it, even if you only overdraw a few times a year. - Small or occasional overdrafts: First Direct* pays accepted new customers £175 to switch to it, and gives many an ongoing £250 0% overdraft (40% AER above that). So for a, say, £375 overdraft, the free £175 clears some and the rest is interest-free. - Larger overdrafts: Nationwide FlexDirect* offers a year's 0% overdraft, the size of which depends on a credit score, but some can get more than First Direct. Aim to clear it within the year or you're back at 40%. Alternatively, another option is to shift it to a 0% money transfer card. Do treat overdrafts like any other borrowing though. Try and repay a set amount each month, eg, £50 (so you should start the next month with a £50 smaller overdraft than the one before). More help, tips and info in How to cut overdraft costs. Travel in London? Are you due £100s back on Oyster or contactless cards? There's over £500m of unclaimed credit on old Oyster cards. Plus if you paid via Oyster or contactless and either failed to touch your card at the journey's end, or were delayed 15 mins by Tube, you may be due speedy money too. It's easy to do - see our quick Oyster & TfL contactless reclaiming guide for help. As David replied to my tweet about this yesterday: "@MartinSLewis Excellent. Just got £21 back that I didn't realise was sitting on a first generation card that has been languishing in a drawer for years." Need new borrowing? Don't just pull a card from your purse. Be very wary, but if you must, try to avoid interest. Our 0% purchase cards guide shows you how to borrow interest-free (& warns when you should and shouldn't). Lighten your wallet by chucking loyalty cards. Unless you need it for a bench press, a heavy wallet's a pain. All the major loyalty schemes (eg, Nectar, Clubcard, Boots Advantage Card, Morrisons More) now let you scan a virtual card using their apps. You can also add them to Apple Wallet or Google Pay. Loyalty schemes can provide decent rewards, but don't let them dictate where you shop. Yet rewards are getting less lucrative... - Tesco axes triple value Clubcard deals - Boots to cut Advantage points earned on spending So check our loyalty points boosting guides - we've tips and tricks for Nectar | Boots Advantage Card | Tesco Clubcard. Got expense receipts packed in your purse? Get on with filing them, especially as some employers have time limits. Plenty of apps let you scan and digitise your receipts, so that may be easier. Better still, see if your firm lets you pay for expenses on a cashback or rewards card, then you can gain on what you have to shell out for. Got condoms? Are they still in date... Safety counts. Remember though, condoms have use-by dates, so as you're doing this workout, it's a good time to check. Use the NHS England free condom search, and there's info for Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland too. ... and for a different protection, spend a penny. Under the Section 75 law, buy something costing £100.01 to £30,000 and pay for any of it, even a penny, on a credit card, and the card firm's jointly liable with the retailer for the WHOLE amount. So if you make an important purchase, if you can, put at least some of it on a credit card (paid off in full, obvs). This is powerful voodoo if the retailer goes bust, won't play fair with faulty items, or you buy abroad and taking an item back would be tough. Full info, including when it doesn't work and how to claim, in the Section 75 guide. Debit card purchases, and credit card purchases under £100, do have the lesser, though still decent, chargeback protection. Cash payments, Bacs payments and cheques have little to no protection, so be very careful using them for important purchases.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

How to max your savings returns... Warning. Higher-interest fixes (hurrah) mean many now risk a tax trap if you pick the wrong interest option Fixed-rate savings, where you lock money away, are by far the highest-paying route for lump sums, with the longest fixes now paying as much as 4.6%. That's great news, but you need to be wary about the interest option you pick, as it can mean unnecessary tax. Let's start with a simple table of top savings... Top variable easy access (deposit & withdraw when you want) Top fixed savings (lock money away without access) App-only: Chip 3.4% AER (min £1) Online access: Family Building Society 3.26% AER (min £100) & Shawbrook Bank 3.26% AER (min £1,000) Big names: Sainsbury's 3.07% AER* (min £1,000) and Nationwide 2.5% AER* (min £1), though max three penalty-free withdrawals a year Only if you've their current account: Barclays 5.12% AER up to £5,000, Nationwide 5% AER up to £1,500, Santander Edge 4% AER up to £4,000 Rates change quickly, so check top fixes - all link via there. Top interest paid at maturity 1yr & 2yr fix: OakNorth 4.48% AER & 4.52% AER (both min £1) Top interest paid monthly 1yr & 2yr fix:  1yr: Shawbrook Bank 4.44% AER (min £1,000) 2yr: Vanquis 4.5% AER (min £1,000) Top easy access cash ISAs:  Cynergy Bank 3.2% AER (min £1) & Santander 3.2% AER (min £500), account switches to 0.6% ISA Saver after 12 months Top flexible ISA: Paragon Bank 3.2% AER (min £1), max three penalty-free withdrawals a year Top cash ISA fixes: 1yr: Santander 4.15% AER (min £500) + £50 voucher if transferring an external ISA with £10k+ 2yr: Virgin Money 4.26% AER (min £1) How and where your interest is paid matters. Fixed savings interest is paid out 'at maturity' (meaning when the account ends), annually, or more frequently. The rate's usually the same whichever, but there are pros and cons which crucially depend on where the interest is paid to... - Interest paid into another account (usually with monthly interest): The benefit is you can access it, spend it, and use it as income before the end of the term. Yet here you miss out on interest on interest, or 'compounding'. - Interest paid into the fix itself (usually annual or maturity interest): You get the benefit of compound interest as it's calculated daily, but can't access the interest income earlier. This also has a tax impact... Interest paid into the fix itself or at maturity can be a tax trap. It's the moment you can access the interest that crystallises it for tax purposes, so it all counts as interest income for that tax year (so even interest paid annually into a fix, as you can't access it, means it's counted that you got it all at maturity). So for a long, say, three-year fix, you can be taxed as if you earned a lot of interest all at once. Under the personal savings allowance (PSA), basic (20%) taxpayers can earn £1,000 A YEAR of interest tax-free, while higher (40%) taxpayers can earn £500/yr (top 45% taxpayers don't get a PSA). So by getting all your interest in one go, you may bust that year's PSA, meaning you pay tax you wouldn't have done if the interest was paid more frequently. In fact, it'd take just £7,000 in the top three-year fix paid at maturity to bust the £1,000 limit - half that for a higher-rate taxpayer. So you may want to opt for an account that pays (accessible) interest more frequently. For those nearing retirement, if you'll be a lower-rate taxpayer in future, using 'pay at maturity' can be a useful tool to delay the payment, so it comes when you're at a lower tax rate. As, of course, a cash ISA can be - as none of the interest from that is taxable and it doesn't count toward the PSA. Some can boost interest further. Specialised accounts can pay even more if you qualify: - 50% bonus for many on universal credit or tax credits. See Help to Save. - 25% bonus for first-time buyers aged 18 to 39. See Top Lifetime ISAs. - Earn up to 7% on smaller amounts if you save monthly. See Regular savings. - Prefer to invest? Higher returns, but more risk. See Stocks & shares ISAs.

 

Fixed-rate energy deals are back - but should you do it? The first energy fix in over a year has launched, but it's not available to everyone, and are they worth it anyway? Read Martin's Ovo one-year fix analysis. Also: New £301 'benefits' cost of living payments start on 25 April - are you eligible? See Cost of living support. Ends 11.59pm Wed. Amazon up to 40% off sale - what's hot, what's not. Lasts about 48 hours. So far, we've seen Samsung earphones £69 (was £139), Shark cordless vacuum £193 (was £350). See our full Amazon sale analysis. Martin: 'Urgent tax reclaims if you're either married | Had a PPI payout (even years ago) | Wear a uniform | Are employed.' To get max gain, you need to do this by 5 April. Martin's must-see tax-year-end video Ends Thu. Cheapest ever superfast 264Mb Virgin broadband & line '£18.40/mth'. MSE Blagged. Newbies can get this Virgin Media 264Mb broadband & line deal (available to 55% of the country) for £23.95/mth, with no price rises until next spring. As it comes with an automatic £100 bill credit, you'll pay nowt for four months, unless you make calls - so it's equiv to £18.40/mth over the 18mth contract. Can't get Virgin in your area? Use our Broadband comparison for the top deals. MSE's epic Easter egg taste test - can cheap choc beat the posh stuff? With 100 taste testers (our biggest yet), and eggs ranging from £1.25 to £12, we see if it's worth giving the cheaper ones a crack. Easter egg taste test Aldi 40% off outdoor items code - includes garden furniture, pizza ovens and more. Online only. Stock can be limited, so go quick. Aldi Invest £50, get a FREE £50 back. 1,900 left. This frankly ridiculous Wealthify deal came back last week, and there's still a few left. Newbies putting £50+ into Wealthify's robo-investments get £50 cashback after a year. So invest £50, wait, and then you get your money back, so whatever the investment's worth in a year is a win. Even if they flop, at worst you break even. Full details, pros and cons in Robo-investing cashback. 'Use it or lose it.' Only a week left to fill up your 2022/23 ISA, JISA and LISA allowance. See Martin's ISA 'use it or lose it' warning. Not everyone should do it, but if you should, go quick. How to beat April's 17% mobile and 14% broadband price hikes. This and more in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast - listen through BBC Sounds, Spotify, Apple and more.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - 264Mb Virgin broadband & line '£18.40/mth' Ends Thu	DID YOU MISS? - NHS, care and emergency worker staff discounts update - Martin's important Power of Attorney video briefing - Is your tax code wrong? Millions may be - check now - Council tax bills UP 5% for many - are you in too high a band? - Earn a £30 Amazon voucher for doing quick online surveys

 

 

Pet insurance going cheep, and meow, and woof... Hot deals comparison sites miss (including £70 Amazon) As if the food, treats and fun little novelty outfits didn't cost enough, pet insurance can add serious cash to the upkeep of your furry, scaly or feathered companions. Yet there's no NHS for pets, and with medical costs high - removing something from a dog's stomach can cost £1,200, and a small cat wound £500 - you could face tough decisions without cover. Our full Cheap pet insurance guide has a menagerie of tips to reduce costs, but here's a brief walkies through... CAT OR DOG: Combine comparison sites, then check hot deals they miss. Like most types of insurance, prices are bespoke, so the key is to get as many quotes as possible in the shortest time. Step 1. Combine comparison sites. Try as many as you've time for, as they search different insurers and sometimes have different prices for them, and most let you get multi-pet quotes. Try MoneySupermarket*, Compare The Market* (single pet quotes only), Gocompare and then Confused.com*. Step 2. Check deals that aren't on comparison sites. As well as big providers such as Direct Line* and Petplan* which don't appear on comparisons, some promos are missed too. We've listed the deals comparisons don't list (some because we've blagged exclusive extras). So check them individually and compare them to the winners from comparison sites, factoring in the promos and the level of cover to see which wins. Some of deals include the following (though we don't have huge feedback on all the providers)... - Waggel* through this special link gets a £70 Amazon voucher per pet on your policy after 90 days. - Ends Fri. Asda Money* pays a £70 Asda voucher per pet after 90 days. - Ends Thu. ManyPets* offers a £65 Amazon voucher with a cat or dog policy, sent within 60 days. - And if there's time, check cashback sites too to see if you can get cashback on the comparison's winner. HORSES, PARROTS, RABBITS, REPTILES AND OTHER PETS: Comparisons don't usually work. It's a little trickier, as you'll need to manually compare quotes directly with specialist insurers. - For horses and ponies: Try SEIB, Petplan Equine* and NFU Mutual. - For rabbits, budgies, guinea pigs, parrots, lizards and more: Try Exotic Direct* (+ Sainsbury's & Petplan* for rabbits). BEWARE switching insurance if your pet has a pre-existing condition. Most new policies won't cover any past issues, whether you've claimed for them or not. Yet if you stay with your old insurer, you're likely to pay more to cover that condition in future. So it's usually a choice between switching to a cheaper policy with no cover for the specific condition, or sticking and likely paying more. Full help in pre-existing problems. Top pet insurance NEED-TO-KNOWS... 1) It generally covers big issues (broken bones and cancer), not check-ups. See what's covered. 2) Need cover but can't afford it? If you're on certain benefits, charities such as the PDSA may help with vet bills. 3) Cats are seen as free spirits, dogs aren't. You're liable for your dog's behaviour if it causes damage or injury to other people or property. So always check third-party cover (as a minimum, get it standalone from Dogs Trust). 4) Could you self-insure? For smaller animals, you could put cash in savings to cover fees. See self-insuring help. 5) Don't forget routine jabs. If you don't keep up to date, it may invalidate your insurance. 6) Always check the policy is right for you. It's not easy, as insurance is about protection from the unknown, but do check the policy details, what's excluded, and that the firm's regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 7) If your claim's unfairly rejected, take it to the Financial Ombudsman. Once you've complained to the firm, you've then a right to go to the free independent Financial Ombudsman Service for it to adjudicate.

 

Passport Office strikes start next Monday - your rights if applications are delayed. Home Office guidance to allow 10 weeks hasn't changed, but delays could derail holidays. Your passport strike rights Ends Thu. Longest balance transfer deal 31mths 0% (3.49% fee). A balance transfer's where you get a new card that clears old cards for you, so you owe it instead, but at 0% interest. MBNA's up to 31mth 0% card (3.49% fee)* ends Thursday, though NatWest's 30mth 0%* has a lower (2.99%) fee and isn't an 'up to' - all accepted get the full 0%. Check if you'll be accepted: Our 0% eligibility calculator shows your personal chances for most top cards. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum, clear the card before the 0% period ends, or they jump to the 22.9% and 23.9% rep APRs. Full help in Top balance transfers. Base rate up (again) to 4.25% - what it means for your mortgage and savings. Let's be honest, you're likely used to the impact after 11 successive rises. But just to be sure, you can read our full analysis in Base rate hike. Spring sales: Next 50% off, Asos up to 70% off, Ikea up to 50% off and more. See our full sales round-up. 'I saved £200 on my car insurance using your tips.' Our success of the week comes from Deborah, who emailed: "I was quoted £453 to renew my car insurance (compared to £351 last year). I used the comparison strategies [through MSE Compare+] you suggested and got the same cover for around £250. Next year I will try for quotes earlier, in the sweet spot, rather than putting it off. Thanks MSE." If we've helped you save (on this, or owt else), please send us your successes.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: MBNA (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 31 months 0%, 3.49% fee (22.9% rep APR) No-fee 0%: NatWest - 19 months 0% (23.9% rep APR) Best bank accounts £200 to switch + £36/year cashback: NatWest / RBS £175 to switch + TOP service: First Direct Top savings accounts Top easy access: Chip 3.4%, min £1 Top one-year fix: OakNorth 4.48%, min £1 Car insurance Try our Car Insurance Compare+ tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 4.8% rep APR (must have Nectar card) Broadband top picks Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£18.30/mth' Superfast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£18.40/mth' On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.94/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.70/mth' for 5GB 10GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.67/mth' for 15GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you carry a wallet or purse? This week's Money Tips email leads on Martin's Wallet Workout - but in this digital age, how many of us still carry a wallet or purse? Let us know in this week's poll. Almost 90% of MoneySavers have some form of ISA. Last week, we asked how many of you have an ISA, and more than 4,500 responded. The majority do have an ISA, with stocks & shares and fixed-rate ISAs the most common, followed by easy-access cash ISAs. There was a clear age divide, with those aged 50+ much more likely to have an ISA than younger responders. See the full results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Barclays will now close 69 branches this year - here's the full list, plus alternatives - BT to refund customers after some were 'forced into overdrafts' by double payment error

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA I bought a second-hand smart TV - should I use the previous owner's streaming services? I recently bought a second-hand smart TV from a charity shop. When I got it home and connected it to the internet, I found I am able to access the previous owner's film and TV streaming services, including those that are paid for. I don't have the budget to subscribe to these myself, and I work nights, so provided I only use them a little bit during the day when the previous owner's unlikely to want to, would it be wrong to do so? [MSE note: It's usually against the T&Cs, but we'll leave you to decide on the morals of this.] Enter the Money Moral Maze: I bought a second-hand TV - should I use the previous owner's streaming services? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Golf, gifting & granulated tea

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 29 MAR ONWARDS) Wed 29 Mar - Good Morning Britain, ITV1, 6am Wed 29 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Tue 4 Apr - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Amir Suleman, from 10.45am

 

NAN'S 50-YEAR-OLD CARDIGAN & A DRESS FROM THE '40s... WHAT'S THE OLDEST CLOTHING YOU WEAR? That's all for this week, but before we go... our MSE Forumites have been celebrating the joys of durable clothing as they compare their oldest outfits. Some of the most impressive examples include a jumper bought in 1975, a 30-year-old scarf, a black lace dress from the 1940s, and a 34-year-old cashmere coat. Many mentioned clothes they'd inherited from their late parents or grandparents, with a 1970s lambskin coat and a more than 50-year-old cardigan that's been passed down through three generations the highlights. And special mention goes to the Forumite who made a cotton blouse when they were 18 that they still wear today - aged 65. Add yours in the What's the oldest item of clothing you still wear? MSE Forum discussion. We hope you save some money, The MSE team

 

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