Energy bills to rise 10% - fix now?, £4 cinema, top 0% card + free £25 ends, Clubcard alert, Sky + Netflix £18/mth

Plus... £95 beauty £30, 50GB Sim £4/mth, top savings, free school meals warning, pet insurance savers

                                                           

27 August 2024 | View in browser

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

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Energy bills to rise 10% for MILLIONS in Oct - 8 need-to-knows, including: - New calc: What'll your increase be? - Cheapest fixes undercut Oct cap - Martin calls for Govt Winter Fuel rethink Ends. Top 0% spending + decent 0% debt shift + FREE £25 Fetch the purrfect cheap pet insurance Sat only. £4 cinema tickets for ANY FILM Sky Stream + Netflix just '£18/mth' Use/extend Clubcard vouchers NOW Cheapest 50GB Sim - '£4.09/mth' From Thu. £95 M&S beauty box £30 Five meals for two for £13 (normally £44) Urgent. On a low income with school-aged child(ren)? £299 Hoover cordless vacuum £140 Reminder. Top 5.05% 1yr fix + free £100 (if saving £10k+) Ends. Extra £26 cashback on £5+ spend FREE kids' football coaching sessions 3mths' free (or cheap) Spotify Premium Ikea's new loyalty scheme... any good? In N. Ireland? FREE Open Uni courses Free Homebuilding & Renovating Show tickets (normally up to £14) This week's best buys: free £175, 132Mb broadband '£21/mth', 6.1% loan & more Our son's aunt is buying second-hand for his birthday - should we do the same for his cousin? 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 Best Sim-only deals

New. Price Cap hike confirmed Energy bills to rise 10% for millions in Oct - but many could save by fixing. We've 8 need-to-knows, including... - New calc. What will your increase be? - Cheapest fixed deals undercut Oct cap - Martin urges Govt to rethink Winter Fuel Payments On Friday, the energy regulator Ofgem confirmed the Energy Price Cap will rise an average 10% from 1 October. So for the 85% of homes in England, Scotland & Wales on a price-capped standard tariff (that's everyone except those on fixed or special tariffs), for every £100 you spend now, you will typically spend £110 then. That means this winter many will be paying nearly double what they were pre-crisis. And the next Price Cap in January is now predicted to rise a further 3%. This makes the current fixed deals out there (do a Cheap Energy Club comparison to find yours) look a decent bet, as you can likely save over the next 12 months, and get the added bonus of price certainty.  You can watch Martin's instant video reaction above (he briefly interrupted his mini-sabbatical), and read on for our eight need-to-knows... 1. Prices will RISE an average 10% - use our calc for what YOU will pay. The Price Cap will increase to £1,717 a year on average for a typical dual-fuel Direct Debit household from 1 Oct to 31 Dec, up from £1,568/yr currently. But remember, the Price Cap is misnamed as there is NO CAP ON THE MAX YOU PAY - it's on the underlying rates, so use more and you pay more. Plus, the cap varies by region and payment method. Use our new 'What will I pay from October?' calculator to get an estimate of your energy costs from 1 October. Average Direct Debit rates from 1 October  (see prepay rates or pay on receipt of bill rates)  Elec unit rate (cost per unit of elec used) 24.5p/kilowatt hour - up 9.6% Daily elec standing charge 60.99p - up 1.4% Gas unit rate (cost per unit of gas used) 6.24p/kilowatt hour - up 13.9% Daily gas standing charge 31.66p - up 0.8% As the changes to standing charges are fairly small, with most of the increase on unit rates, higher users will see relatively higher increases than lower users - particularly those that use a lot of gas. We've full region-by-region rates in our guide.  2. Prices are predicted to rise again over winter... Price Caps are set every three months. They're based mainly on wholesale costs - those the energy retailers pay - and we're already into the assessment period for the January 2025 cap. Analysts at Cornwall Insight are currently predicting that after the 1 October rise, the Energy Price Cap will increase again by 3% in January to £1,762 a year for a typical household. Cornwall doesn't yet have predictions beyond March 2025 - though the further out you go, the more crystal-ball gazing there is. Of course, this isn't set in stone - the predictions can change over time. But, at the moment, it looks like anyone who sticks on the Price Cap will pay about 11% more over the next year than they do now (as we've no prediction beyond March 2025, we've assumed it'll stay at next January's rate beyond that). 3. Today's cheapest standalone FIX is 3% MORE than the current Price Cap - but CHEAPER than October's cap. Contrast that to Price Cap predictions over the next year of an 11% rise, and it looks a strong time to fix, particularly if you value price certainty. Use our Cheap Energy Club comparison which will give you a bespoke prediction (based on your usage, area and payment method).   Should you fix now or wait till October? Fixing now means most will pay more than the current Price Cap for a month, but, based on current predictions, should save over the year. You could wait to see if cheaper fixes launch, though there are no certainties, and these current fixes may not be around long, so it's worth considering fixing now. Cheapest standalone energy fixes (1) Links go via Cheap Energy Club to give you a personal comparison. Vs current Price Cap (2) Cheapest: Outfox the Market Fix'd Dual Aug24 v5.0 12-month fix - New & existing customers  - Dual fuel only - Monthly Direct Debit only - DOESN'T require a smart meter 3% more on average (6% below Oct cap) - £50 dual-fuel exit fees Octopus 12m fix Aug 24 v3 - New & existing customers - Dual fuel or elec-only - DOESN'T require a smart meter 4% more on average (5% below Oct cap) - No exit fees EDF Essentials 1Yr Sep25 - New & existing customers - Dual fuel or elec-only  - Direct Debit / on receipt / smart prepay - Need to have/apply for a smart meter 4% more on average (5% below Oct cap) - £25/fuel exit fees Ovo Energy 1 Year Fixed - New & existing customers - Dual fuel or elec-only - Monthly Direct Debit only  - Need to have/apply for a smart meter 4% more on average (5% below Oct cap) - £50/fuel exit fees Not fixes, but worth considering - links go direct (3) E.on Next Pledge 1yr tracker* - New & existing customers - Dual fuel or elec-only - Monthly Direct Debit only - Need to have/apply for a smart meter Tracks 3% under the Price Cap on average, so when the cap goes up, it does too. Basically it's a discounted Price Cap tariff - a good option if you're unsure what to do. - No early-exit fee EDF Ensure 1yr tracker* - New & existing customers - Dual fuel / elec-only / gas-only - Direct Debit / on receipt / smart prepay - Need to have/apply for a smart meter £50 under the Price Cap. It's a variable tariff with a fixed discount off the Price Cap standing charges for 12 months. - £25/fuel exit fees (1) Standalone means you needn't sign up to other products - eg, Ovo's fix including boiler cover & Utility Warehouse's multi-service tariff - but we include these in your comparison results. (2) We give 'averages' based on Ofgem's typical Direct Debit usage figures. (3). Although we can't switch you and give cashback, we do get paid if you sign up to these tariffs via our links. So, in lieu of cashback, we'll give a proportion of what we're paid to charity National Energy Action. PS: Cheap Energy Club now has bespoke help for those on dual-fuel and single-fuel standard variable and fixed tariffs. We initially relaunched our comparison at speed and only had bespoke help for those on dual-fuel monthly Direct Debit price-capped tariffs. We now have help for those on fixes, electricity-only and gas-only.  You can see our guidance in the club on how predicted changes in the Price Cap will affect what you pay over the next year and whether a fix might be right for you. On Eco 7, prepay, or pay by quarterly cash or cheque? We're still working on adding bespoke help to the tool for you, but currently you can find more help in Should I fix? 4. There are specialist tariffs worth considering too... There are a number of newer tariffs that are tough to display via the traditional comparison site model (we're trying to work through how to get it right for the future as this becomes more common) and even to fit into a table, so let us walk you through the main ones... Octopus Tracker & Agile (for existing customers) can be substantially cheaper. Existing Octopus customers can switch to its Tracker tariff, where rates change daily based on wholesale costs. It's been a big winner: 31% cheaper than the Price Cap on average over the last year, but of course you must be aware there's a risk it can go the other way... if wholesale rates continue to rise, it could be substantially more expensive.  Also, its elec-only Agile tariff's rates change half-hourly, based on wholesale prices - good for those who can shift their usage nimbly to take advantage of super-cheap times.   Not with Octopus? To get these, you could try first switching to the Octopus Price Cap tariff then, once in, switching to one of these. Got an EV? Consider a dedicated tariff. Several suppliers have launched specific two-rate tariffs that offer cheaper electricity overnight for charging your electric vehicle (EV). If your car charge costs make up a decent proportion of your electricity usage (or you can shift other usage to these hours), these can work well. See what's available in our EV tariffs guide. Want to fix for longer than a year? There are some. They're not that cheap. And frankly we can't help you decide. There are simply no assessments of what'll happen to prices at that time in such a volatile market as we have now. Yet if you really value certainty, it may win out with hindsight. See longer fixes. 5. Pensioners will need to find £100s more than last winter - Martin urges Gov to rethink Winter Fuel Payments.  Winter Fuel Payments - a tax-free payment of up to £300 which had been made to all pensioners to help with winter energy bills - are to be restricted to those on certain benefits and Pension Credit this winter. Martin has urged the Government to include a wider group, and to ensure the 800,000+ eligible who miss out on Pension Credit get it. "While energy will cost less than during last winter's crisis time, the reduction in rates compared with last year only equates to a drop of roughly £100 over the six winter months for a household with typical usage. Yet specific pensioner energy support has dropped by far more...  "Last year, pensioner homes got up to £300 extra per household cost-of-living support - that's gone, and its loss alone is far bigger than the saving made by slightly lower rates. Piling on top of that is the Government's new decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments, which will leave all except usually those who claim Pension Credit missing out on a further £200 to £300.  "While there's a strong argument for ending the universality of Winter Fuel Payments, eligibility is being squeezed to too narrow a group. Those just above the thresholds will be hardest hit. I'm due to meet the Chancellor in a couple of weeks, and will then be urging her to look at methods to widen eligibility - such as to homes in council tax bands A to D - an imperfect but workable proxy for lower household incomes.  "The Government also has a huge moral imperative to ensure the 800,000+ people eligible for Pension Credit who don't get it are informed, educated and helped through the process. It is planning an awareness-raising campaign, but it needs to ensure that reaches every corner. Pension Credit is a crucial gateway benefit, giving access to a host of other entitlements, and now with the link to the Winter Fuel Payment, it makes it even more important to ensure fewer miss out."  6. Consultation to lower standing charges launched. We have long been campaigning to lower standing charges and on Friday Ofgem opened a consultation on options to reduce these.  Reacting to the announcement, Martin said: "The standing charge is a daily poll tax that means everyone with gas and electricity will pay an average £338 a year from October, even if they don't use it. This moral hazard penalises lower users, often many who are vulnerable, and means they will face a proportionately larger rise. "I've long called for change, so welcome this long-promised consultation on reducing standing charges - though I'm slightly disappointed even the maximum proposed reduction is only £100/yr - but I'll hold judgement until I've read the consultation in full." 7. Can you cut bills by cutting your use? Obviously, cutting use cuts bills - and hopefully there are cuts you can make to improve efficiency that don't affect your lifestyle too much. Start with energy saving tips, then add in our Energy mythbusting guide for less clear-cut issues. 8. What to do if you're struggling to pay. If you're struggling, it's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable. There can be hardship & debt grants from energy suppliers. For far more guidance, see our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide. PS: Martin is still off on his mini-sabbatical until next month - he just returned on Friday to give his instant reaction to the Price Cap news.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Ending. Easy free cash on top all-rounder 0% credit card Top 0% spending deal + decent 0% balance transfer period + FREE £25. All with one application, so less credit file impact All-rounder 0% credit cards give you 2for1 - 0% spending AND 0% debt-shifting with one application on your credit file. That's good, as too many applications in a short time can affect your ability to get credit. And, till next Tuesday, one of the top cards is also throwing in £25 cashback. The two top all-rounder cards are among the LONGEST 0% spending deals available. That's where new purchases on the card are interest-free for a set time. Though as this is new borrowing, be careful - only do it for planned, NEEDED one-offs (eg, a new fridge), where you've budgeted and can afford the repayments. Plus they both offer long(ish) 0% balance transfer deals (though not as long as dedicated balance transfer cards, see table below). This is where the new card pays off debt on existing cards, so you owe it, but interest-free for a set time. Your repayments then clear the debt, not just cover the interest. - Use our 0% eligibility tool to see which cards you'll be accepted for - this minimises unnecessary applications. - Balance transfers have a one-off fee as a percentage of the amount transferred. Aim for the LOWEST FEE within a 0% time long enough to clear your debt. If unsure, play safe and go long. TOP-PICK NEW CARDHOLDER 0% DEALS  ALL-ROUNDER Barclaycard Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct* - Up to 21mths' 0% spending - Up to 18mths' 0% balance transfer (3.45% fee) - 24.9% rep APR interest after Longest 0% spending on market, but an 'up to'. So unless you're showing as 'pre-approved' in our eligibility calc, you could get just 10mths 0% on spending & 9mths for transfers, though Barclaycard says most will get the full deal. ALL-ROUNDER HSBC Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct* - Up to 20mths' 0% spending - Up to 17mths' 0% balance transfer (3.49% fee) - Ends. Free £25 on £100 spend - 24.9% rep APR interest after Second longest 0% spending on market + grab FREE £25 cashback. It's another 'up to', so unless shown as pre-approved in our calc, some may be accepted & get 15mths 0% on both. Apply via our link by next Tue (3 Sep) & spend £100+ within 60 days to get the £25. You can't have had a new HSBC card or credit limit increase in the last 6mths. BALANCE TRANSFER Barclaycard Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct* - Up to 28mths 0% (3.45% fee) - 24.9% rep APR interest after Longest 0% balance transfer, but an 'up to'. If you're not pre-approved in our eligibility calc, you get just 14mths 0% - though again, Barclaycard says most will get the full deal. BALANCE TRANSFER Tesco Bank Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct* - 27mths 0% (2.95% fee) - 24.9% rep APR interest after Longest definite 0% balance transfer, plus a lower fee. All accepted get the full 27mths 0%, so it's worth considering if you get good odds for it in the eligibility calc, and aren't pre-approved elsewhere. BALANCE TRANSFER NatWest It's asked that applications go via our eligibility link above - 13mths 0% - NO FEE - 24.9% rep APR interest after Cheapest balance transfer if you can repay quickly. No fee, so clear the debt within 13mths and it's totally free. Plus our eligibility calc can tell those pre-approved whether they'll get the credit limit they need. The golden rules... i) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more. ii) Clear the card or balance-transfer again before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR. iii) Don't withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and withdrawals hit your ability to access credit. iv) Don't spend on the non-all-rounder balance transfer cards - they're not usually at the cheap rate. v) You must usually balance-transfer within 60 or 90 days to get the 0%.

 

Sat only. £4 cinema tickets for ANY FILM. At 100s of cinemas, including Cineworld, Odeon, Vue and more. £4 cinema tix Sky Stream + Netflix just '£18/mth'. Newbies who sign up for Sky Stream* by 9 Sept can stream all the basic Sky channels for £20/mth (usually £31/mth). Via our link, you can also CLAIM (don't forget) a £50 prepaid Mastercard or shopping voucher. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £17.92/mth over the 2yr contract. It also includes Netflix (with ads; normally £4.99/mth). You plug Sky Stream into your TV and watch via your broadband, so there's no need for a dish. Sky Stream Ends Sat. Tesco shopper? Last chance to use/extend £14m of expiring Clubcard vouchers. See Tesco alert. Cheapest 50GB Sim - '£4.09/mth'. This iD Mobile Sim (uses Three's network) is £4/mth for the first three months, then £8/mth. But you can CLAIM (don't forget) a £35 Amazon or Currys voucher. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £4.09/mth over the 12mth contract. Want different data/network? Use our Cheap Mobile Finder. From Thu. £30 for £95 of L'Occitane, Nuxe, Living Proof etc in M&S beauty box. 9-piece set. M&S beauty Five meals for two for £13 (normally £44), via 70% off Gousto recipe box code. MSE Blagged. Plus 25% off two months of Gousto boxes. Urgent. On a low income with school-aged child(ren)? Apply for free school meals NOW. You need to reapply every year. Even if your child's due to get them automatically (either due to age or because you live in London or parts of Wales), it's worth applying manually, as your child's school could get additional funding. See Free school meals. £299 Hoover cordless vacuum £140. MSE Blagged. Via our special link. 3,000 available. Hoover Reminder. Top 5.05% 1yr fix + £100 cashback (if saving £10k+). Newbies to savings marketplace Raisin - which lets you save and move money via different banks after filling in just one form - can get £100 cashback with code OFFER100 if saving £10,000+. Rates have dropped a bit since this deal launched a couple of weeks ago, but at 5.05%, its top 1yr fix from Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank is still currently the best rate in the market. More top picks and full info in our Raisin write-up.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £299 Hoover cordless vacuum for £140 3,000 available - Five Gousto meals for two for £13 Ends Tuesday 10 September	DID YOU MISS? - Free £5 Heineken 0.0, free £1.35 Müller yogurt & more - £50 Grüum summer travel set £5 delivered - Is solar battery storage worth it? - Know the hand luggage rules - including is lipstick a liquid?

 

 

'I saved a WHOPPING £850 on this year's pet insurance' Fetch the purrfect cheap pet insurance, including hot deals comparison sites miss, eg, £75 Amazon voucher While it's good news that sky-high vet bills - which push up pet insurance premiums - are being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), don't expect speedy results. The CMA's only three months into an investigation it says could run till Nov 2025, followed by potentially another six months to put any remedies in place. In the meantime, though, it's still possible to make BIG savings on pet insurance, as our success of the week from Sally (and one of her dogs, Max, pictured) shows... "Just wanted to drop you a line about how much I saved on pet insurance. I've five dogs, two cats & a horse to insure. They're not all due at the same time, but by shopping around for the best price and then haggling one current provider down and switching several policies to a new provider, I saved a WHOPPING £839 on last year's premiums with identical cover. Thank you so much." For one of her dogs alone, Sally saved £262 by switching, so even if you don't have quite as many pets to insure, you could still save £100s. Our Cheap pet insurance guide takes you through it in full, but in brief... CATS & DOGS. Prices are bespoke, so the key's to get as many quotes as possible in the shortest time. 1. Combine comparison sites. Try as many as you've time for, as they search different insurers and sometimes have different prices, and most let you get multi-pet quotes. In order of how many insurers they compare, try MoneySupermarket* | Compare The Market* (single pet quotes only) | Confused.com* | Gocompare. 2. Check deals not on comparison sites. Big providers Petplan* and Direct Line don't appear on comparisons, plus there are promo deals that comparisons don't list (some as we've blagged exclusive extras). So check them and compare with the comparison site winners (though we've limited consumer feedback on these): - Waggel* via this link offers a £50 Amazon voucher per cat or dog insured (up to £250), paid after 90 days of cover. - Napo* via this link offers a £50 Amazon voucher if you buy a new policy (using code MSENAPO24), paid within 75 days. - Agria* via this link offers a £75 (dog) or £40 (cat) Amazon voucher, paid within 120 days (max £155). - Animal Friends* via this link gives a £35 Amazon voucher for a cat or dog policy, paid within two weeks after 90 days. - And check cashback sites too to see if you can get cashback on the comparisons' winner. 3. Cats are seen as free spirits, dogs aren't. So you're liable for your dog's behaviour if it causes damage or injury to other people or property. Always check third-party cover (as a minimum, get it standalone from Dogs Trust). HORSES, RABBITS, PARROTS, REPTILES & OTHER PETS. As comparison sites don't usually work for these, 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* and British Pet Insurance (+ Sainsbury's and Petplan* for rabbits). Warning: Beware switching provider if your pet has an existing condition. Most new policies won't cover past issues, whether you've claimed for them or not. Yet stay with your old insurer and you're likely to pay more to cover that condition in future. So it's usually a hard choice between switching to a cheaper policy with no cover for the specific condition, or sticking and likely paying more. Full help in existing problems. Pet insurance NEED-TO-KNOWS... 1. It generally covers big issues (such as broken bones and tumours), 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. Could you self-insure? For smaller animals, you could put cash in savings to cover fees. See self-insuring help. 4. Keep your pet's routine jabs up to date. Or it may invalidate your insurance. 5. 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. 6. If your claim's unfairly rejected, take the firm to the Financial Ombudsman. Once you've complained to your provider, you've then a right to go to the free, independent Financial Ombudsman Service for its help to settle the claim.

 

Ends Sat. Bag an extra £26 cashback when spending £5+ online. MSE Blagged. Quidco newbies who sign up via our link can get an extra £26 cashback when spending at least a fiver through the site. Quidco boost FREE kids' football sessions with FA-qualified coaches. Book now for ages 5 to 11 at 1,500+ locations on selected dates from 7 Sept to 30 Nov. For this and lots more, see ways kids and adults can keep fit for free. Three months' free Spotify Premium for newbies, or £12 if you've had it before (normally £36). Listen ad-free, on demand & offline. Spotify Premium Ikea's majorly revamped its loyalty scheme... but is it any good? See our analysis and more Ikea deals. Live in N. Ireland? FREE Open University courses (normally costing up to £3,360). Apply for a 'microcredential' course (undergrad or postgrad). Only 400 places available. Open University FREE Homebuilding & Renovating Show tix (normally up to £14). Including London (27 to 29 Sept). Free tickets

 

 

Tell your friends about us They can get this email free every week

 

 

AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility  / apply* ) - 28mths 0%, 3.45% fee (24.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility , NatWest has asked us to link only to our eligibility calculator) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR) Best bank accounts Ends Fri. £175 to switch + perks (eg, Apple TV+): Barclays Free £100 + £15/mth cashback: TSB Broadband top picks Ends Thu. Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin '£20.95/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£27.09/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility / apply*), 7.2% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 6.1% rep APR (for Clubcard holders) Top savings accounts Top easy access: NatWest Group's Ulster Bank 5.2%, min £5,000  Top cash ISA: Trading 212 5.2%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Habib Bank Zurich UK 5%, min £5,000 Top energy deals Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.10/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.20/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£4/mth' for 25GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.09/mth' for 50GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How much do you spend on your pet(s) a year? We're a nation of pet lovers, but getting one can be a huge commitment - for you and your wallet. So whether you've a cat, dog, rabbit, horse or something else, we want to know how much you spend on your pet(s) each year, including on food, insurance, vet costs and owt else. Vote in this week's poll. Most MoneySavers have saved on their car and home insurance using our tips. Last week, we asked what MoneySaving successes you'd had, and how much you'd saved - and more than 1,000 of you responded. The majority of people told us they'd saved between £500 and £3,000 using tips found on our site. The most popular successes among MoneySavers were finding cheaper car and home insurance, while haggling, switching to a cheap Sim and bank switching were also popular ways to save. See full poll results.

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Our son's aunt is buying second-hand for his birthday - should we do the same for his cousin? Our little boy's birthday is coming up, and his auntie says she's going to get him some toys he wants second-hand from an online marketplace for his present. We don't have any problem with that, as we've done the same in the past, but she's always expected us to get gift vouchers for his cousin when their birthday comes round. Should we follow her lead and buy something second-hand instead? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we buy a second-hand present too? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Second-hand cars, studying abroad & suspicious shopping habits - Gardening on a budget - from planning to cheap & free decorations & furniture

 

 

 

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 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 MoneySavingExpert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com? Founded in February 2003, it is now the UK's biggest consumer help website, with more than 12 million users each month and about 8.5 million receiving this email. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple - saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full-time staff, more than a third 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 Lewis CBE is the founder and executive chair of MSE, as well as the founder of the MMHPI charity. He's an ultra-focused MoneySaving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own prime-time ITV programme The Martin Lewis Money Show, Radio 5 Live Wednesday show Ask Martin Lewis and weekly slot on This Morning, among others. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography. What do the links with an * mean? Any links with an * 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 products at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to them. 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. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MONY Group Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN: 303190). MoneySavingExpert.com Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number: 8021764. Registered office: One Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MONY Group Financial Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.