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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 |
What a surprise. The winner of our latest banking customer service poll is... First Direct (again). In fact, it's won every service poll we've ever done, with 91% rating it 'great' over the last 6mths. And right now it's offering its off-again, on-again £125 switching bribe - so if you're unhappy with your bank, switch. It's easy, takes just 7 working days and the new bank closes your old account and moves all payments for you. All accounts credit-check you when you apply.
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50+ wedding (cost) crashers, incl £4k all-in at Wetherspoon's Valentine's Day has been and gone, and for some lucky couples it's now wedding planning season. The average cost may be a heartbreaking £27,000, but don't assume you need to spend like Meghan and Harry or risk a married life of debt for one perfect day. Work out what you can AFFORD to spend, and use our 50+ Wedding Tips to help get more confetti for your cash. Here's a taster...
Also see: Wedding haggling tips, alternative venues and don't let your bank grab your wedding cash. |
Urgent. Got a Maplin/Toys R Us gift card? Use it NOW. Both chains went into administration last week - we've full info on gift cards, return rights, online orders and more. See Maplin and Toys R Us (incl layaway scheme) help. 2 pairs of prescription specs £17, incl delivery. MSE Blagged. Via online code. Ends Mon. Glasses Direct Oscar-winning cinema deals incl 5 Odeon tix £20, 2for1 for a year, £3 IMAX. See our round-up of blockbuster cinema deals and tricks. 15mths' car brrr-eakdown cover with home start & onward travel for £43. MSE Blagged. Last week's weather got the better of many cars. So until Sat 31 Mar we've blagged 15mths' AutoAid* cover for the price of 12, for £43.31. It covers you, your spouse or civil partner (and now common-law partners) in any car you drive. The firm's got good feedback and similar AA/RAC cover can cost £100+. Full info in Cheap Breakdown Cover. Holland & Barrett 20% off EVERYTHING code incl existing 50% off sale. MSE Blagged. Online only + free del. Can be stacked with other offers. Ends Sun. Holland & Barrett |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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Martin's plea for help: 'Spread the word... don't believe Facebook ads' A new plague of scam Facebook ads using Martin's name, face & supposed recommendation has hit I don't do adverts. If you ever see one with my face or name on it, it is without my permission, and usually a scam. Admittedly some are supposedly legit firms bending the rules to imply a link (though do you really trust firms that'd do that anyway?). Sadly we've already heard of people who've lost over £20,000 saying: "I only pursued it because I thought it was recommended by Martin." The thought of that makes me feel physically sick. I've spent my career trying to campaign for financial justice and now these b*****ds leach off that trust to rob vulnerable people. 2. Report the scam. If one pops into your timeline, report it to Facebook (or elsewhere) and post in the comments that "This is a fake ad, Martin Lewis warns against this, do not trust it." |
MARRIAGE TAX ALLOWANCE - SUCCESS OF THE WEEK £26 Illamasqua beauty box - contents £80ish indiv. MSE Blagged. Incl lipstick, mascara. 2,000 avail. Lookfantastic |
CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Help MSE get the Government to improve how housing complaints are handled. Whether you've had a dodgy estate agent, unhelpful landlord or problems with a new build, we want to hear from you. Take our quick survey to tell us what happened, if you complained, and whether it was sorted. Tell us your home truths THE GREAT HUNT Think you've been mis-sold car finance or 'add-ons'? If you've bought a car in the last couple of years and think you were sold a finance deal you didn't fully understand, or were persuaded to buy extras (eg, wheel and paint protection) you didn't need, we want to hear from you. Email news@moneysavingexpert.com or share your experience and read others' in the Mis-sold car finance forum thread. Past Great Hunt topics: View all |
THIS WEEK'S POLL Energy smart meters: Great tech or a pain in the neck? Over eight million smart meters have been rolled out. They automatically send meter readings to your supplier so you don't have to. Yet many have issues. So what's your view? Great tech or a pain in the neck? Zen tops our broadband customer service poll. Last week we asked you to rate your broadband provider's service. Following 7,000 responses Zen emerged triumphant, with 90% of its customers rating it 'great' and 2% 'poor'. Origin Broadband came bottom, with a huge 70% of its customers considering its service 'poor' - just 15% voted it 'great'. See full broadband customer service poll results. |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I pay more than my partner as I earn more? I've been with my partner for nearly eight years and we've always split everything 50/50 (bills, meals out etc). But recently he brought up that I'm earning 25% more than him - so should I pay more? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay more than my partner? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs THE QUICKIES - Debt-Free Wannabe chat of the week: Helping partner out of debt |
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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 7 MAR ONWARDS) Thu 8 Mar - Good Morning Britain, ITV, Deals of the Week, 7.40am MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC) Wed 7 Mar - BBC Cumbria, Money Talks with Ben Maeder, from 6pm |
QUESTION OF THE WEEK Q: Can I get paid to switch my First Direct current account to HSBC, even though they're part of the same banking group? Pat, via email. MSE Rosie's A: You can indeed - we often get questions like this. HSBC will let you switch from First Direct or M&S Bank (also part of the HSBC Group) and still get its switch bonus. This is currently £150, plus another £50 after a year, as long as you meet certain conditions including switching two direct debits/standing orders. For full eligibility info, and more switching options, see our Best Bank Accounts guide. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
COULD YOU FOOL YOUR KIDS INTO EATING OWN-BRAND? That's all for this week, but before we go... a MoneySaver's daughters were complaining about the lack of branding on their box of supermarket own-brand cornflakes - so he drew it on. While his was a tongue-in-cheek effort, lots of you have tricks to keep your kids (and bank balance) happy, from serving frozen pizzas in old Pizza Express takeaway boxes to squeezing ketchup into Heinz bottles. Tell us the lengths you've gone to in our Facebook post. We hope you save some money, |
Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com worksWe 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 LewisWhat is MoneySavingExpert.com? Who is Martin Lewis? 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. 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 firstdirect.com, autoaidbreakdown.co.uk, mbna.co.uk, halifax.co.uk, confused.com, moneysupermarket.com, gocompare.com, comparethemarket.com, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, bank.marksandspencer.com, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited (registered in England No. 3157344) is MoneySupermarket House, St. David's Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips. |