Urgently shift card & loan debt, energy (calc, fixes, prepay, solar, Bulb) update, 9p Mini Cheddars, cheep pet insurance, 2 designer specs £25

Plus... 800,000 missing out on 20% off childcare, £137 make-up set £29, £175 bank switch bribes

                                                           

21 September 2022 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin: Check if you can cut card & loan interest NOW - 34mths 0% debt shift - Loans under 3% - Get free debt crisis help Martin's latest energy update, including new what you'll pay calc + fixed rate help Find the purrfect pet insurance Don't miss 20% off childcare 9p Mini Cheddars, 23p Coke etc - extra 10% off past 'best before' food Free £175 bank bribe + 1-3% cashback TWO pairs of designer specs £25 Warning. Spend Covid travel credit notes £137 of Lottie London beauty dupes £29 Claim disability benefits? £150 payment this week One month's 'FREE' Paramount+ Find if you're due a free flu jab Grüum shampoo bar £3 all-in 'I saved £500/year switching to a broadband social tariff' Get 'PAID' to recycle old clothes This week's best buys, including 5GB Sim '£3.95/mth, '£14/month broadband, 3.47% fixed savings Should I tell my lodger he's using too much water & energy or increase his rent? 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 warning Check NOW if you can cut credit card and loan interest - rates may be about to get worse quickly! Shift cards to 34mths 0%, loans to under 3% UK interest rates are expected to rise again tomorrow (Thu) for the sixth successive time. The current 1.75% base rate may go up as high as 2.25%, which'd be the highest rate in fourteen years. Naturally, news attention will again turn to the immediate effect - rising rates for those on variable rate mortgages (look at our mortgage best-buy comparison & free Remortgage guide to see if you can cut your costs now). Yet I want to focus on a less well-flagged impact, on cards and loan debt - which the UK base rate doesn't move as directly, but does set the mood music. We're already starting to hear a soft under-chant that deals may get worse quite quickly. So if you need to sort yours out, sooner is safer... Can't afford to clear your credit card?  You can't afford not to check for a... 0% BALANCE TRANSFER A 0% balance transfer is where you get a new card to repay debt on other credit or store cards for you, so you owe it instead but at 0%. As your repayments clear the debt itself rather than cover the interest, you get debt-free much quicker (if you don't borrow more)... - Use an eligibility calculator before applying. As each application marks your credit file, use a 0% Eligibility Calculator which shows your acceptance odds for each top card, so you can home in on the one you're most likely to be accepted to (links below for a calc for each card) without any creditworthiness impact. - Aim for the lowest fee with a 0% long enough to clear your debt. Many balance transfer deals charge a one-off fee of the amount of debt you transfer, so minimise that. UNSURE? Play safe & go long. Top new cardholders' balance transfers Card Key info and our view... Sainsbury's This link checks acceptance odds, or apply direct* Longest 0% card, an 'up to', but pre-approval possible. - Up to 34 mths 0%, but some get just 26 mths - 2.88% fee, but some are charged 3.88% (min £3) - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends While it's an 'up to' card, so some don't get the headline deal, if our eligibility calc shows you as PRE-APPROVED, you'll know if you apply you'll get the full 34 mths and lower 2.88% fee option. Halifax also has an up to 34 mths 0% card, but the fee is higher and some get just 14 mths. Santander This link checks acceptance odds, or apply direct* Longest definite 0% and lower fee. - 33 mths 0% - 2.65% fee (min £5) - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends Here, if accepted you know exactly what you'll get - so if you've high acceptance odds and aren't pre-approved for Sainsbury's, it's a strong option. The fee's a tad lower too. HSBC is similar 33 mths, but with a higher 2.84% fee. Sainsbury's This link checks acceptance odds, or apply direct* Longest NO-FEE, an 'up to', but pre-approval possible. - Up to 22 mths 0%, but some get just 14 mths - NO FEE, but some are charged 1% - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends While it's an 'up to' card, if our eligibility calculator shows you as PRE-APPROVED, you'll know you'll get the full 22 months and NO FEE - in which case it's an easy winner provided you can clear debt within that time. NatWest & RBS also offers 22 mths NO FEE, but only to their existing banking customers. Santander This link checks acceptance odds, or apply direct* Longest definite NO-FEE card.  - 21 mths 0% - NO FEE - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends All accepted get 21 mths at 0%, so if you've good acceptance odds, and aren't pre-approved for the Sainsbury's 22 mths card, it's a good bet for those looking for shorter transfers. Virgin This link checks acceptance odds, or apply direct* Longest definite POOR CREDIT 0% card. - 16 mths 0% - 3% fee - Horrid 29.9% rep APR after 0% ends Some rejected for other cards may be accepted here. However, the interest rate jumps to a nasty 29.9% after a year, so if you've any debt left then, try and balance transfer again, or at least shift it back to your original card if it was at a lower rate. Vanquis also offers 9 mths 0% for a slightly lower 2.9% fee. You normally need to shift the debt within 60 or 90 days of opening. You can't balance-transfer between cards issued by the same bank or banking group, eg, RBS to NatWest. As Patricia emailed: "Hello Martin, some feedback and big success. I was approaching the end of my 0% and was not sure how to avoid the 20% APR. Did the Eligibility Checker, received the Santander no-fee card, saved myself the stress of £1,940 in interest. I now have 18 months 0%, which I plan to clear in 14 months. Thanks so very much." How likely are balance-transfer rates to get worse soon? Six months ago, many top deals also paid switchers cashback to cover the fees - yet we last saw one of those in July. Plus Amex, Barclaycard, Virgin and others have hiked their standard APR rates. Now we hear rumblings that as cards are less profitable for lenders, 0% lengths may get shorter and transfer fees could rise. There's no way to know, and there could always be an outlier launched to grab market share, but if you need to sort it, sooner is likely safer. ALWAYS follow the balance transfer golden rules. Getting the right card is only the start point, then you need to use it right... - Clear debts or shift the card again before the 0% ends, or you'll end up paying the usually 20%+ interest rate. - Never miss the minimum monthly repayment. Or you can lose your 0% rate. It's best to set up a direct debit to cover at least the minimum (then manually overpay on top). - Don't spend or withdraw cash on these cards. That isn't usually at the cheap rate and it's best to avoid new debt anyway. Full help in Best balance transfers (and see APR examples). Now let me answer some questions I'm often asked about balance transfers. Q. Is it worth applying if my best eligibility odds are, say, only 20%? If this is important to you (and unless you're soon about to apply for a mortgage, cutting debt costs should be), go for it. While 20% odds are low, it means we estimate two in ten who apply in that case will succeed, and it could be you. And if you're rejected, barring a minor application mark on your credit file, you're no worse off. Q. What if my credit limit isn't big enough? The application is now on your credit file anyway, so make use of it. Use the new card to shift as much debt as you can to cut costs. Once that's sorted, you can use our 0% Balance Transfer Eligibility Calculator again to see your chances of acceptance for other providers' cards. Though try to spread future applications out, as too many in a short space of time can hurt. Q. Can I shift debt to my existing cards too? Yes and it's worth looking at. Some cards will give existing cardholders special offers (eg, 12mths 0% for a 3% fee), not as good as new customer deals, but useful, especially as it won't usually go on your credit file. Even if you don't get a special rate, try and move all your debt to where it's cheapest. For example, if one is 18% APR, another 30%, ask the 18% card if you can shift debt from the other to it, it'll help. For a full step-by-step, see the credit card shuffle for how this all works. Q. Should I try and pay off my biggest debt first? No. Focus all spare cash on clearing the highest APR debt - as that's growing most quickly - and just pay the minimum on all others. If you've an overdraft, include that too, as most are 40%, so clearing those is the priority. Once the costliest is clear, shift focus to the next highest APR, and so on. With rates under 3%, to cut existing loan costs check today's CHEAPEST PERSONAL LOANS Everyone with a loan, especially costly ones a few years old, should check if you can find a new one at a lower interest rate. If you can, then you may be able to use it to pay off your existing loan - but don't jump in with both feet, a lower rate isn't always enough, as your current loan may have repayment penalties. Here are my three steps to work it out... Step 1: Get a 'settlement figure' from your lender. This is the remaining debt plus any early settlement charge (max two months' interest). It may be available online - if not, call up the lender and ask. This is then the amount you'd need to borrow from the new lender to pay off the existing loan (unless you've any savings to add to it). Step 2: Find YOUR new top rate for that amount. The best-buy rates are below, but acceptance is key, so first use our Loans Eligibility Calculator to see which you've the best odds of being accepted for. That way you can home in on the most likely deal before applying (and reduce multiple applications, which hurts your credit file). Cheapest new borrower personal loans £1,000 - £2,999 - Credit card loans (see below) are likely cheapest - Novuna* 10.4% rep APR £3,000 - £4,999 - M&S Bank* 8.1% rep APR - Ratesetter (1) 'from 6.9%' on £4,000 to £4,999 £5,000 - £7,499 - Cahoot* 3.9% rep APR - Ratesetter (1) 'from 3.9%' £7,500 - £15,000 - Ratesetter (1) 'from 2.8%' - Cahoot* 3.1% rep APR (1) Ratesetter doesn't have an advertised APR. So we give it a 'from rate', as the link goes via our eligibility calc, where you're told if you'll be accepted and get a guaranteed rate before applying. Most loans are representative APR, which frustratingly means only 51% of accepted customers get the rate. The rest can be charged more, without limit. You're sadly often only told the actual rate after applying. Even our eligibility calc mostly must work with representative APRs (though we're trying to get more guaranteed rates). Step 3: For the BIG reveal, use our loan switching calculator. Plug the old and new loan details into our nifty loan-switching calculator. If it shows you can save, apply, then if accepted at the right rate, use the new loan to pay off the old one. The lower monthly repayments will free up cash (better still, repay quicker and save even more interest). Do pay on time though (best by direct debit) or you may be charged late fees and see missed payments on your credit file. Full info & help in Cut existing loan costs (APR examples). Looking for a new loan? This is mainly about switching loans. If you're looking at new lending, be careful. Use the route above to find the loan, but make sure you only do it if NEEDED, you've done a budget and the repayments are affordable. And do try to minimise the amount you borrow and repay as quickly as you can. If in doubt, don't. How likely are loans to get more expensive in the future? A year ago a good number of lenders were offering rates down to 2.8% for larger amounts, two months ago there were four at under 3%, today there's only one of those left. Loan rates are more closely related to long-term interest rates than cards, so barring the odd anomaly for competitive purposes, the best bet is rates will continue to rise. Q. You mentioned credit card loans are usually cheaper for small borrowing - what are they? Good question, I almost forgot to explain... if you need to borrow for something you can pay for on plastic, a 0% purchases card is the cheapest way to go. If not, and you need a cash loan or are paying off, say, money owed to a friend, then the key is a much less well-known credit-card loan, or more technically, a 0% money transfer card. Here, for a one-off fee, the card shifts money into your bank account, so you owe the card for it, but at 0%. These cards are complex, so do read the full guide. As for finding a card, no surprise, I'd say go via our 0% Money Transfer Eligibility Calc - right now, the top deal is 18 months 0% for a 2.99% fee. As Chris emailed us: "I took out a loan with my bank in 2019 for £13,000 with 12.2% interest. I now realise it was silly, but it bought me time. I researched your best deals for early loan repayments and went for a 0% money transfer with a £150 fee. I've saved £798 interest and will repay 13 months quicker. Thank you for the excellent advice." It might not be easy to solve your debt problems, but there's always a route FREE DEBT CRISIS HELP The help I've written above are aimed at those who are finding their debt (just about) manageable. If not, and coping with what you owe is a struggle, then there's an entirely different route. And it's important to be honest with yourself about which camp you're in, as get it wrong and debt can spiral out of control. So let me ask you three questions? - Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments? - Is your total debt (excl mortgage / student loan) over a year's salary? - Do you have sleepless nights or depression / anxiety over debt? If you answer "yes" to any of these, forget the solutions above. Instead go to our Debt crisis help guide, or even better, get free, one-to-one debt counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline, and if you need emotional support, try CAP instead. You may also find the MSE Mental Health & Debt guide useful. All these agencies are there to help, not judge. The most common feedback I get after people go is: "I finally got a good night's sleep." Give it a try :)

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Martin's latest energy update, including... New WHAT YOU'LL PAY calc | FIXED rate help video | PREPAY users top up now? | METER READING DAY - what to do | BULB customers | SOLAR panel rates boost Last week, my 16 energy price guarantee need-to-knows took you through the seismic energy bill changes from 1 October. It's worth a read if you missed it. In a nutshell, the price cap most homes are on, that was due to rise 80% in Oct (& more again in Jan), has been replaced by the new 'price guarantee' rate, which is a cap lasting two years. As always, there's no total limit on what you pay, it's the unit rate and standing charges that are capped in each region, so use more, you pay more. The new rate averages 27% more than now (nearly double last winter) - though scarily that's far less than it was due to be. Last week there were lots of 'we're waiting to hear' - so here are the key updates... New & updated. How much will you REALLY pay from 1 Oct calc. The 27% rise is an average. What actually happens depends on where you live and how much energy you use. Last week, our Energy price guarantee rise calc was only for those on direct debits (as the rest of the info wasn't available). Now it... - also includes prices for those on prepay and pay in receipt of bills. - factors in the £400 discount every home that pays electricity bills directly will get this winter. All-in, some lower users may actually find they pay LESS than now, most high users will pay a chunk more. For more on the £400 discount itself, see How the £400 will be paid to you (again, it depends). CONFIRMED: Fixed tariffs will drop - but only, at most, to the level of the new price guarantee. I explained this last week, but it wasn't 100% confirmed. Now it is. To help, I've filmed my NEW FIXES help video briefing where I take you through the different scenarios, or see our Price guarantee for fixed prices guide. Can you top up energy NOW to keep cheaper prices longer in Oct? I'm often asked this, so... - DIRECT DEBIT: Some ask: "Can I inflate a meter reading now so I'm charged future use at today's rate?" That'd be fraud. - PREPAY: We've worked hard on this, but it is tough to nail it down. To our best knowledge, this won't work for gas meters. It won't work for smart meters. Yet if you've an older, non-smart electricity meter, you can legally 'stockpile' electricity credit before prices rise, and if you can afford to, it may mean decent savings. Yet it won't work for every firm, and there are things you need to be aware of - see our new Prepay top-up early loophole firm-by-firm help. Bulb customer? I've had many questions from Bulb customers on what all this means for you. Actually it's no different to everyone else, you're on the price cap and you'll go to the new price guarantee rate, so use the calc. Meter reading day's coming - don't panic, not everyone must do it, and it needn't be on the day. With prices rising for most on 1 Oct, unless you've a working smart or prepay meter, it's useful to feed in an updated meter reading around that date to avoid discrepancies over what you used before or after prices rose. A few days before is fine, or grab a reading and most firms let you feed it in, backdated, days later (this saves crashing firms' sites or phone lines, which may impact vulnerable people). See our Firm-by-firm meter reading need-to-knows. Are solar panels now worth it? (Octopus has doubled what it pays.) See our updated Are solar panels worth it? guide to check if they're right for you. (The higher rate is only for those on SEG tariffs, which have been in place for those getting panels after March 2019 - it doesn't impact earlier FIT tariffs, which tended to pay much more.) Business tariffs, park homes, heating oil, LPG, N. Ireland? No updates yet. Nothing has been announced yet, but we're expecting news at least on the new business cap today (Wed). Struggling now? Or want to cut your usage? See our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide, Energy saving tips, the Energy mythbusting guide for less clear-cut issues and our Heat the human not the home guide.

 

The Martin Lewis Money Show Energy Special, Thu 8.30pm, ITV. In a change to the scheduled programme (we've always wanted to write that), Martin's got a special show to help & answer your questions on energy. Do you pay for childcare (including nursery, breakfast or after-school clubs)? 800,000 working families are missing out on 20% off. With children across the country now fully back at school, it's a good time to check if you're missing out on a Government top-up on childcare costs worth up to £2,000 a year. If you've a child under 11, and are paying for nursery, breakfast, after-school clubs or more, see if you're eligible to claim in Tax-Free Childcare. Extra 10% off 'beyond best before' food code, including 9p Mini Cheddars, 23p Coke, 23p Cadbury. MSE Blagged. Approved Food sells already-discounted groceries near or past 'best before' dates (NOT past 'use by' dates, which are about health). Minimum £22.50 spend, delivery's £3+. Approved Food Reminder. Free £175 for switching bank AND up to 3% cashback on bills. Our top pick bank account for bills (or joint bill accounts), Santander's 123 Lite account* costs £2/month but pays 1% to 3% cashback on direct debit household bills paid via it (worth £40-£80/year for medium bills even after the fee), and new switchers get a FREE £175. Our other top pick is First Direct's FREE £175*. No cashback here, but it's our long-term top pick for service (88% rated it 'great' in our last poll), plus it has a 3.5% linked regular saver, and offers many a £250 0% overdraft. Full options, help and crucial eligibility info in Best bank accounts. TWO pairs of designer prescription specs from £25 delivered. MSE Blagged. Includes Aspire, Scout, Levi's, DKNY and more. See Glasses Direct. 10-day warning. Spend or cash out unused packaged holiday credit notes or lose vital protection. If you got a Covid credit note and haven't used it, you need to do so or swap it for cash by Fri 30 Sep or you lose ATOL protection. Full explanation and help in Covid travel vouchers deadline. £137 of Lottie London beauty dupes £29 all-in. MSE Blagged. 20-piece bundle, including 'dupes' for Fenty highlighter, Ciaté lip gloss and more. 2,100 available. Lottie London. Related: Beauty downshift challenge. Claim disability benefits? A £150 cost of living payment is being sent this week. It'll be paid automatically into the account in which you receive your benefits. How to check if you'll get it.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - 10% off code for 'best before' store Ends 28 Sep - 2 pairs of designer prescription specs from £25 Ends 29 Sep - £137 of Lottie London beauty for £29 2,100 available - Grüum shampoo bar £3 (normally £12) 20,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Owe British Gas? Check if you can get a grant of up to £1,500 - Starting (or heading back to) uni? See our student savers

 

 

Cheep pet insurance - including purrfect promos (such as £195 Amazon voucher) comparison sites miss. It'd be barking not to read it With mortgage, rent, energy and food costs soaring, it's easy to cut or forgo something like pet insurance. Yet there is no pet NHS and if your pet needs treatment, it can lead to difficult choices - for example, removing something from a dog's stomach can cost £1,200, and even a small cat wound can be £500. Consider the risk of something happening - and what your choice would be if it did. Our full Cheap pet insurance guide has a litter of tips to keep costs low, but in brief... 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. Compare the deals comparisons don't list to the comparison winners, factoring in the promos and the level of cover, and see which wins. Top deals currently include: - Waggel* via this special link gets £25-£195 Amazon voucher after 90 days, depending on the policy. - ManyPets* offers a £50 Amazon voucher with a cat or dog policy, sent within 30 days. - Biggies Direct Line* and Petplan* don't appear on comparison sites. - 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, chinchillas, lizards etc: Try Exotic Direct*. Add in Sainsbury's Bank and Petplan* for rabbits. BEWARE switching insurance if your pet has a pre-existing condition. This is a tricky part of pet insurance, as most new firms 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, such as 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 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 could 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 you're happy with 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.

 

One month's 'FREE' Paramount+ TV & movie streaming via a bag of crisps. Normally £6.99 a month. For how, see free Paramount+. Find if you're eligible for a free flu jab - or where to get it for £10 if not. See free & cheap flu jabs. Grüum shampoo bar £3 delivered (normally £12). MSE Blagged. Plastic-free alternative to bottled shampoo. 20,000 available. Plus £5 voucher to use on anything you like for your next purchase at Grüum. 'I'm saving £500 a year on broadband after switching to a social tariff.' This week's success of the week comes from Emma. Our broadband comparison includes all the main cheapest tariffs, but we've also a list of cheap social tariffs for those on certain benefits. Emma wrote: "After reading about BT's social tariff, I made one phone call to see if we were eligible, as we're currently receiving universal credit, and got our bill reduced from £65 a month to £21 a month - that's a saving of over £500 a year. We couldn't believe it. Thank you so much." Send us your MoneySaving successes. Get 'PAID' to recycle old clothes, make-up and more. It's National Recycling Week, and there are ways to earn while you do your bit for the environment. Many high street stores offer incentives for recycling their old clothes and beauty containers - from £5 for old clothes, to 'free' MAC lipsticks and more. See recycling rewards round-up.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 34 months 0%, 2.88% or 3.88% fee (21.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 22 months 0%, no or 1% fee (21.9% rep APR) or NatWest - 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR) Best bank accounts £175 to switch + TOP service: First Direct £175 to switch + 1-3% bills cashback (£2/month fee): Santander £175 to switch + £3/month cashback: NatWest/RBS Top savings accounts Top easy-access: Zopa 1.85%, min £1, app only Top one-year fix: Castle Trust Bank 3.47%, min £1,000 Car insurance Try our new MSE Car Insurance Compare+ tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Cahoot (check eligibility / apply*) or Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*), both 3.9% rep APR  Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: RateSetter 'from' 2.8% APR (apply via eligibility calculator) or Cahoot 3.1% rep APR (check eligibility / apply*) Broadband top picks Standard (10Mb+): Shell Energy '£14.25/month' Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.50/month' Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Vodafone '£16.80/month' On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.68/month' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.95/month' for 5GB 10GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.67/month' for 15GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How do you pay for your energy bills? With so much happening with energy at the moment (see Martin's latest update), we want you to know how you pay for your energy (for example, by direct debit, prepayment meter), as this'll help us with the campaigning work we're doing. Half of MoneySavers say the school uniform they buy for their children must be branded from a specific supplier (other than shirts, trousers or skirts). A couple of weeks back, we asked how many of you with school-age children are allowed to buy them cheap uniforms. More than 2,000 people responded - with the majority (49%) made to buy most uniform from a set supplier. Just over one in 10 (14%) said they could buy an entire uniform from the supermarket or other cheaper suppliers. See the full poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Amazon Classic or Platinum cardholder? Your card will stop working sooner than expected - Open letter urges Government to increase disability benefits and widen eligibility criteria - Rent and rail fares frozen across Scotland - what you need to know - Boots 'everyday' range launches, with some items costing £1.50 - KFC becomes the latest to offer a fast food loyalty scheme - is it worth signing up?

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I tell my lodger he's using too much water and energy or increase his rent? I let my spare room, with the rent including household bills as it makes life easier. However, my current lodger uses an insane amount of water - he takes 45-minute showers, and leaves the tap running when he's doing the dishes or shaving. I've left out a washing up bowl and plugs for him, but he hasn't taken the hint. As well as being wasteful, given the energy price rises (it's hot water he's using), it's becoming a financial issue too. Do I tell him to use less or should I put the rent up? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I tell my lodger he's using too much water and energy or increase his rent? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 21 SEP ONWARDS) Wed 21 Sep - Guest-presenting Good Morning Britain, ITV, from 6am Wed 21 Sep - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.30am Wed 21 Sep - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm. Listen again Thu 22 Sep - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV, 8.30pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC) Mon 26 Sep - BBC Radio CWR, Breakfast with Phil Upton and MSE's Gary Caffell, from 7.45am Tue 27 Sep - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

 

COSMETICS, NUTELLA & KNORR SAUCE... WHAT BARGAINS DO YOU STOCK UP ON ABROAD? That's all for this week, but before we go... following Martin's summer update to his Get cheaper Zara clothing abroad blog, we asked Forumites what bargains they bag on their hols. Cosmetics were popular - one mentioned the Le Petit Marseillais range in France that makes handwash and shower gels for a few euros, far cheaper than on Amazon, while another Forumite buys moisturisers that cost £6+ online for under £1 in India. Stocking up on cheap Nutella in France was also popular, as was buying Knorr sauce packets from Germany, which apparently taste a lot nicer than our version. Add your own and read more in the What bargains do you stock up on when you go abroad? MSE Forum discussion. We hope you save some money, stay safe, The MSE team

 

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