Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Hot £185 M&S b'band deal, PPI 2nd chance, Vax 60% secret sale, freebies: Benefit, perfume & sweets, Sky 50% code, 32mth 0% debt shift, celeb cook books £4

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Martin Lewis

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Cutting your costs, fighting your corner Martin's Money Tips wed 3 sep 2014
Cards Reclaim Shopping Deals Utilities Banking Travel Insurance Mortgages Income

This week

Financial ed on national curriculum
Banks to re-open 2.5m PPI cases
New 32mth 0% debt & cash shift
5 car insurance renewal tricks
Student loan interest cut for 1,000s
WOW. Pay £184.80 for b'band and line rent get £185 M&S vouchers
60% off Vax with secret password
FREEBIES: English dictionary, £10 perfume, Benefit eyeliner & sweets
Sky TV 50% off code
Free visits to 4,500 Heritage sites
Hotpoint 30% clearance code
£80 pearl jewellery set £14.50
Cheap celeb cookbooks Nigella £7, Nigel £4, Paul £7
£125 M&S vch bank acc bonus
£98 BareMinerals set £36 code
"I helped mum reclaim £1,554 in packaged account fees"
CODES: 40% off Body Shop, 25% off Dotty Perkins, 20% off Kurt Geiger
Hidden Pontins half-term discounts
Free £12 Homebuilding show tix
We're recruiting: MSE press officer
Vouchers Index: Restaurants / Shopping
Best Buys: 0% cards | Car insurance
Best Buys: Gas & Elec | Bank Accs
Difficult to switch b'band/TV/phone?

MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter

Back from hols - 10 things you need to sort
From flight delays to free photo prints & what to do with spare currency

The holidays are over, the schools are back. But if you've recently returned, some simple checks could save you £100s. Here's my post-holiday checklist (and if you've got the back-to-work blues, some will help you next year too).

1. Flight delayed by over 3hrs this summer (or any time since 2008)? EU regulation 261/2004 means you're entitled to £200-£480 per person, regardless of the cost of the trip, even for flights from 2008, if it:

- Was an EU flight - ie, any from an EU airport or to one if an EU airline.
- Arrived over 3 hours late (or was cancelled, though slightly different rules).
- Was the airline's fault, which covers almost anything barring extraordinary circumstances such as air-traffic strikes, bad weather & volcanoes.

Free templates, help and what to do about airline excuses (eg, "there's a court case") in our Flight Delays Compensation guide, as used by Pat: "Read your site & contacted Etihad about our 14.5hr delay from Heathrow to Sri Lanka in 2011. We received a total of £2,010 between four of us... great"
2. Print 405 holiday snaps for 'free'. Come back with a camera full of unforgettable pics? Many online developing firms offer 40-100 prints free for newbies, though you pay 99p to £3 for delivery.

Total up all the free print deals and you can actually get 405 free ones. You'll see them listed in our Free Photo Prints Finder. For example Boots* offers 40 6"x4" for 99p delivery or Jessops* gives 100 6"x4" for £2.25 delivery using the code MSEJP100. Other photo print deals incl...

- Picanova newbies can get an A2ish photo canvas £15 (normally £63).
- Anyone can get 100-page photo book £19 (usually £80) from Bonusprint.
3. holiday checklistHot end-of-season sales on swimwear, hats & shorts. Retailers are looking to shift summer stock, so bag next year's clobber (if you need new stuff - not just for the sake of it) now. See our pick of up to 75% off summer sales bargains, which includes the likes of Asos, Debenhams and M&S.
   
4. Shocked by bank/card currency charges on your statement? Fight back. My dad called me outraged at the 'new' foreign exchange charges on his bank statement for using his card abroad - nearly £50 in total. Yet banks & credit card providers have always levied these (and I've always nagged him to sort it, but he's my father, he'll never listen to me, I hope you will).

The shock comes from the fact banks have now been forced to split charges out on statements, not hide them in the exchange rate. Most debit & credit cards add 3% loads, so £100-worth of euros costs you £100 + £3 charge.

Instead grab a specialist load-free credit card just for spending abroad as they give near-perfect, bureaux-beating rates every time, in every country.

Top pick: Halifax Clarity* (free eligibility check) due to low ATM charges too.
Poor credit top pick: Aqua Reward* (free eligibility check) also 0.5% cashback.
Also good:
Saga* (over-50s), Post Office* & Select* (Nationwide custs ONLY).

Yet always repay IN FULL each month or the interest dwarves the gain. These cards have rep APRs of 12.9%, 34.9%, 11.9%, 17.8% and 15.9% respectively. Full info & help in Cheap Travel Cards (APR Examples).
   
5. Check the PAO number on suncream before throwing it away. The 'period after opening' (PAO) number will be on the bottle - many are safe to use up to 18 months later, provided they're stored right. For more, see 50+ Overseas Travel Tips.
6. Check ASAP when your annual travel insurance ends - get it from £13. Many people's policies end around the summer. If so, and you've another trip already booked, that means you're not covered if it's cancelled or you get a medical condition meanwhile. So sort another annual policy now.

For all the cheapest and full help, see Cheap Travel Insurance. For quick reference here are the current cheapest deals (meeting our min cover level):

- Cheapest annual policies. HolidaySafe (Lite)* and Coverwise* are the cheapest depending on your age at £13-£19 in Europe (£23-£28 world) and £27-£38 for a family (£46-£56 world). For more options inc winter sports see Cheapest Annual Travel Insurance.

- Over-65, or pre-existing conditions. Here, it's all about the right specialist. Full help in Over-65s Travel Insurance & Pre-Existing Conditions.
   
7. Stung by hefty insurance when picking up your hire car? Let me guess, you booked cheap car hire, turned up and they fear-sold you into paying 10 euros a day extra for car hire excess insurance. It happens all the time.

The way round it is to get a standalone policy before you go (you can even get an annual policy to cover the whole year's hire). To find the cheapest, use Moneymaxim*. Full help on cutting costs in Cheap Car Hire.
   
8. Got Euros, dollars or even colón left over from the summer? Changing currency back is very expensive, especially for small amounts. So if it's a country you'll revisit even in a couple of years, it's likely best to hold onto it, eg, put it in your overseas wallet (yes, I'm that nerdy). If not:

- Use our Travel Money Max Buy back comparison to find the best rates.
- Find a friend/colleague who's going where you went, and offer to exchange with them. If you pick the top Travel Money (not buyback) rate from TravelMoneyMax then you both win.
9. Run up card debts on your holiday which you can't pay off in full? It's never a good idea, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. If you can't clear the debt this month and you're paying hefty interest, then ensure you do a balance transfer to slash the cost, so more of your repayments clear the actual debt not just service the interest.

Scroll down for balance transfer best buys.
10. Check your passport and EHIC sell-by dates now. Thousands were hit by passport office delays this year, causing some to miss their breaks. If your passport's nearly at renewal, do it now while you've plenty of time.

While you're at it, check the 'valid by' date on your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - if it goes before your next holiday renew it now.

The big rule for renewing though is DON'T GOOGLE - for both these, imposter sites unnecessarily charge you more than you should pay. Instead use our Passport Renewal and Free EHIC guides for how to do it safely.

Blagged for MoneySavers

Did you miss?

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Claims handlers aren't more successful.
Free help & templates: Reclaim PPI

MSE News

Top story: Two and a half million PPI complaints to be reopened
Amazon credit card user? You can't earn loyalty points from October
TSB Enhance rates are to be slashed: Consider switching now
RBS fined £14.5m over mtg advice
Payday loan debt problems soar
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Use the Money Mantras If you're skint If you're not skint
The Ones Not To Miss Wed 3 Sep 2014

First, HOORAH! Financial education joins the national curriculum in England this week. As we've campaigned hard for this, I (Martin) wanted to help the teachers who need to deliver it, so here's a New: teachers fin ed Q&A to help with lessons. Plus play the Good Debt Bad Debt Game with classes/at home. Print the teen cash class or see full financial ed resources.

2.5m PPI claims reopened - were you rejected unfairly?
Yet again banks' knuckles have been rapped. You may be owed more money. Here's what you need to know...

Since 2007 MSE's been at the forefront of reclaiming mis-sold PPI insurance for loans, credit cards & more, with over 5.5m template letters downloaded, getting billions back for people. Yet as we've oft warned, many claims are wrongly rejected...

  • Reclaim PPIDid you try to reclaim mis-sold PPI in 2012/13? Banks & card providers have been regulator-slapped for wrongly turning down & underpaying claims. Providers incl Lloyds, Barclays and likely MBNA & Nationwide have agreed to review 2.5m reclaims from 2012/13. People who didn't go to the Ombudsman (as we always suggest) after unfair rejections are most likely affected. Full story in 2.5m PPI claims to be reviewed.
  • What do I need do? Providers won't tell you if they're reviewing your case, only if they think the outcome was wrong. So if you were unfairly rejected/underpaid, if it's within six months take it to the Ombudsman (see Financial Ombudsman for help). If longer, then resubmit your claim.
  • Millions more still owed - don't assume "it can't be me". Even if you said no to PPI, it may've been added without permission. If you've had a loan, credit card, or even overdraft in the last 10yrs you may've been mis-sold PPI - people were lied to, mis-sold & given it when they shouldn't have been. Check. As Gary recently emailed us:

    "Hi Martin & all at MSE Towers, I've had the best news of my life so far. I've lived with a cloud of debt since my early 20s. Though I had no details of loan or PPI reference numbers, my bank provided them over the phone. Then two weeks after claiming, they offered me £21,934. I'm still in shock. This will enable me to finally free myself of debt."

    And you don't need pay a company to do it. For full step-by-step help & templates see Reclaim PPI for free.

WOW Line rent & b'band £184.80 over a year (£15.40/mth) but get £185 M&S vchs.  MSE Blagged. Starts Fri for 6 days. We've blagged that Sky newbies signing up to pay £15.40/mth for line rent on a 12mth contract (so £184.80 over the year excl call costs) get £185 of M&S vouchers for doing so. If you'd have spent that at M&S anyway, factor it in and staggeringly, you're 20p UP. Full details, pros, cons & exclusions in Hot b'band deal.

Special Vax password gets up to 60% off six vacuums for 24hrs. MSE Blagged. Eg, cylinder cleaners £45 (was £80). Vax discount

FREEBIES: Benefit eyeliner, £3 foundation, Collins dictionary, Sweeties & more...
Benefit mini eyeliner trade in for old eyeliner | BareMinerals £3ish foundation via Facebook | Collins dictionary for O2 users
£2 Fruit Factory sweets Facebook vch then go to Asda | £10 perfume for O2 users. See all Hot bargains.

Sky newbie code - gets 50% off TV, free broadband (if you pay line rent), £25 Tesco vch. MSE Blagged. Sky newbies (ie, if you've not had it in 12mths) can get 50% off all TV packages (excl HD upgrade). Plus you can claim a £25 Tesco/M&S voucher, and if you take its £15.40/mth line rent for a year you get free b'band too. Full info: Sky Codes

New 32mth 0% debt shift - also lets you pay 0% cash into your bank
Not only designed to cut existing credit card debt costs, it also lets you 'money transfer' to cut loan costs

A balance transfer is when you get a new card that repays debts on old card(s) for you, so you owe it instead at a cheaper rate. The market's ferociously competitive, so lenders want an edge - MBNA's improved deal offers something different...

  • 32mth 0% balance transfers AND money transfers. The MBNA Platinum* (free eligibility check), which lets accepted new cardholders shift credit card debt to it interest-free for 32mths, has cut its fee to 2.69% (was 2.88% with a £3 min) of the amount shifted. That makes it one of the best long 0% balance transfer cards around.

    Yet it's unique in our top picks for allowing money transfers where it pays cash directly into your bank account, and you then owe the card for this at 32mths 0% too - though here the fee is 4%. This cash can then be used to repay overdrafts or other debts (or can act as a loan - just ensure you're disciplined when it comes to repaying it).
HOW IT COMPARES - TOP NEW CARDHOLDER BALANCE TRANSFER DEALS
Aim for the lowest fee possible, provided you're sure you can repay in that time.
Card Intro offer One-off fee (1) Representative APR after Will I get this card?
Barclaycard* Longest 0% balance transfer 33mths 0% (2) 2.89% 18.9% Check eligibility
Halifax* Longest if you've already a Barclaycard 32mths 0% (2) 2.65% 18.9% Check eligibility
MBNA* Can also pay cash into your bank 32mths 0% 2.69% (3) 20.9% (4) Check eligibility
Lloyds Good combo long and low fee 28mths 0% 1.5% 18.9% Check N/A
Halifax* Get 15mths 0% on spending too 15mths 0% 0.8% 17.9% Check eligibility
Tesco* Only no-fee deal 10mths 0% None 18.9% Check N/A
Cap One Balance* Poor credit scorers 0% until Mar 2015 3% 34.9% Check eligibility
FULL INFO: Best Balance Transfers (APR Examples) 1) % of the amount transferred. 2) Some get a shorter 0%.
3) £3 min and fee is 4% on money transfers. 4) 22.9% interest rate on money transfers
  • Will you get these cards? The only way to know is by applying. Yet that leaves a mark on your file, which can hit your credit score. So we've put links to our free eligibility checker above which tells you what your odds of getting each card are to hone your application or see all cards together via the Balance Transfer Cards Eligibility Checker.
  • The golden rules. a) Repay at least the set monthly minimum, or you may lose the 0%. b) Aim to clear the debt or shift again before the 0% ends, or rates rocket. c) Money transfers are complex and rare, if you're unsure then please read the money transfers guide d) Don't spend on these, it isn't usually at the cheap rate. e) To help decide, see our Which Card's Cheapest? tool. Full info in Best Balance Transfers.

FREE visit to 4,500 hidden property gems. Thu 11 - Sun 14 Sept, many usually-closed or fee-charging English buildings open free to the public. Incl Nenthead mines, BBC Bristol, Beatrix Potter's house. Check free Heritage Open Days.

Hotpoint/Indesit large appliance clearance - 30% off code. MSE Blagged. 30% off its white goods online clearance store, incl cookers, fridges, washing machines (all come with parts & labour 1-year warranty). Incl oven for £175 (was £250, next cheapest £235), dishwasher for £233 (was £333, next cheapest £298). See Hotpoint.

£80 pearl set £14.50 delivered. MSE Blagged. Incl necklace, earrings & bracelet. When it last ran in May, it was v. popular - this time it's a bigger discount & more stock (still limited though). Poss Xmas gift. Take a look. John Greed deals

Cheap celeb cook books incl Nigella £7, Nigel Slater £4 & Paul Hollywood £7. Eg, Nigellissima £7 (next cheapest £15, RRP £26), Paul Hollywood's Bread £7 (nxt cheapest £13, RRP £19). Free del on £10+ orders. Cook Off

5 tricks to slash car insurance renewal costs
September's the big car insurance renewal month - after all, it's when many people buy or have bought new cars

Car insurance prices are down 19% in the past year, but at renewal many insurers try and bump up the price. There's no one cheapest provider but savings following our full Cheapest Car Insurance system can be huge, as Surly Dev tweeted us "Just renewed car Insurance & saved £1,232 by adding parents, changing supplier, & paying annually not monthly". In short...

  1. Car InsuranceDon't use one comparison site - combine them. Different comparison sites search different insurers, so use a few. Our assessment this month shows our order is 1) MoneySupermarket*, 2) Gocompare*, 3) Confused* and 4) Compare TM*.

    Extra tip: Open sites in a few browser tabs and fill them in at the same time by copying & pasting info (to copy, highlight the text & press CTRL 'C'; to paste press CTRL 'V')
  2. Yet always check against the big deals they miss... These include the big providers not on comparison sites - Aviva*, Direct Line* & Zurich. Plus there are special deals (though as there's high demand there are fewer of these than normal) - eg, get Admiral* MultiCar insurance via this link and you get a £35 Amazon voucher within 14 days.
  3. More than one car? Check multi-car policies. Comparison sites don't incorporate discounts for more than one car, so you need to do it manually. Admiral MultiCar* gives up to 25% off plus a £35 Amazon vch. Also check Churchill*, Direct Line* & Privilege*, which give discounts on linked policies. While this doesn't win for all, as forumite BoredwithbeingIgnored shows, it's worth checking, "Used a multi-car policy & our insurance dropped to £500."
  4. Adding a responsible 2nd driver. Bizarrely, adding more drivers to your policy can cut costs, especially for younger drivers, as it lowers the risk average. Use trial & error, as MazzyB tweeted Martin, "Took your advice & added my mum to my insurance & saved £500 #mumstheword." Find out how to max this in Adding a 2nd driver.
  5. Don't assume 3rd party is cheapest. Funnily enough, just selecting comprehensive means some insurers see you as a lower risk - and the savings from that can outweigh the extra cost of fuller cover, sometimes making comprehensive cheaper. There's no hard and fast rule so check both. See more Car insurance cost cutting tips.

Free M&S £125 gift card if you switch to its bank account. Until end Oct switch to M&S Bank* via this link and you'll get £125 gift card (norm £100), it also has a £100 0% overdraft. OR Free £100 cash and top service. First Direct's* won every bank service poll we've ever done, 92% rate it 'great'. It gives switchers £100, plus a £250 0% overdraft and linked 6% regular savings. Full eligibility details & other options in Top Bank Accounts.

£98 BareMinerals make-up £36 with code. MSE Blagged. This 7-item make-up set has £98 worth of stuff in it (if bought separately). It usually costs £60 but is on sale at £48 and we've a code to reduce that to £36. See BareMinerals .


Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Balance Transfers Car Insurance Cheap Loans Top Cash ISAs
Longest 0%: Barclaycard*
33mths 0%, 2.89% fee

(18.9% rep APR)

Low fee 0%: Lloyds
28mths 0%, 1.5% fee

(18.9% rep APR)
Get quotes in this order...

MoneySupermarket*
Gocompare*
Direct Line*
Aviva*
Admiral MultiCar*

Sainsbury's* (£5k - £7.5k)
5.3% rep APR



Sainsbury's* (£7.5k - £15k)
4% rep APR


BM Savings* 1.55% AER
Min £1, incl bonus
Postal. Transfers allowed


Coventry BS 2.75% AER
Min £1. No transfers
Loophole: Fixed till May 2018


See Card APR Examples & Loan APR Examples

Success of the week: (Send us yours on this or any topic)
"My 78-yr-old mum wasn't aware she was paying for an unsuitable packaged account [a monthly fee account] - I appealed charges. The result was a full refund, plus 8% interest – £1,554. Thanks."
Think you may've been mis-sold? See our Reclaim Packaged Bank Accounts guide with tips & templates.

CODES: Body Shop 40% off, Dorothy Perkins 25% off, Kurt Geiger 20% off etc...
Body Shop 40% off code & in-store | Dorothy Perkins 25% off code & vch | Kurt Geiger 20% off code | Discount Vouchers

Hidden Pontins discount (inc half term) eg 3nts £79-£109, 7nts £159/£269. MSE Blagged. A special link gives you, well, special prices at 4 Pontins (based on 4 self-catering). Must book by 15 Sep for selected Oct dates. Pontins

Student loan interest cut for 100,000s - should you pay it off?
Got an outstanding student loan? The start of the academic year means all change for interest rates

Every 1 Sept student loan interest rates change based on the prior March's RPI inflation rate, which dropped from 3.3% in 2013 to 2.5% in 2014. Yet what happens in practice depends on what year you started university...

  • Student loansStarted pre-1998 - was 3.3%, now 2.5%. The interest rate strictly follows inflation. Yet the threshold at which you start repaying's dropped from £28,775 to £26,727 as 'ONS data showing a drop in predicted avg income' (see MSE news). Outstanding loans: 300,000.
  • Started 1998-2011 - was 1.5%, still 1.5%. The interest here is set at the LOWER of 'March's RPI inflation' OR 'the UK base rate (currently 0.5%) + 1%'. So you'll still pay 1.5%, though if the base rate rises rapidly the interest rate is now capped at 2.5% (was 3.3%). Outstanding loans: 3.9m.
  • Current students - was 6.3%, now 5.5%. Here the rate while studying is set at March's RPI + 3%. While 5.5% is high, it's worth considering that as you don't repay unless earning over £21,000 and only for 30 years, many won't pay back the full amount borrowed - see Student loans are interest-free for many.
  • Should you pay it off early if you've savings? For most the answer is a very clear NO. Read a full breakdown in Should I pay off my student loan?. Here's a brief summary of the three key points:

    1. Repay other debts before student loans.
    They usually cost more and unlike student loans if your income drops you still have to repay.
    2. Will you need future borrowing inc mortgage.
    If so then overpaying your student loan will only mean borrowing back later at a higher rate with worse terms - better just to plop it in savings.
    3. You can earn more saving it.
    For 1998-2011 starters, your debt costs you 1.5% - but you can earn more saving. Eg, Santander 123 gives 2.4% after basic tax. See the 5% Savings Loophole for how to get the very best rate.

5,000 free pairs London Homebuilding Show tix (usually £12 each). 26-28 Sept, Olympia, London. Free tix

MSE is looking for a press officer - job opportunity. We're looking for a press officer with a few years' experience to help spread our MoneySaving mantras, London-based. See MSE Job Opportunities.


Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Gas & Electricity Bank Accounts Home Insurance Landlines
Get constantly cheap energy.

Our club ensures you're always on the cheapest tariff.

Join free: Cheap Energy Club

Up to £30 cashback for dual fuel, £15 for single switches.

First Direct*
£100 bonus and top cust service


Santander 123*
Up to 3% cashback on bills

(£2 per month fee)
Get quotes in this order...

Confused.com*
Compare The Market*
Direct Line*
Aviva*

Post Office*
with weekend calls
£10/mth (pay a yr upfront)



TalkTalk Value Line Rental*
£14.35/mth (pay a yr upfront)
Do a Money Makeover Budget Planner MSE car sticker £13 Travel Insurance

Restaurant vouchers

Discount vouchers

Top deals

The Moneysaving community
The MoneySaving Community

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
How easy is it to switch a broadband, TV or phone package?
When did you last switch and how did it go? The communications regulator, Ofcom, wants to know more so it can make improvements. See the MSE forum for more info and email Ofcom by Tue 30 Sept.

MSE Charity community grant applications. The latest funding round for charities and groups involved with financial and consumer education projects opened on 1 Sept. Only the first 40 applications that meet the criteria are considered and those with an annual income below £500,000 will get priority. Full info at The MSE Charity. Related: MSE's Charity Fund, How This Site's Financed

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
I'm using my gym for free - should I own up?

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I cancelled my gym membership in March because it was too expensive. But last month I tried to get in and I've now managed to use it several times for free. Should I keep schtum and keep using it? Or own up and start paying again? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay for the gym? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs

THE GREAT HUNT
What are you best money tips for newlyweds?
Wedding season is nearly over and we want your top money tips for those who've just tied the knot. Whether you've been married for decades, or you're just a few years down the line, share your financial gems for a financially happy marriage. Share yours/read others': Top tips for newlyweds Past topics: View all

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Jet2 Offer: 20% off all flights Ends: Tue 9 Sept
Our pick this week is Jet2's* 20% off all flights sale which ends Tue 9 Sept. Each passenger gets 20% off the cost of any flight (excluding some charges and extras) until 15 Nov 2015. It flies from eight UK airports to over 60 European destinations. There is no code to enter, the discount appears automatically. Excludes group bookings (10+ people). Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance

THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED
How to bake for less

The Great British Bake Off is heating up so we asked MoneySavers for their best baking bargains. Top suggestions included using own-brand ingredients,
substituting eggs, perfecting culinary techniques & finding budget equipment.

Quick forum tips

Freebie of the week

Martin's blogs

Martin's appearances

4 Sep
Good Morning Britain, ITV, 7.40am.
Deals of the Week
4 Sep
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5 Live, 12pm-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Subscribe to podcast.
8 Sep
This Morning, ITV, 11am-12pm.
Student finance and freebies

MSE team corner

Discussion of the week

The things kids say

As the funniest things often come from the mouths of little ones, forumites have shared their amusing stories in the Things they say thread. Join the discussion and share the classics lines your children have entertained you with.

Cheap travel money

UK's Best Currency Rates
£100 will buy you:
Best Worst
Euro Flag 124.86 112.20
US Flag $ 163.80 147.32
Turkish Flag TL 347.05 312.30
Rates correct at 4pm Tue
Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash

This week's poll: Do you still print photos?

'Selfies', holiday snaps, and even 'ussies' are posted on social media quicker than you can say, "cheese", but have you fallen out of favour with the local photo developer? Do you tend to hoard your images on your phone or computer, or do you get them printed on a regular basis?

Please select ONE option CLOSEST to your views.

Poll results

Can you haggle on the high street?
Back-street bazaars aren't the only places you can haggle in. Here's some inspiration for those who've never haggled.

- 33% of those who tried got big discounts at Wilko.
- 30% at M&S & River Island.
- 80% got a discount at Homebase.
- 71% got a discount at B&Q, Currys/PC World, Matalan & Wickes.

1,399 voted. See the full results.

Question of the week

Q. Can I have broadband without having a telephone? Allan, via email.

MSE Nick's A: Yes, it's possible. The easiest way to do it is with a mobile broadband contract, which works through a provider's 3G or 4G signal like your mobile phone. However, mobile broadband isn't as reliable as traditional broadband and doesn't usually offer the same kind of speeds (see our Mobile Broadband guide for the best deals).

Some providers offer broadband-only deals for your home with no phone line, however these are few and far between and more importantly come with a high price tag. It's actually far cheaper to get a cheap broadband deal with a line. For example, Virgin's broadband-only deal costs £26.50/month (plus £49.95 for installation), yet the cheapest unlimited broadband and line rental deals start from £13.50/month and some promos even cheaper. See our Cheap Broadband guide for full details and all the available options.

Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails).

 Charlotte's free game of the week: Abductor

Martin literally turns the ice bucket challenge on its head

We were challenged as a site by MoneySupermarket, TSB and Martin himself by a naked Spencer Kelly from BBC Click (don't ask). See Martin turns the Ice Bucket Challenge on its head and throws the gauntlet to Npower, Erudio and Barclays.

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What is MoneySavingExpert.com?

Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 9 million people getting this email and nearly 13m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half 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 set up and runs MSE, and still writes this email each week (unless it says so). He's an ultra-focused money-saving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own ITV prime-time The Martin Lewis Money Show, weekly slots on Radio 5 Live, This Morning and Good Morning Britain, amongst others. He’s a columnist for publications including the Telegraph and Woman magazine. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography

What do the links with a * mean?

Any links with a * 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 product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. 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

bootsphoto.com, photoprintit.com, debenhams.com, asos.com, marksandspencer.com, halifax.co.uk, aquacard.co.uk, saga.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, holidaysafe.co.uk, coverwise.co.uk, moneymaxim.co.uk, mbna.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, halifax.co.uk, tescobank.com, capitalone.co.uk, hsbc.co.uk, firstdirect.com, moneysupermarket.com, gocompare.com, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, aviva.co.uk, directline.com, admiral.com, privilege.com, bmsavings.co.uk, sainsburysbank.co.uk, firstdirect.com, talktalk.co.uk.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note

Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances constitute an FCA regulated activity. For this reason, pages with links which take you to the sites of insurers or insurance intermediaries are hosted by MoneySavingExpert.com Limited on behalf of MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC. 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 is MoneySupermarket House, St. David’s Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ.

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