Tuesday, June 16, 2020

£320 off EDF, odd self-employ rule, £1 Next, Prem League hacks, 3m excluded

Plus.... urgent 0%, school trip refunds, cycling savers, cheap dog food
                                                           
17 June 2020 Email not looking great? View online
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Martin's coronavirus update

15 NEW need-to-knows incl: 
Bizarre self-employ rule | Quick no-fee 0% debt shift | Part-time furlough | School trip refunds? | Shop return rights being cut | Are you one of '3m' excluded from help? | Holiday Extras U-turn | Kids going to uni?
 

We are amid a health earthquake, yet the worry is we will see a possibly even more devastating financial aftershock. With rapid economic decline, and unemployment levels likely to rise maybe even higher than in the early '80s, there are huge challenges on individuals and society.

Compassion, forbearance and mutual support need to be the bedrocks that keep us together. We must understand our politicians can't get everything right, but in return they must listen. Bravo to Marcus Rashford for making that happen, with 'free' school meals continuing during the summer - but sadly those excluded from financial support still need to continue their battle (see below).

Of course, the key here is the practicals. All my new info is below and, as always, it'll be added to the huge weight of info in our constantly updated guides...

Coronavirus employees' help, incl furloughing rights
Coronavirus self-employed & small ltd co help, incl income scheme
Coronavirus finance & bills help, incl mortgages, energy & TV
Coronavirus travel rights, incl refunds & insurance
Coronavirus life in lockdown, incl MOTs, food & entertainment
Coronavirus financial FAQs, commonly asked Q&As


As always, while we strive for 100% accuracy, please give us just a touch of wriggle room - things are changing all the time.

The 15 NEW coronavirus financial NEED-TO-KNOWS

1) Bizarre new second SELF-EMPLOYMENT grant rule - it's now only for businesses affected by Covid-19 on or after 14 Jul. On Fri, we got the guidance for the coronavirus self-employment income support grant 2 due in Aug. Most was as flagged, but then we spotted: "You will have to confirm your business has been adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020." So we've been digging into it.

To recap, as the Govt says, this second grant is for '70% of your avg monthly trading profits, paid in a single instalment covering a further 3mths' worth of profits, capped at £6,570 in total.' Disappointingly for many excluded from the first grant, this has the same eligibility criteria, so if you were ineligible for that, you are ineligible for this.

As the Govt's own press release from 26 Mar stated: "The income support scheme... will cover the three months to May," ie, Mar, Apr and May. Logic (and basic counting) therefore suggests the second 3mth grant covers Jun, Jul and Aug.

So it's very strange to read the new rule that says you have to declare your business was impacted after mid-Jul, and unfair on businesses heavily impacted in Jun and recovered by then.

Having spoken to HMRC, apparently the grants don't [now?] relate to a specific 3mth time period, they are just grants [though based on 3mths of trading profits].

The rules are simple. The first grant is for those whose 'business was impacted by Covid-19 before 13 Jul' and the second, which comes in Aug, for those 'impacted by Covid-19 on or after 14 Jul'. If impacted before and after those dates, you are due both.

So the new rules are clear. But the implication and message this sends is as clear as mud. If, as the Govt announced, the first '3mth' grant covered Mar, Apr and May, but also now sort-of Jun and half of Jul, what does the second '3mth' grant cover?

Though as there's no closing date for applications (yet), some who've been fine until, say, Sept may be able to claim then.

What counts as being impacted by Covid-19? It's obvious things such as a) you or your staff have been unable to work due to it, b) you can't access your usual place of work, and c) your revenue has been negatively impacted. And it's simple - either there's been an impact, even a small one, in which case you're due the whole grant, or there hasn't.

If you haven't applied for the first grant as you were worried, but now realise you are eligible, use the HMRC eligibility checker. Remember, you CAN claim this if you're working.

2) Warning. Got credit card debts? NO-FEE 0% balance transfers disappearing - act ASAP.  The balance transfer market's been all over the place during the pandemic. The latest trend is the disappearance of no-fee deals. The only decent one left that's open-to-all is Santander's 18mth 0% NO FEE card (at its request, the link goes via our eligibility calc, which shows your acceptance chance).

A balance transfer's when you get a new card that pays off old cards for you - so you owe the new card instead, but at 0% interest. This means all your repayments clear the actual debt.

If you can repay the card within 18mths, no-fee is the winner as there's no cost whatsoever. Apart from Santander, there's RBS/NatWest 20mth 0% cards, but you need to be an existing banking cust to get one. After those, the next best's just 5mths 0%. The field hasn't been this poor for a long time, and it could get worse.

Need longer to clear the debt? If you're unsure how long you need, play safe, go long. The longest is TSB's 30mth 0% with a one-off 2.95% fee* (of the amount you transfer). Full info and more options in our Top Balance Transfers guide.

Follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules:
a) Clear the debt or shift it before the 0% ends, or you pay the rep APRs: Santander's 18.9%, NatWest/RBS and TSB's 19.9% (APR Examples).
b) Never miss the min monthly repayment or you can lose the 0%.
c) Don't spend on it/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate.

If you're struggling to repay, check out credit card payment holidays, though only do it in an emergency as the interest still racks up.

3) Part-time furlough will be totally flexible. On Fri, the Treasury released its detailed guidance for the new 'furlough and work' option, starting on 1 Jul. This means people no longer need stay on furlough full-time.

There were few surprises. As predicted, the guidance states: "Employers can bring furloughed employees back to work for any amount of time and any work pattern". So someone normally on 40hrs could technically be brought back for 39hrs one week, and get furlough pay for the rest, then 5hrs the next week. Also, see how much you'll be paid for working.

4) Coming next week - what's the best NEW travel insurance? Many of you are asking about getting travel insurance for future travel - it's tricky at the moment, so we're still researching. We hope we'll be able to find something reasonable. Details, if we can, next week.

5) Returning something bought before lockdown? Go QUICK.  Many retailers generously extended their refund policies, so you wouldn't miss out while they were closed. However, most retailers are restarting the clock from their reopening dates, eg, with John Lewis, you've 35 days from when that store reopens to return. See retailer-by-retailer returns policies.

6) Are you one of the up to 3m EXCLUDED from support?
 

When the Chancellor first launched the coronavirus financial support schemes, they were rightly lauded for protecting millions of people's jobs and incomes. At the time, I said in one interview: "I'd give it an A grade, but what'd really count is how they will help those who'd fallen through the cracks."

Now those cracks are fissures. Many are without help, including those who've changed jobs, started a business in the last 18mths, are on freelance PAYE, are limited company directors, work for agencies, are shielding, or just had employers who didn't care. So that grade has degraded. 

No. 10 has repeatedly turned down our request for a journalistic question slot at the press briefings, which I'd have used to ask about this. So thanks to Andrew Marr who, unprompted, raised it on his show on Sunday, in my name, with the Chancellor. The clip's below...

 

Rishi Sunak's answer sadly manages down any expectation of change. So if you're one of the up to 3m people in this situation, while you can hope for the best, I'd suggest you also plan for the worst (use the support list below).

As Rishi Sunak 'quibbled' with my number of 3m, I've therefore politely asked the Chancellor to research the exact number.

PS: And a plug for the new Excluded UK support group, set up by 3 people impacted, to try to give a coordinated voice to those missing out and a way of raising awareness.


7) Owed £100s for cancelled school trips? We've heard from many parents whose children have had school trips, via firms such as PGL and NST, cancelled and are still waiting for refunds. We've full details in our school trips cancelled help guide, but this is a difficult issue and answers aren't clear-cut. Here's a brief summary...

Legally, as with all purchases, your rights are with whoever you paid. If you paid the school, the school owes you money. Yet many schools are struggling to chase full refunds from the firms themselves. 

We spoke to PGL to ask why it is charging schools cancellation fees, only giving 70%-ish back and telling schools to claim on their insurance, if they have it, for the rest. It argues its sales don't fall under consumer law, it's selling to schools as a business-to-business product and that as the Govt said 'no school trips' and therefore schools had to cancel, this is 'deemed disinclination to travel'.

While morally I don't like this, it's a legal, not a moral, question - so schools will likely need to take legal advice. So, if possible, be patient, show forbearance and give the school time. Yet if you need the money and feel comfortable forcing the school, you can demand a refund or, as a last resort, if you paid on plastic try a chargeback.

8) On maternity or paternity leave? You CAN be furloughed on your return. Last Wed (10 Jun), the furlough scheme closed its doors to new furloughees (another new word). As I explained in a 'stop press' in last week's email , I'd pushed the Govt for an exemption for those returning from parental leave after that date. At the last min, just before the deadline (which coincided with the email send), I got a note from the Treasury, with a quote from the Chancellor to say he'd agreed, and we'd get details on Fri, which we did...

If your parental leave started before 10 Jun and finishes between 11 Jun and 31 Oct, your employer can still furlough you if...

- Your employer had furloughed another staff member before 30 Jun.
- You were on your employer's payroll (ie, had a Real Time Information submitted) on or before 19 Mar.

Full info and links to Govt guidance (in case your employer disputes whether it's allowed) in maternity/paternity furlough, though as always, furlough is at the employer's discretion.

9) Holiday Extras to give many cancellation refunds. Last week, UK holiday firms Hoseasons and Cottages.com had a change of heart on refunds. Now airport parking site Holiday Extras, which previously only offered vchs, has confirmed it'll offer refunds on many bookings for parking, hotel stays and other add-ons which custs cancelled due to coronavirus. Full info in Holiday Extras refunds.

PS: As I noted last week, my suspicion is that news is getting around that the CMA is getting serious, and firms are deciding it's better to pre-empt its investigation to avoid being taken to court, and the brand damage of that. So expect to see more announcements such as this.

10) Don't forget to reconfirm your childcare help eligibility. Parents who receive Tax-Free Childcare (which is worth up to £2,000 per child, per year) or the free childcare service for 3 & 4-year-olds need to reconfirm their eligibility every 3mths. With some schools and childcare services reopening, this is important right now - so you may receive a text prompt to do this from HMRC.

11) If NHS 'Test and Trace' says SELF-ISOLATE, pay and travel works like you're ill. The UK's NHS 'Test and Trace' schemes are all now up and running. If you've been in close contact with someone who tests positive, you may be told to self-isolate for 14 days. If so and you can't work from home, here's what you're due...

- Employee earning an average £120+/wk. Statutory sick pay (SSP) of £95.85/wk, though if your work normally offers more generous sick pay, you may be able to get that.

- Employee earning under £120/wk. If you already claim universal credit, log in to your online journal, update your details and your award should be boosted in line with your drop in earnings. If you're not already claiming, apply for universal credit and if you need cash urgently, request an 'advance' payment.

- Self-employed. You can apply for universal credit as above, though what (if anything) you get depends on your costs, savings and income.

With regards to travel, if you're told to self-isolate - which means you can't go on holiday - you should be able to claim on your travel insurance (if it covers coronavirus, as most got pre-March do) as if you were unable to travel due to sickness. See self-isolation travel insurance help.

PS: Quarantining on return from travel abroad? You can't claim SSP or owt else over and above the normal.

12) Child at or going to uni and your income's substantially dropped? Ask for their loan to be based on this year's income.  Students from England and Wales returning for their second year or above have this week had the deadline to apply for student finance for the 2020/21 year extended until Tue 30 Jun.

Importantly the amount of maintenance loan they get, which covers living costs, is means-tested depending on household income as detailed in their application. It varies in each UK nation...

- England: Higher income means a lower loan, implicitly suggesting parents should fill the gap - see our Parental Contribution Calc.
- Wales: Everyone gets the same amount. Higher income means a higher proportion of it's a repayable loan, not a non-repayable grant.
- Scotland & N Ireland: It's a mix of grant, loan & implied parental contribution. Higher income means less grant & more loan & parental contribution.

Bizarrely, next academic year's funding is based on the 2018/19 tax year. Clearly millions have had substantial income drops since then - if your income's at least 15% lower this tax year, request a 'current year income assessment' instead. For more, see  coronavirus and students. 

Need more general help with student finance? Watch my Student Loans Decoded programme or read Student Loans Mythbusting.

13) Armed forces reserve? You can still be furloughed or get self-employment support. The Govt just announced returning reservist service personnel will be able to be furloughed, even if they missed the 10 Jun deadline - see furlough for reservists . And for the self-employed, if your service made you ineligible for the income support scheme, there'll be a workaround for that. Further details are due next week - info and updates on that will go in self-employed reservists.

14) Expiring photocard driving licence? Extra 7mths to renew. This applies if your photocard expires between 1 Feb and 31 Aug 2020. See driving licence extension.

15) At-a-glance coronavirus support

Help schemes based on your work situation:
 

- Working from home: Claim tax back Universal credit
- Employee who can't work: Furlough | Universal credit
- Self-employed: SEISS | Universal credit | Bounce back
- Ltd co director: Furlough (PAYE) | Universal credit | Bounce back
- Zero hrs, gig, umbrella, agency: Furlough | Universal credit
- Being made redundant: Redundancy help
Universal credit
- Unemployed: Jobseeker's allowance | Universal credit

Help schemes based on financial products:
Need more financial help? If you need to take a payment holiday and haven't yet, there's still time - here are the last application dates:

- Until 9 Jul: Credit & store cards, personal loans & catalogue debt
- Until 27 Jul: Car finance (PCP, lease, HP), pawnbroking, buy-now-pay-later & rent to own, payday loans (interest & payment hols)
- Until 18 Aug: Insurance, eg, car, home, loan payments
- Until 20 Oct: Individual voluntary arrangements
- Until 31 Oct: Mortgage payment holidays

I'd expect news on extensions of some of these payment holiday schemes soon - though there'll likely be more targeted eligibility than before.

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The Martin Lewis Money Show - 8.30pm Thu, ITV
LIVE - your questions answered, and the week's top tips

The week's must-watch financial briefing (if I say so myself, and I do every week, so it must be right). We're live, so you set the agenda - if you've a question just tweet me @MartinSLewis using the show's hashtag #MartinLewis . Plus I'll have the latest must-know news to maximise your money. Do tune in or program your VideoPlus.

 
 

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.

 

 
 

Premier League watching hacks: How to get 33 games for free, 72 from £36 or all 92 from £70

To cheers from some and jeers from others, tonight (Wed) is the kick-off for the remaining 92 Premier League matches of the 2019/20 season. If you don't already have a sports TV package, or are out of contract on one, we've analysed how to score a MoneySaving deal for the most TV games at the lowest cost, without being tied in once the season ends in 6-7 weeks. We've focused on the Premier League, but as we know there's more football too, we've added some other highlights.

Note: If you'll stream lots, ensure your broadband is fast enough and you're not overpaying - see our Broadband Unbundled comparison tool for all the top deals.

  • Group 1: 33 Premier League (& 4 FA Cup) games are FREE.
    Matches include: Everton vs Liverpool, Newcastle vs Man City (FA Cup). See free football on TV for more.
     
  • Group 2: 39 more Premier League (& 45 EFL) matches from £36 on Sky Sports.
    Matches include: Man City vs Arsenal, Spurs vs Man Utd. See Premier League TV schedule for more.
    - Got Sky? For just football, get Sky's Premier League and Football channels in HD for a promo £18/mth, rather than the pricier full sports package. Best of all, it's a rolling 1mth contract, so if you time cancellation right you can get 2mths for £36. Full Sky Premier League run-in help.
    - Not got Sky? Then Sky's streaming service Now TV has 1mth passes for all Sky Sports channels at a promo £25/mth (£28/mth in HD). It's also on a rolling 1mth deal, so time cancellation right and you can get 2mths for £50. Full Now TV Premier League run-in help info, incl how to watch it all on a TV.
     
  • Group 3: Another 20 Premier League (& at least 3 FA Cup) games for £50 on BT Sport (or £20 for some).
    Matches include: Chelsea vs Man City, Sheff Utd vs Arsenal (FA Cup). See Premier League TV schedule for more.
    - £50 for most. All BT Sport channels in HD are £25/mth via the BT Sport Monthly Pass on its app or by adding 'em to a Sky TV package. Either way, it's also on a rolling 1mth deal, so time cancellation right and you can get 2mths for £50. See BT Sport Premier League run-in help, incl how to watch the app on a TV.
    - Get it cheaper if you've Plusnet TV. You can get all BT Sport channels for £10/mth (£13/mth in HD). It's also on a rolling 1mth deal, so time cancellation right and you can get 2mths for £20. Full BT Sport on Plusnet help. Note: While cheap, it's not worth switching TV provider for this season, as it can take weeks to install.

PS: If you're willing to sign up for longer-term contracts, a number of providers undercut these deals on a monthly basis, but you'd pay more over the 1yr or 2yr contract period. See how to bag a hot TV deal for more help.

 

Shops are open, and the 'up to' sales are on: John Lewis 70% off, Asos 70% off, Clarks 50% off etc.  With many Eng & NI high streets reopening, we've rounded up the sales, plus web deals if you're not ready to head out yet. See our high street and web sales round-up.

EDF customer? Get a no-brainer £320/yr OFF your energy bill. If, like millions, you're on EDF's standard tariff, with typical use you pay an avg £1,126/yr. Yet if you currently go via a comparison site (not direct to EDF), it's offering existing dual-fuel or elec-only custs a much cheaper deal. The EDF Simply Online 1 Year Fix Jun21v6 for the same use is £800/yr (incl MSE £25 cashback), and that 30%-ish saving is similar at most usage levels. Plus it's the SAME GAS, SAME ELEC, SAME SAFETY and SAME SERVICE. The only difference is it's far cheaper and as it's fixed, there are no price moves for a year. More details via the comparison link, which also lets you find other cheap deals.

New. 10 MoneySaving cycling tips to save £100s - incl work-based discounts, try-before-you-buy and DIY repairs.  There's been a cycling boom during lockdown, so we've 10 cycling savers to help.

£1 Next, Topshop, New Look etc clothes and shoes. MSE Blagged.  Everything5Pounds sells surplus stock (mainly women's clothes) from high street giants and others at knockdown prices. They're usually £5, though there's a sale right now to make 'em £2.50. But we've blagged a selection of 500ish styles for just £1, though they're likely to go quick. Delivery's from £3.95. SomeThings1Pound

It's coming back (again)... £15 M&S beauty bag (£99 contents) if you spend £25. It sold out in 9hrs a fortnight ago, then in 11hrs when it returned last week. Now we've been tipped off that M&S is bringing back this 11-piece set, incl shower gel, day cream and an eye pen. Full M&S beauty bag info.

80% off a month's supply of 'tailored' dog food (so £25 worth is just £5). MSE Blagged. Put in info about your dog (eg, breed, age, dietary requirements) and it creates a recipe especially for your furry friend. Full info in Tails doggy deal.

 
 

Our home insurance savings shtick is real...
'Our renewal was £600, but we got it for £146 thanks to you. Kicking ourselves for not using your tips earlier'


We know sometimes you don't have time to save money, but equally you need to accept that sometimes you don't have the money to save time. Home insurance is a good example. Many simply auto-renew as it's quick, but taking a little extra time to go through our system often pays large, as Julie emailed: "We used MSE when we got our renewal asking for £600 for our home insurance. New insurance is £146. Kicking ourselves for not using your tips earlier. No more Mr and Mrs Lazy Renewals."  As web data shows home insurance searches are up nearly 10% in June, we thought it time to remind you of our Cheap Home Insurance guide. Here are its basic building blocks...

  • Step 1. The perfect time to do this is three weeks before renewal - diarise it now.  We analysed more than 3m quotes and found the sweet spot to buy your home insurance is three weeks ahead (though a few days either side ain't a big deal). Leave it too late and insurers view you as a higher risk, so charge more.
     
  • Step 2. COMBINE comparison sites for 100s of quotes in mins. They zip your info to dozens of insurers and brokers at once. Yet as they don't cover the same insurers, and can have different prices for the same firm, use a few. Our current order's MoneySupermarket*, Gocompare*, Compare The Market* and Confused.com* (see comparison order for why).
     
  • Step 3. Check insurers NOT on comparison sites. Two biggies - Direct Line* and Aviva* - won't appear on them. They're worth checking, as they can be competitive for some.
     
  • Step 4. Check special promo deals, eg, £55 Amazon gift card. Where we can, we try to blag extra deals on top of those listed on comparison sites. So check our home insurance promo deals too. Currently they include Intelligent Insurance* , which gives a £55 Amazon voucher when you buy buildings & contents cover, and Urban Jungle*, which gives a £30 Amazon vch for contents-only cover if you use code MSE30 and stay with it for six months. Vouchers can take a couple of months to arrive.

  • Home insurance need-to-knows. Here are more ways to save...
    - Struggling to meet monthly payments due to coronavirus? Contact your insurer, as it must help you cut costs.
    - If working from home, you should be covered for 'office' work, but if you're storing stock/kit, tell 'em to be sure.
    - Buildings insurance is usually only for freeholders. Contents insurance is for all.
    - Many wrongly insure their home's value. Instead, use a rebuild cost calc to cover a rebuild if it was knocked down.
    - Don't underinsure contents, thinking you'll never claim it all - you may not get a full payout.
    - Comparison sites work best for those with standard circumstances - get help if struggling to get insurance.
    - Once you've found your cheapest insurer, it's worth checking if you can get cashback on top.
    - Will policies cover me whatever? No. Insurance protects against the unexpected. So check policy details, ensure
    insurers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and if a claim is unfairly rejected, take 'em to the free Financial Ombudsman.
 

Finally, now you can report online scam ads to the ASA. It's not perfect, but report scams to the Advertising Standards Authority and the watchdog will aim to get them taken down from all the major online platforms. See how to report dodgy ads and Martin's view on it.

Make face masks, face wipes, draught excluders etc - you should see what our MSE Rhiannon can do with spare fabric. You may already know how to make face masks (we've instructions if not), but Rhiannon shows how you can do all sorts of other things to save cash and avoid waste too. Sew much easier than it seams

Earn £30 Amazon vch doing quick online surveys or searches, or by playing games. MSE Blagged. It's a popular site with MoneySavers, and newbies can bag the biggest bonus it offers. Swagbucks

More live music you can stream online for free, incl Foo Fighters, Judge Jules, McFly and more. We've added more artists and bands who are keeping the live music flag flying under lockdown to our popular blog, plus a musical contribution from the MSE team (don't worry, we didn't form a band). Free live music online

 
 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: TSB* up to 30mths 0%, 2.95% fee (19.9% rep APR)
No-fee 0%: Santander 18mths 0% (18.9% rep APR) or 20mths 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (19.9% rep APR)

Cheapest fixed rate: Tonik Energy, typical £772/yr
Cheapest Big 6 fix: E.on, typical £794/yr

Incl £25 MSE cashback. Links go via our Cheap Energy Club

Cheapest for £5,000-£7,499: Tesco Bank 3.4% rep APR (1-3yrs)
Cheapest £7.5k-£15k: Cahoot 2.8% rep APR

Standard b'band & line rent: Plusnet equiv £13.83/mth
Fibre b'band & line rent: Plusnet equiv £19.66/mth
Superfast fibre b'band & line rent: 
TalkTalk equiv £19.34/mth

1-3% cashback on bills: Santander 123 Lite
2% interest fixed for a year: Nationwide FlexDirect

 

SUCCESS OF THE WEEK:
"I decided to switch energy provider after almost 9 years and made an annual saving of £600. Wish I'd done it sooner - thanks MSE for coming to the rescue."
(Send us yours on this or any topic.)

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL

When will you next go out shopping for 'non-essentials'? 'Non-essential' shops - selling books, clothes, electronics and more - are now reopening across England and Northern Ireland, with those in Scotland and Wales expected to follow soon. But social distancing rules will mean a very different retail experience for many. So, when do you expect to next head out shopping for non-essentials?

More than half of MoneySavers have a summer holiday booked. Last week, we asked about your summer holiday plans. Over 9,400 people responded - and 58% of you said you've booked to go away in the UK or abroad, while a further 8% said you're still hoping to go somewhere but haven't booked yet. Of those with bookings, 44% hope to travel and 27% no longer want to go, with the rest undecided. See full summer holiday poll results.

 
 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should we keep paying our dog walker in lockdown? My partner and I are both still working and were going to cancel our dog walker to avoid the risk of the virus spreading during collection and drop-off, but still keep up payments as we suspect the business could be struggling. Yet before we could cancel off our own backs, the walker started to only do late walks, so cancelled our earlier walks themselves. We feel conflicted as we no longer pay anything, yet we were prepared to pay originally. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we keep paying our dog walker in lockdown? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs

 

Everything5Pounds - £1 Next, Topshop etc clothes & shoes
Sales round-up - Eg, John Lewis and Asos up to 70% off
M&S - £15 beauty bag (£99 of contents) if you spend £25
Tails - 80% off 1mth supply of tailored dog food
Swagbucks - Earn £30 Amazon vch doing quick online surveys

Sainsbury's - 25% off six or more bottles of wine etc
Morrisons - £5 pizza & prosecco (norm £11.50). Online only
Beer52 - £11 off a £35 spend code
Nando's - 10 MoneySaving tips, incl free delivery trick
Starbucks - Free 'Tall' drink for NHS workers

Bobbi Brown - 20% off site-wide code. Ends Fri
Scribbler - 33% off all cards code. Ends Thu
PlayStation Plus - 'Free' games, incl Call of Duty: WWII
Halfords - Free 10-point car check (norm £15)
Lenstore - 20% off and free delivery code

Clever ways to banish clutter. Clean sweep
Simple and cheap methods to get your oven shining. Hob to it
Tips on keeping plugholes and drains clean & clear. So in sink


 
 
 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 17 JUN ONWARDS)

Thu 18 Jun - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.20am
Thu 18 Jun - The Martin Lewis Money Show - Coronavirus Special, ITV, 8.30pm
Mon 22 Jun - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.45am
Mon 22 Jun - BBC Radio 5 Live, Ask Martin Lewis, 12.20pm. Listen again

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC)

Mon 22 Jun - BBC Radio Manchester, Drive with Phil Trow, from 2.25pm
Tue 23 JunBBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Lunchtime Live with Jeremy Sallis, from 12.25pm

 

'I GO TO THE LOO WHILE ON HOLD': HOW YOU PASS THE TIME WHEN WAITING FOR FIRMS TO ANSWER

That's it for this week, but before we go... with many people facing long waits to get through to companies on the phone during the pandemic, you've been sharing the ways you pass the time. Many put their phone on loudspeaker and continue working from home. Others told us they play Candy Crush, draw, sing along to the hold music, eat or cook. Some even nip to the loo, ahem. Let us know  how you pass the time while on hold in our Facebook post.

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

 

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