As a cat lover living in a sixth-floor flat in London (who likes to travel occasionally), getting a cat full-time never seemed fair. I thought I was doomed to live a miserable, cat-less existence... until I started researching dog fostering for our MoneySaving for dog owners guide, and discovered the RSPCA needed cat fosterers too.

Every January, there's a surge in donations to charity shops, thanks to folks' New Year decluttering. Charities want you to take advantage, so we've rounded up our top tricks and tips to help you find the best items – including where to head for designer clobber, spotting sales and buying online. 

The New Year's often a time many resolve to start regularly setting some cash aside – but it's not always easy to find a savings method that works for you.

Over Easter, I made a mammoth 23,318-mile return trip to New Zealand – with two stopovers in China, for 12 and then a whopping 18 hours. While I can handle a few hours in a departure lounge, this time I was fully prepared to pay for a proper bed and shower. But when I searched for airport hotels, I discovered my airline China Southern – like many others – would put me up at no extra cost...

Amazon is heaving with Kindle books that are permanently free or 99p. Yet these cheap titles may not always match your virtual to-read pile. In fact, you often have to wade through a lot of very average books to find the good ones. And if you pay full-price for Kindle books and devour several a month, the cost can soon stack up. 

Many are feeling the pressure to spend in the run-up to Christmas – and this is especially true for those with kids. So we wanted to come up with some ways to sprinkle a little Christmas magic for free (or very cheaply).