Don’t let contactless cards make you look a fool

I’ve been getting nasty stares as I enter my local train station over recent weeks, like I’m some kind of pariah, for the heinous crime of my Oyster card not opening the gates quickly enough in the London rush hour. Now, I know every minute counts in the morning as we make that last minute dash to...

How to keep the cost of being single down

So you’ve managed to survive Valentine’s Day, narrowly escaping cupid’s arrow and bypassing all the cute teddies and chocolates. But even though you’ve got through the most romantic day of the year on your tod, it still seems the majority of things (and best deals) are aimed towards couples. So how do you get the best deals...

The power of MSE — it boosts popularity by 16,000%

After working at MoneySaving Towers for a decent length of time, one can become complacent about the punch this website can pack — and the press release that just dropped into my inbox provided a eye-opening reminder. In last week’s weekly email, we highlighted a great loophole for savers. National Counties Building Society was offering a three-year...

Top 5 under a tenner beauty bargains

Beauty and make-up aren’t the most important or MoneySaving things in the world, but they can make us feel happy. And if we can save a few pennies on things that make us happy, we can put them towards those more important things in life. I’ve certainly done that. Below are the five beauty products I’ve found...

The danger with outlet shopping

Outlet store shopping is great for bargains but not so great when things go wrong, it seems. With such stores featuring heavily in the news — M&S is offering its outlet range online at 40% off standard prices from today — this blog should serve as a warning to shoppers. I say this from personal experience from...

How flying premium economy can be cheaper than economy

Who’d have thought it would be cheaper to fly premium economy than economy? Well, I got that pleasant surprise this month when booking an Easter getaway. I was prepared to pay a little more than usual, as I’m flying on Good Friday and my ticket from British Airways was indeed on the steep side. It cost £500...

How a sales rep claimed timeshares prevent cancer

Pushy timeshare reps often use bribes to lure unsuspecting holidaymakers into parting with their life savings. But unfortunately for them, they’d picked up a MoneySaver… On a recent trip to California, I was asked to see a quick presentation in return for a totally free, no-strings-attached $100 gift card. My MoneySaving antenna popped up – the notorious...

A month in the life of MSE Campaigns – January

While my colleagues in the editorial team are busy finding you the best savings, sales and switching tips, part of my new role as the site’s Campaign Officer is the less public side of MoneySavingExpert.com’s work. This blog is a way to let you know some of the ways we are fighting your corner in the background....

Shaving the price of ‘never-discounted’ cosmetics

Shaving the price off expensive cosmetics It may come as a surprise to some that not everyone in Money Saving Towers is tight with money. Generally I’m good when it comes to banking, credit cards etc (well, I do work on the money team). When it comes to shopping, I tend to choose the things I want...