Having a DIY fireworks display for New Year’s Eve? Here’s how to do it safely

If you’re planning a New Year’s Eve party with fireworks and sparklers, it’s important you are safety-conscious as well as MoneySaving. For Bonfire Night 2014 we ran a Fire Safety Twitter Q&A with the Manchester Fire and Rescue Service using the #bonfirenight hashtag. One key point made by the fire team was that shoppers should make sure...

Downshift your Christmas dinner and feed six people for £15 … with all the trimmings

It’s easy to get carried away with a festive food shop. Christmas is, after all, an indulgent time of year. But with a bit of planning it’s still possible to cut costs. Here I reveal how much you save if you shop around, ‘downshift’ on branded items – and avoid stocking up for a zombie apocalypse.  1. Compare...

Hands up – who here knows how banks work?

With my role as a money analyst here at MSE and my previous experience working in a bank, I like to think I know a thing or two about the financial world. However, for many people, growing up involves being thrust into the financial world without knowing the basics of managing money – it’s something many haven’t...

How to buy the cheapest Christmas turkey

They say you can’t put a price on the magic of Christmas –  but it’s worth remembering MoneySaving too so you avoid spending a fortune on a Yuletide feast. In my family’s home Christmas is very much the time for indulgence (you’ll find multiple Terry’s Chocolate Orange wrappers as evidence). And the turkey, along with all its...

Comping – it’s great fun and a possible income booster

I admit it, I’m a secret, but lapsed, comper. Admittedly work and kids mean I’ve not comped (entered competitions) much lately but I encourage my kids to have a go when we see a free one and I’d encourage anyone else to join in too. First and foremost it’s huge fun. On Mothers’ Day this year my...