2016

Last week, I switched my mum in under 10 minutes flat. Don’t worry, this isn’t a rather public display of parental disownment, I’m talking about switching energy providers. Ever since I joined MSE last year I’ve been dropping larger and larger hints to my parents that they should review all household bills, as I was pretty sure...

“So I returned a toilet brush at the weekend,” said my friend as we were watching TV. “Because it broke after one use. I told them it wasn’t fit for purpose.” I don’t know who was more shocked – me, that she had returned a used (albeit clean) toilet brush and successfully argued her point, or her, that...

If you live near Bicester, Gretna, York or any of the UK’s other outlet villages and have a penchant for designer goods, it’s likely I’m preaching to the choir. If you can’t resist a bargain, maybe it’s time you planned a trip to one. Designer brands are by definition not MoneySaving. But if you’re a slave to...

Winter, as every Game of Thrones fan knows, is coming. And as temperatures fall and energy consumption climbs, now’s the time to start thinking about how to tackle your unnecessary energy usage. We were inspired to put together this list, somewhat randomly, by MSE Jenny’s electrician Steve. He compiles and sends round a list of simple energy-saving...

Toys R Us’s layaway scheme is hugely popular on Facebook and in the papers as a way to spread the cost of Christmas presents. With Take Time to Pay, you choose your toys in store, pay a 20% deposit and then make payments in store every four weeks, over a period of four, eight or 12 weeks. (For...

Despite the absence of a headphone jack and a lack of ‘new’ features – and the fact that you could fly to Australia for what it costs – I will be getting a shiny new iPhone 7 in a few weeks. I’ve upgraded to the latest model every two years since my first smartphone in 2010. Now of...