2019

Gutted there's no Glastonbury? You can still (sort of) go for FREE via TV and streaming

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there'll be no Glastonbury this year. While the UK's biggest music festival periodically takes a break to allow the land it takes place on to recover, this year is the first time it's been cancelled since 2001 – and on its 50th anniversary too. Bummer.

Kelvin Goodson

25 June 2020

Buying Tesco Free From products? Time it right and Tesco will donate 10p per item bought to the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation

In 2016, Natasha Ednan-Laperouse tragically died from a severe allergic reaction after eating inadequately labelled food. It's the worst-case scenario any person with allergies could face, and a parent's worst nightmare. Natasha's parents set up a charity, Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF), to help fund allergy research, and to bring positive change for people with food allergies.

Rhiannon Moorhouse

23 June 2020

Make face masks, face wipes, draught excluders and more with spare fabric

Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport in England, and with many people opting to wear them while shopping or when out walking, sewing your own could save you money. I'm going to show you how to do it, plus I've got other ideas of what you can make with leftover fabric scraps instead of binning them. These will save you money, and get you crafting a new skill – and sew it begins...

Rhiannon Moorhouse

16 June 2020

Charity shops reopening: Six things you need to know, including how to donate & shop safely

Hands up if you've had a clear-out since lockdown began – or maybe I should say hands up if you haven't (it might be a smaller number). There's some good news if you're itching to drop off bags of unwanted items at your local charity shop, as they should soon be accepting donations again.

Becca Hodgson

16 June 2020

Live music to stream online under lockdown: Free virtual gigs or classic performances from Take That, Radiohead, James Blake, Glastonbury and more

While coronavirus lockdown measures are slowly being eased across the UK (for more on that, see our Life-in-Lockdown guide), sadly for music fans it's still likely to be some time until we can congregate in bars, clubs, arenas and fields to see artists and bands perform. But thanks to the wonders of technology, that doesn't mean you can't see them perform live at all...

Kelvin Goodson

16 June 2020

Fancy a £500 windfall just for checking your insurance at renewal?

Every week it’s the same old, same old. First, a reader expresses shock (and even disgust) at the size of their insurance renewal quote. It sparks an angry phone call to an indifferent insurer which in turn triggers an urgent visit to a price comparison site. Big savings then emerge (£100s and even £1,000s) – often with...

Tony Forchione

11 June 2020

12 cheap or free kids' book tricks

With libraries not set to reopen until July at the earliest and many families still homeschooling, we've 12 free and cheap ways you can turn your little ones into bookworms even during lockdown.

Jenny Keefe

9 June 2020

WARNING. 20+ coronavirus scams to watch out for and how to protect yourself

The coronavirus pandemic has often brought out the very best in people and society – but upsettingly, it's also brought criminals and lowlifes out of the shadows to prey on our pockets. Action Fraud has reported that £4.6 million has already been lost to coronavirus-related scams since lockdown started.

Katie Watts

1 June 2020

How to stop your car battery from going flat – and six other lockdown motoring tips

Since the lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus began two months ago, MoneySavers with motors have been asking us – and each other via the MSE Forum – how to keep their car in good nick if it's not being driven much, or at all. Understandably, they want to avoid having to shell out for repairs when they're able to hit the road again.

Kelvin Goodson

19 May 2020

'I ran up £1,000s in debt while suffering from depression... now I'm digging myself out of it'

I usually write blogs as the 'MoneySavingIdiot', chronicling my attempts to practise what we preach at MSE (the last one was on switching bank accounts). But as this is a more personal blog, written ahead of World Mental Health Day 2019 on Thursday, I thought it would be better coming from MSE Kelvin. So, here's my tale of my own mental health struggles and how I've battled credit card debt...

Kelvin Goodson

19 May 2020