Blenders, bills & birds of prey – this week's MSE Forum highlights

20 May 2022

Come visit the MSE Forum, where the shutters are never down and everyone knows your (user)name. Here's a selection of this week's highlights.

Not a member yet? Here's how to register for the MSE Forum.

A few of this week's top threads

We're always scouring for useful, interesting or cheering threads. A few that caught our eye this week:

Show us your cheap 'n' cheerful homemade pet toys
Someone drove right through the wall of our house. The driver's very sorry, but now my insurance premiums are through the roof
I want to hide vegetables in my fussy four-year-old’s meals. Which budget-friendly blender will pulverise those veggies so well they’re indetectable?
My parents’ leasehold has only 15 years left and we don’t have the money to extend it or buy the freehold – how can we help them?
I love pickled onions and cucumbers but they can be expensive so I want to make my own– what’s the best vinegar to use?

Do you make toys for your pet?

Meet one of our Ambassadors

Our volunteer Ambassadors are an indispensable part of the community. They help the Forum Team to keep things running smoothly, and each of them takes particular care of a select few boards. A few are Senior Ambassadors, who have a little extra responsibility.

This week we're shining a light on Senior Ambassador I_Love_comps, who focuses on Old Style MoneySaving and, as you might be able to guess, Competitions Time.

I became an Ambassador as I was a Board Guide before the roles changed. My first passion is entering competitions. There is nothing nicer than a winning email or a parcel turning up instead of bills and junk mail.

Also there is plenty of advice to be had from the boards. From being frugal to helping with debt advice, everything is covered here on MSE. That's why it is the place to be.

~ I_Love_comps

Photo of the week

MSE Forumite Money_Grabber13579 enlisted the help of the Greenfingered MoneySaving board to identify a bird that had visited their garden. Do you know what it is? The answer can be found in the thread.

Please note: We love seeing your photos in the MSE Forum, but if you're uploading one, make sure it doesn't include any personally-identifiable information such as your face or address.

Money Moral Dilemma

Every week, the Money Tips email features a real-life Money Moral Dilemma (MMD for short). They're intended to encourage debate and, as such, they're usually among the most discussed threads each week.

Should we pay for charging our electric car at other people's homes?

I drive an electric car and, when visiting family or friends who also have electric vehicles, I use their chargers to charge my car while we're there. It isn't usually for too long, but with the massive jump in energy prices, should we pay them for what we use?

You can find out what our MSE Forumites think and add your own two cents on the Money Moral Dilemma discussion thread. Remember the MSE Forum rules: keep it kind and keep it clean. Remember, there's a real person behind every Money Moral Dilemma.

Got a Money Moral Dilemma of your own? Email us at MMD@moneysavingexpert.com and it could be featured.

Latest comping wins

One of the most frequented boards, Competitions Time, is where compers come to find and share competitions. There are countless success stories, but here are just a few of the most recent: Heavier won a Buyagift family fun experience voucher, Bigboytyson won a stack of bracelets, Kildykat won a dual firepit barbecue and JADE251110 won weekend tickets to Vegan Life Live. Congrats, folks.

Your two cents

We'd like to know: how much have you made from referrals? If you've racked up reward money for telling your friends about your bank, gym, cab service, or anything else, let us know in the thread.

On another topic, have you looked into leaving your current energy contract, and have you been quoted a high exit fee? We're keen to hear from you if so. Take a look at the Energy board for an appropriate thread to contribute to, or start a thread of your own if there isn't one. You can find more tips for using the Energy board in the announcement post. Thank you.

If you're not a member yet, it's easy to register for the MSE Forum.

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