Just for fun

Cables, cars & cranberries – this week's MSE Forum highlights

Forum Executive

25 October 2024

This week we heard about a Forumite's once-in-a-lifetime 10-day holiday they won in a competition they'd found on the MSE Forum, and celebrated the news that two more compers will soon be off on amazing short breaks.

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A few of this week's top threads

These are some of the Forum discussions that caught our eye this week:

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 I pay more towards our household costs?

I moved in with my partner in 2016. He said he was happy to continue paying the bills himself as the house is his mum's, so we don't have a mortgage or pay rent - but he pays the mortgage on his mum's bungalow, which he built. He's now started moaning about his outgoings, so I worked out what I pay towards the household - for example, I do all the shopping - and it's more than his bills amount to. I've also bought every household item, such as bedding and utensils, and we split the cost of DIY 50-50, so I feel I'm already paying over and above for a house I'll never own. Should I offer to contribute more?

See what our MSE Forumites had to say and add your own thoughts on the Money Moral Dilemma discussion thread. Do please stick to the MSE Forum rules: keep it kind and keep it clean. Remember, there's a real person behind every dilemma.

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

Photo of the week

We couldn't help noticing this crochet cardigan that Auti recently completed. Our Crafting board has many more inspirational projects and pics.

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.

Latest comping wins

We've had some amazing travel successes this week. SteveAndRachel has won five nights in Cancun whilst EllasPa is looking forward to a trip to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Back in March we celebrated in the Forum blog the news that redfox5 would be off to Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates for five nights followed by another five nights in the Maldives. This week they posted some stunning photos of their trip. As they put it:

I've not long been back and I had an amazing time! Both resorts were absolutely beautiful, but I ended up liking the one in Ras Al-Khaimah slightly more. I feel incredibly grateful to have won. Both of these places would normally be way out of my price range.

Also I did a kayaking tour at Ras Al-Khaimah. My partner didn't want to do it, so I ended up sharing a kayak with a guy from York who had also won his stay in a competition! He wasn't a comper (I checked!), just did it as a one-off, but what are the chances!?

This is the best prize I have ever won!

If redfox5's story has inspired you to step up your comping efforts, then head to the Competitions time boards to check out the latest crop of prizes up for grabs.

Challenge corner

The 17th edition of the Sealed Pot Challenge came to an end this week. Forumites have spent the last 12 months saving odd bits of cash – and combining that with income from cashback sites and selling items online – to boost the amount they have available to spend during the expensive final months of the year.

During this week's big reveal, lucyhope declared an amazing £11,190.40. At the other end of the scale, Makingabobor2 confined themselves to collecting cash and ended up with a welcome additional £23.

If you'd like to join the challenge for the year ahead, check out the new thread.

Your two cents

Christmas may still be two months away, but it's the time of year when the festive meal deals start to appear on the shelves. What have you spotted? Which shop has the best value or tastiest seasonal sandwiches this year?

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