Just for fun

Cheques, coffee & cruises – this week's MSE Forum highlights

Forum Executive

16 January 2026

Whether you're choosing a new brand of instant coffee or planning a cruise of a lifetime, the MSE Forum is full of wisdom. Let's explore some of this week's talking points.

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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.

If I sell the classic car my kids got me, should I give them their money back?

A few years ago, I had a 'big' birthday, and my children kindly clubbed together and bought me a classic car as a present. I've loved having it and have had plenty of use out of it, but now due to changing circumstances I'm planning to sell it. Should I share the money I get for it between my children?

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.

Photo of the week

Forumite LessImpecunious shared this stunning sunset on our Gardening board:

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.

Challenge corner

A new year means a fresh start for many of the annual MoneySaving challenges where Forumites hold each other accountable and encourage one another to grow their savings or curb their spending. You can now find all the challenges on one handy page.

If you need some inspiration, browse through some of last year's threads. On the 52-week envelope savings challenge, Forumites put aside a collective £19,169.50 between them during 2025.

Latest comping wins

Our community has had some fantastic competition wins over Christmas and the New Year. Here are some of the top picks:

chocoholic123's 2026 got off to a good start with £500 to spend at Aldi
Haribobo19 is enjoying a hamper of port and cheese
libra10 won six bottles of prosecco
piercedprincess will be taking their sister shopping with £500 of vouchers
Nikkid84 will be popular with the local wildlife when they set up their bird box and bee hotel

Take a look at our Competitions Time boards to see what you could win.

Your two cents

At MSE we've seen some reports about very lengthy waits for Child Benefit applications to be dealt with. If you've waited a long time for your claim to be processed, MSE_Isabelle would be keen to hear from you and to learn about the impact the delay has had on your family finances.

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