Just for fun

School trips, student loans & sunglasses – this week's MSE Forum highlights

Forum Executive

30 January 2026

Join us for a tour of some of the week's talking points on the MSE Forum where MoneySavers share tips on everything from choosing a brand of coffee to buying a house.

If you're not a member yet, here's how to register for the MSE Forum. It's simple and quick to join.

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 ask my unwell friend to contribute to our restaurant cancellation fee?

My friends and I had a restaurant reservation, but on the day one of them, who is a type 1 diabetic, was unwell. We had to cancel the table, which came with a £25 cancellation fee. I was happy to absorb this as it was out of her control, and didn’t say anything to my friends. A couple of weeks later, I checked my credit card statement and there was a £100 charge from the restaurant - the cancellation fee was £25 per head, not per booking. Paying £100 myself seems very different from paying £25. Should I ask my friends, including the one who was unwell, for the money or do I let it slide?

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

This week's weather meant goldfinches turned their attention to baking, and they shared a snap of these dark chocolate ginger flapjacks they've made for their walking group: "I haven't tasted them yet but the bowl scrapings tasted nice so fingers crossed. Here's what they looked like when they came out of the oven."

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

Rasalom has got back into comping after a 10-year break, and whilst they didn't win the big prize, they're happy with a Screwfix goody bag. Meanwhile redfox5 is about to take delivery of 30 bottles of coconut water.

Check the Competitions Time boards to see which weird and wonderful prize could be heading your way soon.

Your two cents

We love hearing how MSE has helped our users save money or claim their full entitlement. We regularly scour the Forum for success stories – like this week's brilliant tale of a £12,000 back payment of holiday pay – and we now have a dedicated thread where you can tell us about how tips from MSE have made a difference to you.

This week MSE_Hope launched a call-out for your favourite loyalty scheme. As she explains: "It could be your favourite for many reasons, such as the ease in which points are accrued, how they’re spent, or their spending power with rewards partners."

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