Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

15 stay-at-home MoneySaving tips - incl up to £124 WHOLE YEAR tax relief if required to work from home just ONE DAY | Nando's free deliv | Slash energy bills | Netflix hacks | Home Halloween help

Here we go again... In large parts of the country many people are once more having to spend extra time sitting on the sofa or kicking their heels in the kitchen due to restrictions on meeting people, going to work, shopping, eating out and more. Plus getting outdoors is trickier than when the pandemic first struck due to colder weather and shorter days.  

So to help we've rounded up our top ways to save whether you're working from home, trying to have fun at home or looking after your mental and physical wellbeing at home. They're worth knowing whether everything's rosy financially, or you're one of millions struggling.

1. Updated. Required to work from home, even for ONE DAY, since 6 Apr? You can claim tax relief for the WHOLE YEAR. It may sound too good to be true, but as we told you last week, it is true, and is worth £124 for some. This week Martin's added a video explanation to his updated Claim tax back for working from home blog, plus important info for those who do self-assessment, and for couples.

2. It's back. Free Nando's delivery trick but only till Sun - great if choosing takeaway over going out. You can bag free delivery (norm £2-£4ish) for a few days. For full info on how to do it, flock to our 9 cheapy Nando's hacks.

3. Save £100s on your energy to combat rising bills. Join the 10,000s who have signed up to our new, free, easy MSE auto-compare-and-switch tool to save £100s EVERY YEAR. As we're at home for longer and with the weather turning, energy bills could quickly soar, so a cheap deal is key.
   
   To help you save right now and then every year after, we launched MSE Autoswitch last month, and it's great for those who want to stay on a top tariff, without any effort (though not avail in NI, sadly).
   
   Simply tell it your priorities (eg, price, service, name you know, green, fixed, exit penalties) and it compares and picks YOUR top whole-of-market tariff based on that. Then annually, with just a one-click verification, it autoswitches you to YOUR new top deal, based on those preferences. Have a 2-min play - don't worry, it's totally free, and you're not committed until you confirm.
   
   Many can save big, such as Diane, who emailed: "Autoswitch is brilliant. I'm 82, and the hassle of trawling through energy firms will end."

4. Save from the sofa and chill with our 20 Netflix hacks and 23 TV tricks. With many sat in front of the telly for longer, we've updated our Netflix hacks incl a NEW 'pay for 1mth, get 1mth free' deal for newbies. Plus we've 23 more general TV MoneySaving tricks, incl free box sets and when you need a TV licence.
   
   
5. Working from home because of coronavirus? You usually don't need to tell your home insurer. Normally if you work from home - even for office work - you should tell your insurer. But in the current crisis, insurers are taking a relaxed attitude if you've just got a home office. But if you've brought expensive kit or stock home, or you've business visitors, then tell 'em. See full home-working insurance help.
   
   
6. 12 FREE ways to learn a new skill while indoors, eg, play an instrument, gain a qualification or learn a language. If you're spending more time at home, you can use it to gain some impressive know-how. See how to learn skills for free.
   
   
7. Gyms are closed in some areas, and some people don't want to go even when they're open... but you can keep fit for free at home. We've 13 ways to keep fit for free using online/app workouts.
   
   
8. Got more time on your hands? Use it to slash credit or store card interest to 0%. If you pay interest on any existing card, a balance transfer - where you shift debt from one card to another, often at 0% - could be your key weapon. As acceptance is tougher since the pandemic began, use our Balance Transfer Eligibility Calc to see which 0% cards are most likely to accept you, without harming your creditworthiness.
   
   Cards in there let you shift debt to 0% interest for up to 18mths with no fee, or 28mths 0% with a 3%ish fee. However, those in dire straits should consider a credit card payment holiday instead, with the deadline this Sat.
   
   

9. Had to dump the daily latte? Use it as a MoneySaving lesson for the future. Many people have been forced to give up certain habits such as buying a daily coffee on the way to the office, while others have had to cut back with money being tighter.
   
   Our Demotivator tool shows how much ditching a £3 daily coffee - or anything else for that matter - will save you in the long run, so you can use it to show savings you've made or for inspiration if you've not yet got into the habit.

10. Free e-books and audiobooks, eg, Pride & Prejudice and The War of the Worlds. The pandemic has led to a huge rise in reading, so we've 10 ways to get free e-books and audiobooks via Amazon, Google, using library memberships to borrow digital copies and more.
    
    
11. Half-term and Halloween fun at home for kids on a budget, eg, make biscuits with three ingredients and beam a tiger into your living room. While trick or treating is out for many, there's still some spook-tacular free or cheap fun to be had including printable colouring sheets and baking with simple ingredients.
    
    Plus often it's the little things that make the best childhood memories. So we've more creative ideas to wow kids in our 17 free (or cheap) ways to bring kids joy indoors.
    
    
12. Hairdressers closed or feel uncomfortable going? Our home haircut dos and don'ts. Salons and barbers are currently closed in Wales and NI, and while many are open in other parts of the UK, not everyone is comfortable going.
    
    Of course, MoneySaving, not grooming, is our forte but to help we've collected fun tips from those who have tried a DIY haircut (or who have done someone else's hair) - plus the pitfalls to avoid so you don't end up looking like Chewbacca. Home haircutting tips
    
    
13. Higher grocery bills? Downshift your supermarket shop by ditching expensive brands. Eating out less and being at home more inevitably means supermarket shops cost more.
    
    So if you've not done it before, why not attempt our tried and trusted Downshift Challenge to see how much you can cut your grocery bill? Just drop a brand level and you'll usually cut your bill by 30%. Many can't tell the difference or even prefer the cheaper alternative.
    
    
14. How to make your own face mask from spare fabric. Coverings have been mandatory in many public places, such as on public transport and shops, across the UK for weeks and that's unlikely to change soon. MSE Rhiannon shows how to craft them from spare fabric to make your own homemade face masks.
    
    
15. Save £100s on broadband & line while getting a speed boost to boot. With all of us more reliant on broadband for work and entertainment, a fast connection has become even more important.
    
    Yet millions overpay for their connection, sometimes shelling out £30-45/mth for slow speeds. So use our Broadband Unbundled tool to find the top deals available for your postcode. Plus, we've a full rundown on the current best of the bunch below.

PS from Martin: "This week's show has a quite staggering result: a woman who, just from watching the show, got a simply enormous amount of money back (I won't ruin it by telling you here), and surprisingly it's all about the state pension. I'll be running through lots of different ways you could be missing out on big money too. As this week it's pre-recorded (as it's half-term) we aren't taking live questions, but you can always tweet suggested questions for next week to @MartinSLewis, but you must use the show's hashtag #MartinLewis. Do watch or set the Betamax."