Sep

2023

Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Over 50 ways to save, incl... 6.2% SAFE savings, Amazon £5 off, Martin's flight delay/cancel need-to-knows, £170 off Dyson, 30mth 0% debt shift, NHS discounts, stamps price hike, 50p train tix, £11/mth unltd data Sim, Energy Price Cap Calc

This info may be out of date. Read this week's emails

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL

Urgent savings update, including...
- NS&I 1yr fix at 6.2%
- Santander easy-access 5.2%
- Do you need a cash ISA?

Martin's flight delay / cancellation need-to-knows

Unlimited data Sim just £11/mth

1st class stamps up 14% - beat the hike

Amazon £5 off £15

Built up card debt? Shift to 30mths 0%

£170 off Dyson vacuums

Martin: 'Five things new English uni goers should know'

'We've made £2,000 in a year - just by switching banks'

50p to £2 Northern train tickets

NHS & emergency worker discounts, including 20% off Nando's, £6 off Iceland

Got Shell energy or broadband? You're moving to Octopus

'What'll you pay for energy from Oct?' calc

Pregnant or got child(ren) under four? Are you missing out on food cost help?

Print summer snaps free (or cheap)

It's back! McDonald's Monopoly

60% off Abel & Cole fruit and veg

Teachers: 3mths' free Joe Wicks

MSE Forum: 70(ish) ways to 'DIY' it

Want an MSE Charity grant?

This week's best buys, including 5.6% loans, £200 bank switch, £19 fibre

Should I pay for gutter / window cleaning my neighbour didn't tell me about?

BEST BUYS & TOOLS

MSE Cheap Mobile Finder

Credit Club including free credit report

0% balance transfers

Compare broadband deals

MSE Car Insurance Compare+

Best bank accounts

Top savings accounts

Credit cards for bad credit

Credit Card Eligibility Calculator

Loans Eligibility Calculator

Mortgage comparison

Compare travel money

Cheap Energy Club, with Pick Me A Tariff

Best Sim-only deals

Urgent savings update
Lock away up to £1,000,000 in total safety as National Savings launches a 6.2% 1yr best-buy - though it likely won't last long
Plus Santander launches 5.2% easy-access

If you've savings, check their rates ASAP. UK interest and mortgage rates have jumped, but almost all savings accounts lag far behind. Yet this week, not only can you boost what you earn substantially, but the top accounts are from big names too. So...

If your savings earn under 5%, and they're not locked in, ditch, switch and get paid far more

It's 5% because the best bog-standard top easy-access accounts pay that - so that's the bare minimum to earn. Of course, even that's still less than inflation. Yet that makes it even more important to maximise the rate to mitigate the damage. Here's the rundown of the top payers. All have at least the usual £85,000 savings safety protection.

Normally we start with easy access, but this week there's such a standout fix, we're going to lead on explaining fixed-rate accounts.

Fixed-rate savings, also known as savings bonds (be careful, lots of riskier things are called 'bonds' too), are where your money is LOCKED AWAY without access (except cash ISA fixes, see below) in return for you getting a guaranteed, usually higher, rate. And this week there's a big new payer...

NS&I launches 6.2% one-year fixes

NS&I, formerly National Savings, has launched a massive best-buy fix, beating every other fix on the market - of any length.

As it's the state-owned savings institute, unlike normal accounts where your savings are protected up to £85,000 per institution, here every penny saved is backed by the Treasury, so it's as safe as it gets (unless the UK itself goes bust, in which case we've all got bigger problems).

- It's a one-year fix paying 6.2%. Your money's locked away during that time.
- Interest is taxable (so if you're saving a lot, look at cash ISAs first).
- The minimum balance is £500, the maximum is £1m per person.

So while this is a corking product for all savers, it's even better for bigger savers (eg, someone who's sold their house and knows they won't buy within a year), as to get the highest rate totally protected up to £1m for a year is normally unthinkable. There are two versions of the account, both pay the same rate, the only difference is when you get the interest:

Guaranteed Growth Bond pays a lump sum of interest at maturity.
Guaranteed Income Bond pays you interest each month.

Those links take you to our full explanation and Q&A on the accounts. Which one is right for you depends on two factors:

a) Do you need the income now? If so, go for the Income Bond.
b) Will you earn enough interest to go over your personal savings allowance? Like normal savings the interest is taxable, so when you get the interest can impact the tax you pay. For more, see full NS&I analysis.

How long will it be available for?

NS&I doesn't work like other savings institutions. It has rules that mean it can't overly distort competition, so you wouldn't expect it to be at the top of the tables for a long time.

Though NS&I is currently tasked with raising £7.5 billion for the Treasury this tax year - a relatively high figure. But if these accounts prove popular (and them being in this email will help that) then they may not be around long. So sooner is surer.

How does NS&I compare to other fixes?

It pays more. Quite simply. Yet you may want a shorter or longer fix. So for completeness, here's our full rundown of fixes (though do note rates change rapidly, so check the latest top fixes in our guide). Today's top payers include...

Top 6mth fixes: Monument Bank 5.56% AER (min £25,000), Secure Trust Bank 5.55% AER (min £1,000).
Top 9mth fixes: Family BS 6.1% AER (min £10,000), Ahli United Bank UK via Raisin 5.79% AER (min £1,000).
Top 1yr fixes: After NS&I, it's Ahli United Bank UK via Raisin 6.1% AER (min £1,000) and SmartSave 6.01% AER (min £10,000).
Top 2yr fixes: Ford Money pays the top 6.05% rate (min £500).
Top 3yr to 5yr fixes: You can get up to 5.96% over three years and up to 5.85% over five years, so you get less for fixing for longer.

Is now the right time to fix? Fixes are great if you want certainty on how much interest you'll get, but obviously if rates were to rise while your cash is locked away, making your fix no longer competitive, you're stuck with it. Only do it if you know you won't need to access your money during the term.

The last time we saw a 1yr fix at 6.2% was 2008. One big clue here (though it's always guesswork and things can change) is that longer fixes pay less than short ones, which means the markets expect rates to drop (or at least not to rise much more) over that time. So this may well in hindsight be the perfect time to lock in.

The simplest form of savings accounts are easy access. With these you can put money in, including big lump sums, and take it out when you want. That means you get flexibility and can ditch at speed if they no longer pay decently. Though top fixes pay more (see above).

Yet as all easy-access accounts are AER variable, rates can and do change, so you need to monitor them. And they're changing rapidly at the moment, so do check our Top savings guide for any changes to the rates below.

Top easy-access account - 5.2%. Santander's new Easy Access Saver Limited Edition pays 5.2% (min £1, max £250,000). It can be operated online and withdrawals are unlimited.

Yet think of it as an account for a year only, because after that it 'matures' and it'll be moved to an Everyday Saver (which currently pays 1.05% or, as Martin describes it, 'a pants rate'), so you'll need to ditch and switch then.

Santander's sister bank Cahoot also offers a similar account paying 4.9% (the banks share their £85,000 savings safety protection, so don't save more than this across 'em).

Other top payers include Furness Building Society at 5%, and Shawbrook Bank at 4.93%. See our full list of alternatives in top easy-access savings.

PS: Existing Santander Edge customer? The linked saver pays 7% on up to £4,000.

The top cash ISA rates are up too. Good news for the millions with money in these tax-free savings accounts, or who need to open them. So let's start with Martin's clarion call...

'Everyone with a cash ISA, check what they earn now - even if they're fixed. Don't think they're locked in, millions can transfer and up the rate.'

Who are ISAs best for? The personal savings allowance (PSA) means you get a tax-free amount of interest earnable in ANY savings...

- Basic (20%) taxpayers can earn £1,000/yr of interest tax-free.
- Higher (40%) taxpayers can earn £500/yr of interest tax-free.
- Top (45%) taxpayers don't get a PSA.

Remember, that's the INTEREST you can earn. That means as interest rates have gone up, the amount you can have saved tax-free has gone down. At one point, you needed around £250,000 in top easy-access savings to generate it. Now you need a lot less...

	Top 1yr fix (6.2%)	Top easy-access (5.2%)
Basic 20% rate	£16,130	£19,230
Higher 40% rate	£8,065	£9,615

So if you've got more, or may do soon, ISAs come into play...

A cash ISA is a savings account where interest is NEVER taxed. It doesn't count towards your PSA interest allowance either. You can put £20,000 in each tax year (so until 5 April 2024), and then once in, it stays tax-free year after year (see cash ISAs explained). Some who've maxed it each year can have over £100,000 in ISAs.

Yet usually CASH ISAS PAY LESS INTEREST than normal savings, so they're only likely a winner for those who earn enough to bust the PSA limit (or are close to doing so). Smaller savers should stick with normal savings, but if you'll pay tax on 'em, ISAs usually win, as the table shows.

	Top cash ISAs	Top normal savings
Easy access	Cynergy Bank 4.55% (min £1, new money & transfers at application)	Santander 5.2%. Yet for those who pay tax on interest, it's equivalent to 4.16% at basic rate \| 3.12% higher rate \| 2.86% top rate
1yr fix	Shawbrook Bank 5.78% (min £1,000, new money & transfers at application)	NS&I 6.2%. Yet for those who pay tax on interest, it's equivalent to 4.96% at basic rate \| 3.72% higher rate \| 3.41% top rate
2yr fix	Charter Savings Bank 5.78% (min £5,000, new money & transfers)	Ford Money 6.05%. Yet for those who pay tax on interest, it's equivalent to 4.84% at basic rate \| 3.63% higher rate \| 3.33% top rate

Already have cash ISAs? Transfer to a top payer. If your existing cash ISA(s) earn less, all the ISAs above allow you to transfer them in. To do this, just apply for a new cash ISA, and as part of the application you'll be asked if you want to transfer your existing cash ISA over (don't just withdraw cash to move it, then it loses its tax-free status).

Locked in to a poorly-paying fixed cash ISA? Cash ISAs, even fixes, can't lock you in - they must allow you to withdraw, though can charge an interest penalty for doing so. Many who locked in over a year ago are on terrible rates, so should likely pay the penalty and move. And even if you locked in less than a year ago, it could still be worth it. Our Should I ditch my ISA? calc checks the maths for you.

Sharon used it, and emailed: "A few weeks ago, I read about ditching a low fixed-rate ISA for a higher rate. I had one year left of a 1.7% fix, which I transferred into a one-year fix at 4.4%. Even after paying a hefty 180-day interest penalty, I'll still be £1,200 better off. Thanks Martin, you've made another person very happy."

There are a few specialist savings options some can take which pay more. So here's our checklist of other things to look at...

1. Are you on UNIVERSAL CREDIT or Tax Credits? You may be eligible for an unbeatable 50% Help to Save bonus.

2. Do you have existing expensive DEBT? Paying off debt is usually more lucrative than saving. See our Should I pay debt with savings? guide.

3. Are you a wannabe FIRST-TIME BUYER aged 18 to 39? There's a whopping 25% bonus possible via top Lifetime ISAs.

4. Save regularly each month? Earn up to 7.5% in top regular savings.

5. There's nowt wrong with investing either. With investing, you aim for higher returns, but accept the risk you could lose some or all of your initial investment. We don't talk much about it, not because we're against it, just because it's not our area of expertise.

For many, over the longer run, investing is the right call. For an introduction, see Stocks & shares ISAs, but you'll need more specialised websites for help on what to invest in.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

Was your flight a summer letdown?
Martin's 10 flight delay & cancellation need-to-knows
Many are due £100s don't ask, don't get compensation on top of refunds

It's been a summerus horribilis for airline passengers, with flights delayed and cancelled, left, right, centre... up and down. Now schools are going back, and many of those who were impacted are unaware they can enact specific legal rights that mean if the airline is at fault (and don't take the airline's word that it isn't) you can get £100s compensation. This is on top of any refund or alternative flight they offered.

As Stella emailed: "I claimed for our cancelled Easyjet flight. The £700 was in our account within a week. If I'd not read your article, I wouldn't have known I could claim on top of the refund. Thanks for your amazing site!" So here are my 10 key need-to-knows, and we've FREE TOOLS to help you in our Flight delay & Flight cancellation guides...

The rules apply to any UK or EU 'regulated' flight. That's ANY FLIGHT leaving a UK/EU airport and any UK or EU AIRLINE arriving at a UK/EU airport. See which flights count and also what to do if your flight wasn't EU/UK.
You can claim for any flight within the last six years. Or back five years in Scotland.
For DELAY compensation: the flight must've arrived over three hours late. When you took off is irrelevant. What counts is the time the doors open on arrival at the pre-specified airport. See how to check past delay lengths.
For CANCELLATION compensation: when it was cancelled and how late or early you'd arrive counts. You're always entitled to a choice of a refund or alternative flight. Compensation on top may be due if the cancellation was within two weeks of your departure date and the alternative flight offered takes off earlier or later than the original (how much earlier or later depends, so see our when you're due cancellation compensation table for full info). Even if you opted for a refund, compensation is still due based on the time of the alternative flight you were offered.
Whether delay or cancellation, you are ONLY due compensation if it is the airline's fault. Most issues are defined as the airline's fault - staff shortages, no pilot, knock-on issues due to the prior flight being delayed. Yet if it's an extraordinary circumstance, or problems caused by independent 3rd parties like the airport or air traffic control (as last week), it isn't their fault. See what counts as the airline's fault.
If significantly delayed at the airport, the airline must look after you. This includes food, drink and overnight accommodation that is necessary, appropriate and reasonable - it could be provided or you may be reimbursed (keep receipts). See Rights if delayed at the airport.
The compensation is from £110 to £520 per person depending on delay length and distance. See how much flight delay compensation or flight cancellation compensation you get.
You DON'T need to accept vouchers. If you're due legal compensation, you're entitled to money. If an airline offers vouchers, go back to 'em, this is a legal right (unless you want to help it out, or it offers more in vouchers).
I'm eligible, but is claiming the right thing to do? Not always, eg, a delay on a flight you paid £20 for can cost the airline £100s. So it's up to you to decide whether it's fair to claim or not. See my legal vs moral concerns.
Use our FREE online reclaim tools - no need to pay anyone to claim. Our flight delay reclaim and flight cancellation reclaim tools draft your complaint, track it and help escalate it to the relevant regulator or resolution scheme if rejected - and as it's totally free, you keep ALL of the compensation. Though if it gets tricky after you first try, there is some decent no win, no fee help available as a last resort.

PS: These rules used to be EU law 261/2004. After Brexit, the Govt wrote that law into UK law - that's why it's the same in the UK and EU. The only difference is for UK claims you're paid in pounds, not a conversion rate from euros.

News. 1st class stamps up 14% on 2 Oct (more for large letters) - beat the hike. And yes, that does make a 1st class stamp £1.25! Beat the stamp hike

Amazon £5 off £15 - one click to check. Plus four other offers giving you up to £5 off – they're not for all, and some will need upfront spending, but it only takes moments to see if you're eligible. Amazon

Built up debt on credit cards over summer? Shift NOW to 30mths 0% before interest hits. If you can't pay off in full, check if you can get a balance transfer - a new card that pays off the debt on existing cards for you, so you owe it at 0%. The longest is Barclaycard's up to 30mth 0% card (3.45% fee), though if you can repay quickly, HSBC's 16mth 0% card is no-fee (links go via our eligibility calc). Full help and options in Top balance transfers. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum and clear the card before the 0% ends or it jumps to 24.9%/23.9% rep APR.

Dyson code gets up to £170 off cordless vacuums. MSE Blagged. Either the V11 Total Clean for £330 (normally £500) or V12 Absolute for £380 (normally £530). 2,200 available. Dyson with deals

Martin: 'Five things all new English uni goers should know BEFORE they start.' Read Martin's new five must-knows or his full in-depth 2023 Plan 5 student loans guide.

'We've made £2,000 in a year - just by switching banks.' Claire's email to tell us how she became a serial switcher is our success of the week: "I set up spare accounts for me and my husband in Sept last year and I've switched them repeatedly, earning us over £2,000 in bonuses. This paid for our family summer holiday. I'd never have thought of this without the MSE email's help, so thanks." Get paid to switch: NatWest FREE £200* and top service bank First Direct FREE £175* (full reviews & eligibility criteria in Best bank accounts). Or be a serial switcher: How to play bank bonuses help guide. And please let us know if we've helped you save (on this or owt else).

Five million 50p to £2 Northern train tickets - can you find 'em? For off-peak travel in Sep / Oct. Northern

Discounts for NHS & emergency services workers, eg, 20% off Toby Carvery & Nando's, £6 off Iceland. Saturday is Emergency Services Day, so we've updated our list of NHS & care worker freebies & discounts.

Shell energy or broadband customer? You're moving to Octopus. It's bought Shell's 1.4 million energy and 500,000 broadband customers. See what the Octopus takeover means for Shell customers.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- Lebara 5GB Sim '£3.45/mth' Ends 3 Oct
- Up to £170 off Dyson code 2,200 available
- 60% off Abel & Cole fruit and veg boxes Ends Tue 12 Sept

DID YOU MISS?

- What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills
- FREE drinks, including beer, G&T, cocktails, coffee & tea
- FREE visits to 5,000+ historic buildings & heritage sites
- FREE Asda £5 for Rewards app newbies
- Ninja Creami ice cream maker £120 with code (normally £200)

New. UNLIMITED data (and calls & texts) just £11/mth - the cheapest we've ever seen. Why pay more?

If you pay over a tenner each month for your mobile, unless you're still paying off the handset, you're likely paying over the odds. Even if it costs you less, as tariff data costs have dropped so much you can probably get more for a lower price.

14m of you are out of contract (text 'INFO' for free to 85075 to find out) and many will have seen huge 14%+ inflation price rises this year. So check if you can slash costs like Mick did: "After staying loyal to O2 for years, I took your advice, looked at my options and moved to Virgin where I got 10 times the data. My contract was going up to £23/mth but is now £6/mth, saving me £204/yr. Thanks."

Cut costs by £100s a year. Sims are the chips in the back of phones that give them their identity. Switching yours is easy. To keep your number, just text 'PAC' to 65075, then give the code you get to your new provider. Our Cheap Sim comparison has all today's deals, most involve 'pay and get a voucher' promos. Today's top picks include...

Top Sim-only deals Use our Data Calculator if you're unsure how much you use
Provider (network)	Data and cost (all are unlimited UK calls and texts)
Lebara (uses Vodafone signal) Customer service poll: 4.1 / 5	5GB for '£3.45/mth': MSE Blagged. Pay £1.99/mth for six months, then £4.90/mth. Over a year, it averages out at £3.45/mth, but it's a one-month rolling contract, so you can cancel any time. 12GB for '£3.57/mth': Pay £6.90/mth, but you can CLAIM a £40 Amazon, M&S etc voucher within six months. Factor it in and it's equivalent to £3.57/mth over a year. It's a one-month rolling contract, so you can cancel any time.
Ends 11.59pm Thu. iD Mobile (Three) Service poll: 3.7 / 5	54GB for '£6.50/mth': Pay £9/mth, but you can CLAIM a £30 Amazon / Currys voucher within three months. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £6.50/mth over the year's contract.
New. Three Service poll: 2.3 / 5	UNLIMITED data for '£11.09/mth': Pay £19/mth, but you'll be able to CLAIM a £95 Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's or Asda voucher within six months. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £11.09/mth over the year's contract.
Ends 11.59pm Thu. iD Mobile (Three) Service poll: 3.7 / 5	UNLIMITED data for '£11.25/mth': If service is important, iD Mobile scored higher than Three in our poll. It's £15/mth, but you can CLAIM a £45 Amazon / Currys voucher within three months. Factor it in and it's equivalent to £11.25/mth over the year's contract.
WANT TO STICK WITH YOUR NETWORK?	There are only four UK networks - Vodafone, O2, EE and Three. All the others are virtual networks piggybacking on the big four's signals. Our Cheap Sims tool lets you filter by the cheapest using each network so you can stick on the signal you like.

Four Sim-switching need-to-knows...
1. Unlock your phone for free. Some phones are locked so they can only use one network's signal, but if you're on a pay monthly deal and out of contract, your network must unlock your phone for free. See Mobile unlocking help.
2. Don't want to switch? Haggle. Mobile firms are among the easiest to haggle with. Full info in Mobile haggling.
3. Need roaming help? See our Cheap mobile roaming guide.
4. Members of cashback sites may be able to get deals even cheaper. In some cases, these sites can undercut promo deals elsewhere. Do check you're comparing like for like though. See Top cashback sites for more.

Energy bills to FALL in October - what'll you pay? Find out with our Price Cap calculator. Check your likely bill with our updated What will I pay from Oct? calc. Related: Should I fix?

Pregnant or have a child under four? Are you one of 200,000 missing out on food costs help? If you're on certain benefits, Healthy Start cards (Best Start in Scotland) give up to £8.50 a week (up to £9.90 in Scotland) to help buy healthy food, milk and vitamins for your child. Check if you're eligible.

Print your summer snaps for free (or cheap). See our round-up of photo printing app deals, including 10 free 6-inch x 4-inch photo prints and 50 prints for £3.50.

It's back! Free food or cash with McDonald's Monopoly. Boost win chances with our McMonopoly tricks (please eat responsibly).

60% off Abel & Cole organic fruit and veg box. MSE Blagged. Then 50% off your next two. Veg out

Teachers get 3mths' free access to Joe Wicks' The Body Coach app (normally £15/mth). The app gives tailored workouts, a meal plan, and live workouts with Joe. No ongoing subscription required. Free Body Coach

70(ish) ways to 'DIY' it, according to the MSE Forum. Lip balm, cleaning spray, slate mulch, wedding cakes... why pay a pro when you can make/do it yourself? My oh my: DIY

Want an MSE Charity grant? Go quick. The latest funding round for grants of up to £8,000 is now open for non-profits that help people through big life changes, such as bereavement or homelessness, by improving their financial capability skills. The round closes once 40 applications are accepted, or on Fri 29 Sept, whichever's first. Check if your organisation qualifies and see how to apply.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 30mths 0%, 3.45% fee (24.9% rep APR)
No-fee 0%: HSBC (check eligibility / apply*) - 16mths 0% (23.9% rep APR)

£200 to switch + £36/yr cashback: NatWest / RBS
£175 to switch + top service: First Direct

Top easy access: Santander 5.2%, min £1
Top one-year fix: NS&I 6.2%, min £500

Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR

Standard (10Mb+): Shell Energy '£18.55/mth'
Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£18.83/mth'
Fast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£19.44/mth'
Superfast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£20.59/mth'

On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.70/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.45/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.57/mth' for 12GB
31GB+ data: Three, '£11.09/mth' for unlimited data

THIS WEEK'S POLL

When did you last move your savings? With the top rates at their highest for more than a decade, it's vital that your savings are earning as much interest as they can - and if not, you should ditch and switch (see Top savings accounts for today's best buys). Yet switching savings isn't everyone's top priority, so we want to know the last time you did it.

A third of you have fixed your energy in the past six months. Last week, we asked whether you'd switched or fixed your energy in the past six months - over 4,000 of you responded. More than a third (36%) said they'd fixed with their existing energy supplier, while most (44%) have done nothing/stayed on the Energy Price Cap. See the full poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Direct Line Group to pay out £30 million after overcharging some car and home insurance customers
- Power cut compensation to rise to £2,000 - your rights if your electricity supply is cut off
- Barclays to close 15 more bank branches - here's the full list and alternatives
- Wilko to close 52 stores and to sell 51 to B&M - your shopping and refund rights
- Hive to remotely switch off certain cameras and smart devices by 2025, including three this year

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I pay towards the window and gutter cleaning my neighbour didn't tell me about? My neighbour arranged for a window and gutter cleaner to attend to both their property and mine - but didn't discuss it with me first, only letting me know on the day the cleaner arrived. He's since asked me to contribute to the cost, which annoyed me as I was never consulted. Should I pay to keep the peace, even though I had nothing to do with it? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay towards the window and gutter cleaning my neighbour didn't tell me about? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

MARTIN'S BLOG

- Martin Lewis: Five things all new English university starters should know

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: Foraging, fake stamps & foul smells
- 70(ish) ways to 'DIY it' according to the MSE Forum

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 6 SEPT ONWARDS)

Wed 6 Sept - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm

VICKS ON YOUR FEET & VASELINE AS HAIR GEL... WHAT'S YOUR MOST VERSATILE BEAUTY PRODUCT?

That's all for this week, but before we go... MoneySavers have been telling us about their multi-use beauty products. Examples include using Vicks Vaporub as a softening foot balm, lip gloss for wet-look eye make-up, and Vaseline, which works as a lip balm, cuticle balm and hair smoother. The most versatile item mentioned was coconut oil, which apparently serves as a leave-in conditioner, lip balm, massage oil and as a base for wearing essential oils. Yet one sage MoneySaver noted there's no beauty product that will do as much for you as a good night's sleep. Share your own most versatile beauty product in our MSE Forum and Facebook discussions.

We hope you save some money,
The MSE team

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What you need to know

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service.

We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips).

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Founded in February 2003, it is now the UK's biggest consumer help website, with more than 12 million users each month and about 8.5 million receiving this email. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple - saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full-time staff, more than a third of whom are editorial - researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE.

Who is Martin Lewis?
Martin Lewis CBE is the founder and executive chair of MSE, as well as the founder of the MMHPI charity. He's an ultra-focused MoneySaving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own prime-time ITV programme The Martin Lewis Money Show, Radio 5 Live Wednesday show Ask Martin Lewis and weekly slot on This Morning, among others. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography.

What do the links with an * mean?

Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the products at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to them. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See How This Site is Financed.

As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too:

Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email

natwest.com, firstdirect.com, barclaycard.co.uk, hsbc.co.uk

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note

MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). MoneySavingExpert.com Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number: 8021764. Registered office: One Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited.

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