Friday 8 May 2015

£49 -- Michelin-Listed 5-Course Dinner & Bubbly for 2

 
 
08 MAY 2015
LOCAL DEAL for
CHESHIRE
 
 
£49 -- Michelin-Listed 5-Course Dinner & Bubbly for 2
View Deal »
 
 
You Might Also Like...
 
£39 -- Award-Winning Tarporley Restaurant: Meal & Bubbly for 2
View »
 
£15 & up -- Smash-Hit Musical in Manchester, up to 49% Off
View »
 
£24 -- Environ Facial at Harvey Nichols Manchester, Reg £105
View »
 
Publisher: Victoria Sandison
Associate Publisher: Hayley Ditchburn
 
 
 
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Wednesday 6 May 2015

This Week's Top 20 Travel & Entertainment Deals

Croatia, Berlin, Rhodes, Phuket, Marrakesh & more
Travelzoo Weekly Top 20

Every week we search more than 1,000 companies worldwide
for their very best deals and compile the Travelzoo Top 20(R).

************************************************************
TOP 20 DEALS -- 06 May 2015
************************************************************

£169pp -- Algarve Break w/Dolphin Watching, fr the Northwest
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016293/
Source: Broadway Travel

£229 -- North Yorkshire 2-Night Hotel Stay w/Gourmet Dinner
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2012066/
Source: Talbot Hotel

£499pp -- Deluxe Croatia Week w/Flights, Meals & Suite
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016096/
Source: Fleetway Travel

£89 -- Lancashire Stay inc Meals & Bubbly, Save 55%
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2013727/
Source: Samlesbury Hotel

£249pp -- Berlin 5-Star Hyatt Break w/Flts fr the Northwest
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016309/
Source: Exclusive Luxury Breaks

£99 -- Kent Downs Stay with 4-Course Dinner, Was £179
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2013965/
Source: The Marquis at Alkham

£499pp -- 5-Star Rhodes Holiday w/Meals; Fly from Manchester
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016083/
Source: Inspired Luxury Escapes

£15 & up -- 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' Musical, up to 49% Off
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2015850/
Source: Opera House Manchester

£195 -- 3-Nt Luxury Phuket Stay w/Breakfast, 48% Off
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2013918/
Source: Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort

£679pp -- 'Super-Luxurious' Vegas Bellagio Break w/BA Flts
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016268/
Source: British Airways

£110 -- Aberdeen Mansion Stay w/2-AA-Rosette Dinner, 50% Off
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2013158/
Source: Norwood Hall Hotel

£199pp -- Marrakesh 4-Nt All-Inc Luxury Escape w/Upgrade
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016318/
Source: Travel Interaction

£123 -- NYC Hotel Stay near Times Square, up to 41% Off
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016805/
Source: TRYP by Wyndham Times Square South

£252 -- Dubai Return Flights from Manchester
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2015983/
Source: Fly.com

£49 -- Preston: Top-Rated 6-Course Meal & Bubbly for 2
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2015957/
Source: Fusion Room

£699pp -- Mediterranean 10-Night Luxury Cruise, Save £240
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2015857/
Source: Iglu Cruise

£99 -- Bournemouth Stay w/Dinner & 'Superb Views', 46% Off
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2013827/
Source: Chine Hotel

£335pp -- Deluxe North Cyprus Holiday w/Meals, fr Manchester
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016161/
Source: Cyprus Paradise

£78 -- Alicante 2-Nt Stay with Breakfast & Spa
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2015865/
Source: Hotel Bonalba Alicante

£1898pp -- Peru 11-Nt Trip w/Tours & Meals, from Manchester
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/top20/100156765-2016242/
Source: Citrus Holidays

Publisher: Maire Bonheim
Associate Publisher: Christina Bracewell

For more great travel and entertainment deals, visit:
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100156765

Tuesday 5 May 2015

36mth 0%, beat Sky hike, free house price valuations, Pensioner Bonds ending, free £150, 3 Odeon tix £12, RAC £12, election tips

Martin's Money Tips Email. On mobile? See online mobile version.

View mobile friendly version

Martin Lewis

MoneySavingExpert.com weekly email

Cutting your costs, fighting your corner Martin's Money Tips Wed 6 May 2015
Cards Reclaim Shopping Deals Utilities Banking Travel Insurance Mortgages Income

This week

Last chance: 4% Pensioner Bonds
Which party should you vote for?
30+ FREE house valuation tools
Beat Sky TV price hike: 'I saved £250'
Free £150 bank switch & 2% interest
£12 for 3 Odeon cinema tix
Free sausage roll & Coke Zero
Scrap the family flight tax
Slash airport parking costs
Free calc to work out take-home pay
Discounts: D Perkins £5 off £25, Sainsbury.co.uk newbies £20 off £60
New baby? 50+ MoneySaving tips
10 scented begonia bulbs £6.50 del
'Just got home insurance for £25'
FLASH 24hr currency sale.
RAC £12-a-year breakdown cover
Free Doncaster races + Human League gig tix
'I owed £22k, now I'm debt-free'
Want to work at MSE? We're hiring
Vouchers Index: Restaurants / Shopping
Best Buys: 0% cards | Car insurance
Best Buys: Gas & Elec | Bank Accs
Have your say on parking

MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter

BALANCE TRANSFER PRICE WAR
New 18mths 0% no-fee & 36mths 0% (2.99% fee)
Save £1,000s on existing debts as the credit card battle turns white hot

Price WarIt's been a rip-roaring week for balance transfers. First, POW, Virgin lowered its fee to match Barclaycard as the longest 0% deal, 36mths with a 2.99% transfer fee. Then, BOOM, Tesco launched the longest no-fee 0% debt shift this decade, at 18mths. So, KAPOW, you can make huge savings, as Sharon did:

"Get in. I managed to shift store and credit cards, saving £4,700 interest."

A range of top providers is a boon. Balance transfer deals are for 'new cardholders', so you can't shift debt to cards you already possess. Thus more providers means more options to shift cheaply. Here are the need-to-knows...

1. Balance transfer to cut the interest on existing debts. It's where you get a new card that repays existing credit and/or store card debts for you, so you owe it instead - but at a cheaper rate. As there's less interest, more of your money clears the actual debt.

- Can it clear multiple cards? Yes, if the new credit limit's big enough.
- Can I transfer the whole credit limit? Usually not. Most let you do 90%-95% of it, as they want to leave room for you to spend (avoid that).
- How do they decide if I'll get a card?
Using your application data, and by your credit score. Use our Balance Transfer Eligibility Calc to see which cards you're most likely to get.

To show the impact of this, Kelly emailed, "I used the eligibility calculator and got a 0% balance transfer. I was able to shift £11,000 from 29.9%. I'm in shock thinking of the money I've saved."
   
2. New. Longest EVER 0% and longest EVER fee-free 0% balance transfer. Accepted Virgin Money* cardholders can now shift debt to it for 36mths 0% for a one-off fee of 2.99%, matching Barclaycard's* 'up to' 36mths 0% deal. If you can pay off quicker, Tesco* now offers 18mths 0% with NO FEE, so as long as you pay it off within that time, there's no cost.

Pick the lowest-fee card in the time you're absolutely sure you can clear it.

TOP PICK NEW CUSTOMER 0% BALANCE TRANSFER CREDIT CARDS
Use the Balance Transfer Eligibility Calc to see your odds for each card
Card Intro 0% offer One-off fee (1) Rep APR after
Virgin Money* Joint longest 36mths 2.99% 18.9%
Barclaycard* Joint longest Up to 36mths 2.99% 18.9%
Tesco* Long, low-fee 28mths 1.49% 20.6%
Lloyds* Alternative long, low-fee 28mths 1.5% 18.9%
Virgin Money* Slightly shorter low-fee 26mths 1.25% 18.9%
Tesco* Longest NO-FEE 18mths None 20.6%
Halifax* 2nd longest NO-FEE Up to 16mths None 18.9%
Santander* Another decent NO-FEE 15mths None 18.9%
Cap One* For poorer credit scores 6mths 3% 34.9%
1) of amount transferred. Full info & more: Best Balance Transfers (APR Examples).

Two cards are 'up to' as they give some people a shorter 0% (based on credit score). Anecdotally, it seems the higher your score in our Eligibility Calculator, the more chance you have of getting the headline 0%. With Barclaycard, we hear a decent proportion get the stated deal.

Tesco is not in our Eligibility Calc as it doesn't provide the data for it. Virgin has been in before, but these are new cards, so we're still waiting.
   
3. Don't just apply willy-nilly; find which will likely accept you. You need to apply to know if you'll be accepted, but that leaves a hard search on your credit file; too many, especially in a short time, hurt future applications.

Hence why I harp on about the free Eligibility Calc which shows your acceptance odds, and while it does leave a soft search on your file - you see it, lenders don't - it doesn't affect your creditworthiness. If the result ain't great, read 35 credit score boosting tips.
   
4. Is it worth applying if the Eligibility Calc shows I've a 60% chance? I'm often asked this. Actually 60% is pretty decent odds - it means over half the people in your position get accepted. And here we're talking about cutting the cost of your debt, that's one of the most important things to use your credit score for. I've a story that should help:

I sat with a MoneySaver, who had large costly credit card debts & a poor credit history. The Eligibility Calc showed all balance transfer cards gave her zero chance except Halifax at 20%. She asked: "Is there any point?"

I explained that as it was the only thing she needed credit for, 20% chance is better than nowt and the worst that can happen is she doesn't get it. She applied and got a 26mth 0% card - £1,500 limit.
   
5. You can shift overdrafts to 0% too. Debit cards often feel better than credit. Yet if you're overdrawn, they're a debt too, often with higher interest costs and hideous bank charges if you go over your limit.

Most cards won't let you shift overdrafts at 0%, but a few specialist balance transfer deals allow 'money transfers' too. This means they pay cash into your bank account, so you now owe the card instead. If you're new to this, first read my Money Transfers guide. The top cards are:

- MBNA* (Eligibility Calc) gives up to 32mths 0% balance transfers from credit cards & up to 24mths 0% on money transfers, both for a 1.94% fee.
- Virgin Money* is a longer 36mths 0% for both, but the fees are higher: 2.99% on balance transfers, 4% on money transfers.

After the 0% period, they jump to 20.9% & 18.9% rep APR on balance transfers & 22.9% rep APR and 20.9% rep APR on money transfers, so clear the card by then, or be ready to balance transfer the remaining debt.
   
6. Unsure how quickly you can repay? Go for a LONG-TERM, low rate. If you can repay quickly or are willing to tart from 0% to 0% deal, the deals above win. If you need longer or are uncertain about what you can repay each month, play safe and shift debt to a permanently cheap deal.

- Lloyds Platinum* (Eligibility Calc) is 6.4% rep APR and it's fee-free if you shift debt to it in the first 90 days (3% fee after). Technically the rate's variable, but the rate jacking rules mean it can't be raised in year one. After, you can reject rises as long as you don't borrow more.
   
7. Top 0% deals for shifting debts AND new borrowing. Spend on most balance transfer cards and it's not normally at 0%, but a few all-rounder cards are 0% for both. However, be very careful doing new borrowing - if you're trying to clear debt, new borrowing doesn't help.

Only do it if it's planned, budgeted for and affordable. Willy-nilly spending to fill income gaps is dangerous. Here are the top all-rounders:

- Santander* 15mths 0% on both, no fee (18.9% rep APR after).
- Virgin Money* 18mths 0% on both, 2% transfer fee, (18.9% rep APR).
- Santander* 23mths 0% with no transfer fee (16.5% rep APR) but has a £24 annual fee, refunded in yr1 if you have its 123 current account. It's only worth it if transferring hefty balances, or for those with the 123 account.

To find out which cards you're most likely to get, use the All-Rounder Eligibility Checker. Full help in Top All-Rounder Cards (APR Examples).
   
8. The balance transfer GOLDEN RULES. Always obey these...

a) Repay at least the set monthly minimum, or you may lose the 0% rate.
b) Clear the debt or shift again before the 0% ends or rates rocket.
c) Don't spend on these cards; it isn't usually at the cheap rate.
d) Use our Which Card Is Cheapest? tool if unsure which card to go for.
e) Know your credit limit and be careful not to go over it.
f) Check if you can use existing credit first. See the Credit Card Shuffle.

PS. Bravo, Nationwide. It just dropped its £12 over-limit fees and improved how interest's calculated. See Nationwide boost. Let's hope others follow.
   
9. Use any savings to clear costly credit card debts. I know, I know - you don't want to as your savings are a safety net. Yet...

a) Debts usually cost far more than savings earn.
Imagine you've £1,000 in top savings and £1,000 costly card debt. The savings only pay £11/yr after basic-rate tax, the card costs £180/yr. Clear the card and you're £169/yr up.

b) You could always borrow back. Many worry if they use their savings they'll have no emergency fund. Yet you still have the card. So in a crisis (roof collapse, not new shoes), use the card and you're no worse off. Meanwhile you've saved interest. Full help in Repay Debts With Savings?
10. If struggling, get free one-on-one debt help. If you can't meet minimum repayments, have non-mortgage or non-student loan debts of a year's after-tax salary+, or just can't sleep, the solutions above aren't for you.

Instead, get free debt counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange and National Debtline. Or, if you're struggling emotionally too, CAPUK. Full info in Debt Crisis Help. And don't worry, they're there to help, not judge.

PS. I'm taking a few days off this week, so I've been through the big stuff, but am leaving the finer details in the more than capable hands of the MSE team.

Blagged for MoneySavers

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MSE News

Top story: PayPlan 'Cover My Payments' member? Check if you should ditch and reclaim your cash
Amazon doubles free delivery threshold after days of confusion
Tax credit renewal packs being sent out, but phone lines are jammed
Hiring a car? You'll need a DVLA code to do so from 8 June
Share these MoneySaving secrets
If this email's ever helped you, please forward it to friends and suggest they get it via moneysavingexpert.com/tips
Use the Money Mantras If you're skint If you're not skint
The Ones Not To Miss Wed 6 May 2015
Warning: Pensioner Bonds close in 9 days - get 4%
If you're 65+ and have savings, these Govt-backed bonds are a massive market leader - but they close on 15 May

The curtain is set to fall on Pensioner Bonds or - as they're officially called - '65+ Guaranteed Growth Bonds'. And no surprise, it closes just after the election - it doesn't take a cynic to call these loss-leading accounts a pre-election giveaway to older voters. Yet they pay large, so if you're eligible, check out our Pensioner Bonds guide ASAP. In short...

  • Pensioner BondsThe basics. NS&I Pensioner Bonds are fixed-rate savings for those who've turned 65:

    - You can put up to £10,000 in a 1yr bond at 2.8% (on £10k that's £280 pre-tax after the year) AND up to £10,000 in a 3yr bond at 4% (earning £1,250 pre-tax after 3 yrs).
    - If you need to withdraw early, you can, but you'll lose the equiv of 90 days' interest.
    - You pay normal savings tax on interest (eg, 20% for basic-rate payers). If you're a non-taxpayer you can reclaim the interest after it's paid.
    - If you've already opened a bond and not deposited the full amount, eg, you've saved £8,000 of the £10,000 for a one-year bond, you can still open a new 1yr bond for the remaining £2,000 as long as you go quick.
  • If you can only do one - the 3yr is our pick. The bond pricing is rather strange. Put cash in the 3yr bond and withdraw after a year and you lose the equiv of 90 days' gross interest, but that's still an effective rate of 2.76%, very close to the 1yr, but gives you the flexibility to save for longer. See full 1yr vs 3yr analysis.
  • What are the nearest equivalents if I'm not entitled to Pensioner Bonds? There's Santander 123 paying 3% on £3k - £20k if you're willing to switch bank, or up to 2.3% tax-free in a fixed cash ISA or 2.5% fixed savings. See full top savings. For those prepared to up the risk a touch, see 6% peer-to-peer savings.

That's just the start. For full info, incl how to use it for income, whether you can give to cash to someone 65+ to save for you, and crucially, how to apply, see Pensioner Bonds.

Beat Sky TV price hikes - 'I saved £250'. Last week we launched our beat Sky TV June hikes guide & we're swamped with successes, eg, @Clank_1 tweeted: "I got £25/mth off for 10 months" & @JamiePover: "I saved almost 50%".

Free £150 bank switch plus 2% interest. There's a bank switching bribe war. a) Clydesdale* / Yorkshire* (min pay in £1,000/mth) are giving £150 plus 2% interest on up to £3,000. b) Via this First Direct* link (min £1,000/mth) you get £125. It's won every customer service poll we've done, has a £250 0% overdraft & 6% linked savings. c) Halifax* (min £750/mth) gives £125 then £5 each month you're in credit. Full help, incl no min pay-in options, in Best Bank Accounts.

£12 for 3 Odeon cinema tix. Norm up to £16 each. Don't have to be used all in one visit. Full info in Odeon deals.

Free sausage roll & 500ml Coke Zero at Greggs. You can grab both. Go quick, Coke vch ends Sun. Greggs

SCRAP THE FAMILY FLIGHT TAX - you shouldn't need to pay to sit with your kids. We're starting a campaign to force airlines to stop charging parents often £15 each per flight to sit with their kids. Airline name & shame

Time to reveal the party you should vote for...
Each newspaper's given its view. As the UK's biggest consumer site, it's time for our view

How you vote in tomorrow's General Election's likely to be the biggest consumer decision you'll make this year. It affects the economy, tax, health, education, the environment and more. If you don't vote, you've no right to complain.

General Election1. Who you should vote for. Actually we believe that's your business. Instead of dictating, we want to help you make your mind up. The key is which party best fits your view. Several sites use questions to map you on the political spectrum. For speed, try Tick Box & VoteMatch. For visuals, Position Dial, or a more thorough site is MyVoteAdvisor.

2. Which party is best for your finances? In the MSE Leaders' Debate, Cameron, Miliband, Clegg, Sturgeon, Wood, Farage and Bennett gave their views on pensions, mortgages, zero-hour contracts, financial education, student fees and more. Feel free to judge them harshly if you think they avoided the questions. Plus, there are links to each party's manifesto.

3. Know your local candidates.
You elect a person, not a party, so to find your local candidates, their party and (if relevant) how they performed in the 2010 election, enter your postcode at Your Candidates or YourNextMP.

4. What'd it take to topple (or keep) your MP? The Electoral Calculus site lists stats including the last general election's results and 2015 predictions, useful for tactical voting, as is SwapMyVote. Plus, track the latest poll results and election forecasts and see how a coalition government could look.

5. If you can't face voting for anyone. The right to vote was hard fought for. At the least, go to the polling booth and spoil your ballot (ie, scrawl a line through it) to register a protest, a far stronger message than not voting.

PS. If you're an election nerd up all night, Martin's on ITV from 2am to 4am and doing Twitter commentary @martinslewis.

Slash airport parking costs "from £115 to £40". If you'll park this summer, book early and use these special discount links to comparison sites Holiday Extras 10%-30% off*, SkyParkSecure 13%-30% off*, Looking4parking 10%-31% off* & APH 20% off Gatwick, Manchester, B'ham and Stansted*. As forumite Bigdaddy1210 says: "Got a brilliant deal using your links for a 4-day break - costing just over £40 instead of £115." Full info in Cheap Airport Parking.

Free income tax calculator - what'll be in your payslip? Find your take-home pay with our income tax calc plus check if you're due £1,000s back with our free tax code calculator.

DISCOUNTS: Dorothy Perkins £5 off £25, Sainsbury's £20 off £60, Funky Pigeon 25% off...
Dorothy Perkins £5 off £25 in-store vch | Sainsbury's £20 off £60 online groceries newbies code | Funky Pigeon 25% code Boden 25% off code | Body Shop £10 off £25 code | M&S 20% off school uniforms online from Wed | ALL Codes & Vchs

New baby? 50+ MoneySaving tips. Births have delightfully been the talk of MSE Towers this last fortnight, MSE Neil's celebrating baby Emily's birth, there's MSE Steve's little Ana & MSE Yasin's Umaima. We think there was something in the news too? (huge congrats, Wills & Kate). For the royal MoneySaving treatment, incl cheap nappies, fun gifts & tax credits, see our baby checklist.

Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Balance Transfers Car Insurance Cheap Loans Top Cash ISAs
Longest 0%: Barclaycard*
Up to 36mths 0%, 2.99% fee

(18.9% rep APR)

No fee 0%: Tesco Bank*
18mths 0%, no fee

(18.9% rep APR)
Get comparison site quotes in this order...
Compare The Market
MoneySupermarket*

Then check insurers they miss:
Direct Line*
Aviva*
Admiral MultiCar*

Cahoot* (£5k - £7.5k)
4.6% rep APR



M&S Bank* (£7.5k - £15k)
3.6% rep APR


Skipton BS 1.5% AER
Min £1, incl bonus
Easy access. No transfers.


Coventry BS 2.1% AER
Min £1. No transfers
Loophole: Fixed till May 2019


See Card APR Examples & Loan APR Examples

10 scented begonia bulbs £6.50 deliv. MSE Blagged. Cheapest we've seen is £15 for 12. 2,500 avail. Park Promotions

SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: (Send us yours on this or any topic)
"Just got my home insurance for £25 - that's £44 and £19 cashback #Notbad"
See how cheap you can get yours too by following our full Cheap Home Insurance system.

FLASH 24hr Post Office online currency sale. It's boosting online rates for euros & US dollars starting 8am on Wed. We're not saying it'll be top, so compare its rates during the sale with our Travel Money Comparison. Not going yet? The Halifax Clarity* credit card (Eligibility Calc) gives near-perfect spending rates worldwide, far better than cash. But pay off IN FULL each month or it's 12.9% rep APR. Full info: Cheap Overseas Cards (APR Examples).

RAC £12 a year breakdown cover. Use a cashback site for £12 RAC or £18 AA basic cover. Cheap Breakdown Cover

30+ FREE house price valuation tools
Snoop on what your neighbours paid and investigate price cuts, crime hotspots, local schools and more

The average UK house price is now £193,000, up 5.2% from a year ago. Yet whether you're a buyer, seller or voyeur, what tends to count is the value in your area, street or actual home. A wealth of free info's available via web weapons. See the full 30 free House Price Valuation tools list, here are the foundations...

1,000 FREE £33 Doncaster races + Human League gig tix code. MSE Blagged. 16 May. Don't You Want Me

'In 2013 I owed £22,000, now I'm debt-free'. We're celebrating 10yrs of the MSE forum's Debt-Free Wannabe board & want to inspire you. In June 2013 Sophie was inspired by our Demotivator to calculate her skinny latte habit - £1,750 over 5yrs. Then she moved to the forum: "I learned to meal plan, to sell empty perfume bottles on eBay, and got £900+ tax savings" Since, she's cleared her £22,000 debt. Richard, 49, used to owe £54k: "After being in debt since I was 18, I'm now debt free". Get inspiration, share tips, know you're not alone, Debt-free wannabe. And see the debt help guide.

MSE is hiring. Incl London-based broadband & phones researcher and travel & consumer features writer. MSE Jobs


Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Gas & Electricity Bank Accounts Home Insurance Landlines

Compare, get £30 dual fuel cashback & alerts if your deal's no longer cheap. Go via the free MSE Cheap Energy Club Top Pick Fixes Comparison.

The savings can be huge. Someone with typical dual fuel usage on a big 6 standard tariff pays £1,155 a year, the cheapest deal's £899.


First Direct*
£125 bonus and top cust service


Santander 123*
Up to 3% cashback on bills

(£2 per month fee)
Get comparison site quotes in this order...

GoCompare*
MoneySupermarket*

Then check insurers they miss:
Direct Line*
Aviva*

Direct Save Telecom*
with weekend calls
£11/mth (pay a yr upfront)



Post Office*
with weekend calls
£12/mth (pay a yr upfront)


Do a Money Makeover Budget Planner MSE car sticker £13 Travel Insurance

Restaurant vouchers

Discount vouchers

Top deals

The Moneysaving community
The MoneySaving Community

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Parking practices: have your say
. Whether it's excessive 'fines', unclear signs, lack of spaces, machines not allowing you to pay by cash or the need for more support for local high streets, tell the next government your parking priorities, then share your views in the Parking MSE forum board.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Should I share my energy switch cashback?

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks: I recently moved into a flat with friends and have been put in charge of the energy bills. As part of a switch I got £30 cashback. I put in the effort so should I share it? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I share the cashback? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Jet2* Offer: 10% off all flights Ends: Wed 6 May
Our pick this week is Jet2's* 10% off all flights sale. Each passenger gets 10% off the cost of any flight (includes taxes, but excludes some charges and extras) until 30 Apr 2016. It flies from seven UK airports to 50+ European destinations. There is no code, the discount appears automatically. Excludes group bookings (10+ people). Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance

THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED
MoneySavers shared their tips to find the best value ready meals

We asked you to share your collective knowledge on the cheapest & healthiest ready meals. Some favoured Iceland for cheap 'takeaway' food, while others recommended supermarket 'basics' ranges. Don't overlook oven-cook ready meals, or make your own by cooking and freezing meals. Plus, there was a reminder of the horsemeat scandal and that ready meals are rarely truly healthy.

Quick forum tips

Freebie of the week

Martin's blogs

Martin's appearances (from Wed 6 May onward)

Thu 7 May - Good Morning Britain, Deals, ITV, 7.40am. See last week's
Election night (Fri 8 May early morning) - ITV, 2am to 4am.
Monday 11 May - This Morning, ITV, Money Monday, 10.30am.

MSE team corner

Team blogs:
No team blogs this week

Regular team appearances:

Fri 8 May
Share Radio, 10.30am
Fri 8 May
BBC Radio Manchester, 4.50pm
Tue 12 May
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, 2.15pm

Discussion of the week

Do you tip your hairdresser?

Tipping is commonplace within many industries, but is hairdressing one of them? Are our hairdressers simply doing what we pay for or do you give extra for a job well done? Join the Tipping your hairdresser discussion and have your say.

Cheap travel money

UK's Best Currency Rates
£100 will buy you:
Best Worst
Euro Flag 137.18 121.10
US Flag $ 151.20 135.06
Turkish Flag TL 393.95 350.52
Rates correct at 12pm Tue
Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash

This week's poll: What class are you?

It's an old-fashioned concept, but still something that's talked about. The aim is for you instinctively to say where you think you fit.

What social class do you see yourself in?

Poll results

Do you feel better off now than five years ago?
Those at the younger or older end of the voting spectrum were more likely to feel better off financially than at the last election, with 69% of under-35s and 67% of over-65s feeling better off or roughly the same. Those aged 35 to 65 were far less content, with 48% feeling worse off than five years ago.

16,901 voted. See the full results.

Question of the week

Q: What are my rights if I buy a first class rail ticket with no seat reservation but there are no seats available - can I get all or some of my money back if I have to stand? Roxy, by email.

MSE Megan F’s A: For the part of the journey that you had to stand for or sit in standard class, you can claim back the difference between the cost of a first class and standard class ticket, according to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. You can also do this if you have a first class season ticket.

Many of the train companies we asked also said they would refund the difference if first class was “declassified”, which is where all of the train is opened up to everyone, regardless of their ticket.

Some train companies will refund the difference using travel vouchers only, but others may give you cash if you ask, and most say the claim must be submitted within 28 days. Each company has its own refund rules, so for more on how to claim, see their policies in our Train Delays guide. Remember, first class isn't MoneySaving but it's possible to bag a cheapish first class ticket. See our Cheap Train Tickets guide for loads of tricks.

Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails).

 Nick's free game of the week: Balls

Do selfie sticks drive you mad?

Selfie sticks have been banished from the National Gallery, White Hart Lane and now Wimbledon. What do you think of them - handy accessory or plague in pole form? Pull up a chair and sound off at The Money Savers' Arms.

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

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