Friday 31 July 2015

Prices Drop on Late-Summer & Early-Autumn Escapes

£159pp & up -- Paris, Barbados, Vietnam, Croatia, Tuscany, Med cruises & more |
NEWSFLASH
 
 
Prices Drop on Late-Summer & Early-Autumn Escapes

NATIONWIDE--31 JULY, 2015--As the school holidays end, hotels, resorts and cruise ships drop rates to fill up rooms, meaning holiday prices are slashed. Our Deal Experts have found a dozen amazing escapes during September and October, with savings of up to 53%.

Here are some of our favourite offers:

  • Disneyland Paris break inc park pass... now £159pp
  • Deluxe Iceland escape with Northern Lights & whale-watching tours... now £249pp
  • 10-night Western Med cruise inc flights, meals & Nice stay... now £379pp
  • Sicilian island holiday inc flights, meals & transfers... now £399pp
  • Barbados beach week in junior suite w/direct flights... now £599pp
  • 2-week Vietnam holiday inc Ho Chi Minh City & Halong Bay cruise... now £1189pp

All deals include travel during September or October; some also include travel later in the year. Click the button below for more information and to see all 12 deals.

View all Deals »

Image: Barbados

 
Associate Publisher: Christina Bracewell
 
 
 
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Wednesday 29 July 2015

£4 champers, beat BT's hike, 10 holiday savers, 5 Tesco trix, 3.5% loan, 2spec £23, 15% code on 150k hotels, free £150, hot Sim

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

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Martin Lewis

MoneySavingExpert.com weekly email

Cutting your costs, fighting your corner Martin's Money Tips Wed 29 Jul 2015
Cards Reclaim Shopping Deals Utilities Banking Travel Insurance Mortgages Income

This week

Free £150 or 5% interest bank switch
Cheapest-EVER loan: 3.5%
5 Tesco tricks incl new double-up
£4.20 champagne trick
Warning: BT's hiking prices, again
£49 Oakley sunglasses
HOT SIM: £20/mth for unltd mins, texts, 4GB data, get £120 Amzn vch
Lastminute.com 15% hotels code
2 specs £23 code
Hot home insurance freebies: £80 gas BBQ, £90 Delonghi coffee maker
Train delays? Request cash back
Hot Diamonds extra 30% off sale
Tesco Wine extra 1,000 pts code
New: Top graduate accounts 2015
Free yoga, Zumba, bootcamps etc
'An energy saving of over £700'
40% off Clarks, Nike, Skechers code
FitFlops £22.50 del
Codes/vchs: F&F 15% off uniform, Matalan 20%, Wickes £10 off £50
Fri deadline: Tax credit renewal
Vouchers Index: Restaurants / Shopping
Best Buys: 0% cards | Car insurance
Best Buys: Gas & Elec | Bank accs
Want more info on shopping rights?

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

The 10 travel MUST-KNOWS before you go...
- Is your EHIC invalid, leaving you unprotected on your travels?
- How to get the very best exchange rates in just two minutes
- Free sat-nav, £1 sun cream & beat car hire pick-up desk fear sell

The great jet-away has started. August is the biggest travel month, and my Twitter feed & mailbag is jammed with questions. So I've compiled the core info everyone flying abroad within the next six weeks needs to know to get max bang for your bucks. For more tips, see the full 50+ overseas travel tips.

1. Is your EHIC leaving you unprotected? The European Health Insurance Card gives you access to GPs or state hospitals in the EU at the same price as a local (if it's free for them, it's free for you). Yet 5m+ cards are out-of-date and invalid. See How to check your EHIC & renew for free for full info. PS: Any site charging for EHICs is a con.
2. holiday checklistCut airport parking "from £123 to £59".
Book ASAP and use these special discounted links to comparison sites: Holiday Extras 10-30% off*, Looking4Parking 10-31%*, SkyPark Secure 13-30% off* & Airparks 12-25% off*.

As forumite Mark told us: "Other quotes were £123 for 20 nights - your link got me down to £59 incl airport meet and greet." For far more tips, eg, hotels giving a week's parking for a night's stay, see the full Cheap Airport Parking guide.
3. Hack holiday costs, eg, free sat-navs, £1 sun cream, school hols trick. A few weeks ago we launched our 25 tricks to hack holiday costs. Here are some of the most-read to give you a flavour...

- Always turn your sun cream bottles around. For why see our how to make sun cream last tips (and £1 sun cream if you need new).

- Turn smartphones into a free sat-nav. If it's got GPS, you can convert it into a free sat-nav for 28 countries. Just download maps before you go.

- Master the art of hand luggage packing. Many restrictions are about size not weight - our packing masterclass shows how to max this out.

- Save £100s on school holiday flights by booking the wrong Easyjet date. Not 100% straightforward but savings can be huge. Easyjet Flexifares Trick

- Uncover Lastmin.com secret hotels for big discounts before booking.
Turn detective & find secret hotels, plus use a 15% off code.

For many more clever tips, see 25 Travel Hacks.
4. Book cheap car hire then defeat the fear sales pitch when you pick it up. Know the game and holiday car hire can be super-cheap, but time and time again when I'm picking up a car abroad I see people in fierce rows due to the extras which can add £100s on top. So be prepared before you go...

- Not booked yet? Get the cheapest rental. Use comparison sites Kayak* & TravelSup* to find your cheapest, then try this special Holiday Autos* up-to-11% off link to see if you can beat it.

- Get your excess insurance BEFORE you go. When you pick up the car they'll try to fear sell you into paying up to £20/day extra for excess insurance, to prevent £500+ costs for just a scrape. To prevent this, get cheap excess insurance before you go, for as little as £2 a day.

- Beat stealth fuel charges. Some make you pay for a full tank and return empty, adding £100s in cost if you don't drive far. See how to beat stealth fuel charges.

- Get your DVLA code in advance? It's a new rule - see How to get your code.
5.

Got problems? You're screwed without insurance - get it for £13/yr. Last week, I again had a worried holiday cancellation question. A lady's mum (who was also going) is ill and the daughter is fuming the airline won't give her a refund so asked me, "what are my rights?". I had to tell her she doesn't have any.

The airline seat is still available & valid - if you bought a tennis racket and broke your arm, that doesn't mean the racket is faulty. While not perfect, it's travel insurance that protects you from this and sadly she didn't have it. Always get it the moment you book. Our Cheap Travel Insurance guide has FULL options & info on how we pick - in short...

- Cheapest annual policies (under-65s): Travel 2+ times a year and an annual policy usually wins. Holidaysafe Lite* and Leisure Guard Lite* are usually the cheapest - prices depend on age, eg, £13 for an individual under 36 in Europe, £51 for family worldwide cover where the oldest person is 55. Full best buys in annual policies.

- Cheapest one-off policies from £6. PYB Economy* tends to be cheapest for under-36s (eg, from £6 for 1wk Europe, £13 families). If 36+ both Leisure Guard Lite* and Holidaysafe* can undercut it, so check them too.
6.

Get cheap travel insurance EVEN if you're 65+ or have illnesses. Older travellers or those with pre-existing conditions can face hideous charges.

Yet don't give up. Mari, aged 70, is keen to spread the word: "I was diagnosed with breast cancer and insurers said I couldn't get cover. I nearly fell off the chair when Nationwide [see below] quoted £85 for me & my husband despite my medical history - we've already been to California."

- Age 65-80 annual policies. Full info in Over-65s Travel Insurance. In short, for those without serious past problems Holidaysafe*, Leisure Guard* and Planet Earth* usually win, so check all three. Prices are as low as £39/yr for someone aged 67 in Europe, or £200/yr for a 79-year-old going worldwide.

- Over-80s annual policies. Prices ramp up here - Castle Cover* is £325 for Europe, £512 world, up to age 85. It's tough after that, so try the MoneySup* comparison for single-trip policies instead.

- Switch bank instead. The fee-free Nationwide FlexAccount* includes Europe on travel insurance up to age 74 (needs £750/mth income to qualify). If you want a world policy, are older or have past medical conditions it'll often (not always) still cover you for an added charge.

- Past medical conditions. If getting cover's tough use our list of specialist medical travel insurers or better still read our Pre-Existing Conditions Travel Insurance guide. PS: I'm afraid just 'not declaring them' isn't the solution.
7. Bag near-perfect exchange rates in EVERY COUNTRY, EVERY TRIP. In my overseas wallet, there's a Halifax Clarity* Mastercard. Unlike most debit & credit cards it doesn't add a 3% non-sterling transaction fee abroad, so gives the same near-perfect rates banks get, smashing bureaux de change.

Of course it's only worth it if you repay it IN FULL each month to avoid the 18.9% rep APR interest, though if you use it in an ATM you will pay a month's interest (c. £1.50 per £100) even if you repay in full. So it's best to spend on it, rather than withdraw cash and spend that.

While it's our top pick specialist overseas card, it's only marginally so, and as you have to pass a credit check, use our overseas cards eligibility calculator to see which specialist cards you're most likely to get. Full step-by-step help in our Top Overseas Credit Cards guide (APR Examples).

Related: Take a peek inside my overseas wallet | Always say "I'll pay in euros" | Check what your card charges abroad
8. Find the best foreign cash exchange rates in seconds. For cash, our TravelMoneyMax holiday money comparison tool compares 40+ bureaux to find the best rates including short-term sales such as the Post Office's this week. Just NEVER leave it till the airport - that's almost always a raw deal.

Related: Should I buy Euros now as the rate's so good?
9. Use a prepaid card to get £60 of euros for £50. These are available to anyone (ie, there's no credit check) - you load cash on them in advance to use abroad. Unlike credit cards you usually get the rate on the day you load up, not spend, so for good or bad you're at the mercy of currency moves.

Two cards at the moment have free cash intro deals, which can cut the cost of your holidays (you can do both). They usually take c.2 weeks to arrive.
Full info & more options and help in our Cheap Prepaid Cards guide.

- £5 extra on £10+ and perfect interbank rates for a year. The new Revolut card gives the perfect rate for euros, dollars & many others for the 1st year, and you can get an extra £5 added when loading £10+ (full info via the link).

- £10 extra on £50+ and perfect interbank rate option. WeSwap card works in dollars, euros & a few others and you can get an extra £10 of currency when loading £50 or more. You can get the perfect rate, if you choose the 'load up cash seven days in advance' option.
10.

Beat £120 roaming charges using your UK tariff there for free. Taking your mobile abroad (roaming) has got far cheaper in the European Union as there are now caps on the price of calls, data and texts.

Yet further afield you can still pay over £1/min or £8/MB (ie, £1,400 for watching 30mins of TV). My new 10 USA Roaming Tips guide shows how to use a UK tariff (incl unlimited data) in the USA at no extra cost.

If you're going elsewhere or want tips and tricks for cutting costs in Europe see our Cheap Mobile & Data Roaming guide.

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MSE News

Top story: Cash Genie to pay £10m redress for 'serious failings'
Government pulls plug on Green Deal funding
Motorist takes landmark parking challenge to the Supreme Court
Northern Rock borrowers dealt blow as court rules redress isn't due
Plans to improve mobile switching revealed
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Use the Money Mantras If you're skint If you're not skint
The Ones Not To Miss Wed 29 Jul 2015
Bank a b*****d? Don't bitch, switch! FREE £150 or 5% interest
New figures show only 2% of people switched bank account in the last year. So time to give you six of the best...

People constantly tell us their banking gripes, growls & grudges. Yet new stats show just a pitiful 2% of the UK switched in the last year - even though there's a fierce price war. We say don't bitch, switch. The more who show banks their custom can't be taken for granted, the better they need to behave. Full choice in Top Fee-Free Banks, here are six of the best...

  1. Cheap LoanSantander 123 - pays 3% on £20,000 & up to 3% cashback on bills - the most switched-to bank, almost certainly due to its Santander 123* account. Others pay higher interest but only on small amounts. This pays 3% AER if you've £3,000 to £20,000 in it.

    Its £2/mth fee is usually easily covered by its cashback on direct debits: 3% on phones & b'band; 2% energy; 1% water, council tax & Santander mortgage payments. As Andy tweeted: "I get c. £170/yr cashback. Another £100 if I had Santander mortgage."
  2. Halifax Reward - FREE £100 then £5 every month - 2nd most switched-to bank. Halifax Reward* pays switchers £100 (and like all switching bonuses it's tax-free), then £5 after basic tax every month you're in credit.
  3. First Direct - no.1 for service, FREE £100, 6% linked savings, 0% overdraft. First Direct's* won every service poll we've done - 92% rate it great. It offers switchers £100, a £250 0% overdraft & 6% linked regular savings.
  4. M&S - FREE £100 M&S gift card, 6% linked savings, £100 0% overdraft and NO min pay-in. Many tell us they worry about banks' 'minimum pay-in' terms, the way they ensure your income/salary goes into the account. The M&S* account, which has features similar to First Direct, is the only top pick that doesn't make you do this.
  5. Ends(ish) Fri: TSB - FREE £100 plus 5% interest. TSB's* standard deal is 5% AER savings interest on up to £2,000, but also via this link you get a £100 sign-up bonus too, so it's great for small savers. Technically, the 'free £100' element ends on Fri but it'll then be restarted on Mon, so just don't do it this weekend.
  6. Clydesdale - free £150 & 2% interest. Clydesdale's* Current Account Direct offers the biggest switching bribe, plus 2% AER on up to £3,000 saved.

To qualify for these, you usually need to switch via their 7-day switching services, pay in a minimum each month, and set up at least two direct debits. Many more options, full info & customer service rankings in Best Bank Accounts.

£4.20 champagne trick (min 6 bottles) - cheapest we've EVER seen. We've a way anyone (excl Scot) can get Henry Dumanois champers at a ridiculously cheap £7.50/bottle or less if you're new to Sains online. See Champagne Trick.

Warning. BT's hiking line, call & broadband costs - 5 tips to beat it. We reveal how to fight the BT hike.

15% off sunglasses code gets, eg, £49 Oakley. MSE Blagged. Ends Thu. Low stock. Sunglasses Shop

HOT SIM: £20/mth gets unltd mins, texts, 4GB data (4G) AND £120 Amazon vch - all-in equiv £10/mth. MSE Blagged. As long as you're not currently an EE mobile customer, use the code MSEAMAZON120 by 11.59pm Sat on this £19.99/mth EE Sim* and you get a year's unlimited texts & mins (to UK landlines & mobiles) and 4GB/mth 4G data, plus EE will send a £120 Amazon voucher within 3mths. How good is this? If you'd spend the voucher at Amazon anyway, factor it in and it's £120/yr, equiv £10/mth - massively cheaper than owt else. FULL info: Hot Sim deals & how to use them

Wed ONLY: 15% off Lastminute.com UK & world hotels code (incl 50% sale & secret hotels). MSE Blagged. Works on 150,000 hotels, provided min 2nts & £100 spend. See all Hotel Deals. Related: Uncover Secret Hotels

Cheapest-EVER loan 3.5%
Loan rates continue to drop, but there are more catches than a corset, so we've techniques to unclasp them

If you need to borrow, now is one of the cheapest times ever, but be very careful. Only borrow for planned spending, eg, a new car/kitchen, for as little as needed, repaid as quickly as possible, and within budgeted repayments. If in doubt, don't.

  • Cheap LoanThe cheapest loans. All credit-check you, so first use the Loans Eligibility Calc which shows your acceptance odds for top loans, so you can home in on which'll say yes.

    - 3.5% for £7,500-£15,000:
    Sainsbury's* is 3.5% rep APR over 1-3yrs for Nectar card holders (if not, get one free first) and 3.6% rep APR over 4-5 yrs*. M&S* is 3.6% rep APR over 1-5yrs.
    - From 4.3% for £5,000-£7,499: Zopa* is 4.3%-4.4% rep APR, while Hitachi* is 4.4% rep APR (2-5 yrs).
    - From 4.6% for £3,000-£4,999: Zopa* gives bespoke rates of 4.6%-6.4% rep APR depending on the amount borrowed, the term & your credit score, Sainsbury's* is 7.4% rep APR for 1-3 years for Nectar cardholders.
    - From 6.9% for £2,000-£2,999: Zopa* is 6.9% to 7.9% rep APR, or Hitachi* is 8% rep APR (min £2,500, 2-5 yrs).
    - From 7.2% for £1,000-£1,999: Zopa* is 7.2% to 7.9% rep APR, or Sainsbury's* is 12.4% rep APR for 1-3 years (needs Nectar).
  • 0% credit card loans are far cheaper for smaller amounts. Some 0% cards let new cardholders pay cash into their bank, like a loan, then you owe it instead - it's called a money transfer. Virgin Money* (eligibility calc) is 24mth 0% for one-off 1.9% fee (min £3), MBNA* (eligibility calc) is up to 36mth 0% for a higher 2.99% fee (min £3). Never miss a repayment & clear the debt before the 0% ends or they jump to 22.9% rep APR. Full help: Credit card loans
  • Beware, a 3.5% loan can charge 20%. All loans are 'representative' or 'rep APR', which means only 51% of accepted applicants must get that rate - the rest can be charged more. The only way to know is to apply, and that marks your credit file. While it can't tell you the rate, our Loans Eligibility Calc shows your acceptance chances and if that's high it's a good, though not exact, pointer as to whether you'll get the advertised rate.

All applicants require a credit check - see our Boost Your Credit Score guide. And if struggling with debt, see Debt Help.

2 specs £23 code + 'free' £10 tint. MSE Blagged. £32 off code works on 2for1 offer. See Glasses Direct deals.

Ends Fri. Hot home insurance 'freebies' incl gas BBQ, £80 M&S & more. MSE Blagged. Get combined buildings & contents cover via special links to get the freebies: a) Age UK, gas BBQ* (RRP £90) or £80 M&S vch*. b) Together Mutual, Delonghi coffee maker* (RRP £92) or MoreThan, £80 HoF vch*. All should arrive within 120 days. Warning: We're not saying these are cheapest - always compare with results by combining comparison sites.

Train delayed? Now you're due CASH back. You can now request cash rather than vouchers. Reclaim train delay

Hot Diamonds extra 30% off branded jewellery sale code. MSE Blagged. Discounted women's jewellery, eg, rose earrings £21 (were £60), pearl necklace £25 (was £70) & swirl bracelet £42 (was £120). Free delivery. Hot Diamonds

Tesco Wine code - 1,000 extra Clubcard pts (worth up to £40) on £60. MSE Blagged. 5,000 Tesco Wine* codes anyone can use - just enter XXHTYA by Sun (or til codes run out if sooner). Full info: Wine Deals. Pls be Drinkaware

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%, 1.99% fee

(18.9% rep APR)

No fee 0%: Tesco Bank*
19mths 0%, no fee

(18.9% rep APR)
Get comparison site quotes in this order...
Google*
Confused.com*
MoneySuperMarket*

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

Zopa* (£5k - £7.5k)
4.3% rep APR



Sainsbury's* (£7.5k - £15k)
3.5% rep APR


Virgin Money 1.51% AER
Min £1, no bonus
Limited access. Transfers allowed.


Coventry BS 2.4% AER
Min £1. Transfers allowed
Fixed till 2020 but with access


See Card APR Examples & Loan APR Examples

New. Top graduate accounts 2015 - 3yr £2,000 0% overdraft. Don't stick with student accs. Graduate Accounts

Unlimited free yoga, Zumba, pilates, bootcamps etc. Free fitness classes in Eng & Scot parks. Free Fitness Classes. Plus, it's also the last chance to book free tennis coaching at over 400 events.

SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: (Send us yours on this or any topic)
"An energy saving of over £700! Should have done this sooner, thanks Martin!!"
To see how much you can save, try a Cheap Energy Club comparison.

40% code off Clarks, Nike & Skechers etc. Brantano code works on 1,000+ styles, incl kids' shoes. Brantano

5 Tesco tricks - as it launches new double-up (incl Nutribullet, etc)
The giant's relaunching its 'redeem at double value' scheme, this time incl Tesco Direct (its Argos catalogue equiv)

The latest batch of Clubcard vouchers drop through letterboxes next week, but don't spend 'em on groceries. On Mon, Tesco launches its summer Clubcard Boost, which lets you double their value. Here are the key tricks to hack down costs...

  1. Cheap LoanFind £100s of lost Tesco vouchers. First, reclaim lost/unused Tesco vouchers (can go back two years). We're swamped with successes, a good few over £100 worth.
  2. Halve gadget & other costs via new points DOUBLE-up. From Mon, you can swap every £5 of Clubcard vouchers for £10 in various categories & for the first time in a year on most things in its Tesco Direct catalogue (its equiv of Argos), eg, Kindle Fire £40 in vouchers, Nutribullet £42, PS4 £145. To max this see Urgently boost Tesco pts.
  3. 1,000 extra points on £60 wine. We've blagged 5,000 codes for new & existing Tesco Wine* custs to use (incl 50% off cases) - enter XXHTYA by Sun (or till codes run out if sooner). Full info in Wine Deals. Pls be Drinkaware.
  4. Turn a £5 vch into £20. You can up to quadruple Clubcard vchs' value with its 'partner offers', eg, £10 becomes £40 at Strada & Café Rouge, £30 at Goldsmiths or £20 on train tix. See our Top 10 Tesco Partners review.
  5. 'I got £48.30 of Tesco shopping for £19.60' - extreme couponing. Source, gain & hoard 100s of coupons, then combine 'em for huge grocery discounts. Supersavingmummy says: "Went to Tesco - the total should have been £48.32, but with coupons it came to £19.60." Learn top coupon stashers' secrets in 20 Extreme Couponing Tips.

FitFlops £22.50 del (via extra 10% off code). MSE Blagged. Valid on 'up to 40%' sale. Ltd stock. Wed only. FitFlops

FRI deadline. Tax credit renewal - don't delay. Fail to do it & you may find your money stops. Tax credits help

CODES - F&F 15% off uniforms, Matalan 20%, Wickes £10. F&F 15% off school uniform code (newbies only), Matalan 20% off £30 code, New Look £10 off £50 code & Wickes £10 off £50 code. See ALL Codes & Vchs.


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 £870.


First Direct*
£100 bonus and top cust service


Santander 123*
Up to 3% cashback on bills

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

CompareTheMarket
Confused.com*
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 & sales

Top deals

The Moneysaving community
The MoneySaving Community

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Would info on your shopping rights empower you to complain? The Government is testing to see if information at the 'point of sale' (eg, a till or online checkout) would be useful to both shoppers and stores. Our consumer rights are changing slightly later this year and the Govt's developed a summary of what the new rights are, and how to get help if needed. Share your views on the info in the MSE forum and take the short survey by Friday 7 Aug.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Should I pay less towards a wedding gift?

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I’m going with a group of people to another friend's wedding. It was decided that we should pool together and buy a big gift. Is it fair to put in a smaller amount as I can't afford the £50 that's been suggested? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay less towards a wedding gift? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs

Quick forum tips

Freebie of the week

Martin's appearances (from 22 July onward)

Thu 30 Jul - GMB, ITV, Deals of the Week, 7.40am.
Fri 31 Jul - This Morning, ITV, 90-Second Savers, between 10.30am-12.30pm.
Mon 3 Aug - This Morning, ITV, Money Monday, between 10.30am-12.30pm. Watch previous
Mon 3 Aug - Consumer Panel, BBC Radio 5, 12pm-1pm. Subscribe to podcast

MSE team corner

Regular team appearances:

Thu 30 July
Share Radio, MSE Helen K and MSE Rebecca, 11am

Fri 31 July
BBC Radio Manchester, 4.50pm

Discussion of the week

Your partner doesn't drive. Does it bother you?

How far are you willing to travel to see your partner? If there's some distance between you, is it fair for one person to take on the burden of driving back and forth? Share your thoughts in the Your partner doesn't drive discussion.

Cheap travel money

UK's Best Currency Rates
£100 will buy you:
Best Worst
Euro Flag 139.36 125.37
US Flag $ 153.76 138.38
Turkish Flag TL 415.06 360.98
Rates correct at 4pm Tue
Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash

This week's poll: Which gadgets do you own?

Consumer tech's becoming a bigger part of our daily lives. We'd like to see what's changed since we last did this poll in 2013. Which gadgets do MoneySavers now rely on? And crucially do you still use them?

Please choose as many options as apply.

Poll results

Should the BBC be downscaled?
Interestingly, age didn’t appear to affect the results of this poll.

39% said the BBC funding model should be kept as is and shouldn't be scaled back, while surprisingly 22% of you said the licence fee should be scrapped entirely and BBC funded by advertising instead.

Only a tiny 3% of you voted to close the BBC entirely.

16,218 voted. See the full results.

Question of the week

Q: I'm fully insured on my car, but my policy says I can drive other cars with third-party cover. When exactly am I allowed to drive other cars and what am I covered for? Bob, via email.

MSE Tony's A: The 'driving other cars' extension is a useful level of protection, designed to cover you in emergencies if you, for example, you need to move another car or share the driving if the regular driver has become unwell or too tired. Some policies also cover you if you borrow a friend's car on an ad-hoc basis so check with your insurer.

Regardless whether or not you have a full comprehensive policy, this cover is third-party only. This means you won't get any fire, theft or accidental damage cover, only damage caused to another person or their property.

If you're likely to drive another car on more than just a temporary basis, check out how adding yourself to their policy compares against temporary cover.

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

 Nick's free game of the week: Adventures of Red

"I put the toilet seat down"

That's it for this week, but before we go, check out this heart-warming thread in our forum: 'Little ways to say I love you.' As our forumites show that it's sometimes the little things that count - sometimes you just need to put the toilet seat down.

We hope you save some money,

Martin & 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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Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, how this site is financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis.

More about MoneySavingExpert and Martin Lewis

What is MoneySavingExpert.com?

Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with more than 10 million people getting this email and about 13 million using the site every month. 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 set up and runs MSE, and still writes this email each week (unless it says so). He's an ultra-focused money-saving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own ITV prime-time show The Martin Lewis Money Show and weekly slots on Radio 5 Live, This Morning and Good Morning Britain, among others. He’s a columnist for publications including the Telegraph, Sunday Mirror and Woman magazine. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography

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Any links with a * 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 product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. 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

holidayextras.co.uk, looking4parking.com, skyparksecure.com, airparks.co.uk, kayak.co.uk, travelsupermarket.com, holidayautos.co.uk, holidaysafe.co.uk, protectyourbubble.com, leisureguardlitetravelinsurance.com, leisureguardtravelinsurance.com, wearetravelinsurance.co.uk, insureandgo.com, moneysupermarket.com, nationwide.co.uk, ehicplus.com, halifax.co.uk, santander.co.uk, firstdirect.com, marksandspencer.com, tsb.co.uk, cbonline.co.uk, ee.co.uk, sainsburysbank.co.uk, zopa.com, paybyfinance.co.uk, virginmoney.com, ageuk.org.uk, togethermutualinsurance.co.uk, morethan.com, tescobank.com, google.co.uk, confused.com, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, tesco.com, directsavetelecom.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note

Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances constitute an FCA regulated activity. For this reason, pages with links which take you to the sites of insurers or insurance intermediaries are hosted by MoneySavingExpert.com Limited on behalf of MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC. MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is MoneySupermarket House, St. David’s Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ.

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