Free Ideal Home tix, Martin's mortgage must-knows, 3.05% savings, 1/3 off railcards, 30mth 0% debt shift + £25

Plus... beat water hikes?, 30% off Puma, £10 London theatre tix, heating oil payment, 12 roses £4

                                                           

08 February 2023 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Base rates UP to 4% - Martin's mortgage must-knows 30-month 0% debt shift + £25 cashback Water bills UP 7.5% from April - can you beat the hikes? New. 3.05% easy-access savings 20,000 FREE Ideal Home Show tickets (+ see Martin live) Heating oil and LPG support payments starting 1/3 off annual railcards code Martin: 'Why cost of uni will DOUBLE for many from Sept' Martin: 'How much PARENTS are expected to save for uni costs' Sainsbury's Nectar bonus error Puma 30% off code Martin's podcast: Uni costs, holiday must-dos, money fails Ends Fri. £10 to £50 London theatre sale 'My parents overpaid council tax for 30 years - I got them a £7,800 rebate!' MoneySaving tips for dog owners Valentine's deals: £4 for 12 roses, £12 dine-in meals, £1.59 cards 21 free and cheap ways to entertain kids How to fight scams This week's best buys, including free £200 bank bribe, '£15.53/month' fibre broadband, 15GB Sim '£3.84/month' Should I keep the rewards for a broadband package I couldn't sign up to? 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

The great mortgage conundrum UK base rates are UP to 4%, so trackers are rising, yet new mortgage fix rates are DOWN What you need to know NOW about mortgage rates The mortgage market has turned upside down over the last year. Almost everyone whose mortgage deal ends will pay very substantially more. Yet in the last few months there's been a more subtle change. To explain, below we've Martin's state of the mortgage nation, then our step-by-step how to get your cheapest mortgage deal. Martin: It's a mortgage rate all change again... This graph tells a powerful story. While four months ago the cheapest tracker mortgages weren't that much more than half the cost of the cheapest fixes, now things are approaching parity... Understanding why these rates are moving in different directions is crucial to helping you decide your best course of action... Variable mortgages are HIGHER due to UK base rate rise. If you're on a standard variable rate (SVR), a discount rate, or a tracker, your rate usually moves in the same direction as the Bank of England base rate. This has just been increased from 3.5% to 4%, adding roughly £25/mth per £100,000 of mortgage to repayments. It's the 10th consecutive rise, taken all together they've added roughly £200/mth per £100,000 mortgage. - How much'll your rate rise & when? Lender-by-lender changes - How much will you pay mortgage calculator - Compare the cheapest new tracker deals Fixed rates are LOWER as they look over the longer term. Of course, fixed rates don't change while you've got them, so what I'm talking about here is the rate new fixed deals are set at (see cheapest fixed-rate comparison). These are mainly impacted by things called gilt yields and swap rates - which look at the market's longer-term interest rate predictions. These rocketed after September's mini-budget disaster, but have been decreasing since. In October, the cheapest 2yr fix was around 5.6%, now it's 4.3%. You may have also noted we have an 'inverted yield curve' (even if you don't know what that means) - where the longer you fix, the cheaper it is, as the long-term interest rate environment is seen to be lower. So the cheapest current fixes are for 5 and 10 years at 4%. (See 10-year fixes pros & cons). The big questions - have UK rates peaked? Should you fix? Personally, I can only confirm with certainty UK base rates will either go up, down or stay the same. Other than that, no guarantees. Though the markets now predict they'll top out at 4% to 4.5%. If that's correct, the peak is near. After peaking, it's suggested they'll hold for the rest of the year and may drip down a little in 2024. As for fixed-rate mortgages, brokers we've spoken to consider they could squeeze a little more below 4% soon - see will fixes get cheaper? So currently, you needn't pay much premium for fixing - and, unlike a few months ago, many whose current fixes are ending can lock in again for far less than the SVR they'd jump to if they did nothing. Ultimately with fixing though, as externalities are hard to predict, focus on your own finances. The less room you have for rate rises and the more you value budgeting certainty, the more you should bias towards fixing and fixing longer. See our full fixed vs tracker analysis. 'I'll wait until base rates drop down to what they were' I've heard this a good few times, and it worries me. Of course for anyone under 35, it's hard to remember that sub-2% rates we've got used to since 2008 are, historically, an anomaly - in fact, it'd never been that low in the prior 300 years. So don't assume rates will 'go back to normal', as that wasn't normal. I'm not saying it won't happen, just that there's no rule it has to. Under six months until your current deal ends? These days, some lenders let their existing mortgage customers, who have deals that are coming to an end, lock in a new rate three to six months in advance. For newer customers, it's usually up to 3mths. This can sometimes be done without any fees. In that case, you can bag a deal now as, if you like, an insurance policy against rate rises. And if rates do drop, you're usually (do check) able to ditch the 'insurance rate' without penalty, so can bag something cheaper. See our bag early mortgage deal help for more details. Now over to the team for the practicals... Step-by-step mortgage deal hunting help... If you're nearing the end of your mortgage deal, it's best to download our free 62-page PDF Remortgage guide. This has full info on what a remortgage is and how it works (also see the First-time buyers' mortgage guide). In brief... 1. Gather details of your current mortgage. Collect the following information, as it'll help when searching for a new deal: - What's the rate? Plus monthly payments & outstanding debt. - What type is it? Fix, tracker or standard variable rate? See fixes vs variables. - When's the intro deal over? For example, when does your fix end? - When must it all be repaid? In 10, 20 or 25 years? - Will you be penalised to switch deals? Does your fix or tracker have an early repayment charge? If so, it'll likely be tough to find a rate right now that makes it worth paying the charge, but you might consider it if securing today's rate is important to you. - What's the loan-to-value (LTV)? This is the proportion of the home's current value you borrow - for example, a £280,000 mortgage on a home worth £350,000 is 80% LTV. Rates get cheaper the lower your LTV. See LTV help. 2. Check what your existing lender can offer (this can work out for many). Start by checking what 'product transfers' your existing lender is offering as a benchmark. In recent months, many providers have been offering lower rates to existing customers than new, something that - while not as pronounced as before - typically remains the case. Plus, your existing lender is allowed to forgo affordability checks if you're not borrowing more - a boon if you'll struggle to get accepted with a new lender. Product transfers can also involve less paperwork and fewer fees. 3. Do a comparison to speedily see the market's best deals. Yes, fixed rates are a far cry from where they were a year ago, but they're still significantly cheaper than a couple of months ago. They're also much better for most than staying on your lender's standard variable rate (SVR). Use our mortgage comparison tool to find the rates currently available. It's also worth noting that five- and 10-year fixed deals look good value right now, because the current interest rate situation is seen more as a short- to medium-term thing. So if you fancy a longer fix (in most cases, that means you're pretty sure you won't move in that time), it's something to discuss with your broker (more on this later). Example cheapest rates + fees on different mortgage types 2-year fix (60% LTV)     4.35% + £1,289 2-year fix (80% LTV) 4.77% + £903 2-year fix (90% LTV) 5.02% + £1,499 5-year fix (60% LTV) 3.99% + £999 5-year fix (90% LTV) 4.57% + £1,499 10-year fix (75% LTV) 3.99% + £1,025 2-year tracker (60% LTV) 4.14% + £1,034 Typical SVR  6.84% 4. Use our calculators to compare the best deals. To simplify the process, plug your numbers in here... - Basic mortgage calculator - Compare two mortgages - Compare fixed-rate mortgages 5. Actually getting accepted for a mortgage is tough right now. There are two big factors that dictate whether you'll be accepted for a mortgage... Affordability check. Lenders carry out strict checks to see if you can afford mortgage repayments on top of your other expenses. For most people, living expenses are going up, meaning acceptance can be harder. But new lenders don't just assess if you can afford to repay at current rates... they also 'stress test' how you'd cope if interest rates went up further, meaning you'll need to have extra leeway in your finances. So it's best to consider being more frugal in the run-up to a mortgage application. For full info on what you can do to ease acceptance, see 17 ways to boost mortgage chances. Credit check. A poor credit history can torpedo a remortgage application. So check your credit file (for free) to ensure there are no errors, then minimise other credit applications, and pay down debts if you can. See 36 tips to boost your creditworthiness. Yet even if you've done everything right with your credit report and minimised outgoings, know that lenders' acceptance criteria differ from one to the next, meaning not everywhere will accept you. So... 6. ... Most should use a mortgage broker. On top of guidance for those who find sorting a mortgage tough, they have details of most lenders' acceptance criteria (not usually publicly available), which they can use to place your application with a lender more likely to accept you. Plus there are sometimes top deals, and even some product transfers, that can only be accessed through brokers. Which is why our view is that most people should be getting a new mortgage through a broker at the moment. You shouldn't pay a fee to a broker unless they get you a mortgage (and there are some that are fee-free and just take commission from lenders). See our full help on how to find a good broker. 7. If you've got savings, they can bag you a better mortgage deal. Consider using any savings you have to get a cheaper mortgage. Rates tend to improve as you move down to 90%, 80%, 75% and 60% LTV, so when you remortgage, use savings so you need to borrow less. Use our Compare two mortgages calculator to see if it's worth it for you. PS: A note to mortgage prisoners. If the current mortgage situation of rising rates is bad for most mortgage holders, we know it is an escalating, desperate nightmare for the up-to-200,000 mortgage holders - many still suffering the fallout of the 2008 financial crash - stuck paying expensive mortgages to companies that don't issue new mortgages. We've been campaigning on this desperate issue for a number of years. Martin has recently funded the third and final mortgage prisoner report from the London School of Economics, to come up with costed policy solutions which we will try to take to the Government. We do have a Mortgage prisoners help guide though, and while it's slim pickings, it is worth a look if you haven't already.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Top debt shift deal closes to new applicants on Thursday Can't afford to clear your credit card debt? You can't afford not to check if you can get a 0% balance transfer A balance transfer is where you get a new card that pays off debt on existing credit or store cards for you, so you owe the new card the money, but at 0%. This means more of your repayments clear what you owe, getting you debt-free quicker. This week sees a shake-up in the deals out there, so it's worth a look for anyone who's paying interest on card debts. Two important checks before you start though... - To AVOID REJECTION, spend two minutes on a 0% eligibility calculator. This shows your bespoke acceptance odds for most top cards, so you can minimise applications, protecting your creditworthiness. As Andrea emailed Martin: "I was reading the MSE email about clearing debt and saw the link for the eligibility checker and decided there's no harm in trying. I was pre-approved for a card, so I applied and was accepted for 30 months at 0% with a limit high enough for me to transfer two of my credit card balances! Thank you." - If you've a choice, go for the lowest fee, with a 0% long enough to clear your debt. Most cards charge a one-off fee as a % of the debt transferred. Try to minimise that, though if you're unsure, just play safe and go long. TOP-PICK NEW CARDHOLDER 0% BALANCE TRANSFERS Ends 11.59pm Thu. Barclaycard Check your acceptance odds through the link above or apply direct* - Up to 30 months 0% - £25 cashback if shifting £2,500+ - 2.98% fee - 22.9% rep APR A winner for many if transferring £2,500+ and eligibility calculator shows 'pre-approved'. Apply through these links and shift £2,500+ within 60 days, and you'll get £25 cashback, effectively reducing the one-off fee. Some accepted get offered just 15 months 0%... yet if the eligibility calculator shows you as pre-approved, you'll get the full 30 months - a winner if you need a decent time to repay. PS: M&S Bank's 28 months' 0% (2.99% fee) card now offers similar cashback, so if you're not pre-approved for Barclaycard but are for that, it's a good alternative. Ends 10am Thu. Sainsbury's Bank Check your acceptance odds through the link above or apply direct* - Up to 30 months 0% - 2.89% or 4% fee (min £3) - 21.9% rep APR Good if transferring under £2,500 and eligibility shows you as pre-approved. Another 'up to' card (some accepted get 22 months at 0%) but as it has a slightly lower fee than Barclaycard, it's likely to win if you won't get the cashback. NatWest, RBS & Ulster  Existing customers can check acceptance odds through the links above. Or anyone can apply direct: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank - 30 months 0% - 2.99% fee - 23.9% rep APR Longest definite 0%, so good if not pre-approved for the others. Here all accepted get the full 30 months 0%, so provided you've decent acceptance odds, it's a good option. Unfortunately, our eligibility calculator can currently only provide odds for existing NatWest or RBS customers, but others can use NatWest's own eligibility check*. NatWest, RBS & Ulster  Existing customers can check acceptance odds through the links above. Or anyone can apply direct: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank - 19 months 0% - NO FEE - 23.9% rep APR Winner if you can repay quickly - longest definite NO-FEE 0%. This is a corking deal - if you can get it, and if you can pay your debt within the 19 months - as the next longest no-fee card offers only 'up to' 17 months at 0%. Again though, our eligibility calculator can only give odds for existing NatWest or RBS customers. Others can use NatWest's own eligibility check*. Getting a card? ALWAYS follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: a) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more. b) Clear the card (or balance-transfer again) before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR. c) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and withdrawals hit your ability to get future credit. d) The balance transfer must usually be done within one to three months to get the 0% and cashback - check your card. Full help and info, including options for poorer credit scorers, in Best balance transfers. Quick balance transfer FAQs (click links for answers) Q. Is it worth applying if my eligibility odds are low? | Q. What if my credit limit isn't big enough? | Q. Can I shift debt to existing cards too? | Q. Should I try to pay off my biggest debt first? SPOILER: NO.

 

New. Top easy-access variable savings now 3.05%, after UK rate rise. Check what yours pay (most pay diddly-squat), then ditch & switch. App-only Tandem* is now 3.05% AER with unlimited withdrawals (0.2% of that is a year-long 'top up' you activate easily in the app, don't forget). Newcastle BS is also 3.05% AER, but only allows three penalty-free withdrawals per year. Last week's top app-only Kroo* pays 3.03% AER on its current account, but huge demand means it's struggled to cope. Full info & options, including top fixes, in Top savings. All listed have full UK savings safety protection. 20,000 FREE (normally £18ish) Ideal Home Show London tickets (including a chance to see Martin live). From 17 March to 2 April. For how to get your tickets and what days Martin's on, see Free Ideal Home Show. Heating oil and LPG payments finally starting... park home wait continues. See the latest news on heating oil and LPG energy support payments and park home £400 update. 1/3 off annual railcards code - pay £20, not the usual £30. These digital cards (smartphone or tablet) get you a third off travel. Railcards include: 16 to 25 | 26 to 30 | Family & Friends | Two Together (any named pair) | Senior. Works on three-year railcards too (gets 'em for £46). See Railcard codes. Martin: 'Why the cost of uni will DOUBLE for many students from Sept (& should you pay upfront?).' Watch about the big uni changes, or listen to the full Martin Lewis Podcast the clip comes from. Martin: 'How much PARENTS are expected to save for their child's future uni costs (ouch, it can be £1,000s).' Even if they're barely in senior school & it seems distant, be prepared. Watch Martin's uni costs video explainer. Sainsbury's 'technical error' leaves disgruntled shoppers without Nectar bonus. Many had to leave stores empty-handed last Saturday, despite meeting criteria to earn bonus vouchers worth between 25p and £25. Sainsbury's now says it'll give anyone affected £5 credit to make amends. Full info in Nectar fail. Puma code gets 30% off. MSE Blagged. Or 25% off already-reduced sale items. Puma House prices, mortgages & rents - tonight (Tue 8pm), ITV, The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE! Over to Martin: "Big show tonight looking at what to do in the property market. I'll be joined by specialists, and together we'll give practical help on mortgage costs, renters' rights, house prices and more. And of course I've my News-You-Can-Use and answers to your questions. Do watch or at least get a friend who writes fast to transcribe it."

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Puma 30% off code Ends Monday	DID YOU MISS? - With Virgin Media? 13.8% hike coming - but you're free to switch - Need a passport? Apply online. Last year, 1m would've saved - Extra 15% off Secret Sales, including Nike, Ted Baker, Converse - Speedily find the cheapest supermarket for your groceries - FREE £50 investments

 

 

News. Water bills to increase an average 7.5% in April Don't assume it's a done deal - some can still save large, like Angela: 'Our bills have gone from £1,360 a year to £325' Water UK, the trade body for water companies, has just announced that from April the average water bill will increase by 7.5% in England and Wales, and by 5% in Scotland. It says these are below inflation rises... true, but it's yet another hit on incomes. Averages don't tell the whole story though, as there can be big regional differences. For example, Anglian Water bills are going up by 10.6%, while South West Water's are only rising by 1.7% (see our how much is your firm's prices rising? table for more info). Yet it makes it even more important to check you're not overpaying. Our full Cut water costs guide has detailed info, but let's wet your appetite... In England or Wales? Can you save £100s with a water meter? Water bills are estimated using the old 'rateable value' of your home, which roughly equates to your home's rental value. So bigger homes tend to pay more. To help you figure out if you're likely to save by switching to a meter, Martin has a very simple rule of thumb... More or the same number of bedrooms in your home as people (so three bedrooms, two people)? If so, a water meter is likely to save you cash This is because water meters are based on what you use, so bigger house, few people, you'll tend to be better off on a meter, and they're free to fit in England and Wales. First, use a quick water meter calculator. If that shows savings are likely, then get the water firm to give a more formal assessment. Angela emailed: "Following your advice, we switched to a water meter now our children have left home, and our bills have gone from £1,360 per year to £325 - saving over £1,000 per year." When you voluntarily fit a meter, with most firms you've two years to change your mind and go back (see firm-by-firm switch back policies), so if it doesn't work for you, don't worry. Been told you can't have a meter fitted? Some with shared pipes or in flats can't 'practicably' have a meter fitted. Don't let that rain on your parade - ask for an 'assessed charge bill', which just works out how much you'd likely pay if you were on a meter. Then if that's cheaper than your current bill, switch to it. Jake emailed after Thames Water told him they couldn't fit a water meter at his home: "They said they'd put me on an assessed household charge and my bill would go from £567 to £370 and I'd remain unmetered. Almost a £200 saving!" Over one million FREE water-saving gadgets. Many water firms offer free shower heads, tap inserts and more. They're MoneySaving if you've a meter, and even if you don't, they often help you save energy, as much of the water we use is heated. See over one million water freebies, plus our water-saving tips. Can you get a sewerage rebate? If you have a way of draining or storing water, such as a soakaway, cesspit, pool or big garden, you may be able to claim a rebate worth an average £35 a year. Struggling to pay bills / use more water due to a medical condition? If you're in financial difficulty and/or you claim certain benefits, a social tariff could slash your bill by up to 90%. Or if you've certain medical conditions that cause you to use more water, or you've 3+ children in your household AND claim certain benefits, you could get your bills capped under the WaterSure scheme. See full water bill discounts and grants info.

 

Have a listen... uni costs doubling, holiday must-dos, money fails & lots more. The new The Martin Lewis Podcast - listen through BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify and more. Ends Fri. £10 to £50 London theatre tickets sale, including Frozen, Wicked and Bat Out of Hell. This sale's been extended to include performances till the end of March, but you need to book by this Friday. London theatre 'My parents overpaid council tax for 30 years - I got them a £7,800 rebate!' Our success of the week comes from Amy, who helped her folks get £1,000s of overpaid council tax back. She said: "After reading about it in your weekly emails, I checked my parents' council tax band. They were wrongly in a higher band compared to their neighbours, so after us sending the correct evidence and many emails back and forth, the Valuation Office agreed to lower their band. They had overpaid since 1993, so got a refund of £7,800. Thank you so much." If we've helped you save money (on this, or anything else), please send us your MoneySaving successes. Woof! Paw over our MoneySaving tips & tricks for dog owners. The Dogs Trust charity says that a third of owners are worried about the cost of looking after their pooch. Our MoneySaving for dog owners can help. Valentine's deals: £4 for a dozen roses, £12 dine-in meals, £1.59 personalised cards, free gift cheques. Romance is great, but don't feel pressured to spend big. We've Valentine's deals for every budget. Beam a tiger into your home, set up a treasure hunt or get 'em comping - 21 free and cheap ways to entertain kids. See MSE Jenny's half-term fun blog. Related: Kids eat 'free' or for '£1'. Give yourself a fighting chance against scams. It's Safer Internet Day today (Tue), so try and arm yourself. Watch MSE Katie's 'Ask An Expert' MSE Forum event on scams, plus read our 30+ ways to stop scams.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Sainsbury's Bank - up to 30 months 0%, 2.89% or 4% fee (21.9% rep APR) No-fee 0%: NatWest - 19 months 0% (23.9% rep APR) Best bank accounts £200 to switch + 1% bills & supermarket cashback: Santander £175 to switch, 7% savings + TOP service: First Direct Top savings accounts Top easy access: Tandem 3.05% (no min) Top one-year fix: SmartSave 4.17%, min £10,000 Car insurance Try our Car Insurance Compare+ tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 4.8% rep APR (Must have Nectar card) Broadband top picks Standard (10Mb+): Shell Energy '£12.69/month' Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£15.53/month' Fast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£17.42/month' On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.94/month' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.70/month' for 5GB 10GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.84/month' for 15GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL What proportion of your income do you spend on your mortgage or rent? Take what you pay on your mortgage or rent (including any service charges or ground rent, but NOT council tax, insurance or other bills), and let us know roughly what percentage of your monthly take-home pay/income it is. Just over a third of you haven't been to a bank branch for more than a year. Banks keep announcing branch closures, so last week we asked when the last time you visited a physical bank was. While in total, just over half of you (52%) said that you'd been to a bank in the past three months, there were big generational differences, with 56% of over-50s visiting a branch in the past three months, compared to 36% of under-50s. See the full bank branch results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Energy firms told to stop forced prepay meter installations - what to do if you've been switched unfairly - Are you one of the 200,000 parents missing out on £17+ a month food cost help? - Paperchase collapses into administration - use your gift vouchers NOW - Is your energy firm failing you on customer service?

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I keep the rewards for a broadband package I couldn't sign up to? I tried to switch to a broadband deal that was offering a £75 prepaid card as a sign-up reward. For some reason, my order failed to go through, so I tried again, and again it didn't work. After chasing the provider repeatedly and getting nowhere, I gave up and went with a package from a different firm. But a couple of months later I was sent the £75 prepaid card anyway... twice! Should I see it as 'compensation' for the firm's poor service, or am I obligated to contact them given it's a reward for taking their broadband, which I didn't. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I keep the rewards for a broadband package I couldn't sign up to? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - Ask An Expert: Scams edition - MSE Forum highlights: Books, benefits & baby booties - The Lifetime ISA is in need of a radical overhaul – here's why

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 8 FEB ONWARDS) Wed 8 Feb - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Tue 14 Feb - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Kev Lawrence, from 10.45am

 

FIVE JELLY POTS FOR £42, TWO 55p CHOCS FOR £1.10... WHAT ARE THE DAFTEST 'DEALS' YOU'VE SPOTTED? That's all for this week, but before we go... after we spotted a two for £1.10 or one for 55p deal for Cadbury Creme Eggs, we wanted to know what misprints, mistakes and mathematically-challenged 'deals' you'd spotted in your local shops. Plenty, it turns out - one follower found two cans of Dr Pepper for £1.19 or one for 59p, and a pack of milk bottles for £1.50 or two for £3.60. Others saw prices had been slashed by the grand total of... nothing, including a Daim bar reduced from £1.25 to £1.25, while Tesco once offered to reduce a £3 mayonnaise jar to just £3 for Clubcard holders. But perhaps the wobbliest deal spotted was the five 125g pots of jelly for £42! Let us know what daft deals you've spotted in our Facebook and Twitter conversations. We hope you save some money, stay safe, The MSE team

 

Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong. 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). We often link to other websites, but can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. 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 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 barclaycard.co.uk, sainsburysbank.co.uk, natwest.com, rbs.co.uk, tandem.co.uk, kroo.com 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. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.