3% off energy bills, kill your overdraft, reclaim student loans, last min Xmas shopping tips, £81m unclaimed Premium Bond prizes

Plus... Are you owed £10,000s bereavement support?, free water saving gadgets, 21mths' 0% card

                                                           

12 December 2023 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL 20 savvy Christmas savers, including... - Last ordeeerrrrssss - Free gift cheques - Charity gifts, eg, £21 for mosquito nets Get £175+ to switch your overdraft to 0% Urgent. Partner died since 2001? Claim possibly £10,000s in support payments Get 3% off energy bills for a year? New Martin vid. Are you owed £100s back on your student loan? Millions of mobile users may get £1,000+ payouts New. Get up to 21mths' 0% spending 750,000+ FREE water-saving gadgets £157 Ciaté beauty £28 £81m unclaimed Premium Bond prizes - are you due? Shift debt to 0% for 28mths 8pm tonight. The Martin Lewis Money Show Live Martin's pod: How to understand pensions, APRs, tax & more Cheapest ever iPhone 14 £30/mth £47 Grüum shaving / beard bundle £16 Inflation-linked broadband, TV & mobile price hikes to be banned? 1m+ pensioners miss out on attendance allowance Updated. Is it better to leave your heating on all day? In Scotland, or in a park home? Are you missing free £150 off energy bills? 25% off Puma This week's best buys, including 3GB Sim '£3/mth', free £200 bank switch, 14mths' NO-FEE debt shift Should we give kids from previous relationships gifts of the same value? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Compare+ Car Insurance 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

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (eek!) Take the pressure off with 20 tips, tricks and savvy strategies for last-minute Christmas shopping While some started their Christmas shopping in January and had most of it (literally) wrapped up by July, many still have done little, and are starting to feel the panic. This can result in buying out of desperation, and spending money on things neither wanted nor needed. So our aim is to prick that bauble to reduce the pressure. Below we've a host of tips and tricks to make online shopping at this (or any) time of year easier, quicker and cheaper. Before we start though, some key rules whether you're buying for you or others... - Make a list. Don't buy on impulse, know what you want first. - Christmas is just one day, don't ruin your new year for it. Work out what you have to spend & stick to it. Don't borrow, it's not worth it. - Cut out unnecessary presents. See Martin's No unnecessary presents pact info and help. 1. Abandon ye shopping basket all those who enter... Log in to your online shopping account, add what you want in the basket, then fail to finish, and companies often send you codes to tempt you back. As CS Chamberlain tweeted: "@MartinSLewis This is my favourite game to play with Boden... leave a full basket a few days and a £10 voucher turns up in the post every time." Martin recently asked for your experiences on Twitter, and the firms most commonly said to do this were Argos, Currys and Morrisons. Off the back of those experiences, we've updated our list of retailers which offer abandoned basket discounts including the type of discounts each offer. 2. Last ORDEEERRRSSS. The big day may still be a fortnight away, but very soon the last free or cheapest delivery dates for major firms start - indeed M&S is as early as Sunday (17 December). After that, if you want things delivered in time, expect to pay more. See last dates for... Adidas | Amazon | Argos | Asos | Boots | Currys | John Lewis | M&S | Nike | Selfridges 3. Predictions of deals yet to come. Scrooge may've needed ghosts to see into the future, we just track the marketing patterns of major firms over the last decade to do the same. We're quite a way through now, but the Christmas Deals Predictor still has a decent number of highlights left (bah humbug). 4. FREE Christmas gifts Forget giving things, they're often transitory. Give a pledge to do something nice for someone, eg, babysitting, breakfast in bed, cook them a feast, massages. Whatever you want. Our printable Christmas gift cheques are a nice way to 'give something' and work well in a card. 5. Know your Christmas & sales shopping rights... they're different in store and online. Many assume shops have to refund items that are the wrong size or colour - this isn't the case. Our Consumer rights guide has full info, but it's worth knowing... - In-store purchases: You've NO RIGHT to change your mind, by statute you can only return faulty goods (see Martin's SAD FART definition of fault). Some stores do allow no-fault returns, but this is a contractual policy, not statute law, and it's up to the store to decide what it wants to offer. It's especially important to check this time of year as some suspend their usual rights for sales. - Online purchases: Here you do have a statutory right to change your mind - you've legally got 14 days to tell 'em and 14 days after that to send it back (there are exclusions, the main ones being personalised or perishable items). 6. Get cashback four times when you pay. Just a reminder that in last week's email you can read how to become a CASHBACK COMBINER and earn £100s or £1,000s a year with cashback when you spend on cards. Sometimes you can even stack cashback using the cards through specialist websites or apps. 7. Hunt big discounts at Amazon's lesser-known discount outlet. Amazon Warehouse is a section of the giant e-tailer's site that resells returned or slightly-damaged items, such as laptops, kitchen appliances and tablets, at knockdown prices. Yet it can prove tricky to spot the best bargains in this treasure trove of deals - so we've built the Amazon Warehouse Discount Finder tool to make it less taxing (like Amazon). Tell it what you're looking for - either a specific brand item or a broad search like 'toaster' - and it'll display: - The percentage saving compared to buying new at Amazon. - You can then filter items by brand or condition. - You can order results by the biggest discount. We've heard from many who have saved big using the Warehouse, including Phil who emailed: "I was reminded about Amazon Warehouse in your Weekly Tips. I had a look and found a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds2 for just over £65. I had them in my wish list for £129, so they were effectively half-price. Bargain! Many thanks." Of course, always compare prices elsewhere before buying. Our Amazon Warehouse guide has full info and help. 8. How to get free delivery when it's not offered. It's worth checking what you need to spend to get free delivery (for example, £50 at John Lewis or Matalan, £40 at Asos). If you're just below it, it can be cheaper to add a low-cost extra item that's less than the delivery charge to get you over threshold - bizarrely, buying more to pay less. Amazon user not on Prime? For Amazon, there's even a nifty free delivery tool which helps you find cheap items to hit its £25 threshold. 9. Can't find a discount code? Try department store codes. Don't just check the site you want to buy from for a discount code - online stores that sell a range of brands often have a workaround. For example, La Redoute stocks Adidas, Converse, Levi's and more, and has up to 40% off selected items using the code 'WINTER' until 11.59pm tonight (Tue). See our list of 10 multi-brand online stores this works with. 10. Give charity gifts this Christmas Another less hassle, often more productive way to give. Why not agree to give to good causes in each other's name? From vaccines to beehives, our Charity gifts guide is packed with suggestions, these are just a couple of them to give you an idea... 11. Check past Amazon prices to ensure you're getting a good deal. Finding discounts on Amazon is tricky as the prices are always moving. 20% off sounds good, but what's it compared with? CamelCamelCamel's Amazon price history tracking lets you see if a deal really is a deal, or if it's been cheaper before. For example, we found Remington hair straighteners "69% off" at £40 - but they were £35 in Oct this year. See all our 30+ Amazon buying tricks for lots more. 12. Buying a mobile handset? Our Cheap Mobile Finder tool allows you to find the cheapest standalone handset, or with a contract (often cheaper than buying outright, plus you can usually get 100+GB/mth data too), as well as refurbs. 13. For bigger items especially, use a shopping comparison site. We like PriceSpy and PriceRunner, though there's also the ubiquitous Google Shopping. 14. Haggle big discounts online. While buying online is usually cheaper, the one advantage of buying in store is you can usually haggle. Yet even here, the web's catching up. If you get a window offering a live chat, don't dismiss it. See how to haggle with online chats. 15. A word about 'up to' sales. Over to Martin: "This felt an apt space to tell you an improvement we're planning for MSE. During Black Friday, a few people told me of their frustration with sales that said, eg, 'up to 80% off', which allow firms too much wriggle room. "So going forward, for these sales I've asked the team to i) explain that only 10% of sales items need to be at the top discount, ii) list the min and max discount, and iii) pick a random selection of 10 items and calculate the average discount from those 10. So you can hopefully get a better idea of how good a sale it is. We'll be gradually introducing this over the next months." 16. Hunt out online outlet stores. Don't drive miles to outlet villages to snap up end-of-line bargains, just go online. Lots of big names, such as Dyson, Office and even Tesco, offer substantial discounts off unsold lines through online outlets. Our Outlets deals page lists over 20, for huge clothing, homeware and other discounts. 17. Pay just 1p on a credit card to protect £100s. Buy goods costing over £100 (and under £30,000), and even if you pay just 1p on a credit card - the rest any other way - the card company's jointly liable with the retailer for the WHOLE amount. It's the veritable financial superhero, especially if a firm then goes bust. See full info in Section 75 protection. - Spending £100 or less, or on a debit card? You can still claim for faulty or undelivered goods under the less well-known chargeback scheme. 18. Last post dates. There's still time (just) to cut the cost of sending parcels for Christmas. Use discount courier websites to get the big firms to deliver, but for less than they'd charge you. And until 1 Jan you can get a further 15% off discount courier website Parcel2Go. Full info in Cheap parcel delivery. Worth noting too, Royal Mail's got free from-home pick-up. 19. How to buy 2nd hand in a first-class way. Grab goods for a fraction of the original recommended retail price. It's planet-friendly too. We've tips to track down uber-bargains in 29 Vinted tips, eBay buying and Facebook Marketplace. Clare told us on Facebook: "I'm addicted to Vinted. I'd say 90% of my clothes come from there. Even got a brand-new wedding dress with tags still on for £23. Have sold a few things too." 20. Don't pay full price for wine. If you're stocking up for the festive period, head to Tesco or Asda where you can get 25% off when you buy six or more bottles of wine (including prosecco). Cheers to that - though please be Drinkaware! For lots more... our Cheap online shopping tips can help slash the cost. ---------------------------------- PS: It's a Merry Christmas & goodbye (for now) from Martin. A quick note from the boss: "This is my last email of 2023. My show ends this week, so from next week I'm gradually taking a back seat until the new year, leaving the site in the overly-capable hands of the MSE team. "I'd like to wish all who celebrate a joyous, peaceful and warm-hearted Christmas and happy New Year. Thank you for your continued support. For those who find this time of year difficult, grief-filled, or lonely, may your passage through it be easy, with more smiles than you expect."

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Do you EVER go overdrawn, even just once a year? Get paid £175+ to switch your overdraft to interest-free (yes, you read that right). If not, you'll likely pay 40%! Overdrafts are by far the most expensive form of mainstream debt. Most charge 40%, almost double a bog-standard high-street credit card. No wonder Martin calls them the new DANGER DEBT - and his recent Twitter poll on them was eye-opening. While two-thirds don't touch their overdraft (check Best bank accounts if that's you), a good chunk of those who do are constantly in it. So we wanted to break down your options into three categories... 'I only dip in once or twice a year.' Free £175 and ONGOING 0% overdraft. Go above your £25ish buffer zone and overdrafts are costly, so the holy grail is an account that combines good in-credit & overdraft offers. First Direct*, rated highly for customer service (90% 'great'), gives accepted switchers £175, and many get an ongoing £250 0% overdraft too (its eligibility calc will tell you in advance), meaning most dippers are never charged a penny. To get the £175, you need to pay £1,000 once, so it can just be your income going in (if it's less, say £500, pay that in, then withdraw it and pay it back in again to count). It also has a linked 7% one-year fixed regular saver you can put up to £300/mth in (max interest £137/yr). Full info & eligibility in our First Direct review. 'I'm often overdrawn.' What matters is how big the overdraft is. If it's little and often, we'd again suggest First Direct* (see above), as if your overdraft's up to £425, the free switch cash pays some off and the rest is interest-free. If the overdraft is more substantial, look at the options in point 3 too. 'I'm almost constantly overdrawn.' Free £200 and one-year 0% overdraft (or shift it to a 0% card). If the overdraft's always small, follow point 1. Otherwise consider the overdraft a debt priority and focus on getting rid. - Free £200 & a 1yr 0% overdraft. Nationwide FlexDirect gives a year's 0% overdraft up to £1,500, credit-check dependent (it'll let you know early in the application). New switchers can also get £200, which can reduce what you owe. Yet the 0% only lasts a year, it's 39.9% after, so focus on clearing the debt in that time - see below. - Shift overdraft to a special 0% card. With a specialist '0% money transfer' credit card, for a small one-off fee the card pays cash into your bank that clears the overdraft, so you then owe the card instead, but at 0%. Read our step-by-step Money transfers guide, as it can be tricky. - Not accepted for 0%? App-based Starling* and Monzo* both have tiered overdraft rates cheaper than other banks (15%, 25% or 35% for Starling and 19%, 29% or 39% for Monzo). Both have eligibility calcs on their sites. - Rejected for everything? Speak to your existing bank. It is required to treat you fairly, so ask if it can reduce your interest or find another way to help, eg, a loan at a lower interest rate with set repayments. If that fails and/or you've other debts piling up too, see our list of free debt counsellors who can help come up with other solutions. Tips to help reduce your overdraft. Full help in Cut overdraft costs, but in short... - Treat it like the debt it is. Aim to repay a set amount each month, eg, £100. So if you've £500 at the end of this month, budget hard so it's £400 at the end of the next month, £300 after that etc. - Always pay off the highest APR debt first, for many that's the overdraft. List all debts in order of interest rate, focus all spare cash on clearing the highest (once it's cleared, move to the next highest) and just pay minimums on the others. So you may find yourself paying minimums on credit cards to reduce your overdraft. - Do a proper budget. Our Budget planner can help you check if you can free up cash. Then try piggybanking. - Shift your direct debits to just before you're paid. This way, your balance is higher for longer, minimising interest. - Check if you can reclaim bank charges. If past charges caused financial hardship, you may be able to reclaim 'em.

 

Stop press: New energy deal - 3% off energy bills available for almost anyone for a year. E.on has opened its Pledge variable tariff up to new as well as existing direct debit customers. It promises a 3% discount (so £50/yr at typical use) to the Price Cap, that most homes are on, for a year. Want to fix? It's also launched the open market's cheapest standalone 12mth fix. Our Should you fix? guide helps you compare 'em. New Martin vid: Did you go to uni in last 10 or 15 years? Millions are owed £100s back on student loans. One million overpaid last year alone. Watch Martin's new student loan reclaiming explainer video. Millions of mobile users may get £1,000+ payouts if new group lawsuit succeeds. Plans are afoot to take EE, O2, Three and Vodafone to court for overcharging. It's early days, but see Mobile 'loyalty penalty' lawsuit. New. Longest 0% spending cards, up to 21mths interest-free. If you need to borrow, nowt is cheaper than interest-free. Barclaycard's up to 21mths 0% is longest - our eligibility calc will show if you're pre-approved (link goes via that), if not, you may just get 10mths. Yet with the new M&S Bank 20mths' 0% card, all accepted get the full 20mths plus you earn M&S points too. Golden rules: 1) Never borrow unless needed, and only do it for planned, budgeted-for one-off purchases, not to fill income gaps willy-nilly. 2) Always pay at least the min monthly payment or you can lose the 0%. 3) Never withdraw cash. 4) Clear debt before the 0% ends or you pay 24.9% rep APR. Full help in 0% spending cards. 35,000 FREE water pipe & tap protectors and 100,000s more water freebies. Over 750,000 other water-saving gadgets are available free. Find out what your water company offers in winter water-savers. £157 Ciaté beauty set £28 all-in, including eye palette, lipstick & more. MSE Blagged. 10-piece box set. Ciaté Are you due a share of £81 million in unclaimed Premium Bond prizes? Most are paid automatically these days, but if you have older bonds or have ever had prizes paid by cheque, see how to check for missing prizes. Can't afford to clear your credit cards? Shift debt to 28mths INTEREST-FREE. We warned top deals mightn't be around long, and unfortunately last week's top-pick card has already had its fee hiked. So if you've debt, check NOW to see if you can save £100s ASAP. ASK ME ANYTHING & SWITCH ENERGY... The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, 8pm tonight (Tue), ITV1. Over to Martin: "I'll be starting the show with my big briefing on those urgent new energy tariffs most can save with. After that it's up to you, I want to ensure you'll be tooled up on all you need know before Christmas. To suggest a question, tweet using #MartinLewis or email the show team at martinlewis@itv.com. Do spread word, watch or set the Betamax (or catch up later via ITVX)."

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £157 Ciaté beauty box for £28 3,000 available - iPhone 14 £30/month on Three Ends Tue 19 Dec - £47 Grüum men's shaving/beard set for £16 20,000 available - Puma 25% off code Ends Mon 18 Dec	DID YOU MISS? - Boots 'Star Gift' - £140 of No7 skincare for £42 - How much do Christmas lights cost to run? - Cheap (& sustainable) Christmas jumpers from £3 - Earn 8% on your savings (& possibly £200 on top) - Ends Fri. FREE personalised photo Christmas postcard

 

 

Martin: Please help spread word to 10,000s eligible but unaware Urgent: Has your partner died since 2001? There's a rapidly approaching deadline to back-claim possibly £10,000s in bereavement support In February 2023, the law changed due to a Supreme Court ruling that unmarried couples (often called 'common law' partners) with children were due bereavement support, like married couples and those in civil partnerships. The deadline is 8 Feb 2024 for backdated claims. You can watch my bereavement support video briefing from my ITV show last week, read detail in our updated Bereavement support guide or zip through the summary below... The amounts involved can be life-changing - we've had some getting up to £40,000, and the messages are very moving. Elizabeth emailed: "My partner died in 2019, I had a 17-year-old at college and I got no help. Thanks to your report I applied and today received £9,800, it's paying my credit card bill for the funeral. It will entirely wipe off my debts. Thanks so much." As did Lynda: "My step-grandson received over £9,000 within two weeks. His partner died after having an epileptic seizure whilst breast-feeding their five-month-old son. They also had a four-year-old. He's paid off his debts and booked a holiday for himself and his young boys. He has really struggled and been unable to work more than a few hours. Now he can see light at the end of the tunnel. I am so glad I read the weekly newsletter." Who is eligible for UNMARRIED couples' backdated support? It's not means-tested. The key criteria are you must've: 1) Been under state pension age on 30 Aug 2018 (so those born after 30 Aug 1953). 2) Been living 'as married' at the time your partner died, which basically means a cohabiting couple. 3) Had a child eligible for Child Benefit at the time your partner died, ie, under 16, or under 20 in full-time education. If they were eligible but you weren't claiming (eg, as one of you was a higher-rate taxpayer), that still counts. When did partner die? Unmarried, cohabiting couple WITH children Before 9 Apr 2001 No backdated support. 9 Apr 2001 to 5 Apr 2017 Urgent: Possible backdated widowed parent's allowance if claimed by 8 Feb 2024. 6 Apr 2017 to 8 Feb 2023 Urgent: Possible backdated bereavement support if claimed by 8 Feb 2024. From 9 Feb 2023 Claim bereavement support, max £9,800. Unsure if you qualify? The deadline is close so just cross fingers & apply. I've spoken to Govt and got it to promise me there's no negative if you apply when not due, you just won't get it. What about MARRIED couples (incl those in civil partnerships)? Married couples could always claim, so there's no extra backdating. If your spouse died within the last 21 months, and you were under state pension age, whether you've children or not you can claim bereavement support. The quicker you claim the more you get, so if they passed away in March to May 2022 and you haven't claimed, apply quickly and expect less. The widowed parent's allowance is a TAXABLE benefit. If your unmarried partner died before April 2017, you may be eligible for a backdated payout (see above for eligibility criteria). - The max is £139 a week (£7,233/yr), yet this all depends on how much national insurance your partner paid. - It's PAID FROM the later of Aug 2018 or when your partner died and PAID UNTIL either your youngest child's no longer eligible for Child Benefit, you reach state pension age, or you marry/cohabit with a new partner. - The payout can be £10,000s but lump sum usually won't impact benefits entitlement for 12mths (any weekly amount may, and after 12mths any remaining lump sum money may). - How to claim: Just post the filled-in form to them. Bereavement support payments are TAX-FREE. If your spouse or partner passed away since April 2017, you may be eligible for a backdated payout (see above for who can claim what) for some or all of the following: - Lower rate (married couples, no kids): £2,500 lump sum followed by up to 18mths of £100/mth. - Higher rate (couples with kids): £3,500 lump sum followed by up to 18mths of £350/mth. - Monthly payment never affects benefit entitlement. Lump sum won't for 12mths (after that, remaining money may). - How to claim: You can fill in an online form or call.

 

New: How to understand pensions, APRs, economy, tax, energy, insurance, shares & more. I asked what financial things you can't get your head around, 1,000s answered, so in the pod I go through a selection of beginners' guides - great and worth listening to with young adults & teens. Do listen to the new The Martin Lewis Podcast via BBC Sounds, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more. Cheapest ever iPhone 14 '£30/mth'. MSE Blagged. Newbies to Three can get a 128GB iPhone 14 on a 24mth contract with 300GB data, via MobilePhonesDirect. It's £19 upfront, then £29/mth, so you pay £715 over the 2yrs, only a few pounds more than buying a new iPhone 14 handset alone. Note that MobilePhonesDirect is responsible for the handset, Three for the contract. Want a different handset? See Cheap Mobile Finder. Grüum men's shave/beard bundle £16 (normally up to £47). MSE Blagged. 20,000 available. Grüum Inflation-linked mid-contract broadband, TV and mobile price hikes to be banned. The regulator has proposed new rules which'd see firms having to state exact price hikes upfront. Early days, but see Inflation hikes banned for full info. 1,100,000 pensioners miss out on attendance allowance, but best to CALL to get the form. Last week we launched our new Attendance allowance guide, as many state pensioners who need help at home - whether due to illness or disability - are missing out on £3,500+/yr. We got lots of feedback stressing that calling to ask for a form is best as that starts the claim, whereas download it and the claim only starts when you send it in. It was in the guide, but clearly not loudly enough. Updated. Is it better to leave your heating on low all day or only turn it on when needed? It's a hot potato (or a lukewarm one, depending on your view). We've updated our research to try and present the arguments in more detail. See heat on all day? In Scotland, or live in a park home? Are you missing out on a FREE £150 for energy bills? Scottish households and park home residents on certain benefits can get £150 off energy bills under the Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme, but most have to apply. Payments are on a first come, first served basis, so do it ASAP. See how to apply for WHD. Puma 25% off code. MSE Blagged. It's valid on both full price and already-reduced sale items. Puma

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility / apply*) - Up to 28mths 0%, 3.45% fee (24.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility / apply*) - 14mths 0% (24.9% rep APR)  Best bank accounts £200 to switch + 8% regular saver: Nationwide £175 to switch + TOP service: First Direct  Top savings accounts Top easy access: Metro Bank 5.22%, min £500 Top one-year fix: Metro Bank 5.66%, min £500 Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 7.3% rep APR (must have a Clubcard) Cheapest £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 5.9% rep APR (must have a Clubcard) Broadband top picks Cheapest fast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£20.27/mth' (though its customer service rating ain't great) Fast fibre (55Mb+), 'OK' service: Vodafone '£22.50/mth' Superfast fibre (100Mb+), 'OK' service: Virgin Media '£22.06/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.70/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: TalkMobile, '£3.45/mth' for 6GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.57/mth' for 12GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£7.09/mth' for 100GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How much will you spend in total on Christmas this year? It's often a time when we spend a lot of money, but the cost of living crisis may temper this. So we want to know - including food, drink, presents and more - how much are you planning to spend on Christmas this year, and is it more or less than you would typically spend? Let us know in this week's poll. TalkTalk, Plusnet, Sky, O2, Virgin Media and the RAC are the easiest firms to haggle with. Last week, we asked which companies you've tried to haggle with in the past year, and if you got a better deal - over 2,000 of you responded. More than 80% of MoneySavers who'd tried haggling over broadband bills with TalkTalk, Plusnet and Virgin Media reported some form of success. Haggling with mobile providers also bore fruit, with over 70% who tried having success with Sky and O2. For breakdown cover, 85% found success haggling with the RAC. See full haggling poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: TV licence fee to rise to £169.50 a year from April 2024 - Think Money app relaunch leaves thousands unable to access their cash

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should we give our children from previous relationships gifts of the same value? My partner and I both have adult children from previous relationships. We got together three years ago, and historically we've spent different amounts on our children, with him giving more to his kids than I do to mine. We've been discussing whether we should make things fairer by giving gifts of the same value, but realise it'll likely upset his or my children depending on how we change things. Should we try to be fairer, or carry on as before? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we give our kids gifts of the same value? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 12 DEC ONWARDS) Tue 12 Dec - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 8pm (watch previous episodes) Wed 13 Dec - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm (listen to previous episodes)

 

TREE CRISPS AND CHRISTMAS PUDDING BURGER - WHAT ARE THE WEIRDEST FESTIVE FLAVOUR COMBOS? That's all for this week, but before we go... it's time for our annual 'What weird festive food mashups have you seen/tasted this year?' Forumites always have an eagle eye for odd crisp flavours, with Christmas tree (!), Christmas pudding, and Boxing Day curry flavours all spotted on shelves so far. The sage, onion and cranberry bread had its fans (and its detractors), but nothing split the audience like MSE James's local pub's Christmas pudding burger - a charcoaled brioche bun, sausage, bacon, cheese custard... and Christmas pudding chutney. See all the weird combos and share your best (and worst) festive flavours on the MSE Forum. We hope you save some money, The MSE team

 

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