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DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads |
New. FREE £5 at Lidl & Asda plus 9 other grocery cost-cutters Inflation may have crept a tad lower, but grocery costs are still rising at an alarming rate, 16.7% year on year. No one can reverse that, but efficient shopping and a few tricks may be able to help you keep the cost lower. Our 30+ supermarket shopping tips will take you through it, but we've stuck these goodies in our basket for now...
PS: Struggling to afford food? There is help. Don't go hungry. Check if you live near a social supermarket or community shop for those on low incomes. Foodbanks can also help - find a foodbank near you or see how to donate if you can afford to. |
Warning. You WON'T be allowed to vote this May unless you've the right ID. From the local elections on 4 May, for the first time, all voters in England, Scotland & Wales need ID to vote. Check what ID you'll need NOW. Ends Thu. 10,000 FREE (normally £18ish) Ideal Home Show London tickets (see Martin live?). It's extended our free ticket offer for weekdays in mid to late March. Full info in free Ideal Home Show. Ends Thu. A huge 100GB of mobile data for '£9.87 a month'. Plus unlimited minutes & texts, through a TalkMobile Sim (Vodafone network). It costs £11.95 a month, which will not rise during the year's contract. Plus, apply before 11.59pm on Thursday to qualify for a £25 Amazon voucher, which you have to CLAIM (don't forget) within four months. Factor that in over the one-year contract and it's equivalent to £9.87 a month. Want a different network? Use our Cheap Mobile Finder. 21 summer plants bundle for £11 delivered. MSE Blagged. 7,500 bundles available, but not in Northern Ireland or parts of Scotland. Thompson & Morgan O2 and Virgin Mobile to hike mobile bills by up to 17.3% in April. You'll see a lower rise if you're on an O2 'Refresh' or Virgin 'Freestyle' plan. See Can you beat the O2 and Virgin Mobile hikes? Related: Tesco Mobile to hike prices by 14.4% for some. 30+ birthday FREEBIES, including Krispy Kreme, Greggs, Body Shop. MSE turns 20 today (Wed), so it's a good excuse to share our birthday freebies round-up, which works whenever you're celebrating. Happy birthday to us Everything you've ever wanted to know about PENSIONS special - could be worth £10,000s. ITV, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live! Tue 8pm to 9.30pm. Over to Martin: "Yes, I've managed to blag 90 minutes of prime time to talk everything you've ever wanted to know about pensions but were afraid (or didn't know who) to ask. Both state, private and company pensions, how to get them, how to max and boost them, and what to do with the money when you retire. If you're aged 16 to 116, don't miss it, or at least set the Betamax." |
Martin's quick SAVERS' BOOSTERS...
All listed have full £85,000 per person, per financial institution UK savings safety protection.
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Important listen: Aged 45 to 70? Little time left to boost your state pension by £1,000s, plus Government must act on energy bills. All in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast - listen through BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify and more. Beat the Virgin Media price hike: 'I'm saving £849 a year.' Our success of the week comes from Tim, who followed our Virgin Media price hike tips. He said: "I get all my media stuff through Virgin Media, but as I'm a sports fan we have a complete £136 a month package. This was set to rise to £157. After an hour or so, I managed to reduce the bill to £86.25 with an upgrade to HD sports and no increase. Thank you for reminding me to haggle." If we've helped you save money (on this, or owt else), please send us your MoneySaving successes. Sending a parcel? Royal Mail's extended its free home pick-up. Till 2 Apr. Normally up to 72p. Royal Mail In Wales? Check if you can apply for an extra £200 energy bill support before Tue 28 Feb. The Wales Fuel Support Scheme gives a one-off £200 cash payment to those on certain benefits - but you MUST apply for it. The deadline for applications is Tue 28 Feb. For full eligibility info and how to apply, see £200 for Welsh energy bill-payers. Tesco's Pay+ and Clubcard apps are closing - don't get caught out at the checkout. We've full details, including the new app you need to download. Tesco apps closing |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Calls for Government to introduce energy 'social tariff' from April 2024. The charities Age UK and Scope - alongside other campaigners - are asking people to sign an open letter urging the Government to bring in a discounted energy deal aimed at those in greatest need next year. The Government has already said it'll consider this as part of long-term plans to protect vulnerable consumers, and we've also supported this move. Read the full letter and add your name to support. |
THIS WEEK'S POLL How much do you spend on birthdays each year? It's MSE's 20th birthday this week (hooray!) - so a perfect excuse to celebrate. And while many feel it's important to treat themselves and others when a birthday comes around, the cost can really add up. So we were left wondering, how much do you spend on birthdays each year? The majority of MoneySavers spend between £41 and £100 a week on groceries. Last week, we asked how much you spend on average each week on groceries. More than 12,000 people responded, with over half (57%) spending between £41 and £100. As you'd expect, those living with a partner and children are most likely to spend more, with the majority in this category (59%) spending more than £100 a week, and 14% spending more than £150. See full poll results. |
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MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should my partner pay more towards bills as they earn more? My other half of eight years earns more than twice what I do, but we both pay the same towards our household bills. With the current high energy prices, splitting bills this way puts me into fuel poverty, as more than 10% of my income is spent on energy. Yet I get no grants or benefits to help with this as my partner's income means that, as a household, we're not eligible. I have very little left over after living expenses, so should I ask my partner to pay more or is it fairer to keep bills 50/50? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should my partner pay more towards bills? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma |
MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 22 FEB ONWARDS) Wed 22 Feb - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Tue 28 Feb - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am |
CHEESED OFF... WHAT EXAMPLES OF 'SHRINKLATION' HAVE YOU SPOTTED? That's all for this week, but before we go... with reports that many chocolate Easter eggs are smaller this year, we're reminded that MSE Forumites have been keeping tabs on 'shrinkflation' (items getting smaller while the price stays the same or increases) for years. Here are some of their classic spots... One called out Maryland for reducing the weight of its cookies from 230g to 200g while not lowering the price, while another highlighted that Cadbury had swapped its 180g chocolate bar for a 160g version. A bunch of lilies from M&S, which once comprised six blooms, has now been reduced to four according to one poster, while another cheesed-off Forumite spotted that large nets of Babybel have shrunk from 12 to 10 pieces. Add yours to the shrinking food and other items MSE Forum discussion. We hope you save some money, |
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