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Summer holidays are getting close - many schools in Scotland have already broken up, and it's only weeks away for the rest of the UK. If you're tripping abroad at some point, there's nowt more frustrating than paying too much for foreign exchange. So this week we've how to get the most buck (or euro, lira, dong or baht) for your bangs.

1. Urgent. Apply NOW for a top overseas card for near-perfect exchange rates for this summer and beyond. Not only do the top specialist cards give near-perfect exchange rates, we think they're by far the easiest, least hassle and most convenient way to spend abroad.

Crucially though the Chase* card - a top pick for many - has an up-to three-week waiting list once you've applied. And the Halifax cashback bonus ends today (Wed). So speed is needed...

The top three FREE travel cards compared All give near-perfect exchange rates
	Chase* (via app)	Halifax Clarity* Check eligibility	Barclaycard Rewards* Check eligibility
Card type	DEBIT (Mastercard)	CREDIT (Mastercard)	CREDIT (Visa)
Interest on spending?	None	None if repaid IN FULL (if not, 19.9% rep APR)	None if repaid IN FULL (if not, 22.9% rep APR)
Must pass credit check?	No - just ID check	Yes	Yes
Fee-free ATM withdrawals? (1)	Yes (up to £1,500/month)	Yes (up to £500/day)	Yes (up to £500/day)
ATM withdrawal interest?	None	Yes. 20% to 28% even if repaid in full	None if repaid IN FULL (23% if not)
Cashback on most spending?	1% for 12 months, including overseas	Ends Wed. £20 on 1st purchase within 90 days	Ongoing 0.25%, including overseas
(1) These cards won't charge you, but ATMs may do.

- Which wins? Chase is easiest to get, and that 1% cashback is a winner for UK spending too (plus its linked savings account is top for easy access at 1.5%). So if you'd spend over £2,000 on it - home and abroad - in 12 months, it beats Halifax's cashback. Yet its cash withdrawal limits are lower and you must load it before spending, plus you may need to wait up to three weeks to get it.

With the other two, you just use them and are billed later (only do it if you'll pay off IN FULL each month - preferably by direct debit - or these aren't for you). Halifax Clarity's boon is the simple £20 cashback on your first spend.

One more thing to consider - Halifax and Barclaycard have been top picks for years, but Chase is much newer. Only time will tell if its no-fee overseas offer is a loss leader to acquire new cardholders or is here for the longer term.

- I've already got a cheap overseas card, is it worth switching? There's a range of other cards that give top rates including Virgin Money and Starling debit cards, and Santander Zero, Nationwide and 118 118 Money credit cards.

All these do really well abroad, but are pipped by the cards above for cashback or cash withdrawal fees, so whether to apply depends on how much you want to push for perfection.

2. Want cash for budgeting? TravelMoneyMax compares 16+ bureaux in seconds. The top cards above are usually the best way to spend overseas, and these days cards are much more widely accepted. Though some people prefer cash in their pockets, and find it helps them budget.

If you do want cash, the cheapest bureau depends on what currency you want and how much, and changes by the hour. So our TravelMoneyMax (TMM) tool quickly compares 16+ bureaux to find you the best rate for delivery or collection.

How much difference does this all make? Cost of $1,000

Rates on Mon (5 x $100 at ATMs, rest spent in 20 transactions)

- Top specialist credit/debit card repaid in full: £818

- Cash, via TMM's cheapest bureau (in central London): £821
- Cash from M&S on the high street: £829

- Using a spending-charge debit card (see below): £872

- Changing cash at airport (not pre-ordered): £949

As you can see, airport rates are the worst. If you've left it that late, order on your way to the airport, or wait till you get to your destination and find an ATM. NEVER just walk up and buy cash.

3. Want to LOCK IN a rate? Use a top prepaid travel card. The cards above give you the top exchange rates when you spend. But, like getting cash, specialist prepaid cards let you load on to them in advance, so you choose the day the currency's converted. Though of course this does mean taking a punt on how you think rates will move.

The top-pick prepaid card is app-only Revolut*, as it gives near-perfect rates during the week on up to £1,000 exchanged per month (0.5% fee above, 1% fee at weekends). Yet you're limited to £200/month of fee-free ATM withdrawals.

You can download the app and then link the virtual card to Apple / Google Pay for free, but if you want a physical card - which many may do to use abroad - there's a £4.99 charge. Revolut won't credit-check you, but you will be ID-checked. Our full review and more options are in Prepaid travel cards.

4. Should you beware your DEBIT card? Some debit cards not only add about 3% to the exchange rate and charge an ATM fee, they also charge up to £1.50 if you use them to spend outside the UK/EU...

ANY other card, including a credit card (if repaid IN FULL), is cheaper to spend on outside Europe than these. See beware debit cards info.

5. What you should say when they ask: "Do you want to pay in pounds?". This is now very common, both at overseas cash machines and in stores - they'll pressure you to pay in pounds, but is it the right thing to do? See Martin's 'Pay in pounds?' video & blog to find out what to do and why.

6. Beware cash machines' own fees. When we talk about fees for withdrawing cash above, we're talking about fees charged by card providers. But it's becoming more common for the actual cash machine to charge you too.

There's no way round this - but don't assume all ATMs charge the same. While making a film on this for his ITV show recently, Martin found cash machines within 200 metres of each other ranging from a €2 fee to a €7 fee, so it's best to try a few.

7. Don't use a credit card to buy cash or load a prepaid card. Most credit card providers count these as a cash transaction - and thus charge fees and interest. It's always better to use a debit card if you can. More info in don't buy travel cash with a credit card.

8. Withdrawing cash abroad on a credit card could hurt your credit record. On the right card it's cheap, but there may be a possible minor impact on your ability to get credit in future. See why in credit card ATM withdrawals.

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.

Martin: 'Seven energy need-to-knows, now typical bills are predicted to rise 52% to a horrific £3,000/yr'
Including... who can save by FIXING now?, Bulb help, council tax band E-H due £150?, British Gas launches £1,500 energy debt grants, cut your use

Sadly it's still just the early stage of the energy bills crisis. As the price cap has an in-built time lag, we're yet to feel the huge accelerating impact of the war in Ukraine. That will hit from October, so it's going to be a bleak winter. I had so many questions after briefly mentioning this last week, I wanted to try and answer the biggies. PS: Most of this applies to Eng, Scot & Wales, but not N Ireland, which has a separate system - and the tariffs below are mainly for direct debit, not for prepay.

Sadly, huge energy price rises are a-comin'. There are no deals meaningfully cheaper than the current price cap (which doesn't in fact cap the total you pay, just the unit rates and standing charges). The predictions below are the latest from industry analysts Cornwall Insight...

Price cap dates	Change in dual-fuel direct-debit cap (prepay cap is about 2% higher, pay monthly after a bill 7% higher)
1 Apr 22 - 30 Sep 22. Current cap.	UP 54% (from prior cap). It's £1,971/yr on typical use.
1 Oct 22 - 31 Dec 22. Strong prediction. As it's set based on wholesale prices from 1/2/22 to 18/8/22.	UP 51%. So £2,980/yr on typical use.
1 Jan 23 - 31 Mar 23. Prediction. Prediction accuracy is looser, but likely in the ballpark.	UP 1%. So £3,000/yr on typical use.
1 Apr 23 - 30 Jun 23. Weak prediction.	Drop 8%-ish. So £2,760/yr on typical use (still more than now).

I know many want predicted unit rates & standing charges, but that's unknowable until the regulator Ofgem decides them.

Many SHOULD check out fixing. If the predictions above are right (and it is an 'if'), over the next year you'll pay on average 41% more than the current price cap. So if you can fix at that type of level, even though it'll mean paying more now, it's a decent bet if you want some price certainty. Most recent cheap fixes have been 'existing customer-only deals' which are not on comparison sites, though with wholesale prices continuing to rise, sadly some of the best we mentioned last week have been pulled - see the full cheapest fixes list in my Should I fix? guide.

STOP PRESS: Deals are being pulled at speed. I first wrote this note Tue morning, by the time I came back for my final edit Tue PM, I had to rewrite it as so many of the cheapest deals had been pulled/repriced higher.
I'm a Bulb customer, can I fix? Bulb is, uniquely, in 'special administration'. I've had lots of people ask me about it, so I've added a Can Bulb customers switch? section to the Should I fix? guide.
URGENT. My firm doesn't offer any cheap existing-customer switches, what can I do? There is one open-market fix - meaning you can switch firm to get it - that's significantly cheaper than any existing-customer fixes right now (you know there's a 'but' coming, don't you?)... but it also requires you to take out other products with it to get it, and it's from a network marketing company. Yet substantial savings (£100s) will still be possible for some.

The reason it's urgent is that we've been told this tariff is being replaced with a costlier version which will only be worth considering for higher users. That is due to happen either Tuesday night (28 June) or Wednesday morning, so read our Utility Warehouse fix - is it worth it? analysis ASAP.
Struggling with energy bills, but didn't get the £150 council tax help for them? There's a £169m discretionary fund spread across English & Welsh councils, though only 1 in 5 of them have published how to get it so far. We've collated those in our council-by-council help. Also see the Govt's up-to-£1,500-per-home energy help.
Starts Friday. British Gas Energy Trust up to £1,500 to help anyone (not just its customers) in energy debt. While the scheme's open to British Gas customers all year, it's been closed to non-customers since spring, so it's good news it reopens on Fri 1 Jul. Applications and eligibility is tricky, so often it's easiest to apply via a help charity. Full info on this, similar schemes, and the charities that can help in our British Gas energy grants section of our full What to do if you're struggling to pay your energy bills guide.
Can you reduce your energy usage? Obviously, cutting use cuts bills. Start with our energy saving tips for the simple stuff, add in the Energy mythbusting guide for those issues that are less clear-cut, and then if you're really struggling (though thankfully the summer warmth helps right now), our Heat the human, not the home guide.

44 tips to be tight (in a good way)... eg, use bulldog clips to eke out the last of the toothpaste. Whether money's tight, or waste's a dirty word, see tips from the MSE team and our Forumites. 44 tight tips

£50 two-week summer activity break for 16 to 17-year-olds (or free for some on a low income). The Government-backed National Citizen Service programme includes nights away and activities such as rock climbing, kayaking and life skills. National Citizen Service (England only)

Ends 11.59pm Thu. 5GB Sim and roam-like-home in Europe for '£4/month' - we've not seen cheaper. Newbies to Virgin Mobile (uses Vodafone's network) can get a 5GB Sim with unlimited minutes and texts for £6/month, but can claim a £25 Amazon voucher within four months. Factor that in over the 12-month contract and it's equivalent to £3.92/month. And crucially (unlike most bigger networks) Virgin won't charge for using your allowances in Europe - useful if you're headed overseas. Need more/less data? Use our powerful Cheap Mobile Finder.

FREE £50 investment - just put in £50, get £50 cashback. Only 2,000 left. MSE Blagged. In the two weeks since we first told you about this deal 8,000 have gone - but there are still some 'free' £50s left. See Robo-investing cashback.

How much will your take-home pay rise next month? A reminder that in July, the threshold at which you start paying national insurance (NI) increases. Use our Income Tax Calculator to see how much you'll gain. It also shows the extra you paid from April due to the 1.25% point NI rise, and lets you compare with past years to see if you're better or worse off.

Martin Lewis 'Political Thinking' - including that House of Lords conversation. Nick Robinson interviews Martin in this must-listen BBC podcast. There are plenty of revelations, emotion and passion. Martin Lewis on Political Thinking

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 'Free' £50 cashback on £50 investment 2,000 left

DID YOU MISS?

- Martin: 'The one thing everyone aged 66+ needs to know'
- Ends Thu. TWO pairs of designer specs from £25 delivered
- Save on Jurassic World, Minions 2 and more cinema tickets
- Cheapest iPhone 12 contract we've seen - 100GB '£26/month'
- Train strikes - are you due a refund?

New. Cheapest ever loans at 2.7% (but for how long?). If you NEED to borrow, speedily check if you'll be accepted

UK base rates have risen by over 1 percentage point in the last six months or so - and further increases are likely. So we were surprised that a loan's just launched at 2.7%, equal to the cheapest we've ever seen. This is a rare rate drop in a sea of rates that are rising on average. Yet it's likely a short-term play to gain market share, as we're hearing mumblings (unconfirmed mumblings but mumblings nonetheless) that some of today's best buys will abandon rock-bottom rates in coming weeks. So if you need a loan, speed is likely of the essence. Full help in Cheap loans, but in brief...

Only borrow if it's NEEDED - never just because it's cheap. A loan should always be for a planned, necessary, one-off purchase (for example, a new kitchen or car), which you can't pay for from savings. Try to minimise the amount you borrow and keep the term short, as both reduce interest costs. Ensure you can afford the repayments, and NEVER borrow willy-nilly to fill gaps in your income - which can spiral rapidly out of control. Already struggling with debt? Don't borrow more - see our Debt help guide instead.
New. Cheapest-ever loans - 'personal rate' from 2.7% on £5,000+. Getting a loan is always about acceptance. That's why it's best to go through our Loans Eligibility Calculator, as it'll show you which lender's most likely to accept you. This means you can home in on the most likely deal before applying (and reduce multiple applications, which mark your credit file). So here are the best buys... but read on after the list, as different lenders express rates in different ways:

- £1,000 to £2,999: Novuna* 9.9% rep APR, but credit card loans are likely cheaper.
- £3,000 to £4,999: Ratesetter 'from 6.7%' (on £4,000 to £4,999). AA* 8% rep APR for members (8.1% non-members), Post Office & Bank of Ireland* 8.1% rep APR.
- £5,000 to £7,499: New. Ratesetter 'from 2.7%'. MBNA* & Novuna* 3.7% rep APR.
- £7,500 to £15,000: New. Ratesetter 'from 2.7%', M&S Bank*, Cahoot* & Santander* all 2.8% rep APR.

- Ratesetter, unlike the others, doesn't have an advertised APR. Instead, the links go via our eligibility calculator, where you're told if you'll be accepted and your EXACT RATE before applying. Hence we give it a 'from' rate.

- All other loans listed are 'representative APR'. That means only 51% of accepted customers need to get that rate - the rest can be charged more. But usually you won't know what you'll get without applying.

If you do get a loan, ensure you pay on time (preferably by direct debit) or you may be charged and get a missed payment on your credit report, which can cause real problems.
With rates so low, is it worth shifting existing loan or credit card debt? Shifting an existing loan to a new one isn't as simple as finding a cheaper rate, as you may be charged to pay a loan off early. So read our Cut existing loan costs guide for help and calculators to work it out. Darren did it and emailed: "Thanks for the tip on loan-switching. Used the MSE loan checker, and switched my old 9.9% loan to a 2.9% rate, saving £60 a month [£720 a year]." Though to cut existing credit card costs, you're usually better off using a credit card balance transfer.
Is it worth using these loans to consolidate other debts? The first question is to ask yourself why you want to consolidate. Having all debt in one place isn't necessarily better - the main reason people do it is for a lower monthly payment. Yet you're often borrowing at a higher rate and over a longer time period, which means it costs a lot more in interest. Be careful consolidating - it may be better to seek debt help instead.

2for1 for £3 at Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland, Sea Life etc via cereal and snacks. Get the voucher on snack/cereal packs and you get a free adult ticket with any full-price ticket. See 2for1 for £3. Related: Cheap theme parks.

Summer sales ON NOW, including up to 80% off at Asos, 50% off at John Lewis and Zara. See our full summer sales round-up.

'I got £300 back for overpaid water bills.' Our success of the week comes from Bob, who followed our tips to check and challenge water bills if your home has a soakaway or septic tank for wastewater. He said: "I followed your advice and applied to our local water company, and we've now received a discount on our annual charge, as well as a refund of nearly £300. Thanks so much for the tip. Our whole estate uses soakaways, so I'm going to be spreading the word." Saved money on this (or anything else) using our tips? Send us your MoneySaving successes.

Work in the NHS or emergency services? Boosted Blue Light Card discounts from 1-4 July. Including 25% off Ted Baker, 10% off Halfords and free three-day PureGym pass. See NHS discounts.

FREE tennis coaching and sessions. If you've been inspired by Wimbledon, there are 150+ Lawn Tennis Association and Tennis For Free events across the UK. Game, set, match

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: New. Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 34 months 0%, 2.88% or 3.88% fee (21.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 22 months 0% (21.9% rep APR) or NatWest - 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR)

£170 to switch: HSBC
£150 to switch + TOP service: First Direct

Top easy-access: Virgin Money 1.56%, no min
Top one-year fix: Kent Reliance 2.61%, min £1,000

Try our new MSE Car Insurance Compare+ tool

Cheapest for £5,000-£7,499: MBNA* 3.7% rep APR
Cheapest £7,500-£15,000: M&S Bank* 2.8% rep APR (1-7 years)

Standard (10Mb+): Plusnet '£12.74/month'
Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.58/month'
Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.91/month'

4GB-9GB data: Virgin Mobile, '£3.92/month' for 5GB, unlimited mins & texts
10GB+ data: TalkMobile, '£4.50/month' for 10GB, unlimited mins & texts

THIS WEEK'S POLL

How do you normally pay for things while on holiday abroad? With millions of us likely heading overseas for sun, sea and sand this summer, we want to know how you normally pay for things when you're away. Do you stick to cash, or do you use cards to get more bang for your buck (or euro, or dong)? Let us know in this week's poll.

1pMobile & Giffgaff lead on customer service. More than 15,500 people voted in last week's poll, which asked you to rate your mobile provider's service. Tiddler firm 1pMobile came top, with 69% of its customers who voted rating it 'great' for customer service. Giffgaff came a close second at 68% 'great'. Yet Vodafone and Virgin Mobile took the wooden spoon with about a quarter of customers who voted rating them 'poor'. See full mobile poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Government-backed interest-free loan scheme launching in September
- Less than 100 days left to spend, bank or exchange paper £20 and £50 notes
- Tesco Mobile to charge for roaming in Europe
- Now TV adding £5/month 'Boost' service automatically - what to watch out for
- Barclays shuts 15 more branches

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Do I need to keep chasing someone I owe £1,000 to? I'm self-employed, and when I have too much work on, I subcontract it. Several months ago, I subcontracted £1,000 of work to a supplier I've been using for years. A month later, when I requested an invoice so I could pay up, I was told it'd be sent as soon as possible. Another month later, I requested it again and was told it would be sent that evening. A further two months on, I've heard nothing. I'm willing to pay, but need the invoice for my accounts. Is it my responsibility to keep chasing it or should I let it go? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Do I need to keep chasing to pay £1,000? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

- Reduce your grocery budget
- Make £10 a day
- How many 'no-spend days' can you do in June?

- Pay ALL your debt off by Christmas
- 'Tilly Tidy' your bank account
- Frugal living

MSE TEAM BLOG

- Fridges, fruit, and fizzy drinks - last week's MSE Forum highlights

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 29 JUN ONWARDS)

Wed 29 Jun - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.20am

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC)

Tue 5 Jul - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

NAPPIES, KNICKERS AND KIPPING KIDS - YOUR SURREAL PROPERTY-VIEWING EXPERIENCES

That's all for this week, but before we go... our forum users have been sharing their weird and wonderful experiences when viewing potential new homes. One Forumite found themselves interrupting someone's barbecue, while another was spooked out after discovering an abandoned plate of steaming hot dinner despite no one being in. Other viewing tales included a home where every room was painted silver, a bedroom floor covered in discarded underwear, finding someone fast asleep during the tour, and the vendor opening the door clutching a stinky nappy. Had any strange property-viewing experiences? Tell us on the MSE Forum.

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

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