MSE’s Money Tips Martin's 0% masterclass, 5 cinema tix £20, £9 travel ins, fast fibre £17/mth, £130 Barbour specs £29

Debt can be depressing, dangerous and debilitating, but don't ignore it, especially now. Sadly, the pernicious spectre of over-indebtedness is lifting its ugly head higher. UK unsecured borrowing is at its highest since 2004 as the latest Bank of England credit card data shows an additional £1,200,000,000 borrowed in November alone... before Christmas hit.

To see debt grow while real incomes fall - if, as I suspect, it's to cover growing daily costs - is scary. As what'll change in future to mean people will be able to cover their usual outgoings AND make debt repayments on top? If your debts are causing you real worries right now, please jump straight to debt crisis help below.

For everyone else, don't leave debt to fester. Tackling it head on means you can reduce the cost and ultimately the debt sooner. So as New Year debt bills are being received by millions, it's time for my annual January interest-cutting masterclass - to save £100s or even £1,000s by reducing the interest you're paying on existing debt.

This is the easiest debt cost-cutting. Simply shift your debt to a new, cheaper card. Yet the direction of travel ain't great. This time last year you could get 35mths 0% and many cards gave cashback too. Yet the UK base rate rise means deals are worsening, so for safety, sort it sooner.

The key tool is a 0% balance transfer, where you get a new card to repay debt on your old card(s), so you owe it instead, but at 0%. Your repayments then clear the debt rather than just mostly cover interest.

- To AVOID REJECTION, spend two minutes on a 0% eligibility calculator. This shows which of most top cards you can likely get, listing your bespoke acceptance odds for each. That way you can minimise applications, and protect your creditworthiness.

And even a slim acceptance chance may find a route, as Adam emailed me after listening to my podcast: "I applied to the top eligibility checker result which estimated I'd just a 20% chance and, guess what, I was accepted with a £3,500 credit limit, two years' 0%. This debt was 20% APR. I can now focus on other debts, potentially having an extra £1,300ish. You mention the link between money and mental health. Well... your advice has really lifted me."

- If you've a choice, go for the lowest fee, within a 0% period long enough to clear your debt. Most balance transfer deals charge a one-off fee as a % of the debt transferred, so aim to minimise that. Yet if you're unsure, it's not that big a deal, just play safe and go long.

Top new cardholder 0% balance transfers include...
Existing customers ONLY. NatWest, RBS, Ulster Check your acceptance odds via links above or apply via: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank	Longest 0%, but not open to all. If you already bank, save or borrow with these banks, you can apply. It's not just the longest, unlike some other cards everyone accepted gets the full 33 months at 0%. - 33mths 0% (2.9% fee) - 22.9% rep APR after 0% ends
Sainsbury's Bank Check your acceptance odds via the link above or apply direct*	Longest open-to-all 0%, but an 'up to'. Whether you get the headline deal is credit score dependent, but if our eligibility calc shows you're PRE-APPROVED, you'll get the full 30 months & the lower fee. - Up to 30mths 0% (2.89% fee) - Some get just 22mths &/or a 4% fee. Min £3 fee - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends.
Ends Thu. Barclaycard Check your acceptance odds via the link above or apply direct*	A winner for many transferring £2,500+. Apply via these specific links and shift £2,500+ within 60 days, and £25 will be credited to your account, effectively reducing the one-off transfer fee. Of course that will require getting a big enough credit limit, so it's best for those with stronger credit scores. - Up to 30mths 0% (2.98% fee) - £25 cashback if shifting over £2,500 - Some get just 15mths 0% - 22.9% rep APR after 0% ends
Existing customers ONLY. NatWest, RBS & Ulster Check your acceptance odds via links above or apply via: NatWest* / RBS* / Ulster Bank	Longest definite NO FEE 0% by far, but not open to all. Another corking existing customer-only deal, far longer than the next best equivalent, and if you're accepted you definitely get it, so if you bank there and can clear the debt within that time, it's unbeatable. - 22mths 0% with NO FEE - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends
HSBC Check your acceptance odds through that link, or apply direct*	Longest definite open-to-all 0% with NO FEE. If you're not with NatWest group and can repay quickly, this is likely the winner, as there's no fee and all accepted get the deal. - 16mths 0% with NO FEE - 23.9% rep APR after 0% ends PS: Sainsbury's has an up to 17mth no-fee 0%, but some will get just 12mths and/or a 1% fee. We can't check your eligibility (though you can do it on its site).

Always follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: It's not just about getting the right card. Full help in Best balance transfers (APR examples), but in short...

a) Never miss your min monthly repayment, or you can lose the 0%.
b) Clear the card before the 0% ends, or you pay the higher APR.
c) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate.
d) Usually you must transfer within 1-3mths to get the 0%, do check.
e) You can't transfer between two cards from the same banking group.

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.

What about the cheapest 0% cards for new borrowing?

I'm focused today on cutting existing debt costs, as that's unambiguously good to do. New borrowing is riskier. It should be only for needed, planned, one-off purchases, where you've budgeted to meet the repayments. If not, don't do it. Yet if you must borrow, at least keep the interest cost as low as possible. For that, see the 0% new borrowing eligibility calc and 0% cards guide.

Store cards are just credit cards you only use in one store chain, but usually with far costlier interest, eg, New Look is 28.9% rep APR, Argos 34.9%. In the old days I used to call them the devil's debt, but that was before payday loans. If you've got them, you can usually balance-transfer store card debt too, so just follow the help above.

Almost all major banks now charge about 40% interest for overdrafts, double the cost of many high street credit cards. So for many, your priority is to clear overdrafts as they're so expensive (even if it means making just minimum repayments on credit cards, so the spare cash reduces your overdraft), though check too if you can cut the interest cost...

a) Can you switch to a 0% overdraft? Two banks currently offer 0% overdrafts. First Direct pays switchers £175 and many get an ongoing 0% overdraft of £250 (40% EAR above that). So for smaller overdrafts, under £425ish, the £175 will clear some debt and the rest is interest-free.

Alternatively, many new to Nationwide FlexDirect get a year's 0% overdraft, which can be larger than First Direct, though it depends on a credit assessment. Only use this as a route to clear the overdraft within a year, as it rockets to 40% EAR after.

Both banks let you do eligibility checks on their websites, so you can see before applying whether you're likely to be accepted.

b) For larger overdrafts, do a 0% money transfer eligibility check. A 0% money transfer is where you get a new card that pays money into your bank account, effectively clearing your overdraft, so you now owe the card instead but at 0%. These are rare specialist cards, so use the 0% money transfer eligibility calc to see if you'd get one, then before doing anything read the full step-by-step in 0% money transfers to ensure you do it safety (as it's easy to get wrong).

c) Treat overdraft borrowing like any other debt - repay it. Try and repay a set amount each month, eg, £50 (so you should always start the next month with a £50 smaller overdraft than the one before).

Do also consider moving direct debits to just before payday if you can, the idea is you're overdrawn for less time so costs are lower. And these are just the tip of the iceberg. Do see our Nine overdraft cost-cutting tips for more help.

The impact of UK base rate rises has been more profound on personal loan rates than on credit cards. The cheapest loans for bigger amounts are now not far from double those this time last year, and they're likely to continue to rise.

So it's worth the exercise of seeing if you can cut costs, though the success rates won't be that high unless your credit score has improved over the last year or two. To do this, the simple question is can you get a new cheaper loan to clear your existing one and pay less?

The answer has some complexities, as it's not just about finding a cheaper APR (though that's the start point, no point bothering if not) as there can be a couple of months' early repayment fees. Full help in Cut existing loan costs, but here's a brief ABC...

a) Ask your current lender for a 'settlement figure'. That's how much it'll cost to clear your current loan, including any early repayment costs (which tells you how big a new loan you'll need to get to clear it).

b) Find the cheapest loan for the 'settlement figure' and if you can get it. Our Loans Eligibility Calc shows your odds of acceptance for many loans - it's really worth checking that before applying. Full current cheapest rates are in Cheapest loans (APR examples), but briefly...

Cheapest loans under £3,000

For these lower amounts, a 0% credit card loan can be cheaper.

£1,000 to £2.5k: AIB (NI) 12.3% by phone or Novuna* 12.4% online
£2,500 to £3k: Novuna* 11.4%

Cheapest loans over £3,000

£3,000 to £5k: Finble 8.8% - not avail direct, link via eligibility calc
£5,000 to £7.5k: Finble 4.6% - not avail direct, link via eligibility calc
£7,500 to £15k: Finble 4%, M&S Bank* & HSBC* 4.9% rep APR

As all these loan rates are REPRESENTATIVE APR, which means sadly only 51% of accepted customers need get that rate, there is a chance you apply and find your loans are far costlier. It's tough to do much about that, but via our eligibility calc we do have a few lenders that now offer guaranteed rates.

c) Find out if a new loan's cheaper than your current one. Multiply your monthly repayments by how many months you have left (ask the lender if you don't know) to find how much you'll pay if you stick. Then compare that to what the new loan repayments will cost. Or just plug the figures in to our Loan Switch Calculator which does it all for you.

It worked (twice) for MoneySaver Lisa, who emailed us a while ago: "Last year I needed to get a car and reluctantly took a loan at a whopping 18.9%. I read your Feb newsletter & was able to secure a new loan at 7.9% and over four years. As if that wasn't good enough, I tried again and got another loan at 2.9%. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Rates are up since then though.

Whether you get a new cheap deal or not, always aim to repay as much as you can, as quickly as you can, without damaging your financial stability. Here are five further things to keep your costs down...

a) Focus on repaying the highest-interest (APR) debt first. The higher the interest, the faster the debt grows. So list all debts in APR order, and use all spare cash to clear the highest and just pay minimums on everything else. Once it's clear, focus on the next costliest, and so on and so on. That'll get you debt-free quicker. For avoidance of doubt, overdrafts are a debt and should therefore be included (but don't include student loans).

b) Don't look at debt in isolation. No one gets into debt for its own sake, it's to pay for other things. So you have to look across all your expenditure... go through everything you spend money on and see if you can do it cheaper or better. Our money makeover takes you through some of that, and of course the latest info will be in this email each week.

c) Do a budget. As well as cutting costs, get control of all your spending. The best way is to do a budget to see where the cash is going. Look at your finances across the year, not just a snapshot of one month. Then what really counts is how you stick to it - many who've tried swear by (or at) my piggybanking system.

d) Boost your credit score. You'll be eligible for better debt cost-cutting deals in future. See my 27 ways to boost your credit score guide.

e) Got savings? Use 'em to clear costly debts. Millions still have savings, though many are using them up. Some have an emotional attachment to them ahead of clinical financial decision-making.

Yet in practice, saving is just giving your bank a loan - as it pays you far lower interest than it charges the other way round. So if your debts are at a higher rate than you earn in savings, repaying the debt with the savings likely adds up, as long as there are no early payment penalties.

And with costly credit cards specifically, if you do clear them, leaving you with no emergency savings, keep them open, so in the worst case you can use them again in an emergency, leaving you no worse off in total but saving interest meanwhile. Full help in Pay off debt with savings?

My focus today is the main unsecured debts you can save money on, but in brief, let me zip through where to get info on a couple of others:

- Mortgage deals. Rates rocketed over 2022, but have come off a little in the last month. Still, most homeowners will find when their current deal ends, their new one will be vastly more expensive. There's a huge amount of help in our Mortgage MoneySaving section, but in brief...

a) Check the top mortgage rates using our Best buys tool.
b) Ask your existing lender for its cheapest deal. Known as a product transfer, these days these may be the cheapest deals for many.
c) Use our Ultimate Mortgage Calculator to compare deals.
d) Speak to a mortgage broker to find a lender likely to accept you. They can have extra info not available to the public, access to special deals, and can help guide you through.

- Buy now, pay later. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is interest-free, so there are no costs to be cut. Used right, it's an easy way to spread payments if needed. Yet never forget IT'S A DEBT. The reason it's interest-free is because shops pay as it encourages people to buy more stuff.

Don't use it unless you need to, and ensure you can afford to repay. It's still not regulated, which can make it far more difficult if things go wrong (and they do). See our Buy now, pay later guide for more help.

The solutions above involve still being in a functional relationship with your debt. That means you can afford to repay and you just want to cut the cost. If they're unaffordable, you may need a different tack. There's full help in our Debt crisis help guides, but let me ask you three questions now to help you decide which route is right...

- Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments?
- Is your total debt (bar mortgage/student loan) over a year's salary?
- Do you have sleepless nights or depression / anxiety over debt?

If you answer yes to any of these, forget the solutions above, instead get free, one-to-one debt counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline. And if you need emotional support, try CAP.

They're there to help, not judge. The most common thing we hear after is: "I finally got a good night's sleep." And don't feel alone, there's no stigma, you can sort this.

Read inspiring stories in our Debt-Free Wannabe forum, and see my Mental Health & Debt guide.

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.

Are you booking or have you booked a holiday abroad?
Get travel insurance ASAB (As Soon As you... Book). Don't delay, you leave yourself unprotected. Starts from £9/week

It's peak holiday booking season right now, and more people are taking flight as Covid travel fears reduce. Yet many book their holiday and think they'll sort everything else out later. That's a mistake, as Martin explains...

"Each spring without fail, someone asks me a heart-breaking question. Usually they've been diagnosed with cancer or another serious condition that needs long-term treatment, and they won't be able to go on their summer holiday. Yet the airline won't refund them (within its rights as the ticket is not faulty). I say 'that's what travel insurance is for'. Sometimes though, they tell me they haven't got round to getting it yet. My heart sinks as I have to tell them there's no recourse. Half the point of the cover is to protect you if things happen that stop you going, so get it ASAB."

Over 65 or have a pre-existing condition?

The info and deals below are for standard cheap travel insurance if you're under 66. Prices can rocket if you're older, or have medical conditions, so see Cheap over-65s' travel insurance and Cheap pre-existing conditions travel insurance for full help.

Holidaying more than once a year? Get cheapest annual travel insurance from £12/year. If you'll go away at least twice - even if just for weekends - annual policies usually win as they cover virtually all trips (with duration limits). If you just want a bog-standard no-frills policy - which meets our minimum cover levels, protects you if you need to cancel before going, and gives medical cover while away - the cheapest range from £12 for individuals in Europe, and from £71 for a family worldwide. We judge these purely on price, NOT feedback. So these are for those not too fussed about the risk and just see it as a backstop.

Exact prices depend on age, though in our research these four are always vying for cheapest, so it's best to check them all: Coverwise (Bronze)*, Leisure Guard*, CoverForYou (Silver)* and Staysure (Comp)*.
Only going away once? Single trip insurance from £9/week. Your winner depends on age and destination, so try a few. The cheapest no-frills policies which meet our minimum cover level are from Leisure Guard*, Coverwise (Bronze)* and CoverForYou (Silver)*. These cost from £9/week for an individual in Europe and £47/week for a family worldwide.
Check if you can save with a packaged bank account (and check you're not already covered by your bank). Used smartly, these can get you £100s of insurance at a fraction of the cost, beating standalone policies. Nationwide's FlexPlus at £13/month (£156/year) is our top pick as it gives worldwide annual family travel insurance up to age 69, family mobile phone insurance, plus UK & Europe breakdown cover. Plus, older travellers and some with pre-existing conditions can still be covered, usually for an additional fee. See Packaged bank accounts for full info & options.
Hitting the pistes? Get a winter sports add-on. Italy requires you to have public liability cover on your insurance before you hit the slopes, and it's good practice anywhere. For that you need a winter sports add-on (all policies above offer one), which also covers lost or damaged gear, piste closures and medical costs from accidents. Do be aware that if you usually go off-piste, these WON'T cover you. More in winter sports info.
Want a high-end policy to cover airline failure, natural disasters and so on, with stronger feedback? Our polices above are super-cheap and no-frills. If you want belt-and-braces cover, you will pay more - use our travel insurance finder tool for options. This factors in payout records (eg, for natural disasters, or airlines going bust) plus feedback, and can also have higher claim limits per person. So this is better if you are taking expensive equipment or want a company with better feedback. And if Covid protection is a concern, see policies with extra Covid cover.
Going to Europe? Check that you've a valid EHIC/GHIC. If you need medical attention while away, the free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and its replacement, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), give you access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries and Switzerland for the same price as a local - so if it's free for them, it's free for you. Millions expire every year, so check and use our Free GHIC guide to get one or renew (NEVER PAY). They're no substitute for travel insurance though - use them in combination.
Doing extreme sports? Check what you're covered for. Whether bungee jumping, rock climbing, riding a quad bike or similar, if you like high-octane holidays, the more extreme your activity, the less likely you are to be covered. So check your policy before you go.
What if my travel insurer has unfairly turned my claim down? Knowing how firms will respond to claims is tough. You can always formally complain to the insurer and, if rejected, go to the free Financial Ombudsman to adjudicate.

5 x Vue cinema tickets £20. For screenings any day up to 14 March - you needn't use all tickets in one go. See this deal in 25 cinema savers.

Ends 11.59pm Sun. Fast fibre broadband for '£17.63/month'. Newbies can get this Vodafone 67Mb broadband & line deal for £22/month and claim (don't forget) a £105 Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's or M&S voucher within four months. If you'd have spent there anyway, factor it in and it's equivalent to £17.63/month over the 24-month contract. Even though this is quite a speedy package, it's actually all-in the cheapest deal right now. Compare deals: See the best in your area with our broadband comparison. Price rises: Most broadband firms, including Vodafone, are likely to do big in-contract inflation+ price rises this spring, sadly.

£29 Barbour prescription specs or sunnies (normally £130). MSE Blagged. By code. SpeckyFourEyes

Live in Northern Ireland? £600 energy help payments looking likely to come from 16 Jan. If you pay by direct debit, you'll get £600 automatically, while prepay customers will be sent a voucher - there's no need to apply. Full details in Northern Ireland £600 payment - what we now know.

O2 customer and want Amazon Prime? You could get £24/year off. See this and 30+ more Amazon buying tips.

Martin Lewis: I averaged 24,630 steps a day in 2022 (burning 3,886 calories) - here's how... Time for Martin's annual steps blog... where does he get the time... find out in his new Step it up blog.

Cladding crisis: six big banks now offer mortgages on some affected buildings, but not all can get them. Important news for many who've been unable to sell or remortgage their homes after the fallout from the Grenfell Tower disaster. But not all properties are eligible, and those without a plan in place to fix their buildings will still be left stuck. Full details in Cladding crisis update.

IT'S BACK! Tonight (Tue 8pm), ITV The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE. Over to Martin: "It's a crucial programme tonight, so much has happened in the five weeks since our World Cup & Christmas series break, I need to tool you up with need-know info. I'm focusing on utilities in the first show - energy, broadband, water, many are missing out on savings of £100s or £1,000s. Do watch or at least set the VHS, and if you've a question, just tweet using #MartinLewis."

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- £29 Barbour prescription specs Ends Sun 22 Jan
- 24 alcohol-free beers £22 delivered 1,250 cases available
- Grüum three-piece sleep set £4 delivered 20,000 available
- iPhone 14 - 100GB for '£37/month' Ends Tue 24 Jan

DID YOU MISS?

- Do your savings pay at least 2.86%? If not, ditch & switch
- Latest discounts for NHS staff, care workers
- The Sun '£9.50' hols are back... but are they really £9.50?
- 14 FREE ways to learn something new in 2023
- 'I put £500 in Help to Save and got a £250 bonus'

'Thanks to you, I'm getting £3,832 energy credit back'

This week's Success of the Week shows why everyone should check if their direct debit's fair

The last main energy price rise was 27% in October, but many have seen direct debits rise far more, some by double, even though they're in credit (up to two months' credit is about right at this time of year). If that's you, it's worth checking it's fair and challenging it if it's not, as Debbie did. She's our Success of the Week, but before you read her story, here's a quick rundown of what to do...

1. Ensure you're giving regular meter readings (unless you've a smart meter that does it for you).
2. Use our Is your direct debit right? calculator, which has been updated with the new January rates.
3. If this shows your direct debit is too high, and you're not in debt, see how to ask for your direct debit to be lowered.
4. If the firm won't budge, consider moving to variable direct debit (do read the pros & cons).

In Debbie's case, she had to use the fourth step. Hopefully most of you will stop by three...

To: successes@moneysavingexpert.com
Sent: 06 January 2023, 08.36am
Subject: EDF massive refund

Dear Martin and MSE Team,

Thank you so much for your energy supplier tips and direct debit calculator. I could not understand why my direct debit had been increased nearly three-fold, especially as I knew it was in credit at the last bill in September.

I used your calculator and could see I was being overcharged, and the only way I could get a current invoice to check was to change to a variable monthly direct debit, which seems a better option that I never knew I could do until I read your tips. This was easily achieved by using WhatsApp to contact EDF customer services.

After giving EDF both meter readings yesterday and changing over to whole amount direct debit, it was confirmed this morning that I am £3,831.91 IN CREDIT, which is being repaid to me. I am in shock. :)

I can't thank you enough for your excellent tips on dealing with the energy crisis - I can manage my whole amount direct debit bills more carefully by watching my usage, but at least I know I am only paying for what I am using.

Thank you again,

Debbie

Will energy prices rise or fall?, 1p challenge and cash ISAs. Listen to the latest The Martin Lewis Podcast episode.

New. Cheapest iPhone 14 contract we've seen - 100GB data for '£37/month'. MSE Blagged. This is the latest Apple model and while it isn't exactly MoneySaving, if you're in the market for a new handset, at least do it the cheapest way. Three newbies can get a 128GB iPhone 14 with a huge 100GB/month of data for £15 upfront, then £36/month through Affordable Mobiles. That's a total of £879 over the two-year contract, equivalent to £36.63/month. Note: Three is responsible for the contract, Affordable Mobiles for the handset. Price rises: Most mobile firms, including Three, are likely to do big in-contract inflation+ price rises this spring, sadly. Want a different handset or a Sim-only deal? See MSE's Cheap Mobile Finder tool.

Ends Sun. 5p/litre off fuel at Morrisons with £35 in-store spend. Not amazing, but worth taking advantage of if you'd spend that anyway. 5p/litre off fuel

Free gym passes - shed pounds without shedding £££s. See who's offering what in Cheap gym memberships.

Grüum three-piece sleep set £4 delivered (normally £20). MSE Blagged. Includes sleep spray, body bar and mini bath bombs. 20,000 available. Grüum

£10 to £50 London theatre tickets sale, including Back to the Future, Frozen and The Lion King. 120,000 tickets for performances up to 10 February. London theatre sale

24 alcohol-free Brulo beers for £22 delivered (normally £68). MSE Blagged. Through a code. One-off box and a good option for those doing Dry January. 1,250 available. Brulo beers

Our annual parcel delivery firms poll - who brought the goods? Let us know which firms impressed - and which just left you stressed - in our two-minute parcel poll.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 30 months 0%, 2.89% or 4% fee (21.9% rep APR) or 33 months 0% for NatWest/RBS customers, 2.9% fee
No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (apply) - up to 17 months 0%, no fee or 1% fee (21.9% rep APR) or 22 months 0% for NatWest/RBS customers

£175 to switch, 7% savings + TOP service: First Direct
1% cashback on bills, travel & groceries: Santander Edge

Top easy access: Zopa 2.86%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Ford Money 4.25%, min £500

Try our Car Insurance Compare+ tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Finble 4.6% rep APR (only available via our eligibility calculator, not direct)
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Finble 4% rep APR (only available via our eligibility calculator, not direct)

Fast fibre (55Mb+): Vodafone '£17.63/month'

On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs

4GB to 9GB data: Lycamobile, '£2.40/month' for 4GB
10GB+ data: Lebara, '£4.20/month' for 12GB

THIS WEEK'S POLL

Parcel delivery firms: which are the best and worst? With more of us shopping online, parcel delivery firms are playing an increasingly important role in many people's lives - and of course they've been under intense pressure lately, particularly in the run-up to Christmas. So it's time for our 10th annual poll to check how couriers are doing.

Giffgaff and Lebara lead on mobile customer service. Nearly 5,000 people voted in last week's poll, which asked you to rate your mobile provider's service. Of firms that received more than 75 votes, Giffgaff and Lebara scored highest on customer service, with 74% and 67% of voters respectively rating them 'great'. At the other end of the spectrum, just one in five of Three's customers rated it 'great'. See the full mobile poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Asda ups security on loyalty app after shoppers complain of 'missing' cash rewards
- Act soon - three weeks until the self-assessment tax return deadline
- Live in Scotland and on a low income? Apply now to get £150 off your energy bills

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should we keep splitting restaurant bills with friends that have kids, even though we don't have any? For many years, we've socialised as a couple with a large group, which now includes many children of all ages. We're the only couple that don't have kids. We've always split restaurant bills equally, yet now some of the older kids eat more than the grown-ups and soft drinks can cost the same as alcoholic ones. Should we continue to subsidise the others' children, or ask that the bills be divided more fairly and risk causing disharmony in the group? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we keep splitting restaurant bills with friends with kids? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: White goods & good dogs

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 11 JAN ONWARDS)

Wed 11 Jan - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm
Tue 17 Jan - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.30am
Tue 17 Jan - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV, 8pm

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC)

Tue 17 Jan - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

DON'T VISIT AFTER A RAINY DAY & ASK WHAT'S OUT THE BACK.... CHARITY SHOP WORKERS' TOP TIPS

That's all for this week, but before we go... we asked MSE Forumites who work at charity shops to share their top tips for sniffing out second-hand treasure. One said they receive the most donations just after Christmas (so now's a good time) and in the school holidays, but fewer when the weather's bad. Another said it helps to be a regular visitor, as some items are snapped up shortly after being put out on display, while several people suggested asking for specific things you can't find - as there's a chance something you're after may be hiding in the stock room. And we have to agree with the worker who echoed our Money Mantras, reminding people not to buy things they don't need, just because they're cheap. You can glean further wisdom from the charity shop workers' top tips MSE Forum discussion.

We hope you save some money,
The MSE team

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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.

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