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December 27, 2023   |   Articles

How to survive until payday when you’re out of cash

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The mistakes to avoid, and the tricks to help keep your funds going until the end of the month.

When you’ve had an expensive month or there’s been an unexpected cost, the knock-on effect usually means there’s very little left in the bank to get you to payday.

It’s usually at its worst in January as people often get paid early in December, but it can happen all year round, especially with the cost of living crisis messing with savings and spending.

So what do you do? Well it’s very easy to jump to high-cost loans and hope it’s just a one-off. But this isn’t a good solution.

First, I’ve shared the things you shouldn’t be doing so you know not to make those mistakes. Then I’ve written about a few things you can do to help that cash stretch a little further as well as a few cheaper alternatives for borrowing money.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Image of money

What not to do when you’re out of money

Don’t get a payday or guarantor loan

You know that payday loans are bad for you. Despite many of the big lenders going out of business, it’s still possible to take out payday loans, and they will cost you a fortune in interest charges.

Guarantor loans are also bad for your wallet and your credit rating. Avoid both of these types of loan, even if you’re desperate as there are cheaper alternatives (more on those below).

Don’t use your overdraft

Unless you have 0% interest overdraft the chances are that using one is costing you a lot more money than you realised with many banks charging rates of close to 40%.

Don’t put it on credit cards

It’s tempting to put the things you can’t afford on a credit card, or buy things via “easy” credit from retailers like Very.

But this isn’t just delaying dealing with the problem you’re also adding to it with extra interest and charges added on top of the amount you borrow.

Don’t use Buy Now Pay Later

You can now find the likes of Klarna, Clearpay and Laybuy on most retailer websites, so the temptation could be to just put your purchases on there to delay the payment over two or three months.

But if you don’t think you’ll have enough left over next month to cover these purchases and all the other new expenses that’ll come along you’re going to get caught up with constantly owing money month after month. Here’s more on why they’re not risk free.

What you should be doing to reach payday

Find and use existing sources of cash

Do use your savings

If your bank balance hits zero then the first place you should go is your savings. This is better than borrowing money where you’ll be charged interest, as that rate is almost certainly going to be higher than what you’re earning on your savings.

You could also see if friends or family will lend money to you, but make sure you all know upfront the terms of lending the cash – you don’t want it to be the cause of any animosity later on.

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

Pay with points and gift cards

Do you have a gift card at the back of a drawer, a build-up of never used Nectar points, rewards to your current account or a refund to an online account (Amazon and John Lewis are among the retailers who sometimes do this)?

These are all forms of money you can spend now instead of cash.  And don’t forget those coffee shop loyalty cards – you might have enough for a free cuppa!

Claim forgotten money and credit

I’ve written before about chasing down forgotten money, and this is a perfect time to actually do it! When we pay for most utilities we’re actually paying a month in advance. So when you switch away, you’ve actually paid more than you needed. Sometimes this is automatically refunded, but not always, so check to see if you’re owed any cash. 

Energy bills might also have been estimated, and if you’ve been overpaying your current supplier then you’ll likely have credit sitting there. You can ask for this money to be refunded to your account (though bear in mind there are still a few winter months ahead of us).

Don’t forget to check places like cashback accounts and money-making apps where you might have enough for a payout to your current account.

Borrow at the lowest rates (if you have to)

Consider a 0% purchase credit card

Another option is to look into a 0% purchase credit card. For a limited amount of time (it varies depending on the bank and card) you won’t get charged any interest on your purchases. This is the cheapest way to borrow money.

Of course, it’s not that simple. You will have to make at least the minimum repayments each month on the card and clear the balance before the 0% period ends to avoid any interest at all. And if you don’t think you can cope with this, or think you’ll be adding to the balance every month, then they’re best avoided.

Here’s our pick of the best cards right now.

Find the loans with lowest interest rate

If you don’t have savings and can’t get a 0% credit card, then you can still borrow money without resorting the charges you’ll get from payday loans and overdrafts.

See if you have a local Credit Union. The Finding Finance site will help you find responsible lenders. For bigger costs you can’t avoid then check out comparison sites to see what you’d get charged for a loan from a high street bank.

But only, and I really can’t stress this enough, borrow money in this situation if you really have to. And if the situation appears so bad that you can’t see a way out, then you absolutely should seek some free debt advice.

Think about how you spend

Do work out a spending plan

Yes, this might sound painful, but it’s essential to find out exactly how much money you have and where it’s going. Here’s how to make a budget.

Track your spending

Use your banking app or even a specialist money management app to keep an eye on where your money is going and when bills are coming up. Here’s my recent guide to these budgeting apps, taking you through how they work and the best ones.

Our podcast

Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.

Episodes every Tuesday.

Listen now
Andy and Amelia with the text "Cash Chats Personal finance podcast"

Do use cash

You’ll need to budget the money you have left and a simple way to do this is to only pay with cash. Withdraw the money you’ll need (and can afford), say for a week and then split it into different expenses. Then only take with you the cash for that activity.

This prevents you spending more than you intended and stops any impulse spending. You’ll need to leave your cards at home.

Of course, right now there are still a number of retailers operating as cash-only. If you’re faced with a card-only retailer, or don’t want to deal with change, you could look at using the pots or spaces features on digital banks such as Chase or Starling to split the funds out into different spending needs.

Cutback and shop around

Very simply, buy less. If something isn’t essential then you need to be strong and not spend money on it. This could mean you buy less and go out less.

You could even consider a no-spend week or month challenge where you only use money for things like food and bills.

If you do have to spend cash, look for the cheapest options. At the supermarket, trade down to own brand equivalents. When you travel, find the cheapest fare. Cook from scratch rather than ordering a takeaway It’s all obvious stuff, but you have to follow through and actually do it.

Find alternatives to new spending

Use up the food you’ve got

Check the cupboard, fridge and freezer. You will find all sorts of things hidden away that mean you don’t need to buy as much new food as usual. Just use these items up and then you can restock once you’ve been paid again and things are back to normal.

It’s always worth having a small stockpile ready for emergencies like when you’re too ill to go out or get snowed in, or months like this!

While we’re on the topic of food, you could also try cooking from scratch rather than buying ready-made meals or ordering takeaways. It really can work out much, much cheaper.

Find (new) clothes in your wardrobe

Go through your wardrobe and I’m confident you’ll find a few items of clothing you’ve forgotten about but are perfectly good to wear. 

If anything is looking a little shabby then you could see if it’s possible to repair them – if you can’t do it yourself there will be a local shop that’ll do it for a few quid. I got a coat fixed recently for a fiver and it’s as good as new.

Of course, there’s always the chance stuff doesn’t fit you anymore, in which case you could try “Schwopping” with friends or check out a charity shop.

Watch DVDs, read books and listen to CDs

Though I have a lot less than I used to, I’ve still got a decent collection of physical media, with hundreds of books, CDs and DVD that I’ve rarely touched since everything went digital.

Well, to save some cash take a month off from your streaming services and actually watch those DVDs. You can also find loads to watch on iPlayer and All4.

The same goes for other subscriptions – especially music. Cancel Spotify and listen to some CDs or the radio. And rather than buy a new book or magazine, revisit one of your favourites or head to the library.

If you are paying for TV via Sky or Virgin then you’ll only be able to cancel if you’re out of contract – but that’s well worth doing anyway and moving over to something like NOW TV.

Regift unwanted presents

If you’ve got a birthday or something coming up then check if you’ve anything you’ve been given that you’ve never used that could be a suitable gift. There’s more here on the dos and don’ts.

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December 8, 2023   |   Articles

The corner shop stamp rip-off

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Watch out when you’re buying your stamps – some retailers will be adding a hefty markup.

With most things I buy, I expect prices to vary from shop to shop. Bigger retailers will often try to undercut each other to attract your business. Smaller shops might have to charge more due to bigger overheads.

Now, I don’t have a problem with this. I’ll usually shop around for the cheaper price, but if I have to go to a smaller, convenience store, then I appreciate it’ll cost me more. Except that is for stamps.

Stamps should cost what stamps cost. Right? Well, I’ve found that’s not always the case, and I expect lots of people are unwittingly paying over the odds for postage.

And with recent price hikes from Royal Mail, it’s even more important to make sure you’re not paying too much.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

1st class stamp and be clever with your cash logo on orange background

How much do stamps cost?

Most stamps don’t have a price printed on them, making it hard to know how much they cost! The current price of stamps are as follows:

How much is a First Class stamp?

  • A 1st Class stamp is £1.65.
  • Large 1st Class stamps are £2.60

How much is a Second Class stamp?

  • A 2nd Class stamp is 85p
  • Large 2nd Class stamps are £1.55

How much is a book of stamps?

There’s no discount for buying a book of stamps, so just multiply the individual price by the number of stamps (usually 6 or 12).

Overcharging for stamps in small shops

A few years ago at Christmas I picked up a book of 2nd Class stamps from a small shop. I’ll call it a corner shop even though it wasn’t on a corner. But that should give you an idea of the kind of shop I mean – an independent off-license/newsagent/random groceries store.

Now we were in a bit of a rush, so just asked for £10ish worth of stamps (we were taking advantage of the Amex Shop Small offer which used to be you spend £10 and get £5 back). At the time (before the multiple price increases since!), a book of 12 was £9, so we asked for two more stamps to take us over the £10 spend we needed.

Since it had been so long since I actually bought any stamps, and without a price printed on them, I just thought they’d gone up in price. A lot.

But, actually they hadn’t. The price, as set by Royal Mail at the time was 56p (remember this was a few years ago). So I should have got 18 stamps for £10.08, rather than 14 for £10.50. It represented a huge 34% markup.

Now, with our £5 credit back on the purchase, we still saved money on those stamps – but most people won’t have.

So was this just a mistake? Or a one-off?

Even bigger markups elsewhere

To get an idea I asked the price of a stamp in three similar “corner shops” around the London Bridge area on the same day.

The first only sold 1st Class stamps and charged 90p. But this stamp – at the time of the research – should have been 65p, so the increase was a massive 38%.

The second charged 70p for 2nd Class, while the third wanted 70p for 1st Class. Though the markups were smaller, the shops still charged more than if you got your stamps at the Post Office.

Watch out for Amazon too

It turns out the same issue occurs online too. Expecting Amazon to be a useful place for people to buy stamps (and top-up orders for free delivery), I was shocked to see overinflated prices there too.

Of course I shouldn’t have been surprised. A huge amount of items sold on Amazon are not sold by Amazon. Instead smaller retailers use the online giant as a middleman. And it’s these shops which are selling stamps above the set price.

Here’s one from March 2023. The listing says you’ll get a 12% discount on four 1st class stamps. But at £5.69, you paid £1.43 per stamp. That was already well over the odds, even before the price increases we’ve seen since. So be really careful!

Can shops sell stamps at a higher price?

That’s the big question really. If they can, then they aren’t doing anything wrong by doing this. But there’s something about stamps that didn’t ring true. My instinct was this is illegal.

First I checked the Royal Mail website. The terms and conditions for authorised stamp sellers are they cannot sell stamps for more than the set price. So that’s pretty cut and dried.

However, it turns out selling above the set price is allowed. This rule only counts if the retailer has purchased the stamps direct from the Royal Mail. If they’ve picked them up elsewhere – a cash and carry for example – the shop can charge what it wants.

When this first happened in 2017, I also asked Royal Mail for confirmation, and here was its response:

“Any retailer who buys their stamps direct from us for resale must, under our T&Cs, sell them at face value or lower. This also applies to retailers who buy from us and sell stamps online.

“However, if a retailer has acquired stamps from somewhere else, we cannot bind them to this condition.

“There isn’t a way of knowing whether someone selling stamps has bought them from us or not, and we don’t provide signage to retailers. However, there are approx. 50k outlets across the UK where customers can buy stamps at the correct price.

“If a customer has any concerns about the price of the stamps they have been sold, they should contact our Customer Services team on 0345 774 0740 who can check if the retailer is a customer of ours and get in touch with them to remind them of our T&Cs”.

The best deals

Find our picks of the best offers in our dedicated deals library

Where to buy your stamps at a fair price

Ideally the safest place to get them at the right price is at a Post Office. Shops such as WH Smiths also sell at the correct price, as do all the major supermarkets.

If you are buying from a smaller or independent store, it makes sense to always ask how much a stamp is first. If it’s more than expected, I’d challenge them to see if they’ll charge the lower price. Otherwise, walk away and find somewhere else.

Make sure the stamp has a barcode

Since January 2023, standard stamps have a barcode, as shown in this article’s main image. If you’ve any older ones you can send them off to be exchanged for the new versions.

If you have picture stamps without barcodes, such as Christmas ones, then you can keep using these.

You also don’t need to worry about the stamp having the Queen rather than the King on display. Both will work just fine.

When do stamp prices go up?

If stamps are to go up in price it tends to happen in the last week of March or early April each year, though it can sometimes happen at other times. Fortunately, you can still use a stamp bought in a previous year for the postage marked on the stamp.

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

Read next

December 4, 2023   |   Articles

Don’t make these expensive last-minute Christmas mistakes

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Leave certain festive purchases and plans too late and it could prove costly.

There’s always a mad rush in the weeks before Christmas to get everything you need doing done in time. And the later you leave things, the more likely is is you’ll get hit with extra costs,

So to help, here’s a quick checklist of the things I think you need to prioritise:

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Check the last order dates

Whether it’s coming to you or straight to a friend or family member, it won’t be long before there’s no guarantee that anything you order will get to its destination in time.

It’s worth knowing that if the retailer still says you can get something in time for Christmas and specifies a delivery date – but it doesn’t arrive in time you have the right to cancel the order and get a refund. Contact the retailer not the courier for this as they’re who you have a contract with.

Of course you can select speedy or next-day delivery at lots of shops. But you do pay more for this. And if you’re trying to avoid using Amazon you are going to run out of choices the later you leave it.

Even then, there’s still the chance that premium delivery won’t arrive in time. If that does happen you can claim back the extra delivery costs. It’s a slight consolation, but it doesn’t help if you need something before visiting family.

Catch the last post

For cards, letters and parcels that you’re personally sending, the dates are a few days later than last year (there’s no strike disrupting delivery this time). Though you’ve still got time according to Royal Mail, but I’d get them sent ASAP. The last post dates are:

  • Monday 18 December 2022: 2nd Class
  • Wednesday 20 December 2022: 1st Class
  • Thursday 21 December 2021: Special Delivery guaranteed

Oh, and if you still need stamps, be careful where you buy them – some shops will charge you more than they’re worth, and that’s after last October’s latest price hike.

If you do miss these dates you can look at using courier firms. Shop around for the best price.

For international letters and parcels the deadline is Wednesday 6 December for most non-European destinations, and the rest are approaching fast – and that’s for the more expensive tracking and signature services.

Our podcast

Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.

Episodes every Tuesday.

Listen now
Andy and Amelia with the text "Cash Chats Personal finance podcast"

Avoid panic gifts

Christmas gifts bought at the last minute are either going to be a huge disappointment (like those toilet seat covers in Friends), cost you more than you planned, or if you plump for that perennial panic present the gift card it could also be a risky purchase.

All three are bad purchases. The pointless or useless gift is a waste of money. The expensive gift could cause you problems if you can’t afford it.

And the gift card… There’s enough for me to write a whole article on these (and I have), but essentially these can easily become valueless. Whether that’s because they’re forgotten about, they expire before they’re used or because the retailer they’re for goes bust. You’re better off giving cash and suggesting what you’d like it to go towards.

Though there’s still plenty of time to ask someone what they’d like.

Toilet Seat Toilet Seat Covers GIF from Toiletseat GIFs

Book travel NOW

As always you’ll pay more the later you leave it to book, so get on it now. You might also be required to have an advance ticket on some rail routes. In fact, you might find some Christmas Eve trains are already sold out.

As with every Christmas there will be no trains on 25 December, and very limited service on Boxing Day. Plus engineering works running 24 December to 2 January 2024 will cause disruption.

Fortunately there’s no repeat of the Christmas Eve industrial action of last year, but there are strikes running until Saturday 9 December.

The same applies to coach and flight tickets too, which are going to be even more popular on those dates, so book these up sooner rather than later to avoid higher prices or be forced into more expensive alternatives.

Plan your Christmas food & drink

We all know food price inflation has been huge, so I’d recommend planning as much of your festive food now as you can to save money.

Doing this can help you to avoid food waste – which is effectively throwing money in the bin. So don’t get more than you need. Obviously some food you’ll need to get nearer the time, such as fresh fruit and veg. But others you can nab now and put in the freezer, even the turkey.

In fact, the room you clear in the freezer as you defrost these items is perfect for picking up those yellow sticker bargains that will appear on Christmas Eve. And with Asda, M&S and Waitrose supermarkets saying they’ll close on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day it’s a good sign there will be more reduced to clear items than on a normal day.

And of course, if you can still get one, make sure you’ve got any online delivery slots booked. If you missed out it’s worth checking again to see if extra dates and times have been released. Or you might even get lucky and find one that has been cancelled.

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December 1, 2023   |   Deals

Rent or buy movies online: deals and offers

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Cheap movie rental and purchase vouchers and offers.

Here’s my guide to the cheapest ways to rent movies, including how to get them by post. Below are any current deals I spot for rentals or digital purchases.

If you’re looking for ways to save on streaming subscriptions like Netflix and Disney +, them check out this deals page here.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

movies to rent

Amazon Prime Video

You don’t need a subscription to Amazon Prime Video to rent or buy some titles. In fact, some movies and TV shows are only available to rent separately.

You have a month to start watching rentals, and then 48 hours once you first press play.

Amazon: £1.99 new releases for Prime members

Amazon often has selected new rentals for £1.99 if you’re with Prime. If you’re not already a Prime member you can get a 30-day free trial once a year.

Rent movies from Amazon

Ratuken

There are a number of movies to rent from Rakuten, as well as free older films, though these have adverts.

Rakuten: Up to 1/3 off via Tastecard

If you have a Tastecard you can get reduced Rakuten rentals. An SD rental costs £2.99, HD costs £3.49 and UHD costs £3.99.

This is far cheaper than everywhere else (subject to other special offers). It’s harder, though not impossible, to still get Tastecard free trials.

Get the latest Tastecard free-trial

Chili

Rentals last for 28 days before expiring, or 48 hours once you start watching.

Most months, Chili has a code that’ll get you 50% off up to two rentals or purchases, or something similar. I’ll post here when I spot these.

Chili: 20% off your first rental

The first time you sign up you should be able to get money off your first rental. The discount code is usually automatically applied at checkout, but check first. It used to be 50% but has now dropped to 20% off.

Also you might find a limited choice – many of the big titles aren’t available there.

Sign up to Chili

Chilli: 50% off gift cards via Lidl

You can buy a £3.50 Chili voucher for £2.50 from the Lidl Plus loyalty app. Terms say the credit expires on 26 October 2023 but it’s still available to buy.

The credit also can’t be used with other promotions or codes, and you can only use it to rent movies, not purchase them.

Download the Lidl Plus app

Chili: Free credit on Vodafone

If you have Vodafone’s VeryMe loyalty app there is often a credit or offer for a rental or sometimes £10 to spend on a selection of movies. Here’s more about VeryMe and how anyone can get it.

How anyone can get Vodafone VeryMe offers

Sky Store

Personally I think you should avoid Sky Store as it’s the most expensive of all the rental sites, with even SD versions of new releases costing a huge £5.49. However it’s possible to get freebies from time to time which are worth nabbing.

Sky Store: 10% off gift cards via Lidl (expired)

This offer is nowhere near as good as the discounts offered for Chili on the same Lidl Plus app.

You can get:

  • £5.99 voucher for £5.50 (save 8%)
  • £10 voucher for £8.99 (save 10%)
Download the Lidl Plus app

Sky Store: Asda Pizza and movie deal (expired)

Buy two medium pizzas and a drink meal deal from Asda stores and you can claim a free Sky Store voucher or Vue cinema ticket.

The pizza must come from the pizza counter in-store, and will be labelled as a “Movie Nights In Meal Deal”. It’ll cost £6 in total.

To claim your voucher, worth £5.49, you need to visit MovieNightsIn.co.uk within seven days of buying the food and upload a photo of your receipt.

You’ll then get sent a code to add to your Sky Store account within a week, but you’ll have a year to actually use the credit. It’s due to end 6 April 2023 but is often extended.

Thanks to the SkintDad blog for bringing this offer to my attention!

Claim your voucher

Google Play

Google Play offers are few and far between nowadays, but it’s worth keeping an eye on your account for special promos.

Rent a movie from Google/YouTube

Google Play: 4% off gift cards (expired)

The website CD Keys usually has a small discount of around 4% on Google Play gift cards.

Save on Google Play gift cards

iTunes / Apple Video

If you choose to rent or buy via iTunes then check out the latest iTunes discount codes and offers.

Digital purchase offers

Unforgettable Entertainment sale (expired)

Every March there’s a promotion running across most digital download sites with discounts on movies and TV shows to buy.

You can check out the reduced titles at

There are also offers on BT TV, Virgin Media store, Playstation Store and Microsoft Store.

Personally I’d use Just Watch to compare the prices across the different platforms.

October 3, 2023   |   Articles

Check your credit score for free

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You can also get complete access to your credit report at the same time.

Credit reports and scores are essential tools you need to be aware of – and continue to monitor. A few years ago you’d have needed to pay to access your full report on a regular basis, and even see your score.

But now there are third party websites and apps you can use which won’t charge you a penny.

Here’s why they are important, and how to sign up.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

The three credit scores and reports

You’d think there’s just one credit score but actually three core ones (let’s ignore for now the fact that lenders might have their own scores too!). Each one is different, and they are based on the date in the credit reports managed by the UK’s three credit reference agencies – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

Frustratingly they all have different methods of compiling and presenting their scores. There are totally different ranges, so it’s impossible to compare them.

Now you might think, that doesn’t really matter as you’ll only focus on one report. Well sadly no. You need to check all three reports.

That’s because they potentially hold different details about your financial history. Not every company reports to all three. So you might find your bank or credit card appears on one or two, but not all three.

And that matters because when a lender checks a report to consider your application, they’ll probably just go to one.

And if that one is one with missing accounts or errors it could end up with a rejection.

Credit report vs credit score

A credit report is a collection of information about your finances. From all the bank accounts, loans and other credit you have, through to a record of missed payments, financial connections and address history.

It’s frequently used to confirm your identity, but more commonly it’s a way for lenders to work out if they will give you that mortgage or credit card.

So it’s really, really important – though it isn’t the only thing that’ll be taken into account when you apply.

The score is far less important. It’s simply a representation of the health of your credit report. In itself it won’t make any difference to any applications.

Still, it’s handy for us as punters to get a quick idea of things. And it’s easier to track a score than regularly go through the report.

If there’s a sudden drop in the figure it’s a good idea to try to find out if it’s anything significant that you need to deal with.

But if it carries on relatively steady then you know you’ll only need to take action if you want to bring it up – a sign you’re getting rid of errors and adding depth to your underlying credit report.

Here’s more about how credit reports work, and why they’re important.

How to check your credit score & report

You can sign up to each credit agency’s own service to access your score for free. Some banks even bundle this in with your current account. So that’s pretty easy.

But if you want to see your full report (which is the important thing to check), then with both Equifax and Experian you’ll have to pay a monthly fee of around £11 to £15.

Though you can also request a Statutory Credit Report to view online, it’s generally not as detailed, and won’t have your score. So you’re better off using a third party service that’ll give you full online access in a few clicks for free.

They don’t all update in real time (often it’s a monthly refresh), and might not go back more than a year, but you’ll get everything you need right now to check for errors and find areas you might be able to improve. You can also use these sites for additional services, such card and loan eligibility and tracking.

These services will all also email you monthly or when things change. It’s worth clicking through to check when you receive them. This can be an early warning sign of any fraud or applications not in your name. If you ignore these (it’s easy to do when your inbox is full) at least check them before any you make any applications.

Free Experian credit score and report

MSE’s credit club

Money Saving Expert has its Credit Club. Here you get full access to your Experian report and score and report.

There are some added extras such as a quick health check list with smiley faces indicating things are good, and red sad faces signalling you need to take action.

There’s also an eligibility checker. This is vital when you are looking to apply for a new credit card or loan. Here’s more on how they work.

You get an update to your report once a month which should be fine for most people, and the only email you’ll get is the one to say there’s a new report available.

You can use the service online or via the MSE app. Since Experian is the biggest credit reference agency it’s probably the most important one to keep an eye on.

Free Equifax report and score

ClearScore

ClearScore is a free way to monitor your Equifax score for life. It’s simple to find your way around it and it explains what you’re seeing.

You can access on desktop or via an app. I like the timeline feature which lets you see how your score, as well as things like mortgage debt change month by month.

Again it updates monthly, but for most that’ll be fine.

A warning – ClearsScore will email you regularly trying to get you to open a new credit card or loan. Just ignore the products they try to sell you!

Free TransUnion report and score

Credit Karma

It’s completely free to check your full report direct with TransUnion. You can do this via their own Credit Karma website. Your score is updated weekly.

Check all three credit reports

If you’ve been a victim of fraud and you’re worried about applications going out in your name then you can also sign up to CheckMyFile.

This is free for 30-days, but it will give you full access to all three reports including those instant notifications of changes. If you don’t want to keep the service you’ll need to cancel to you don’t pay the full £14.99 a month.

Earn cashback to check your score

Cashback sites TopCashback and Quidco will pay you to sign up to Experian’s free site, and there’s also a free alternative to Credit Karma from Money Supermarket offering cashback.

Rates can change so it’s worth checking both, but at the time of writing the amounts are listed below.

Dont’ forget that if you’ve never used either cashback site you should nab a new member bonus of up to £17.

QuidcoTopCashback
Experian free account£1.60£6
Experian Boost£4
Money Super Market Credit Monitor (Transunion)£3.50£3.20

Read more on credit reports

October 2, 2023   |   Articles

More than books: 9 ways your library can save you money

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Libraries offer a great free alternative to buying things you’ll only read once.

I like libraries. I even got married at one. Ok, it just happened that the registry office we used in Mayfair was in some lovely rooms above a library. But still. Libraries are cool.

The problem is, I hardly use them and have always tended to buy the titles I want to read – – whether they’re actual books or digital downloads. 

But unless it’s an absolute classic I’m unlikely to reread anything. So the books sit on a shelf. Read once, then go unloved for months, if not years, before I try to sell them or give them away.

So why don’t I get my books from my library? The answer is very simple. I forget. Yup, the prospect of a free book just completely slips my mind! And books aren’t all that libraries have to offer including e-books, audiobooks and (my personal favourite) the free digital magazines.

The more we use libraries, the more we support them against cuts, then the more likely they’ll survive. Which really is a good thing.

Of course, all libraries are different – and offer different services. The best way to find out is to visit your local or look at their website. So do check out what is going on at your library and join up while you’re there. You’ll probably just need some ID and proof of address.

Read on to find out, nine ways your library can save you money.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Books in a library

1. Borrow free books

Right, an obvious one to start. You can borrow books. For free. You literally can’t get your literature any cheaper.

Of course, your library won’t have every book going, but you can always reserve or order books. There’s usually a cost associated with this. Reservations from within your library’s area (so for me that’s all the branches in North Yorkshire) cost £1. 

If a new title is going to be very popular, libraries tend to get a few copies in, and at my local library, you can reserve future releases for £1. Even so, be prepared for a wait if everyone else wants a copy.

It’s a pricier £10 to order books from other districts via an inter-library loan, though that cost may differ where you live. At that price, you’re possibly only going to benefit if you’re after some rare, out-of-print or an expensive textbook.

2. Download free e-books and audiobooks

Most libraries also now lend digital books and audiobooks. It’s a natural modernisation as we consume content digitally. Again this is free. FREE.

Sadly at the moment, you can’t download books for Kindles, but you can read them on most other devices. Often you need an app, which means you can read it on your tablet or smartphone. A couple of common services are BorrowBox and Libby by Overdrive.

You use the same apps for audiobooks. If you were paying for a similar service – say Amazon’s Audible – you’d be paying £7.99 a month (though you can get a 30-day free trial with Audible).

There’s also a music streaming service called Freegal. It looks a bit limited but, once more, it won’t cost you anything compared to other ad-free services like Spotify Premium. It’s not going to be on offer everywhere but it’s worth a look.

3. Get free digital newspapers, magazines and comics

This has been one of my biggest money savers. I discovered that you can download hundreds of magazines a few years back. Exactly which titles you can get depends on where you live.

Though I now get it for free via my Club Lloyds current account, I used to read Empire Magazine this way, and my wife often checks out Vogue and Good Housekeeping. You can read them on your computer or view them via an app on tablets and phones.

Some libraries also have a service where you can read today’s newspapers online. Yes, you can obviously head to the papers’ websites. But if you like reading a paper in the layout you’d get in print, then this is a nice option and cheaper than forking out £2 to £3 at the newsagent.

Plus you can read international titles, or those which are normally behind a firewall, such as The Telegraph (but not the Times or FT). The service I’ve got access to is Press Reader, which includes magazines too. I can access back issues too.

The Observer newspaper on Press Reader

Another discovery at my library was access to the Comic Plus app. This isn’t just great for kids – there are also lots for big kids, including plenty of graphic novels.  I had a brief nostalgia-filled spell a few summers ago where I devoured dozens of issues of Transformers comics – harking back to my childhood! 

If your local authority doesn’t offer any or some of these, a few libraries will let you sign-up online to access these services without proving you live in the area.

4. Borrow DVDs, games and CDs

With faster broadband, it’s pretty easy to stream your music and films via the internet. But if you want to have a physical DVD then lots of libraries still rent them out, including new releases. This can be a pretty cheap way of watching box sets as you’re often charged per box, not per disc.

Less libraries offer CDs now, and any games are probably for older consoles. You’ll also be charged for these. But it’s certainly worth a look.

5. Buy old books & DVDs

If you still like to own books, then it’s worth seeing if your library sells off old titles. My library normally runs them three or four times a year, with the money going towards other library activities.

I last went to one earlier this year and some of the stock had dated – travel guidebooks for example, but there was plenty to choose from. I came home with the Alan Partridge biography for 50p, and a couple of cookbooks at £1 each. All were in really good nick.

6. Attend free or cheap classes

Libraries are great for learning. In researching this article I’ve randomly looked at half a dozen regions in the UK and seen classes as diverse as yoga, coding, gardening, self-publishing, chess, drumming and knitting.

Many of these were free, or a nominal couple of quid. Far cheaper than the equivalent elsewhere. Most library websites list what’s going on.

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7. Access online resources

That learning can also be done at home. If you join your library you should get access to some online tools.

For example, my local gives free access to the genealogy website Ancestry. This normally costs £13.99 a month. There are also all sorts of databases and other memberships you could take advantage of.

8. Entertain the kids

There are also loads of activities for children at libraries. Reading is such an important part of developing kids that it’s great to surround them with so many books from a young age, plus over school holidays there are bound to be events taking place.

And the fact that they are free can be a huge boost. Again, look at your local library’s website, or pop in to see what’s advertised.

9. Work at home, but not at home

Finally, one that could be useful if you need a change of scenery when working from home. I’ve got a decent office set up at home, but I know lots of people like to get out of the house. Yes, you can go to a coffee shop and plug into free wi-fi, but you’ll probably need to keep buying cups of coffee.

For some variety, you can head to your library. Yes some of the computers will be pretty old and you need to be careful with log-ins and passwords, but it’s a free or cheap alternative. And a quiet space to work if it’s noisy at home.

Many libraries also offer meeting rooms to hire, often at far cheaper rates than hotels or other venues. Look out for reduced rates if you’re running a community event.

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August 2, 2023   |   Deals

Sports streaming services – deals and offers

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Watch Sky, TNT Sports, Eurosport and Premier Sports for less.

There are a number of ways to watch sport online – and to save money by doing it.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Wording that says 'sports streaming deals' with the Be clever with your cash logo on a blue background

Flash offers

Virgin Media Stream: add Sky & TNT Sports for £28.75 a month

If you have Virgin Media broadband you can sign up for a Virgin Media stream box for an extra £35 set up fee, and then add on different streaming packages on 30 day rolling contracts.

The pick of the option are cut price TNT Sports for £10 a month and Sky Sports for £18.75. Considering you’ll pay £29.99 via Discovery+ Premium and £34.99 via NOW (combined) for access to the same channels you’ll save a packet.

You can cancel at any time but the prices are protected for 18 months (as long as you don’t cancel). This is a huge saving – if you actually want access to all the sports channels.

My review of Virgin Media Stream

Sky Sports/NOW TV streaming deals

You can get day and month passes to Sky Sports channels via NOW TV. As with the other NOW TV deals I’ve got a dedicated page to all the latest offers and deals.

Watch Sky Sports without a subscription

All the latest Sky Sports on NOW deals

Now TV and Sky Sports pass deals

TNT Sports deals

BT Sport is now TNT Sports — not much has changed, except for its branding and it’s now accessible through Discovery+. You don’t have to sign up via BT, Sky or Virgin as you can get a monthly rolling contract, however there are some good deals to add TNT to your existing broadband or TV package, as well as deals for EE mobile customers. Again, I’ve got a dedicated page for all TNT Sports offers.

Save money on TNT Sports passes

All the latest BT Sports deals

TNT Sports deals

Eurosport (via Discovery+) streaming deals

It’s possible to watch Eurosport online without an annual subscription to services like Sky or Virgin. The Discovery+ app is available on a number of devices, or you can watch Eurosport Player via Amazon if you are a Prime member – though with both you do have to pay extra. Here are the best offers.

Save money on Discovery+

All my ways to save in this Discovery+ deals article

Discovery plus deals

Amazon Prime deals

There are limited sports on Amazon, mainly the odd Premier League fixture and tennis. You need to sign up to Amazon prime which is £95 a year or £8.99 a month (£5.99 if you don’t have the extra Prime services). There is also a 30-day free trial.

Here’s more about Amazon Prime membership and whether I think it’s worth it.

Save money on Amazon Prime Video

All the latest Amazon Prime Video deals

ViaPlay Sports deals

ViaPlay (previously called Premier Sports) costs £14.99 a month or £11.99 a month if you pay upfront for the year.

Read next

May 9, 2023   |   Articles

How to get the best value hotel rooms

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Seven steps to find the best price on hotels, motels and resorts.

On most of my holidays, it’s accommodation which is the biggest expense each day. But this article isn’t about finding the cheapest possible hotel room.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not someone who goes for luxury suites or top-end resorts. But I don’t want the most basic either.

Though I don’t usually spend a huge amount of time in these rooms, I want somewhere I’ll be able to get a decent night’s sleep and have a decent shower. Somewhere at least nice. And location can be important too, especially on short trips. And these things can all add to the cost of a room.

So how do I bring down the price? Here’s what I do to get the best possible value when staying in hotels – giving me more money to spend on the rest of the trip.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Step 1: See what accommodation is available

With any trip I make I’ll first look on booking.com. I find it has a decent range of hotel and B&B options at (usually) competitive prices. It’s also a bit better than other websites at sorting and refining searches with filters such as guest ratings. It’s not perfect, but it does the job.

However, not all hotels are on Booking. com. I’ll generally search for apartments on AirBnb I’ve used this site a lot, especially in the USA, where hotels can be crazily expensive, and even in the UK. Don’t ignore traditional B&Bs either, they can often be far better value than hotels in some destinations.

I’m a fan too of Travelodge and Premier Inn and these often can only be booked direct. They do what they say they will and are usually good value for money. Though as with everything right now, I’m finding them not as cheap as they used to be.

Step 2: Check the reviews and details

Of course, the price isn’t my only consideration. So I always browse through the reviews and check TripAdvisor too.

You can’t trust all the comments, but you’ll hopefully get an idea of potential problems – and a sense of whether the hotel is worth the listed price.

Also, take a look at the small print. Often there’s extra to cover tax or resort fees. Find out if Wi-Fi is included, and if you are paying for a breakfast you don’t really want.

The best deals

Find our picks of the best offers in our dedicated deals library

Step 3: Find the cheapest price

Once I’ve found a couple of options I’ll quickly search hotel comparison site Kayak. It will tell you the rate for your hotel across a dozen or so websites, including other big booking sites like Expedia. It’s a great start to see what’s available and a quick way to spot savings.

It’s always worth checking directly with the hotel too – they might have extra discounts if you book with them as it means they’re not paying any commission on the sale.

Another option I’ve looked at but never booked is as a “secret hotel” on sites like Lastminute.com or Priceline. With these promotions, you don’t actually know the hotel until you’ve booked, and as a result, you pay less. You can usually work out which hotel you’ll get with a bit of investigating – i.e. cut and paste the description into Google and see what comes up!

Step 4: Check for free cancellation

Now you’ve found where you want to stay, find out if any of the websites list it with free cancellation. This is a huge factor for me when choosing a hotel. It means that if I change my plans or find a better deal (potentially for the same hotel), I’ve got the flexibility to cancel and rebook. 

However, there are often discounts for non-cancellable rooms, so if you’re confident that you’re not going to need to cancel then it’s possibly not worth it.  

Step 5: Bring the price down even more

Booking. com, Expedia and a few others offer extra discounts if you’re registered with them, so it’s worth signing up just for these discounts. Or there are loyalty schemes such as the one with Hotels.com where you earn a free stay after booking 10 nights.

Then I’ll always try to book a hotel through a cashback site such as TopCashback and Quidco (get a welcome offer here). Rates usually range from 2% or 3% up to 10%.

Though I often get emailed voucher codes for sites such as Expedia and Hotels, I usually find the cashback rates are better. However, it’s worth remembering that voucher codes are guaranteed savings, while cashback might not track.

Step 6: Get more from your booking

Once I’ve decided where I’ll stay and made the booking, I’ll let the hotel know if I’m celebrating something special. On our honeymoon, we were upgraded a few times and given little freebies like a bottle of fizz and a cake from Magnolia Bakery. We also got a few extra perks on our first wedding anniversary. It’s always worth asking.

Step 7: Pick how you pay for the hotel

With many of these websites, you’ll usually pay when you get to the hotel – and if you’re abroad how you do this makes a big difference to the price you pay.

I’ve written an article about how to get the best value when you spend overseas, but the headlines are: always pay in the local currency, and try to pay with a specialist card such the Halifax Clarity credit card or the Starling current account. This will get you the best exchange rates.

Of course, if you’re given the option to pay upfront, you might want to do this – especially if you want to guarantee how much you pay.

Read next

May 1, 2023   |   Articles

0% balance transfer credit cards explained

Written by
The pros and cons.

Balance transfer credit cards can be a useful way to help clear debts. But there are dangers with using one if you don’t follow the rules.

This Be Clever Basics guide is going to explain how 0% balance transfer cards work so you can find out if one is right for you.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Keep reading or watch this video

What is a 0% balance transfer credit card?

Got credit card debts? Chances are you’re paying close to 20% in interest on the money you’ve borrowed, if not more. This adds up quickly, making your spending more expensive. And if you’re spending on credit cards in the first place it’s probably because you can’t afford what you’re buying – so extra charges aren’t welcome!

But if you get a 0% balance transfer card, you can move the debt from other credit cards to it, and crucially not have to pay interest for an agreed time. At the moment this can be as long as 30 months – that’s two and a half years.

The idea is that you use this time to clear the debt without adding to it, saving you money in the long run. If you’ve other debts, it might also give you a little breather while you clear those.

How much money you could save

Obviously it depends on how much you owe right now, the interest you’re being charged, and the card you get.

But let’s take a few examples. These are with set repayments each month. If the interst rate is higher or if you’re just paying the minimum your savings would be much larger!

Debt = £2,500

If you have £2,500 at 18.9%, and you’re paying a fixed £100 back each month, it’d take you 32 months to clear the debt and cost you £631 in interest.

But switch the debt to a 0% card with at least 26 months and continue paying £100 a month you’d pay zero interest!

Yes, you need to factor in the transfer fee – if it was 3% it’d be £75 – but you’d still be £556 better off!

Debt = £1,000

If you owe less, say one grand at a similar interest rate but a £50 set repayment each month, you’d take two years to clear the debt and pay £190 in interest.

But putting it on a 0% card for at least 21 months would reduce that interest payment to nothing. You’d just need to cover a transfer fee, which assuming 3% would be £30. That’s a total saving of £160.

What to watch out for with 0% balance transfer cards

The 0% time will end

Once the 0% offer period ends, the interest rate goes up to a normal – if not higher than normal – one. So the idea is to use that 0% time to clear the debt.

There’s often a fee

As mentioned, you will usually have to pay a fee on the total balance you move over. So a 3% fee on a £3,000 balance transfer would be £90.

Though there are cards with shorter 0% lengths which don’t charge and these can be better options if you are confident you need less time to clear the debt.

You usually have to make the transfer early

Once you’ve got the new card, most transfers need to be made within the first two or three months in order to get the 0% rate. Leave it too late and you’ll get a much higher rate, defeating the purpose of the switch.

You still need to make a monthly payment

If you don’t make the minimum repayment each month, the special 0% deal could be ended early, meaning you’ll start paying high rates of interest again. Set up a Direct Debit to make sure you don’t forget.

You might not get the advertised deal

Credit card companies want to make money from you, but they also want to be sure they won’t lose money on you. If you do get accepted, you might not get the full deal. You could be offered a shorter 0% deal, the rate of interest after the 0% could be higher. 

Applying can be bad for your credit score

And of course there’s the risk you could also be rejected outright. If you do get rejected it’s not just bad for your debt, it’s bad for your credit rating too.

To help the card company make that decision, they’ll run a credit check. To get an idea of whether you’ll be accepted, try a soft check on a comparison site. It’ll look at your credit report but not leave a trace.

You might not be able to transfer your entire credit card debt

Let’s say you’re successful and get the 0% balance transfer card. Great. But there’s no guarantee that the credit limit (i.e. the amount you can have on the card) will be the same or more than your current debt. 

Additional spending will not be 0%

Unless you have a card which specifically has a 0% purchase offer in addition to the 0% balance transfer you will get charged interest on any additional spending.

They aren’t the answer if you don’t think you can clear the debt over time

If your only debt is the card debt, balance transfer cards are a big help. But if your wider finances are in a bad shape and you don’t think even a year or more on a 0% card will help you clear your debts, then you’re just delaying a bigger problem. Really you need to get some free debt advice. Read more about what you can do if your debts are getting too big

Read more about credit cards

How to make a 0% balance transfer card work for you

Plan for how to pay off the debt

Say you’ve got a £1,000 debt and you transfer it to a 25 month 0% deal, you should try to evenly pay it off each month. That would be £40 every month.

Or even better, pay as much as you can afford each month to clear it sooner. Even though you’re not paying interest on the debt during the 0% period, you don’t know if something could happen later that stops you from paying your planned amount.

Decide if a longer deal or lower fee is better

Don’t go for a long balance transfer deal if you don’t need it. Instead you might be better off picking one with a low fee – or even one that is fee-free.

Of course the lower the fee, the shorter the deal, so the best bet for you really depends on your circumstances. If you need a long time to pay off the debt, a longer deal could suit you, even if the transfer fee is higher.

Shop around

I’m often getting junk mail through the post from my existing banks offering a balance transfer deal. These might be decent, but don’t just jump at the first one you see. Shop around and see what the best offer is out there.

Try not to keep moving the debt

Some people transfer the debt to a new 0% card each time the deal ends. And again. And again.

It’s potentially risky as you might get rejected for a new card. Plus since you generally have to pay a fee each time you transfer, it could cost too.

If you think you won’t be able to clear the debt, consider a longer 0% period for the card.

Don’t spend on your balance transfer card

New spending doesn’t just add to the previously transferred balance. It’s a new debt so interest won’t be 0%. So to avoid this look for a better spending card. If it has to be a credit card, then you can get a 0% purchase credit card which does the same thing but for new spending, or an all-rounder which has 0% on transfers and purchases.

If you do spend on a balance transfer card, try to clear that full amount at the next billing date. The most expensive debt is cleared first, so any monthly payments you make will go to clearing this new spend first. But if you don’t pay off enough to cover the new spending, you’ll get charged interest on it.

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Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.

Episodes every Tuesday.

Listen now
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