Images

October 26, 2018   |   Articles

Everything you need to know about the “Millennial” Railcard

Written by

After a limited trial last year, the 26-30 Railcard is going to be available nationwide by the end of 2018.

Like so many train journeys, the arrival of this new railcard has taken longer than expected. But it’s here at last. Nicknamed the “Millennial” Railcard, four million people will be eligible to get one and save on their train travel. It’ll work like all other railcards except this one will be digital only.

Based on the trial, it’s expected users will save an average of £125 each year, based on an average of six journeys over 400 miles travelled in a year.

[box]

Contents

This article might contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund the blog. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or the blog’s independence. Read more here.

[/box]

Here’s what you need to know about the Millennial Railcard.

Who can get the 26-30 Railcard?

An obvious one here, you have to be aged between 26 and 30 years old at the time of getting the railcard. But you can buy it the day before you turn 31 and still be able to use it for a year.

How much will the railcard cost?

It’s £30 for one year, though look out for discounts elsewhere. Most other railcards are available with between 10% and 20% throughout the year via codes (I’ll share the deals here when they are available).

What discount will you get?

As with other railcards, you’ll get a third off most journeys. You can get the saving on most ticket types, including off-peak travel via an Oyster card in London.

There are restrictions though. There’s a minimum fare of £12 between 4.30am and 10am Monday to Friday, so you can’t use it for commuting. You can get the full third off outside this time and all day at the weekend and on public holidays.

How do you get a Millenial Railcard?

We don’t know when it’ll be available – just that it will be before the end of 2018.  [UPDATE:] The railcard was finally launched on the 2nd of January 2019.

When it’s live you can apply online and then download it to your phone via the Railcard app. You’ll be able to use it instantly, so no waiting for the post or at the ticket office.

What happens if your phone goes dead?

For the first time, there won’t actually be a physical railcard issued. Now based on previous railcards I’ve had, I know you’re almost always asked to display your railcard by ticket inspectors. Having it on your phone is great as you won’t forget to bring it with you. But we’ve all had times our phones have gone dead, especially on long train journeys.

Well, National Rail has said that if your phone runs out of battery or is lost you’ll be able to log in on another handset. Though that only works if you’re travelling with someone, and that there’s wifi or signal that allows them to download it and log in.

It makes sense to buy a spare battery that you carry with you. You’ll use it frequently and its better than having to fork out a fine for not being able to show your railcard. I’ve got a couple of Anker power banks from Amazon which have been really good and held their charge.

You might already have a railcard without realising

If you travel in the South East, including by tube in London, and have an annual season ticket, then you’ve already got a Network Railcard. It’ll be called a “Gold card” but it does the same thing. It has the same time restrictions as the 26-30 card, and is limited to the South of England (here’s a map of where you can use it). But if you mainly travel within this area then you probably don’t need to get a millenial card too.

What if you’re not 26-30 years old?

Join the club! You might be eligible for another railcard. National Rail offers:

  • 16-25 Railcard
  • Two Together Railcard
  • Senior Railcard
  • Family & Friends Railcard
  • Disabled Persons Railcard
  • Network Railcard

If you’re eligible for any of the others, they might actually be better value for you, though that depends on when you are going to travel. You can read more about all the other railcards here.

More tips to save money on train travel

Cash hack: 10 tricks for cheaper train fares

Can split tickets really cut the cost of train fares?

How to get a refund for delayed trains

October 23, 2018   |   Articles

How to cut the cost of your broadband and landline bills

Written by

It’s easy to pay far more than you need on your phone and internet service, but it’s also pretty easy to cut £100s off your annual bill.

I’m currently paying the equivalent of £19 a month on my landline and 100mb broadband with Virgin. That’s £28 a month less than the standard price, saving £336 a year.

It’s a big saving, and there’s no reason you can’t cut your bills too! And if you’re not on fibre broadband you should be able to get it for even less.

So how do you do it? My low Virgin price is a combination of a very good sign-up offer, a complaint about service and some good old fashioned haggling. And these aren’t the only way to save.

You can find out a little more about my savings in this week’s podcast, or read on for my tips.

I think there are four basic steps to save on broadband and landline. You don’t need to do all of these, but the more time you put in, the less you’ll pay.

Step 1 – Do some research

The best way to get a deal is to hunt around for the best prices and offers.

Use a comparison site to get an idea of your options.

There are plenty of comparison sites out there. I like Broadbandchoices.co.uk as unlike some of the others it works out the annual cost for you including extras. They also have a few of their own exclusive offers.

Watch out for hidden costs

Broadband companies are no longer allowed to hide the cost of the landline, but there could still be set-up and connection extras you have to factor in. Watch out too for the smaller print telling you how much you’ll pay in 12 or 18 months when your contract is up.

Look at the service ratings

A few years ago I wrote about the savings I made going for TalkTalk’s TV, phone and internet deal.

I’ve just crunched the numbers, and after cashback, bonus high street voucher, special offers and credit for poor service, I paid an average just £4.45 a month over the 16 months I was with them.

Pretty good eh? Except it was appalling service. So bad I was desperate to leave, which I finally managed to do without penalty payments. There’s absolutely zero chance I would ever go back to TalkTalk even if it was the cheapest service available.

So the lesson is, make sure you’re happy with the service you’re going to receive.

Know what you’re getting

Watch out for any broadband that has ‘traffic shaping’. This means they’ll cut your speed at busy times of the day.

Likewise, if you don’t stream a lot of TV or download much, you probably don’t need unlimited data or Fibre high-speed internet.

Work out what you need

Though more and more people don’t use a landline, it’s usually cheaper to get one alongside your internet.

If you’re mainly watching box sets on Netflix or keeping to the standard channels, think about if you really need a Pay TV package. If you do, then NOW TV can get you Sky channels for a lot less.

> Check out my comparison of NOW TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video

Step 2 – Look for extra offers and discounts

If you’ve found some prices that look tempting, see if you can save even more.

Check for cashback

Always look at TopCashback and Quidco to see what cashback deals they have. I got £110 when I moved to BT in 2017, and have had as much as £189 back. This can sometimes work for existing customers too if you want to upgrade your package.

Plus, new customers can often get a bonus when they sign up to the cashback site, sometimes as high as £16.

Wait for vouchers and other freebies

BT, TalkTalk and Sky all offer freebies when you sign up. Often it’s high street vouchers or a prepaid Mastercard. You can even get free tablets, FitBits or TVs from time to time.

However, these promotions can come and go and the value changes frequently. If there aren’t any on offer when you look I’d wait a few weeks to see if that changes, though if you’re paying through the roof with your current supplier it might be better to just switch. Most recently we got a £100 prepaid Mastercard.

If you can combine cashback and vouchers, that’s even better!

Can you pay upfront for the line rental?

A final saving is to pay your line rental upfront for a year. Unfortunately, the discounts available have dropped from around £50 to just £15 to £20, and not all providers do this. Plus you it can make it harder for you to switch away if you’re midway through your year. Still, it’s worth a look.

Step 3 – Haggle with your current provider

Once you’ve got a sense of the prices and extra offers available, call up your current provider.

Check if you’re in contract

Do check you are out of contract before leaving and if you’re required to return any equipment. If not you may be charged for leaving early. But Ofcom figures show that 39% of people are out of contract – and likely paying more than they should as a result.

It’s not impossible to get out of a contract before it ends. If prices rise, you often get sent a letter saying you have 30 days to move. You can also try to leave if the service is really bad, but this isn’t easy.

Work out your target price

If your research has come up with some fab extra discounts in the form of cashback and freebies, factor them into your monthly cost. So if you’re looking at £120 cashback, that reduced your ideal monthly fee by £10. This is what your current provider needs to match or beat.

See what they offer you

Phone up your provider and ask to speak to the cancellation team – they usually have access to the best deals. Say you’re thinking of leaving and see what they can offer you. Tell them the research you’ve done and the prices you’ve found elsewhere.

They’ll usually try to keep you by offering a discount or extra services for free. If it’s the latter, have a think about whether you really want that extra or if you’d prefer a money saving.

Don’t feel pressured to make a snap decision. Just say you need to speak to your partner/housemates and ask them to call you back the next day.

Hopefully they’ll suggest something you’re happy with (it’s obviously easier not to switch). But if they can’t match the deals you’ve found elsewhere, it might be time to switch.

Still call if you are in contract

You might still be able to haggle a better deal, or even cut some of your services you don’t use.

Step 4 – Make the switch

If you’d made the decision to move, it’s pretty easy to do.

Sign up with the new provider

The new provider will sort out the switch for you and let you set a date for the move to happen. It should take place within a couple of weeks, though our move to BT took longer.

The only difference is Virgin. You’ll need to cancel directly with your current supplier and ask for a MAC (Migration Authority Code).

Don’t forget to go through the cashback site or comparison site if they are offering exclusive deals, otherwise you’ll miss out.

Chase for any owed money

When I left Sky a few years back I realised they hadn’t refunded me for the last month. If I hadn’t chased them, it’s unlikely they’d have paid! The same happened with TalkTalk who owed me £77.

October 15, 2018   |   Articles

Duty-Free shopping: Does it really save you money?

Written by

Are the Duty-Free discounts as good as they seem, or can you do better on the high street?

I quite enjoy a mooch around Duty-Free at the airport. Not only is it the only time I ever drink whiskey in the morning (it’s only a tiny free sample), but it’s a chance to save some money on some booze. Or at least it appears so.

With some very competitive prices in the supermarket, I wanted to find out whether you really can save money at Duty-Free. So on my recent trip to the States I took some photos of a few items both at Gatwick and Orlando airports so I could compare them with deals open to everyone.

What is Duty-Free?

First of all though, what exactly is Duty-Free? Well it’s shopping exempt from VAT – which is currently 20% for most items. But you only get this if you leave the EU.

So you’ll see different prices once you’re in the shops past airport security. f you’re flying within the EU there’s one price, and if you’re flying further afield there’s another. Actually you won’t see two prices on the same item. Instead there are different products for each. The lowest prices are usually for outside the EU. Obviously this could all change once / if Brexit is agreed.

So really the “tax-free shopping” signs you see displayed won’t be for everything on sale. There are also limits to what you can buy – at least for spirits and cigarettes – before you do have to pay tax.

Right, here’s how a handful of items compare against supermarkets and the high street.

Duty-Free Alcohol vs the supermarkets

I looked at a couple of big brands – a gin and a whiskey.

Bombay Sapphire Gin (1 litre) – Available for flights outside the EU only

This cost £23.99 at Gatwick (£2.40 per 100ml). A deal to buy two bottles was £36.29, making it £18.15 a bottle.

At Orlando’s international airport it cost $27. In current money that’s roughly £20.50. There was an offer to save 15% if you bought two bottles, which would drop it down to £17.50ish.

In Morrisons you can get it for £22, though it was £27.50 at most of the others.

Winner: Duty-Free

Bombay Sapphire Gin (700ml) – Available for all flights

This bottle was £18.99 at Gatwick, yet it’s on offer for £15 at Asda. That’s £2.14 per 100ml, so cheaper than the bigger bottle.

This size wasn’t available in Orlando.

Winner: Supermarkets

Jack Daniels (1 litre) – Flights outside the EU only

The Gatwick price was £26.19, though a double pack would cut that to £24.70.  You’ll pay $31 in Orlando, which is £23.60.

The best supermarket price though is currently in Sainsbury’s at £23.

Winner: Supermarkets

Jack Daniels (700ml) – Available for all flights

This bottle sells for £24.99 in Gatwick, and you can’t buy it in this size in Orlando airport.

Asda is currently selling this bottle for £15 – that’s £2.14 per 100ml, better than the larger 1 litre bottle from Sainsbury’s mentioned above.

Winner: Supermarkets

Duty-free tech vs the high street

iPhone Xs (64GB)

Dixon’s at Gatwick was selling the brand new iPhone Xs for £979. Yep it’s a saving, but only £20. For the larger memory capacity versions the saving was £30.

Now these are better than nothing, but if you are flying to the US then you’d get a much bigger saving buying the phone at your destination.

Winner: Duty-free (just)

Duty-Free choc vs the supermarkets

Toblerone (360g)

The classic last-minute airport purchase when you forgot to buy work some local treats! These are normally a right rip-off, but I saw at Gatwick the £4 bars were also in a three for £10 deal. Which isn’t bad at all.

But the UK supermarkets can match or beat this, with Asda selling them at £3.

Winner: Supermarkets

Lindt Lindor

Wow, this was a mega rip-off at £13 for 400g tubes. This isn’t the standard weight box, but the prices is well off the mark!

A 337g box from the supermarkets is slightly smaller, but way cheaper. You’ll pay £5.50 at the moment in Sainsbury’s.

Winner: Supermarkets

Duty-Free fragrance & cosmetics vs the high street

Chanel No 5 Eau De Toilette Spray (50ml)

This costs £61.50 at Gatwick, but it’s only £54.50 at John Lewis or The Fragrance Shop.

I didn’t find this at Orlando’s Duty-Free shop.

Winner: High street

Does Duty-Free save you money?

Based on my research, most of the time the answer is no. It doesn’t mean the prices aren’t low at the airport – it’s just you can often beat them on the high street. Of course, some of those lower prices, especially at supermarkets, are from special offers which won’t run all year, or might not be at a supermarket you have access to, making Duty-Free more appealing.

And it obviously depends where you are flying. If you go to the EU the chances are very low you’ll get the best saving, at least going out of London. But you might save on local spirits on your way back, even in Europe. US prices are generally lower on the whole. And when I went to Cuba a fair few years back bottles of Havana Club were about 25% of the price back home.

How to find a Duty-Free bargain

Look for exclusives

Duty-Free locations can often sell larger sizes and special flavours. For example. in Gatwick there was a “Bottled in the Bond” litre bottle of Jack Daniels. It cost £32.49 and it tasted good. Really good. And you can’t get it anywhere else at the moment.

Sometimes these exclusives aren’t premium options, just different flavours or takes on a brand at the same prices as the standard offering.

Double up

Some of the lowest prices were from multipacks or discounts when you purchased more than one bottle. So these are good opportunities to bring down the price you pay.

Check if it’s a deal

If you’ve got data you can use overseas, or are connected to wi-fi, you can check prices at home via the app MySupermarket.

As it happens, there’s also now a World Duty Free website where you can see prices in advance! So you can research before you fly what deals you can get.

Know what the currency conversion really is

I use an app called XE which lets me enter the price in any currency and instantly converts it to pounds. It has the most recent rate depending on when you were last online, so it makes sense to load it up before you leave the hotel wi-fi if you can’t use mobile data.

You know this already, but make sure you use a fee-free card such as Halifax’s Clarity card or a Starling current account.

Buy local

You will save more money if you buy something made in spades nearby. So rum from the Caribbean or tequila from Mexico. The same goes for cosmetics and clothes. L’occitane, for example, would be cheaper in France than elsewhere in the world as that’s where it’s produced.

Shop at the supermarket while you’re away

You might even be able to beat Duty-Free while you’re at your destination by shopping in a local supermarket, department store or liquor store and packing it all in your luggage. Just make sure it’s not carry on if you buy any liquids.

October 7, 2018   |   Articles

Budget long-haul flights: Can you really avoid the extra charges?

Written by

Yes the fare seems a bargain, but there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay more by adding on hold baggage, seat reservations and food.

Thanks to EasyJet and Ryanair, we’re used to flying no-frills for a lower price. And in the last few years, the rise of budget transatlantic airlines has had a big impact on the traditional carriers.

Both BA and Virgin now offer a basic rate that doesn’t include hold baggage, cutting rates by around £60 on a return journey. And I’m sure it’s no coincidence that this has coincided with increased competition and some of the lowest fares to the USA I’ve ever seen. Good news for consumers.

But it could be too good to be true. Just last week one of these challenger airlines went bust with no notice, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Primera Air – which only launched long-haul trips from the UK in March – promised £99 one-way flights to the US but found the budget business model and high fuel prices impossible to tally.

And in reality, whether with BA, Virgin, Wow or Norwegian, I’m not sure these lower prices are a real representation of what you’ll actually end up paying.

On a weekend city break in Europe you should be able to pack light and take a few snacks for the journey. Even not sitting together isn’t a massive problem. It’s a different story flying further afield.

For a start, you’re likely to be going for a week at least – meaning more or heavier bags. Then you’re going to be on a plane for eight or more hours – so food and drink, as well as seat choice, become more important. And each of these adds to the expense, making the budget price not so attractive as it first seemed.

Can you really avoid the long-haul flight extra charges?

I wanted to put the budget prices to the test. So on my recent trip to Orlando for a money bloggers conference, I chose to fly with Norwegian Air.

My ticket was £325 and that was the cheapest option available at the time of booking. To check in a bag it would cost £35 each way. To choose my seat it was also £25 each way. And food and drink, another £25 per flight. There was also an option to get all three for £50 more, so £100 return.

But my mission was to avoid these extras as much as possible and keep to the basic option. Here’s how I fared.

Baggage

The weight limit for carry on with Norwegian is 10kg across two bags – one small suitcase and another smaller bag. That’s not much at all when going away for a week. Still I can travel light and I aimed to pack as little as possible.

It’s always difficult to gauge weight so during Amazon’s Prime Day I snapped up a cheap luggage scales gadget so I attached it to my suitcase. 12kg!!

I ditched the laptop and charger, but that still wasn’t enough. So out went a few items of clothing. I was just over the weight limit but there was literally nothing else I could go without. I basically had clothes for each day and toiletries.

My hope that I could get away with it were dashed at check-in. All carry on bags were weighed. So in the queue I stuffed my coat and jeans pockets with as much as I could. Plug adapters, my kindle, swimming goggles, business cards, glasses case.

The final weigh-in was 9.6kg. I’m not sure how much the stuff if my pockets weighed but it would have been tight. If I’d been overweight, I’d have had to pay £70 to put my bag in the hold – double the advance rate.

Once through security I repacked, but had a fright at the depature gate. At random some passengers were having their bags weighed again! Fortunately I wasn’t selected and managed to get onboard with my slightly overweight bag at no extra cost.

On my return I decided to take the hit and pay £35 in advance. I’d bought a few things in a spare moment not working and didn’t want to risk the £70 fee at the desk. Fortunately I’d factored in that £35 against the prices I paid when shopping – otherwise it’d have been cheaper to buy things back home. But it certainly reduced my savings.

Result: Tough but possible if you’re going for less than a week and travel light. If you’re travelling as a couple then you could check just one bag each way. But I think most of the time you’ll need to factor in between £25 and £50 on top of the ticket price you see. 

Other airlines

On the flights I checked, just taking carry on with Virgin’s Economy Light fare saves you £50 each way, but there’s the same 10kg limit. You’ll pay £45 to check-in a bag if you change your mind or if your carry on is too heavy.

But if you’re travelling on BA’s Basic Economy then you have a much higher weight limit – 23KG per bag, and you get to bring a small handbag or laptop case as well as your suitcase. It looks like it’s another £30 each way per person to check in a bag. This is the best of the bunch.

WOW Air’s Basic fare only includes a small bag as carry on. And I mean small. Think laptop size. You need to pay close to £40 to bring a bigger carry-on suitcase, and that has a weight limit of 12kg, The airline also charges £51.99 during booking, and increases in tiers up to £74 if you are forced to check in hand luggage at the gate. That’s the cost one-way!

Seat choice, boarding and ticket flexibility

I was travelling on my own so I wasn’t fussed about my seat. At least not fussed enough to pay £50 extra.

If you don’t pay up front you have a seat automatically assigned to you on check-in. If you don’t like it you are meant to pay £25 to change it, though I’m sure if you ask nicely they’ll try to accommodate requests. I forgot to ask for an aisle seat, but I got one anyway.

If you travel as a couple or group on the same booking you should be sat together, but the only way to guarantee this is to pay. I’ve been on flights where families have been separated leaving kids on their own!

Equally if you want to avoid sitting by the loos, or like the idea of exit row seats, you’ll have to pay.

Boarding was the same for everyone, filling up the plane from the back to the front.

Flexibility also comes at a cost. You can’t change the lowest prices with Norwegian at all.

Result: While you can avoid the seat fee, I imagine plenty of people will decide to stump up the cash. Again, that’s at least £50 more for a return flight per person.

Boarding is trickier, but if you’re at the gate on time and among the first of your boarding group to get on the plane you’ll hopefully be ok.

If you think there’s a chance you might need to change the day or time you fly then the extra cost to have a (sort of) flexible ticket may be worth it, especially if you’re already paying more to check in luggage.

Other airlines

Both BA and Virgin will charge you extra to choose your seat in advance if you choose a basic fare. Virgin allows you to pick your seat at check-in.

Virgin has standard boarding, with no option to upgrade to priority boarding. On BA you are the last to get on the plane – no matter where your seat it. This could increase the chance you won’t be able to put your bags above your seat. You could even have them put in the hold if the plane is full.

Wow Air is a lot cheaper. It charges £7.99 for priority boarding and £3.99 to get a budget seat.

Neither Virgin and BA allow any changes with their basic fares. Again, this flexibility comes with the next tier of pricing – though you will pay further fees if you need to make alterations.

Food & drink

Food is the easiest win. Airline food is notoriously bad. At best its disappointing. It’s never good. Plus I always end up starving while I wait for the first meal, then stuffed when they bring out the second just a few hours later. So I’m very happy to skip in-flight food.

Instead you can either bring your own sarnies and snacks to get you through. My outward flight was delayed by three hours, so my expected two hours wait turned into five, and the flight was another nine. That’s a long time just on snacks!

So I grabbed a full English from Wagamamas (yes, really), and a meal-deal from Boots for a mid-flight meal. This was topped up by pre-purchased supermarket extras.

In total I spent £18 on food. You could say I’d have been better off just paying the £25 for the plane food, but I’d still have needed to get something beforehand. So I think I saved £15 on my outward flight by not adding this option to my ticket. The return flight was overnight so I go by just on a few more snacks.

I’ll always bring a few bottles of water with me. You can bring empty ones through with your carry-on bags, and most airports have a fountain for you to top them up. Even so, even Norwegian will give you free water if you ask nicely.

If you like a mid-flight tipple there’s obviously no alcohol included either. I’m not much of a drinker on flights, especially long haul. I get dehydrated enough without adding in booze. So it’s not a great loss to me. But if you do like your free wine or whiskey when flying, then bear this in mind.

There is the opportunity to buy food and drink on board with Norwegian. A bottle of water was $3 (roughly £2.30 at the time of writing), while a sarnie was $7. A small wine or craft beer was around £5.

Result: Due to my delay I spent more than I expected at the airport, but I still enjoyed a better meal and could eat on the plane as and when I wanted. And I did this for less than the add-on price. Though drinks are included in the £25 meal charge, I didn’t miss not having booze on tap. This is an easy saving for everyone.

Other airlines

You’ll get the full meal and drink service with all long-haul fares from BA and Virgin. It’s extra with WOW and must be pre-ordered.

Entertainment & extras

The film selection with Norwegian was pretty poor, and quite small. However I’d downloaded lots of programmes on the iPlayer and Netflix apps, and brought my Kindle, so it was no great loss.

There’s no pillow or blanket with Norwegian, but you still get this included with bigger airlines. Norwegian also charge $3 for headphones, so make sure you bring your own.

Result: These definitely aren’t worth paying more for if you’ve got the tech to use yourself. Bring a neck pillow if you need one and don’t forget layers.

Other airlines

You shouldn’t need to pay for headphones with BA and Virgin, and you should get a better and bigger selection of films.

You’ll also get your blanket and pillow with Virgin and BA. Saying that, the days of getting an eye mask and toothbrush from Virgin are long gone.

Conclusion

As expected, the reality of the low fare was that it was near impossible to travel without topping up – so always treat the headline price as a starting point.

You should be able to work around the extras for food, drink, priority boarding and the little extras. But I’d expect almost all of you will need to add on at least £60 for carry-on luggage, and potentially another £50 return to pick your seat.

The only airline where it could work is with BA with the higher weight limit on carry-on bags. Since you also get your food and drink included it’s probably worth paying a little more to fly with them than a cheaper airline where you need to buy add-ons.

October 3, 2018   |   Articles

When online supermarket shopping goes bad – and how to fix it

Written by

With Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Amazon all offering same-day grocery delivery, it’s never been easier to get your groceries brought to your door – and there are plenty of offers out there to encourage you to try. But is it worth it when you add in extra charges and ridiculous substitutions?

The pros of online supermarket shopping are pretty obvious. Yes, it’s convenient that I can order from my sofa. Yes, having heavy items brought to my door when I want them is great. And yes, there are no massive queues.

Even better there aren’t any bored toddlers screaming the shop down (though you might have that at home…). It can save you cash too if you stick to a list and avoid impulse “special offers”. Plus there are lots of discounts for new customers. All good reasons to order food online.

However, I’ve mixed feelings about online supermarket shopping. You might have spotted in the news this week that an Asda driver refused to help a heavily pregnant woman carry her shopping up the stairs. This isn’t unusal, and many supermarkets say they won’t carry the items up flights of stairs – some won’t even bring good beyond the front door. In this instance Asda apologised (and offered a bottle of champagne – for a pregnant woman!), but it’s just one example where online shopping supermarket deliveries aren’t as great as they sound.

I think the downsides can often outweigh any of the benefits. Still, even with these in mind, there are solutions.

When online grocery deliveries go bad – and how to fix it

I’ve eight key frustrations as listed below, plus how you can work around them if you feel the same.

1. Delivery charges and minimum orders

I hate to pay extra for any delivery. It’s probably unfair as there will obviously be costs involved, from the picker to the delivery driver – and if we drive to a supermarket instead we’d pay for petrol anyway.

Still it’s annoying that you can pay up to £8 a delivery. And all supermarkets have a minimum order, ranging from £25 to £60, sometimes forcing you to buy more than you actually need.

How to beat it: You can often cut the delivery costs by ordering for weekdays and off-peak times.

Plus by saving up certain items for one big order you might be able to get free delivery (e.g. Sainsbury’s is £100, Waitrose £60).

If you’d prefer to shop online almost every week then a few supermarkets offer Saver Passes, with greatly reduced delivery fees paid up front.

2. Quality of fresh produce & short use by dates

If I can I don’t order easily damaged fruit and veg like salad leaves or berries. These are the products I always inspect in a supermarket, making sure they aren’t too bashed.

But you can’t do that with online orders. Even if ones delivered have survived the trip, they rarely last long.

Often that’s because the use by or best before dates can be very short. It’s not just fruit and veg. I’ve had yoghurt, meat, bread and more which need to be eaten in a day – all things I’d avoid if I picked it myself.

How to beat it: If something arrives that’s not up to scratch, you can send it back when you receive the items.

If you don’t notice until later on, then get on to customer services. I’ve had bad items refunded to my card this way, but you’ll need to do this within a day or two.

3. Substitutions / missing items

It’s rare I get a full order delivered, and often the substitutions are a little odd, or just stupid.

How to beat it: if there are essential ingredients you need on a certain day, try to get that order a few days before. Then you’ve time to pick up any missing items at an actual shop.

Most supermarkets allow you to turn off substitutions, though seeing as you can reject unsuitable ones at the door I generally see what come along – even if I tend to send most back as unsuitable.

4. You can’t pick up reduced bargains

I unashamedly enjoy checking out the reduced aisle at the supermarket (to be honest I’m a little addicted). There can be real bargains found, and with online orders you not only lose out on this, you might even be paying full price for something that should really have a yellow sticker.

How to beat it: Sadly no online supermarket offers reduced stock (though there is Approved Foods – well worth a look).

5. It can take longer to shop

At a supermarket you can whip down an aisle and see everything available in just a few seconds. Online it’s death by scrolling, or just as bad it requires endless clicks of “show me more”.

How to beat it: Don’t browse. Instead just buy what you actually need. And since you’re in your home it’s easy to look in the cupboards and fridge to see what’s missing. It’ll save you money too!

6. Lack of available delivery times

The later you leave your order, the more inconvenient a delivery slot you’ll get. Plus they’re often more expensive at peak times such as weekends, or in the days leading up to Christmas.

How to beat it: Not only are some slots cheaper the further in advance, you can change your order with most supermarkets the day before, if not on the day. So if you think you’ll want a delivery just throw in a few expensive things (e.g. Champagne) to lock in your slot and process the payment. Then edit or cancel it nearer the time.

7. The bags

Please, no more bags…

How to beat it: Some supermarkets will allow bagless deliveries. I’ve started to order without bags from Waitrose and I bring a box to the front door. The delivery driver empties the food into this and I then carry it through to my kitchen. It adds a minute tops to the whole process. Or if you order via Ocado or Morrisons you can give back unwanted bags and get a refund for each one.

8. Late or early deliveries

Finally, despite booking a set slot, it’s rare my orders arrive during that time. More often they are late, or even early. That’s fine if you don’t have plans, but I generally do!

How to beat it: Sadly you’re at the whim of the driver here.

In part two of this series I’ve compared the services you get from the different supermarkets, including last delivery times, new member special offers, and whether the driver will take your order past your front door.

Read more about the different minimum orders, special offers and delivery charges at the different supermarkets in my comparisson article

What are loyalty card points worth?

 

September 4, 2018   |   Articles

Cut the cost of a haircut

Written by

Time to trim how much you spend at the salon or barbers with these tricks.

One of the benefits of having short hair and a simple hairstyle is that it’s doesn’t take much time to cut. But it’s still possible for a cut to cost me close to £30.

Though that seems steep for me, any of you with longer hair or more complicated styling or colouring will dream of paying that much. I’m always amazed at how much it costs female friends. It’s no wonder most of them can’t afford to visit a hairdressers as often as they’d like.

But there are ways to help you pay less. Here are a few of the tricks you can use to snip a few quid off your next visit.

Avoid the senior stylist

There’s a hierarchy at many salons which means you pay a premium for the top-dog senior stylist. So a simple way to reduce this is to downgrade to a cheaper option.

Yes the senior person is likely the most experienced, but that doesn’t mean they are the best. And even if they are, the junior people might not be far off the same standard.

Be a model

My sister used to do this in her twenties for Toni & Guy. She’d sit on a stage while the teacher cut her hair in front of the students. And it cost her nothing for a very experienced stylist.

The downside was she has no say in what they did to her hair, but somehow she managed to pull off the different colours and styles. You also need to give up a good few hours of your day.

Nowadays it might be you have to pay, but it’ll be a fraction of the full cost.

Risk it for free

You can take this even further and get a trainee to give you a cut – and this can even be free.

Yes there’s a risk that they might make a mistake, but there should be someone on hand to fix anything. Even then errors might take time to grow out, so it’s best not to do this before something important like your wedding!

There are a few bigger hairdressing schools you can try, or see if your local salon has anyone new starting.

I actually tried this last week. I’ve just moved to a new town and I was hunting for somewhere to get a trim. I discovered on one of the barber’s websites that a new guy was offering free cuts as part of his training. I always practice what I preach, so in the name of research I booked an appointment. You can see how it went and hear my thoughts in the video below.

Go off-peak

Not everyone will be able to do this, but you should ask your salon if you can get a discount for coming at a less popular time.

If you’re able to be flexible and leave it to the last minute the hairdresser might be willing to charge you less to fill a vacant appointment.

Shop around

One of my friends once ditched her usual salon for a colour and cut. They way she described her guilt at doing this was as if she’d been cheating on her boyfriend. Yes it’s nice to be loyal, particularly if your stylist “knows” your hair. But changing things up can save you cash.

One of the best examples is a new customer discount. The local salon where my wife goes has a big poster outside offering 25% off your first cut, and many others do the same.

And you don’t have to stay with them if you don’t want to. Keep moving around for new offers.

After a while your old hairdresser(s) might even try to tempt you back with a deal, so remember to give them your contact details.

Saying that, don’t miss out on any reward or loyalty schemes run by your regular haunt.

Buy a discounted voucher

Sites like Groupon and Wowcher have dozens of discounts at hairdressers and salons so it’s worth taking a look when you’re due a trim.

Do google before buying though in case there are some dodgy reviews.

Here are some of the top sites to check out for deals

Ditch the big or fancy salons

When I moved to London I was shocked a haircut didn’t cost a tenner anymore. But a few years back I discovered a mini barbers chain called Mr Toppers.

It’s pretty basic. There’s no coffee on arrival, no magazines to read, no metro tiles on the wall, no tattooed / bearded hipster cutting my hair (this is more common than you’d think). And as a result I paid just £9. In Central London that’s a steal.

So if you’re happy to forgo some of the pampering you can pay a lot less. And it doesn’t mean you get lower quality either. For men it’s often a case of going to an old-school barbers rather than a salon.

Or you can look for self-employed hairdressers who come to you or even those with a set up in their own home.

Watch out for extras

Often hairdressers will try to up-sell you. That could be trying new products or treatments, or it might even be washing or blow drying your hair. Make sure you know what’s included to avoid embarrassment at the till.

On the topic of products, it’s worth seeing if you can get the same or similar for less elsewhere.

August 21, 2018   |   Articles

How to convert your Tesco Clubcard points into vouchers, including the new ‘Faster Vouchers’

Written by

You can now convert Clubcard points into vouchers within 24 hours.

If you collect Tesco Clubcard points, you’ll be familiar with the frustrating wait to use those points. Historically you’d get a statement in the post every quarter, converting all your newly earned points into vouchers to spend. Then if you only part used a voucher you had to wait for the next statement for the leftover points to be converted to a new voucher.

But that’s all changed with the addition of Faster Vouchers. Here’s how they will work.

How to covert your Tesco Clubcard points into vouchers

You can still wait for the paper vouchers to come in the post every three months, but if you do want them faster you need to go into your online Clubcard account or the app. Here go to “Points” and select to transfer the points. You’ll then get the vouchers in your account ready to spend in 24 hours.

When you do this, all your points will be converted into vouchers as long as the total value is divisible by 50p. So if you had 444 points, you’d get £4 in vouchers, and be left with 44 points to convert later.

However there are a few tiny complications whether you opt for the digital or paper vouchers. For example, you’ll need at least 150 points in your account in order to convert them to vouchers. This is worth £1.50. My balance is 107 points, and I’m not sure how quickly that’ll grow as since I moved out of London we don’t really have a Tesco near us.

You also can’t convert with faster vouchers for two weeks before the quarterly statement date. These are in February, May, August and November each year, though the exact dates are listed anywhere.

Faster Vouchers also won’t work if you have opted into another scheme such as Christmas Savers or British Airways Executive Club. You’ll need to leave those if you do want Faster Vouchers.

Despite these three points, I think this is a good move from the supermarket.

How to spend Clubcard vouchers

You can spend the Faster Vouchers in exactly the same way as you did the standard paper ones. That means in Tesco stores or online with partners.

If you want to use them in a physical shop then you can either print out the voucher or show it in the Tesco app on your phone.

However, I think the best way is to boost your points online. Do this and you can triple the value. I’ve written before about my top ways to spend the points, but my faves are the ones which are harder to discount elsewhere. So that includes Red Spotted Hanky for train tickets or Uber for taxi rides.

You’ll see your converted points as vouchers in the checkout when you select your boosted reward so there’s no need to print them out or cut and paste the codes.

Once you covert your Clubcard points to vouchers, you’ve got 21 months to spend them. The date will be printed on the vouchers, and you can check them in your account too.

What if you want to get your vouchers in the post?

If you do nothing then you’ll continue to get the quarterly statement and vouchers in the post. However if you did opt for the Faster Vouchers the statement will be sent via email instead. You can revert back to paper ones in your Clubcard account.

The best ways to use and earn Tesco Clubcard points

August 20, 2018   |   Articles

How to make your TV smart for less

Written by

How making your dumb TV into a smart TV with a streaming device to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, NOW TV and iPlayer will save you money

[box]
Some articles on the blog contain affiliate links, which can provide a small commission to help fund the blog. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or the blog’s independence. Read more here.
[/box]

Watching TV can be very expensive, especially if you pay for the likes of Virgin or Sky. Yes, these channels are often packaged with your broadband and phone line, but I still think you’re paying over the odds. The full Sky package is currently £72 a month (without internet or phone).

And the chances are you won’t even watch most of these channels. A big reason for that is the rise of streaming services such as Netflix, NOW TV and Amazon Prime. The latest data from Ofcom shows that 11.1million households have signed up to at least one of these. That’s almost 40% of the country.

Now, lots of you will have already ditched Sky and Virgin in favour of these on-demand options. Great. Yet 45% of households still pay these companies for their TV. And I think there are three big reasons for this. For some it’s to get certain channels, for others it’s to record programmes. There are ways to work around both of these.

The third barrier is because people want to be able to watch programmes on an actual TV, not via their computer. But thanks to streaming sticks and boxes I ditched pay TV years ago.

Here’s how you can cut the cord with Virgin and Sky and watch the streaming services using your remote.

What are TV streaming services?

If you’re not familiar with Amazon Prime, Netflix or NOW TV, they’re all Video On Demand (VOD). That means you watch the content when you want, rather than at set times. It’s exactly how BBC iPlayer works, yet you pay a monthly subscription to access them.

I subscribe to all three most months, depending on what’s on. Both Amazon Prime and Netflix have some great programmes that are exclusive to those platforms such as Stranger Things (Netflix) The Sinner (Netflix), Preacher (Amazon Prime) and The Marvellous Mrs Maisel (Amazon Prime), as well as classics to rewatch.

Meanwhile NOW TV is a far cheaper way to watch Sky programmes I enjoy such as Westworld (Sky Atlantic), Modern Family (Sky One) and The Walking Dead (Fox). At £7 a month for an Entertainment Pass it’s less than half the price of a contract with Sky or Virgin.

You can read more about all three paid services in my article Amazon Prime vs Netflix vs NOW TV.

The free streaming options are catch-up services for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, though both iPlayer and All 4 have exclusive shows you can’t watch via Freeview.

How to make your TV smart

All these services that work through the internet. You can of course access them all on your computer or phone, but lots of smart TVs, games consoles and DVD players will now have apps built in. We recently purchased a Samsung smart TV and it lets us watch iPlayer, Netflix, NOW TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, rental services such as Rakuten and Google Play, and more.

But that’s one of the few brands which has all the services. It’s more likely that you’ll only have one or two of these if any. So how do you make sure you can watch the service you want to watch?

Well you don’t need to buy a new TV. You can buy a cable to connect your laptop to your TV, but it’s a pain to have these running across rooms. It’s better to buy a smart stick or box which plugs into your current telly.

Over the years I’ve used a fair few of them, but before I get into the options available, you need to make sure that your TV is compatible.

How to connect a smart device to your TV

  • You will need a spare HDMI slot (or two) on your TV. This is where you will connect the device. If you have an older TV without any HDMI slots you can buy adaptors (like this one), though the quality won’t be as good.
  • Next you’ll need a power socket to plug the stick or box into. Some will be able to get power from a USB socket on the TV, though I find these a little unreliable.
  • Plus you need to have an internet connection. Though you can hardwire in some of the devices, most require wi-fi.
  • Once connected you will need to follow the instructions to set up (they’re all pretty easy to set up). You then log-in to your account. If you can’t find the service you want, but it is included, you might need to add it the app. Again that’s easy to do.

Sorted? Right, here are your main options. Just to be clear, you still need to pay for the streaming subscription each month on top of the cost of the streaming device.

What about recording freeview TV?

For many the downside of ditching pay-TV is you lose your Sky+ or TIVO box. Though all the streaming sticks will let you watch Freeview content on demand, none will record. And we all know sometimes it’s nice to stack up an entire series of Masterchef to binge, or be able to skip the adverts. Sadly most streaming services, with the exception of Netflix and Amazon Prime (for their exclusive programmes at least), often have a window of four to 12 weeks to watch something. And you can’t avoid the adds on All 4, ITV Hub and My5.

Well, there’s an easy solution. You can buy a Freeview+ or YouView+ box for around £125 and this will let you record any Freeview channel, such as BBC, ITV, Film Four, Dave and The Food Network.

Or you can often get the box for free with your broadband provider. As long as you stay with them for the minimum contract you get to keep the box. You might have to pay a little for the basic pay TV option. We did this a few years ago via BT and it works fine without a subscription. However, Sky and Virgin boxes only work if you are paying a monthly fee.

Sadly if you really want to record Sky channels you will need to get a contract with Sky, Virgin, BT or TalkTalk.

Should you ditch the TV Licence for other TV, radio and online services?

My rules to spend less on streaming film and TV

How to make your TV smart for less

 

 

 

 

 

August 14, 2018   |   Articles

Tipping point: How much should I leave in restaurants?

Written by

Tipping has got tricky when eating out. Here’s how to navigate the minefield.

It used to be simple. You’d leave some money for your waiter if the service was good. But more often than not, I’m finding this “discretionary” charge automatically added to the bill. The implication is you’ve got to pay it, even if the food arrived cold or your side of chips never made it to the table.

How much you should tip seems to vary depending on where you are. 10% used to be the standard here in the UK, but in London you’ll most likely see 12.5% recommended, maybe even 15%. And in Yorkshire, where I now live, tipping isn’t generally expected when you eat out (though it’s appreciated!).

And then there are questions over who actually gets the money. Will it go to your waiter or waitress? Will the management pocket it themselves?

Here’s more on these and some of the tipping dilemmas I struggle with – and some advice on what you can do in the same situations.

How much should I tip?

I’ve seen more and more examples recently of the tip in restaurants set at 12.5% or even 15% – and I can’t work out why.

Yes in the USA you can easily pay 20% in tips when you eat out, but here wait staff are far better paid. There’s no reason to increase it for standard service.

I stick to 10% for decent service in the UK, rounding up if the experience has been exceptional, and I think that’s still a fair rule of thumb for everyone to follow.

Who gets the tip in restaurants?

I’m sure you remember the micro-scandal a few years back when it was revealed some of the big restaurant chains took an admin fee from tips left by customers. A backlash meant places like Pizza Express cut this charge and made sure all the money went to the service staff – but it still goes on in other restaurants.

In fact, a “service charge” on your bill might not even get to employees at all. Though many will pass it on, there’s no guarantee any of it will end up in a waiter’s pocket.

Some places will also pool all tips and distribute among all the waiting staff, others might split it between front and backroom staff. I’m not saying splitting tips like this is wrong – I don’t know how much they get paid compared to the waiters – but since every restaurant has a different policy, it’s impossible to know where your money goes.

It’s definitely worth discretely asking who gets the money so you can make a call before handing anything over.

Is a cash tip better than one on a card?

This is probably one of the bigger difficulties with tipping today. It seems cash tips are better for the staff as they are more likely – though not guaranteed – to get to keep any physical money you leave for them. However, I rarely have much cash on me since I pay with cards most of the time.

What do you do if the tip is automatically added to the bill?

More often than not, I’m also finding a service charge is already calculated and added to a bill (and often at 12.5% rather than 10%).

For a start, this takes away any discretionary choice you have. If the food or service wasn’t up to scratch, it’s a whole lot harder to not pay it. And, even if it was good, the industry seems to want to make 12.5% the new standard tip – despite wages going up.

You can of course say you’re not paying the full suggested tip if you think it’s too much. Yes it’s awkward and potentially embarrassing, but that’s what the restaurants are relying on. And remember you might not be stiffing the waiter – it could be going into the restaurant’s coffers instead.

What if it’s bad food but good service?

This is a tricky one. Tipping is a service charge, but how often have you reduced your tip because the food wasn’t up to scratch, even if the service has been fine? Really you’re punishing the waiter or waitress for mistakes made in the kitchen, which doesn’t seem fair.

A while back I was out with my wife and her mum at a nice Yorkshire Dales pub. My meat was overcooked, so I nervously asked the waiter about it. The staff were fantastic about it, bought out a perfectly cooked replacement and thoroughly deserved a decent tip. A far better solution than me not enjoying my meal and not leaving a tip.

Of course, it happens the other way around too. Some friends and I were completely forgotten about for hours at a recent meal. The food itself was good (when it arrived) but we probably only tipped 2% in rounding up the bill.

If it is bad food, you’re better off asking for the items in question to be taken off the bill – though make sure you’ve said something during the meal rather than when you ask to pay.

And what about when you’re using a voucher?

I love deals that cut how much I spend on meals out, but I try to be aware of what the smaller bill means to the wait staff and boost what I leave.

Recently I took advantage of an offer on Three’s Wuntu app which gave me a £3 main at Bella Pasta. 10% would be 30p. But on the menu, that main was £12 odd. It’s a big difference so I Ieft £4 in total. But when I’m looking at smaller discounts I tend not to worry.

 

Food & drink deals (May 2021)