
I nearly told the nation to F*** off!
Following on from yesterday’s TV is frustrating blog, this morning on GMTV I was much happier with my performance. Yet I can’t believe what just happened. The One O’Clock news I rarely do BBC TV, as I tend to be seen as a face of ITV and Five. So it was a surprise to be invited today...

Frustrated with myself. I was awful on GMTV today
I’m feeling annoyed with myself after my GMTV slot this morning. Having done energy capping yesterday in a way I was really proud of, there was so much interest they wanted me on again. I had three minutes, as many people were confused, and sadly I think I probably hindered rather than helped. Part of the problem...

When did the phone bill become irrelevant?
I was interviewed by a newspaper today about combating inflation and keeping your big bills cheap. She asked about home phone bills and I decided it wasn’t a priority – certainly not a top five issue. Yet when I first started as Money Saving Expert in 2000, home phone bills were one of the big ‘uns. My...

‘Is your company offering money for a pension? TAKE IT TAKE IT TAKE IT!’
My friend Rufus (not a real name to protect anonymity) who’s a broadcaster, was talking about his pension scheme the other day. It promises that for every pound contributed it will match it up to a maximum 5% of his salary. Yet for three years Rufus hasn’t been putting money in. I was shocked; this is free...

How the other 1% live…
I know I’ve a privileged lifestyle; I have a good career, go on the telly and earn well, yet today I travelled to privilege’s far side…. in truth not even the other 1% but probably the other 0.01%.

Dragons’ Den: is it now a self-fulfilling prophecy?
I was on GM-TV this morning with Hamfatter, the band Peter Jones invested £75,000 in on last night’s Dragon’s Den, for a 30% share of their future earnings. It made me muse on the nature of the investment… If this were a non-televised programme, would they have invested in a band? Bands’ sales are driven by publicity,...

Trafford Centre ‘Makeover Contests’. Shame on you!
My lovely niece Kim, aged thirteen, was in Manchester’s Traffford centre with a couple of friends. She was approached by a girl handing out ‘win a makeover and photo session!’ type leaflets, which of course the three girls jumped at. They filled them in, and no surprise, moments later they emerged lucky winners. The obvious catch… My...

Using my EHIC card for the first time…
Having been telling people to grab a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for the last few years (see the EHIC card guide for why), I used my own for the first time the other weekend.

The hideous curse of insomnia.
I’m writing this feeling slightly blurry. For the last two nights sadly I’ve not been able to sleep, and as anyone who’s suffered from insomnia knows, it’s self perpetuating as the worry about not sleeping drives you to stay awake. Sadly it’s come at a time of lots of work pressure; I’m filming a few different things...

Great inventions in my lifetime: have there been any?
On Sunday the MSF and I were at lunch to celebrate a family birthday, and at the next table was a birthday party for a man who’d hit 90. They had a video camera and I heard one asking him “what would you say was the greatest invention of your lifetime?” I didn’t hear the answer, but...
Latest MoneySaving Tips
-
12 ways to save only do with appsFree chocs, 1.5% savings and more
-
Martin: 'Aged around 45 to 70?''You may be able to turn £800 into £5,500+'
-
New. Top way to spend abroadUnbeatable exchange rates and cashback
-
10% off discount 'best-before' storeEg, 23p Pepsi , £4,50 for 1kg Lindt
-
Cheaper energy deals kiboshedMartin not exactly impressed
-
Lloyds' free £125 bank bribeBut others pay more
-
Debt cost-cutting masterclassMortgages, cards, overdrafts, loans...
-
48 oriental lily bulbs for £87,500 bundles available
Recent Blogs
-
Martin Lewis: 'UO is just as important as UX: A tip for anyone developing their website or app'
6 May 2022I set up MoneySavingExpert.com nearly 20 years ago – when arguably the modern web was still in its infancy. With an abundance of self-belief (something I had too much of then, as I realise now) I decided not to read any books, or follow prevailing wisdom on how a site should operate – and just do it my way. -
Martin Lewis: Got a cash ISA? You should probably ditch it
3 May 2022Press the rewind button and go way back to April 2015... Possibly on the telly in the corner of your living room, I was on-air at the time urging savers as usual to use their new tax-free cash ISA allowance – because 'money was nicer in an ISA'. But things changed in 2016. -
Martin Lewis: Money and Mental Health charity 2021/22 – Covid & cost of living hell...
26 April 2022It's hard to believe the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) charity is now six years old. As the chair of trustees, each year I write the foreword to its annual report – and today the 2021/22 report is out, so I thought I'd blog my formal chair's foreword here. -
Martin Lewis: What happened to my pledge to give £10m to charity – 2022 update (spoiler: it's now £20m)
11 April 2022Nearly a decade ago, in June 2012, MSE joined the MSM Group and I pledged £10m to go to charity. As that was a public pledge and I feel I've a duty of transparency, every year or two I bash out a blog report to explain where I'm up to, and who's got what money.