My MoneySaving Mistake
I’m having one of those days that we all get, where everything feels a struggle and the world seems blue. So instead of staying in MoneySaving Towers, I nipped across to the Westfield shopping centre opposite to treat myself to a tasty, healthy salad for lunch in the foodcourt. When paying for it the chap serving asked...
MoneySaving Christmas Quiz… Where the real knowledge lies…
Over Christmas we launched a quick quiz to test and train people’s MoneySaving knowledge. Now the full MoneySaving IQ test has replaced it, I thought it’d be interesting to review what people got right and wrong. When I wrote the questions, I wanted them to be difficult as I don’t believe people would see a benefit if...
Ponzis and pyramids… what’s the difference?
The Madoff scam in the USA is thought to have cost people up to £50 billion, and there’s talk of similar schemes having been operated in the UK. Yet I’ve read a lot of confusion about what’s happened. Sometimes it’s called a pyramid scheme; other times a Ponzi. So I thought I’d do a quick blog to...
More searched than Obama… how do you react?
I’ve just been contacted by a newspaper running a story based on Hitwise’s (the web monitoring specialists) press release, which says in Q4 2008, I was the most searched personality in the UK, unbelievably beating Barack Obama by 11%! The story is here – Hitwise blogs. It’s a bit of a challenge to know how to comment...
Is this site a Coronation Street Star?
Thanks to eagle-eyed and eared forumite ‘Nile’ for this. Apparently, Coronation Street’s Kirk is a MoneySaver. According to Nile (who kindly watched the repeat so it could be transcribed) this was in the dialogue, and it’s referring to MoneySavingExpert.com Rovers Return scene Kirk: It’s great this website. All these tips about how to save money. I was...
Milk Teeth Sprouting at Consumer Focus
I wonder if Consumer Focus read my blog a few weeks ago when British Gas cut prices (Is Consumer Focus in British Gas’ pocket?). Essentially they applauded British Gas’ palty 10% gas price cut; quite ridiculous for a Consumer organisation. Yet, I’ve just received the following from it. “Responding to news that EON is to cut electricity...
Just been to see the Queen.
I’ve just arrived back at MSE Towers from the Buckingham Palace relaunch of www.royal.gov.uk. While not much of a Royalist generally, I couldn’t resist the chance to glimpse inside and see what it was all about. Though it did involve having to put a suit on, not something I do often, or with relish. It’s a little...
Wayne Rooney you’re my hero
Ok, a little bit of an exaggeration, but when reading this story in the News of the World about how Wayne & Colleen had been to a restaurant and paid with a voucher I thought “HOORAH”. Over the last year or so it’s wonderful to see the stigma of using voucher has faded into nothingness. The daily...
Monster Slippers In a Bar… Stress Down Day
As you’ll have read in the weekly e-mail, last Friday was Samaritans Stress Down day, and we were giving away 50 pairs of Samaritans green monster stress-free slippers to celebrate. As such, and because I was one of the campaign’s supporters, I thought I’d better support the cause, so on Friday afternoon, I put and kept them...
I’m looking forward to watching… Savers in trouble: ITV1 Tonight 8pm.
It may sound strange to say that about a programme I’m presenting, but the truth is I haven’t seen it yet. It’s been done on a tight deadline, and the producer Bob and his team have done well to get so much material out in time. As part of the speedy process, quite a few chunks are...
Latest MoneySaving Tips
-
8 travel-money must-knowsDon't overpay to pay (ole!)
-
Martin's energy need-to-knowsAs bills set to rise by 52%
-
New. Cheapest ever loans at 2.7%If you NEED to borrow
-
44 tips to be tight (in a good way)Eg, use bulldog clips to eke out last toothpaste
-
£50 two-week summer breakFor teens - free if on a low income
-
Blue Light Card discounts boostedFor NHS and emergency workers
-
2for1 theme parks and attractionsAlton Towers, Thorpe Park and more
-
Ends Thu. 5GB Sim '£4 a month'Plus roam-like-home in Europe
Recent Blogs
-
Martin Lewis: The one thing everyone aged over 66 needs to know
17 June 2022![]()
It is a national tragedy that getting on for a million pensioners, many of whom have been paying into the system for years, are missing out on a critical boost to their income. It's called pension credit, and this year it also means you get an extra £650 to help with energy bills. -
Martin Lewis: What I asked the Chancellor to do when I spoke to him on Monday...
26 May 2022![]()
With the announcement of the Government's energy cost of living plans due out at lunchtime. I thought I'd speedily bash out a note down of what (from memory) I'd asked the Chancellor for when we spoke on Monday - and the other general suggestions I've been making. -
Martin Lewis: Got a cash ISA? You should probably ditch it
24 May 2022![]()
Press 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: 'UO is just as important as UX: A tip for anyone developing their website or app'
6 May 2022![]()
I 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.
