Don’t buy a “HD Ready telly” thinking it’s high-definition – it’s not
Pop into any TV shop or look on any site online right now, and you’ll see a mix of HD Ready and Full HD TVs. They don’t sound very different, yet the way retailers use "HD Ready" makes it a terribly misleading name that needs changing – I’d call it "Half HD". Far too many people buy...
Payday loan self-regulation may be more of a stick than they bargained for
Payday lending, or high cost short-term credit providers (you know – Wonga, QuickQuid, et al with their 4,000% APRs) agreed a revised system of self-regulation last week. While it’s far short of what’s needed, and doesn’t touch the cost of credit, at least it scrapes a little mud off this dirty industry. Better still, I suspect this...
The 10 worst acronyms if you’re a pedant (grrr)
It’s called RAS syndrome (Redundant Acronym Syndrome syndrome), and if you’re a little obsessive and start thinking too hard it can be excruciatingly annoying. The actual syndrome wasn’t something I’d heard of until I tweeted the following… Why do we write "EHIC card" when it stands for European Health Insurance CARD, and "PIN number" (Personal Identification NUMBER)...
No, I WON’T play you at Scrabble online
On Saturday via Twitter and Facebook, many of you asked to play me at Scrabble (or a renamed version thereof) online (6 points). I don’t want to be rude but may I just say, NO, NO WAY, NEVER, IT’S A BASTARDISATION (17 POINTS) OF THE GAME. This rant all came about as I posted the following message...
How safe is Santander UK? – What I really think…
Spanish bank Santander’s had its credit rating downgraded and understandably some are asking questions about its UK arm. I woke up this morning to see I’d been quoted in a few newspapers on this – as can happen when small snippets are taken from larger conversations – they didn’t quite reflect the entirety of what I think,...
Wish I’d never blogged about it now…
If you read my blog last week on a canny bit of gift recycling, you would’ve read the tale of the multi-gifted "Next stop 40" t-shirt. Originally given to me on my 30th birthday by my friend Justin, I gave it back to him the next year for his birthday. Then it was regifted to me last...
Sainsbury’s launches mostly meaningless price promise
A price promise press release has just dropped into my inbox from Sainsbury’s Personal Finance. It’s on shaky ground with me, as I’m no fan of this type of marketing hype where companies promise to reduce prices in the unlikely event that having signed up, you search elsewhere and find it cheaper (see my Price promises aren’t...
A canny bit of gift recycling…
On 9 May 2002, as I hit 30, the gift one of my best friends, Justin, gave me was a ‘next stop 40’ T-shirt. The following May as he followed suit (he’s just under a year younger), I, of course, gifted it back to him. Then last May as I hit 39, I found the same T-shirt...
Latest MoneySaving Tips
-
14 shopping secretsPerfect with summer sales in full swing
-
Nab FREE PretPlus food from posh cafes, bakeries etc
-
£41ish of No7 for £12Incl mascara & eyeliner
-
Finally, cheap broadband ONLYVirgin '£19/mth' mega-fast
-
Airports hike drop-off chargesHow to do it for free
-
29mth 0% debt shiftNew top balance transfer deal
-
1.45% Post Office savingsMassively popular last week
-
Strewth. Australia £450 rtnFor ltd Oct-Dec dates
-
200 free Boots pointsPlus how to earn them without the card
-
Kate Spade 20% extra off saleOnline & in stores till Fri
-
Martin peer-to-peer 'saving' alertIs it worth the risk?
-
Free Body Shop £5Plus more freebies for returning used beauty pots
-
Seen the 'Arnie' PPI ad?How to reclaim for FREE
Recent Blogs
-
Martin Lewis: Are you an overdraft prisoner? How to escape it
10 June 2019
The old adage - that banks will lend you an umbrella when the sun shines, and ask for it back when it rains - feels like a modern reality for many with overdrafts -
Do I need to show my boarding pass at airport shops? (video & guide)
9 April 2019
It’s one of those niggling frustrations. You want to buy something at the airport and you’re badgered for your boarding pass in order to purchase. Many people ask me if they need to bother, so here’s my quick video answer… Some frequently asked questions… After I originally posted this video on social media, there were a few...
