Deals Hunters' Blog

We may be stuck indoors for the time being but that doesn't mean we can't broaden our horizons beyond our living room walls, because let's face it, there's only so many thousand-piece jigsaws you can do, and Netflix series you can watch. While we aren’t able to physically travel the globe at the moment, there are ways to do it virtually – and for free.

On 15 Jul, the Government cut VAT to 5% for the hospitality sector including restaurants, cafes and pubs till 12 Jan 2021. This has led to many big chains such as KFC, McDonald's, Costa, and Nando's slashing prices – so we've canvassed 21 big eateries, coffee shops and pubs to see where you'll save, and if so, by how much.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to most live sport across the world, but thankfully some leagues have made their sporting archives completely free to stream for a limited time including FIFA World Cup matches, the Euro '96 tournament, NBA basketball, and NFL American football – plus watch other sport, such as Premier League football, tennis, and WWE.

With the country on lockdown, many of us need some escapism more than ever, and reports suggest there's been a rise in video game playing – I know that's certainly true for me. However, gaming can be expensive, with some consoles costing up to £400 and top-selling games around the £50 mark. Rather than console-ing yourself over the cost, load up this guide of 15+ gaming tips and tricks for Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox and more.

If you're not lucky enough to live near a council-funded library, locally-organised book swapping stations known as a 'Little Free Library' have started popping up all over the country. Here I'll tell you more about what they are, how to use them and how you can find one near you - or even set one up yourself.

Recently, I went all out and decided to buy a battery-powered milk frother for £1. This small exchange of my small change booked me a one-way ticket to frothy town, and I've floated around since in a bubbly, silky, oat milk heaven. I turned to my editor and said: "I think that's the best £1 I've ever spent."

With Valentine's Day on the way, love is in the air, and so is the pressure to overspend on flowers and chocolate. So when I spotted ultra-posh department store Fortnum & Mason selling boxes of nine chocolate truffles for £20, I set about trying to make my own. Oh, and did I mention they have KETCHUP in them...

It’s January, and we’re all surging with good intentions to keep our New Year’s resolutions. If you want to get fit but don’t want to fork out on a pricey gym membership, we’ve rounded up the top 10 online fitness videos and smartphone apps, many of which have been tried and tested by the MSE team. In no particular order:

‘Tis the season to fill trolleys, and when Christmas bells ring and shop tills ding it's very easy to find yourself tempted to overspend. So when I decided to give hampers as gifts this year, I set myself the challenge of assembling a Champagne-style selection on a Prosecco budget...

In case you hadn't noticed, it’s that time of year again, where retailers battle to shout the loudest about Black Friday (29 Nov), and while there are plenty of good deals to be had there are always a few ‘duds’ mixed among them just waiting to catch us out...