Just for fun

Badgers, basil & beetroot – this week's MSE Forum highlights

Forum Executive

11 July 2025

Planning a purchase? Bothered by badgers in the garden? Got a culinary conundrum? Whatever dilemma you're facing, the MSE Forum will dispense practical wisdom with a MoneySaving twist. Read on to find out what Forumites have been talking about this week.

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A few of this week's top threads

These are some of the Forum discussions that caught our eye this week:

Money Moral Dilemma

Every week, the Money Tips email features a real-life Money Moral Dilemma (MMD for short). They're intended to encourage debate and, as such, they're usually among the most discussed threads each week.

How do I speak up about how shared restaurant bills are split?

When eating out with others, I feel I'm usually expected to split the bill evenly. Yet I don't eat meat or drink alcohol, and only take water with my meal. I'm not stingy, but feel put off eating out when expected to pay the same as others who have indulged in steaks and bottles of wine. How do I speak out about how bills are split without others kicking off?

See what our MSE Forumites had to say and add your own thoughts on the Money Moral Dilemma discussion thread. Do please stick to the MSE Forum rules: keep it kind and keep it clean. Remember, there's a real person behind every dilemma.

Photo of the week

Forum favourite Daphne the duck has had another brood of ducklings. Miró posted this snap of the youngsters. Keep up with Daphne's exploits as well as admiring Forumites' charity shop hauls in the thrift shopping thread on our Old-style MoneySaving board.

Please note: We love seeing your photos in the MSE Forum, but if you're uploading one, make sure it doesn't include any personally-identifiable information such as your face or address.

Latest comping wins

As the nation continues to swelter, AC55 has won the ideal prize. And a gardening comp shared by AC55 has been won by fellow Forumite carriemac, just in time for their new allotment. Our Competitions Time boards are full of potential prizes.

Your two cents

There's plenty of sunshine around right now, so your thoughts might turn to solar power. We've just published a new guide on how to get the best Smart Export Guarantee rates and MSE_Clare would love to hear your feedback in the dedicated thread.

We're acutely aware that accessing the Forum hasn't been easy for the last few weeks. Please check out this update from MSE_JC about what we're doing to fix things, and please keep reporting any tech errors or glitches on the Site feedback & Forum help board.

If you're not a member yet, it's easy to register for the MSE Forum.