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Marriage, relationships & families

Discuss the MoneySaving implications of relationships and family life.

MoneySaving mums

A place for mums with kids of all ages to discuss parent MoneySaving matters.

968 discussions 13.7K comments Most recent: Property Income Excluded from Free Childcare Hours by ileven1225 2 June at 7:39PM
MoneySaving dads

A place for dads with kids of all ages to discuss parent MoneySaving matters.

367 discussions 4K comments Most recent: Increase in child custody from 40/60 to 50/50 by marcia_ 9 June at 1:46PM
Deaths, funerals & probate

Get MoneySaving help at the time of bereavement - discuss wills, inheritance tax, estate planning and more.

12.5K discussions 131.5K comments Most recent: Who's responsible for the house bills between probate to its sale? by lincroft1710 2 July at 6:29PM
Pets & pet care

For MoneySaving questions about taking care of your cat, dog, parrot or other animal companion, including vet fees and pet insurance.

15.9K discussions 249.9K comments Most recent: Anallergenic/hypoallergenic/hydrolysed wet cat food? by Lavendyr 28 June at 12:21AM

Annulment and clean break
Do I need a clean break order if I'm getting a annulment? Thanka
Ex wants to keep house
My husband and I have separated. We have two children, 5 and 9, and will be splitting custody 5050. He wants to stay in the house and I have no emotional attachment to this so don't mind in principle. However he can't get sufficient mortgage to buy me out. There is approx £280,000 equity in the house, so my half would be…
Gifting money to estranged family
Evening all, My mother recently died leaving me a small sum of money. Nothing big, just a portion of her pension pot that wasn't used. She had a will and I was one of the beneficiaries but my brother, who is estranged from the family, was left out of it. We had discussed her will a few years before her death and my mums…
School Uniforms - What's Their Point?
I'm not entirely sure why most schools insist on school uniforms. The first reason I have come across was so kids didn't bully other kids for not wearing labels. These days, there are so many labels and clothes, I'm not sure it's really an issue. Plus, those who will be wearing second hand uniforms or non-official (IE,…
Letting a friend know that parent has died.
My parent had a friend who lived in Spain. They spoke quite often on the phone and they had known each other many years. They used to work together but friend moved away to Spain some years ago. Anyway when my parent went into a nursing home I let the friend know and gave them the address of the care home and said it would…
Dealing with resentment
Any tips please? I love my partner very much. We’ve been together nearly 10 years, most of which we’ve been happy overall. But, for all of those years, resentment has been building up in me for his lack of pulling his weight. I am naturally very tidy and organised, he is the opposite. It’s now at the stage where I am…
School Fees
I'm wondering if anyone can help. My daughter has been accepted into an independent school, however we were unsuccessful in our means-tested application due to limited availability. I'm a single mum, work full time and earn under £22k. Does anyone know of any alternative sources of funding that I apply to/for? I have tried…
Hospital Bag List
Hope this is the right forum. I was recently in hospital, taken there at short notice when a chronic condition worsened. After a day or so I really missed all the things I'd failed to pack, and I didn't have the charger for my Kindle, which died on me. I got cold in the night and would have loved my fleecy blanket, or…
Staying in contact with 96 year old gran
Hi I wonder if there's a way of staying in contact with my gran via different methods easily. I do call her but she is very hard of hearing and, as much as I hate to admit it, speaking on the phone is a bit of a chore, maybe for us both. I know this makes me a bad granddaughter.. She is a 4 hour drive from me and suddenly…
Aging father - How to Handle
Hello MSE'ers. I haven't been on here in a while, it has been a whirlwind few months, however I could do with some advice. I relocated to offer Mum support with my aging Dad. I moved close by, took on a new job and went through the upheaval of changing life again. However, since I moved a few things have happened and I am…
Does MoneySaving run in the family?
Is MoneySaving a family trait? Or are you the outlier?
Elderly MIL
HiMy mother in law rang me earlier today to tell me that her grandson had been stealing from her. She said that her grandson had visited her a few weeks ago but she had only just had her bank statements through in the past. On the bank statements were two ATM transactions, one each for each of her bank accounts which…
Oracle Girl
Sorry this is a bit random and I have no idea who else to ask! A family member is going to try using Oracle Girl (https://www.oraclegirl.org/) to heal a relationship. No card details, no personal details required, just name and email address, optional donation. They are going to set up a new email address. Just wondering…
How to be assertive
I brought a Xbox trade in PlayStation and paid extra then wanted a refund, because I didn’t like it as much as PlayStation.I did say it didn’t work shop refused as they tested it, fair enough there in rightAnyway my friend says damage it like water or drop it, then say it don’t work.My mum said they will find out. Now Next…
Husband won't sign the TR1 to let me buy him out
Has anyone any experience of what route to go down with this? Basic facts: * Separated and all proceedings have gone through court * Part of the financial settlement is that I give him 40k and that is his equity so he will have no claim on the house * I've arranged a re-mortgage into my name with the extra £40k to pay him,…
Dilemma (long, sorry)
So a bit of background.....I have a sister a few years younger than me and we've never really got on, for different reasons which I won't bore you with. About 12 years ago she moved miles away from our home town (where my mum still lives) with her boyfriend and said she wanted to have a bit of an adventure before moving…
Lasting Power of Attorney
I wonder if someone can answer this please. Google is`nt cooperating. Should someone who has Lasting Power of Attorney be informed if a will has been rewritten and is not with the same storage company as the previous will? I don`t want to go into details but I strongly believe the person who changed her will and who I had…
Paying for Son in Law's operation
Hi, my mum & dad are both in their 80s with poor health (one mental and one physical). They would like to pay for my Brother-in-Laws hip operation as the current wait time in his area is up to 2 years. The cost is around 12k. Would this be seen as wilfully reducing an social care cost or is it acceptable given the one off…
We’re moving in… Couple… Finances
This might seems weird and we’re looking for genuine options, advice. So the other half (Stephen) and I met a year ago and we’ve decided to move in together. How do you share finances/income as a couple? In my previous relationship, both salaries were combined and the bills deduced, what was left was halved and in our own…
Living with ex
We separated in October, he’s agreed in principle I can buy his share of the house and continue living here with our 3 children, but I can’t actually get him to take the money or move out. Anyway, he keeps turning the heating on instead of putting on a jumper (I pay the bills) using the toilet paper I buy (he’s…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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Marriage, relationships & families

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