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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.

970 discussions 13.7K comments Most recent: Removing long hair from carpet by elsien 9 August at 8:16PM
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.

12.6K discussions 132.7K comments Most recent: Outcome of Probate publicly available by Keep_pedalling Today at 1:39AM
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: Outrageous Vet charges by thriftytracey 9 August at 10:13AM

Christmas board game deals round-up
What are the best board and card games to play with family at Christmas? Have you spotted any deals recently? And which classic games can you play free online or repurpose for Zoom?
Don't know what to make of this - need some sense talked to me.
Back in October my husband died suddenly so the last few weeks have been a total nightmare as not only have I had to deal with his death & all that entails but I've had to, with the help of some real great people, the clearing of his office, the winding down of our business & find a job as I worked in the business. Anyway,…
Small Claim part paid
Not sure this is the right category for this… I recently created a small claim online against my ex who owed me his half of a holidays flights and hotel. he has paid part of the claim directly into my bank account. im not sure what to do next. I don’t accept the part payment and require the full amount. How do I tell the…
Help needed asap finances/housing/divorce
So my ex husband and I have signed our financial order and is being approved by the judge as we speak he’s buying me out for a lump sum and I have to vacate the house with my children & our belongings on a set date (as set out and agreed in the order) just needing some advice on grounds of staying in the property with his…
A will query
Hi, i am single with no kids & have a will made out to my brother that when i die to sell everything & to distribute my estate across several charity's & people of my choosing as a percentage to each one minus any expenses he would encore of up to £1000-00 per charity/person. He is now nearly 80 & i dont want to burden him…
Share cash in, any tax to pay?
Years ago now I was gifted some shares when the building society I had savings with became a bank, therefore I had a few shares that cost me nothing, I have just cashed them in for £400.00, would there be any tax to pay?
Supplementary school
Both kids attend a local mosque for classes in the evening. Me and ex are separated and he originally paid the fees but stopped paying last year. He refuses to contribute for half either saying CMS covers it. Now I have taken over the fees and have settled the arrears and pay monthly. Last week it was parents evening and…
Partner stole my pension, what can I do?
I divorced 15 years ago and as part of the settlement, I got 50% of one of my partner's pensions when they reached the age of 65. I still have the court order. Last week, that ex-partner reached 65 and I asked them about my 50%. They told me they had bought an annuity with it some years ago and had been drawing about £600…
Take myself too seriously
I tend to take myself too seriously and I am trying to address this by becoming more playful. I came across this recently: https://theflirtmethod.com/ There are lots of free videos on You Tube by this author. My main concern is that you have to buy directly from the author i.e. on their website instead of using a known…
How do you plan to take care of your DH's mum in her old age?
How does one properly take care one's elderly parent in England if you don't wish for them to be in a home? I'm early 40s and my hubs is mid 50s. He has a brother and sister. He's the first and the one who does the most for his mum. His siblings combined don't do up to a quater of what he does for their mum. He has a…
Finding a way
I am in the process of getting divorced. Our house has just sold and I will get approx 130,000 from the sale. I am on a low income with a top up of Universal Credit. I have been told, I do not earn enough to privately rent and with the equity, unlikely to qualify for social housing. CAn I get an interest free mortgage to…
Baby Has Started Awaking at Night
Hi All, We have been blessed with our 15-month-old in terms of sleeping patterns, however, over the past 4-5 weeks she has begun waking up after a few hours and is unsettled the rest of the night. Is there anything that could be causing this and are there any solutions?
Best way to sell wedding dress / cleaning question
Hi there, my wife would like to sell her wedding dress. We have been selling a lot of items on ebay hut wanted some recommendations for any specialist sites where we could list this? Also would be good to know if there are places that buy second hand dresses. There are some dirty marks on it at the moment but a quote for…
Where can I get a goose now?
I'm looking for a goose to practice on now. I've ordered one for Christmas but I cannot find one to buy online. I've not gone into the stores myself, though. I'll do that but is there anywhere online that stocks goose that I'm unaware of? Thank you.
Baby's First Christmas
Hi All, It's our little ones first Christmas (5 months old) and we're wondering if parents buy any gifts for their infants? She has everything she needs but it seems wrong ignoring the event.
Funeral etiquette
Good morning, looking for opinions on a situation I have found myself in. Someone I knew a long time ago but lost touch with has recently passed away. His funeral is next week, owing to another commitment I can’t make the funeral but could attend the wake later in the day. Is it bad form to attend a wake if you didn’t…
Can two people live on one person's wage?
MSE spotted a tweet from someone who asked: Can two people live on one person's wage, provided the wage is £20k+? Like all the best hypotheticals, this one opens up all sorts of questions about the depending factors. Many of them have been discussed on this board before. So what are your thoughts? What are the factors that…
Equity in Shared Property After Separation
Hi, I’m after some thoughts around my current situation. My wife and I separated last year, amicably, whilst living abroad. We returned to the UK this year and my wife was originally given accommodation through her work (not entirely suitable as it was a one-bedroom apartment and we have two children), but has now moved…
At the Decree Absolut stage - should I send off paperwork and forget about a clean break order?
Hi, As per the title, so I filed for divorce on the grounds of UB back in September 2020. (Marriage was Summer 2019). Marriage broke down within a few months, we were not living together, and I had to wait the 12 months (waited bit longer) before filing for divorce. Respondent ignored all paperwork, ignored me calls and…
We got our marriage tax allowance but were immediately asked to pay it back?
Hi, Some context before reading the below: Me and my wife are not UK nationals. I am settled in UK on a indefinite visa and my wife is also on a dependant visa. I have been in UK since last 11 years and my wife joined me last year. There are no restrictions on work, we are both allowed to work full time and we both have…